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I'm a satisfied owner of the Xperia Z for the last 2 months. Its an excellent device! IMO its the best Android smartphone at the moment that has managed to incorporate a good balance between design, performance and software in an excellent package. I won't go into the details about the Z as I'm sure owners of the device already know it well.
Yesterday I was lucky enough to get my hands on the new Samsung S4 (LTE version). My wife was due for a free upgrade but she didn't want it (as she loves her Note 2 too much!) so I jumped at the chance! After getting home last night I put the S4 on charge and managed to get half of my setup done. Anyway, I'm going to be comparing real life use on both devices for around 2 weeks before deciding which device works better for me and that would be the one I will keep (right now my choice is still the Z :victory.
Here are my initial thoughts after a little feel and play with the S4:
Design & Feel:
Essentially, this is an S3 upgrade, period! I know hardcore fans of Samsung will disagree. Sorry, but its much like the iPhone 4 to iPhone 5 story, its NOT a revolution but an evolution. Samsung touts a premium finish, again sorry but these words do not apply to the S4. Its still plastic but this time round the finish on the plastic, like a high gloss piano finish, is much better than all of the other Samsung devices I've seen. The metallic like rim is plastic with a brushed metal finish. One would not mistake it for metal, it definitely looks plastic. On the 4 corners of the metallic rim are lines which makes it look as if it was 4 pieces joined together but actually I am assuming its due to injection moulding process used to make the part. This is present on the Z also but Sony has done a much better job as its much cleaner and barely noticeable. The addition of the checkered pattern does gives the appearance quite a nice look, though not exactly a premium one. The front of the S4 looks OK, its basically a Samsung look, nothing special but acceptable for me with the exception of the ugly earpiece grill which has never appealed to me. The back is where I have always felt Samsung has failed and need to improve in the design department. The camera design is big, ugly and always protrude, meaning it will be more susceptible to damage and scratches. A slightly recessed and smaller camera design would have made it safer for the camera and improved the looks. A good looking case would be a solution but I prefer to use my devices butt naked.
In the hand, the S4 feels slippery, very slippery, like a fish that will jump out of your hand if you don't hold it tight enough. Definitely needs a case or something on the back to reduce the risk of dropping it. It does however, have quite a nice form factor and feels more comfortable to hold than the Z, I think the curves do a bit of justice here. The placement of the volume and power buttons on the S4 needs improvement, having them on opposite sides just allows for frequent accidental pressing of the unintended button, the guy that designed/approved it should be shot! The volume and power button placement on the Z is just perfect.
Theres nothing really premium about the design and feel of the S4 when compared to the Z. In the hand, the Z gives the feeling of a high quality and solidly built product. The S4 despite the improved plastic finishes, feels a little more comfortable to hold in the hand but does not justify a price tag of $800 in terms of design and finish. Theres no squeaking from the plastic at the moment but hey, I've had it less than a day and time will tell.
Screen
Right now I can't provide my detailed thoughts on the screen as I have not had enough screen time yet. At first sight the screen looks sharp but colours are quite over saturated and less natural compared to my Z. One aspect I can confirm is that the viewing angles of the S4's screen is pretty good.
Update May 2:
Both screens are of different technologies and has its pros and cons. After comparing them both through typical web browsing, reading text, emails, use of same apps and viewing photos:
1. I like the natural colours of the Z more. The S4, no matter what display mode you set it in, the colours are still a little over saturated. The reflections are less on the Z and brightness is higher, thus making it more comfortable to use outdoor. That said, the screen on the S4 is still gorgeous, if not comparing them side by side, you'll get comfortable and used to the colours quite quickly.
2. Both screens display superb sharpness and clarity. You'll have to look hard to notice the difference and I find that the Z has the edge when it comes to sharpness and clarity. Thats obvious given the LCD technology advantage over AMOLED in this respect. However, the screen on the S4 is certainly no loser.
3. I mentioned viewing angles earlier and theres nothing to debate about this one. The S4 is a clear winner. I know that there are Z owners who say things like "who uses their phone and look at the screen from an angle, stupid!" or "I always look at the screen face on, so it doesn't matter anyway". I raise a practical example: in the office my phone is on my desk most of the time, when I check messages I do it with the phone on the desk and a good viewing angle is welcomed here. The fact is, the Z is Sony's flagship: a premium product with a premium price, which IMO should have came with better viewing angles. However, IMO we got a slightly sub-par display.
In terms of personal preference, I'd choose the display on the Z because I prefer the more natural colours. If I had to make an objective judgment, I'd have to give the S4 display the heads-up. In addition to that, you'll get a little more real screen estate because the S4 doesn't use soft buttons.
Update May 3:
As request by member 'thelittleidiot', I did a movie test on both screens. I downloaded and used the latest Superman trailer 3 (HD mov format) because it had a mixture of dark and bright scenes and close-up on characters so as to be able to compare how skin tones rendered. I used MX Player Pro on both phones to make the test as fair as possible and had both screens at maximum brightness with auto adapt off, Bravia engine was on. Before starting the comparison, I watched the trailer on my Macbook just to familiarise with the colours and details. Here's what I found:
S4 in movie mode: Movie mode is supposed to be closest to natural colours but this was not what I saw. Colours were pale as if a little washed out. Seriously I wouldn't chose this option for watching movies.
S4 in professional photo mode: Colours were better and closer to the Z but still not natural when comparing both side by side. The viewing experience is still better on the Z.
S4 in standard mode: Colours are now looking over saturated. Its still the Z that give a better viewing experience.
I didn't test dynamic mode or adaptive mode because these modes would have been even more saturated. The S4 screen is very contrasty and blacks are very good but this is not necessarily a good thing for movies IMO. In dark scenes I could not see all the details on Russell Crowe's face whereas on the Z it was not a problem. On all of the modes on the S4, the blues had a tint of green, whites often not enough and skin colours were either not accurate or way off.
My opinions above are obviously due to the fact that I prefer more natural looking colours, though this may not apply to everyone. Nevertheless, the S4's screen has started to grow on me. I have an almost identical setup on both phones to help with my comparison: the same wallpaper, widgets, app icons on home screen etc. When I have them both side by side, I can't help but notice that the S4's vibrancy and colours just seems as if they want to jump out at you, like theres so much life in the screen. On the Z, despite that colours are more natural and whites are whiter, it just doesn't give me that feeling. I had Galaxy Note 2 before and didn't feel that way but I suppose its because the S4's is a FHD screen.
Performance and Software
OK, so the S4 is a step ahead of the Z with JB 4.2.2 out of the box. Its heavily Touchwiz with UI improvements. It feels smooth so far with no lags or micro lags whatsoever. I ran Antutu benchmark and it scored over 23K compared to 20K that my Z got.
Update May 2:
I don't run intensive apps or do heavy gaming, so my findings are from general use and also based on software out of the box.
I've never been particularly fond of the Touchwiz interface but don't hate it either. The S4's Touchwiz is the latest and comes with some UI improvements and changes. It works well and feels fluid. Though theres been a couple of times when I exit an app to the home screen and theres been a bit of a micro lag or stutter. Not sure what caused it but overall the S4 is very smooth. Samsung's added a host of features and software to the S4, air view, air gestures, smart gestures, S Health etc. They all work most of the time but will add loading on the power consumption. I prefer a little more interaction so I keep most of these features off. To be honest, most of these are a gimmick thing rather than being a real productive feature. The new settings menu is now categorised into 4 tabs which is a nice idea but could have been better if sliding to switch tabs was possible (like the how its possible switch to tabs by sliding left or right in the Z's phone app). The notification panel of toggles are extremely convenient for turning on or off a list of features/functions and can be pulled down by sliding 2 fingers from the top of the screen. I get the feeling that Samsung is trying hard to add/create value to its flagship model with additions of software and features, which is a good thing, but not all of it will appeal to everyone and a lot of it we probably wouldn't use 90% of the time anyway.
The S4 has newer hardware, hence a higher benchmark score over the Z. In standard daily usage though, theres really no noticeable difference. Both phones are very capable of handling almost any task thrown at it and feels very fluid. BTW both get pretty hot on the backside when the CPU is pushed. Overall, performance wise, both phones will satisfy the majority of users day in day out. In respect of the software side, its more of a subjective thing. I like the Z's clean, crisp and minimalist skin. I love its Walkman app (top sound reproduction and 2nd to none!) and Album app & widgets. I also like and use the small apps feature quite often. With the S4, multi window is great and I like being able to continuously scroll through desktops or the app & widget drawers. Microsoft Exchange Active sync works and integrates better on the S4 than it does on the Z. Its hard to a make a decision on the software comparison. However, the good thing is that Android is highly customisable so we can always tune it to work our way. I'd like to have a mixture of both the Z & S4 if I can!
Update May 3:
A small but important update on the software side. Some apps and games that I have been using on the Z which on the screen was not scaled properly (part of the interface goes outside of the screen are) is perfect on the S4. On top of that, certain widgets that not working/displaying properly on the Z works perfectly on the S4. I have to give Samsung a +1 for that.
Update May 2:
Battery Performance
Now that I've completely setup my S4 and managed to fully discharged the battery once, I will get the first battery performance results tonight. Will update then.
Update May 3:
The battery on my S4 won't be fully conditioned until after a few more full charges and discharges. Anyway attached results of the first battery performance after one discharge and then full charge. Now, I have read that other owners of the Z and S4 get amazing battery performance and on screen time of 5 - 6 hours. Honestly, it sounds a bit abnormal for me. I have never got that kind of battery performance on my Z, around 3 hours of screen time is probably the max I get. Are those who get 4+ hours simply turning off the majority of functions? Reduce screen brightness to 25%? Stop every process they can in the background? If thats the case, then we're really not getting most out of our smartphones during normal daily usage. I understand that its important to get the most of out the battery, especially if you are not near a charge port during the day but for me, its most essential to utilise the device for its abilities. Smartphones are really state of the art things nowadays which are simultaneously multifunctional and should be used that way.
Here are the parameters affecting the battery performance of my S4:
- wifi, gps, all sync features on, exchange active sync set on push so constant connection to the server.
- was on wifi network about 70% of the time, the rest was on LTE for data.
- screen brightness adaptive and set at 0.
- vibration, sound and haptic feedback on.
- led on with light flow.
- samsung's smart features/guestures off with exception of smart stay.
- around 25 mins of phone calls and 10 sms
- lots of whatsapp, medium google+, little wechat voice messaging, medium facebook, light browsing on chrome, some youtube, a few emails, some app updates via playstore, some instagram, some news reading, 30 mins or so of gaming.
I'm pretty happy with the results (I consider my usage pattern being medium to heavy) and as the battery gets more conditioned, coupled with further fine tuning of the S4, I'm confident that the battery performance will further improve. For me, its very clear that the S4 battery performance bypasses that of the Z. I use my Z the same way and don't get that kind of battery performance. Note though, the S4 does have the advantage of a larger 2600mah battery and the power efficient AMOLED, so its not like comparing apples to apples here. I have an external battery for my Z and don't mind carrying it when needed, it may not be so convenient when charging the Z but it does the job. As for the S4, I can see myself getting a day's usage on a single charge and if needed a spare battery can be changed easily, a plus point for the S4.
Update May 3:
Call Quality & Signal
In general, when in an area with good signal the call quality on the Z was good. The audio quality is also good. Where I have experienced problems with the Z are:
- When outside or in relatively noisy places its hard to hear the call from the earpiece on the Z. I have to resort to plugging in my hands free to solve the problem.
- In areas where signal is unstable or patchy whether its 3G or 4G, I sometimes find that the Z have difficulties in locking onto the network. It just jumps back and forth between 3G & 4G. This is not good because the phone constantly drains power by trying to lock itself onto a signal and your data connection is also on and off, again draining battery. One time I was outside in a patchy area and data connection was pretty unstable, it ended up that Kaiten Mail was responsible for 50% of the battery consumption because it was trying to sync my mails but couldn't get connected and just forced the phone to boost the radio and try get data connected.
- On a few occasions, where I have made or received a call, I can hear the opposite party but they cannot hear me. Even after hanging up and then redialing it still happens. I have to restart the phone to solve it.
So far the call quality and signal from the S4 have been good and stable, the audio quality of the call is quite a rich experience. Most important of all, the earpiece volume is loud enough that I don't need the hands free in relatively noisy environments. On top of that, the speaker on the S4 is much louder and clearer which is good for me because sometimes I like to hear voice chat messages via the speaker for convenience. I'll need to have used the phone in similar areas as the Z before concluding its signal and call quality. I expect to round this part up in a week.
Camera
Not had time to play and compare the cameras yet. Something for the weekend I think. Stay tuned!
Update May 5
Build Quality
6 days into using the S4 and build quality issues are beginning to show. The first is the slight squeaking of the back cover in certain places. It’s not really bad but enough to be noticeable. The second is the issue of vibration, which I believe may be related to the camera module, as this also happens with the Note 2. When using the phone on a flat surface you’ll hear vibration sounds when tapping the screen. Also, tapping around the camera area on the back of the phone will also emit vibration sounds. Don’t have these problems with the Xperia Z.
Performance & Software
Here are some new findings:
1.Out of the box you get just over 50% of the available storage for use on the S4 whereas on the Z you get closer to 65% of available storage for use. Samsung’s obviously bloated out its S4 a little too much.
2.After boot up the S4 consumed 854MB of RAM, in comparison the Z used less than 600MB. Open a host of apps and soon the S4 will start to show a bit of lag and stutter. Not something to expect considering the faster CPU and RAM the S4 has over the Z.
3.The more I look at Touchwiz the more I think ugly. The appearance of the phone dialer, contacts, notification and toggles, settings menus and pop up settings/menu all look ugly and outdated. The Z beats the S4’s interface design by miles.
4.Tried all of the gimmicky features of the S4 and only found Air View to be the only feature that I could make use of frequently and it works quite well. Its obviously nice to have the other features of S4 and show people what the phone is capable of but I certainly don’t see myself using it 90% of the time.
Call Quality & Signal
So, I’ve managed to use the S4 for calls in most of the areas I have been using the Z and the call quality is good with no dropped call, network signal holds well, though in patchy areas the phone does switch between 3G and 4G constantly. I don’t see this as an issue with the phone but more a network problem as it happens on the Z also. The S4’s voice calls are loud and clear, the Z does have a bit more depth in the call audio department though. Overall, I think both phones hold up pretty well in this area with the only exception that the earpiece volume on the Z is under average thus making it difficult to hear in noisy environments.
Just a note on the wifi. The S4 holds the wifi better than the Z. Where the Z dropped the connection the S4 stays connected.
Music Audio Quality & Headphone Compatibility
The sound quality produced by the Z’s Walkman app is the best. I have not used another app that can produce audiophiles as clean and as original as the Walkman app. Sony must have also used a very good DAC in addition to excellent software. Even music with Poweramp app sounded better on the Z than it did on the S4. The S4’s music app is no match. My only complaint with the Z is that the volume level is a little low but it’s still sufficient for me. Those who like their music loud will not be happy with the highest volume level on the Z.
Now comes the BIG problem with the S4. There are headphone compatibility issues. There is already a thread in the XDA Samsung S4 forum about this, so those who want to know more should give it a read. Basically, there are serious amounts of crackling and distortion with certain headphones when used on the S4 with the volume 50% or above. I was shocked when I plugged my Sony XBA-2VP into the S4. I thought they had failed on me but it turns out the problem was the S4. They work perfectly well on the Z. Now to me, this is a serious problem and one not to be forgiven for. How Samsung failed on this one I don't know. Surprisingly, a lot of the expensive premium headphones have this problem on the S4 and the cheaper (including stock) ones aren’t affected. To me this issue is really a big minus for the S4 and especially to people who crave for excellent audiophiles. On top of that, I don't think we want to splash out more money just buy a good compatible pair of headphones.
Camera
So, I was supposed to do some comparison on the camera over the weekend but sadly the speaker on my Z had some problems and had to go to Sony service center. I did manage to take a couple of shots (attached) for a quick comparison. Here are my thoughts on both cameras:
1.The S4 fires up the camera fast, in a second or so and your good to start snapping away. The Z is slow and takes a few seconds.
2.From EXIF data, I noticed that the S4 has a larger aperture of f2.2 compared to f2.4 for the Z. It’s not a big difference but still means the S4 will capture more light.
3.Burst rates on the S4 are simply breath taking, hold the shutter and you’ll be snapping away at 20 frames per second!
4.Autofocus is fast on both cameras.
5.From the samples, you can see that the photos from the S4 are sharper, more detailed, better exposed and white balance more accurate. The Z simply has too much compression and the photos end up losing detail and sharpness.
I like photography but I’m not a big fan of smartphone photography. To me, cameras on smartphones play a point and shoot role. It needs to fire up quick and get the shot done. Its supposed to be sophisticated (by todays standards) yet is simple to operate and have an easy to use interface. The S4 fits the job very well. I like the S4’s new camera UI, very intuitive and easy to use. The new addition of drama shot and eraser mode on the S4 sounds appealing but in practice it’s quite difficult to get it to work. With drama shot you have to keep a good distance away from the subject so it can be captured throughout the frame to make it work and it wasn’t working for me all the time. In respect to eraser mode, I have had no success with it yet.
Overall, the S4’s camera is a pleasure to use and gives you the feeling of wanting to shoot more pictures. The Z’s camera is not so bad and I’m sure the Z has good camera hardware but Sony needs to improve on the software. Hopefully, this will come soon with the next update.
May 11 – Round Up
Design & Feel
Xperia Z:
-Excellently crafted industrial design: from the details and precision of the power button, to the neatly recessed camera lens and the excellent fit & finish.
-Feels premium in hand. Nicely built and solid yet oozes a very distinctive sleek look.
-IMO the most beautifully designed Android smartphone to date, period! The HTC One is also very nice but I see a bit of following Apple’s suit. The Z shows that Sony really went back to the drawing board and gave us a new and unique product.
-It’s relatively comfortable in the hands but the straight edges may be of discomfort for some when holding it for prolong periods.
-Excellent placement of the power and volume buttons. The speaker is better on the side than on the back but I would have preferred it to be at the bottom to avoid accidentally covering it up when holding the phone.
S4:
-Having closely compared it with my wife’s Note 2, the S4’s design seems more of a downsized Note 2 with a slight facelift. Basically, it’s still that typical Samsung design, look and finish.
-Though I consider it a slight facelift, the changes and finishes does make it Samsung’s best looking phone to date. I kind of liked the diamond-checkered pattern and also found that the buttons are now nicely tapered and beveled. A nice touch.
-The form factor is very comfortable in the hand but feels a lot less solid compared to the Z.
-The home and capacitive button design will increase your usable screen estate by 0.5 inches.
Screen
Xperia Z:
-LCD technology, excellent clarity and details.
-Colors natural and closer to real life. Brava Engine 2 makes viewing photos and videos a pleasure and adds the pop back in the colors.
-Excellent visibility outdoors and in bright sunlight. Less reflective.
-Poor viewing angles and blacks & contrast may not be enough for some.
-I see a bit a of backlight bleeding and this does make the screen appear a little washed out at high brightness levels.
-IMO, kind of feel that Sony used a slightly sub-par display. I checked out the Z tablet yesterday and the screen does not exhibit similar issues.
S4:
-Samsung’s best Super AMOLED yet. Clarity and details par with the LCD. It’s hard to see the difference and I’d say 99% of people wouldn’t notice it.
-Excellent viewing angles and colors pop on this screen, it may be too saturated for some but the S4 provides the option of 4 screen modes to cater for different tastes.
-I’ve noticed that auto brightness allows higher brighter levels compared to manual setting. This is excellent as when in sunlight, the viewing experience was still comfortable.
-I prefer the natural colors of the Z more but the S4 screen has really grown on me. It is simply a superb screen and there is not much I can fault about it.
Performance & OS
-The S4 has the newer tech but in daily use both are just as capable of performing 99% of the tasks you throw at it.
-Power does not necessarily translate into speed. The S4 is well bloated out and consumes a massive 900mb of ram after boot up, whereas the Z is less than 600mb. Open up a few more apps and my S4 lags more than my Z. Your hardware is as good as your software and it’s evident that the software on the S4 is not fully optimized yet.
-Interface wise, the Z is refreshing, clean and minimal with some really nice touches and widgets, there’s also the excellent Walkman and Album (gallery) app that's second to none. If you like stock android, the Z is the closest you’ll get.
-The S4 has a lot of bells and whistles, some work well and others not, and that's all wrapped up in a dated Touchwiz interface. With 4.2.2 comes some nice UI improvements but it could have been better. The dull interface design just does not compliment the wonderful screen.
-Overall, despite a dated interface, Touchwiz does provide a fuller user experience. It’s not just a skin; it’s more of an eco-system which Samsung has put a lot of thought and effort into building.
Battery Performance
-There’s no argument on this one, the S4 has the better battery life. A slightly larger capacity and power efficient screen gives it the edge. Having used the S4 in the same way I have used my Z, the battery lasts well into the evening whereas with the Z it would have died on me by then.
-Another advantage is the option to be able to replace the S4 with a spare battery and this is definitely a convenience as well as a must for power users.
Call quality, Signal & Wi-Fi
-Both phones flared well with call quality and strength of signal.
-The in call audio on the Z has a lot of body but volume level low, whereas the on the S4 it’s crisp, loud and clear.
-The S4 has an adaptive sound capability which works very well as it tunes the audio to fit the listening capabilities of the left and right ears. Note this function works only in stock apps.
-The Z’s Wi-Fi capabilities are one of its weaknesses. Where I lost connection with the Z, the S4 stayed well connected.
Camera
-Despite the similar hardware, the S4 is a clear winner for me. The camera interface, ease of use and host of features make it hard to beat. It does what a smartphone camera is supposed to do but does it better.
-The Z is not a bad performer overall. All that is required is some tuning in its digital processing to improve clarity and sharpness in the photos.
Other Issues
-If you love listening to music on your phone, the Z and its Walkman provides the best audiophile I have ever heard on a smartphone.
-You won’t have headphone compatibility issues on the Z. There is a widespread problem with the S4, I don’t know if its software or hardware, but the audio clipping is frustrating and a nightmare! I had to resort to downgrading the headphone audiophile to avoid the problem.
Final Thoughts
The S4 and Z are excellent flagship smartphones. In the last 2 weeks, I’ve found the S4 to better the Z in some areas, but that should not put you off the Z. Why is that? Design, plastic, build quality and Touchwiz. If these factors bother you, then the S4 might not be the smartphone for you. The Xperia Z, on the other hand, is anything but cheap and plastic, while the interface is much more clean, simple and understated than Samsung’s Touchwiz.
I love the design of the Xperia Z, IMO it has the best balance in design, performance and software. That said, the Z isn’t perfect, the screen should have been better for a flagship and there are issues that need ironing out which hopefully will be fixed in the next software update not too distant away. The S4 has grown on me more than I expected. The plastic and its design doesn’t bother me anymore, I don’t even notice it. The screen looks more beautiful day by day and my work and productivity needs are handled better on the S4. I have also found that I prefer the home and capacitive touch buttons and enjoy the extra screen estate in the absence of the navigation bar. The software isn’t fully optimized, there is lag and Samsung seriously needs to do some work on it. Surprisingly though, at the start of the thread my choice was the Z but after 2 weeks, it appears the situation has changed and the truth is, the S4 suits my needs more. So, the S4 stays and the Z goes back for a refund. I wish I could have a mixture of both though! I highly recommend both devices, my top picks for 2013.
right now i'm holding both of them surely S4 is a winner
I can't agree with your comment until I have really had the chance to get to a complete usage and a thorough run through on the S4. At the end of day, whichever is the winner is purely a personal preference for me and may not be the case for others. If it wasn't for the free upgrade I would have never gone and bought the S4 because the design factor was the first thing that put me off. Now that I am fortunate enough to have both devices, I thought I'll make a thread to let others know how both compare in daily use. My intention is not to make a public judgement of which device is the winner but rather to express my findings on both devices, how well they work for me in a daily use and give members of the forum some factual experiences on both smartphones. Since you say S4 is a winner, perhaps you could share some of your thoughts with us?
I'm sure S4 is a very phone and will outsell XZ for sure, but I'm just sick of this brand (Yes, Samsung, is you!!), I had been using my SGS2 for a year until the emmc brickbug killed it. The thing get me so furious is Samsung said it's my fault and they would not provide any help unless I pay the maintenance fee, which cost about half of a new unit. How dare are they!?
Thanks for the review, I love it how you are accurate, keep it up dude!
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium
When I saw s4 I thought it will be exactly like s3 design like what most website said.
But not, it was nice and better than s3.
S4 is a good phone for everything.
Sent from my C6602 using xda app-developers app
cosinav said:
I can't agree with your comment until I have really had the chance to get to a complete usage and a thorough run through on the S4. At the end of day, whichever is the winner is purely a personal preference for me and may not be the case for others. If it wasn't for the free upgrade I would have never gone and bought the S4 because the design factor was the first thing that put me off. Now that I am fortunate enough to have both devices, I thought I'll make a thread to let others know how both compare in daily use. My intention is not to make a public judgement of which device is the winner but rather to express my findings on both devices, how well they work for me in a daily use and give members of the forum some factual experiences on both smartphones. Since you say S4 is a winner, perhaps you could share some of your thoughts with us?
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I find your 'professional' attitude a breath of fresh air. Congratulations in making an objective set of points rather than a fan boy rant.
I am finding it such a bore to come to the Sony Xperia Z forum to find more posts regarding other brands than the one we own? The more we negatively persist in comparing then rubbishing other brands the more we appear a group of losers. At least your comparison is written fairly with open eyes and not biased.
To date it appears the biggest enemy of the SXZ is its owners by bashing other brands?
Keep up the professional attitude and thanks for sharing your thoughts in a palatable fashion.
Bet wishes..
i very agree this. I'm also sick of Samsung now
Can you please compare battery life of these 2 monsters
Thanks for the post, it's the one I expected to see. I have a Xperia Z and I hesitate to buy a Galaxy S4 to replace it.
For the screen could you test to change the mode natural in mode video. According to the tests, it's the mode to have the best color next to the natural one. And after that, can you tell us, what you think about the screen and compare it to the Xperia Z.
brutal_noise said:
Can you please compare battery life of these 2 monsters
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Yes, this please!
Ryland Johnson said:
I find your 'professional' attitude a breath of fresh air. Congratulations in making an objective set of points rather than a fan boy rant.
I am finding it such a bore to come to the Sony Xperia Z forum to find more posts regarding other brands than the one we own? The more we negatively persist in comparing then rubbishing other brands the more we appear a group of losers. At least your comparison is written fairly with open eyes and not biased.
To date it appears the biggest enemy of the SXZ is its owners by bashing other brands?
Keep up the professional attitude and thanks for sharing your thoughts in a palatable fashion.
Bet wishes..
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Click to collapse
Don't think you've spent time anywhere else then because from what I've seen and heard, the Xperia has been the most bashed brand out there. Don't know what world you're living in if you think the bashing of other brands is worse in the Sony forums. You can't have spent any meaningful time in the Samsung forums or htc ones. Or YouTube or the web. To say that Sony fans are in some way more guilty of such things is strange to me indeed.
Fanboys are everywhere, human beings form needles emotional connections with things.
I too got some hands on time with the s4 today in store and first impressions, the black version looks ok. It doesn't scream plastic at you in the same way that the white one does and if Samsung keep putting out black phones, I could see myself owning one. I didn't mind so much the s2 like I did the s3 and I don't mind the s4 too. The ui was silky smooth. It just made want to seek out the Sony developers and scream "enough with all the transparency and animated widgets". It just causes ui glitches and stutters here and there. It may look nice but it's not, in my view, worth compromising on performance for eye candy.
It terms of daily usage, I seriously doubt that you'll notice much of a difference in performance than you'd get with any other quad core phone. 2011 line up included. In graphics intensive games perhaps but what percentage of users play such games on phones.
Its also worth noting that although, certain content might have a slightly bluish tint about them, the s4 doesn't suffer the same yellow screen problem suffered by a lot of high contrast LCD phones e.g. Htc one, iPhone 5, Xperia s etc.
It seems LCD displays cannot compete with amoled displays for vibrancy and contrast without this yellow tint problem. Perhaps that's why Sony walked away from that battle.
The S4's display is almost as clean and clear as the Zs but has more vibrancy. Too much still for me but others may love it. The bluish whites are the only real criticism.
To avoid mumbling on and to put it simply, the S4 is a phone I'd happily recommend.
Also the size and dimensions of the thing show the advantage of plastic for use in construction.
No on screen buttons but still smaller than the Z and equally as thin. It may not offer a premium feel buy there's still much value in its construction. I was thoroughly impressed with it as phone just as I am with the Sony. My two picks for 2013
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app
zodiac100 said:
Don't think you've spent time anywhere else then because from what I've seen and heard, the Xperia has been the most bashed brand out there. Don't know what world you're living in if you think the bashing of other brands is worse in the Sony forums. You can't have spent any meaningful time in the Samsung forums or htc ones. Or YouTube or the web. To say that Sony fans are in some way more guilty of such things is strange to me indeed.
Fanboys are everywhere, human beings form needles emotional connections with things.
theSent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not a sheep and don't follow the crowd. The SXZ is a rather exceptional device and perhaps I expect those who own them to be exceptional and act accordingly? They say there is no such thing as bad publicity and to that end those who criticise the XZ at every opportunity and I agree they are out there, do us a favour? It should not be an excuse for us to write that other brands are poor.
Regards.
brutal_noise said:
Can you please compare battery life of these 2 monsters
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got my S4 today. Battery was at 52% when i turned it on. Used it till the Battery was down to 1%. 10 Hours with 3 Hours Screen on time. I call that pretty good for even no first charging cycle and during the first setup process
brutal_noise said:
Can you please compare battery life of these 2 monsters
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will be providing the first battery performance results tonight!
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium
thelittleidiot said:
Thanks for the post, it's the one I expected to see. I have a Xperia Z and I hesitate to buy a Galaxy S4 to replace it.
For the screen could you test to change the mode natural in mode video. According to the tests, it's the mode to have the best color next to the natural one. And after that, can you tell us, what you think about the screen and compare it to the Xperia Z.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, I will do it tonight and update.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium
Higgins12 said:
I got my S4 today. Battery was at 52% when i turned it on. Used it till the Battery was down to 1%. 10 Hours with 3 Hours Screen on time. I call that pretty good for even no first charging cycle and during the first setup process
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right now i'm at 7 hours with 1 hour 30 mins screen time, 58% battery left from full charge.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium
This is really making for a good read, I must say, wish we had more reviewers like you.
I've got a I9500, wish I could get hold of the Htc One or Xperia Z and do a comparison, seems to be a lack of comparisons with it.
Anyway, keep up the great work!
Hi OP! Very nice & unbiased comparison of the two imo :good: ! Having played with the GS4, I mostly agree with your comparison/review.
However, I want you to comment upon the call signal/quality & "in call" volume of the two, if possible. Thanks.
I have the Xperia Z since 2 month. I've just bought the Galaxy S4, for several reasons : want to test it, the lack of update of the Xperia Z and the fact that my followers on my blog would like to have my point of view.
I change fastly the screen selection in video because i wanted to compare the best I can my two phones. The screen of the S4 is definitely better than the Xperia Z. The color are more next to the reality, but the more important is that the contrast is really really awesome in comparaison. The screen of the Z seems to be dull. I didn't test outdoor with sunlight (unfortunatly, the weather is rainy theses days where I live). But when I compared my Z with my iPhone 5, i couldn't use the Z on sunlight at the opposite of the iPhone.
With the Galaxy S4 in my hands, I find 3 defaults on the Z. The screen is definitely not good enough for the best smartphone of Sony. And more when we now the quality of the TV Sony, and the result we have when the bravia engine is activated (even if the colors become less natural). The second one is the form factor. The size of both phones are nearly the same. But the corner of the Xperia are not curve like the S4. So when we have both phones on the hand, the Z seems to be harder to use, less confortable. The last point is the camera (i didn't test yet the one of the S4, but i see many comparison). The camera of the Xperia Z is really worse than the one of the S4 even if it's normally the same cameramade by Sony.
The first and the third point could be correct by an update.
There's no bad point on the Galaxy S4 because i just received it, so i didn't find its defaults and consequently the better point on the Z.
It's just my point of view with my first with the S4.
Sorry for my english, I'm french. I just hope you understand what i mean in my sentences
.....
A few weeks ago, i misplaced my Z1 in a public shopping mall table... i think...
...anyways, I'm on T-Mobile USA.
When I first got the phone in September, T-Mobile offered me insurance on the phone.
I went ahead and did a claim, and they said they couldn't get me the z1, and that the closest thing they have ( in price and what not) would be a Note 3.
They sent that to me, they unlocked it, and i sold it...
Dilemma began.... buy another z1? wait for Z1s? Could not do that because their bootloaders are not unlock-able
So what did I do? I saved some money and went ahead with a white 32gb nexus 5 while a friend of mine went ahead and actually bought the Z1s yesterday , and HERE are my first impressions of the differences between the two....
Nexus 5 over the Z1(c6903 and z1s):
Brighter, better screen with better viewing angles
Stock android software
Smaller size, fits easier in hand
Optical image stabilization (opinion)
Easier to root, hack etc.but then again its a nexus and it SHOULD have that
Lighter than the Z1
Messaging app on Z1 STILL does not implement group MMS, but you could always use hangouts ( not a big deal for some)
Sony Z1 over Nexus 5:
Z1 Has a premium feel to it, it feels like you are holding an expensive phone, at least when compared to the nexus 5
Z1 has a bigger battery, I was able to go through a full day of HEAVY usage with it, cannot do this with the Nexus
Z1 is waterproof, dustproof and you can use the camera underwater
Z1 has a microSD card slot in addition to the 16GB (or 32gb for the Z1s) of internal storage
the Z1s has a STRONGER ANTENNA THAN THE NEXUS 5, therefore allowing for better and faster data coverage and better voice quality (On T-Mobile USA)
the Z1 is faster even though the NExus is clocked at a higher speed, tested this with browser tests, game load times etc...
How do i know this? I placed the Z1S side by side with my Nexus 5, verified that they were connected to the same tower on LTE, and di some tests...
the Nexus 5 gave me 2 bars of signal, while the Z1s had Full bars, speedtest.net San Jose,CA gave Z1 ~23megabits down , Nexus 5 around 12 megabits down. Same server, phones side by side.
That part made me think about the decision I made. I Knew about all the other pros and cons of getting the Nexus, and I knew the Z1 kills it in benchmarks and what not but that does not really matter to me
The cellular reception part bothers me. I've always considered the nexus 5 to be a "different" phone, not worse than the Z1.
I can now say that the Z1 is overall a better phone.
Its faster, snappier, and feeds more power to its antenna I'm guessing?
Now i Will stick with my Nexus until the next sony flagship
Don't lose your Z1. If you do, buy another one.
stealthj said:
.....
A few weeks ago, i misplaced my Z1 in a public shopping mall table... i think...
...anyways, I'm on T-Mobile USA.
When I first got the phone in September, T-Mobile offered me insurance on the phone.
I went ahead and did a claim, and they said they couldn't get me the z1, and that the closest thing they have ( in price and what not) would be a Note 3.
They sent that to me, they unlocked it, and i sold it...
Dilemma began.... buy another z1? wait for Z1s? Could not do that because their bootloaders are not unlock-able
So what did I do? I saved some money and went ahead with a white 32gb nexus 5 while a friend of mine went ahead and actually bought the Z1s yesterday , and HERE are my first impressions of the differences between the two....
Nexus 5 over the Z1(c6903 and z1s):
Brighter, better screen with better viewing angles
Stock android software
Smaller size, fits easier in hand
Optical image stabilization (opinion)
Easier to root, hack etc.but then again its a nexus and it SHOULD have that
Lighter than the Z1
Messaging app on Z1 STILL does not implement group MMS, but you could always use hangouts ( not a big deal for some)
Sony Z1 over Nexus 5:
Z1 Has a premium feel to it, it feels like you are holding an expensive phone, at least when compared to the nexus 5
Z1 has a bigger battery, I was able to go through a full day of HEAVY usage with it, cannot do this with the Nexus
Z1 is waterproof, dustproof and you can use the camera underwater
Z1 has a microSD card slot in addition to the 16GB (or 32gb for the Z1s) of internal storage
the Z1s has a STRONGER ANTENNA THAN THE NEXUS 5, therefore allowing for better and faster data coverage and better voice quality (On T-Mobile USA)
the Z1 is faster even though the NExus is clocked at a higher speed, tested this with browser tests, game load times etc...
How do i know this? I placed the Z1S side by side with my Nexus 5, verified that they were connected to the same tower on LTE, and di some tests...
the Nexus 5 gave me 2 bars of signal, while the Z1s had Full bars, speedtest.net San Jose,CA gave Z1 ~23megabits down , Nexus 5 around 12 megabits down. Same server, phones side by side.
That part made me think about the decision I made. I Knew about all the other pros and cons of getting the Nexus, and I knew the Z1 kills it in benchmarks and what not but that does not really matter to me
The cellular reception part bothers me. I've always considered the nexus 5 to be a "different" phone, not worse than the Z1.
I can now say that the Z1 is overall a better phone.
Its faster, snappier, and feeds more power to its antenna I'm guessing?
Now i Will stick with my Nexus until the next sony flagship
Don't lose your Z1. If you do, buy another one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lesson learnt, always go for the Z1.
Skickat från min C6903 via Tapatalk
I have a nokia lumia 521 but I can't choose between the z1s or N5. I want to tweak my phone but cell reception is very important for me because where I live the reception sucks.
AK4TAY7BEN said:
I have a nokia lumia 521 but I can't choose between the z1s or N5. I want to tweak my phone but cell reception is very important for me because where I live the reception sucks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully if enough people buy the Z1s, development will speed up. Feel free to ask me any differences between the two
stealthj said:
Hopefully if enough people buy the Z1s, development will speed up. Feel free to ask me any differences between the two
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well the thing is I'm building a new computer and would like to get into development and theming myself. I know the nexus 5 is a great phone for developers but I would also like the phone to be practical for everyday use. I wish I could just get both... Anyways is the reception on the z1s that much better than on the n5? On my 521 it takes forever to send picture messages and to receive them.
Can you get actual db differences between the.and post here?would really like to see some hard numbers on signal vs bars.
Sent from my C6916 using xda app-developers app
I will do that later tonight or tomorrow yes on the db
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
stealthj said:
.....
A few weeks ago, i misplaced my Z1 in a public shopping mall table... i think...
...anyways, I'm on T-Mobile USA.
When I first got the phone in September, T-Mobile offered me insurance on the phone.
I went ahead and did a claim, and they said they couldn't get me the z1, and that the closest thing they have ( in price and what not) would be a Note 3.
They sent that to me, they unlocked it, and i sold it...
Dilemma began.... buy another z1? wait for Z1s? Could not do that because their bootloaders are not unlock-able
So what did I do? I saved some money and went ahead with a white 32gb nexus 5 while a friend of mine went ahead and actually bought the Z1s yesterday , and HERE are my first impressions of the differences between the two....
Nexus 5 over the Z1(c6903 and z1s):
Brighter, better screen with better viewing angles
Stock android software
Smaller size, fits easier in hand
Optical image stabilization (opinion)
Easier to root, hack etc.but then again its a nexus and it SHOULD have that
Lighter than the Z1
Messaging app on Z1 STILL does not implement group MMS, but you could always use hangouts ( not a big deal for some)
Sony Z1 over Nexus 5:
Z1 Has a premium feel to it, it feels like you are holding an expensive phone, at least when compared to the nexus 5
Z1 has a bigger battery, I was able to go through a full day of HEAVY usage with it, cannot do this with the Nexus
Z1 is waterproof, dustproof and you can use the camera underwater
Z1 has a microSD card slot in addition to the 16GB (or 32gb for the Z1s) of internal storage
the Z1s has a STRONGER ANTENNA THAN THE NEXUS 5, therefore allowing for better and faster data coverage and better voice quality (On T-Mobile USA)
the Z1 is faster even though the NExus is clocked at a higher speed, tested this with browser tests, game load times etc...
How do i know this? I placed the Z1S side by side with my Nexus 5, verified that they were connected to the same tower on LTE, and di some tests...
the Nexus 5 gave me 2 bars of signal, while the Z1s had Full bars, speedtest.net San Jose,CA gave Z1 ~23megabits down , Nexus 5 around 12 megabits down. Same server, phones side by side.
That part made me think about the decision I made. I Knew about all the other pros and cons of getting the Nexus, and I knew the Z1 kills it in benchmarks and what not but that does not really matter to me
The cellular reception part bothers me. I've always considered the nexus 5 to be a "different" phone, not worse than the Z1.
I can now say that the Z1 is overall a better phone.
Its faster, snappier, and feeds more power to its antenna I'm guessing?
Now i Will stick with my Nexus until the next sony flagship
Don't lose your Z1. If you do, buy another one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lovely research.... deserves a thanks... Brought a Z1
I can testified to this, I've put my GS4 and z1s side by side. On my GS4 I only get one bar LTE and on my Z1s I get three bar LTE in my store where the signal sux.
Sent from my C6916 using Tapatalk 2
Yup, signal and battery.... sucks
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
Would like to gather thoughts about the z3c RF performance.
Personally, I find the radios far worse than my Moto X (admittedly, Motorola is known for great RF performance). In the same location with both devices, I cannot get LTE with the z3c, whereas I had a few bars with the Moto X (this is over 8-9 months). Also I find the z3c fails to fall back properly to 3G or H+ the way the Moto X did.
I have installed the US firmware (I'm in Canada, but was hoping it would be closer to being well-tuned as my Moto X is a T-Mobile USA device) with the same result.
I think the RF performance is pretty good on the Z3C. I'm still on the UK firmware and it switches from 4G to HSPA+ without any big hiccups from what I notice. I've been getting better RF performance than my iPhone 5, so I don't really have much to complain about.
Performance so far seems similar to my Moto X (2013). I can't do a side-by-side comparison as the whole reason I have the Z3C is my Moto X bit the dust after falling down a mountain.
Some areas seem to be slightly worse, others slightly better. It does seem like there's more dead zones on my commute, but conversely I actually get signal at all in the bus terminal and surrounding area.
I am getting the same signal as my N5 a tad better as the N5 doesn't cover all Rogers frequencies but the Z3 does
Sent from my D5803 using XDA Free mobile app
I find quite the opposite! In my area, the z3c picks up lte much, much better than my old moto x...
In terms of wifi performance, this thing is far better than my Z1C was as I can now use it in parts of the house that I couldn't before. 3G seems slightly less prone to dropping out too.
First test is online and it doesn't look too pleasing. I'm guessing the 1440p panel really does zap the life out of this thing.
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/droid-turbo-battery-life,news-19846.html
I don't know how bright 150 nits are, but that basically means you can easily get ~9.5 hours of SoT, right?
I had a day where my Razr Maxx was off the charger for 16 hours, with over 8 hours of SoT and over 1GB of data transferred by my reddit app (it was a very lazy Sunday). If I can get back to that sort of battery life, it would be awesome. I don't need 2 days of power use, I just need enough for a long day with heavy use.
in all phones defense, not even one phone in the world lasts more than 12 hours with a full bright screen and 4G LTE enabled, no matter what you do, thats heavy use (IMHO)
Jaocagomez said:
in all phones defense, not even one phone in the world lasts more than 12 hours with a full bright screen and 4G LTE enabled, no matter what you do, thats heavy use (IMHO)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most phone's full brightness is upwards of 500nits. This test was only at 150nits which is pretty low on the brightness spectrum.
pjd2011 said:
Most phone's full brightness is upwards of 500nits. This test was only at 150nits which is pretty low on the brightness spectrum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh sh- really? something its not right, then, wait... its without turning the screen off, then?
I'm gonna wait for a second review that list seems a bit suspect to me. Never seen the OnePlus that much higher than everything else on other roundups before.
Erasmus354 said:
I'm gonna wait for a second review that list seems a bit suspect to me. Never seen the OnePlus that much higher than everything else on other roundups before.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
exactly. that site seems to be off by quite a bit in several of the ratings on battery life.
Several shortcomings in their test. Here are a few I thought of immediately.
1) different cell carriers / frequencies. Some may have additional compression/caching.
2) different signal strengths. What if that cell/data signal was LTE at -60dB, but the Verizon switched occasionally from LTE to 3G and was at -100dB
3) testing group of dynamic web sites. "100 public sites" (content changes very quickly-multiple times a day. Sometimes more graphics intense and with auto playing video to cache/buffer)
4) were they tested at the same time? Same day? Weeks apart?
5) same web browser on all phones? same version? same phone cache settings? same plugin versions?
I'm more interested in how it performs over the Droid Maxx. I don't want to lose battery life, which I fear I will due to the processor/gpu usage in order to drive the higher resolution. I have read that the display backlight is relatively constant in terms of power consumption.
I ordered a light meter from amazon. I'll set them to the same brightness and play video files from a private server: first over VZW LTE, then after recharging from the device's own memory in airplane mode.
pjd2011 said:
First test is online and it doesn't look too pleasing. I'm guessing the 1440p panel really does zap the life out of this thing.
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/droid-turbo-battery-life,news-19846.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That test is bull****.
HTC One M8 gets 9:52 hours. In what world is that?!
And other numbers from that test are just crazy and nonsense
My m8 gets half of that on Verizon
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using XDA Free mobile app
The test doesn't line up with reality, I wouldn't expect the numbers to match any other site, but I would expect the overall hierarchy to match other sites reviews.
The IP6 is too low, The M8 is too high, The OPO is laughably too high. The Note 4 is lower than it should be...
Just to clarify - let's make this the battery life thread. I for one don't think this first test is anything official by any means but as more reviews come out let's talk about them here!
Jr6278 said:
My m8 gets half of that on Verizon
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems like thats the case with a lot of phones on verizon (iphone, moto x, lg g3)...
traccdma said:
Several shortcomings in their test. Here are a few I thought of immediately.
1) different cell carriers / frequencies. Some may have additional compression/caching.
2) different signal strengths. What if that cell/data signal was LTE at -60dB, but the Verizon switched occasionally from LTE to 3G and was at -100dB
3) testing group of dynamic web sites. "100 public sites" (content changes very quickly-multiple times a day. Sometimes more graphics intense and with auto playing video to cache/buffer)
4) were they tested at the same time? Same day? Weeks apart?
5) same web browser on all phones? same version? same phone cache settings? same plugin versions?
I'm more interested in how it performs over the Droid Maxx. I don't want to lose battery life, which I fear I will due to the processor/gpu usage in order to drive the higher resolution. I have read that the display backlight is relatively constant in terms of power consumption.
I ordered a light meter from amazon. I'll set them to the same brightness and play video files from a private server: first over VZW LTE, then after recharging from the device's own memory in airplane mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right, a lot of these 'tests' are so skewed and have no basis. The test they did proves nothing, absolutely nothing. Now, if you were to take a say, S5, M8, Turbo and use all of them on the same network, and same usage (web, video, calls, messaging and do exactly the same on all the devices) is the only way to really test the battery. Using one device on one network and one on another is absurd. I.e., when T-Mobile initially launched LTE it wasn't a full launch and the signal was weaker, causing the phone to try and find a stronger signal or struggle to keep the existing LTE signal, which results in a significant battery drain. Resulting in me switching my phone back to 4G for the time being. And then the network speeds, the longer the phones takes to load something also means the longer the screen will be lit resulting in yet again more battery drain. Those are just some factors that haven't even scratched the surface behind how the battery can be drained. These people need to stop testing phones without sufficient background data. Taking their site off my list of reliable sources.
gordonzhao said:
You're right, a lot of these 'tests' are so skewed and have no basis. The test they did proves nothing, absolutely nothing. Now, if you were to take a say, S5, M8, Turbo and use all of them on the same network, and same usage (web, video, calls, messaging and do exactly the same on all the devices) is the only way to really test the battery. Using one device on one network and one on another is absurd. I.e., when T-Mobile initially launched LTE it wasn't a full launch and the signal was weaker, causing the phone to try and find a stronger signal or struggle to keep the existing LTE signal, which results in a significant battery drain. Resulting in me switching my phone back to 4G for the time being. And then the network speeds, the longer the phones takes to load something also means the longer the screen will be lit resulting in yet again more battery drain. Those are just some factors that haven't even scratched the surface behind how the battery can be drained. These people need to stop testing phones without sufficient background data. Taking their site off my list of reliable sources.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The peoblem is, the droid turbo is only available on verizon as of now. So theres no method to get different results (better or worse) on another carrier. I would hope theyd repeat tge test a few times to verify, but the result is what it is. Its perfectly fair to compare to othwr devices on other networks. Because if someone is looking for the phone with the best battery life they might go to an at&t htc one. Its not htc's fault that the turbo is limited to verizon.
And verizon claims the best coverage in the U.S. so unless they were doing the test in one of the few black holes where verizon doesnt get a good sig al compared to at&t, its not a skewed result.
qwerty12601 said:
The peoblem is, the droid turbo is only available on verizon as of now. So theres no method to get different results (better or worse) on another carrier. I would hope theyd repeat tge test a few times to verify, but the result is what it is. Its perfectly fair to compare to othwr devices on other networks. Because if someone is looking for the phone with the best battery life they might go to an at&t htc one. Its not htc's fault that the turbo is limited to verizon.
And verizon claims the best coverage in the U.S. so unless they were doing the test in one of the few black holes where verizon doesnt get a good sig al compared to at&t, its not a skewed result.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then that means their results are inconclusive. But yes right now only Verizon sells it but it doesn't mean you can't use it on tmobile or att and test it... The phone is GSM unlocked and will work on tmobile's lte.... If you think their tests prove something that is the equivalent to comparing a 4 cylinder vehicle to a 6 cylinder, while driving the 6 cylinder conservatively and then pedal to the metal on the 4 all the time. In that example it's like how a prius would get lower mpg vs a m3 if you drove the prius aggressively and the m3 conservatively, and that test has been done but just for sh*ts and giggles. They're also comparing devices with different hardware on different networks. I guess it's dependent on how thorough you want to be, I don't buy any of the results they posted.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
gordonzhao said:
Then that means their results are inconclusive. But yes right now only Verizon sells it but it doesn't mean you can't use it on tmobile or att and test it... The phone is GSM unlocked and will work on tmobile's lte.... If you think their tests prove something that is the equivalent to comparing a 4 cylinder vehicle to a 6 cylinder, while driving the 6 cylinder conservatively and then pedal to the metal on the 4 all the time. In that example it's like how a prius would get lower mpg vs a m3 if you drove the prius aggressively and the m3 conservatively, and that test has been done but just for sh*ts and giggles. They're also comparing devices with different hardware on different networks. I guess it's dependent on how thorough you want to be, I don't buy any of the results they posted.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont see how your analogy compares to this at all. they didn't have the phones set any differently. They were all set to the same brightness and used on their respective networks. How else would you have liked them to have done this test?
if your indications are that because they are on different networks that's affecting the battery life, then a more appropriate analogy would be comparing 0 to 60of an m3 and s4 with the m3 being up at 10,000 feet elevation and the s for being at sea level. Being naturally aspirated engines struggle more at high altitudes that would be an unfair comparison
qwerty12601 said:
I dont see how your analogy compares to this at all. they didn't have the phones set any differently. They were all set to the same brightness and used on their respective networks. How else would you have liked them to have done this test?
if your indications are that because they are on different networks that's affecting the battery life, then a more appropriate analogy would be comparing 0 to 60of an m3 and s4 with the m3 being up at 10,000 feet elevation and the s for being at sea level. Being naturally aspirated engines struggle more at high altitudes that would be an unfair comparison
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that's the main problem, if the test involves constant data pulling over the network, that becomes a huge factor of the test.
joshm.1219 said:
Yeah that's the main problem, if the test involves constant data pulling over the network, that becomes a huge factor of the test.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But if all of them are doing that then whhere is the discrepancy, ya know?
And its really not a matter of competing against other phones. If thats what the result js for the droid turbo on verizons nerwork then it is what it is. Doesnt matter if the M8 on at&t or iphone on t-mobile get better or worse time. Theyre not taking power away feom the droid turbo.
Id love to see more independent tests though.
qwerty12601 said:
I dont see how your analogy compares to this at all. they didn't have the phones set any differently. They were all set to the same brightness and used on their respective networks. How else would you have liked them to have done this test?
if your indications are that because they are on different networks that's affecting the battery life, then a more appropriate analogy would be comparing 0 to 60of an m3 and s4 with the m3 being up at 10,000 feet elevation and the s for being at sea level. Being naturally aspirated engines struggle more at high altitudes that would be an unfair comparison
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I think that's where your confusion lies (my observation), there is no control (factor) group to compare it to. Of the 7 they tested, if they tested them all on VZW and then tested the same devices going through the same usage on AT&T then you can compare the devices on their respective networks. There's too many factors to account for the way they tested it. Another factor is the phone is....a day old? The battery hasn't even settled yet. The other devices they're comparing it to range from 6 months to half a month old. A very good comparison would be to test the, M8, OnePlus One, S5, and perhaps a G3 since they all use the same processor, and obviously other hardware is different but at least they have something in common. Now I'm not saying you can't compare an iPhone's battery life to an Android's either, so don't get the wrong idea there. It's just there are too many factors to offer conclusive results from how they way they 'tested.' But if you feel they are good enough for you then I'm not going to try and persuade you otherwise, I'm simply pointing out that their test would be insufficient for my standards.
qwerty12601 said:
But if all of them are doing that then whhere is the discrepancy, ya know?
And its really not a matter of competing against other phones. If thats what the result js for the droid turbo on verizons nerwork then it is what it is. Doesnt matter if the M8 on at&t or iphone on t-mobile get better or worse time. Theyre not taking power away feom the droid turbo.
Id love to see more independent tests though.
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As I previous stated above, I'd probably take the results from fellow XDA members over their data. I'd give it a few days to a week and check out the reports from other users after their battery has settled down as I don't remember any phone I've had in the past that was showing great battery life within the first few days of usage. There's so much going on with the phone that it's constantly working to get settled in, software and hardware. It's also like flashing a ROM on your phone, the battery life is never at it's best within the first few days after flashing, same principle with a new device that is...again, a day old.
Must unload this off my chest:
Really wanted to like the Z3 but here is what I think of it right now after few weeks of intensive use:
My Z3 is D6603 stock unrooted running latest firmware 23.4.A.1.232 - after complete factory reset AND software Repair procedure via PCC.
Sony & Google Bloatware disabled: Google News & Weather, Podcast, Xperia Care, Street View, Google Play Books, Google+, Hangouts, Social Live, Talkback, Facebook Xperia, Xperia Lounge, Tweeter, FB Messenger, Instagram and others I must have forgotten. My only IM app is WhatsApp, absolutely no Games on board. I Use Greenify (non-root version) to manually close apps that are not required to run in the background.
1. Lousy LTE signal reception - I had many android phones gone under my hands lately and by far the Z3 has the worst LTE reception - where others had 3-4 bars, the Z3 has none and it falls back to 3G (H/H+)- then (by a known documented bug) it never goes back to LTE/4G even when reception allows it - it just "stuck" with 3G.
2. Lousy GPS reception - Never had such a bad experience with slow ability to lock on signal and even then it tends to disconnect unless you position the phone close to the windshield - any other position in the car and you are faced with disconnecting and lost signal during navigation. Even when navigation software is running (Waze) it is extremely slow in updating position so there is a Lag with updates to Waze - 5 seconds after I took a turn for example, it shows on the map - Making Navigation a horrible experience as I frequently miss the next turn if it's close by.
3. Battery life sucks with Lollipop - I have to believe others who claim that under KitKat it was great. Cruising with Stamina mode ON and screen brightness set to Auto 0% can give you a day with light use with SOT of 6 hours, but anything more straining than this - for example light camera/GPS/Gaming use with 20% Auto brightness and battery drains like mad.
4. Mediocre Camera performance - quality is very disappointing compared to other phones with same/similar or ever lower spec Sony sensor.
5. Low speaker volume - if I want to use it while driving or on a busy street outside - there is no way I can hear the other side of the conversation through the speaker.
6. Low earpiece volume during calls - same as #5 above.
7. Malfunctioning Speakerphone - other side can't here me when I activate speaker phone ! it's not even low volume they complain about - it's horrible garbled noise.
I know that all the above sound/mic/speaker/earpiece issues are not hardware related probably as running Sony's own diagnostics software show that all these components are functioning well.
8. Slow UI speed - lags and unresponsive at times - especially when dialing a contact - it takes several seconds between hitting the contact's name until the dialing action is actually initiated.
9. This is really minor - but flash is extremely weak - cannot use it as flashlight, in camera barely has a 10 inch range and worse of all, when it accidentally turn on - you can hardly tell if not in a dark room so there goes another battery drain.
Enough said so far - I am very disappointed with this Phone - my previous OnePlus One is infinitely much better - (again I am far from being a troll here, I really wanted to like the Z3, I even have a C5 Ultra ready to be tested soon as a replacement and really hope that it will provide a decent performance and make me a Sony fan again):
I can also testify that these other phones that I had the opportunity to extensively test proved to perform much better than my Z3:
Samsung Note 3, LG G3, Xperia Z2, Nexus 6, Note Edge, Samsung S6, Samsung S6 Edge, LG G4, Meizu M2 Note, OnePlus One - all were running stock ROM unrooted. Amazing how even the last too phones which are Chinese brands had much better user experience than my Z3 (not to mention they cost 50% and even 30% of the price of the Z3).
Please advise which ROM to install. as a last resort, before I am forced to get rid of my Z3 ? Again, these are mostly Major issues - I am talking here about signal reception, GPS and simply the ability to carry a phone call - when these are not possible then I have simply no use for a smartphone - no matter how good is the display or the build quality or water resistance.
UPDATE : Z3 Sold ! Thank for your support
Buy another phone then or install a custom rom, you can complain here but no one listen, so send a mail to Sony and bother them because you say only bad things, but my Z3 is just awesome in all points ^^
Have a nice day with another phone
Verstuurd vanaf mijn D6603 met Tapatalk
alon3232 said:
Must unload this off my chest
Really wanted to like the Z3 but here is what I think of it right now after few weeks of intensive use:
1. Lousy LTE signal reception - I had many android phones gone under my hands lately and by far the Z3 has the worst LTE reception - where otjers had 3-4 bars, the Z3 has none and it falls back to 3G (H/H+)
2. Lousy GPS reception - Never had such a bad experience with slow ability to lock on signal and even then it tends to disconnect unless you position the phone close to the windshield - any other position in the car and you are faced with disconnecting and lost signal during navigation.
3. Battery life sucks with Lollipop - I have to believe others who claim that under KitKat it was great
4. Mediocre Camera performance - quality is very disappointing compared to other phones with same/similar Sony sensor
5. Low speaker volume
6. Low earpiece volume during calls
7. Malfunctioning Speakerphone - other side can't here me !
8. Slow UI speed - lags and unresponsive at times
Enough said so far - I am very disappointed with this Phone - my previous OnePlus One is infinitely much better it
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3. Agree.
7. Just with first 5.1.1 build.
Disagree with the rest.
Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk
I've had the Z3 for over a few weeks now running 5.1.1 and my experience so far is quite opposite from yours. For battery, I'm getting a day and a half on normal usage, with some occasional gaming here and there (I'm sure that with KK you can get the 2 days battery like Sony claims, but blame it on Google for that). No problems with speakers, microphone, earpiece and UI (haven't slowed down on me yet). Camera does leave a little to be desired, I agree, but as I'm not much of a phone photographer, it doesn't bother me much. Try doing a repair or downgrading to KK to see if your experience is better, otherwise it's best to get another phone.
From a user of 6 months i have to disagree on all these.
1. LTE Signal is great. My brother has S6, my cousin have One Max, my Z3 picks up LTE like a boss whereas both of them have to access service mode just to get constant LTE. We live in the same house.
2. GPS works fine and accurate with me. Even navigation beta of Google.
3. Battery Life is awesome. Last me 1 day with 40-50% by the end of day and I am a moderate-heavy usage with about 3hrs SOT. I play COC on a regular basis. But I do charge it to 100% before sleeping so the next day I have full batt.
4. Not really using the camera everyday but when I travel, I do, and it takes nice pics. I even loved it more since I am able to use it underwater. I use it even in salt water. Samsung, Apple and HTC can suck on that. People who complain about water damage are just idiots who dont know how to close flaps properly. Or test pressure sensor on Service Menu.
5. Compared to my Cousin's HTC Boomsound of course this is weaker. But my brother's S6? Just no! And the speakers are facing me.
6 and 7. Never experienced any issues with voice calls. Maybe u are using Facebook Messenger for calls. That app really sucks. But on Cellular, everything's fine with me.
8. What??!! I do experience some stuck up like once a month using Apex Launcher but definitely no lag.
Sent from my D6653 using XDA Free mobile app
2. GPS is fantastic on the Z3, fastest lock time of all phones I owned so far.
3. In KK, battery was a bit better, but I regularly get 2 days of use with 5+ hrs of SOT.
8. Lags in UI? Where? I don't have any of those.
Looks like a faulty unit or maybe just need a reset. I have never had a difficult GPS lock, neither loss of signal. For the sound I must agree, with lollipop has been lowered to much
Inviato dal mio D6603 utilizzando Tapatalk
And as a ex-owner of Galaxy Note 3, Xperia Z2 & some days with Note 4 also i have to disgaree most of your points. And i am using Z3 since January 2015. It's a beast
Here's a quick capture of the Z3's GPS performance.
https://youtu.be/G0LVcAvOpnc
You should definitely have bought a replica unit
Does it have MediaTek chipset or something?
I previously owned a oneplus one. The Z3 is far superior.
Try installing the new marshmallow concept ROM. Best battery life since KK.
Guys, how is the increased temperature warning while recording or taking pics? If is a sunny day with 26C i can take like 10 pics and 3 or 4 minutes of video and the camera will shutdown because of the too hot warning. Is that normal?
No problems like you said with my z3,have amazing battery life also
Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk 2
10+ days battery usage, clear audio, waterproof, sexy design, good enough display. What more can you expect??
Was very happy until i submerged into water. Not even fully submerged, now my camera only shows a white screen. I'm done with Sony. You can't lie about your device just for sales.
---------- Post added at 10:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:09 PM ----------
This phone ain't waterproof.
TrevorAshley said:
Was very happy until i submerged into water. Not even fully submerged, now my camera only shows a white screen. I'm done with Sony. You can't lie about your device just for sales.
---------- Post added at 10:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:09 PM ----------
This phone ain't waterproof.
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@TrevorAshley
Is your screen replaced ?
Z3 is waterproof, i call under the shower and swim alot with it and no water damage for sure.
“Sent From MWE V8.0.0 On My Z3”
Pandemic said:
@TrevorAshley
Is your screen replaced ?
Z3 is waterproof, i call under the shower and swim alot with it and no water damage for sure.
“Sent From MWE V8.0.0 On My Z3”
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I've read many people have the same problem. Some people's phones completely dead. Check on Google
Just got my factory unlocked Z3 today in a sale and I read that under the Latest .264 update, the volumes and audio are supposed to be improved and increased and the camera has had an update..
Can anyone confirm this..
TrevorAshley said:
I've read many people have the same problem. Some people's phones completely dead. Check on Google
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I think you were unlucky. I often wash my phone and will fully submerge it but I always make sure the phone seal is intact by checking internal pressure first.
Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk
I have to agree about the contact dialog / phone app. I'm having to use root + xposed mod to keep the phone app from being closed in the background, otherwise it takes bloody ages to bring up the dialler and actually call somebody. Kitkat was all round better for performance and battery for Z3. My old HTC wildfire still performs better in phonecalls.
Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk