Overall and Final Verdict
Now that we have broken down both the Xperia Z2 Tablet and the Z3v Phone I can finally step back and see what we have going on. For starters, the performance numbers for both devices were interesting. I expected the Z3v to outperform the Z2 Tablet but in a few situations, it didn’t. That said for the most part it does come in right below the Droid Turbo and MotoX 2014 with very respectable numbers. The Z2 Tablet was even more impressive, keeping up with the newer devices much more than I expected. What I was even more impressed with on both devices was their battery performance though with both devices topping the chart with impressive numbers.
At first the design of the Z3v felt a little off for me and hard to hold on to. This wasn’t helped with the all glass back that made it harder to grip and more sensitive to drop damage. That said after sending about a month with the phone I really got used to it. Having an easy to find power button helped as well as the physical camera button. The Z2 Tablet on the other hand I loved right out of the hole because of its thin design but I found myself only wanting to use it around the house, its 10.1 inch screen makes it a little hard to take with you unless it is in the car as a passenger.
The best part about both devices without a doubt though is them being waterproof. I’ve seen waterproof devices in the past and typically they are extremely thick and hard to work with. Not having to worry about getting your phone wet can be a little liberating. Stand in the rain and check your phone if you want or take it into the pool for a video or a photo or two. Getting over the initial worry that water and your phone don’t mix is hard to do but it is well worth the looks you will get when people see you taking photos from in the pool, trust me!
Of course, with both devices running on LTE speed wasn’t an issue on that front as well. A few years ago I took a Verizon Nexus 7 tablet with 4G on vacation with us. The drive from Ohio through the mountains had just one small interruption, so in most cases I don’t have to worry too much about going out of a coverage area although currently our house is pushing it until they get the new tower up this year.
So would I get one or both device? Well I think I would pass on the Z2 Tablet both because its size is a little too big for anything I would use it for. Additionally I think the cost is a little much currently, even with a 2 year contract. The Z3v Phone on the other hand would be up at the top of my list. If you are only looking for pure performance I would be looking at the Droid Turbo but the Z3v has even better battery life and being waterproof is a major plus. Of course, you are sacrificing a higher screen resolution, fast charging, and a little performance for that so keep that in mind.
