[Updated] Is Sony Xperia XZ2 plagued with touchscreen sensitivity issues?

Update (June 26):

More reports (1,2)

Original story:

After Samsung, now Sony has apparently started off on the wrong foot when it comes to their latest Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact flagship smartphones. Users are complaining about a nasty screen-related issue, and by the looks of it, the problem could prove to be a deal breaker for some, especially gamers.

What’s the issue?

Several Xperia XZ2/XZ2 Compact early adopters are reporting (1,2,3) that the touchscreen experience of their units isn’t smooth enough possibly due to dead zones on the display. The problem shows up specifically in case of mild/delicate touch movements, where the device fails to detect the movements that involve precision.

A complainant has even shared a video comparing the touchscreen-sensitivity of their Xperia XZ2 Compact with that of a Samsung Galaxy S8. Here’s how they word the issue which can be clearly seen in the video that follows:

The XZ2 detects those as a straight line. Only tiny and delicate movements are undetected, this will not prevent you from operating the device normally, but will impact your performance when doing things like selecting text, gaming, etc.

More reports

Take a look at how other affected users word the problem:

There’s a problem with the touchscreen sensitivity in the new Sony XZ2 phones, I’m not sure how to define it, but it feels like a dead zone that moves with your finger. The phone will not detect small movements, kind of a precision problem.
I don’t think these particular units are defective, I tried the big XZ2 in a store (not the compact) and had the same issue, so we can assume most XZ2 and XZ2 compact are impacted. Let’s hope it’s just software.

I experience these sensitivity issues when dragging sliders, for instance adjusting Icon Size or Column Number in custom launchers and stuff. Making fine adjustments is impossible, you kinda have to drag the slider quickly, or further than you want it to to get the slider to “activate” and become sensitive for a short time before it becomes “sticky” again.

I noticed also that the screen is a bit unresponsive. its like a delay between touch and movement recognition and displaying movement sad.

I received my phone today. I have been VERY pleased with it for the few hours I was using it, but when I started playing PUBG Mobile I detected something odd, that avoided me to aim properly. There’s a problem with the screen sensitivity, I’m not sure how to define it, but it feels like a dead zone that moves with your finger. The phone will not detect small movements, kind of a precision problem.

Yes i have noticed the same problem. a small glide or flick to scroll requires a little more effort than my Sammy s9 plus. Not a huge deal but again paying Flagship money the screen shouldn’t have such issues.

Can confirm that issue. Similar to the screen lag I know from the honor 9. But less terrible. No dealbreaker for me because i rarely game shooter, but noticeable when i tried shadowgun legends.

Same problem with my XZ2 there’s a dead zone easily noticeable when doing smalls movements on the touchscreen. FPS games are unplayable. There’s also huge input lag like 150ms+. I will keep my XZ2 because I’m very pleased with it and I don’t play games but I do not recommend this phone for gamers.

Not only help forums, similar reports can be seen on micro-blogging site Twitter as well:
https://twitter.com/Siziniho/status/984933034439991296
https://twitter.com/GKarawanski/status/984056250718720000

Conclusion

Currently, the number of reports are limited which could be due to the reason that shipments for the device are still underway. However, it won’t be wrong to say that on receiving their units, many users may be disappointed to see the touchscreen sensitivity problem.

To sum it up, if you are planning to buy an Xperia XZ2/XZ2 Compact for gaming or other activities that involve high touchscreen-sensitivity, we suggest you to hold on until Sony offers more clarity on the matter.

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