Xperia XZ1 picks up iF Gold Design Award – vindicates use of bezels

The prestigious iF Design Awards were recently announced for 2018, and it was great to see three of Sony Mobile’s handsets pick up awards. The Xperia XZ1 picked up top honours, winning an iF Gold Design Award – the only smartphone out of all manufacturers to pick up the accolade. Two other handsets also won a normal iF Design Award including the Xperia XZ1 Compact and Xperia XZ Premium.

The award wins are testament to Sony’s design philosophy in smartphones, with the Xperia XZ1 series being the culmination of its OmniBalance and Loop Surface design. See, who cares about bezels? You didn’t see one of those ‘samey’ bezel-less phones pick up the Gold award. Sony was onto a winner, trimming the bezels even further could have created some truly stunning devices. It’s a shame that we’ll no longer see premium flagships use this design in the future.

iF Gold Statement on Xperia XZ1

“Congratulations to Sony for the puristic Xperia design, which stands out among the crowded mobile market. Masterful manufacturing combined with thoughtful detailing and a holistic approach to materials and colors. This phone sits very nicely in the hand.

“In the body, extruded metal provides for a seamless configuration from front to back. The structure balances beauty and functionality with a slim profile and better rigidity than any other Xperia device. With colors that bring out metallic accents against a matt texture, the XZ1 cuts a refined figure and looks great in any setting.”