Sony had a rough couple of years in the smartphone market. In its constant push of midrange phones, Sony hasn’t had a serious flagship smartphone for a couple of years. At this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC), Sony gave the public a peek into what it’s gone planned for 2017: most notably, the Xperia XZ Premium.
While Sony hasn’t done a full reboot with the Xperia XZ Premium (especially when it comes to naming conventions), there’s a lot to be excited about with this phone. We don’t know when this phone will be coming out—or what the price will be—but here are four features this smartphone has that none other does.
1. Mirror Finish
The first thing you’ll notice about the Xperia XZ Premium is the “mirror-finish” it has. Essentially, the Premium is coated with a super-glossy, reflective surface. It comes in a few different colors, but they all look premium and high-end. The smaller, XZs model doesn’t have the same mirror finish, though it is identical other than that.
While it looks like one of the worst fingerprint magnets we’ve ever seen, it’s certainly a unique look that some people will love.
2. Predictive Capture
Sony has redone its camera altogether on the XZ Premium. First off, it’s got a 19-megapixel camera with laser autofocus, which Sony says helps the phone perform well in low-light situations.
However, the most interesting feature is what Sony is calling “Predictive Capture.” Using super-fast image processing and the phone’s 64GB of RAM, the XZ Premium takes photos in a range of time, predicting when the best shot was supposed to have been taken. The idea is that if you take a blurry photo of a moving subject, the camera will have automatically taken photos slightly before and after, attempting to correct your shot and produce a great photo every time.
3. Amazing Slow Motion Video
The second big feature on the camera is the improved slow motion mode on the video side of things. The XZ Premium can capture slow motion video at an incredible 960 frames per second (fps) in 720p. For reference, the iPhone 7 can capture slow motion video in 720p at only 240fps. The XZ Premium can also taken slow motion video in 2160p at 30fps.
The result is slow motion video that is clearer and smoother than ever before. If Sony had a killer feature with the XZ Premium, this is certainly it.
4. 4K HDR Display
Lastly, Sony has attached a 5.5-inch 4K HDR display to the XZ Premium. The specs break down like this: 3840 × 2160 pixels, which breaks down to around 801 pixels per inch. Again for reference, the iPhone 7’s display comes in at around 326 pixels per inch. Sony has something it calls a “super vivid mode,” which takes full advantage of the 4K HDR screen to produce a wider color gamut for video-watching. However, the eye isn’t always able to fully tell the difference, especially at such a small screen.
You’ll have to see the screen for yourself to the difference, but you’ll at least be able to rest assured that you have the smartphone with the best display on the market.