Database Users

Xperia Z1 First Impressions

I just got the Z1 today and I have to say that im impressed with it, I was an xperia z user and loved it but the Z1 is on a whole nother level. For those of you wondering : The Screen is a drastic improvement over the old one, the Camera I haven't put to good use yet but the initial impressions are pretty good and the phone is blazing fast everything is silky smooth on it. The build quality is much better as well the phone is more rigid and it feels great in the hand, no more crummy quality nfc sticker on the back. However one downfall for this phone is the music quality (speaking in terms of line out, headphones etc,) , overall the quality is decent but the loudness levels are just appalling, my two year old htc sensation produced much louder and bassier tones than this phone. Is there anything I can do to increase the volume on this thing?

msurowka said:
I just got the Z1 today and I have to say that im impressed with it, I was an xperia z user and loved it but the Z1 is on a whole nother level. For those of you wondering : The Screen is a drastic improvement over the old one, the Camera I haven't put to good use yet but the initial impressions are pretty good and the phone is blazing fast everything is silky smooth on it. The build quality is much better as well the phone is more rigid and it feels great in the hand, no more crummy quality nfc sticker on the back. However one downfall for this phone is the music quality (speaking in terms of line out, headphones etc,) , overall the quality is decent but the loudness levels are just appalling, my two year old htc sensation produced much louder and bassier tones than this phone. Is there anything I can do to increase the volume on this thing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1.- Check the individual sound levers (settings -> sound -> volumes)
2.- Activate x-loud (settings -> sound)
.

use poweramp

msurowka said:
I just got the Z1 today and I have to say that im impressed with it, I was an xperia z user and loved it but the Z1 is on a whole nother level. For those of you wondering : The Screen is a drastic improvement over the old one, the Camera I haven't put to good use yet but the initial impressions are pretty good and the phone is blazing fast everything is silky smooth on it. The build quality is much better as well the phone is more rigid and it feels great in the hand, no more crummy quality nfc sticker on the back. However one downfall for this phone is the music quality (speaking in terms of line out, headphones etc,) , overall the quality is decent but the loudness levels are just appalling, my two year old htc sensation produced much louder and bassier tones than this phone. Is there anything I can do to increase the volume on this thing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Walkman -> Settings>-Sound enhancements->Settings->Surround Sount(VPT)->Studio
helps me on all my Xperia devices

Morlock O said:
Walkman -> Settings>-Sound enhancements->Settings->Surround Sount(VPT)->Studio
helps me on all my Xperia devices
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I already had those cranked I guess Ill have to wait for a mod or something, you know considering sony helped invent portable music players I really wish they did something nice with their phones

msurowka said:
I already had those cranked I guess Ill have to wait for a mod or something, you know considering sony helped invent portable music players I really wish they did something nice with their phones
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If using Walkman then turn off all sound enhancements like clear audio etc. (i.e default settings). It is loudest (and most neutral) sound via headphones to my ear!

First Impressions
Sony Xperia Z1 First Impressions!
Before the phone dropped on my mat (it really didn't, it was handed delicately to my wife), I didn't really know what to make of it. Early previews and reviews had been mixed, to say the least.
Was it going to be too big? Was the screen going to be a crushing disappointment? And, most importantly, was all that talk of a 20mp camera all hot air; all talk and no trousers?
First things first, the build is superb. It just feels nice to hold. That smooth aluminium frame, coupled with the plastic contouring and glass front and back scream premium. I thought the Xperia Z was good - this is on another level.
That said, it's big in the hand - no doubt about it, this is NOT a one handed affair - you're going to need both of your mitts. Oddly, however, despite it being longer, wider and thicker than the original Z, it feels smaller. It's the tapered and rounded edges that do it. It's more comfy in the hand, that's for sure.
The screen? Head on, it's outstanding. Colours are punchy without being artificial, fine detail is scalpel sharp, blacks are deep and brightness will sear your retinas. Outside visibility is also fine.
At an angle, however, there is no real improvement from the first Z. Turning it beyond 30 degrees washes out colours very quickly, though detail remains fairly strong. It's a real shame but livable, considering you'll be viewing it head-on for 90% of the time,... and when you do, you're in for a treat. Top drawer, if not back-of-the-net.
And finally, the biggie: "It's as good as a compact" shouted Sony. "It's behind the competition" lamented CNET. "The World's best camera in a waterproof smartphone" retorted Sony (see how they qualified that? Cheeky beggars.) "Camera not as far ahead as we'd hoped" chipped in Pocket Lint (GSM Arena are, wisely, awaiting a replacement unit before the come to any conclusions).
So, who to believe? I have to admit, after all that negative fuss, I was ready to be disappointed - Sony blows it again.
Wrong.
Never, ever get sucked in by early reviews. They're never running final software (mine was updated to new firmware 10 minutes after powering it on).
The camera detail on 8mp stills is superb in good light. Tests with my Xperia Z, shooting at 9mp to keep comparisons fair, demonstrate a very visible difference. As expected, the Z1 seems to be employing some form of Pixel Binning to draw more detail out of individual pixels, leading to a less blocky, smoother and higher-contrast image.
As good as a compact? Better than the competition? A bit early to say, but my initial tests are very promising.
BUT there is a fly in the ointment: Much like GSM Arena, my unit seems to have a lens aberration. There is a spot just to the left of centre that is noticeably indistinct and out of focus compared to the areas around it. if I'm shooting high-contrast detail, like the tree in my back garden, the software processing seems to adjust for it, but distant objects just become a blur.
It's a pain in the arse. I will be sending the phone back for replacement as soon as I am able. Hopefully my second unit will be perfect.
So, how do I feel? A mixture of relief and annoyance. Relief because the camera seems to live up to the hype (and I bought it for the camera) and disappointment that I'm going to have to replace it so soon. Why oh why don't Sony spend just that little more on quality control? Sigh,......

I have to agree with everything you said - this is a world beater, Sony has thrown a stake in the ground for all others to catch, I've had the Z ZU and now the Z1 it is simply awsume - funny after using the XZU for a few weeks the X1 feels rather small lol
Only issue I've had is that my 64gb Kingston SD card is not being recognised 16gb works fine - probably not the Z1 at fault but I still need to test the SD card in another device to prove it 100% - this card worked in my Z and XZU

Have now had my phoen since wednesday afternoon and it is fantastic the look and feel of it, the camera performance is fantastic much better than the s4 and the xz imo, battery life is just superb, I wish the loudspeaker was louder but atleast it is some what louder than the z, also phone calls are louder and audio in headphones is slightly louder all in all i am very happy and is well worth the upgrade from my z which goes down as my second favourite phone ever with the s4 in third.

Timaustin2000 said:
Sony Xperia Z1 First Impressions!
Before the phone dropped on my mat (it really didn't, it was handed delicately to my wife), I didn't really know what to make of it. Early previews and reviews had been mixed, to say the least.
Was it going to be too big? Was the screen going to be a crushing disappointment? And, most importantly, was all that talk of a 20mp camera all hot air; all talk and no trousers?
First things first, the build is superb. It just feels nice to hold. That smooth aluminium frame, coupled with the plastic contouring and glass front and back scream premium. I thought the Xperia Z was good - this is on another level.
That said, it's big in the hand - no doubt about it, this is NOT a one handed affair - you're going to need both of your mitts. Oddly, however, despite it being longer, wider and thicker than the original Z, it feels smaller. It's the tapered and rounded edges that do it. It's more comfy in the hand, that's for sure.
The screen? Head on, it's outstanding. Colours are punchy without being artificial, fine detail is scalpel sharp, blacks are deep and brightness will sear your retinas. Outside visibility is also fine.
At an angle, however, there is no real improvement from the first Z. Turning it beyond 30 degrees washes out colours very quickly, though detail remains fairly strong. It's a real shame but livable, considering you'll be viewing it head-on for 90% of the time,... and when you do, you're in for a treat. Top drawer, if not back-of-the-net.
And finally, the biggie: "It's as good as a compact" shouted Sony. "It's behind the competition" lamented CNET. "The World's best camera in a waterproof smartphone" retorted Sony (see how they qualified that? Cheeky beggars.) "Camera not as far ahead as we'd hoped" chipped in Pocket Lint (GSM Arena are, wisely, awaiting a replacement unit before the come to any conclusions).
So, who to believe? I have to admit, after all that negative fuss, I was ready to be disappointed - Sony blows it again.
Wrong.
Never, ever get sucked in by early reviews. They're never running final software (mine was updated to new firmware 10 minutes after powering it on).
The camera detail on 8mp stills is superb in good light. Tests with my Xperia Z, shooting at 9mp to keep comparisons fair, demonstrate a very visible difference. As expected, the Z1 seems to be employing some form of Pixel Binning to draw more detail out of individual pixels, leading to a less blocky, smoother and higher-contrast image.
As good as a compact? Better than the competition? A bit early to say, but my initial tests are very promising.
BUT there is a fly in the ointment: Much like GSM Arena, my unit seems to have a lens aberration. There is a spot just to the left of centre that is noticeably indistinct and out of focus compared to the areas around it. if I'm shooting high-contrast detail, like the tree in my back garden, the software processing seems to adjust for it, but distant objects just become a blur.
It's a pain in the arse. I will be sending the phone back for replacement as soon as I am able. Hopefully my second unit will be perfect.
So, how do I feel? A mixture of relief and annoyance. Relief because the camera seems to live up to the hype (and I bought it for the camera) and disappointment that I'm going to have to replace it so soon. Why oh why don't Sony spend just that little more on quality control? Sigh,......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was going to give my initial impression of the Z1 after using it for almost 2 days, but your post sums it all ! The camera unit though is perfect on mine, no aberrations or smudging. Display is excellent, viewing angles only slightly better than XZ (worse than amoled or z ultra) but brightness seems higher than Z ultra or GS4. I personally have no complaints with the display as is (though off axis viewing could've been at par with ZU at least).
Like you, I too bought the device maily for it's camera & I'm not disappointed. I think the camera on this device is awesome. Didn't even play with all the features yet but took a few daylight shots & some indoors. Overall IQ is much better than XZ or GS4 (even at full 20mp). It's early to say but I don't feel a need to carry my good old canon powershot anymore !
One thing I'd like to add is that this device is blazing fast! Fastest & most fluid device I've used till date. The new UI is refreshing & I like the new subtle animations (improved over the XZ). All apps working great till now for me.
Overall very much pleased with my new purchase so far!
BTW, I'm on the latest 14.1.G.1.531 stock rom.

rpedroso said:
''Stop complaining''
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think he is complaining, just giving an opinion and asking for a solution... SMH..

Have mine for about a week now.
Pluses:
Beautiful device, sturdy and unique aesthetics
Wickedly fast!
Very impressive screen with vivid colours when viewed at an almost perpendicular angle*
Minuses
*The viewing angles (for a flagship product mind you) are for lack of a better word...atrocious. As soon as I tilt this at about 15 degrees the colours begin to loose intensity.
Placing the phone flat on the table forces me to strain my eyes (things get really washed out). There are of course very easy ways to circumvent this but dunno... I just feel that a phone costing ~600 quid shouldn't really have this issue...
Nevertheless, aside from the viewing angles thing I still believe that the Z1 is the device to beat this year.

there are bugs in this phone, more than XZ at release - the XZU which I owned for about a month was much more stable than the Z1, it doesn't really bother me because I think they rushed retail deployment and have released 2x updates in the last week, I expect this phone to be stable over the next 5 weeks, in the mean time expect a few glitches

Geoffxx said:
there are bugs in this phone, more than XZ at release - the XZU which I owned for about a month was much more stable than the Z1, it doesn't really bother me because I think they rushed retail deployment and have released 2x updates in the last week, I expect this phone to be stable over the next 5 weeks, in the mean time expect a few glitches
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haven't encountered any.

I never really understood why viewing angles matter, I mean I don't remember the last time I looked at my phone from the side I always look at it dead on, on a tv with a bunch of people on a couch I see why viewing angles matter but on a phone its irrelevant
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app

Sony Xperia Z2 wishlist

as the xperia z the z1 is as close to the perfect phone i can get but i thought i'd make a wishlist for the z2
1.i would like 4 speakers two on each side in the corner to utilize surround
2.the best screen you can get in a phone with the best black level and the best viewing angles (a sony developed oled would be amazing)
3.camera does not matter to me (but i guess a less noisy camera with xenon flash)
4.thinner bezels all around to give the phone a more sharp corners design (not too thin) (AND ABSOLUTELY no inner plastic like the z1 it slightly ruins that phone for me)
5.brushed metal finish at the back i read nfc won't work behind metal so not sure how to use that maybe put the nfc sensor at the side not back
6.fully customizable size/looks/color/theme and hidable onscreen buttons (hides in any fullscreen application) also customizable notification bar i like that the layer behind it dissappears when in the menu it looks nicer i want it like that always
7.able to use the phone everywhere in landscape mode menus and everything (it can be done if it's connected in the dock)
8.thinner metal frame all around matte black color (honestly i feel no difference holding the z1 from when i held the z)
9.4.6 or 4.7 inch screen like the htc one

The thin bezels
Oleophobic coating (without skin)
Optical stabilization
Support for 4K video recording to zoom during video recording
IPS or PLS screen for all versions

I really dont see a disadvantage in our not soooo small bezels. It is really anoying if you always have to hold the phone in a way that you dont touch the edge of the display and command something unwanted... Other new phones have that problem and many of my friends complained about that.

Mighty_X said:
I really dont see a disadvantage in our not soooo small bezels. It is really anoying if you always have to hold the phone in a way that you dont touch the edge of the display and command something unwanted... Other new phones have that problem and many of my friends complained about that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This problem does not exist. I am the owner of G2, and read reviews on S4, G2 and etc., none of that

Cloverfi said:
This problem does not exist. I am the owner of G2, and read reviews on S4, G2 and etc., none of that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used G2 before owning z1, and yes unwanted touches always happens...
But still G2 is better than Z1
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app

marc_ecko28 said:
I used G2 before owning z1, and yes unwanted touches always happens...
But still G2 is better than Z1
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just curious, why you think the g2 is better?

Jiyeon90 said:
just curious, why you think the g2 is better?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Better battery life
Better display and viewing
Bigger screen
Lighter
Smaller than z1 but 5.2" screen size
Lots of features
Better camera and video recording
Gorilla glass
I cant notice any difference when it comes to performance.
The only advantage of Z1 is its dust and water resistant and the presence of expandable storage. (except the Korean Variant)
My reason for shifting to Z1 is that my g2 was only 16gb and the 32gb is not available here.
But still I'm happy and satisfied with Z1...
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app

My wish list would be:
thinner
Thinner bezels
IPS LCD screen
Floating touch technology
Android 4.4 out of the box
Better battery
And if possible, no covered ports

S Master Chip!
Sent from my C6802 using xda app-developers app

You are pretty much asking for the perfect phone which will not happen.

marc_ecko28 said:
The only advantage of Z1 is its dust and water resistant and the presence of expandable storage. (except the Korean Variant)
My reason for shifting to Z1 is that my g2 was only 16gb and the 32gb is not available here.
But still I'm happy and satisfied with Z1...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Z1 only has 16GB, so you moved to Z1 just for dust resistance & expandable storage ?
As for Z2, you know these fat bezels on the Z1 that everyone likes to gripe about ? i would like to see speakers in there like htc has.
I have this idea that sony is testing the market acceptability of a form factor like on the Z1.

From the LG G2: Screen, bezels/housing, battery and reception (wifi/gsm)
From the HTC One: Speakers and build quality
From the Z1: Camera (mixed with the G2 camera, OIS), build quality, water-proof and software/looks
That would be about it

well keeping it real..
i would love to see Z2 to have these features:
OIS, oh yes this has to be included in Z2...
better camera algorithm, we know Sony cams have good potential....
S-Master for Mobile, well not exactly the REAL S-Master we see in Walkman devices, but seeing these chips in the upcoming flagship Xperias would be nice
Oleophobic coating on screen and rear glass, THIS!! THIS!!!! i hate to keep the shatterproof sheet on as it scratches easily, using screenguard is annoying too as it also scratches easily while the screen itself is already pretty tough, but the screen is a goddamn fingerprint and dust magnet
better video Codec built-in
better viewing angle, it was kinda shocking to see my old Xperia V has way better viewing angle than Z1 which is supposedly to be a superior display with Triluminos...

dagrim1 said:
From the LG G2: Screen, bezels/housing, battery and reception (wifi/gsm)
From the HTC One: Speakers and build quality
From the Z1: Camera (mixed with the G2 camera, OIS), build quality, water-proof and software/looks
That would be about it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Build quality? Z1 has better build quality than HTC One.
I've had s4 and htc one and wanted note 3 or nexus 5 untill I got Z1, I can honestly say Z1 is a keeper and I'm very happy with it.
Cant speak for G2? Power button on back? Crap UI? No thanks.

dazza7111 said:
Build quality? Z1 has better build quality than HTC One.
I've had s4 and htc one and wanted note 3 or nexus 5 untill I got Z1, I can honestly say Z1 is a keeper and I'm very happy with it.
Cant speak for G2? Power button on back? Crap UI? No thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like them both so I listed build quality for both devices Had no complaints wiht my HTC one, was solid as hell and felt great. But yeah, Z1 is fine too in that aspect.

dagrim1 said:
I like them both so I listed build quality for both devices Had no complaints wiht my HTC one, was solid as hell and felt great. But yeah, Z1 is fine too in that aspect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was so scared to mark the metal on HTC one and seen one all dented on back after a few months lol looked awful

marc_ecko28 said:
Lots of features
Better camera and video recording
Gorilla glass
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seriously? You got to be kidding with those three. And I'm not sure about battery life.
Anyway, All I wish for the Z2 is:
A BIGGER power button,
OIS,
If some act of God would make possible an uncovered-waterproof uncovered micro USB port,
a bit thinner, maybe just like the Z,
And maybe a better screen (although I'm very happy with it).
Maybe about the thing with bezels is that they should put physical buttons on that space.

camera without bubbles at zoom, better screen better than s amoled and dont know more for now

I actually would have bought it if it had an IR blaster.

I just really lol sometimes at the wishlist, if you seriously want all those kind ofa perfect features from a smartphone why don't you start manufacturing your own mobiles lol?

what i would change on the xperia z1

i've owned the xperia z1 for a few weeks now and i absolutely adore it but theres things i don't like with it so i will list my wishes
first off the plastic all around inside the frame i hate it it kills the phone i don't see why it's even there it's pointing out why can't the frame reach over there instead or my wish is replace this plastic with a glass rgb light all around the entire phone when it's off you won't notice it's there but when it's on you do it would be able to light up certain parts pulse and other effects like moving allong the lines or mix colors like red at the top blue at the bottom etc (the rgb light it already has it muffled under something which makes it look bad but from a certain angle it's clear and amazing)
much better screen the best possible screen or amoled with sonys picture engine to make colors more life like best possible black level if a amoled couldn't be used
64 gb internal storage
xenon flash
completely black frame instead of titanium grey
no sony logo at the front and a olephobic coating (no anti shatter proof film)
4 speakers 2 at each side (not bottom but side) to create a surround effect
4.7 inch
as thin bezels as the xperia z or the zl

zzcool said:
i've owned the xperia z1 for a few weeks now and i absolutely adore it but theres things i don't like with it so i will list my wishes
first off the plastic all around inside the frame i hate it it kills the phone i don't see why it's even there it's pointing out why can't the frame reach over there instead or my wish is replace this plastic with a glass rgb light all around the entire phone when it's off you won't notice it's there but when it's on you do it would be able to light up certain parts pulse and other effects like moving allong the lines or mix colors like red at the top blue at the bottom etc (the rgb light it already has it muffled under something which makes it look bad but from a certain angle it's clear and amazing)
much better screen the best possible screen or amoled with sonys picture engine to make colors more life like best possible black level if a amoled couldn't be used
64 gb internal storage
xenon flash
completely black frame instead of titanium grey
no sony logo at the front and a olephobic coating (no anti shatter proof film)
4 speakers 2 at each side (not bottom but side) to create a surround effect
4.7 inch
as thin bezels as the xperia z or the zl
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THe freaking useless Panoramic.
Pressing the shutter will make the camera try to focus, but if you wait for it to fix on a focus point, it's too late.
You have to pag right when you press shutter, while it's trying to focus, so it doesnt focus on **** when youre panning because youll have to do it fast, but not too fast.

I think that you're asking too much I would be pleased that there was an S-Master Audio Chip. I would also like to have xenon flash but it's just impossible with such tiny phone, the capacitor wouldn't fit. But there are people working on capacitors like a piece of paper, too bad that it's not in use yet.
Smaller bezels and a edge-to-edge screen like on G2 would be great but hey, the phone is waterproof! And it houses a large camera sensor, so I think that we can forgive Sony for the bezels.
The thing I would definitely change is most of the software. The fact that Z1 holds on battery almost as same as Z which has a 2300 mAh while Z1 has 3000 mAh, and the fact that LG G2 lasts almost double longer when web surfing is making no sense. Z1 should last at least 8-10 hours of web surfing. And the second thing; camera! Those large bezeles, al those rumours about cameraphone, large senzor, bionz, g lens and all other fancy words and for what? LG G2 and SGS4 can take the same or even better photos in some cases. I think that this is a big issue.
Other than that, everything is perfect Maybe a louder speaker would be great but again, it's a waterproof phone. That speaker is maybe louder than all other speakers on Samsung and LG phones, but it can't reach it's maximum loudness because of water protection on the speaker itself. It's a problem that Sony has been dealing with from the start. And more powerful speaker requires more space and stronger amplifier, which drains more battery.

My damn screen and back are all scratched for no reason..... what happened to anti scratch????
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

stealthj said:
My damn screen and back are all scratched for no reason..... what happened to anti scratch????
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a screen-guard both on front and back glass. It's not scratch-resistant. You can take it off but you'll lose SONY logo. And what happened? You didn't take care for your phone enough. I never put my phone together with anything in my pocket and I'm using a case on my phones so they can't get scratched that easy.

1)I would change the place of usb slot to top so that it could be charged while its in the flip cover.
2)I would add 13MP mode in camera.
3)I would change the flash to xenon flash.
Sent from my C6902

stealthj said:
My damn screen and back are all scratched for no reason..... what happened to anti scratch????
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never mixed it with keys or anything. And some of these scratches are DEEP, like someone took a screw driver to them or something. Very disappointed. I don't think taking off the film you're talking about would take those deep ones away
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

stealthj said:
I never mixed it with keys or anything. And some of these scratches are DEEP, like someone took a screw driver to them or something. Very disappointed. I don't think taking off the film you're talking about would take those deep ones away
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you manage to do this? Are you sure that these are scratches? Maybe these are cracks; maybe your glass is broken? It wouldn't be the first time that this phone's glass got broken. If you keep it in your pants pocket it's very likely for the screen to get cracked when you sit down.
I have a 3 years old Xperia X10, without any scratch-protection and I don't have a single scratch. I dropped it hundreds of times but no scratch. So I don't get how you managed to scratch it. Maybe you're dealing with cracked glass.

z1
nothing to change, z1 have perfect design and most beautifull phone in the market. great cam for who to know how to use ..

Things to improve:
SCREEN:
1. make the front glass and back glass themselves shatter proof, scratch resistant and with oleophobic coating to make the front film ONLY optional.
2. don't make the film a mandatory thing, don't ship the units with it on.
3. do not print "sony" logo and any other logo on the front film - it's a cheap decision. either engrave it on the front glass itself or don't engrave it at all on the front.
4. 5.2 inch FHD highest quality IPS LCD available - dramatically improve the screen quality, especially the viewing angles to AT LEAST match the htc one/iphone 5s viewing angles. g2, iphone 5s and htc one screens are more impressive overall imo - all are higher quality IPS. i think that viewing angles are necessary for some and for others not. it's surely not good for a company to neglect those who care for viewing angles. i don't mean that the z1 screen is bad. i mean that higher quality IPS is the most balanced display and by that all users AND reviewers will be pleased because it's good in natural colors and it's good in viewing angles as opposed to the z1 screen - good in natural colors but bad in viewing angles.
5. gloves mode.
DESIGN:
1. consider all aluminum back and sides. less fragile then glass. i would say all sapphire design but the material still too expensive.
SOUND:
1. louder speaker or 2 speakers for a fuller and louder sound if possible.
2. higher quality audio - dedicated chip.
STORAGE:
1. 32gb as standard.
CAMERA:
1. better image processing to reduce noise.
2. OIS.
3. 4K ready.
4. dual LED.
OTHER:
1. IR blaster.

Things to improve:
SCREEN:
1. make the front glass and back glass themselves shatter proof, scratch resistant and with oleophobic coating to make the front film ONLY optional.
2. don't make the film a mandatory thing, don't ship the units with it on. if possible, make it also with "self healing" like in the LG g flex.
3. do not print "sony" logo and any other logo on the front film - it's a cheap decision. either engrave it on the front glass itself or don't engrave it at all on the front.
4. 5.2 inch FHD highest quality IPS LCD available - dramatically improve the screen quality, especially the viewing angles to AT LEAST match the htc one/iphone 5s viewing angles. g2, iphone 5s and htc one screens are more impressive overall imo - all are higher quality IPS. i think that viewing angles are necessary for some and for others not. it's surely not good for a company to neglect those who care for viewing angles. i don't mean that the z1 screen is bad. i mean that higher quality IPS is the most balanced display and by that all users AND reviewers will be pleased because it's good in natural colors and it's good in viewing angles as opposed to the z1 screen - good in natural colors but bad in viewing angles.
5. gloves mode.
DESIGN:
1. consider all aluminum back and sides. less fragile then glass. i would say all sapphire design but the material still too expensive.
SOUND:
1. louder speaker or 2 speakers for a fuller and louder sound if possible.
2. higher quality audio - dedicated chip.
STORAGE:
1. internal 32gb as standard.
CAMERA:
1. better image processing to reduce noise.
2. OIS.
3. 4K ready.
4. dual LED.
OTHER:
1. IR blaster.

More on board memory 16Gb of which 11.72Gb is user memory is not enough especially as you cannot run apps from the SD card
Camera should have a more resolutions in manual mode ie something above 8Mp in Widescreen mode would have been nice.
I would like to think that Sony can add camera resolution options with software, along with improving on the noise reduction.
Better codec support out the box, I know that we can install MX Player, but still with only 16Gb onboard every Meg counts!!
Improve the screen, as thanks to the tariff I am on with Vodafone, I get SkySports and watching football included on my 4G plan...

charging solar panel, ir blaster, removable battery, teamaker, time transpoter, oh yeah and walk the dog, okay sony lol. love my z1 as is anyways.

joecool666 said:
charging solar panel, ir blaster, removable battery, teamaker, time transpoter, oh yeah and walk the dog, okay sony lol. love my z1 as is anyways.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, the last one with the dog made me laugh But there's no need for sarcasm. Some wishes are exaggerated, but there actually is a lot room for improvements. While there's no special need for hardware improvements, there are a lot software improvements which should be done in 4.3 or 4.4 KitKat updates.

xplod2841 said:
Lol, the last one with the dog made me laugh But there's no need for sarcasm. Some wishes are exaggerated, but there actually is a lot room for improvements. While there's no special need for hardware improvements, there are a lot software improvements which should be done in 4.3 or 4.4 KitKat updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i do agree with you no sarcasm was intended just in a good mood. z1 does need more mods and performance improvements as with all flagship devices.but still a cool phone,:good:

I'm really happy with the Z1. If I could change some things, it would only be two features:
- make the housing smaller (similar to the Xperia ZL)
- use WindowsPhone instead of Android (Android is okay, but WP is clearly the better system)

Future lottery numbers!

Wp better? That must be a joke, in my eyes wp is dead.
Anyways all I would love to change is: slightly bigger screen, 32/64gb built in space & z ultra alike screen. Other than that this phone is amazing.
Sent from my Xperia Z1 using Tapatalk

skycamefalling said:
I'm really happy with the Z1. If I could change some things, it would only be two features:
- make the housing smaller (similar to the Xperia ZL)
- use WindowsPhone instead of Android (Android is okay, but WP is clearly the better system)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only advantage of WP over Android is it's smoothness. And with Snapdragon 800 the Android is fast and smooth like iOS and WP on Xperia Z1 so there's not a single reason to put WP while Android is way better in every aspect. I do really like some Lumias but I would never buy any of them while WP is on it.

Why I think the Xperia Z1 is better looking than Z2

The sharper corners. On the Z2, the corners are more rounded like iPhone/Samsung style. The sharper corners on the Z1 really make the device stand out. This is why I'll be sticking with my white Z1.
I applied made in Japan screen protectors on both front and back straight out of the box so I am not affected by the easy scratching/fingerprints of the anti-shatter sheet by the way ruining the looks of the Z1.

the thiing u just said was all about the appearance but what about under the hood ?!
1GB more RAM , Snapdragon801,4K video recording,120F video shooting,stereo sound,IPS LCD with better colors and viewing angles and so on!
arent these differences enough for switching from z1 to z2?!

NiM72NiK said:
the thiing u just said was all about the appearance but what about under the hood ?!
1GB more RAM , Snapdragon801,4K video recording,120F video shooting,stereo sound,IPS LCD with better colors and viewing angles and so on!
arent these differences enough for switching from z1 to z2?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nope. at least not for me.

For me the size & the port covers alone are enough to turn me off the Xperia Z2. It's already in the phablet category with that enormous size. Plus the flaps are different now. You'll need to open only a single long flap in order to access the whole ports. Which means you would be uncovering the flaps more than ever hence it would be more prone to wear and tear and it's also annoying to use while the phone is connected to a USB port.
viiv said:
The sharper corners. On the Z2, the corners are more rounded like iPhone/Samsung style. The sharper corners on the Z1 really make the device stand out. This is why I'll be sticking with my white Z1.
I applied made in Japan screen protectors on both front and back straight out of the box so I am not affected by the easy scratching/fingerprints of the anti-shatter sheet by the way ruining the looks of the Z1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

0000alex0000 said:
nope. at least not for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
by the way i'm not going to buy z2 actually because i bought my z1 lately and i'm waiting for z3.but these things will make a z1 owner to buy a z2

Riyal said:
For me the size & the port covers alone are enough to turn me off the Xperia Z2. It's already in the phablet category with that enormous size. Plus the flaps are different now. You'll need to open only a single long flap in order to access the whole ports. Which means you would be uncovering the flaps more than ever hence it would be more prone to wear and tear and it's also annoying to use while the phone is connected to a USB port.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1. the long single flaps is a design flaw... most people hardly change the sim card and it's sharing the flaps with the usb port? wonder what is sony's engineers thinking...
also, i some how got a feeling that the aluminum frame is different from z1... not sure why but the feeling is just different when holding z1 and z2... z1 felt a little more solid in hand.

ckchan08 said:
+1. the long single flaps is a design flaw... most people hardly change the sim card and it's sharing the flaps with the usb port? wonder what is sony's engineers thinking...
also, i some how got a feeling that the aluminum frame is different from z1... not sure why but the feeling is just different when holding z1 and z2... z1 felt a little more solid in hand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
long flap is definitely a flaw but i rarely use the usb port anyways. phone charges on the magnetic dock and for file transfers i do it wirelessly or the SD card (smaller flap).
the Z1 is heavier maybe that's why we feel the Z1 more solid. The only complaint I have on the Z2 is the cheap mat paint all around the phone, i can see them wearing off quickly unlike the Z1 which i used naked for half year without any paint wear even if lightly dropped few times!
anyhow, pretty happy having upgraded to the Z2. I do find that the Z2 looks better than the Z1. smaller bezel, cool speaker grills, huge improvement in color reproduction. But what's really the selling point of the Z2 is what's under the hood as frankly who will be able to tell right away if you have a Z1 or Z2 since they look so similar.. lol.

hpl912 said:
long flap is definitely a flaw but i rarely use the usb port anyways. phone charges on the magnetic dock and for file transfers i do it wirelessly or the SD card (smaller flap).
the Z1 is heavier maybe that's why we feel the Z1 more solid. The only complaint I have on the Z2 is the cheap mat paint all around the phone, i can see them wearing off quickly unlike the Z1 which i used naked for half year without any paint wear even if lightly dropped few times!
anyhow, pretty happy having upgraded to the Z2. I do find that the Z2 looks better than the Z1. smaller bezel, cool speaker grills, huge improvement in color reproduction. But what's really the selling point of the Z2 is what's under the hood as frankly who will be able to tell right away if you have a Z1 or Z2 since they look so similar.. lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both Z1 & Z2 have similar build quality! Both look stellar but Z2 has much better feel in hand (as it's lighter slimmer & narrower) IMO. Paint quality is similar too, which is anodised over the aluminium frame (on both). I see no easy scratching or paint wearing with normal use on either of the two. I've dropped my Z1 a couple of times on hard floor with no damage but only a few scuffs around corners! Single long flap on left side of Z2 is odd, no doubt, but it is actually easier to pull out compared to those tiny dual flaps on Z1. But besides the screen, speakers, ram & chipset one important aspect in which the Z2 is quite ahead of Z1 is the battery backup. For me the Z2 easily lasts for 2.5 days with 7.5 hrs of SOT with normal usage vs 1.5 days with 5.5 hrs of SOT on the Z1 with similar usage.

Dpk1 said:
Both Z1 & Z2 have similar build quality! Both look stellar but Z2 has much better feel in hand (as it's lighter slimmer & narrower) IMO. Paint quality is similar too, which is anodised over the aluminium frame (on both). I see no easy scratching or paint wearing with normal use on either of the two. I've dropped my Z1 a couple of times on hard floor with no damage but only a few scuffs around corners! Single long flap on left side of Z2 is odd, no doubt, but it is actually easier to pull out compared to those tiny dual flaps on Z1. But besides the screen, speakers, ram & chipset one important aspect in which the Z2 is quite ahead of Z1 is the battery backup. For me the Z2 easily lasts for 2.5 days with 7.5 hrs of SOT with normal usage vs 1.5 days with 5.5 hrs of SOT on the Z1 with similar usage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes another think i forgot to mention was the battery life. it indeed lasts longer than the Z1 under same usage.
I don't know about the paint but for me when i went to purchase the Z2, from a brand new sealed box there were spots with paint chipping around the phone at the line where the paint meets the mat finish. I asked for another unit as i find it unacceptable. Opened a second box and samething but less chipping. Ended up taking the second unit as most probably a 3rd box will be the same. This wasn't happening when i purchased the Z1 so my assumption of the cheap QC or paint quality on the Z2

For Me the looks of Z1 with internals of Z2.

i like the z1 more than z2 too and in synthetic benchmark like antutu z1 have an average score about 31k, z2 29k... and the biggest difference (in my opinion) are the 3gb ram and the ips screen ...the snapdragon 801 (msm8974ab) is just an oc´ed version of the snapdragon800(msm8974vv)
i´m going to buy z3 but i hate the rounded cornors from z2 so i stay on my z1 ..

viiv said:
The sharper corners. On the Z2, the corners are more rounded like iPhone/Samsung style. The sharper corners on the Z1 really make the device stand out. This is why I'll be sticking with my white Z1.
I applied made in Japan screen protectors on both front and back straight out of the box so I am not affected by the easy scratching/fingerprints of the anti-shatter sheet by the way ruining the looks of the Z1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even i felt the same when i held the phone in my hand. The aluminium frame on Z2 feels less sturdy than the one on Z1. And for things under the hood, Z1 is no less capable than Z2. They are almost in same league. It is only the software part making the difference. And as far as screen is concerned, yes it has far better screen than the Z1(not to forget the elimination of ASF on Z2).

The sharper corners do look better imho

AgroCPU said:
i like the z1 more than z2 too and in synthetic benchmark like antutu z1 have an average score about 31k, z2 29k... and the biggest difference (in my opinion) are the 3gb ram and the ips screen ...the snapdragon 801 (msm8974ab) is just an oc´ed version of the snapdragon800(msm8974vv)
i´m going to buy z3 but i hate the rounded cornors from z2 so i stay on my z1 ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although this is a bit off topic but I had to say this. Benchmarks have very little significance today especially when it comes to smartphones, as most manufacturers (like Samsung / htc etc.) have cheats (built into the rom itself) to boost the scores. Moreover, these benchmarks are neither consistent themselves nor reliable to assess the real life performance of the device. But anyway, since you brought that up, IMO the Z2 still surpasses Z1 most of the times. I did this antutu test on my non rooted (all stock) Z2 only to post here (as I don't really care about such scores) and it scored 35k. See the screenshot below.

I personally like the size and style of the Z1. Being 5" in size is perfect for the shelf under the stereo in my car as well as not a problem for my jeans pocket. When you get down to it, unless they invent some sort of flip/double screen phone, bigger isn't better. Nor is the hardware any kind of huge improvement.
My Antutu results are for my Xperia Z1 running DoomLord v21 kernel and RomAur v8.0 that is unlocked and rooted. As you can see its only just under the 35k score for a Z2 running stock rom. But ... specs aren't everything. I just like to have my phone the way I want

I like the Z1 design more than the Z2. I agree that it's iPhone style. I don't usually open the flaps of the phone as I transfer files with Software Data Cable via WiFi and I charge my phone on the docking station.
Simple!

Z2 is a far better looking phone, plus with them nice dual speakers it's a no brainer. Z1 isn't an ugly phone but it's in no way shape or form a better looking device than the Z2, you should have went to specsavers mate.

abc

z1 or z2
dladz said:
Z2 is a far better looking phone, plus with them nice dual speakers it's a no brainer. Z1 isn't an ugly phone but it's in no way shape or form a better looking device than the Z2, you should have went to specsavers mate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
theres no need for specsavers, you get what you pay for and imo there is not much diffrance in the two devices, wow the spekers come on, look on gsm, for the SPECS, but i like my z1 and i think it better than the z2 ,performance is of the chart benchmarks that i reach are 36000 plus all stock no tweaks,oh and the z2 is slighty lighter ha ha and alot more expensive,i have just done a benchmark test and my score is 36517, antutu benchmark,

joecool666 said:
theres no need for specsavers, you get what you pay for and imo there is not much diffrance in the two devices, wow the spekers come on, look on gsm, for the SPECS, but i like my z1 and i think it better than the z2 ,performance is of the chart benchmarks that i reach are 36000 plus all stock no tweaks,oh and the z2 is slighty lighter ha ha and alot more expensive,i have just done a benchmark test and my score is 36517, antutu benchmark,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not more expensive in carphone warehouse, they're both 33 on contract and sim free price is the same! The dual speakers do make quite a difference, you don't have to cup the solitary speaker like you do on the Z2, everything just feels more refined on the Z2 than it does on the Z1.
Not the biggest leap forward but it's certainly an upgrade.
As for benchmarks, they're not everything but when theres some decent development for the Z2 I'm guessing it'll outperform the Z1 quite easily. The 801 is still an OC'd 800 but it should make the difference.

So, Which Hardware Component of Your Zenfone 2 Would You Upgrade?

XDA member @TachyonGun has recently run a feature asking Which Hardware Component of Your Phone [You] Would Upgrade?.
What about you? Are you satisfied with your phone HW? What would you add or improve?
(Please, only stick to hardware components, e.g. NOT software-related issues)

I wouldn't necessarily want anything upgraded, but anything that can be done to make this phone lighter would have made me happier.
ZF2 feels like a goddamn brick compared to most phones.

Super AMOLED 1080p 5.5" panel.
Front Facing Speakers
And a less power-hungry WiFi module.
Plus remove the capacite keys all together and replace them for on-screen to make space for the front facing speakers. OR make them backlit, ATLEAST.
Those would be the 4 things that would basically make this phone flawless, perfect. The best phone ever made. Literally. And no, no QuadHD display, pls. No don't try saying it's necesry.
It isn't. If you like viewing your phone with a magnifying glass, I'm sorry. lol I'd rather make the GPU work less and save more battery.

The Screens black-level could be better (compared to amoled)... but its a nice looking screen. Resolution is more than enough. The non-changeable Battery is the only thing I care about. I usually use my phones 3-4 years, that may exceed the lifetime of one battery...
I love the phone. I would rate everything at least "above average", some things are high end and the performance is great. Especially for that price.

for me its to boring in intel zenfone with out custom rom in this device, upgrading hardware is not problem as long the new hardware can handle custom rom, or the new hardware will break the custom rom not to get stable version

The speaker. It's absolutely pathetic - small, mono and on the back. Quiet and tinny and easily muffled. Asus can do decent small stereo speakers - the little ones on the ends of my very thin memo pad 7, while lacking bass, are pretty loud and clear and have nice stereo separation. They should ditch the crappy capacitative buttons on the zenfone and have small front facing stereo speakers. Not asking for HTC boomsound performance, but on a par with the memo pad would be grand. Otherwise, I am happy with my phone's hardware.

Other: either backlight or remove the capacitive buttons (preferably remove)

I wouldn't mind a thicker phone for a bigger battery and yet a smaller footprint (4.5 to 4.75" screen with the same size bezel on the 551).
Reduce the screen size, and the battery does not need to be that much bigger (say, 3200 to 3300mAh), but the kicker would be having the same great internals (I use the 1.8gHz/2GB/16B Z00A model).
But then again, that's just wish list stuff. I'm pretty happy with what I got.

A better camera. Period.

Amoled screen and removal of capacitive buttons. Got a little too attached to how my nexus 5 worked before this phone.
Sent from my ASUS_Z00A using Tapatalk

Speakers... on the Moto G 2nd gen, having 2x front stereo speakers, it's amazing, this is the feature I am missing the most.
Also having wireless charging would be a must.

Screen and software buttons instead of hardware buttons (or at least back-lit hardware buttons).

The screen and the camera

1 - Bigger camera sensor that can handle a 20MP photo with low noise.
2 - Better speaker, maybe stereo and in the front (Withoutc increasing the size of the frames, removing hardware buttons if necessary)
3 - Bigger battery (over 4000mAh), no problem if it needs to be a little thicker.
4 - An xenon flash integrated, or a powerful led flash with 4 leds that can be used in case of very darkness and as a torch with variable light intensity.
5 - The most important, a native dual boot android/windows 10 x86 desktop.
Sent from my ASUS_Z00AD using Tapatalk

I just want the screen little bit thicker with side protection...as zenfone 2 glass screen can be easily breaks especially its siding has no protection...and lastly new models with 5.1 already installed...

Better camera and brighter screen without loss of battery life
Sent from my ASUS_Z00AD using XDA Free mobile app

*Second SIM at least 3G capable
*3500 mAh battery
*Narrower side bezel
*Onscreen buttons (I'm so glad capacitive buttons are not back-lit!)
Sent from my ASUS_Z00AD using Tapatalk

Stereo speakers at front
Camera with laser auto focus and ois(need 120fps at least in HD for slo mo)
SD 801 or 808 or 810 with cooling rod like Sony (SINCE some said Intel don't support 4k, high fps in camera)
Wireless charging
2sim 3g or even 2g data
IR
Mhl
4000mah battery
Screen more brightness and contrast (but I think it is not at all bad now)
With all above I would say it will be perfect phone

Battery, battery, the battery, maybe the battery, a bigger battery would be good...
Did I mention the battery?
Tbh I don't get why they made the back cover removable with a non-removable battery.

other: more speed for flash & ram