A Sony SmartWatch 3 And A Sony Xperia Z3 Are Seen On Display During The IFA Electronics Show In Berlin
A Sony SmartWatch 3 and a Sony Xperia Z3 are seen on display during the IFA Electronics show in Berlin September 4, 2014. REUTERS

Sony Mobile revealed the official and exclusive features on Xperia Z3 smartphone which are currently not available yet on Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z1.

Dual SIM Card Support

Unlike Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z1, Xperia Z3 has a dual-SIM variant, according to the official Web site of Sony Mobile. The smartphone features GSM, GPRS/EDGE (2G), UMTS HSPA (3G) and 4G LTE network capabilities, but the 4G availability depends on which market. Other common wireless connectivity capabilities such as Wi-Fi, aGPS, Bluetooth 4.0, DLNA, NFC, GLONASS, USB high speed 2.0 and micro USB are also included.

Improved Durability

Sony Xperia Z3 has an improved IP certification against dust and water. It boasts IP 65 and IP 68 certification ratings that provide complete protection against dust and resistance to water damage for up to 30 minutes within 1.5 metres of water depth. Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z1 are both offering IP 55 and IP 58 certification ratings which have the same water protection on Xperia Z3 but limited protection versus dust.

PlayStation 4 Gaming Experience

It is the first Sony Xperia flagship smartphone that supports PlayStation 4 gaming experience via PS Remote Play. Users can access PlayStation 4 games by switching from the console to Xperia Z3 with support of DUALSHOCK 4 controller. This feature requires an active Wi-Fi connection to the Internet and currently exclusive among Xperia Z3 devices.

More Battery Juice

Xperia Z3 offers two unique power management tools under Sony's STAMINA mode feature among Xperia smartphones and tablets. So far, these tools are not yet available on Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z1.

1. Extended Usage Mode which can extended battery life for up to 14 percent regardless if the device is active or not. It automatically adjusts the phone's performance to slow down battery drain.

2. Ultra STAMINA Mode is the upgraded version of STAMINA mode which limits the phone's functionality to core usage only such as voice calls and standard messaging.

In addition to these tools, Sony also upgraded the battery technology on Xperia Z3 which can last up to two days with normal usage before requiring a recharge. Sony Mobile conducted the tests for performance between July and September 2014.

Upgraded Camera Features

Sony Xperia Z3 is equipped with a 20.7 MP Sony G lens rear camera and 1/2.3 Exmor RS mobile imaging sensor. It also sports a 25 mm wide-angle lens to fit more light and subject, 3200 ISO support and larger camera sensor.

Software technologies such as SteadyShot to improve jerky shots, Active Mode intelligence to estimate movements, 4K video recording and several downloadable camera apps are also available on Xperia Z3. Active Mode intelligence feature was not mentioned on Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z1 smartphones.

Sound Enhancements

For music lovers, three sound enhancements have been added on Xperia Z3 - DSEE HX, Hi-Res Audio and Digital Noise Cancellation.

1. DSEE HX Digital Sound Enhancement Engine to upscale low resolution songs to near high resolution sound quality. It also refines and restores heavily compressed MP3 and AAC files.

2. High Resolution Audio to reduce distortion and noise at wider frequency ranges to reproduce better quality.

3. Digital Noise Cancellation which reduces exterior noise by up to 98 percent when paired to compatible headsets and similar accessories.