With other Android flagships starting to steer towards more unconventional form-factors, Sony try something new while not reinventing the wheel. A 21:9 aspect ratio is designed for super-wide media and on first impressions it's worth what little trade-off there is with a 'long' device.
Shame about it only being LCD but looks impressive otherwise!
Mid range these days are far and away the best value. The point in buying a flagship is decreasing by the day