Xperia Z Ultra Review Roundup: What Critics Are Saying About Giant Smartphone

While the new Xperia Z Ultra is only available in a few select markets at the moment, that could change soon as Sony prepares to roll out the device to consumers—but is the smartphone worth the wait?

The Xperia Z Ultra is one of the more visually stunning handsets, mostly because of the device's massive size (the display is a giant 6.44 inches), and although some users might worry about its size, CNET Asia found the device was not as awkwardly bulky as some expected. 

"Sony has been pushing thin form factors as its selling point in some of the latest products like the Xperia Tablet Z, and the Z Ultra is no different. I still can't get over just how slim the phablet is. Sure, it's not the thinnest ... but it's nonetheless a very impressive design from Sony," wrote CNET Asia. "While the handset's footprint is large, it was surprisingly comfortable to hold with one hand. In the pocket though, the Z Ultra felt really big, and if your pocket isn't deep enough, the phone will either stick out, or end up falling out when you sit down ... The Z Ultra weighed in at 212g, which isn't all that heavy considering the tempered glass used."

The Xperia Z Ultra may be huge, but it also packs quite the engine underneath the hood. As Expert Reviews notes, the device is capable of delivering a serious performance with the quad-core processor that Sony put into the device:

"The Ultra is also extremely fast. It has a 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, which is the highest clock speed we've seen in an Android device. It completed the Sunspider JavaScript benchmark, which is a reasonable indicator of web browsing performance, in an astounding 409ms - more than twice as fast as a Galaxy S4."

However, reviewers have consistently noted that the device's camera is not up to par with other cameras featured on other tablets or smartphones. As Engadget reports:

"There's no flash for that rear-facing camera and a drop in resolution to 8 megapixels rather than the 13MP sensor of Sony's last flagship. Our early camera tests offered up images that were pretty crisp in well-lit conditions, but the noise started to creep in on shadows -- something that a flash would have solved to some degree."

Additionally, some reviewers had concerns about the Ultra's battery life. The Xperia Z Ultra offers users a chance to have all the advantages of a tablet while still having the basic functionality of a phone, all with some impressive hardware to boot. Look out for the Ultra when Sony expands its release sometime in the fall.