The Sony Xperia XZ2 and the Xperia XZ2 Compact were officially unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2018. The new phones represent a change from earlier Sony smartphones in key respects. Sony’s Omnibalance design language was first launched in 2013, and it evolved into Loop Surface three years later. Now, it has given way to the new Ambient Flow design language. Also, the Xperia XZ2 and the Xperia XZ2 Compact are the first Sony phones to feature 18:9 displays, and they have the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip as well.
Hardware-wise, it’s clear that the Xperia XZ2 and the Xperia XZ2 Compact are substantial upgrades over their predecessors. In terms of software, though, there aren’t many major new features. The phones will launch with Android Oreo with Sony Xperia UI, just like their predecessors. However, two major software additions were found by Recombu and Digital Trends respectively: Night Light and One-Handed Mode.
Night Light is a feature that turns your display color temperature warm. The intention is to cut down on blue light (which is said to affect circadian rhythm and make it more difficult to fall asleep at night). One-handed mode, on the other hand, allows users to use big displays with a single hand, as it puts UI elements within easy reach of the user’s finger. Stock Android still doesn’t have a one-handed mode, but Sony will be including it in the Xperia XZ2’s firmware.
Source: Recombu
The Night Light option will be found in Display settings. It’s worth noting that previously, Sony had included Night Light in its Xperia Compact firmware, but this is the first time the feature is making its way to official firmware.
Source: Digital Trends
The one-handed mode feature is intended to help users use the Xperia XZ2 with a single hand. The Xperia XZ2 has a 5.7-inch Full HD+ (2880×1440) LCD with an 18:9 aspect ratio, and it’s the tallest display Sony has ever shipped on a smartphone. Therefore, seeing the addition of one-handed mode in its firmware is a welcome addition.
For now, it’s unknown whether Sony plans to port this feature to older devices such as the Xperia XZ Premium and the Xperia XZ1. In our view, the feature proves its worth in many use cases, so here’s hoping that older phones get the feature as well.
Source 1: RecombuSource 2: Digital TrendsVia: Xperia Blog