Introduction
The Sony Xperia Z2 is just starting to hit shelves: a product of relentless iteration, it is the third in a lineage of Sony flagships that focus on combining a sleek design with state-of-the-art hardware. Its flagship status will put the Z2 alongside some of the best selling Android devices that out on the market, and in this article we’ll see how it fares against the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, a phablet with a larger display, but almost equally capable hardware and a good camera.
The Xperia Z2, on its part, features a 5.2-inch 1080p display, the latest Snapdragon 801 system chip, and a 20-megapixel main camera. It is also sealed from the elements in a futuristic-looking body made of glass and metal. The Note 3’s highlights include a 5.7-inch 1080p screen, a Snapdragon 800 chip, and a 13-megapixel shooter.
A battle of Sony’s sleek Xperia style against the cartoonish Samsung TouchWiz, of fashionable glass design versus utilitarian plastic, of an LCD display against AMOLED technology, the clash between the Xperia Z2 and Note 3 promises to be fascinating. Let’s see if we can come up with a winner, shall we?
Design
The Xperia Z2 continues on the Sony tradition of sleek looks and glass body, while the Galaxy Note 3 features an utilitarian plastic design.
The Sony Xperia Z2 features a stylish monolithic design with glass on its back and front, while the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is made of the more mundane (yet still practical) plastic, fashioned to look like leather with a soft-touch feel. Design is a matter of personal preference, but it’s clear that the Z2 is the one that makes the bolder statement, a fashionable device with looks that catch the eye more.
In terms of size, the Xperia Z2 and Note 3 are clearly two large phones. The Xperia Z2 has evolved to be a bit narrower than its predecessors, but it’s still hard to use single-handedly and it’s one of the largest of 2014 flagship phones. The Note 3, on the other hand, is a phablet at heart - considerably taller and wider, with a 0.5-inch larger screen. Both are almost equally thin, but neither breaks any records: the Xperia Z2 measures 0.32 inches thick, while the Note 3 is a hair bigger at 0.33 inches.
The Z2, has one definite advantage over the Note 3, and that is its resistance to the elements. The Sony handset is protected from dust and water, carrying the IP58 certification. This rating means that the phone can withstand submersion in up to 5-feet (1.5-meter) deep fresh water (don’t get it near salt water, though!) for up to 30 minutes, and that it is protected against low-pressure water jets.
In terms of buttons, the Xperia Z2 applies meticulous attention to detail with beautifully crafted metal buttons. The round lock key on the right is particularly well made, but can be just a bit too small and shallow. Also on the right are the volume rocker with a curved shape, but again it has a muted response and is not very clicky, and there’s also a dedicated two-way camera shutter key that’s actually fine. The Galaxy Note 3 in contrast uses plastic buttons that look way more generic, but while they lack the style, they are a bit easier to press, and get the job done.
Sony goes one step further than before with the Z2, introducing stereo speakers located inconspicuously on the front in the form of slender strips right near the top and bottom borders of the phone. The top one hides a secret - an LED notification strip that starts blinking in different colors whenever you get a new message or an update. It’s all conveniently color-coded and will flash in different colors for different notification. The Galaxy Note 3, in contrast, has a more ordinary single-speaker setup with the speaker on the bottom, and one LED notification light up front, above the display.
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