It's been about three hours since the Sony Xperia Z3+ smartphone was launched in India and I’m still wondering what to write about this device. There’s absolutely nothing new. Ok, wait, that’s not true. There’s the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 SoC, upgraded from the Xperia Z3’s Snapdragon 801 in the Xperia Z3+. If you’ve been following the news, you would know that that’s not saying much. And that’s all folks, my first impressions of the Xperia Z3+.
For some reason, Sony wants people to pay Rs. 55,990, for upgrading from the Snapdragon 801 to the Snapdragon 810. Full disclosure, we haven’t tested a Snapdragon 810 powered device yet, but everyone has heard about its so called heating issues. Also, according to Sony, it has solved the alleged heating issues in the India edition of the Xperia Z3+ through a software update. This could be true, but it would in all probability mean that the processor has been throttled significantly. But I’m not going to dwell on things I can’t yet confirm.
The Xperia Z3+ has a 5.2 inch 1080p display. Can you guess which other phone had that? Yes, the Xperia Z3 had the exact same display. Again, Sony spoke, at length, about how this Triluminous display is better than its predecessors. The company explained how the display won’t refresh when there’s a still image on it and even showcased a feature called ambient display, which the Xiaomi Mi 4i worth Rs. 12,999 has already done. But is that really enough for a flagship today? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying Sony’s displays are bad. In fact, the Xperia Z3 had a really nice display, just like this one does. But it’s just nothing new. It’s no Galaxy S6 level display. In fact, even the HTC One M9+ has a sharper display.
Moving on, the camera. Sony went through the motions with the customary iPhone comparison here. But guess what Sony, that’s not really the phone to beat anymore. And yet again, it’s the same 20.7MP rear camera that we’ve seen and loved before. If it wasn't enough to sway you the last time around, Sony’s few software tweaks aren’t going to make you feel any different.
In closing, if you have a Sony Xperia Z3, there’s no reason to upgrade to the Xperia Z3+, because it really has nothing new, except the fact that it’s about 1mm slimmer and about 10 grams lighter. On the other hand, if you’re looking to buy a new flagship device, you can look at literally anything other than the Xperia Z3+. The LG G4 and Galaxy S6 have better cameras and both can provide similar or better performance on paper.
The only high point of the Xperia Z3+ launch for me was when Sony confirmed that the device will get the Android M update. For now, the company is basically asking for Rs. 55,990 for what is a bunch of software tweaks and minor improvements.