Database Users

G2 or Xperia Z1?

I currently have HTC One and I'm debating whether I should get the G2 or Xperia Z1.
I was leaning towards the G2 because of thick bezels on the Z1 but this review kind of made me think more:
http://www.androidauthority.com/xperia-z1-vs-lg-g2-quick-look-266308/
I know Z1 is not available yet in the US and probably will take some time but since I'm not eligible to upgrade, I don't mind buying int unlocked from somewhere... What you guys think? Would like to hear your thoughts
Update:
I found a better comparison video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0cnAxIxICU

mehdi_s82 said:
I currently have HTC One and I'm debating whether I should get the G2 or Xperia Z1.
I was leaning towards the G2 because of thick bezels on the Z1 but this review kind of made me think more:
http://www.androidauthority.com/xperia-z1-vs-lg-g2-quick-look-266308/
I know Z1 is not available yet in the US and probably will take some time but since I'm not eligible to upgrade, I don't mind buying int unlocked from somewhere... What you guys think? Would like to hear your thoughts
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Z1 is a larger and heavier device with a smaller screen. Its material feels better to the touch, but the G2 is more ergonomic to hold. Buttons on the back is either a plus or minus depending on how you use it. I havent seen a really good comparison in cameras yet, mostly just a few shots and they leave out something so its mostly a tie, also neither handsets have finished firmware, however the Z1 has a camera button if thats important to you.
The only real benefit I see to Z1 is Micro-sd card slot and IP67, but that of course comes at the price of size, weight and price.
And I solved the first problem with this: http://www.meenova.com/
Anyways, its up to what you like. Go touch and compare them at a store or read a lot of reviews on both, dont blindly go by one places thoughts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJs3lES8Bcc&feature=share&list=UUsW36751Gy-

I'm in the same exact boat. HTC One and lgog right now. I'm torn because i love the lgog community and if some of the devs move to the g2 it'll definitely be worth it, on the other hand I've never owned a sony device so don't know how development is with them in general. I like the z1 for waterproofing and build quality, my major qualms with g2 are build quality and those back buttons.. but with the z1 the screen could be horrendous and the bezels are huge. also, don't know when at&ts getting the z1. and I've heard that the latter's led notification isn't too bright which is a huge disappointment I have with my one. thinking once I can hold both phones in my hands side by side I might be able to finally make a decision

ryancnap said:
I'm in the same exact boat. HTC One and lgog right now. I'm torn because i love the lgog community and if some of the devs move to the g2 it'll definitely be worth it, on the other hand I've never owned a sony device so don't know how development is with them in general. I like the z1 for waterproofing and build quality, my major qualms with g2 are build quality and those back buttons.. but with the z1 the screen could be horrendous and the bezels are huge. also, don't know when at&ts getting the z1. and I've heard that the latter's led notification isn't too bright which is a huge disappointment I have with my one. thinking once I can hold both phones in my hands side by side I might be able to finally make a decision
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That's where I'm getting to as well. Waiting a few weeks to hear more about Z1 US release dates so I can compare them side by side. From photos and videos, Z1 build quality is very descent so we won't miss our One. But stupid bezel! One of the reasons that I'm bored with my One is thick bezels.

chrondroid said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJs3lES8Bcc&feature=share&list=UUsW36751Gy-
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Thanks for the link. It's a detailed review of G2 but wish we find similar review for the Z1. For now I found this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0cnAxIxICU
I really like Z1 back design. It is sleek

dont know how LG phone is but I currently own the XZ, the worst premium smart phone. its beautiful but thats where it end. the thing over heat, the screen is horrible with viewing angles, the screen is not oliophobic. if you like to flash stuff there isnt may DEV for the phone. The best thing i like about the phone is its water resistant, if that is not a thing you care about then i would advise not to get Sony phones.

G1_enthusiast said:
dont know how LG phone is but I currently own the XZ, the worst premium smart phone. its beautiful but thats where it end. the thing over heat, the screen is horrible with viewing angles, the screen is not oliophobic. if you like to flash stuff there isnt may DEV for the phone. The best thing i like about the phone is its water resistant, if that is not a thing you care about then i would advise not to get Sony phones.
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That sucks! The problem with lack of dev for Sony devices is they are not widely available on US carriers. I'm hoping Sony get it right this time and release it on multiple carriers like what LG is doing. Re. viewing angles, Z1 is the same I guess it shows in the video I posted in previous post. But this is not a big deal for me. Non-oleophobic screen can suck but in the comparison video I posted the LG shows more smudge and fingerprints on display than the Sony. Maybe they fixed it?

Here's a review by Cnet UK, pretty disappointing, but yeah.... http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/mobile-phones/sony-xperia-z1-review-50012187/
I'd choose the G2 anyday, that screen,camera, and battery life is hard to pass up.

akong702 said:
Here's a review by Cnet UK, pretty disappointing, but yeah.... http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/mobile-phones/sony-xperia-z1-review-50012187/
I'd choose the G2 anyday, that screen,camera, and battery life is hard to pass up.
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I saw the cnet review today but I cannot believe that the Z1 can disappoint on camera. I read multiple articles today that it is the best camera phone available. But battery life we need a better test from anandtech or gsmarena

mehdi_s82 said:
I saw the cnet review today but I cannot believe that the Z1 can disappoint on camera. I read multiple articles today that it is the best camera phone available. But battery life we need a better test from anandtech or gsmarena
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Yeah, I'd wait for an Anandtech review before making final judgement. To me though, G2 is a lot sexier cause of the bezels, and form factor.

mehdi_s82 said:
I saw the cnet review today but I cannot believe that the Z1 can disappoint on camera. I read multiple articles today that it is the best camera phone available. But battery life we need a better test from anandtech or gsmarena
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Lol what half ass reviews told you that the camera on the Xperia Z1 was the best one available? A lot of dumb people can't judge and go by blind faith looking at the specs. Ooooh 20MP and 1/2.3" sensor it must be better!
I made this fun post. It's on the Sony forum so I'm sure there are some nasty things below the first post. There are links to flickr photosets showcasing photos from the Z1 and G2.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=45511174#post45511174
The camera on the Z1 really sucks ass. The G2 is like the S4 camera, but with OIS and less sharpening.
You want to talk about water-resistance? The other touted Z1 feature?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXPbq-PuqC8
This is the Z Ultra, which has similar water-resistant specs. The best you can hope for is that you can talk on the phone in the rain, or spill a little ice water on it at a restaurant. You can't take it to the pool, to the beach, or literally do anything else with it because it will void warranty and the sealing isn't up to snuff. The touchscreen will completely screw up when exposed to water. Even sweaty fingers will screw it up.
Water-proofing is a compromise. You have to fiddle with flaps for most of your ports. And worst of all, it screws up the sound quality of the speaker and the sound quality of the microphone. There's a water repellent membrane that keeps water out. It also keeps sound out (or in) as well. There's a review somewhere (I forgot where) that has a clip of the speaker quality. It's as bad as my $15 flip phone I use for backup. For you HTC One owners with BoomSound, it will make you cry. You can also tell from sample Z1 videos the audio capture is more muffled than other phones.
Some people think the Xperia Z line's aesthetic is classy. I think it looks like ass IMO. It looks archaic with its blocky designs and the fingerprints dominate all the phones no matter where you go. The Z1 is no different, and looks even worse with a bigger bezel and chunky metal frame. I thought they were suppose to be going for sleekness? That frame is like a growth of some sort.
And because of this aesthetic that has glass on the back and front, There is a SCREEN PROTECTOR on both sides, just like the Z Ultra and Z, to keep shards from flying if it ever gets dropped. Do you like the feel of a screen protector? I find them slimy and icky to touch and they completely ruin the look of the screen. Now you have one of those things on the BACK as well. It's like holding onto a bar of soap, that holds on to every single fingerprint like a tattoo.
And if it hasn't already been made abundantly clear, Sony makes ass for screens and the Z1 is no different. It also looks like ass. Poor viewing angles, black levels, gaudy and completely wrong colors and contrast caused by terrible image processing. I mentioned this before somewhere, that it looks like a really really bad first gen AMOLED display, with the bad viewing angles and blacks of a terrible LCD. The worst of both worlds. To add insult to injury, there is that SCREEN PROTECTOR mentioned above that gives it that trapped in an aquarium look that loves to reflect light. Everyone else is trying to reduce the gap between the screen and the surface, with laminated panels and super thin Gorilla Glass, to increase clarity and brightness, reduce reflection, and give it that printed on floating on top look. Sony wants to buck the trend. They love the submerged under water look. I hope you love it to if you plan on getting the Z1.
The G2 can be had for $585 on some carriers and will undoubtedly get cheaper. The Z1 is a "premium" device. Sony won't stop mentioning that. It also comes with a "premium" price. Over $700. And who knows when it will arrive on a US carrier? The Z took months to get to T-mobile, and they were the only ones carrying it. It's also still priced like its a bigshot flagship.
In a nutshell, don't buy the Z1.

Troll much? We get it, you don't like Sony.

katamari201 said:
Lol what half ass reviews told you that the camera on the Xperia Z1 was the best one available? A lot of dumb people can't judge and go by blind faith looking at the specs. Ooooh 20MP and 1/2.3" sensor it must be better!
I made this fun post. It's on the Sony forum so I'm sure there are some nasty things below the first post. There are links to flickr photosets showcasing photos from the Z1 and G2.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=45511174#post45511174
The camera on the Z1 really sucks ass. The G2 is like the S4 camera, but with OIS and less sharpening.
You want to talk about water-resistance? The other touted Z1 feature?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXPbq-PuqC8
This is the Z Ultra, which has similar water-resistant specs. The best you can hope for is that you can talk on the phone in the rain, or spill a little ice water on it at a restaurant. You can't take it to the pool, to the beach, or literally do anything else with it because it will void warranty and the sealing isn't up to snuff. The touchscreen will completely screw up when exposed to water. Even sweaty fingers will screw it up.
Water-proofing is a compromise. You have to fiddle with flaps for most of your ports. And worst of all, it screws up the sound quality of the speaker and the sound quality of the microphone. There's a water repellent membrane that keeps water out. It also keeps sound out (or in) as well. There's a review somewhere (I forgot where) that has a clip of the speaker quality. It's as bad as my $15 flip phone I use for backup. For you HTC One owners with BoomSound, it will make you cry. You can also tell from sample Z1 videos the audio capture is more muffled than other phones.
Some people think the Xperia Z line's aesthetic is classy. I think it looks like ass IMO. It looks archaic with its blocky designs and the fingerprints dominate all the phones no matter where you go. The Z1 is no different, and looks even worse with a bigger bezel and chunky metal frame. I thought they were suppose to be going for sleekness? That frame is like a growth of some sort.
And because of this aesthetic that has glass on the back and front, There is a SCREEN PROTECTOR on both sides, just like the Z Ultra and Z, to keep shards from flying if it ever gets dropped. Do you like the feel of a screen protector? I find them slimy and icky to touch and they completely ruin the look of the screen. Now you have one of those things on the BACK as well. It's like holding onto a bar of soap, that holds on to every single fingerprint like a tattoo.
And if it hasn't already been made abundantly clear, Sony makes ass for screens and the Z1 is no different. It also looks like ass. Poor viewing angles, black levels, gaudy and completely wrong colors and contrast caused by terrible image processing. I mentioned this before somewhere, that it looks like a really really bad first gen AMOLED display, with the bad viewing angles and blacks of a terrible LCD. The worst of both worlds. To add insult to injury, there is that SCREEN PROTECTOR mentioned above that gives it that trapped in an aquarium look that loves to reflect light. Everyone else is trying to reduce the gap between the screen and the surface, with laminated panels and super thin Gorilla Glass, to increase clarity and brightness, reduce reflection, and give it that printed on floating on top look. Sony wants to buck the trend. They love the submerged under water look. I hope you love it to if you plan on getting the Z1.
The G2 can be had for $585 on some carriers and will undoubtedly get cheaper. The Z1 is a "premium" device. Sony won't stop mentioning that. It also comes with a "premium" price. Over $700. And who knows when it will arrive on a US carrier? The Z took months to get to T-mobile, and they were the only ones carrying it. It's also still priced like its a bigshot flagship.
In a nutshell, don't buy the Z1.
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Click to collapse
I hear you and I agree about some of the points. I have not seen Z1 yet but I don't think it is as bad as you pictured it. Here's the article that explains why Z1 camera is the best
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Here...leading-cameraphone-according-to-Sony_id47242
Also I went to Verizon store and put my Htc One screen next to G2 both at 100% brightness and loaded the same image on screen, the One has much better white levels and crisper text.

T-Mobile just launched the XZ in July. I wouldn't expect US carriers to have this phone until January, and I'll be damned if I'm paying 1k dollars for a phone. Should have my G2 tomorrow, can't wait.

Too be honest I was really excited to hear about the xperia z1. I knew it'd come down to the lg g2 or xperia z1 for me but after seeing several camera pics of the xperia z1 I'm definitely not impressed. I agree with the reviewer from cnet. The camera isn't bad but it definitely isn't impressive. Plus the phone is pricey. The only reason i would have picked the xperia z1 over the lg g2 was for the camera but no way...LG G2 for me. IMO the LG G2 camera is better and if you don't agree, the xperia z1's camera definitely isn't too far ahead. Also here's some camera shots from both phones http://www.androidpit.com/camera-test-sony-xperia-z1-lg-g2-and-cyber-shot-qx10

I was hoping the screen/camera would improve but now I'm hearing that these are the final results which is tilting me toward the g2.. only reasons I wanted the z1 were water proofing, lack of plastic and lack of back buttons
Sent from my One using xda app-developers app

Neither of them....

HTC coming for review

Hi all
My last android phone was the onex and I have been an iPhone user ever since. ThreeUK have kindly said they will send me a HTC one for review so I was wondering if you all could let me know of your likes and dislikes in this phone. I don't think i will have the phone very long so I was hoping your insights will help in me writing a rounded review
Thanks in advance
Dave
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

edit

Great thanks
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mobilemaduk said:
Great thanks
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There's a button for that.

Yep. Not spotted that on tapatalk lol
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mobilemaduk said:
Yep. Not spotted that on tapatalk lol
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Haha
Cheers!

Theshawty said:
Positives:
Speakers are in the bets thinkable place - the front, and there's two of them; one at the top and one at the bottom. The speakers are incredibly loud - almost too loud sometimes but deliver suprisingly good sound and doesn't distort at even the highest volume level. The screen is gorgeous and the phone sits well in the hand. Has just the right weight and feels very premium. Sense 5 is a refreshing experience and was a job well done. It flows beautifully but has a biit too muich bloat, but then again it might be just about right for others. It's a very good phone overall.
Negatives:
It gets very hot, very quickly. Build wise, it is flawed and seriosuly hard to repair yourselves, seeing as it hasn't got many screws at all, it's mostly held up by an adhesive. It is not flush all around and it has gaps here and there. HTC were VERY sloppy on the quality control on this phone and that isn't good for a company that's already doing so bad. The camera has so far been mostly disappointing. This phone was praised far and wide for it's widended lense and the super low aperture (f/2.0) so that it could perform well in lower light conditions. However, most Ones out there have a bad camera sensor that is seriosuly badly affected by heat. Once the screen heats up, the copper casing surrounding the camera sensor heats up and affects the sensor, and then you can see color tinting on the screen. Red, blue and pink tint. Sometimes even a turqoise-ish tint. It does ok in good light, though, but it's noticeable that 4 MP (or UltraPixel, as HTC likes to call it) is a bit on the low side. It could have done with at least 8 MP to give a much better digital zoom. The pictures are, for the most part, good enough for Facebook, Instagram and other sites like those, but they aren't particularly good if you save them on your PC/Mac to watch them later because there's a lack of detail, depth.
Conclusion: It's a good phone and music wise it's the best there is. Visually stunning and feels great but the camera holds it back.
I give it a 6/10, and that's being kind.
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6/10??? Lol do you have the phone? No qc problems here, camera is great although could be higher resolution, best looking/built phone on the market imo.
Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk

husker91 said:
6/10??? Lol do you have the phone? No qc problems here, camera is great although could be higher resolution, best looking/built phone on the market imo.
Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk
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Yes, I do have the phone.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

Theshawty said:
Yes, I do have the phone.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
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I guess I'm just struggling to understand the 6/10 lol. I would give it atleast an 8-9/10.
Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk

It's been the best phone on the market in the eyes of multiple reviewers like phonedog and the like ever since it came out. No way it deserves a 6/10. That's galaxy S4 territory
Sent from my HTC One

husker91 said:
I guess I'm just struggling to understand the 6/10 lol. I would give it atleast an 8-9/10.
Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk
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Here's why I gave it 6/10:
Speakers: They are top notch, on the right side of the phone and and can be very loud. Produces great sound. 10/10
Feel/Looks: Feels great. Just the right weight and is very pleasent to look at. 10/10
Build quality: Terrible. I don't believe there is a single One that is completely flush everywhere and has no gaps. All Ones I've seen have that. HTC did a poor job on the quality control: 2/10
Temperature: It can get seriously hot when playing. Almost uncomfortably so. 2/10
Camera: This thing was all about its low light performance. Having a wide lense and f/2.0 aperture would make it perform great in lower light conditions and supposedly it should, in theory it should but in practice it doesn't. All Ones I've seen (IRL), have suffered from the tinting issues which I believe is a mix of a very sensitive camera sensor and heat. In good light it performs decent, but lacks detail and depth because of only having 4 MP (or UltraPixels): 5/10
Buttons: This phone would have been way better off with software keys, i.e. a "navbar", in my opinion. The power button is placed a bit stupidly but it's ok. 8/10
Total score: 37. Divide that by 6 categories and you get ~6.2 which I round to 6/10.

Theshawty said:
Positives:
Speakers are in the bets thinkable place - the front, and there's two of them; one at the top and one at the bottom. The speakers are incredibly loud - almost too loud sometimes but deliver suprisingly good sound and doesn't distort at even the highest volume level. The screen is gorgeous and the phone sits well in the hand. Has just the right weight and feels very premium. Sense 5 is a refreshing experience and was a job well done. It flows beautifully but has a biit too muich bloat, but then again it might be just about right for others. It's a very good phone overall.
Negatives:
It gets very hot, very quickly. Build wise, it is flawed and seriosuly hard to repair yourselves, seeing as it hasn't got many screws at all, it's mostly held up by an adhesive. It is not flush all around and it has gaps here and there. HTC were VERY sloppy on the quality control on this phone and that isn't good for a company that's already doing so bad. The camera has so far been mostly disappointing. This phone was praised far and wide for it's widended lense and the super low aperture (f/2.0) so that it could perform well in lower light conditions. However, most Ones out there have a bad camera sensor that is seriosuly badly affected by heat. Once the screen heats up, the copper casing surrounding the camera sensor heats up and affects the sensor, and then you can see color tinting on the screen. Red, blue and pink tint. Sometimes even a turqoise-ish tint. It does ok in good light, though, but it's noticeable that 4 MP (or UltraPixel, as HTC likes to call it) is a bit on the low side. It could have done with at least 8 MP to give a much better digital zoom. The pictures are, for the most part, good enough for Facebook, Instagram and other sites like those, but they aren't particularly good if you save them on your PC/Mac to watch them later because there's a lack of detail, depth.
Conclusion: It's a good phone and music wise it's the best there is. Visually stunning and feels great but the camera holds it back.
I give it a 6/10, and that's being kind.
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havent you updated your phone? my phone was also getting very hot with the stock version but once I updated I never had any issues again

cuyo11 said:
havent you updated your phone? my phone was also getting very hot with the stock version but once I updated I never had any issues again
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I have. I'm on InsertCoin with the 3.61.401.1 base. (Sense 5.5 with Android 4.3) and I have been on unrooted stock 4.3 as well.

Hmm that's funny. My One has no gaps in it's construction. It has the camera issue but the rest is solid. Don't have a heat issue either but I also dont game on it.
Sent from my HTC One

croppz said:
Hmm that's funny. My One has no gaps in it's construction. It has the camera issue but the rest is solid. Don't have a heat issue either but I also dont game on it.
Sent from my HTC One
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Mine doesn't heat up if I don't game either but when I do play a game, it gets really hot. I kind of understand it tho since it's in all metal but still. Mine has minor gaps and is unflush.

Even I think that 6/10 is harsh. I would honestly give it a solid 8/10. Build quality is great, QC isn't. Doesn't deny the fact that it still trumps most flagships
---------- Post added at 08:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:15 AM ----------
Design - 8/10: The phone is beautiful and feels it too. I always get a "what phone is that" from family members and friends who aren't too clued in on phones. The design does have a flaw, which is that the metal makes the phone very hot during intense sessions. Mainly gaming, but then again I haven't heard of a phone that doesn't get hot when gaming especially when you consider gaming beats like Modern Combat 4, Dead Trigger 2 and Asphalt 8
display - 10/10: I have yet to see a display on a phone as sharp with realistic colours. Better yet, I prefer that the display is LCD. I don't have to worry myself about using dark backgrounds or worrying about blue leds burning in quickly which is the case with AMOLED screens. Viewing angles are better than average. The screen is nice and bright too
cameras - 4/10: EASILY THE WORST PART ABOUT THIS PHONE. During the first few months the camera was fine. I mainly upload to Facebook and Instagram (and more recently G+) and I would've given the camera a steady 7/10. Video recordings are still good whilst the audio captured is great. Once the red tint issue cropped up however...................eugh, it's awful. However in good light the shots are very good. I certainly don't have issues with photos if I go to the beach and I'm sure holiday photo's would be the same. Front facing camera is clear, but doesn't capture as much light as my girlfriends iPhone 4s, which is a bit off putting if I'm honest
reception / call quality 8/10: Calls are nice, clear and loud. Noise cancellation could be a bit better though, still the device is pleasant to talk on and I have no issue talking to people hours on end without problem. If I've ever had a dropped call its always been due to my network provider. Reception has been great, almost constantly sitting on 5 bars unless my networks coverage in a specific area is low
performance 9/10: Gets a 9 and not a 10 because for starters it still isn't as smooth as an iPhone (5 & 5s) and is still behind stock Android. Part of this is easily because it is an OEM skin, but its definitely the fastest OEM skin I've used so far. One can probably say that the G2 or possibly the Note 3 in some cases might load things up a bit quicker, but they are running S800's. If HTC continue optimising Sense like they have done then it will easily be the smoothest Android skin widely available.
software - 8/10: Sense is fast and beautiful, can't really say anything negative about it apart from the recent removal of certain things in Sense 5.5. Misses being a 9 or a 10 due to things they could have added themselves such as dual camera mode (which may be coming). The choice to disable full screen brightness when using the camera. Having native quick pin unlock.
audio - 10/10: The speakers are amazing and outclass any phone at this moment in time. Some phones might be a dB louder but none have the loudness and the clarity of the One. Audio via the headphone jack is nice and clean as well. Loudness is not a problem here. Audio via the headset can get dangerously loud. I for one have never needed to crank the volume up. Beats of course isn't the greatest thing ever but then again this phone with Beats sounds better than the S4 I demoed and the S3 I had.
battery life - 7/10: I can get through the day with this phone if all I'm doing is browsing the web, listening to music between journeys and sending some texts/bbms/whatsapp messages. Pull out the camera and the battery drains pretty fast, mainly so because opening the camera forces 100% brightness, which is a nice feature but isn't always necessary and I believe is what heavily contributed to damaging the camera sensor
Final Score: 8/10 - Once my camera gets replaced I can bump this up to a 9/10
Some points may be lost if YOUR specific device has quality control problems. On the other hand, people who don't have the tint issue will probably rate the camera higher than I have. It's all relative to personal opinion at the end of the day, but one must always judge against other phones in the market

No gaps or build quality issues here and no tint camera issues, anybody suffering from this needs to send the device for repair A 9/10 from me and the best phone I have ever owned.
I agree the camera could do with being a higher resoolution, a 8MP f/2.0 would have been ideal.

Theshawty said:
Buttons: This phone would have been way better off with software keys, i.e. a "navbar", in my opinion. The power button is placed a bit stupidly but it's ok. 8/10
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Click to collapse
So true.
Being right handed, my phone is usually in my left hand and it's hard to control the volume rocker using my left index finger or hitting the power button with my thumb. It just feels awkward.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

I have no quality build issue's with my One. The Phone feels rock solid and i like the metal casing compared to plastic.
I cant say to much about the camera as im not trying to get studio quality photo's from my Phone anyway but for my occasional pictures it is good enough (compared to the call quality of my Canon EOS it's awsome)
Phones are compact devices and the cpu's are getting faster and faster so i expect a Phone to get hot when you run heavy games on them.
Button layout? You should check out the location of the power button on Nokia Lumia 900... Then you will be pretty happy having the power button on the top.
The button themselves feel solid as you expect from a premium Phone.
The display is great really. never had a Phone coming close to it.
Battery life is allso pretty good for me and i do use the Phone regular but i'm not having it im my hand 24/7. I use something like 50% of the battery on a day.
Overall this Phone makes me pretty happy.
I'm running the Phone unlocked but with STOCK software like you buy it from the store!

Theshawty said:
Positives:
Conclusion: It's a good phone and music wise it's the best there is. Visually stunning and feels great but the camera holds it back.
I give it a 6/10, and that's being kind.
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Yes. I think that is an excellent summary from Theshawty, spot-on.
I'll just add that on my device the GooglePlayEdition version, I have none of the known camera issues, and I'm satisfied with the quality of stills and video. All the rest, what Theshawty says.

My impressions of the Z5C vs Z3C (stuff not generally talked about in reviews)

Overall I've been a pretty happy Z3C user. My two main beefs with the Z3C we're some build quality issues (screen on two devices would pop/flex) and I've never been crazy about the photos. They were just ok.
So here's my take on the Z5C:
First, the fingerprint sensor changes a lot in terms of how I interact with the device and how quickly I can access the device. I really like it. However, as reported elsewhere the scanner is not always completely reliable if my finger has recently been wet, cold, etc. I'm still exploring how to optimize my fingerprint readings, and it may also be a case that my fingerprints are a bit worn down and so fingerprint scanners in general may not work very well for me (this is the first one I've tried using). But overall it's an excellent addition and I love the location of it on the side.
Second, the speed of the 810 processor is phenomenal and makes the phone feel so much quicker. This is something I did not anticipate liking as much as I do, and it has been a real pleasant surprise. If you're a Z3C owner and on the fence about upgrading definitely do not use the Z5C unless you're ready to move up to it as I think you'd have a hard time going back to the relatively slower Z3C.
Third, the build quality has dramatically improved on the Z5C. It feels much more solid and sturdy; a firmer hold in the hand. Z3C was much more slippery, bigger risk to drop. In addition to the screen pop issues I had, my Z3Cs always had more flex and creaking than I liked. Really glad Sony did away with the second flap/compartment on the Z5C, which I'm sure helped reduce device flex. The new SD card/SIM compartment closure feels more solid. Making the USB waterproof was also a great move. I thought I might miss magnetic charging, but I'm not.
Fourth, the audio quality, in terms of both phone call quality and speaker music, is much improved. I can hear people much more clearly on this device than the Z3C. I also play music from the speakers when I jog, and the sound quality is much crisper. I want to also say that using my headphones (aptX Sennheiser Momentum wireless) that sound quality is also slightly improved, perhaps due to a better DAC? I'm not 100% sure about this and was already pretty happy with the Z3C headphone performance.
Fifth, battery life seems to be about the same, which is a relief. I had heard some people were experiencing worse performance, but I have no problems getting through the day with 30 to 40% still left after heavy use.
Sixth, the display seems to be improved. Slightly sharper and more vibrant. I didn't expect this and I'm not quite sure why this is the case because the resolution/spec has not changed much.
Seventh, the location of the volume button has not been a problem. Some early reviews complained about this, particularly on the bigger model, but I find its placement on the Z5C just fine.
Eight, I'm not a gamer or 4K video shooter, but I have not experienced the phone overheating or getting too hot, which was something that was a concern.
Ninth, I have not experienced any of the software stuttering that the Verge and others have reported. I'm wondering if some of the complaints here were on an earlier firmware.
Tenth, using the screen in the tub when the screen is wet, or with a wet finger, also works a lot better. I think Sony rolled out this improvement in the Z4/Z3+. Much appreciated.
I have not had a chance to thoroughly test the camera yet or do a side-by-side with the Z3C, but so far (especially after the 2.0 upgrade) I'm happier with the Z5Ccamera.
So overall, well done Sony!

Good to hear. Mine is coming in the mail today so it's good to hear this positive review.

The improved audio quality is something I've noticed. On calls or when connected to bluetooth headphones / headset.
I'm with you on the volume button position. Once you get acquainted with the change, it is no problem. Quite a few reviews made a big deal of this , but I have no problem adjusting volume on a call.

I have 2 of the z5c and have yet to experience even one issue regarding complaints from users and previous reviews, from battery life and buttery smooth performance to the blurring in the camera,
Everything works perfectly, and it's a fantastic phone.
I wonder if the issues were resolved with an update? I made sure to update before doing anything else once I first activated the devices .

I am coming from a Sony Xperia ZL (basically a Z1). I also had the Z1 Compact.
I've had mine for a week. Mine even came with headphones (which I saw most unboxing videos didn't)
I absolutely love my Z5C. A very beautiful phone (it's more grey than black which i love) and it feels very premium due to it's frosted glass back and weight. I have not had a single issue with it. No overheating and the camera (using 2.0) launches quickly. Picture quality is great (i use manual mode every now and then). Some videos out there show lag if moving through the menu to fast, i have not had this issue. Battery lasts an entire day (disconnect at 8AM connect at 11PM with over 50% of batt. with medium to heavy use and screen on brightest).
By far the best phone i have ever owned. I do not see myself changing anytime soon.

Thanks for this nice impression write-up.
Very clear to understand, and more and more I read about it, the more I get convinced to buy one too.(still using the first Z)
Though, what do u guys talk about with the "2.0 update"?
(Edit) never mind, just read some post beneath this thread. Looks good!

Maybe some of the issues you heard about, are "only" issues for certain people, but not the device in general?
I can agree with quite some stuff you mentioned, but for me:
2) or 9) It looks like the processing apps/devices is much slower than with my z1c. F.i. scrolling down through a page isn't as smooth, loading apps slows down my phone a lot, and some apps open way too slow. I'm still guessing this has something to do with my configuration, and I'm sure I'll figure it out one of these days.
11) The camera... I didn't read too many reviews but quite some people seem to be really happy about it. I can't figure out why. It's an ok camera to take snapshots in bright light, but apart from that it would rather make me cry. The delay between clicking to take a picture and getting the actual picture is gigantic, which make it (again: for me) impossible to take the cam serious. It's much more like a gadget-camera, it's hardly able to make sharp pictures and it's performance in low(er) light conditions isn't that well either...

What can you say about the plastic sides? I really like the metal sides of my z1c and z2, so I'm not sure if I will be satisfied with the plastic. After holding a z3c I wasn't very impressed. Unfortunately, no actual stores here carry the z5 or z5c so I can't test myself.

mmceorange said:
What can you say about the plastic sides? I really like the metal sides of my z1c and z2, so I'm not sure if I will be satisfied with the plastic. After holding a z3c I wasn't very impressed. Unfortunately, no actual stores here carry the z5 or z5c so I can't test myself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will just say that the grey one looks very premium. And trust me on this. Hold one and you won't be disappointed. The other colours look plasticky to me though

What about how they feel in the hand while using?

mmceorange said:
What about how they feel in the hand while using?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love it. Has a very sturdy feel to it. The sides feel like aluminium. The back feels amazing and smooth in the hand but can be a little slippery.

Personnally, I wait Android M before giving my opinion about battery and average perfs.
Crappy Lollipop/launch rom/etc...
Besides that, I found the phone is really great and smooth.
And I like the brightness, enough to see outside, don't kill your eyes at night on lowest setting.
Just wondering what is the real utility of the camera button ?
mmceorange said:
What about how they feel in the hand while using?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I came from Z, the feel is better because angles are rounded.

ninjy said:
Personnally, I wait Android M before giving my opinion about battery and average perfs.
Crappy Lollipop/launch rom/etc...
Besides that, I found the phone is really great and smooth.
And I like the brightness, enough to see outside, don't kill your eyes at night on lowest setting.
Just wondering what is the real utility of the camera button ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To lock focus and to take the photo after that instantly. It actually helps in a lot of cases and gives you the "camera" feel. Also, it allows you to launch the camera from within any app.

Also take pictures under water

mmceorange said:
Also take pictures under water
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How could I miss that :|

1 of the big downsides that is also not talked about is the screen pixel quality, if you look closer to lets say a white icon on a black background you can see some ugly RGB bleeding if you watch carefully youll see the red subpixels bleeding out of the white icon on the right side of it, i have no idea why this is happening on z5 compact but it got me so upset that i ended up choosing for a galaxy s6 instead, which is a shame as i really liked z1 compact and wanted to "upgrade" rather than switch to another brand and such a big screen size.

TheWarKeeper said:
1 of the big downsides that is also not talked about is the screen pixel quality, if you look closer to lets say a white icon on a black background you can see some ugly RGB bleeding if you watch carefully youll see the red subpixels bleeding out of the white icon on the right side of it, i have no idea why this is happening on z5 compact but it got me so upset that i ended up choosing for a galaxy s6 instead, which is a shame as i really liked z1 compact and wanted to "upgrade" rather than switch to another brand and such a big screen size.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well it all comes down to what you want. For me a sd card is a must so a s6 wont do it for me. And hard to finjd a high end phone is such a small size with a awesome camera.

I had a Z3c, and the Samsung S6 Active. I returned the active and have the Z5c on the way!!! I agree with the expansion slot, that was a real killer with the S6. The camera on the S6 was not as good as my Z3c and the Z5c sounds AMAZING!!! I hope the speakers are better than the Z3c, the S6 was very loud and clear. Love the camera button too, hated the S6 for not having a dedicated button. Pulling it out of my pocket and snapping pictures or giving it to a passer-by to take a picture for me without having to unlock or explain buttons is great. S6 can do it with the home key, but then you gotta tap the screen to snap the pic, not as easy IMO.
Look forward to my YELLOW Z5c in two days!!!
Yellow... hahahahahahaha!

Huli13 said:
I had a Z3c, and the Samsung S6 Active. I returned the active and have the Z5c on the way!!! I agree with the expansion slot, that was a real killer with the S6. The camera on the S6 was not as good as my Z3c and the Z5c sounds AMAZING!!! I hope the speakers are better than the Z3c, the S6 was very loud and clear. Love the camera button too, hated the S6 for not having a dedicated button. Pulling it out of my pocket and snapping pictures or giving it to a passer-by to take a picture for me without having to unlock or explain buttons is great. S6 can do it with the home key, but then you gotta tap the screen to snap the pic, not as easy IMO.
Look forward to my YELLOW Z5c in two days!!!
Yellow... hahahahahahaha!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The speakers are better than those on Z3c once you turn Clear Audio on

RiTCHiE007 said:
Well it all comes down to what you want. For me a sd card is a must so a s6 wont do it for me. And hard to finjd a high end phone is such a small size with a awesome camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, i am really happy that so many people picked up a z5 compact, i really like powerfull compact phones, hopefully Sony will make more in the future when galaxy s6 is obsolete so i can switch back, and by then they probably will wake up and make physical buttons for the compact series as its silly to waste such limited screen space for some virtual keys, all in all z5 compact is the best compact phone out there

3 days with my XZP - quick thoughts.

Not a thorough review here... just thought I'd put up some initial impressions;
1. Battery seems great so far, but I usually let these devices settle a week or so before judging. My general experience with other Sony's is that the battery performance is awesome.
2. Camera and video really look great.
3. I do have the issue with picture distortion, but it's insanely difficult to spot unless I take a picture of a box or my keyboard.
4. Videos I've taken thus far look awesome - most of my captures are on mountain bike trails, so good lighting.
5. The device size seems better for me to handle than smaller phones (came from an HTC 10), and I have small-ish hands. It seems counter intuitive, but that's my feeling thus far.
6. The one screen protector I've tried (tempered) doesn't cover the entire glass surface, so this is like every other phone out there... don't expect good looks with tempered sp's.
7. Audio sounds great so far - still playing. Speaker volume is lower than my HTC 10, which is a bit disappointing.
8. FP reader is super fast, and I love it on the side of the phone as opposed to the front. Much more natural spot IMHO.

I think you forgot the link or text...

Shnig said:
I think you forgot the link or text...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL, sorry. I hit "enter" and it posted :silly:

charlatan01 said:
Not a thorough review here... just thought I'd put up some initial impressions;
1. Battery seems great so far, but I usually let these devices settle a week or so before judging. My general experience with other Sony's is that the battery performance is awesome.
2. Camera and video really look great.
3. I do have the issue with picture distortion, but it's insanely difficult to spot unless I take a picture of a box or my keyboard.
4. Videos I've taken thus far look awesome - most of my captures are on mountain bike trails, so good lighting.
5. The device size seems better for me to handle than smaller phones (came from an HTC 10), and I have small-ish hands. It seems counter intuitive, but that's my feeling thus far.
6. The one screen protector I've tried (tempered) doesn't cover the entire glass surface, so this is like every other phone out there... don't expect good looks with tempered sp's.
7. Audio sounds great so far - still playing. Speaker volume is lower than my HTC 10, which is a bit disappointing.
8. FP reader is super fast, and I love it on the side of the phone as opposed to the front. Much more natural spot IMHO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the review. Aside from the volume and the distortion, do you have any other negative comments about the phone? Generally been a positive experience so far has it?
Even if you are generally happy with the phone I think it would still be wise to report the distortion. It's important that Sony know how widespread this issue is.

charlatan01 said:
Not a thorough review here... just thought I'd put up some initial impressions;
1. Battery seems great so far, but I usually let these devices settle a week or so before judging. My general experience with other Sony's is that the battery performance is awesome.
2. Camera and video really look great.
3. I do have the issue with picture distortion, but it's insanely difficult to spot unless I take a picture of a box or my keyboard.
4. Videos I've taken thus far look awesome - most of my captures are on mountain bike trails, so good lighting.
5. The device size seems better for me to handle than smaller phones (came from an HTC 10), and I have small-ish hands. It seems counter intuitive, but that's my feeling thus far.
6. The one screen protector I've tried (tempered) doesn't cover the entire glass surface, so this is like every other phone out there... don't expect good looks with tempered sp's.
7. Audio sounds great so far - still playing. Speaker volume is lower than my HTC 10, which is a bit disappointing.
8. FP reader is super fast, and I love it on the side of the phone as opposed to the front. Much more natural spot IMHO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with everything you stated in your brief review. Especially about the camera. I am no camera expert (seems like everyone today is a professional photographer wannabe...) I guess if you need to take photos of keyboards or grids you may see some distortion, but for regular photos mine looks great!
I too wish the speakers were capable of being just a little louder, but I guess this has to do with being waterproof. I can live with them as they are. Then again Sony may provide a patch that helps with the volume??? I too think the battery is great, but then again I am not watching movies or playing games on my phone. If I want to watch a movie I have an 80" Vizio in a theater room for that!
I do wish that Sony would unlink the ringtone from the notification volume. I know it's an Android thing but there are other phones running Nougat 7.1.1 that do have them unlinked. Other than that this phone is great!

Shnig said:
Thank you for the review. Aside from the volume and the distortion, do you have any other negative comments about the phone? Generally been a positive experience so far has it?
Even if you are generally happy with the phone I think it would still be wise to report the distortion. It's important that Sony know how widespread this issue is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Generally, I think the device is awesome, so it's been a positive experience for me. I have reported the distortion to Sony, and am going to go through their steps to resolve, which first means a factory reset through the Sony app (ugh!!
For the record, I've gone through a bunch of devices, and I do have 2 Sony's in my history. I am buy no means a fan boy. My son now has my HTC 10, and as much as I liked that phone, it doesn't hold a candle to the XZP.

charlatan01 said:
Generally, I think the device is awesome, so it's been a positive experience for me. I have reported the distortion to Sony, and am going to go through their steps to resolve, which first means a factory reset through the Sony app (ugh!!
For the record, I've gone through a bunch of devices, and I do have 2 Sony's in my history. I am buy no means a fan boy. My son now has my HTC 10, and as much as I liked that phone, it doesn't hold a candle to the XZP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can I ask in what ways you like it over the 10?
I've got the HTC 10 at the moment and have been holding out to see what the OnePlus 5 is like, but I'm really tempted by this.

What happened to double tap to wake/sleep?
Sent from my G8141 using XDA-Developers Legacy app

alexp999 said:
Can I ask in what ways you like it over the 10?
I've got the HTC 10 at the moment and have been holding out to see what the OnePlus 5 is like, but I'm really tempted by this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, let's see. These are just my feelings, no scientific method behind it.
Build quality - the Sony always has a strong feel in the hand.
Handling - the 10 feels harder to handle in one hand than the xzp
Screen - xzp looks ridiculous. 10 is no slouch.
Dual speakers on the xzp.
Wfi connections on 5ghz is waaayyy better
Water resistance - I mountain bike a lot, so my devices get wet.
Flat back, and the camera doesn't protrude.

does anyone else have a problem with slow mo camera being too dark and grainy or is that just me cannot do anything in good lighting condition at all

darkcroc said:
does anyone else have a problem with slow mo camera being too dark and grainy or is that just me cannot do anything in good lighting condition at all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have this phone, but from my understanding on how camera works i think that you need a lot of light to not be dark and grainy. The faster is your shutter speed the more light you need. That is why who operates professional slo-mo cameras uses big lights to really brighten the scene. Try to make a slo-mo outside in a bright sunny day (with direct sun light on your subject) and you should see the difference.

charlatan01 said:
Hmm, let's see. These are just my feelings, no scientific method behind it.
Build quality - the Sony always has a strong feel in the hand.
Handling - the 10 feels harder to handle in one hand than the xzp
Screen - xzp looks ridiculous. 10 is no slouch.
Dual speakers on the xzp.
Wfi connections on 5ghz is waaayyy better
Water resistance - I mountain bike a lot, so my devices get wet.
Flat back, and the camera doesn't protrude.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm surprised you find it easier to handle, that's the one thing making me reluctant is how much bigger than the HTC 10 it is. One handed must be impossible...

Nice to see a positive review. Upload some camera shots

figo_rulz11 said:
Nice to see a positive review. Upload some camera shots
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats what I thought too, but it's not as imposing as it looks. Additionally, it REALLY helps to have the FP reader on the side of the phone, It makes one handed operation easier IMHO.

24 Hours with my New XZ Premium REVIEW

***UPDATED AGAIN****
This is my first time posting a review for phone, because I am that impressed.
A little background so you have an idea of where I am coming from. I have literally purchased every flagship phone a company has had to offer since 2009 (Very expensive vice) from Blackberry 10 devices, Windows devices, iPhones to Android devices. I have an absolute love for gadgets and phones, I hold no loyalty to any company period and never will, just because you have 2-3 products that were solid from the company doesn't mean its not going to create a turd every once in awhile. Loyalty with hardware generally in my opinion garners tunnel vision for someone and the user tends to ignore the downsides or errors with a product. Samsung built Note's 1-7 and the S series, you think all of them were great? No, but big publications I notice seem to think so and its not just Samsung, its all manufacturers for phones. Your decision to buy a phone should be based not only what speaks to you personally but can do what it needs to do for you, not what is "cool" or what everyone else has. Every individual is born with their own preference on things and people should use it.
Parts I am covering, if I left something out and you want me to add it or just ask a question please feel free.
*Overall Build Quality
*Screen Quality
*OS overall functionality and speed
*Sound Quality with HD Bluetooth (LDAC) / Reception
*Camera
*Battery Life
*Summary (Praise and Gripes)
Build Quality
The second you take this phone out of the box and peel off the plastic covering it, you know you are holding top quality piece of hardware, you will find yourself looking all over it from top to bottom for a couple of minutes easy. It's edges are smooth, you don't feel any sharp points while holding the phone, it is a bit slippery (I use a case on every phone no matter what) so I would suggest a skin if you don't like cases. I don't have the brass to walk around with 800 dollars possibly slipping out of my hands and into the wind. Even the speaker grills to the USB-C port cutouts are top notch. I LOVE where they placed the fingerprint sensor, right on the side where my thumb is, this should be the location for every phone ever built in my opinion. I've been using the Blackberry Keyone for a week now and one of the big things I love about a Blackberry is the build of almost all their phones (Priv was garbage) and you will hear a lot of people just say the Keyone is a solid built brick and they are right. This guy is right there with it except glass, it has some nice heft in your hand when you hold it. I would rate the build of this phone without a doubt the 2nd best built quality wise across all platforms of phones so cheers to Sony for that.
Screen Quality
So I put this guy up against the the S8 Plus, and the iPhone 7 Plus. The reason I put the iPhone 7 Plus in here is because its only 1080p and the Sony shows 1080p until you are actually running 4k so its not always in 4k mode FYI and there is not an option to change this (Stupid!) So I was running content side by side against these 2 guys and weather its in 1080p or 4k, theres no comparison, the detail is just stupid. The blacks are amazing and the fact that this phone is an IPS display out-doing an AMOLED is crazy talk. This is the king of displays hands down no contest not even up for debate.
OS overall functionality and speed
Ok so some of you are familiar with Google's Nexus phones and the latest being the Google Pixel and know that since you are getting everything Google intended the user experience on Android to be, for the people that are new or aren't familiar with these Android devices, lets just say you should really try one out, they are bloat free and extremely fast phones. So for the last year or so, the Google Pixel was the fastest Android phone period, it really blew people away at how fast opening and closing applications to having a ton run in the background just wouldn't slow the thing down. So I have always said the there's fast, then there's Google Phone fast...... until now. I dont even know where to begin on how stupidly fast this phone is anything you do or throw at it, and you can say "well it has the Snapdragon 835 in it", yeah that's true but if phones were purely off a spec sheet, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Plus would run at the same speed, software implementation with hardware is extremely important. In no way shape or form is the Galaxy S8 or Plus even in the same solar system as this thing. You can lookup on Youtube there are posts of people running tests this guy and it's quite embarrassing how much faster this Sony is and the one thing I never see reviewers do is show how actually using all the applications while have all of those open at the same, time. This phone does....not....slow....down. Run 10-12 apps on my S8 Plus, lagasaurus rears its ugly head, micro shudders you know what I am talking about. People that claim that theirs never does that is a liar. There are only a few phones on Android that I would say are free of Lag and Micro Stutters, Google Pixel, HTC M8, talk about butter...mmmm...butter.... There could be the argument "who needs that many apps open", well believe it or not when you are busy sometimes, you don't always close everything down and really you shouldn't have to in this day in age with tech. The ease of use navigation using Sony's launcher and the Settings is so simple it doesn't need a spotlight to be hones, its clean and straight forward and you aren't digging for options unlike some out there.
Sound Quality
(Speakers)
There are 2 front facing stereo on this guy, and I do and I know a lot of people love the fact they are facing you and not facing down so when you are cupping the phone it blocks the sound. Its a huge plus for this phone, the sound quality out of the speakers are not amazing but solid, games or Youtube or speakerphone on a call is loud enough that you can hear what is going on even if your surroundings are not so quiet. Quality wise I wouldn't say its going to win awards nor would I say its going to blow you away like some of HTC's boom sound on previous phones or like the Blackberry Passport. But all in all its right where it needs to be and if you need louder speakers I suggest getting some headphones.
(Headphones)
So I own quite a few headsets ranging from Blue Headsets, Sony MDR-1000X, Sennheiser HD 800s just for example, Plugging any one of these guys and listening to all sorts of music sounds just awesome, not just good but actually awesome. I'm not going to go any further into it because this is a very very subjective category given some people are audio files and some are not, some people can actually hear certain sounds and some actually physically cannot (yes you can actually go see a doctor to see which frequencies you can actually hear).
(Reception/ Call Quality)
So this is just my experience with AT&T, I can't give claim to other carriers. The calls are clear and precise and people say they can hear me just fine, no echos. I can hear people with no issue at all same goes for putting the call on speaker as mentioned before. I have 0 complaints in this department.
Camera
Alright sorry about the long delay for the Camera review. Now I will state from the start I am not a pro photographer and nor am I skilled with manually adjusting camera's. I will keep this short and sweet because you can find a ton of pictures from this phone online in forums or YouTube for reference. I did a comparison between the S8+ the iPhone 7 Plus and the Google Pixel. I personally prefer the natural colors that come from the iPhone and the Sony and the Pixel, popping colors from the Samsung might be yours so I believe it to be personal preference. So what I was looking at purely on these phones was, how clear are the pictures and is the shutter lag bad? For a simple user, that's all you care about. I immediately ignore low light references because they are null, who the heck takes pictures in the dark? Majority people send pictures of things or family/friends during the day, if you need low light go buy a DSLR. Back to the camera. The selfie camera I can barely tell the difference between all of them, they are all clear and I would say the Pixel is a little less detailed. I can distinguish what is what as clear as day in all of the front facing cameras. The rear camera, like I mentioned before, the S8+ is the only one that has extremely high saturation, but quality overall, I cant really tell the difference they all look fantastic in my opinion and maybe on some pictures some look more sharp than others but all of them are extremely fast to take a photo and it looks great. As far as the slow motion, its not very easy to use nor can I think of many places or instances I will use it. As far as the few I have seen with camera issues, I am sorry to hear that I would get the phone replaced because the photo quality is right up there with the best and if you are getting any different that is substantially noticeable, then that means there is something wrong.
Battery Life
So this might be premature but usually with phones battery life is horrible at the start because it needs to break-in and a phones software needs to settle in. Well I for one can say since day one its like the rules of everything we know don't apply here, I would consider myself to be a heavy phone user. I watch YouTube, Funimation shows, Wifi is on all day, I really don't cut things out or turn things off on phones just to save battery because I am either too lazy, or it cuts out to much functionality. I take the phone off the charger at 630AM every morning, then at lunch I'm always at 75% or more. I plug it in and let it charge, I don't while I clear out some emails and work and by the time I pick it up again its at 100% and I don't have to plug it in until bed time which is 11PM roughly, and when I am ready at 11PM, its at 65%. I have never got this thing down below 60%. I have no complaints here for battery life.
Summary
As you noticed I haven't spoken about the bezels, and I am not going to because its irrelevant, they are there because of the speakers and Sony's choice, if it bothers or you don't like it that's fine go buy another phone. There are quite a few other phones out there that are worth your hard earned money, and the more you spend I believe you should get more. "When I spend more money I want less" said NO ONE EVER! Sony does not disappoint in this regard yet in the past, I would highly beg to differ. If you look at everything you are getting with this phone, its really hard to think of anything that they left out. HD Bluetooth Sound, LDAC, Headphone Jack, 4k Screen, Stero Speakers, Front Facing Speakers, Amazing Camera, Awesome build quality, Rapid 3.0 Charging, USB-C, Fingerprint Sensor, Notification Light I mean the list goes on the only thing its missing is Cake. My only real negative things I can say so far right now is that the US version of this phone has a disabled fingerprint sensor, I purchased the UK variant to get around this. Also I actually like the Sony launcher a lot, I always use Nova or Action Launcher 3, been toying with Evie another great launcher, you can change the Grid Size and Icons to whatever you like too. Theres no option to change the screen resolution which does bother me, I am not saying my phone needs to be in 4k all the time because of obvious reasons but at least 2k. But other than that, this phone deserves a lot more attention that it will actually get.
Hope this helps anyone looking to get a phone or just plain curious about this guy and what it has to offer. Cheers!:fingers-crossed:

*audiophile

Nice! I will get mine tomorrow !

Shnig said:
*audiophile
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Language flame as first reply. Thank you Internet, faith restored.

ukemochi said:
This is my first time posting a review for phone, because I am that impressed.
A little background so you have an idea of where I am coming from. I have literally purch...........
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Is there an option settings to change the display scaling or alternatively in developer settings to change the dpi or smallest width?
I always find Sony and Samsung to be scaled like a child's play phone.
Thanks

You can change icons size and grid settings on homescreen and app list.

Are the Volume and Camera buttons made out of metal? or are they the same as the side?

Lazaros_K said:
Are the Volume and Camera buttons made out of metal? or are they the same as the side?
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All the buttons on the phone are of the same material and it seems like a hard plastic, its not cheap feeling at all.

FartyParty said:
Nice! I will get mine tomorrow !
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You will be impressed, enjoy.

I am thinking about this phone to replace my Sony Z3 compact but $800 isn't an easy pill to take.
I am also thinking about the HTC U11. I am going to make a choice in the next few days as the screen on my Z3 compact is failing due to the seal failing. I know a dud can happen but I have had two Z3 compacts fail me so I am on the fence.

Just got mine today and boy does it feel premium
Amazing quality bloody hell!!
Also fired up the 4khdr demo video amd was blown away

sfex3best said:
Just got mine today and boy does it feel premium
Amazing quality bloody hell!!
Also fired up the 4khdr demo video amd was blown away
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Enjoy it!

4ktvs said:
I am thinking about this phone to replace my Sony Z3 compact but $800 isn't an easy pill to take.
I am also thinking about the HTC U11. I am going to make a choice in the next few days as the screen on my Z3 compact is failing due to the seal failing. I know a dud can happen but I have had two Z3 compacts fail me so I am on the fence.
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Hope this helps, I dont know where you live but if you are in the US, order from the UK from Clove Tech, you pay the EX-VAT price which is huge savings. They sell it for 540 pounds which is 697 dollars, and their variant unlocked version has the fingerprint scanner, where as if you wait for the US to get it you will pay 800 dollars and thats not including tax and you DONT get a finger print scanner.
Im sorry about your Z3 bud, I bought one for the wife quite awhile back and hers is still plugging away. Best of luck.

Great review, roll on camera pictures and review. Oh and battery life

Just to share my 2 cents.
Received mine this morning.
Pros -
Build quality is incredible, ts like a piece of jewelry or an expensive watch. Fit and finish is superb.
The colour choice "Midnight Black" is awesome
Performance is very good, smooth and snappy
Photos compared to my s7 edge are actually very very good. Better in some.
Video recording is also very very good.
On the fence -
Whilst the screen is very very good, i personally still prefer the look of amoled panels. Even with a 4k HDR beast the s8 in my opinion still has a better screen. Its a good screen, a very good screen just not the best.
The bezels are a little large and considering the speakers aren't very powerful i'm not sure what the trade off is.
Cons -
Speakers even being stereo are not particularly loud but if you have had a Sony phone in the past then you are probably used to this.
Bloat - There is a bit of bloatware pre installed, it can be disabled but not uninstalled.
Screen - If you're going to give us a 4k screen give the user the option to choose 4k resolution at all times. Its my choice to sacrifice battery life if i choose to.
A couple of bits that i'm not sure are specific to my unit, the vibration motor isn't very powerful and there is a faint click sound occasionally when it is buzzing. Nothing that would make me believe it has a fault but i can hear it.
Also my screen has missed a couple of inputs, it may be me just getting used to it.

jms.flynn said:
Just to share my 2 cents.
Received mine this morning.
Pros -
Build quality is incredible, ts like a piece of jewelry or an expensive watch. Fit and finish is superb.
The colour choice "Midnight Black" is awesome
Performance is very good, smooth and snappy
Photos compared to my s7 edge are actually very very good. Better in some.
Video recording is also very very good.
On the fence -
Whilst the screen is very very good, i personally still prefer the look of amoled panels. Even with a 4k HDR beast the s8 in my opinion still has a better screen. Its a good screen, a very good screen just not the best.
The bezels are a little large and considering the speakers aren't very powerful i'm not sure what the trade off is.
Cons -
Speakers even being stereo are not particularly loud but if you have had a Sony phone in the past then you are probably used to this.
Bloat - There is a bit of bloatware pre installed, it can be disabled but not uninstalled.
Screen - If you're going to give us a 4k screen give the user the option to choose 4k resolution at all times. Its my choice to sacrifice battery life if i choose to.
A couple of bits that i'm not sure are specific to my unit, the vibration motor isn't very powerful and there is a faint click sound occasionally when it is buzzing. Nothing that would make me believe it has a fault but i can hear it.
Also my screen has missed a couple of inputs, it may be me just getting used to it.
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I too have one in hand. I think the color is Deep Sea Black but who cares, right? :silly:
The large bezels help when you need to hold the phone in landscape mode. I too think it would be nice if the speakers were a little louder but I think it is a result of the waterproofing. If they were to boost the volume signal then they would probably distort too much and then we would complain about that. Can't win.
My vibration is a little soft also, but then again the only phone I know of with a strong vibration is the Moto X Pure. The wife has a brand new one because she smashed the screen in the one I gave her and she loves it (as do I) and the vibration on that thing will knock the fillings from your teeth. Not sure if it has to do with the amount of power being sent to the motor, or the motor itself. I just know that every phone I have ever owned except the Pure has a relatively weak vibration.
I am OK with the screen being at the default of 1080. Plenty good enough for a 5.5 in screen. I have an Amoled phone and comparing the two screens it's hard to tell which is which. The XZ Premium screen looks great in bright sunlight so no problem there. So far I love it. I do wish that Sony would unlink the ringtone volume from the notification volume. I know it can be done because I have another phone running Nougat 7.1.1 and they are not linked. What I did was use a ringtone creator app to artificially lower the volume of the sound I use for notifications (texts) and that way when the volume is on full for the ringtone the notification volume appears to be about half as loud... just the way I like it.
I would recommend this phone to anyone! :good:

figo_rulz11 said:
Great review, roll on camera pictures and review. Oh and battery life
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Thank you, and as far as the camera and battery life added into the review, I will do it at the end of the week so the battery is broken in and I have some time to really play with the camera in all aspects, I should have something up by Saturday.

jms.flynn said:
Just to share my 2 cents.
Received mine this morning.
Pros -
Build quality is incredible, ts like a piece of jewelry or an expensive watch. Fit and finish is superb.
The colour choice "Midnight Black" is awesome
Performance is very good, smooth and snappy
Photos compared to my s7 edge are actually very very good. Better in some.
Video recording is also very very good.
On the fence -
Whilst the screen is very very good, i personally still prefer the look of amoled panels. Even with a 4k HDR beast the s8 in my opinion still has a better screen. Its a good screen, a very good screen just not the best.
The bezels are a little large and considering the speakers aren't very powerful i'm not sure what the trade off is.
Cons -
Speakers even being stereo are not particularly loud but if you have had a Sony phone in the past then you are probably used to this.
Bloat - There is a bit of bloatware pre installed, it can be disabled but not uninstalled.
Screen - If you're going to give us a 4k screen give the user the option to choose 4k resolution at all times. Its my choice to sacrifice battery life if i choose to.
A couple of bits that i'm not sure are specific to my unit, the vibration motor isn't very powerful and there is a faint click sound occasionally when it is buzzing. Nothing that would make me believe it has a fault but i can hear it.
Also my screen has missed a couple of inputs, it may be me just getting used to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd would keep on eye on that click sound, you and the guy that posted just right after you mentioned that the vibration isn't that strong, but mine vibrates pretty strong and actually manages to scare the crap out of me at work because I'll have it on the desk and it goes off (co-workers will always make dirty jokes in reference to the sound) but that's something I will keep my ear open for on that click sound, so far nada.

ukemochi said:
I'd would keep on eye on that click sound, you and the guy that posted just right after you mentioned that the vibration isn't that strong, but mine vibrates pretty strong and actually manages to scare the crap out of me at work because I'll have it on the desk and it goes off (co-workers will always make dirty jokes in reference to the sound) but that's something I will keep my ear open for on that click sound, so far nada.
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Its not clicking the duration of when the vibration motor is active which makes me believe it isn't a fault. As an example if i get a call and my phone is on vibrate i don't hear it at all. Its only when i have vibrate on screen tap and use the soft keys. It's like the faintest of clicks when the vibration motor is initializing. Again nothing to make me think its faulty but i noticed it straight away.

jms.flynn said:
Is there an option settings to change the display scaling or alternatively in developer settings to change the dpi or smallest width?
I always find Sony and Samsung to be scaled like a child's play phone.
Thanks
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Click to collapse
Yeah you can change it in the developer settings best setting to ever come to android for none rooted users anyways