Processing, design and handling
The front and back of the smartphone is made of glass, however, the lateral edges of genuine aluminum. In the framework of caps for the USB port, the micro SD card and the SIM card are incorporated. The caps are lined with rubber, which is designed to protect against the ingress of water. Thus, the device is dust and waterproof to IP55 and IP58 according to the manufacturer. In addition, the hardware button is worth mentioning for the camera, this is for example, when the display is pressed, the camera is immediately started. The only complaint regarding the hardware buttons is the volume rocker, this has my feeling not optimal pressure point. At least in my copy no gaps are visible, everything seems all of a piece. Now for handling. This is not even as bad as one would expect from the size of the Xperia Z2. In everyday life, I have no problems with it. But is nevertheless recommended, if you placed the most important apps on the homescreen rather down. Only when shooting in landscape mode you sometimes have the queasy feeling that a device could fall off, mainly because it is extremely thin with his 8 mm. (But this is very pleasant in all other situations)
Camera
The camera of Xperia Z2 is simply sensational. Especially the color naturalness is excellent. Nothing seems to contrast and so unnatural or washed out. The white balance is working properly. Everything is shown exactly how it is in real life just. The camera can take pictures instead of the so-called automatic mode only with 8 with 20.7 MP. In the manual mode, the full resolution available. This may seem disappointing at first glance, the second on the other hand this is not a problem. If in manual mode namely ISO and white balance set to automatic (set ex works), the photos look of the color rendering properties (contrast, color fidelity, white balance) exactly the same. I myself have several times, then picked up the same motifs alternating with the automatic mode to the manual mode. The only difference is that the photos are a bit sharper in manual mode. But the difference is not so great, for that resolution by more than a factor of 2 increases. The sharpness of the photos is probably the only point at which the Xperia Z2 with the Galaxy S5 can not quite keep up (see reviews on the Internet). But this is bleating on very, very high level, both devices make sufficiently sharp photos. In contrast, the Galaxy S5 can not keep up with the color accuracy of Z2, photos look a bit unnatural. The latter point is important for me personally. The functionality of the camera application can also be seen. For example, there the timeshift video mode, here, a video can be recorded and then an area be selected to be shown slows. This works very well, slowing down the video does not lead to stuttering because it is taken up with 120 frames per second. Another feature is the background blur. Here 2 shots will be taken up again with focus forward, the other times with focus behind. Afterwards can be adjusted with a knob the blur of the background. While this works well, you want to save the photo, however, it sometimes takes a long time but. Quite funny is the so-called AR-effects. Here animated objects are displayed in the current camera image. The special feature is that the animations are tied to specific points of interest. Which aims to move his mobile phone, the objects adapt to the altered image. When approaching the camera, for example a type of environment point at which there is an animated object, this is automatically increased. All AR-effects can recognize faces and incorporate these in a special way with. So you get, for example, in the AR effect Dive a diving bell placed. The Google Play store are next to the pre-installed AR-effects even more available. Total to get (at least at the time of review) as on 10 themes (fairy tales, Diving, dinosaurs, Maskarade, butterfly, Funky Disco, Spider-Man, comic, horror, celebration). Another mode is the creative effect. You can choose from here, for example, mosaic, nostalgia, fisheye, ink / pencil sketch, comic. The mode can be sechssekündige Vine Videos create that run in a continuous loop (alla Harry Potter pictures). With Info-eye to be photographed, for example attractions and you get information appears. This feature I have not tried yet. At the end of the camera review another highlight: the 4K video recording. The quality is really impressive. On the smartphone the videos can zoom during playback and it still affects everything razor sharp. On the Internet there are many voices which complain that the camera becomes extremely overheated and turn off at the 4K videos. This I can confirm. I launched 4K recording directly after I separated my Z2 from the charger (the unit was so by charging the battery is already very warm). The video was automatically terminated after 4 minutes and 35 seconds, but also stored. But under normal conditions, the recording should stop only after a long time.
Music
Sony also places great emphasis on music quality, this manifests itself, for example, by providing a high-quality noise-canceling headset is supplied loose, but more on that later. I tested the music quality through the headphone jack with my Sennheiser HD 558. I must say that I was very happy in front of my old smartphone Galaxy S2 with respect to the music quality (incidentally have the following Galaxy-generation in this point waned). In direct comparison, the Galaxy S2 although providing the minimal bulkier and softer sound, but this results in a slightly muffled sound (criticism on a high level !!!, and falls only in direct comparison to !!!). The Xperia Z2 (with activated Clear Audio +) manages to reproduce the music clearly without distorting it. Everything sounds very detailed, the frequency response is very balanced. When Z2 an extensive equalizer is available in order to meet personal preferences can. Bottom line, both smartphones take concerning the quality is not much, a clear advantage of Z2 is that the volume can be fine varies. Now for the included noise-canceling headset. This can really convince. Taking into consideration the unit price of about 40 euros, it is well above average for this price range in my opinion. The sound is quite punchy, clear and balanced. The noise-canceling itself is really impressive. When switched stereo (on moderate volume continuously) I was nearly impossible to hear something from these external music source. If you switch the noise-canceling software side from immediately raining all ambient noise an a. It is important that the headphones fit snugly in the ear, otherwise the technique does not work logically. Now for the stereo speakers of Z2. This certainly can not keep up with the boom-in speakers on a HTC One, but by themselves, they can totally convincing. Especially voices come over especially clear and voluminous.
Display
When its predecessor, the Xperia Z1, the display was a big gripe. The Z2 is now no longer on a TFT panel, but on an IPS display. Results in more vibrant colors and a higher viewing angle stability. In the display settings of the white balance can be adjusted, a feature that has to my knowledge, neither the HTC One M8, nor the Galaxy S5. The X-Reality technology, which enhances the contrast in software can be turned off, what I have done, because it still looks a little more natural for my taste. The display has a resolution of Full HD and is above average in size with 5.2 inches, though individual pixels are visible. Overall the display is really almost perfect, outside in the sunlight, it is sometimes a bit too dark. When the display is turned off, it can be seen when light falls on the grid of the touch screen (actually rather unusual for today's smartphones), as this is, however, seen only with a deactivated display, I did not find it disturbing. But the touchscreen is extremely sensitive, it even responds to inputs with a pencil, in the settings there is even a glove mode (similar to the new Galaxy devices), these I have not tried yet.
Performance and battery
The performance is very high. As the latest generation of the top models but do not differ on this point, I will not go into more detail on it. Suffice it to say only this: It all runs smoothly, all Apps load quickly and the browser performance is by miles better than it was in my old Galaxy S2. In a 3200 mAh strong battery Z2 is installed. While I had been for a day with my S2 into an electrical outlet, my Z2 holds two days by with STAMINA mode is activated. This STAMINA mode disables mobile data and Wi-Fi when display off. However, it can be selected apps, which are exempt from this restriction. In addition, further power saving modes are available, namely: Power save mode (is activated from an adjustable battery threshold; For example, auto-sync, Bluetooth, GPS and vibration off); Location-based Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi is in the range of a known Wi-Fi network automatically activated); Background data in queue (battery life by sending background data at specified intervals increase). The total budget for me hereby so many options available that Juice Defender I think is unnecessary.
OSD is
The OSD is the Xperia Z2 has a very simple and tidy. Taking with a finger on the home screen from top to bottom, the notification bar is opened, it does so against it with two fingers, one arrives in the quick menu bar. In the Eistellungen can specify exactly which toggles to display here. The choices are: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Location, Wi-Fi hotspot, Throw, rotate the screen automatically, brightness, mobile data transmission, sound, flight mode, roaming, auto-sync data, NFC, Stamina, screen mirroring, LTE. If on the home screen or in the App Drawer App drawn on a another, a folder can be created. The apps can be sorted by the following categories: own sorting alphabetically, mostly used Installs. With the File Commander is already a file manager installed. In addition, the full version of Office Suite Pro 7 is available. Especially handy are mini-applications, which are available in any situation through a onscreen button. For example, be browsed on the Internet and the way a calculator be called. The following mini-apps are a available here: Active clip (works similarly to the Snipping Tool in Windows), Browser, Gmail, Calendar, Bookmarks, Calculator, Timer, Touch block.
Conclusion
If you have to etscheiden between the top models Galaxy S5, HTC One M8 and just the Xperia Z2, the Xperia Z2 is personally the first choice at least for me. It simply does not in any important area gross blunder, the overall concept is just consistent. Elegant design joins with simple UI and very good hardware components.
