Starting with the good stuff, the Z4 now features Qualcomm’s octacore Snapdragon 810 processor. The flagship processor for the flagship phones of 2015, this also powers devices including HTC’s One M9 and LG’s G4 which will be officially revealed later this month. The processor is accompanied by 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, expandable with micro SD.
The Z4 runs Android Lollipop 5.0.2 out of the box, as expected. Sony hasn’t changed their own UI customisations much however so the interface will look similar to last year’s in many places.
The display is a 5.2-inch full HD (1920×1080) panel. Although some new devices are launching with 2560×1440 displays, on a 5.2-inch screen full HD will be easily adequate to keep everything looking precise and sharp.
The Z4 also has new camera hardware and software so that it can keep up with the best of the rest. CNET reports that the phone has a 20.7-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front unit.
After this point, the controversy begins. The issue is that the Z4 looks essentially identical to its predecessor, the Z3. Side by side, you would be really hard-pressed to tell the difference.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though. The Xperia Z3’s design is one of the best of any smartphones. The glass back is stylish, eye-catching and professional-looking while remaining both waterproof and dustproof.
Some people will contest this however. The Z4 changes so little over the Z3 that from appearances alone it could be taken to be its older sibling. This may put some buyers off who were looking for an all-new design from Sony.
The Z4 does have a slightly smaller profile than its predecessor. Its metal frame is 0.4mm thinner now but this has come at the expense at battery capacity as the phone has mysteriously lost 170mAh.
The Sony Xperia Z4 will be available in Japan in the next few months in white, black, copper and aqua green colours. Worldwide availability and pricing has not yet been announced.
