4K recording isn't available as standard but people have had luck with open camera from the play store :smirk:

Got one of these the other week from the Argos ebay outlet when they were running the 10% off code. Nice phone for the money.

Will EVENTUALLY upgrade to Android Nougat once you run though the initial setup (Android still likes to install lots of old updates rather than just upgrading to the latest which can be a little frustrating).

Only quirk with the phone is that the NFC is on the front so you have to have the screen facing away from you to use Android pay.

It's a really nice little phone. The screen quality is excellent, and can go very bright, and its got great build quality. I really liked the side mounted fingerprint sensor too.

The only downside for me is the camera. It's got lots of megapixels (23MP), but it creates photos full of digital noise, blocky artefacts and it has lens sharpness issues (patches that aren't properly focussed). The camera isn't really any better than what you will find on a standard Moto G4 or G5, which is a bit of a shame for what is otherwise a great performer.

I also upgraded from a Z3 compact and wasn't keen on going for anything too big. It's a nice size and nice and thin too. It's also comfortably familiar if you're an existing Xperia user although a few features have changed in Nougat.

Oh and I looked at Xiaomis too as they're an absolute bargain for the specs but a lot of them don't support the UK 4G band 20 which put me off.

How does it compare to Moto G5 Plus?

Struggling to think why this spec phone is worth £269.

We'll be the judge of that after they release the XZ Premium :smiley:

I always had Samsung flagships but ditched them for Sony as Sony flagships completely out perform Samsung's. A Samsung phone 3 months in runs like it's got 3 years worth of crap on it.

About to change my Nexus 5, is this a good alternative, or would Moto g 5 plus be a better option. Max budget is £280

How are Sony phones in general now?

The only Sony phone I had was the Xperia S, which was absolutely diabolical.

I had this phone from Vodafone and returned it within the 30 days grace period. I had and am back using a Z3, which I breathed full life back into by replacing it's screen, bezel and rear panel for about £50 (new parts off eBay) fix took me hour or two following youtube guide but will last me another year or two now. This one, the X, has a slightly smaller screen and this was the problem for me. If anything, I want bigger not smaller. I preferred the charge point being on the bottom, not the side. Pricewise, this is about right. I would think £250 is more appropriate and £200 would be fantastic.

I had a Xperia Z5, I will steer clear of Sony's from now on after the issues I had with it. Firstly it bricked itself after a software update then the screen has yellow spots appear over it. On top of this the heat that was generated from it when it was running updates seemed dangerously hot.

might as well get the oneplus 3t O2 refresh deal for this price

Sony is far superior to Samsung so this is a welcome deal

Bought this phone 3 months ago for £340 and it’s really good. Bitterly lasts of over a day. Pic and audio quality are amazing. Very well made. No problems so far

one of the toughest phone I've come across. Dropped it so many time and it's still fine even without a case. Has a tough Display Glass.

Anyone own one of these and uses LDAC BT ? I run Sony MDR1000X and am toying with buying one for the LDAC

I'm on my second Z3. I reckon the first one fried the circuit board due to the excessive heat it was generating under load, and sometimes not under load! Sony refused to fix it because I had dropped the phone and had a dent in the metal bezel surrounding the phone, but they did confirm that the circuitboard was fried! Argued for ages that a dent in the metal bezel would not cause the circuitboard to fry, but they would not budge. Now using the wife's Z3 after she upgraded to an iPhone. This one also generates a lot of heat. This seems a good price, but am a bit wary of Sony now. Have seen a few reviews and this also seems to overheat! Think I will hold out and see if the S7 edge will come down in price in the next few weeks.

I love the Sony Z3 (compact and full), but my god Sony have awful aftercare service

Sony, Samsung etc farm out repairs to authorised centres in the U.K. This provides a responsibility buffer so that - ultimately - they can be shielded from responsibility. The repair centres tend to be the ones who try it on, so it's not so much Sony to blame.

If you had a Sony and Samsung break at the same time there's every chance they could end up at the exact same service centre being fixed by the same team!

Or not fixed due to arbitrary reason: water damage, chip, scratch, dent, or snot.

well exactly. I hate to say I but there is a legitimate reason that people feel more at ease buying from Apple - for example I took an iPhone with a cracked screen into the Apple Store for a relative last Sunday and because they couldn't see any obvious impact damage they fixed it there and then. No mailing anything off and being fobbed off.

I had the z3 compact on contract and within the first year it fell apart with no real abuse. It wasnt dropped or battered by my kids etc.
The front screen virtually peeled off and the camera had condensation behind the glass so became unusable.
It put me massively off Sony phones, have I just been unlucky?!

I've had the Xperia X Compact and it never heats up at all, it's the most fluid and lag free phone I've ever used due to the 3 gig ram and only 720p screen which is sharp enough, battery is excellent too

whats sooo bad about this phone?

When Sony launched this, I thought it was overpriced and too large. One year on, the price has dropped from £400 to £270 and it's a great deal. Although I had been saying I wouldn't get another Sony after all of the problems I had with my Z3 Compact (which I still love despite everything), I was planning to wait and see what new compact Sony brings out around October/November. Changed my mind after seeing this deal and bought it. Heat from me :-)

Z3 Compact here, love the phone, size is amazing and runs today like a flagship should.

But I agree with the comments that Sonys aftercare is possible the worst there is.. Arrogance and its cost them future custom which is a real shame.

100% agree about Sony Customer Service.

Arrogant, rude and totally useless.

But, I do like their phones.

anyone recommend good case for this phone?

These aren't waterproof?!? I'm clutching onto my m4 aquas after finding an m5 with its Chinese processor a bit chinesy lagging then speeding up making me sea sick not pleasant I won't go Sony mediatech ever again. Cex are doing a pink b grade o2 locked xz at 270 not bad but hard to trade 4 phones in at Cex. Suppose I'll wait