Sony Xperia Z2: First impressions

 

 I often crank the volume up, at the risk of hearing loss, so that I could hear my favorite music and songs over loud subways and honking cars.I was excited to see noise-cancelling technology in Sony's new Xperia Z2 smartphone.
I find the new feature to be more promising than practical, based on the brief time I had with the phone at this week's Mobile World Congress wireless show in Barcelona, Spain.
But first, I'll go through other features that may appeal to some people. The phone is due to come out in March. Sony hasn't announced its price, though its phones typically sell for $500 to $600 in the U.S. without subsidies or a contract.
Waterproof
Sony's smartphones are distinctive in being waterproof. It's not something that I have needed, but you might find it useful if you work as a lifeguard or live near a beach.
20.7 meagpixel camera
That's even better than the 16 megapixels camera in Samsung's new Galaxy S5. But lens quality and the focus mechanism are also important. But it's the same one in the Xperia Z1s.
4K video recording
It's impressive that the Sony Xperia Z2 can capture video with four times the details as full high-definition video. But 4K displays are still expensive, so you won't appreciate the extra sharpness for a while. It's more for people who want to take quality video now for the day 4K becomes more common.
Now, back to the noise. The phone analyzes ambient noise and produces a countering signal. In simple terms, if the noise is a 7, the phone subtracts 7 to bring it to zero. If the noise is a 5, the phone subtracts 5.
Unfortunately, it requires special in-ear headphones, which Sony is selling for 60 euros ($82). A sensor in the earpiece detects the noise, so the phone knows what countering signal to send.
Sony tells me the earpiece covers come in three sizes, so a larger one might have helped. I look forward to testing the feature more thoroughly.