Database Users

Phone impression : display, hard buttons, speaker etc.

Hello!
I recently switched my HTC Desire for a HTC Desire HD, because I got bored of the purple`ish AMOLED and the used battery...
Now, I find myself in deeper ****, or perhaps it's just the "trial" period I need to go through to fully accomodate with my DHD.
The screen... I didn't trust specification lists, so I went on with the assumption that it's got a S-LCD, just like the other HTC's. But no, the kick-ass DHD got an LCD. I find it very... well, the colours are so musty (sorry if this isn't the right word, just Google Translating around, trying to find the proper word). You get my point, I hope. Comparing my DHD to my girlfriend's Desire S, mine kicks ass, and, at the same time, sucks badly. How do you feel about this? Does it ever irritate your eyes/brain so much to the point that you want to throw it to the wall? I've got a hard case, I could throw it
The speaker...
I was stuck on stock GB w/ Sense until I finally decided to S-OFF, root and all that (3 days, that is). The speaker SUCKED. Not only the quality sucks (say, when you play a dubstep or something like that, the noise really gets... NOISY), but the loudness... it's just lacking! The Desire was kicking everybody's ass when it came to speaker. With that, when the phone rang, the entire subway station could hear it. Now, with the DHD, not even I hear it...
Now, I found LordMod kernels, with +20% volume on speaker. It still sucks.
The camera...
I don't know what's wrong here : me, the camera, or the screen. Doesn't look like 8 megapixels. The Desire S's 5MP camera looks so much better :/ what the hell?!
And now... the last thing... THE BUTTONS!
No, not the touch ones - they work flawlessly, no argue about that. I'm talking about the volume rocker and, more importantly, the power button.
The power button seems to be... well, stuck in. It's not like it is supposed to be. It is somewhat tilted inward the phone, making it not-so-easy to press (compared to the Desire, Desire S, Desire Z, Sensaton).
And the volume buttons... you don't even realise when you just turned the volume up to the maximum, cause it just happened in less than 1 second!
Above all, I have a MOMAX (iCase Pro) hard case, so the access to the power button is even harder, and the access to volume buttons is... well, excessive. I would press the volume buttons by mistake.
My old Desire had the worse volume rocker (had to attempt multiple times in order to actually increase/decrease the volume), but the power button.. IT WAS ORGASMIC!
So, how do you, other DHD owners, feel about all these? The display, the speaker, the hard buttons, the camera...

You're alone on the camera, try camera360 or vignette, might give you better results.

From what I believe is you have used your Desire for a long time and it will take some time for you to get used to this phone.
Yes the screen is not AMOLED but its not bad either, I love the size of screen it has and find resolution absolutely fine.
Speakers I agree I too dislike them but I find them audible when on max even in crowded and always use decent headphones for music and videos in any case.
I don't know why you feel that way for camera, maybe check the settings first and then try the other camera apps as mentioned. I have personally no problems with camera and images are sharp and focussed.
As for the power button, even mine is bit sunken but it took only about a week for me to get used to it and how to unlock and i can now even do it in my sleep without any problem. Volume keys though are something I loathe, they are too fragile and prone to failure and I use it to the minimum by using widgets for changing volume.

It's been almost 3 weeks since I got this, and now, I love it.
Even though the display isn't S-LCD, but LCD, it still rocks (just with its size). My girlfriend's Desire S seems so freaking small now, but the colours, I agree, are sharper than on the DHD, but on the other hand, everything is so small... and dark... x)
I've got a new battery now (it seems that the first one was faulty, barely holding ~50% charge). Things seem to go pretty well so far, and I haven't even calibrated the OS just yet.
On the other hand, right now, the only things that make me wanna say "F*CK YOU, HTC" are the camera, which would be outperformed by a Galaxy S and the speaker, which, too, would EASILY be outperformed by a Galaxy S.
Other than that, everything is working perfectly. I can never fear being left aside from a future OS update, since the RAM and CPU (OC`ed, of course) are MORE than enough. I like it because the screen is very responsive, and so are the capacitive buttons, as well! They are so well placed, unlike on the Desire S and Z, for example.
Only if it had a S-LCD screen...

Well, about the camera. I think the camera is ok in day light but as soon as it gets a little dark it totally sucks.

monki79 said:
Well, about the camera. I think the camera is ok in day light but as soon as it gets a little dark it totally sucks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The camera is at least head-turning. People get stunned for a second when they hear it's got a 8MP module. What they don't know is that it's worse than the Galaxy S's 5MP module, or even the iPhone 4's 5MP module.
A classmate of mine has the iPhone 4S. It really is an amazing camera...
I don't get why HTC puts so crappy cameras inside their phones. I mean, why focus on the senzor, when they should work on the lens -.-
Anyway, I'm not using my camera TOO MUCH, but when I do, I wish I had more light with me...

That's sadly true
Even iPhone 4 has a better camera quality, especially in night time. I don't understand, DHD is a younger and stronger smartphone then iPhone 4, still has a worse camera.
Formhault said:
The camera is at least head-turning. People get stunned for a second when they hear it's got a 8MP module. What they don't know is that it's worse than the Galaxy S's 5MP module, or even the iPhone 4's 5MP module.
A classmate of mine has the iPhone 4S. It really is an amazing camera...
I don't get why HTC puts so crappy cameras inside their phones. I mean, why focus on the senzor, when they should work on the lens -.-
Anyway, I'm not using my camera TOO MUCH, but when I do, I wish I had more light with me...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

ok so i went through two desires before switching to desire HD, which i had now for well over a year and half without feeling outdated yet
the first desire was amoled, i hated its guts, the depressing screen color tone and pentile pixel grid made me hate every bit of it, i then switched to SLCD desire which i found amazing almost matching the iphone 4 especially in view angles
when i upgraded to the DHD i found the screen a little disappointing yes its not really SLCD moderate view angles and lesser blacks, however u get used to it and u start liking eventually, also the screen has a cleaner pixels output then the sharp slcd in desire, also starting with GB the colors has imporved a lot
as for the touch buttons and multi touch, i love them a lot better then the desire and its real multi touch here, i cant stand hard buttons anymore, power buttons and volume u find them weird at first but then u start to love the flushed nature of them and the matte metal quality
The camera is a lot better then the iphone 4 in many ways u just need to learn how to use the HTC camera app, check my guide in my signature
and finally build quality! its freaking amazing the DHD is a tank, it has survived so many deadly falls with pixel sized scartches at most on the metal paint, zero damage or scartches to screen/camera, which reminds me the screen is gorilla glass and the plastics despite feeling a little weak they are not they are actually scratch resistant, my DHD has hugged rough asphalt and stones few times, still feels new from box!
check the links in my sig for camera and performance, my DHD with the stock sensation XL ER3bUS sense 3.5 ROM plus ultra smooth roise plus super charger, faster then the Sensation with official ICS firmware, locked 60 fps smooth, it has roughly the same specifications as the Sensation XL so ROMs based on XL firmware runs perfectly
i find this phone better then the newer Sensation in many ways, im still waiting for something to beat it from HTC

Youre definitely alone there
I think the screen is great and I came from an IPhone also the camera is better than my gfs 14.4 MP camera. I do agree the hard buttons aren't the best but I love this phone, I'm upgrading to the galaxy nexus next week but keep this phone for messing around with. its great!

Maate.. the cameras quality.. the iphones camera is cack in comparison, agreed on screen it is diff when u come from desire...
But serious.. dhd wipes the floor with the majority.
Plus sensation is a girls phone so its still winning lol
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA Premium App

As stated, on a nice sunny day camera is awesome, but in a room it just plain suck, but I don't have a DHD cause of camera so that's fine
As for the hardware buttons, actually I find them pretty nice, I love the fact that they're not sticking out, especially the power, since I like tossing the phone in the car and plugging in a headphones cable, so it would end up getting started otherwise. All in all maybe not the best screen, but I love the size and durability.

Yeah amoled vs LCD is a never ending discussion I'm totally used to LCD screens so when i see a galaxy S2 i always feel like somethings wrong with the screen. It looks so unnatural and some colors like the old android market's green are just so ugly for my eyes. I really love the DesireHD screen. I even had some iphone4 users telling me that they love it and thats gotta mean something right?
I guess its all about what you're used to.
All in all i'm still very happy with my over a year old DHD. It has some amazing custom roms that make it totally smooth and give it some pretty good battery life. It runs all the apps including games and emulators perfectly and never feels outdated.
Camera is certainly ok. Not perfect, not bad. It does its job though. I'm not a camera guy so i guess i really dont care all that much about that part of the phone.
And yeah its sturdy as hell. I took mine on several vacations. At the beach, mountain climbing, city trips. It still has no scratch at all. Looks like new.
The power button is a bugger though. Solved it by applying some sticky foam on it.
I'm gonna use it happily another year until my contract runs out and i get a cheap update. Looking forward to see what HTC has in store for us next year. And i hear some rumors on Galaxy S3 as well. I really hope there will be some strong 4.3" phones though. I dont think i want anything bigger.

I agree the camera is nice on the DHD its got more enhancement than the Iphone, in my opinion, its never failed me. Why do people think its lacking?

From iPhone 6S to Nexus 5X. My Thoughts.

Prior to getting the 6S, I was a pretty diehard Android/Nexus user. I got the 6S because I wanted to change things up a bit and really liked the build quality of the new iPhones. However, of all the phones I went through, the Nexus 5 was my absolute favorite. It was a simple, solid, reliable phone. It just had a few draw backs. The camera was pretty terrible, the battery life was sub-par and the screen size was just a bit too small.
Luckily, Google solved all these problems with the release of the 5X. So I placed my order last week and the phone arrived on Tuesday. I've had a few days to compare it directly with my iPhone 6S, so I figured I'd provide some thoughts.
Size
I've read reviews that say the 5X is a weird size that doesn't feel right in the hand. I have to disagree with that. The size is rather perfect, if you ask me. The iPhone 6S is just a tad small and almost feels "too small" in the hand. Meanwhile, the 6S+ is way too big, like the Nexus 6 was. With all that in mind, I find the 5X to be the sweet spot in size.
Build Quality
Anyone who has a recent Macbook Pro or Macbook knows how well Apple builds their products. The 6S falls right in line with that expectation. The build quality is exceptional and tough to beat. Compared to that, you'd think the 5X's plastic build would feel cheap. However, like the Nexus 5, Google found a way to make their plastic phone feel like a very solid higher-tier phone. I like the 6S and 5X builds equally, in different ways. Some people mentioned that the 5X felt "light". However, when I hold them each in different hands, the weight difference between the 6S and the 5X is negligible at best.
Screen
The iPhone 6S screen is the clear winner, stock for stock. Out of the box, the 5X screen looks like s*** in comparison, there is just no denying that. The color temperature and color depth is terrible on the 5X. Side by side the Nexus 5X screen is just too warm and washed out. However, as Nexus owners should know, some simple RGB color tweaks with a custom kernel is all that is necessary to remedy that. So the fix for this will be available in short time.
EDIT
The more I use the 5X, the more I'm starting to agree with other commenters that the screen color is actually quite good. I previously preferred screen color temperatures closer to 7000 (like the iPhone). But after using the 5X for about a week, I've gotten used to the much more natural color tones on the screen. So much so that I actually just recalibrated my Macbook Pro's screen temperature to be closer to 6500, which better matches the 5X screen.
I'm finding that the lower, softer, color temperature is much easier on the eyes., especially in low light.
Finger Print Reader
The finger print reader on the 6S is very good. I find it to be accurate and fast. With that in mind, I had relatively low hopes for the one on the 5X. However, I am happy to say that I am VERY pleasantly surprised by how accurate/fast the 5X finger print reader is. It's as fast/accurate/consistent as the one on the 6S is and I'd actually argue that the finger print reader on the 5X is a tad bit snappier.
Camera
Anyone who follows camera comparison reviews knows that the camera on the 6S gets great results when compared to all the top dogs in camera performance. And most know that Nexus phones have never been known for having a quality camera. However, things have finally changed with the 5X. When I take sample pictures with both phones, for comparison sake, the 6S and 5X tend to produce the same high quality photos. However, in low light, the 5X still falls short to the 6S. But even the low light pictures from the 6S are nothing to write home about.
Phone Speaker
I work from home and have conference calls just about every day. So I utilize the the phone's speaker a lot. And I'll say that the voices through the speaker definitely sound more clear on the 5X than they do on the 6S. With the 6S I have to turn the volume to the max to hear people and even then, it's sometimes hard to hear them. With the 5X I keep it at about 50% volume and everyone sounds crisp and clear.
Overall, I am very happy with the 5X and, aside from the bad screen coloring on the 5X, I can't think of anything that I miss about the 6S. Google did a great job with this phone and I anticipate that I have finally found the phone that I will keep for at least the next 12 months, rather than changing it up seemingly every 3-4 months.

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Great review. Thanks for your effort.
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---------- Post added at 11:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:53 AM ----------
What about sound with headphones? I imagine I'll use V4A but the low volume I read about is a bit of a bugger. Battery and lag I think either custom or stock updates will take care of.
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dondavis007 said:
Great review. Thanks for your effort.
What about sound with headphones? I imagine I'll use V4A but the low volume I read about is a bit of a bugger. Battery and lag I think either custom or stock updates will take care of.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hadn't tested that yet. However, I just used the in ear headphones that came with the iPhone and tested them with the same song on both the 5X and 6S back to back. I'm not sure how people are claiming it has low volume. With both phones set at 50% volume, the 5X is louder than the 6S. And at 80% volume the music is way to loud on the 5X.
I know there was a thread discussing the low audio volume and people were mentioning they were also having trouble getting the headphones all the way into the phone. I imagine many of those complaining about the audio volume simply hadn't pushed the headphones in all the way. The first time you push them in you really have to give them some effort until they "pop" fully into place. I had to do this with my 6S as well. Once you push it in all the way the first time, it's much easier after that.

In your last paragraph, by phone speaker you mean the speaker at the bottom? or the earpiece that you call with

This is a great thread, it shows you just how much $379 will get you compared to the $650 for the iPhone
It is almost the same device in an android atmosphere.
XPERIA Z5 GREEN

P.Fan said:
In your last paragraph, by phone speaker you mean the speaker at the bottom? or the earpiece that you call with
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I apologize for the confusion. I was referring to the phone speaker at the bottom, used to play music externally, or in my case, project voices during a conference call.
Jooosty said:
This is a great thread, it shows you just how much $379 will get you compared to the $650 for the iPhone
It is almost the same device in an android atmosphere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, the 6S may cost more but as far as daily use, I can't think of any big areas that the 5X is lacking. The one thing the 6S has that I wish the 5X had, is force touch capabilities. Force touching apps to get to their quick shortcuts is actually extremely intuitive and made for a great user experience. I do miss that. However, double tapping the power button on the 5X to instantly open the camera is an excellent feature that may just trump that force touch feature.

Android has force touch capability and it works on my Nexus 5 and my Nexus 5x - there's a demo app called Force Touch which shows the pressure being exerted on the screen when you touch it. It's just not got any practical uses yet. IMO opinion Apple needed it because the long touch on the iOS home screen just makes the icons wobble and allows them to be moved around. It's marketing gumph that Apple does so well - creating the illusion that its products are somehow better than the competition even though the facts suggest otherwise.

My wife has an iphone 6 and yesterday when we played the same song from the same source, at highest volume in the car via aux cable, Her phone sounded much louder than my 5x. I just hope it is something that will "open" or it was just something that happened the first time. But the sound was noticeably lower as well as call speaker volume.

Unfortunately that's the verdict coming from most reviewers. The audio from the head phone jack isn't that great. IPhone had always had great sound quality though.
XPERIA Z5 GREEN

Yeah, I don't really understand most of the criticism the nexus 5X is receiving. Most seem really nitpicky. Almost like the larger bezels and 2gb of RAM has colored many people's impressions of the rest of the phone. So much was expected of this phone that it kind of broke some hearts and stung em up, so now trash talking. It doesn't help that there is a 6P, that allows you to still get a nexus and trash talk a nexus.
Sent from my Nexus 5X using XDA Free mobile app

As far as the screen is concerned, this blows the 6S out of the water from where I stand. My 5X has great color reproduction and the MUCH better pixel density make it a clear winner.

You know, the more I use the 5X, the more I'm starting to agree that the screen color is actually quite good. I previously preferred screen color temperatures closer to 7000 (like the iPhone). But after using the 5X for about a week, I've gotten used to the much more natural color tones on the screen. So much so that I actually just recalibrated my Macbook Pro's screen temperature to be closer to 6500, which better matches the 5X screen.
I'm finding that the lower, softer, color temperature is much easier on the eyes., especially in low light.

I also think that the screen on the 5X is pretty good. Sure, it a'int the best screen I've ever seen but it a'int the worst either.
There have been quite a few people who got defective "yellow tint" screens and google has been replacing those units. I wonder if the OP's device might be an affected unit?

myphone12345 said:
I also think that the screen on the 5X is pretty good. Sure, it a'int the best screen I've ever seen but it a'int the worst either.
There have been quite a few people who got defective "yellow tint" screens and google has been replacing those units. I wonder if the OP's device might be an affected unit?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think it is. After looking at pictures of the affected units, mine is nowhere near as yellow. It's just a tad warmer than I'm used to but I've actually gotten used to it and when I change my laptop's screen settings down to a temperature of 6500 it matches the 5X screen almost perfectly. If my screen was abnormally yellow, I'd see it when comparing it to my laptop. I think my screen is fine.

I by far prefer the warmer yellows to the otherwise sickly greens.

warmer screens (redish) should help those that find phone screens keep them awake at night.. The theory beeing the White/Cold light from the screen activate a Wake hormone.

sn0warmy said:
I hadn't tested that yet. However, I just used the in ear headphones that came with the iPhone and tested them with the same song on both the 5X and 6S back to back. I'm not sure how people are claiming it has low volume. With both phones set at 50% volume, the 5X is louder than the 6S. And at 80% volume the music is way to loud on the 5X.
I know there was a thread discussing the low audio volume and people were mentioning they were also having trouble getting the headphones all the way into the phone. I imagine many of those complaining about the audio volume simply hadn't pushed the headphones in all the way. The first time you push them in you really have to give them some effort until they "pop" fully into place. I had to do this with my 6S as well. Once you push it in all the way the first time, it's much easier after that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have the iPhone 6S to compare with but in my experience with the Nexus 5X the audio level using headphones seems to be somewhere in the middle of what you are getting(too loud at 80%) and what others seem to be getting(not loud enough even at 100%). For me even 100% isn't TOO loud but more than loud enough for most situations. If I was on a loud subway train or something then 100% might not be loud enough but it would have to be pretty loud around me.
Have you compared battery life between the iPhone 6S and Nexus 5X? I've always heard that iPhones had decent battery life so I can't imagine the iPhone 6S having worse battery life than the disappointing(but usually acceptable) battery life of the Nexus 5X.
Also, if the screen on the Nexus 5X was really that "warm" looking you might have gotten a bad one. I've heard that some people are getting with with a yellowish tint. Mine is fine.

Battery life on the iPhone was actually not that great. However, I was also using it right when the Facebook app was experiencing a battery drain bug that was affecting IOS devices.
I'm also a light user in general so my phones tend to last me about 2 days.

Endoran said:
Yeah, I don't really understand most of the criticism the nexus 5X is receiving. Most seem really nitpicky. Almost like the larger bezels and 2gb of RAM has colored many people's impressions of the rest of the phone. So much was expected of this phone that it kind of broke some hearts and stung em up, so now trash talking. It doesn't help that there is a 6P, that allows you to still get a nexus and trash talk a nexus.
Sent from my Nexus 5X using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only thing making me hold off on the 5x and lean towards the 6p are the 128gb storage, 3gb RAM and the bigger battery. The metal build would be nicer, but the 5x is a better size imo. The stereo speakers would be nice, but I almost always use headphones or Bluetooth. Everything else looks great with the 5x. I just don't know if it would feel like an upgrade from my n5. I even prefer the color "wash out"
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

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?
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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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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...........
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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 !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
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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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Yeah you can change it in the developer settings best setting to ever come to android for none rooted users anyways