Database Users

Scratch resistance - how it compares

How does the scratch resistance properties of the xperia screens compare to other mainstream phones with, say, gorilla glass 2? In the absence of any screen protectors? Please, just facts and personal experiences, no speculations.
Sent from my XT910 using xda app-developers app

Trust me, you wont get any facts. Just fanboy war over here.
Send from my awesome 1080p

tudork said:
How does the scratch resistance properties of the xperia screens compare to other mainstream phones with, say, gorilla glass 2? In the absence of any screen protectors? Please, just facts and personal experiences, no speculations.
Sent from my XT910 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dragontrail suppose to be stronger then gorilla glass 2.

But is it for sure dragontail? I haven't seen any official specifics about the screen in terms of resistance. That's why I'm interested in people's experiences. I cannot stand having screen protectors on my phone but I've never had scratches on my gorilla glass phones before and I'd like to buy a xperia.
Sent from my XT910 using xda app-developers app

YouTube is your friend... Go watch some torture and drop tests and compare them with other phones.. Best way to go....
Sent from my C6602 using xda app-developers app

tudork said:
But is it for sure dragontail? I haven't seen any official specifics about the screen in terms of resistance. That's why I'm interested in people's experiences. I cannot stand having screen protectors on my phone but I've never had scratches on my gorilla glass phones before and I'd like to buy a xperia.
Sent from my XT910 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...only time will tell, I went screen protector free for a month and I dint get any scratch but i was being careful. Xperia Active use dragontrail, go youtube drop test on those...seeems to be super strong.

Well Sony went somewhat retard on this phone, they put the most fragile cover on a tough glass. ( Look up Anti shatter film )
And you need the cover for Warranty and the sexy Sony Logo. So I'd recommend some sort of cover. (Unless you're fine without the warranty)
There's plenty of covers and they don't ruin touch sensitivity or brightness at all. I'm using Copter atm, it's all good.

Sony went wrong by applying an anti shatter film. It's ok but don't print the Sony logo on it for G's sake. I and guess quite a few others like the Sony branding. The shatter film itself scratches easily. Didn't remove it so personally can't say anything about it when it's off but one thing for certain and that is that the shatter film is not scratch resistant at all! So in case you want to buy one and want the Sony logo, I recommend using a screen protector over the ASF.
Sent from my C6602 using xda app-developers app

Disappointing to be honest. My phone fell face down from a distance of about 30cm when I was getting out the car and now I have a chip on the screen (and I had a screen protector on it)
I've now had to buy a case for it as the back of the phone is scratched to hell with everyday use.
My Lumia 920 was indestructible and had plenty of drops from great heights.
I'm annoyed as I bought my Z direct from Sony for £530 at launch and now it's worthless if I want to resell it.
Transmitted from my secret lair under the sea

GutsyTripod said:
Disappointing to be honest. My phone fell face down from a distance of about 30cm when I was getting out the car and now I have a chip on the screen (and I had a screen protector on it)
I've now had to buy a case for it as the back of the phone is scratched to hell with everyday use.
My Lumia 920 was indestructible and had plenty of drops from great heights.
I'm annoyed as I bought my Z direct from Sony for £530 at launch and now it's worthless if I want to resell it.
Transmitted from my secret lair under the sea
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Click to collapse
You say the back is scratched? Did you put the protector that Sony put in the box, or just leave it? As people have said, the anti shatter film is very easily scratched.

warface said:
You say the back is scratched? Did you put the protector that Sony put in the box, or just leave it? As people have said, the anti shatter film is very easily scratched.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The protector came off after about a week as it didn't adhere properly due to the NFC sticker on the back
Transmitted from my secret lair under the sea

GutsyTripod said:
The protector came off after about a week as it didn't adhere properly due to the NFC sticker on the back
Transmitted from my secret lair under the sea
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The NFC sticker is pasted on top of the anti-shatter film. (Yes, there's a pre-applied shatter-proof screen protector in addition to the screen protectors that are already included within the box.)

Dragontail may be best than Gorilla Glass 2. I have the original protector but YouTube is your best friend.

My Z fell from a table to the floor and one of its corners got chipped, not the glass but urghhhhh... Also, Im not sure if the sides are glass but they got scratched so easily too -.-

The glass isn't very scratch proof. I took the shatter proof sheets off, and after a couple of weeks there were some very fine scratches on the glass. I'm very careful too, the phone has its own pocket with no keys, coins etc. The glass seems less scratch proof than that the front glass on the iPhone 4, and I put replacement screen protectors on pretty soon after removing the pre-applied ones.

I don't know how people scratch it so easily - I have a screen protector front and back and I only have 1 minuscule scratch on the front from my headphones. I've dropped many times too, on carpet, tile, wood and concrete from distances >50cm too. A little bit of care goes a very long way, it seems.

iDroid8 said:
I don't know how people scratch it so easily - I have a screen protector front and back and I only have 1 minuscule scratch on the front from my headphones. I've dropped many times too, on carpet, tile, wood and concrete from distances >50cm too. A little bit of care goes a very long way, it seems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm talking about the sort of very fine scratches you can only really see in strong sunlight, and wouldn't notice under normal usage. My Xperia had about as many scratches of that kind after a few weeks without a screen protector as my iPhone did after two years. It doesn't really matter which of us is the more careful, because I was equally careful with both phones and the front glass of the iPhone was a lot more scratch resistant in my experience.

kdavidyates said:
I'm talking about the sort of very fine scratches you can only really see in strong sunlight, and wouldn't notice under normal usage. My Xperia had about as many scratches of that kind after a few weeks without a screen protector as my iPhone did after two years. It doesn't really matter which of us is the more careful, because I was equally careful with both phones and the front glass of the iPhone was a lot more scratch resistant in my experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with the above statement.
We're talking about the kind of scratches that other people would claim do not exist on their phone. Then when i take it look i can see them.
I got given an iphone 4 from work a couple of years ago. As i did not spend any money on it i wasn't anywhere near as careful with it as i have been with my Z.
I would quite often have my iphone in my pocket/bag along with other items. I dropped the phone on concrete paving quite a few times because i would pull the phone out of my pocket using the headphones wire. I didn't care.
As i bought my Z i have been very careful with it to the point of ocd. Nobody else has touched it. I keep it in its own pocket at all times. When i take it out i put it on top of a cloth ( work and home desk). It has never been dropped.
After two weeks the screen on my Z had as many of these micro scratches as the iphone had after two years.
Thankfully they are the kind of scratches that are not visible unless at a certain angle under intense light. But i am gutted as i really like the look and feel without the antishatter. I added a crystal clear spigen protector and it is now impossible to see them.
Luckily i am getting a new one from work, so i will give this one to my dad and this time i will remove the antishatter (i prefer the look without the logo) and install the spigen protector straight away.
Not very scientific and maybe luck plays it part, but i thought i would share my personal experience.

My Z has a load of very fine scratches (only visible in good light, at a fine angle) right at the point my right thumb unlocks the screen, all in the direction I swipe the screen.

So it does sound like the screen is not so strong as other phones with gorilla. Officially, it is not known what kind of scratch resistant this glass is (so no need to repeat Dragontail, Sony does not say anything about Dragontail. Or Gorilla). This will not stop me from buying this phone (or other Xperia) but it sounds like I do need to look for a good screen protector. There is no way I can put a screen protector on top of the already placed shatterproof film, I think this is simply ridiculous, having two screens on top of the glass. But I have never had a screen protector and I have been pretty careful with my phones and my motorola razr maxx (Gorilla 1) looks perfect after one year (no mini scratches either), so I guess I will have to get used to having one with a Sony phone. Thanks for all the opinions!

removing of pre-applied screen protector

Removing of pre-applied screen protector
When I got my XTZ, after removing the transport protector plastic sheets I noticed a certain resistance when touching and sliding, which makes it an unpleasant experience. I had some other tablets before and never noticed anything similar. After some hours of working and cleaning the tablet now and then, gliding got more and more smooth, it seems some evenly distributed lipids from the fingers solved the problem. What did not vanish was the slight electrostatic attraction that accumulated dust and fine fibers especially after cleaning. I'm using microfiber cloth.
Now I learned the XTZ has a pre-applied screen protector, that seemed to explained all. After some investigation and finding not very much, I decided to remove the protector. Armed with a spare blade cutter I picked a grip in one edge. Pulling it with considerable force at a very pointed angle, I slowly removed the protector completely.
As a first result I noticed a slightly sharper display, especially text seemed more crisp and contrasty.
The protector had already started to become a little milky, now highlights had no more halos at all.
No wonder, the electrostatic attraction vanished completely, cleaning the display leaves no residue on the surface anymore. Also the gap between glass and plastic frame does not collect particles this easy as with the protector.
To get a smooth experience for touching and sliding some 'use and cleaning cycles' were needed, as with the protector. Only a very little sticking of the fingers when typing is palpable now, but maybe this will disappear too.
Protectors are also known to hinder glass shattering of crashing devices. This might be well true for phones, but would it also have effect on tablet sized glasses? And, how often did my mobile take an unintended flight, oh yeah some times. But the well cared for tablet? Never - up to now.
At a last consideration, I can't imagine to have lost guaranty by removing the protector, when it is worn-out some day, it has to be replaced.
If you plan to remove your protector too, be very slow and careful! The force you have to pull with is remarkable, take care also on proper holding the tablet and not to damage any buttons or water blocking caps!
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Hi,
Did the sony logo stay on the device? It looks like it from the screen shot
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium HD app

The logo still on the device after removing protector...
Sent from my SGP321 using xda app-developers app

you removed the Anti Shatter Film, its has been discussed earlier also
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2375843

qshoo said:
Removing of pre-applied screen protector
When I got my XTZ, after removing the transport protector plastic sheets I noticed a certain resistance when touching and sliding, which makes it an unpleasant experience. I had some other tablets before and never noticed anything similar. After some hours of working and cleaning the tablet now and then, gliding got more and more smooth, it seems some evenly distributed lipids from the fingers solved the problem. What did not vanish was the slight electrostatic attraction that accumulated dust and fine fibers especially after cleaning. I'm using microfiber cloth.
Now I learned the XTZ has a pre-applied screen protector, that seemed to explained all. After some investigation and finding not very much, I decided to remove the protector. Armed with a spare blade cutter I picked a grip in one edge. Pulling it with considerable force at a very pointed angle, I slowly removed the protector completely.
As a first result I noticed a slightly sharper display, especially text seemed more crisp and contrasty.
The protector had already started to become a little milky, now highlights had no more halos at all.
No wonder, the electrostatic attraction vanished completely, cleaning the display leaves no residue on the surface anymore. Also the gap between glass and plastic frame does not collect particles this easy as with the protector.
To get a smooth experience for touching and sliding some 'use and cleaning cycles' were needed, as with the protector. Only a very little sticking of the fingers when typing is palpable now, but maybe this will disappear too.
Protectors are also known to hinder glass shattering of crashing devices. This might be well true for phones, but would it also have effect on tablet sized glasses? And, how often did my mobile take an unintended flight, oh yeah some times. But the well cared for tablet? Never - up to now.
At a last consideration, I can't imagine to have lost guaranty by removing the protector, when it is worn-out some day, it has to be replaced.
If you plan to remove your protector too, be very slow and careful! The force you have to pull with is remarkable, take care also on proper holding the tablet and not to damage any buttons or water blocking caps!
.
.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have NOT removed any screen protector at all, what you have done is remove the factory fitted screen anti shatter membrane! A screen protector can be placed on top of the membrane and is sold either by Sony sores direct or other brands via Amazon et al.
I am always simply amazed how purchasers of such devices appear so unable to read the manual that comes with it and avoid making such an awful mistake.
Further. To write here that you removed the anti shatter membrane can only give other members misinformation.
Please do some research before you take such an unwise action then write about it here.

I dont understand why some people wants to remove the antishatter film..
Is it necessary or just "wants" to remove it.
Sent from my SGP311 using xda app-developers app

its their device and everyone is free to do anything with their money
i cant understand the venom ?

OK I made a mistake
I did not know the difference between a simple 'screen protector' and the 'factory fitted screen anti shatter membrane'. I did some research but dug not deep enough.
BUT I read manuals
XTZ Userguide
A protective plastic sheet is already attached to the screen of your device when you buy
it. You should peel off this sheet before using the touchscreen. Otherwise, the
touchscreen might not function properly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aha, means the transport protection sheet.
XTZ Userguide
The device screen is made from glass. Do not touch the screen if the glass is cracked or
shattered. Avoid trying to repair a damaged screen yourself. Glass screens are sensitive to
drops and mechanical shocks. Cases of negligent care are not covered by the Sony warranty
service.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hm, no word from a shatter protection.
XTZ Whitepaper
Scratch-resistant Shatter-proof sheet on scratch-resistant glass
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's it, the anti shatter membrane. Seems to be scratch-resistant .
AND Plastic is not Glass
My anti shatter protection is gone and I didn't miss it (yet). Now after some time without it I sum up, as I already wrote in my opening post
- the screen isn't electrostatic anymore
- screen is easier to clean
- fingers slide smoother
- display is sharper
WARNING
Remove it at your own risk!
Freedom is to do it anyway ...

After a long consideration I have also decided to remove the anti-shatter screen. To me it makes the feel not so great as sheer glass, it collects a lot of dust and fingerprints and also I believe that it makes the screen not so sharp.
I waited until I got my case and now I have it I already once tried to remove the screen but couldn't get hold from the corner and I was a bit afraid to damage the table if use too much force with the knife.
Bad thing about this is that you actually lose your warranty. But not so afraid of shattering the screen as I never use any screen membrane protectors and only one device (SGS3) I have managed to shatter the screen after dropping it down.

nitin_ko said:
its their device and everyone is free to do anything with their money
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree with this with certain provisos. May I go off topic for just a second? We enjoy 'freedom of speech', does that freedom mean we can enter a cinema packed with people and shout FIRE? We have the freedom to do such a thing but to me freedom should come with responsibility. Here is my point. It is fine, though unwise, to remove the shatter proof film. There are two follow ups to that. One being that this is a public forum and is read by members new to the world of technology and may copy such an action. Secondly it is my bitter experience that those who abuse their devices are so often the first to complain when things go wrong?
Sony advertising is not in my opinion very helpful and honest regarding the Z mobile phone and the Z tablet. Sony clearly show in their advertising the tablet being used in a swimming pool. If you read the manual you will see the device is water resistant to a given industry criteria BUT Sony at the same time write not to expose the tablet to chemicals? Swimming pools contain the some of the very chemicals Sony write we must avoid?
To me the water resistance is just a protection against accidental contact with rain or tap water. It is Sony themselves that show clips that are in reality contrary to their own set of criteria. Make no mistake if one uses the tablet or phone in the sea or swimming pool and the seals become corroded Sony agents will be the first to refuse warranty work if the phone or tablet becomes damaged. All the Sony agents need to do is refer to the basic user manual.
Like it or not some owners are taking their tablets and phones surfing, white water rapids, swimming, in the sea, sauna etc. There are You tube clips of some owners cooking their devices in soup and some utter idiot cooking the mobile in chocolate?
To close. I agree we are free and that freedom has come at great cost so lets respect that freedom and use it with responsibility in particular when posting on a public forum?

I thought the purpose of the ASF was not to prevent the glass screen from shattering/cracking, but to prevent shattered/cracked glass from falling out, and potentially causing damage to persons holding the device.
I am very careful with my tablet (it was not cheap), I am confident that it will not be damaged. I have removed the ASF and agree with qshoo - the screen is much smoother, and clearer, and best of all it does not attract dust. I previously had an anti-glare screen protector on my tablet, but decided that it did dull the screen, and was less virbrant. For the moment I am happy without any sort of film on the screen.

Aid777 said:
I thought the purpose of the ASF was not to prevent the glass screen from shattering/cracking, but to prevent shattered/cracked glass from falling out, and potentially causing damage to persons holding the device.
I am very careful with my tablet (it was not cheap), I am confident that it will not be damaged. I have removed the ASF and agree with qshoo - the screen is much smoother, and clearer, and best of all it does not attract dust. I previously had an anti-glare screen protector on my tablet, but decided that it did dull the screen, and was less virbrant. For the moment I am happy without any sort of film on the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is the best way to start peeling this off? I can't get hold of the ASF even if try to get corner out with a knife.
Sent from my SGP311 using Tapatalk 4

I had some trouble, and kind of chipped away at the edge of the ASF, then it came away, I was a little worried to start with. I used a very small orange handled kitchen knife:fingers-crossed:

I used a cutter with a new blade moved out some centimeters, working only with the first segment of the blade. A 9 mm blade is a little flexible and this helped coming beneath the ASF without cutting the tablets body ...

Ryland Johnson said:
I totally agree with this with certain provisos. May I go off topic for just a second? We enjoy 'freedom of speech', does that freedom mean we can enter a cinema packed with people and shout FIRE? We have the freedom to do such a thing but to me freedom should come with responsibility. Here is my point. It is fine, though unwise, to remove the shatter proof film. There are two follow ups to that. One being that this is a public forum and is read by members new to the world of technology and may copy such an action. Secondly it is my bitter experience that those who abuse their devices are so often the first to complain when things go wrong?
Sony advertising is not in my opinion very helpful and honest regarding the Z mobile phone and the Z tablet. Sony clearly show in their advertising the tablet being used in a swimming pool. If you read the manual you will see the device is water resistant to a given industry criteria BUT Sony at the same time write not to expose the tablet to chemicals? Swimming pools contain the some of the very chemicals Sony write we must avoid?
To me the water resistance is just a protection against accidental contact with rain or tap water. It is Sony themselves that show clips that are in reality contrary to their own set of criteria. Make no mistake if one uses the tablet or phone in the sea or swimming pool and the seals become corroded Sony agents will be the first to refuse warranty work if the phone or tablet becomes damaged. All the Sony agents need to do is refer to the basic user manual.
Like it or not some owners are taking their tablets and phones surfing, white water rapids, swimming, in the sea, sauna etc. There are You tube clips of some owners cooking their devices in soup and some utter idiot cooking the mobile in chocolate?
To close. I agree we are free and that freedom has come at great cost so lets respect that freedom and use it with responsibility in particular when posting on a public forum?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+100
i agree fully with your point of view. As a matter of fact i wont even think of removing the shutter proof covering since sony has reasons for applying it in the first place. it has been stated that this cover is very expensive ( costs some $40/50) and will void the warranty. but still if people choose to remove it its their prerogative.
honestly speaking for me the argument that the feel is great, scrolling is easier, viewing is great is all propaganda to give validity to their decisions.

Propaganda?
I was ready to apply a new protector if the protector-less operation wouldn't work out and if the people who advocate removing the protector would be wrong.
But This - Was - Not - The - Case. Bam. I would feel the application of a new protector as a deterioration, a ho-hum compromise. But why should I? I always handle devices very careful and am not afraid of screens breaking. And if it should happen - my god, such things happen,the world won't end. I'm not like these overly German Germans who look for security, security, security in all areas of their (boring) lifes and even drive bicycles with ludicrous helmets on their heads...
How can you judge it if you yourself never tested the tablet protector-less yourself??

... so I'm one of the few Germans who removed their screen protector? ...

why not sunbath naked in a beach at noon without any sunscreen and then boast i love to experiment. :laugh:
jokes apart, for me $599 is way too much to experiment. but yes if the screen cracks coz of my mistake with or w/o a screen protector or with or w/o a case i will be sad coz it was my hard earned money.
p.s my XTZ is not covered by any warranty.

Chip in Glass Screen

now, i thought the z1 had some sort of toughened glass, i noticed this morning that my display has a chip in the screen
i thought it might be something stuck, so i gently ran my fingernail over it and it's as though a tiny chunk has been taken out of the glass. wasn't there before, and i haven't dropped it or knocked it against anything (to my knowledge)
now that sucks, especially as i know it's there!

whoa that's hard..
but you sure it's not the anti shatter proof sheet that got chipped?

zegun said:
whoa that's hard..
but you sure it's not the anti shatter proof sheet that got chipped?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
don't think so, running the fingernail on it, it feels like a chip in the actual glass
wasn't there when i got it, because i'm pretty precise about these things - i tried putting the screen protector on it when i got it but messed that up, so no external protector on it...

bigviv said:
now, i thought the z1 had some sort of toughened glass, i noticed this morning that my display has a chip in the screen
i thought it might be something stuck, so i gently ran my fingernail over it and it's as though a tiny chunk has been taken out of the glass. wasn't there before, and i haven't dropped it or knocked it against anything (to my knowledge)
now that sucks, especially as i know it's there!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it front side? If yes could it just be the screen protector which every device has? My protector already has countless scratches, some pretty deep. Seems to be low quality for original sony...

okay then last question...
do you still have that Sony logo infront of your phone?
if yes, then it's the anti shatter proof that you chipped.. a pretty common case if it does
so if you remove it, you will get the bare Dragontrail glass but no oleophobic coating
getting a tempered glass screen guard is still the best choice as of now

zegun said:
okay then last question...
do you still have that Sony logo infront of your phone?
if yes, then it's the anti shatter proof that you chipped.. a pretty common case if it does
so if you remove it, you will get the bare Dragontrail glass but no oleophobic coating
getting a tempered glass screen guard is still the best choice as of now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, the logo is still there, i guess it's the antishatter screen, i'm not going to remove that for now, will deal with it
will consider the tempered glass screen guard for now
i have no idea where or how it could have happened!

Isn't there any warranty covering something like this? Sony has been saying removing the asf voids your physical / cosmetic warranty for the screen. Doesn't the fact that the asf is still on and there is no evidence of dropping the phone then cover the damage under warranty?
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk

Haha removing the sheet will get you a badass stealth look
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk

WOAH! I don't want to freak anyone out, but this has happened to me too. Sony will fix it, but your warranty doesn't cover it
Is the chip a funny colour? As My screen was fine, then a chip has appeared, as if overnight, with a coloured hue to it :/
Freaking. Spooky.

zegun said:
Haha removing the sheet will get you a badass stealth look
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. When I tried to remove the ASF, it started to chip at the corner too. At first I though it was the screen itself but, if you look at it at ~175 degree angle, you will notice the crack which is on the ASF. Then I carefully remove the ASF. Once you remove the ASF, the screen will be all clear. I then put my screen protector on that I purchased from nillkin. Of course, the Sony logo will be gone, but IMHO, the phone will look more sleeker, have less fingerprint smudges, and less glare.

Let me guess, the chip or scratch is located a bit to the side of the screen.. More likely on the place where you place your thumb the most..... Because a repeated nail friction could damage the sheet pretty fast...
It happened to my Z1 too, but applying a screen protector on it helps hiding the damage quite a bit
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk

i spoke with sony who asked me to send it in
so will send it to them and see what they say - me being me, i can't stand to see that little chip in the screen!!
when i get it back, i'll put a screen protector on it - now to find a screen protector which doesn't take away from the good looks of the phone!

bigviv said:
i spoke with sony who asked me to send it in
so will send it to them and see what they say - me being me, i can't stand to see that little chip in the screen!!
when i get it back, i'll put a screen protector on it - now to find a screen protector which doesn't take away from the good looks of the phone!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let us know how you get on mate, I want to send mine into Sony, but A) I'm scared it's going to cost £60+ to fix and B) they want £10-£15 to send the phone back to me :/

I've got a tiny piece missing all of a sudden. I swear it's been treated with love but I think it's the ASF. Very disappointing from Sony on a premium product.
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk

My take on the Z1 weak spots.

#1: Camera. I expected a good camera producing decent shots under most conditions. What I got was a camera shooting good photos in certain settings and hands down crappy ones given some other settings. One of the biggest let downs is the poor color reproduction under low light conditions.
#2: Anti shatter film made from a soft material prone to showing tear and wear? Really, Sony? Ive had both Samsung and Apple phones with no protectors on them with minimal wear after many months use. This one month old Z1 already have several scuffs both back and front.
#3: Proximity sensor bugging out; this needs to be fixed asap.
I hope #1 & #3 can be taken care of by a software update, meaning Z1 really is one of the less annoying handsets Ive ever owned.
-KJ
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

#1 shame but that's camera phones; i've found low-light performance to be better than i expected at least
#2 i much prefer having a film in place rather than risking my one-and-only panel to protect against scratches
i figure i'll peel the films off when the scuffs get too ugly
#3 i've had this problem too, proximity sensor application is pretty poor in the z1

fjevel said:
#2: Anti shatter film made from a soft material prone to showing tear and wear? Really, Sony? Ive had both Samsung and Apple phones with no protectors on them with minimal wear after many months use. This one month old Z1 already have several scuffs both back and front.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As per its name, it's an anti-shatter film, not a screen protector (which protects against scratches and such). You can choose to apply a screen protector over the film, or remove the film altogether (and you'll get the same experience as per your Samsung and Apple phones).
This might be informative:

the most annoying thing is lack of developer support
coming from 2 HTC phones, sony feels like a huge let down in this regard.. certainly wont be buying another sony phone unless situation dramatically improves (which i doubt with all the bootloader problems..)
also the anti shatter film layer thing is pretty retarded on such high end phone and degrades it significantly - i now have to remove that ASF and put tempered glass protection on cause ASF is full of scratches and attracts fingerprints like magnet
never had those issues with HTC One X for which i never bought any kind of protection, just a standard pouch to insert it into - glass never got any scratches and was super easy to clean unlike Z1..

Ad for the cleaning part, Xperia Z1 is the easiest. Just wash it & that's all. I bet that you didn't try that out !
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app

how is washing the phone more convenient than swiping it on your clothes?
i cant wash my phone every hour while i am at work
i usually swipe my phones on my jeans when there are alot of fingerprints on it.. with Z1 it doesnt help
anyways, i already ordered Glass-M tempered glass so I will see if its any better with it..

Furma said:
the most annoying thing is lack of developer support
coming from 2 HTC phones, sony feels like a huge let down in this regard.. certainly wont be buying another sony phone unless situation dramatically improves (which i doubt with all the bootloader problems..)
also the anti shatter film layer thing is pretty retarded on such high end phone and degrades it significantly - i now have to remove that ASF and put tempered glass protection on cause ASF is full of scratches and attracts fingerprints like magnet
never had those issues with HTC One X for which i never bought any kind of protection, just a standard pouch to insert it into - glass never got any scratches and was super easy to clean unlike Z1..
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i suppose you'd rather have your phone feel premium and with a cracked screen then?
no one is forcing you to keep the ASF on, it's there for you own device sake, while sammy and apple whould prefer you breaking your screen and pay 300$ for replace. yeep, retarded sony, i whould never buy from them again!

Furma said:
the most annoying thing is lack of developer support
coming from 2 HTC phones, sony feels like a huge let down in this regard.. certainly wont be buying another sony phone unless situation dramatically improves (which i doubt with all the bootloader problems..)
.
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This is my concern too - I was hugely excited when this thing was announced and have been watching the developments like a hawk, but nothing doing. Coming from Nexus phones I was hoping to hop ship and get some better media/camera features but it is looking more and more like I'm going to have to stick with nexus.

shteren said:
i suppose you'd rather have your phone feel premium and with a cracked screen then?
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why would my screen crack if i remove ASF? screen is made of dragontrail glass that has almost same properties as gorilla glass
the only difference is, dragontrail glass isnt shatter proof, if i understand correctly and thats why sony is using ASF on top of it
shteren said:
no one is forcing you to keep the ASF on, it's there for you own device sake, while sammy and apple whould prefer you breaking your screen and pay 300$ for replace. yeep, retarded sony, i whould never buy from them again!
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well sony IS forcing me to keep ASF on if i want to keep my warranty..
and how are samsung and apple making their users break their screens? you can also break Z1 screen with ASF if you drop it, it just wont shatter into pieces, but it will still break if using big enough force
i had HTC Desire and HTC One X that used "ordinary" gorilla glass - NEVER had a cracked screen and i never used any protection for my screen
gorilla glass is good enough
sony is really fcking it up with this plastic over glass design which is just making it ALOT easier to scratch the screen and decreasing its sensitivity..its bull**** - paying 600-700$ for a top of the line smartphone that has plastic on both ends
your arguments are pretty much invalid

Furma said:
why would my screen crack if i remove ASF? screen is made of dragontrail glass that has almost same properties as gorilla glass
the only difference is, dragontrail glass isnt shatter proof, if i understand correctly and thats why sony is using ASF on top of it
well sony IS forcing me to keep ASF on if i want to keep my warranty..
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I'm 51% sure that taking off the ASF doesn't void your warranty.

apparently it depends on the country you are from
in some countries it voids the whole phone warranty and in others it "just" voids the display warranty
either way, sony is the only manufacturer i know that puts plastic on top of hardened glass screens and its baffling.. why do that.. if dragontrail glass was so bad it needs ASF why not use gorilla glass? to save money? ok, then put it on cheaper smartphones, not top of the range ones..

Throw a tempered glass protector on it and call it done.
I mean, I get the complaints, but in the grand scheme of the device? Who cares.
Also, coming from a Nexus 5, I'd rather the Sony. The stock firmware does just fine, and is actually an improvement on pure stock AOSP. (for me at least)

Furma said:
why would my screen crack if i remove ASF? screen is made of dragontrail glass that has almost same properties as gorilla glass
the only difference is, dragontrail glass isnt shatter proof, if i understand correctly and thats why sony is using ASF on top of it
well sony IS forcing me to keep ASF on if i want to keep my warranty..
and how are samsung and apple making their users break their screens? you can also break Z1 screen with ASF if you drop it, it just wont shatter into pieces, but it will still break if using big enough force
i had HTC Desire and HTC One X that used "ordinary" gorilla glass - NEVER had a cracked screen and i never used any protection for my screen
gorilla glass is good enough
sony is really fcking it up with this plastic over glass design which is just making it ALOT easier to scratch the screen and decreasing its sensitivity..its bull**** - paying 600-700$ for a top of the line smartphone that has plastic on both ends
your arguments are pretty much invalid
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who told you gorrila glass is shatter proof? most cracked phones i've seen are samsung who uses gorrila, and how said dragontail isn't shatter proof?
either way non of of those galsses are shatter proof, they are scratch proof which makes them even more prones to shattering.. thats basics material engineering... you make something harder it also becomes more fragile... the hardest metals breaks to pieces when bent,
so anyhow sony does not put the ASF there because it uses lower grade glass, it puts it there so it won't break, and didn't you see the drop test the z1 had? it didn't crack it screen after 3 drops, all other phones that phonearena dropped cracked they glass on the third fall, also the glorious note 3 with the "shatter proof" gorrilla.

I think most of us understand why Sony use ASF, but that still does nothing to change the fact that the Z1 gets scratches a lot faster than other brand phones using screens with no ASF.
Also the lack of oleophobic coating on the screen underneath means that you will need to buy something from a third party vendor if you want a better user experience when you remove the ASF.
I feel this is a poor choice by Sony. There might be other reasons why they chose to use the ASF, but I cannot imagine why.
-KJ
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Just a quick update on the issues I brought up in this thread:
After I updated to 4.3, the camera takes much better pictures in low light conditions. It still struggles a bit to focus, but the pictures look a lot better.
Also I have not seen the proximity sensor bug out at all.
That means that #1 and #3 now are gone from the list. Add the Nilkin H+ tempered glass screen protector I bought from Ebay, and I must admit that this is pretty much the best handset I have ever owned.
-KJ
Sent from my C6833 using Tapatalk 4

mostly everything on the z (and i believe the z1) are fixable between root or xposed.
but i hate what sony did to bluetooth. does this happen on the z1?
recieve a picture or file with android beam, i have to wait a sec or 2 (sometimes long enough that beam almost or actually times out) for a confirmation message (tap to confirm incoming file)
what is up with that, nexus, samsung, htc don't screw up beams usefulness but sony did. haven't tried it in the 4.3 leak but i doubt that was dealt with. if it happens with the z1 is there any way to fix it besides an aosp rom?
shteren said:
who told you gorrila glass is shatter proof? most cracked phones i've seen are samsung who uses gorrila, and how said dragontail isn't shatter proof?
either way non of of those galsses are shatter proof, they are scratch proof which makes them even more prones to shattering.. thats basics material engineering... you make something harder it also becomes more fragile... the hardest metals breaks to pieces when bent,
so anyhow sony does not put the ASF there because it uses lower grade glass, it puts it there so it won't break, and didn't you see the drop test the z1 had? it didn't crack it screen after 3 drops, all other phones that phonearena dropped cracked they glass on the third fall, also the glorious note 3 with the "shatter proof" gorrilla.
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thats like saying if your phone drops and hits a corner that it will crack.
a "drop test" is not 100% controlled, and a screen protector (ASF) can help reduce the chance for the screen crack by spreading the force of impact just enough to save the glass.
i got into a motorcycle accident with my nexus 4 (known for cracking easily) phone was in pocket screen out, it was in a thin micro fiber cloth in my pocket. the cloth had burn rubbed marks in it (like the fibers were gouged out) and the phone chrome trim was scratched, but nothing cracked.
dropped the phone plenty of times while recovering in bed, landing screen down on raised tile corners from ear height standing (increased pressure, likelier to crack) phone is good.
drops from thigh height while getting out of car at walmart, landed screen down on a pebble, screen cracks (salute the phone).
there are plenty of xperia z's with cracked screens from drops, and aparently bent z1's that happens mysteriously (could happen from pockets. my razr xt910 bent after a week or 2).
not to mention most drop tests have the z1 not crack, but it dies electronically. if the screen cracks atleast you can normally use it
i've dropped my z lots and i peeled the ASF off, i don't see it magically cracking and i could care less about the glass splintering off if it does crack.
worried about scratches? get a screen protector. it'll more than likely not scratch as easy as the ASF and you don't have to clean residue off the phone when you finally swap it if there was no ASF, but one or two in the box in all countries and oleophobic coating on the screen, everyone wins.

I like having the ASF on. I have a contract now for 2 years. If the display ends up scratched to he'll I can remove the film on the front and back and good as new. Also when you come to sell your phone when you upgrade alot of people are put off by scratches. Yes I know you can use screen protectors but surely that is the same as the ASF. Either way just my opinion. If you don't like it for what ever reason you can always remove it.
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app

shatter proof screen protector

Hallo everybody! What do you think about original embedded screen protector? Mine is terribile after just few days!!!

puck1e said:
Hallo everybody! What do you think about original embedded screen protector? Mine is terribile after just few days!!!
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Did your Z1 Compact no come with a spare screen protector?
The embedded screen protector is shatterproof but not scratch resistant so it's recommended that you apply a screen protector over the embedded one. Sony sometimes supply a spare screen protector in the box for you apply.

Original Embedded screen protector is (ASF) not scratch resistant.
there is already a thread discussing the screen protector below and you should find the info you need.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2631495
You might need to look at this thread too if considering scratches on Back.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2640644

thermalboyz said:
Original Embedded screen protector is (ASF) not scratch resistant.
there is already a thread discussing the screen protector below and you should find the info you need.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2631495
You might need to look at this thread too if considering scratches on Back.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2640644
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Thank You! I'll take a look!

Bit unsure of the terminology. But I assume the ASF is the plastic film over the front glass?
I doubt there is no way to replace that?
Mine got scratches and scuff marks after a few days too, bullcrap.
I will probably end up ripping it off, if this is what it looks like already!
Not willing to put it in a case. Just looks awful.

rubez said:
Bit unsure of the terminology. But I assume the ASF is the plastic film over the front glass?
I doubt there is no way to replace that?
Mine got scratches and scuff marks after a few days too, bullcrap.
I will probably end up ripping it off, if this is what it looks like already!
Not willing to put it in a case. Just looks awful.
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Click to collapse
I believe ASF stands for anti shatter foil. Not sure with the Z1c, but with the Xperia Z you could use a pencil to try and scratch it off.

saw some interesting post regarding Anti Shutter Proof (ASF) removal doesn't void Sony warranty.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=51011494&postcount=268

I would choose "Anti Shutter Proof (ASF) removal doesn't void Sony logo" than "Anti Shutter Proof (ASF) removal doesn't void Sony warranty" any day! lol! Had 8 smartphones ever since and never did I get the chance to use the warranty service on any of them.
thermalboyz said:
saw some interesting post regarding Anti Shutter Proof (ASF) removal doesn't void Sony warranty.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=51011494&postcount=268
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