Jan 28

Sony Xperia Z3v Verizon Smartphone
Sony Z3v Xperia Smartphone for Verizon

January is a very busy time for major conventions and events like the Consumer Electronics Show and North American International Auto Show. I needed a device that could keep up with me through a week plus of near constant use. The Sony Xperia Z3v from Verizon ended up becoming my go to device.

Sony Xperia Z3v Smartphone PS4 Gaming
Sony Z3v Xperia Smartphone PlayStation 4 Game Streaming


As smartphones go, the Z3v fit multiple criteria beyond running the latest in Android mobile operating systems. Not knowing exactly what I would be getting into in 2015, I needed a newer smartphone that is waterproof. Sony’s latest has covered ports, SIM slot and buttons.


Sony’s Z3 Product Lineup From CNET

Covering huge events like CES and NAIAS requires me to take hundreds of photos, shoot video and choose the best of both to include in daily social media postings and recaps. Some of the photos I need to take at events require a camera to be ready at a moments notice. The Z3v has a 20.7-megapixel sensor that bests the iPhone’s, HTC One M8, Galaxy S5 and Lumia Icon.

The Icon’s camera takes clear shots, but it seemed to take a bit for the photo to snap. The Z3v took photos much faster with nearly the same sized images. While the phone’s design looks slightly older, it makes up for in expandable storage. And its screen is bigger too, at 5.2”. All of that added up for a nice experience.

That large 1080p resolution screen, like the one in the Z3v, comes in handy when streaming games from a PlayStation 4 via Remote Play over WiFi. Oh, your iPhone or Android smartphone cannot stream games from a PS4? Verizon’s latest Sony smartphone can, and for those of us that have invested in both devices, it is a nice feature to have available.

Some have asked me while using the smartphone if it has a Quad HD display. Those types of displays are great and all, but they take so much extra power to drive them. The Z3v gets to use that extra battery to last hours longer than the LG G3 for instance.

Switching between apps that I used on a daily basis did not once crash or become sluggish after eight to ten hours. That is because it has 3GB of RAM, where most of the smartphones out there have only 2GB, including the iPhone 6.

But specs alone are not why the Sony Xperia Z3v is why I choose to use the phone during several high profile events. I have owned several Sony phones before and they have always performed to my needs. Covering announcements during events like CES and NAIAS require the top most quality media created.

The Z3v can record video in 4k. While one would need a 4k TV to watch the video created by this smartphone, it does mean that the 1080p video it creates is that much better. Recording lengthy clips in 4k can make the phone warm, so I kept clips relatively short.

Sony’s Z3v is their latest Xperia smartphone offering and should last through the next Mobile World Congress in March. Word is that this phone will get Android Lollipop 5.0 at some point in the future to unlock even more features.

Keeping the ports closed means that this phone will stay waterproof. But that could become a problem when needing to recharge its battery. Thankfully, it also comes with built-in wireless Qi charging. For this, I used my TYLT VU Wireless base charger.


Verizon Vehicle From RCRWireless

Verizon Wireless announced their Verizon Vehicle initiative at NAIAS 2015. An aftermarket self installed connected car solution that will enable the consumer to drive safely and reduce anxiety of life on the road. It connects to the car to read error codes and learn about how the engine is working, connects as an automatic hands free speakerphone via Bluetooth and a Verizon app gives the consumer information like points of interest.

I liked Sony’s Z3v smartphone so much, I added it to my Super Saturday holiday gift guide None of my other phones that I have tested can do 4k video, though I hear that if and when an update arrives for the Lumia Icon, it will be able to record 4k video. 32GB of internal storage helped me to archive about five days worth of media to recall when I needed to finalize a recap.

VZWBuzz Ambassador Badge

Disclosure: I’m a Verizon Wireless Buzz Influencer. The Sony Z3v has been supplied at no cost for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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