Sony's in the midst of a mobile revival, but for all of the positive critical response, the Japanese monolith seems to have fallen out of favor with major U.S. carriers as of late. The Xperia Z3v ($199.99 with contract) is the first Sony cell phone to land on Verizon Wireless since the ill-fated Xperia Play in 2011. Fortunately for Sony, and Sony diehards tied to Verizon, it's a good one. The Z3v is better built than the Samsung Galaxy S5 and shoots better pictures than the HTC One (M8). Waterproofing and exclusive PS4 remote play add to the flagship bona fides. Choosing between the current crop of high-end Android smartphones will largely come down to personal taste, but the Z3v joins the upper echelon of phones on Verizon, earning our Editors' Choice award along the way.

Design, Features, and Call Quality

A variant of the Z3 proper we first saw at IFA , the Z3v looks nearly unchanged from the Z2—which itself looked a lot like the Z1s we reviewed on T-Mobile last year. Rounded, rubbery nylon with flat aluminum inserts surrounds the Z3v's perimeter, sandwiched between two panes of scratchproof glass. Call it subtle or conservative, but Sony's nailed down the art of industrial design.

At 5.85 by 2.89 by 0.35 inches (HWD) and 6.02 ounces, the Z3v is noticeably larger and heavier than the Z3; it's actually closer in size to the Z2. It's also on the thick and heavy side for flagship phones these days, though I wouldn't personally consider that a huge detriment—it feels substantial, like a high-end piece of kit should. That extra volume might be thanks to the slightly larger battery and inclusion of Qi wireless charging support. Power, Volume, and Camera buttons line the right edge, below a flap covering the microSD card slot. On the opposite edge are two more flaps that cover the SIM card tray and micro USB port.