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Despite some objectively negative comments, and some outright TROLLING Iam a Proud and very happy owner of the Xperia Z having previously owned
Nexus 4
liked - natural sharp looking screen, the look and feel of the phone, also the the high specs and performance, and last but not least the slick and classy looking vanilla android experience.
dilsliked - rumours of fragiltiy, camera performance, BATTERY LIFE, limited storage with no sd card,
Galaxy Note 2
liked - Large Screen (most of the time,) good Specs and Performance, Camera Performance,
disliked - my love/hate relation with amoled colours and saturation, lets face it ugly looking and plastic (iam sorry Samsung,No iam not!) Last But not least, Touchwizz, so practial! but so Ugly! the last two reasons are the main reasons i sold the samsung for Xperia Z.
Xperia Z
So far- Best of Both Worlds.
Like a quote from the movie Blade! ALL OF THIER STRENGTH'S NONE OF THIER WEAKNESESS
but seriously, good battery somewhere inbetween the nexus 4 and note 2, which is what i was hoping for. Screen is good, while it hasn't got the same effect/leap 800x480 to 720p had, let me state that i like the 1080p xperia screen better than previous nexus 4 and note 2.
I can understand why some people dont want to upgrade to xperia z as thier current phones are still powerful enough, What i Dont get, is how some are saying the xperia z is outdated, when at PRESENT there is nothing more powerfull.
the camera on the z is not as mind blowing as i thought it would be, but it takes some nice looking pics and vids.
Yesterday i was out with my friends and i was taking comparison shots with one of them that has a galaxy s3, and all of my friends prefered the shots fom my xperia z,
by the way they all prefered it as a phone than my friends S3, all of them except one, who said that the s3 screen is more vibrant and alive, and no it wasnt' the owner.
The size of the Xperia Z is just right for me, as big as i'd like it to be, but small enough to use comfortably in one hand when compared to my note 2, and friends and family stopped making fun of me whenever i take it out.
Did i mention it's Beatiful, when you go to pick up your phone, and you marvel at it for a second or 2 before swithing the screen on, means the phone is very very good looking,
Plus i can finally watch porn in the bath!:highfive:
I was set on getting the white one as i prefer the look of white phones overall, when i saw it in the flesh, i realised i like black more, the white one was black on the front which i found odd looking it and it was more remenicsent of older xperias.
i dont know, which colour do you prefer?
Do you agrere or disagree with anything i said?
I like reading objective posts negative or positive. What i dont appreciate are comments like outdated technology, crappy screen etc etc.
People who say that, are either threatend by sony's phone or just jealous of it, which is the definiton of a Troll.
Thanks for a nice review
Can't wait to get my XZ next week
Sly???/
bucho2004 said:
Plus i can finally watch porn in the bath!:highfive:
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Click to collapse
bucho2004 said:
Plus i can finally watch porn in the bath!:highfive:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THIS. You earn my thanks. Let's see anyone try that with any other phone.
On a more serious note, i'm having a hard time deciding between black and white. I'd like to see them in the flesh but it seems wouldn't be able to do so for a good while - i'll have to blind-order it online. which isn't ideal because i wanted to personally test out the screen in person too.
At first i was sold on the uniform, black monolithic look. But the white.. the striking white glass back looks so pure and clean! royalty. Also there's a rumor going on that the white XZ has a better screen than the black but that's pure BS i feel. Wish i could see both colors for myself.
Also, how's the contrast/color of the screen compared to the nexus 4 - outside of the gallery/videos - in the homescreen/ browser etc.
omersak said:
THIS. You earn my thanks. Let's see anyone try that with any other phone.
On a more serious note, i'm having a hard time deciding between black and white. I'd like to see them in the flesh but it seems wouldn't be able to do so for a good while - i'll have to blind-order it online. which isn't ideal because i wanted to personally test out the screen in person too.
At first i was sold on the uniform, black monolithic look. But the white.. the striking white glass back looks so pure and clean! royalty. Also there's a rumor going on that the white XZ has a better screen than the black but that's pure BS i feel. Wish i could see both colors for myself.
Also, how's the contrast/color of the screen compared to the nexus 4 - outside of the gallery/videos - in the homescreen/ browser etc.
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Click to collapse
From what I remember about the nexus 4 screen, the Xperia z screen looks superior, the 1080p screen. Probably has something to do with it, I 've put a black screen wallpaper, and its black.
the actual Xperia menu are dark grey, which at first I thought it was black and was dissappointed, but in all honesty after knowing the grey is supposed to be grey, I quite like it now, it makes it very very utilitarian, which is what Sony Was going for with the styling of the Xperia z. Dont worry about it the screen. is great.
The only complaint I might have are viewing angles are better on note 2. However for me that is non issue, I bet viewing angles are a compromise due to Sony making it waterproof, which I can live with
Just bought the Xperia a few days ago and been playing around with it ever since. by end of the Day One, I find the overly whitish brightness increasingly annoying. and the more I compare them with the display in other phones, the more I find it unbelievable that Sony would be incapable of incorporating a better display into this phone. In fact, after having personal first-hand user experience with the phone, and making repeated visit to the Sony Centre with its full range of Xperia smartphones on display, and comparing the SP with the displays on other models, I found that Sony phones general has that whitish overexposed element which are not present in smartphones from other brands, HTC, Samsung. Heck, even a ACER and LENOVO phones has better display in term of its viewing angles and in showing white colour. Displaying black is acceptable but the moment there is any bright colour, all hell break loose with the display, with pictures and graphics looking like they have been photoshopped and tweaked to the maximum brightness. I find this totally unacceptable and I am putting the phone on garage sale forum already, which is rather unfortunate, because other than the display, I am very fond of the phone's design, material and the general simplicity of Xperia interface.
It is a complete mystery why nobody and none of the reviews make a bigger issue about gross inadequacy. it is utterly terrible. I am sure I am not the one only here who noticed this. can any members here share your views on this ?
Lol... I've had many android devices and I always prefer the whites on the Sony devices because they're the ones that actually look whiter while other devices have whites that are way too warm and ruin many pictures... Don't understand your complaint...
Adjust your white balance on the settings
watchman.see said:
Just bought the Xperia a few days ago and been playing around with it ever since. by end of the Day One, I find the overly whitish brightness increasingly annoying. and the more I compare them with the display in other phones, the more I find it unbelievable that Sony would be incapable of incorporating a better display into this phone. In fact, after having personal first-hand user experience with the phone, and making repeated visit to the Sony Centre with its full range of Xperia smartphones on display, and comparing the SP with the displays on other models, I found that Sony phones general has that whitish overexposed element which are not present in smartphones from other brands, HTC, Samsung. Heck, even a ACER and LENOVO phones has better display in term of its viewing angles and in showing white colour. Displaying black is acceptable but the moment there is any bright colour, all hell break loose with the display, with pictures and graphics looking like they have been photoshopped and tweaked to the maximum brightness. I find this totally unacceptable and I am putting the phone on garage sale forum already.
It is a complete mystery why nobody and none of the reviews make a bigger issue about gross inadequacy. it is utterly terrible. I am sure I am not the one only here who noticed this. can any members here share your views on this ?
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Click to collapse
I also compared the display with other smartphones. Its like u said. Even the HTC Desire Z, which is more then 3 years old, got a much better display.
This was my first sony smartphone and for sure, the last. Its not only the display. I noticed many more things, which should be better.
Sony failed!
ZakooZ said:
Lol... I've had many android devices and I always prefer the whites on the Sony devices because they're the ones that actually look whiter while other devices have whites that are way too warm and ruin many pictures... Don't understand your complaint...
Adjust your white balance on the settings
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Click to collapse
you have no idea what I am talking about. the white balance is already at its lowest possible setting. adjusting anymore will only change the tint effect and not the brightness. it is not just whiter. it looks OVER-EXPOSED. do you even know what an overexposed pictures taken by a camera look like ?
when a colour that is supposed to look red started to look like pink from certain angle, it is just pure, unaduterated, lame display.
In that case, get yourself an Xperia Z1 or Z Ultra..they have amazing displays with
good viewing angles thanks to the Triluminous Display and X-Reality
Sent from my C5303 using xda app-developers app
I have the same problem, not that the phone looks over exposed ..
but the screen is compared to the xperia ray of my gf rubbish....
i'm confused.
But seeing that my SP also has a bad issue of a dodgy touchscreen, and random severe input lags, my guess is that i got a "lemon" phone
again im not thrashing any SP's out there, just guessing that i got one faulty device of the bunch thats out there
The screen hasn't got the best viewing angles, I agree. I also find the gamma curve is biased towards showing a lot of definition in darker tones, which leads to the impression of reduced contrast - ie: dark tones don't look dark enough until they're near to black.
Those criticims aside I find the screen very good quality. I'm glad I don't have to live with Samsung's "technicolor" OLED screen where everything's pumped up.
Also, turn off BE2 if you want natural colurs and contrast.
watchman.see said:
Just bought the Xperia a few days ago and been playing around with it ever since. by end of the Day One, I find the overly whitish brightness increasingly annoying. and the more I compare them with the display in other phones, the more I find it unbelievable that Sony would be incapable of incorporating a better display into this phone. In fact, after having personal first-hand user experience with the phone, and making repeated visit to the Sony Centre with its full range of Xperia smartphones on display, and comparing the SP with the displays on other models, I found that Sony phones general has that whitish overexposed element which are not present in smartphones from other brands, HTC, Samsung. Heck, even a ACER and LENOVO phones has better display in term of its viewing angles and in showing white colour. Displaying black is acceptable but the moment there is any bright colour, all hell break loose with the display, with pictures and graphics looking like they have been photoshopped and tweaked to the maximum brightness. I find this totally unacceptable and I am putting the phone on garage sale forum already, which is rather unfortunate, because other than the display, I am very fond of the phone's design, material and the general simplicity of Xperia interface.
It is a complete mystery why nobody and none of the reviews make a bigger issue about gross inadequacy. it is utterly terrible. I am sure I am not the one only here who noticed this. can any members here share your views on this ?
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Click to collapse
Try Nokia 1280 bro best display of all smartphones in 2013 even better than s4
Sent from my ST25i using xda app-developers app
dara007_168 said:
Try Nokia 1280 bro best display of all smartphones in 2013 even better than s4
Sent from my ST25i using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
Capt'n Sarcasm to the Rescue
watchman.see said:
Just bought the Xperia a few days ago.... and the more I compare them with the display in other phones..... Xperia smartphones on display, and comparing the SP with the displays on other models, other brands, HTC, Samsung. Heck, even a ACER and LENOVO phones has better display in term of its viewing angles and in showing white colour.
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Click to collapse
Perhaps next time, make your comparisons before purchasing your phone.
Secondly, all this talk of viewing angles, now, forgive me for being a little simplistic here, but, as a general rule, I, and probably many others, tend to hold my phone pretty much parallel to my eyes, why anyone would want to look at their phone at any angle other than say 30 odd degrees to this is completely beyond me!???
Sent from my C5303 using Tapatalk 4
technaudio said:
Perhaps next time, make your comparisons before purchasing your phone.
Secondly, all this talk of viewing angles, now, forgive me for being a little simplistic here, but, as a general rule, I, and probably many others, tend to hold my phone pretty much parallel to my eyes, why anyone would want to look at their phone at any angle other than say 30 odd degrees to this is completely beyond me!???
Sent from my C5303 using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After reading the replies, I noticed the difference in quality is there but apparently, some people doesn't find that it is a big issue, which is a complete mystery to me. one good example is this kind of comment, which make absolutely no sense in how one justify and defending an obvious fundamental flaw. "as a general rule", people nowadays do put their phones on the tables and turn their sight to somewhere else and then glance at its side from the sight. the same goes for the tablets. maybe, you hold and look at your phone right in front of you day and night, but if you don;t know single person who doesn't do that all the time and expect to be able to see the same colour and contrast when you are viewing your phone when they are lying on the table, then the problem lies with you. seriously, even if you hold the phone directly in front of the eyes, the ****ty quality of the display is so significant, it just boggle my mind why so many people wanna defend the indefensible ? the inferiority in comparision to the display in other phones are clear and present, why would you or anyone allow a phonemaker to give you a display that has brightness that give you a completely washed-out effect, when the display on even a China no-name brand doesnt ? just because you grew up with a Sony Ericsson phone and has a soft spot for it ?
Sadman Khan said:
In that case, get yourself an Xperia Z1 or Z Ultra..they have amazing displays with
good viewing angles thanks to the Triluminous Display and X-Reality
Sent from my C5303 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that is not an option. i chose Xperia SP because of the size, which is just right for mobility and convenience sake. Xperia Z1 is too big and Z Ultra is just ridiculous. it is a mini tablet, not a phone. and since you brought this up, this is what irks me the most. these two upper-end models are the one only with a display that has the natural brightness and colour seen in phone from Samsung Galaxy, HTC etc but their screen display are consistent across the entire range from budget to upper-end. mind you, this "Triluminous Display and X-Reality" doesn't really offer anything new or fancy, it is just a fancy term of Sony to integrate something into its phone display to make them look comparable to phones from other brands, something they should have included in its range of phones to begin with. I highly suspect that Sony deliberately skim on the quality of the display for this Xperia SP in exchange of giving you a mid-ranged 4G LTE phone with Adreno 320.
Onecton said:
I have the same problem, not that the phone looks over exposed ..
but the screen is compared to the xperia ray of my gf rubbish....
i'm confused.
But seeing that my SP also has a bad issue of a dodgy touchscreen, and random severe input lags, my guess is that i got a "lemon" phone
again im not thrashing any SP's out there, just guessing that i got one faulty device of the bunch thats out there
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no one should apologise for thrashing Xperia SP. dont even get me started on the insensitive touchscreen AND the totally unbelievably weak WIFI reception. I am talking about a wifi connection that I have been using for years in my house, and is being used and detected now by other Samsung, Iphones, tablets, notebooks in the house now. nine out of ten times, the Xperia SP is unable to detect, latch on and then subsequently connect to the WIFI signal after I went outside and returned home. this has never happen to any of the devices we used in the house before, except when the device is faulty to begin with.
watchman.see said:
that is not an option. i chose Xperia SP because of the size, which is just right for mobility and convenience sake. Xperia Z1 is too big and Z Ultra is just ridiculous. it is a mini tablet, not a phone. and since you brought this up, this is what irks me the most. these two upper-end models are the one only with a display that has the natural brightness and colour seen in phone from Samsung Galaxy, HTC etc but their screen display are consistent across the entire range from budget to upper-end. mind you, this "Triluminous Display and X-Reality" doesn't really offer anything new or fancy, it is just a fancy term of Sony to integrate something into its phone display to make them look comparable to phones from other brands, something they should have included in its range of phones to begin with. I highly suspect that Sony deliberately skim on the quality of the display for this Xperia SP in exchange of giving you a mid-ranged 4G LTE phone with Adreno 320.
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Click to collapse
All i meant to say was that, if you stick to Sony, then right now only these two offer the good displays with good viewing angles..besides the honami mini will also be released and that just might be the perfect phone for you. SP has great hardware and software and really at this price range, a phone cannot get any better . It's a high end phone with mid range price. I personally prefer phones with viewing angles like SP because it's more private. Or else people can read anything or see anything from anywhere -_- again, that's just my opinion. My idea is to switch to a Z1 mini when it comes out. The quality of the display is something i need, and viewing angles is just a plus point to me. I really don't care much if the viewing angles are good or bad as i do always use my phone at parallel eye level
And trust me, i know the difference in display as i myself come from an Htc One X which has awesome viewing angles but sadly this phone has far better battery, speed and gaming performance than One X
Sent from my C5303 using xda app-developers app
watchman.see said:
After reading the replies, I noticed the difference in quality is there but apparently, some people doesn't find that it is a big issue, which is a complete mystery to me. one good example is this kind of comment, which make absolutely no sense in how one justify and defending an obvious fundamental flaw. "as a general rule", people nowadays do put their phones on the tables and turn their sight to somewhere else and then glance at its side from the sight. the same goes for the tablets. maybe, you hold and look at your phone right in front of you day and night, but if you don;t know single person who doesn't do that all the time and expect to be able to see the same colour and contrast when you are viewing your phone when they are lying on the table, then the problem lies with you. seriously, even if you hold the phone directly in front of the eyes, the ****ty quality of the display is so significant, it just boggle my mind why so many people wanna defend the indefensible ? the inferiority in comparision to the display in other phones are clear and present, why would you or anyone allow a phonemaker to give you a display that has brightness that give you a completely washed-out effect, when the display on even a China no-name brand doesnt ? just because you grew up with a Sony Ericsson phone and has a soft spot for it ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the display is fine myself. Samsung displays, in. My opinion, are bloody awful, yes, you might be able to see it from pretty much perpendicular to your eyes, but the dreadfully oversaturated colours are terrible. Add to that the phone isn't that good looking (again, my opinion) and the people I know that have got one have both complained about poor build quality (chrome bezel peeling off) and rubbish battery life, and Samsung STILL insist on putting the back and multitask button s the wrong way round!
Sent from my SGP321 using Tapatalk 4
Sadman Khan said:
All i meant to say was that, if you stick to Sony, then right now only these two offer the good displays with good viewing angles..besides the honami mini will also be released and that just might be the perfect phone for you. SP has great hardware and software and really at this price range, a phone cannot get any better . It's a high end phone with mid range price. I personally prefer phones with viewing angles like SP because it's more private. Or else people can read anything or see anything from anywhere -_- again, that's just my opinion. My idea is to switch to a Z1 mini when it comes out. The quality of the display is something i need, and viewing angles is just a plus point to me. I really don't care much if the viewing angles are good or bad as i do always use my phone at parallel eye level
And trust me, i know the difference in display as i myself come from an Htc One X which has awesome viewing angles but sadly this phone has far better battery, speed and gaming performance than One X
Sent from my C5303 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
incidentally, I happen to remember looking closely at the Xperia Z in the Sony Centre and still remember its display screen as having a certain whitish element not present in other phone. and its comparatively inferior constrast ratio is more or less corroborated by some reviews, including this one http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_z-review-887.php
Main disadvantage
Low contrast display with below-par viewing angles
Non user-replaceable battery
13MP camera hardly any better than some competitors' 8MP units
Feeble loudspeaker
More disturbingly, the display has rather poor contrast for a flagship unit and not really inspiring colors. As testified by the measurements in our dedicated test it comes nowhere near the standard of its main competitors and it even fared worse than its predecessor.
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I guess I will stay away from Sony Xperia phones until they completely overhauled its display technology. It is a pity, as I generally prefer the the simple elegance of Sony Xperia's phone design.
watchman.see said:
]
I guess I will stay away from Sony Xperia phones until they completely overhauled its display technology. It is a pity, as I generally prefer the the simple elegance of Sony Xperia's phone design.
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Click to collapse
Welcome to the new age. Welcome to Xperia Z1.
Sent from my LT28h using xda app-developers app
lee480 said:
Welcome to the new age. Welcome to Xperia Z1.
Sent from my LT28h using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
I will accept it once I have seen it. as far as I am concerned, it is the dark ages if Sony only use its upgraded display tech on its high-end phones and skim on them on its mid to low-range phones. if Samsung and HTC can do it with across its range of phones, there is absolutely no reason for Sony to be unable to do it.
watchman.see said:
I will accept it once I have seen it. as far as I am concerned, it is the dark ages if Sony only use its upgraded display tech on its high-end phones and skim on them on its mid to low-range phones. if Samsung and HTC can do it with across its range of phones, there is absolutely no reason for Sony to be unable to do it.
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Click to collapse
I don't have any problem with my phone. .245 update solved the random touch bug and wifi for me, and I think the screen is pretty good, although kind of reflective.
You might want to have your phone checked. My display is made by JDC.
I have Samsung phones, so I know what amoled looks like. LCD displays are sharper, but amoleds have better contrast.
Sent from my Xperia SP using xda premium
Before SP I had Xperia J (changed it because it was too slow for me) and the display of the J (lower resolution thou) have better black contrast and it is better looking.
The XSP display have really washed out colors like the Nexus 7 (2012) have and on the SP I think they are even worse.
I have made this test: made a screenshot of my phone desktop and then saw the picture in the album - when the Bravia ENGINE optimized the picture - it looked far better.
Is there a way to make Bravia ENGINE work all the time in real time ?
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
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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,......
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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''
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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
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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
I don't bother doing reviews normally, but have now just posted this over on the Carphone Warehouse product page since they hassled me via email to do one (may not show up for a couple of days though).
Anyway, thought I'd cross-post it here in case anyone finds it interesting. Cheers.
For a couple of years now, since the big Android manufacturers decided we all wanted big 4.7+ inch slabs as premium phones, the "minority" of us who were calling out for a high-end device that can be operated one-handed were ignored. Until now...
Sony say with the Z1 Compact they have "invented our own market segment", but really it is re-inventing the market segment that existed 24 months ago. Either way, somebody finally listened and we now have a device that is a good size to hold in addition to being around the fastest and most capable on the market.
In short, Sony took the larger Z1 and shrunk it down to a 4.3" screen, reducing only the screen resolution (to 720p, which is higher PPI than the human eye can discern) and the battery capacity (but not the battery life, as the smaller screen draws less power). You can easily get a day and a half out of this device even with 4 or so hours screen on time. As a bonus, they also upgraded the screen to a lovely IPS display with better viewing angles than the Z1.
This phone feels very premium in the hand and in operation, and being my first Sony device I am stunned by its elegance every time I pick the thing up. Having used it in the rain a few times this week already I'm also wondering what I ever did without a waterproof phone before! Why do all manufacturers not do this? It would save a lot of phones that seem to get dropped in toilets (seriously, how do people manage this?!), and also the futile wastage of rice afterwards.
Software-wise, it comes with Android 4.3 but 4.4 should be out for it in a month or so. I would say Sony are probably among the best for not annoying you with over-the-top customisation of Android or bloatware so I don't immediately feel the need to root it and start tinkering. This is a very good thing. They do use their own apps for phone, SMS, etc etc of course but they all tend to do their job nicely without getting in your way.
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Now that I've done the glowing sale pitch - and I do mean every word of it as it is a fantastic phone - I do need to point out some flaws that are quite frankly unforgivable in my opinion:
(*) Poor software backing up the magnificent camera. The "Superior Auto" mode is very ironically named as it completely ruins especially low-light photos by cranking the ISO up far too high and then trying to correct the noise in a very ham-fisted way. The solution until Sony (hopefully) fix it in an update is to use Manual mode instead.
(*) Flash bleeding into the camera. While this doesn't happen for me so much, others have noticed the flash reflecting in the back cover it is supposed to shine through and hitting the edge of the camera lens, making some dark pictures have a coloured fog effect. It is less marked in Manual mode again.
(*) Why, oh why Sony, do you still insist on putting a scratch-prone "anti-shatter film" over the top of perfectly good scratch resistant glass?!? Customers have been complaining about this since at least the Xperia Z but they are being very pig-headed about it. I have no idea why they decide they need to be the only manufacturer to put it on top of the glass instead of the underside of it like everybody else does. It can be removed but then you risk the screen warranty if you do so. Still, I will probably remove the ASF from mine at some point as glass feels more premium to me and I HATE scratches.
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But don't let the negative points I have made dissuade you from this phone as they absolutely do not outweigh the positives by a long shot. I would give 5-stars to all categories except reliability due to the camera and scratch-prone ASF.
This is a magnificent technological achievement Sony have pulled off meaning I have a device that I am very proud to own and show off to big slab owners and iPhone users alike!
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Nice review
Sent from a mobile Gadget...
Great review mate
Plus 1 from me on all that was said.
ASF?
Great review man!
But since you hate scratches, much like I do, could you take a closer look at the back panel? There's no ASF, at least on my Z1c. And there's a potentially huge scandal evolving in forums about back panel being actually made of polycarbonate, not glass. Sony claims glass on both panels, but people say back panel gets scratched just by looking at it hard enough
I have my phone for 2 days and already got 2 deep scratches on the back. I haven't been able to scratch my iPhone 4s so badly in 2 years of use...
Well, if true then that would be another negative point definitely. Especially since they seem to have gone out of their way to hide it and appear happy for everyone to assume glass on the back.
Sent from my Xperia Z1 PerfectSize, I mean "Compact"
withoutwings said:
Well, if true then that would be another negative point definitely. Especially since they seem to have gone out of their way to hide it and appear happy for everyone to assume glass on the back.
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There is no "if" any more, the original whitepaper has been amended in the meantime - albeit without changing the version number.
original Sony whitepaper said:
Both the front and back are made of durable tempered glass
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revised Sony whitepaper said:
The front side of the phone is made of durable tempered glass
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I don't know how long the original version will remain on Sony's servers so I downloaded a copy just in case - looks as if someone tries to erase all traces of what I would call a false adverstising campaign....
yea i really hope they fix the camera software up a bit. for some reason some of my photos are coming out yellow-ish. this only happens inside when the lights are on. it can be fixed by editing the photo in pixlr express by dragging the hue bar to the left a bit, but its a bit of effort to be doing that for multiple photos. the photos seem very noisy/grainy as well.
i really wasnt expecting any of this since all the reviews about the camera were saying its the best on android atm. although plenty of sites mentioned it didnt do that well in low light, but some photos are coming out noisy even in shots that i would consider low light. seems to me that almost anything inside is out of the question.
anyway, its a really great phone apart from that. i probably shouldnt have checked the camera first because it put me off a bit!
EDIT: another thing that is frustrating me but probably isnt a problem for everybody is sony's naming convention for photos. instead of having a counter (or just adding the date and time like every other phone) it looks up the number of the last photo taken, dsc_005 for example, and then calls the next photo dsc_006. i would be ok with that but i have foldersync set up to move any photo that is taken or edited to the DCIM folder (so photos from snapseed, pixlr, different camera apps etc all end up in one single folder) but this set up doesnt work with sony's photos since the folder it saves to will empty each time. it keeps naming the photo dsc_001 and then foldersync keeps overwriting the same photo.
people have been asking them to change this for years now but it seems they want to be different. its just strange coming from a camera company like sony?
aaanyway, apart from those 3 things. great phone lol
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.
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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?
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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?
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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 ?
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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
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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