Sony Xperia Z3 Plus

We have just finished testing the company's flagship to replace the Z3 for this season's battles at the high end. Yet, the very name might suggest that it may not be the proper successor but rather what the Z3 should have been in the first place. That's to say that the Z3+ is exactly spot on. With the Xperia Z3+ Sony has refined its OmniBalance design to near perfection. The flapless microUSB port has brought the demise of the pogo pins and now there's only one short single flap to cover the card slot. In effect, the frame has gotten much sleeker and together with the new materials exudes even more luxury. Couple that with the slimmer 6.9mm profile and the Xperia Z3+ is again one of the top choices for the vain buyer. The smartphone is a snappy performer, even if benchmark results showed an inherent flaw of the hardware inside. Prolonged use causes lots of heating and that in turn results in the CPU throttling down and the test scores taking a hit. A good balance has been struck though, and temperature is kept in check, while performance is hardly an issue in actual use. The display is excellent with rich colors and nice viewing angles. Sony hasn't managed to beat the sky-high brightness of the older model, but the Z3+ is brighter than any of the high end competition. Battery endurance has seen a minor (though expected) decrease, but that may change with the final software. However, even as it is, the Xperia Z3+ will likely deliver the promised two-day autonomy.