Credit: Robert Triggs / Android AuthorityI have a long-standing love-hate relationship with Sony’s Xperia range, which has all too often left me in two minds about the series. On the one hand, it is arguably the best high-end multimedia phone money can buy, packing Hi-Res audio over wired and wireless connections, unmatched video playback options, and still supporting microSD storage for massive on-device media libraries. In a market obsessed with removing features, Sony continues to build phones for enthusiasts who actually care about media.But the Xperia lineup has also spent years struggling with the fundamentals. Charging has been slow, thermals inconsistent, and battery life merely decent rather than class-leading. The cameras, despite Sony’s Alpha branding, have often felt undercooked compared to rival flagships. Sony wants Xperia to be the ultimate creator flagship, but it still feels like one built primarily for Sony diehards.