My First Impressions Of The Sony #Xperia XZ1 #Ad

*This Post Is Sponsored By Sony*

This week has been atrocious in so many ways. However, there was a MASSIVE positive and that arrived in the shape of the new Sony Xperia XZ1. I am delighted to be working with Sony and testing their new phone. Anyone who knows me will recognise that I love a new mobile phone, specifically the camera on the phone. I love taking photos but I am lazy and don’t want to be lugging around a huge camera so I rely heavily on my camera phone. I have been on the lookout for a new phone with a better camera and Sony came at just the right time. When it comes to cameras Sony is right up there. In fact, it is only second after Nikon. Sony really is at the forefront of camera technology

Why Am I So Excited By The Sony Xperia XZ1

I love gadgets and this is one impressive gizmo. A sign that it is really impressive is that Mr C has been lusting after it too. I have banned him and told him that he can only look with his eyes. I am not letting him loose with my Sony Xperia XZ1. The phone was first announced at IFA 2017 (the world’s leading trade show for consumer electronics and home) in Berlin and it went down a storm. The Sony Xperia XZ1 is one very high-end android phone.

It might be a powerful piece of kit but it is extremely easy to use. I am not someone who sits down and reads instructions so I just decided to get out there and use the phone. I was taking amazing photos and filming slow mo the same day it arrived. If I am able to use it then anyone can.

Features Of The Sony Xperia XZ1

The Look Of The Sony Xperia XZ1

What can I say? I’m shallow and I really tend to judge my phone on its looks. I want my phone to look the business and this phone does not disappoint! It has a sleek and sexy design, it’s understated and stylish but also has a highly functional design. The phone is dust and water resistant, a big plus for me as I have been known to scroll on my phone as I take a bath.

This phone fits perfectly in my hand and the rounded edges of the phone means that it is really comfortable to hold. On the side of the phone is a micro SD card slot and I have already used it for added storage on top of the 64Gb built in. I already know that I am going to be using this phone to film anything and everything so I want lots of storage and the ability to be able to add extra storage is a real selling point for me.

Finger Print Scanner

I love the finger print scanner; It is a clever addition that can be found on the righthand side of the phone under the power button. This makes the phone very secure and means that I am the only one who can open it. Sorry Mr C. The fingerprint scanner is extremely easy to use and opens straightaway every time.

The Display On The Sony Xperia XZ1

Now this is where I get really excited. The display is a 5.2 inch full HD supported display. It is a mighty beast. Crisp and really clear and the colours are vibrant. As we will be going away on a cruise at Christmas I have already downloaded some films for the boat. Watching them on this phone is going to be a joy. The detail is phenomenal. I have already watched one film on it and I was blown away by the quality. This phone has S-Force surround technology which is really impressive when you consider that this is a phone we carry around in our pocket. A criticism on the appearance of the phone might be the size of the body above and below the screen, however these sections house the stereo front facing speakers and give us the surround sound.

Apps For Your Sony Xperia XZ1

I love an app and this android phone makes me want all the apps. The Google Play Store has a fantastic range of apps. With 4gb of RAM you can leave your apps running in the background and switching between them is seamless. Perfect for me as I love to spend my days flicking between Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

The Battery Life

I have become accustomed to not leaving the house without a spare battery charge but I won’t need to do that with the Sony Xperia XZ1. So far I have found that a full charge will easily last you all day. It is easy to charge via the USB C lead that goes in the bottom and has fast charge using Quick Charge 3.0.

The Camera

The camera is the real selling point on this phone and for me this is what places it above its rivals by a mile. It has a 19MP rear facing camera. This means that it takes excellent photos in daylight and close-up. I wanted to test the phone camera to see what it was like in low light conditions and again I was really impressed. My previous phone camera would not have coped. As you can see below, despite it being poor conditions it still took an amazing photo.

The Ground-Breaking Motion Eye™ Camera.

What makes this camera phone fantastic is its Motion Eye™ camera. It is this camera that gives us more flexibility when it comes to taking photos and filming the family.

Why was I able to take such a good photo of us looking at the camera? That will be the burst shots function. Extremely useful when you are trying to take photos of children who, as we know, never stand still for longer than 1 second. I was able to get a series of good shots thanks to Sony’s predictive phase detection autofocus. If you really wanted to you could take up to 100 snaps in just ten seconds. Perfect for those Christmas Day shots when we are trying to capture the children opening their Christmas presents. Thanks to this technology every shot is in focus, whether I am taking static photos or photos of the children running. This means that I will never miss out on a special moment and I will be able to capture every smile. I love my children but sometimes those smiles can be fleeting so I need something that captures them quickly.

Selfies

You won’t need a selfie stick with this phone. Round the front of the camera is a 13MP, 22mm wide-angle camera. That means you can get the whole family in and the surroundings. We tested this out and as you can see below it was brilliant for getting us all in. The burst function meant we could also choose the best photo. Sadly, it was incredibly windy so we all look a little windswept but focus on the positives. That is one good quality snap, despite the crazy hair we all have. You can also brighten up low-light selfies as there is the option to use your screen of the phone as a flash. That is what I did for the selfie of us out at night.

There is also a camera button on the right-hand side of the phone which makes taking those selfies easier as you are not having to stretch your fingers across the screen.

Filming

Slow-Mo

I love the slow-mo function of this camera. Thanks to the Motion Eye™ camera it records 960 frames per second, for Super slow motion playback. The footage is four times slower than videos from other smartphones. You might have already seen some of my slow-mo footage on Instastories and Twitter. It is just wow! It can take some time to get used to. You have to judge where to hit the slow-mo function when filming. However, I should point out that I am someone who struggles to catch a ball and I quickly worked out the slo-mo. I will be sharing the slow-mo function in more detail in a YouTube video.

I have also had a quick go at filming the girls on the camera and because it has the SteadyShot™ feature, with 5-axis image stabilisation this compensates for shaking movements. I have found all of my recorded footage incredibly smooth.

What’s Next For My Sony Xperia XZ1?

So far I have been seriously impressed with my Sony Xperia XZ1 phone. However, I will be putting the phone through some rigorous testing over the next month to make sure that I can give you a detailed and comprehensive review. I will be sharing our adventures with the phone on my Twitter account, Instagram and Instastories and YouTube. I will also be writing another post. Best of all you will get to come on holiday with me in a couple of weeks as I will be capturing all of our special moments on the Sony Xperia XZ1. We are going to have lots of fun!

Where You Can Buy A Sony Xperia XZ1

With Christmas around the corner this is the perfect present for anyone who wants to capture those cherished family moments, but it is also an outstanding present for serious gadget lovers. Everyone will be impressed by this phone. You can go online at Sony Mobile for a full list of stockists.. The handset is available nationwide at a price of £599.99. You will find the flagship Xperia range also includes the XZ1 Compact - the ultimate in no compromise and the XZ Premium - Sony’s ultimate flagship handset, encapsulating decades of Sony innovation. Just don’t blame me if you find yourself wanting all of the Sony products 😉

Make sure you are following me on all of my social channels so you can see how I get on with my Sony Xperia XZ1.

The following bloggers are also reviewing the Sony Xperia XZ1. Click on their blog name to read their initial thoughts on the mobile phone

• Mum In The Mad House
• Cuddle Fairy
• The Mummy Adventure
• Let’s Talk Mommy
• Meet The Wildes
• A Moment With Franca
• Someone’s Mum
• More Than Toast

Disclaimer - this is a sponsored post. However, as always, all words and photos are my own.