ISSUE 50 • ANDROID ADVISOR 65REVIEWthe giant bezels that sat above and below the display
of the XZ1, replaced by slightly less giant bezels
above and below the new 5.7in display. Opinions
at Android Advisor are split as to whether its an
improvement, but this is certainly not the sort of all-
screen device Sony’s biggest rivals are able to offer. It
reminds many of us of some old Nokia Lumia phones,
which is perhaps not the best thing.
Ambient Flow is about more than the screen,
though. It’s also about breaking up the straight lines
that have dominated recent Sony devices. Instead,
the XZ2 has 3D curved glass on both the front and
back of the phone – a subtle curvature at the edges
of front, a more noticeable bulge on the back.
There are pros and cons to the design, but mostly
the former. The curved glass looks stunning when
it catches the light, though unsurprisingly it’s a
fingerprint magnet. It’s also one of the most slippery
phones we’ve tested and getting out of a pocket
without dropping it feels like an almighty task. The use
of Gorilla Glass 5 should reassure buyers that it’s tough
enough, but even so glass rears are always an extra
risk when it comes to drops and scratches.
The rounded design feels good in the hand,
though it is comparatively thick and heavy. Figures
of 11.1mm and 198g do not sound right for a brand-
new 2018 flagship. It might only be thick in the
middle, but the rounded back means that the phone
is basically impossible to use while resting on a flat
surface. It rocks side-to-side like a baby’s crib. We
wouldn’t mind so much if the size and weight meant a
huge battery, but that’s not the case here.