Sony Xperia Z3+ review: The pre-sequel

Phonebook

The phonebook on the Xperia Z3+ is called Contacts. It uses a tabbed interface, consisting of Contacts, Favorites and Groups. It is no longer bundled with the phone app, but you can still quickly jump to it from the dialer. The contact list has a dedicated search filed plus it offers a very nicely animated alphabetical scroll bar.

Phonebook

Single contact view opens in full screen, rather than the pop-up view of previous Xperias. You get plenty of options for adding contact details with practically unlimited number of fields.

Viewing and editing a contact

Telephony

The Xperia Z3+ had no problem with reception and we didn't experience dropped calls or other anomalies. The volume range is rather wide and you wouldn't want to pump it all the way up in all but the loudest surroundings.

The dialer is its own dedicated app and supports smart dialing. It doesn't have a built-in recorder, if you're into that sort of thing.

Standalone dialer with smart dial • in-call screen

The Xperia Z3+ continues a trend of Sony flagships where they fail to impress with Loudspeaker loudness. The whole dust- and waterproofing might be the culprit, but the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active manages substantially better numbers, despite adhering to even more stringent specifications.

In the end the smartphone posted an Average score, meaning you should check it out every now and then in noisy surroundings to make sure you don't miss a call.

Speakerphone test	Voice, dB	Pink noise/ Music, dB	Ringing phone, dB	Overall score
Sony Xperia M4 Aqua	60.2	57.2	64.5	Below Average
Apple iPhone 6 Plus	67.3	65.7	66.5	Below Average
Sony Xperia Z3+	66.7	66.6	67.7	Average
Sony Xperia Z3	69.7	66.6	67.2	Average
Apple iPhone 6	66.6	65.7	72.8	Average
HTC One M9	65.2	64.6	76.1	Average
Sony Xperia Z2	66.7	64.6	75.7	Average
Samsung Galaxy S6	68.1	66.3	73.7	Good
LG G4	66.9	71.8	74.7	Good
LG G3	70.2	66.6	80.2	Good
Samsung Galaxy S5 Active	73.1	69.3	76.7	Very Good
Samsung Galaxy Note Edge	72.7	75.7	70.8	Very Good
Oppo N1	73.7	67.7	78.7	Very Good
OnePlus One	74.8	73.5	80.2	Excellent
Samsung Galaxy Note 4	74.7	73.5	81.6	Excellent

Messaging, email and text input

The Sony messaging app has the regular functionality with threaded view and automatic transition to MMS when attaching media. Google Hangouts is also on board.

Messaging app • Hangouts is also present

Naturally, the Gmail client and the default Email apps are on board. Either one can sync with multiple accounts, both Google and POP/IMAP.

Generic Mail app • Gmail

The Xperia keyboard has every feature you may need. It has symbols on long press, smiley key, and Swype-like gesture input. There's also a one handed which squishes the entire keyboard to one side for easier access. There's also a selection of three differently color skins.

Xperia keyboard with secondary symbols • one-handed keyboard • gesture input • skins