We list our pick of the best Sony Xperia smartphones that you can buy in 2017, from budget Sony mobiles to the very best flagship Xperia handsets. And we also reveal any Sony phones that are due to launch later this year or in early 2018.
Sony is one of the biggest global smartphone manufacturers right now, launching fresh new Xperia mobiles every year. With their slick, iconic design, serious media chops and industry-leading camera tech, Sony Xperia phones are some of the best handsets you can buy in the UK. You can even get some solid budget blowers from Sony, if your wallet or purse won’t stretch to a premium device.
But which are the best Xperia mobiles right now? Here’s our pick of the bunch, to help you decide which Sony Xperia phone is best for you, as well as the most exciting new Sony phones still coming in 2017. And check out our best budget Sony phones feature for a look at the most affordable Xperia handsets right now.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium
| Price: | £650 |
| Release Date: | Spring 2017 |
| Our Review: | Sony Xperia XZ Premium review |
If you’re after a portable media pocket monster and your wallet is stacked, good news: you’ve already discovered your perfect Xperia. The Sony Xperia XZ Premium is the world’s first 4K HDR smartphone, pumping out gloriously crisp and highly realistic visuals. With support from the likes of Amazon Prime Video and Netflix coming in 2017, you can enjoy some stunning movie playback on your daily commute.
The XZ Premium is far from a one-trick phone, however. This handset sports the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, one of the most powerful mobile chipsets around. Performance is so fast that our hands practically blistered, while connectivity is fully future-proofed.
Just as impressive is Sony’s latest Motion Eye camera, which can capture detail-packed and realistic images as well as jaw-dropping Super Slow Motion video footage. Check out our full Xperia XZ Premium camera review for samples and more info.
Sony Xperia XZ1
| Price: | £TBC |
| Release Date: | September 2017 |
| Our Review: | Sony Xperia XZ1 hands-on review |
The Xperia XZ1 is Sony’s latest flagship handset, freshly launched at IFA 2017, and one of our favourite mobiles from the Japanese giant so far.
The XZ1 is kind of a brilliant hybrid of last year’s Xperia XZ (see below) and the fresher Xperia XZ Premium. While the look and feel will be familiar to XZ owners, you get some of the best features from the mighty Premium model packed inside the Xperia XZ1. That includes HDR video support (although you don’t get Ultra HD resolution visuals here) and the brilliant MotionEye camera, complete with that excellent Super Slow Motion mode.
Stay tuned for our in-depth Xperia XZ1 review and check out our Xperia XZ1 tips and tricks guide for more info.
Sony Xperia XZ
| Price: | £500 (TBC) |
| Release Date: | October 2016 |
| Our Review: | Sony Xperia XZ review |
Sony’s big flagship phone of 2016 was the Xperia XZ, a premium mobile boasting the still-powerful Snapdragon 820 processor. It’s pleasingly nippy and looks great, but the real draw is the super-smart 23-megapixel camera that Sony has slapped on the back end.
You get a laser-guided autofocus and built-in 5-axis image stabilisation, which in combination give you sharp, blur-free shots even when your subject is moving all over the place. You can also record video in up to 4K UHD resolution, for impressively detailed home movies.
You can pick up the Xperia XZ in three cool colours, with the forest blue version being our personal favourite. If you’re after a premium mobile experience and have cash to spare then the XZ is a solid choice, although a bit of extra moolah bags you the even better XZ Premium (see above).
Sony Xperia X
| Price: | £449 |
| Release Date: | June 2016 |
| Our Review: | Sony Xperia X Review |
The Xperia X is a premium handset like the Xperia Z5, with a few little cuts to trim down the price and undercut rival flagships like the Galaxy S7. Gone is the water resistant design and you get a less powerful processor compared with most premium 2016 phones, but the best-in-class camera is still on board and the X’s selfie cam is particularly impressive – check out our Xperia X camera review for more info.
We also love the sexy new unified design, which sees your desktops matching the Xperia X’s exterior (or, to put it another way, the curtains finally match the drapes).
Check out our Sony Xperia X hub for reviews, guides and comparisons.
Sony Xperia XA1
| Price: | £219 |
| Release Date: | May 2017 |
| Our Review: | Sony Xperia XA1 review |
Last year’s Xperia XA was sadly a bit slow and underwhelming, despite that impressive and gorgeous design. Thankfully Sony has fully made amends with the 2017 sequel, the Xperia XA1.
This phone brings a much-needed performance boost and general specs upgrade, for a more satisfying everyday experience. Thankfully Sony hasn’t scrapped that beautiful edge-to-edge screen, instead choosing to refine it with more rounded edges and the Xperia XZ’s flat top and bottom finish.
Battery life has also been boosted, so you can expect at least a day and a half of life between charges. However, the most impressive feature is the new camera tech. That 23-megapixel rear camera is truly sublime for the price point, capturing realistic, detail-packed photos that really shine. Check out our in-depth Xperia XA1 camera review if you don’t believe us.
Sony Xperia X Compact
| Price: | £400 (TBC) |
| Release Date: | September 2016 |
| Our Review: | Sony Xperia X Compact review |
If you’re a fan of dinky handsets, the new Xperia X Compact should be right up your street. This mini mobile packs most of the full-sized Xperia X’s best features, but squashed down into a more portable 4.6-inch form. You get a crisp, colourful screen, the same excellent 23-megapixel camera as the flagship Xperia XZ (minus 4K video recording), and a fingerprint sensor to securely unlock the device.
Battery life is a serious highlight, offering close to two days of play time between charges. And while the Xperia X Compact doesn’t boast a sexy metallic design like the full-sized Sony phone, the ‘mist blue’ model is particularly alluring.
Check out our Xperia X Compact vs Xperia X comparison to see what the difference is between the two X phones. There’s also our Xperia X Compact vs Xperia Z5 Compact comparison, to see how the new mini mobile stacks up against last year’s dinky Sony blower.
Sony Xperia Z5
| Price: | £500 |
| Release Date: | October 2015 |
| Our Review: | Sony Xperia Z5 review |
Sony’s previous flagship phone before the Xperia XZ was one of the best Android phones of 2015 and can be picked up with a more wallet-friendly price tag these days.
For a start, that sexy frosted glass design is truly gorgeous (although rather fragile, so be careful) and fully water resistant, to survive drops into bath tubs and toilets. The Xperia Z5 is a seriously user friendly phone too, offering strong battery life (a day and a half per charge is standard) and a gorgeous 5.2-inch Full HD screen.
The Xperia Z5’s camera is still a highly dependable 23-megapixel snapper too, despite its age. Check out our Xperia Z5 vs the best of the rest camera supertest if you don’t believe us.
Read our full original Sony Xperia Z5 review and check out our long-term Xperia Z5 review to see what we thought of the Z5 after three full months of play.
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
| Price: | £300 |
| Release Date: | October 2015 |
| Our Review: | Sony Xperia Z5 Compact review |
‘Mini’ versions of flagship phones are often mere shadows of their bigger brethren, with watered-down specs and frankly crap features. But with the 4.7-inch Xperia Z5 Compact, you get the exact same awesome camera, gorgeous HD visuals and responsive fingerprint sensor of the bigger Xperia Z5.
But the best part is, the same great Sony Xperience (sorry, obvious joke) has been shrunk down into a colourful, fun little frame, which is now much easier to operate with one hand. For that reason, we highly recommend the Xperia Z5 Compact (which just also happens to be a wee bit cheaper). And unlike the newer X Compact, the Z5 Compact is fully water resistant.
These days you can pick up the Z5 Compact for under £300 too, which is well worth it.
Read our full Sony Xperia Z5 Compact review and our long-term Xperia Z5 Compact re-review after three full months of use. And check out how the Z5 Compact stacks up to other mini phones in our best compact phones feature.
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
| Price: | £550 |
| Release Date: | November 2015 |
| Our Review: | Sony Xperia Z5 Premium review |
If you really like the look of the Xperia XZ Premium and its 4K display but can’t afford that hefty asking price, the Xperia Z5 Premium may be the Sony phone for you.
This 5.5-inch beast boasted the world’s first 4K phone screen, which might seem rather extravagant compared with the Full HD displays on Sony’s other premium mobiles. However, the good news is that there’s now plenty of 4K content to stream via services such as Netflix, so at least you can make use of that Ultra HD panel. Plus, the Z5 Premium’s price has come right down now, making it quite affordable.
You also get the same super-powered camera as the Xperia Z5, which can take detailed shots in almost any conditions, as well as shoot 4K video – which of course you can view back in all of its glory right there on the Premium’s screen. Dependable performance is another highlight, although battery life isn’t quite as strong as the original Z5’s.
Read our in-depth Sony Xperia Z5 Premium 2016 review to see what we think of this 5.5-inch beast a full year after its launch, as well as how it compares to similarly-sized rivals like the OnePlus 3.
Sony Xperia E5
| Price: | £150 |
| Release Date: | July 2016 |
| Our Review: | Sony Xperia E5 review |
The Xperia E5 is the cheapest 2016 Sony phone at just £99. Despite this it packs almost the same specs as the Xperia XA and the same gorgeous desktop experience too. In fact, the Xperia E5 actually boasts smoother performance and better battery life, although the 13-megapixel camera is very basic and best used only for simple, shareable shots.
Sony Xperia L1
| Price: | £150 |
| Release Date: | June 2017 |
| Our Review: | Sony Xperia L1 review |
A more recent affordable addition to the Sony Mobile line-up is the Xperia L1. This value handset offers that lovable Sony styling, reminiscent of the more premium phones for a much reduced £150 asking price.
In some areas the Xperia L1 lags behind other cut-price rivals such as the Moto G5, especially when it comes to performance. We were hoping for stronger optics from the handset too. Still, the capable screen, expandable storage and user-friendly interface combine for a satisfying everyday experience.
Sony Xperia M5
| Price: | £300 |
| Release Date: | February 2016 (UK) |
| Our Review: | Sony Xperia M5 Review |
Sony updated the Xperia M4 Aqua for 2016 with the M5 and it’s an improvement in every conceivable way. The biggest draw for the M5 is its killer camera experience. A mid-ranger with a 21.5-megapixel rear snapper and a 13-megapixel front-facer is unheard of, particular when you can also film in 4K. Check out our M5 camera review here.
The M5 also comes with killer good looks, a Full HD display, NFC, 4G LTE, IP65/68 waterproofing, PlayStation integration and expandable storage up to 200GB. Not bad for a sub-£300 handset.
Read our full Sony Xperia M5 review.
Best Sony Xperia phones still coming in 2017
Sony Mobile tends to launch several new smartphones over the course of the year, including one or two new flagship devices as well as some mid-range mobiles and affordable handsets. We’re yet to see the UK release of a couple of phones already launched at the likes of IFA 2017, so you can expect these to hit stores by the end of the year.
Here’s our round-up of the biggest rumoured Sony phones coming later this year.
Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact
| Price: | TBC |
| Release Date: | September 2017 |
| Our Review: | Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact hands-on review |
You’ll know if you’ve read to this point that we’re big fans of Sony’s Compact phones, which offer more or less the same specs and features of their larger counterparts, in a pleasingly dinky and adorable form. Well, the Xperia XZ1 Compact is no different, and actually more enticing than the standard XZ1 on which it’s based.
At just 4.6-inches, this colourful handset is easy to grip and play with one-handed. You get full water resistance, a very attractive IPS screen, the mighty Snapdragon 835 chipset, and Sony’s rather great MotionEye camera complete with Super Slow Motion video capture. Wonderful stuff.
Stay tuned for our in-depth Xperia XZ1 Compact review.
Sony Xperia XA1 Plus
| Price: | TBC |
| Release Date: | Winter 2017 |
| Our Review: | Sony Xperia XA1 Plus hands-on review |
The Xperia XA1 Plus is a new super-sized version of the original Xperia XA1 handset, this time boasting a larger 5.5-inch display as well as a bigger battery. That means it should be a solid choice for any media fans who like to watch a lot of shows or movies on the move.
We really enjoyed the smooth user experience, excellent camera tech and long battery life of the standard Xperia XA1, so we’re certainly excited about getting involved with this Plus version.
So far we don’t have a set UK price for this handset, although we’re hoping this will be released soon. Stay tuned for our in-depth review.
Sony Xperia X2
| Price: | TBC |
| Release Date: | 2018? |
| Our Review: | Sony Xperia X2 Preview |
Sony’s Xperia X2 has a few issues to sort out with the original phone, in order to really deliver a death blow to rival mobiles like Samsung’s Galaxy A5 and the OnePlus 3T. For a start, there’s the price tag. £450 was too much to ask for the original Xperia X, while the likes of the OnePlus phone cost less and deliver far superior performance.
However, the Xperia X got many things right, including the excellent design, gorgeous screen and dependable cameras. So we’re already optimistic that the next Xperia X Series phone will impress, providing the price is right.
Video: Best Sony Xperia phones you can buy in 2017
Don’t like reading words? No worries. Here’s our video round-up of the best Sony Xperia phones that you can buy right now.
