Good Old Good #3: Sony Xperia XZ Premium
Nearly 10 years ago, Sony Xperia XZ Premium (2017) was one of the most prominent flagship models from Sony, marking a new milestone for the Xperia Twitter Series product line (replacing the previous Xperia Z Series). At that time, if you owned a Sony Xperia XZ Premium, you not only had money but also taste. Continuing the previous two issues of the Old Old Good Good column, let's look back at the Sony Xperia XZ Premium. You may be interested in:
Change the design language from OmniBalance to Unified Design but still have unique features
When it comes to Sony smartphones, perhaps everyone remembers the famous OmniBalance design language with a balanced screen and masculine square frame.
A short video introducing the Omni Balance Design language on the Sony Xperia ZL - part of the Xperia Z Series. Source: YouTube sonyxperiaca.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium has a Unified Design design language with a more curved frame than the Xperia Z Series models. The Sony Xperia XZ Premium that I borrowed had the back area re-glued. In fact, the original back of the device is very beautiful. Please review some photos taken by sonlazio in 2017.
But in reality, few people will really distinguish Unified Design from OmniBalance when both languages are flat and square. Xperia
Sony Xperia XZ Premium is equipped with a 3.5 mm audio port and this is still a detail that appears on every smartphone from Sony.
Similarly, the physical camera button is also a characteristic feature of the design of Sony Xperia smartphones. Even though 2017 is the time of the rise of the design trend of large 18:9 ratio screens with modern thin screen borders (Galaxy S8, Note 8, iPhone Twitter, Xiaomi MI MIX,...), Sony is still determined to keep the balanced screen design for Xperia XZ Premium with the traditional 16:9 ratio.
From my perspective, the Sony Xperia XZ Premium screen still has relatively good display quality at the present time. Not stopping there, Sony also integrated 4K HDR technology from high-end TVs into the only 5.5-inch screen of the Xperia XZ Premium. This is also the first Xperia to have this.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium is equipped with a very modern USB-C 3.1 standard charging port.
I have installed LineageOS 22.1 - Android 15 custom ROM
Before we had Android smartphones with 7-8 years of operating system updates, the number was mainly only 2-3 years and the Sony Xperia XZ Premium was no exception. According to information from Sony, the device comes pre-installed with Android version 7.1, then 7.1.1, Android 8.0 and stops at Android 9.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium receives two Android operating system updates including: Android 8 and Android 9. Source: Sony. In 2020, many users have turned to custom ROMs to try to make the XZ Premium run Android 10 and until now, the device still has the LineageOS 22.1 custom ROM based on the almost latest Android 15. I even see that the device also supports the ROM version running Android 16.
I installed LineageOS 22.1 - Android 15 custom ROM for Sony Xperia XZ Premium and this makes the device compatible with most of the applications I often use such as: Telegram, Messenger, Facebook,... Thanks to installing ROM, Xperia XZ Premium can install a variety of applications on the Play Store and operate normally like most smartphones on the market today.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium configuration parameters
Besides design or software, of course we should also look back at the configuration parameters of a nearly 9-year-old smartphone from Sony. Because Sony's website still lacks some parameters, I also consulted more information from the technology news site GSMArena. Specific Sony Xperia XZ Premium configuration parameters are as follows:
At the present time, the Snapdragon 835 chip in the Sony Xperia XZ Premium can still handle some daily tasks such as reading news and watching videos.
Outstanding competitors of Sony Xperia XZ Premium in the past
Your competitors will speak about your value better than how you speak about yourself.
iPhone Twitter
The iPhone Twitter introduction video from 2017 made me really nostalgic when I saw it! Source: YouTube Apple Trailers. Launched in 2017 with a starting price of $999, iPhone Twitter was once controversial but ultimately became a milestone that changed the mobile industry. This is the first iPhone model to remove the Home button, replacing it with a swipe operation, integrating Face ID technology, and Super Retina HD OLED screen. Along with the "rabbit ears" design, iPhone Twitter has contributed to opening the trend of full-screen smartphones since then.
Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+
In the past, when I was just in college, I also liked using Samsung smartphones and hunted for deals on the US version of the Galaxy S8+ to have the Snapdragon 835 chip. Source: YouTube Samsung UK. The Galaxy S8 Series can be considered a "savior" that partly helps Samsung recover from the Galaxy Note 7 (2016) crisis, reshaping the design of the Galaxy S Series with an 18.5:9 ratio Infinity Display, eliminating the physical Home button, integrating iris security and Bixby virtual assistant. This is a symbol of breakthrough, providing a seamless and classy display experience.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
Galaxy Note 8 was also a smartphone that I really liked, but because I was afraid that the screen would be easily damaged like the Note 5, I didn't choose to buy it. Source: Samsung UK. In the same year 2017, Samsung launched the Galaxy Note 8 as a thank you to those who have always trusted and accompanied the Galaxy Note Series phone line after the Galaxy Note 7 incident. This is a phablet model with a large 6.3 inch screen, curved left/right edge design, powerful hardware configuration, equipped with a dual camera system and of course the iconic S Pen.
LG G6
LG G6 used to be a very high-quality flagship model, but I'm a bit sad that the device was no longer so popular with many users at that time and was somewhat difficult to compete with competitors. Source: LG Australia. LG G6 is LG's best flagship in 2017. The product no longer has a detachable accessory module design like the LG G5, but instead has a monolithic design with a 5.7-inch flat screen, a new 18:9 ratio and thin screen bezels. However, the weakness of the LG G6 is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chip, which is older than its competitors equipped with the Snapdragon 835. The LG G6 was once LG's great hope but also marked their decline in the flagship race.
HTC U11
HTC U11 has a very interesting Edge Sense feature, but I find it not very practical. Source: HTC. Not following devices that break the 18:9 screen ratio like LG G6 or Galaxy S8, S8 Plus, HTC U11 still uses a 16:9 screen with a size of 5.5 inches and a very unique Liquid Surface design language similar to the HTC U Play and HTC U Ultra. HTC's one-time flagship model also has a very interesting Edge Sense function that helps users quickly activate the camera or application. Along with that is the extremely sensitive one-touch fingerprint sensor on the Home button.
HUAWEI P10/P10 Plus
In the past, I wanted to own a flagship with a Leica camera like the HUAWEI P10 Series. Source: YouTube Flanco Smart Discounter Romania. Following from the HUAWEI P9 Series, the HUAWEI P10 Series is a milestone affirming HUAWEI's position in mobile photography with a dual camera cluster in cooperation with Leica - a famous camera brand from Germany. The flagship line has a luxurious metal design, front fingerprint, powerful performance with Kirin 960 chip and the ability to take portraits with impressive background blur. To summarize, the Sony Xperia Nearly 10 years have passed, Xperia Although "Old" in time but "Good" in value - Sony Xperia XZ Premium still has a solemn place in the hearts of technology enthusiasts. How do you like the Sony Xperia XZ Premium? Which product do you hope will appear in the next issue of Old Old Good Good? Thank you for your interest and following! See more: