Sony Xperia Z3v: Verizon's PlayStation Phone Reviewed

Most consumers today know Sony for its PlayStation gaming consoles, TVs, movies, and the legendary Walkman. You’d be forgiven, though, if you didn’t know that the Japanese tech giant also offers a line of smartphones. But just one carrier, T-Mobile, currently sells Sony’s handsets. Until now, that is.

Verizon, which hasn’t offered a Sony smartphone for years, is rolling out its exclusive Sony Xperia Z3v. Available for $199 with a two-year contract, the Z3v is a competitor to mainstream, high-end phones like the Apple’s iPhone 6 and Samsung’s Galaxy S5.

The Z3v is a good phone with unique features — it lets you stream PlayStation 4 games! — but compared with those power hitters, it’s not quite in the same league.

Design
Despite its name, the Z3v more closely resembles Sony’s bulkier Xperia Z2 rather than the newer, slimmer, sleeker, and overall better-looking Xperia Z3, which is available on T-Mobile.

In fact, at 0.35 inches thick, the Z3v is thicker than both the Z2 (0.32 inches) and the Z3 (0.30) inches. To compare, Apple’s iPhone 6, which at $199 costs the same as the Z3v, measures just 0.27 inches thick, while Samsung’s Galaxy S5 is 0.31 inches thick. In other words, the Z3v is not for the skinny-jeans contingent.

The Z3v is also relatively heavy, weighing 6 ounces, compared with the iPhone 6’s 4.6 ounces and the Galaxy S5’s 5.1 ounces. It’s worth pointing out, though, that the Xperia Z3v sports a 5.2-inch display, while the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5 have 4.7-inch and 5.1-inch displays, respectively.

So it’s chunky. But how does the Xperia Z3v feel? Not bad. Its heft is noticeable when you pick it up, but it’s not uncomfortable. Built with an aluminum frame and a glass back panel, the Z3v feels like a premium handset. Unfortunately, that glass back also picks up a lot of fingerprint grime. Yuck.

Like the Z2 and Z3, the Z3v is waterproof and dustproof. In fact, you can take this phone down to 5 feet underwater for 30 minutes, and it’ll keep on ticking. The S5 is waterproof up to 3 feet for 30 minutes, while the iPhone 6 models don’t offer any waterproofing. The Z3v does have those annoying port covers over its microUSB, SIM card, and microSD card slots, though, to keep it watertight.

Display
My one major issue with Sony’s previous smartphones has been their displays. They’ve generally been too dim and looked washed out when viewed at an angle. Sony has addressed these problems with the Z3v.

It’s not a stretch to say that this phone’s 5.2-inch, 1920 × 1080 resolution screen is the best available on a Sony handset. Images are brighter, colors are bolder, and, oh yeah, the display doesn’t wash out.

Sony says its Triluminos display technology allows the Xperia Z3v handset to produce vibrant colors, while its X-Reality for Mobile imaging software enables the Z3v to improve overall image quality. To be honest, though, I found that the Xperia’s screen was just as sharp as the Galaxy S5’s and iPhone 6’s.

I did notice, however, that whites on the Z3v looked slightly gray and dim when viewed next to the S5 and the iPhone. You can adjust the phone’s white balance in the Display settings menu, but should you really have to do that with a new phone?

This is Sony’s best display, but not the best display around. That title is still held by the Galaxy S5.

A clean interface
Like most Android phone makers, Sony puts its own user interface on top of Google’s Android 4.4 KitKat operating system. Thankfully, however, Sony’s interface is relatively low key. It’s not nearly as confusing and clunky as Samsung’s TouchWiz.

The main home screen gets a Google search bar widget and shortcuts to the phone’s Walkman, Album, Movies, and PlayStation apps. Sony doesn’t include any alternative home screens like Samsung’s My Magazine or HTC’s BlinkFeed, which provide you with continuously updated content based on your interests.

Instead, you get a handful of normal home screens, which should make Android purists fairly happy.

If there’s one thing users might find a bit disorienting about the Xperia Z3v’s interface, it’s the size of its app icons. Compared with those found on competing handsets, these things look absolutely massive, which is a bit annoying.

Bloatware to the extreme
On the apps side of things, the Xperia Z3v is a perfect case study in bloatware taken to the extreme. Verizon apps include Verizon Caller Name ID (a $2.99 per month charge if you sign up) Verizon Cloud, Verizon Message+, My Verizon Mobile, NFL Mobile, VZ Navigator ($9.99 per month), and VZ Protect.

Then there are the Sony apps, which include Album, Lifelog (a step, running, sleep tracker), Movies, PlayStation, Smart Connect, Sony Select (a secondary app store), Sony Video Unlimited, Walkman, and Xperia Lounge.

Beyond that, there are Amazon’s Amazon app, Amazon Kindle, Amazon Music, and Amazon Appstore. There’s also Audible, Kobo, IMDb, OfficeSuite, and Slacker Radio.

The problem with all of these apps, in addition to the fact that they’re being forced upon you, is that only three can be uninstalled. The rest take up permanent residence on your handset.

PlayStation 4 streaming
There is one app that will make PlayStation 4 owners happy: With the PlayStation app, you can stream and play your PS4 games to your Xperia handset, as long as the two devices are on the same WiFi network.

So if you’re in bed at night and want to play your favorite PS4 game, you just have to grab your phone and a controller and make sure the PS4 is on, and you’re good to go. Realistically? Most people are going to use this app in the bathroom.

Sony has also said it’s releasing a special controller mount that will let you attach your Xperia Z3v to your PS4 controller, making playing on the handset more intuitive.

Camera settings
Sony produces some of the best cameras in the world, and the company uses some of that technology in its Z3v, giving the handset a 20.7-megapixel rear camera with a Carl Zeiss lens.

To complement the handset’s camera, Sony installed a variety of camera settings and apps. Which is to say there are way too many. There’s a Superior Auto mode for basic shooting, a Manual mode that lets you adjust a host of in-depth camera settings, and Sound Photo for capturing shots and adding sound to them.

Then there’s a mode that uses augmented reality to digitally add things like fruit, snow, and small bombs that interact with your images. There’s even a mode for broadcasting your videos to YouTube. All told, there are 16 different camera modes, which is too many. Adding dinosaurs to pictures is fun and all, but I could just as well do without such a feature.

Camera performance
The Xperia Z3v’s camera takes impressively sharp visuals, but colors are slightly washed out. Photos taken of yellow mums with the Z3v looked like they were instead a brownish orange. The same flowers looked bright yellow in pictures taken with the Galaxy S5 and iPhone 6.

Likewise, a weathered ornamental sheep head on a lamppost appeared far brighter than it should have. Both the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5 captured more accurate colors, though the iPhone 6’s image was the best.

Video shot with the Z3v was sharp, though colors were just as washed out as they were in photos. If you want super-sharp video, you can record in 4K resolution, though since the Z3v’s display maxes out at 1080p, you won’t be able to see what your super high-res video looks like unless you play it on a 4K TV.

Battery life

The Xperia Z3v packs a massive 3,200 mAh battery, which is larger than both the Galaxy S5’s and the iPhone 6’s. As a result, the handset is an absolute marathon runner when it comes to battery life. I was easily able to get through more than a day with the Z3v before its battery finally gave out.

If you want to get even more out of your Z3v’s battery, you can enable Stamina mode or Ultra Stamina mode. Stamina mode will automatically disable your WiFi and mobile data, as well as restrict hardware performance when the Z3v’s screen is turned off.

With Ultra Stamina mode, the Z3v’s WiFi and data connections will be completely disabled even when the display is on. Just a few apps will work in this mode, so use it only when you absolutely have to.

The Z3v also receives Qi wireless charging, something the standard Z3 doesn’t offer. To use wireless charging, you’ll have to buy a separate Qi charging pad for about $8 to $30.

The thing is, your wireless charging pad still has to be plugged into a wall, and your handset has to be placed directly on top of it, so you can’t really use the phone while it’s charging, which limits the benefit of the technology.

Should you buy it?
The Xperia Z3v is a quality smartphone and an improvement over Sony’s previous efforts, but its design and build aren’t nearly as attractive as the standard Z3 that’s available through T-Mobile.

If you’re interested in a smartphone that can stream your PlayStation 4 games, shake off a dip in the pool or sink, and last all day while doing it, then the Xperia Z3v is a quality handset.

But if you’re looking for an Android phone with an incredible display, excellent camera, and strong battery life, get the Galaxy S5. If you’re not wedded to Android, then the iPhone 6 is the best choice for you.

Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley or on Google+ here.