Phone Comparison. Need advice - Xperia Z2 General

Phone Comparison. Need advice - Xperia Z2 General

I am planning to buy a new unlocked phone within 10 days. I have the following options:
Xperia Z2($500)
Xperia Z3 Compact ($600)
Galaxy Alpha ($500)
iPhone 5S ($550)
I had made up my mind for the Xperia Z2. It is the most balanced phone providing adequate power, battery life, decent camera, storage, etc. but recently I came to know about the over heating & self cracking screen issues with the Z2( or the entire Z series including the Z3 & Z3 compact). There are quite a lot of reports of the glass on the phone cracking. Also that the phone overheats a lot. I am worried as whatever I buy, I'll have to stick with it for 2 years. Sony has refused warranty in most cases related to this issue. Same issue plagues the Z3 Compact
I recently had a look at the Samsung Galaxy Alpha. It's a good looking and decent device and offers all that I want. The primary drawback is the battery life of the phone and to some extent the pentile matrix display.
The iPhone 5S is also a good phone though it does have a smaller display. It has the best camera among all the devices I have mentioned.
So I ask you people for your opinion. Which device should I buy?
I am not a heavy user. My daily usage includes a couple of hours of offline music, roughly 1-1.5 hours of web browsing, average messaging, a couple of photos and some pandora in the evening while connected to my bluetooth speaker. I don't play games much on my phone. Maybe an hour of cumulative gaming in 3-4 days.
I am still willing to buy the Z2 if the overheating and cracking issues aren't that widespread. I have nothing against iOS or Android. I use an android phone along with an iPad Air. So no issues there. So please be neutral in your opinions( don't start bashing the iPhone). And please feel free to suggest any other phone that you think is good ( please avoid the HTC One M8 and LG G3)

I personally have the z2 and love it. The main thing boils down to design and ui you will have no issues with battery life based on your usage. Apple and ios is its own thing all together if you prefer ios as a daily driver go for the iPhone as for the Android devices Samsung is plagued by there touchwiz ui where as Sony is pretty much stock android with a few added things for the camera and Walkman app etc. The z2 is a large device there is no denying that however the larger screen if you don't mind the phone being bigger is a big advantage for just about everything. It's easier to type on and makes Web browsing easier. I haven't had any issues with mine in terms of defects. One big advantage with the Android devices is the sd card. Although you may not need it at the moment if you have got the phone for 2 years it's great to be able to expand the storage if needed. I would recommend popping into a phone shop and playing with the phones and see what you like best as everybody is different. Hope this helps you.
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Free mobile app

nobby00900 said:
I personally have the z2 and love it. The main thing boils down to design and ui you will have no issues with battery life based on your usage. Apple and ios is its own thing all together if you prefer ios as a daily driver go for the iPhone as for the Android devices Samsung is plagued by there touchwiz ui where as Sony is pretty much stock android with a few added things for the camera and Walkman app etc. The z2 is a large device there is no denying that however the larger screen if you don't mind the phone being bigger is a big advantage for just about everything. It's easier to type on and makes Web browsing easier. I haven't had any issues with mine in terms of defects. One big advantage with the Android devices is the sd card. Although you may not need it at the moment if you have got the phone for 2 years it's great to be able to expand the storage if needed. I would recommend popping into a phone shop and playing with the phones and see what you like best as everybody is different. Hope this helps you.
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Free mobile app
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Thank you for your opinion. I have been to various stores and tried the devices. My major concern is the cracking, which cannot be tried in the store. Since you have a Z2, maybe you can elaborate your usage a bit. How long have you had the device? Also does the device overheat?
Also, what would be your next preference, after the Z2 (out of the 4)?

Hey, welcome to the Z2 forums.
First and foremost let me say that my phone is from the 14W28 batch, meaning it was produced between 7th July 2014 and the 13th July 2014 (both dates are inclusive). Also I am running a ExistenZ made by @niaboc79 which may have sorted some problems I may have faced if I hadn't have installed it.
The first worry you have with the phone is overheating, with my phone in particular I have not encountered any overheating problems with normal usage. The hottest it usually gets to is 50C or so. When the phone is on charge it does get slightly hotter if and when I use it, although it has never gotten past 60C. I don't think it is fair to compare the heat from usage of this phone to the Xperia M but I would like to point out when I was using the Xperia M normally the phone would hit 60C-65C and when I tried to use the phone on charge it was hitting 70C-75C. And thus I don't think there is much of a 'problem', although the constant heating and cooling down of the rear panel could contribute to it cracking. (Side note; I also did a 4K video record test to see how hot the phone could go/how long I could record for, I managed 10 minutes before I accidentally closed off the recording and the hottest the phone got was 60C and it cooled off quite quickly.)
The second worry you have with the phone is the self-cracking issues. Again, I haven't encountered any problems with the phone cracking. I do keep it in a case to be safe. However, I have knocked it off of my bedside table during the night quite a few times but still no scratches nor cracks on the front (due to my screen protector) and no scratches nor cracks on the rear of the phone either. It is possible that the self cracking phones were put under 'stressful' situations like tight pockets, rapid cooling and heating, often drops/falls or maybe it could just have been a problem with the earlier batches (mine may still be subject to these issues as it is from about 2 months after the release of the phone).
I have now had my phone for 2 weeks and I am happy as Larry with it. I manage to easily get 1 day battery out of the phone (this is only cause I use it a lot at night before I charge it). If you want my opinion on what other phone I would go for after the Z2 it would be the iPhone 5S.

Having just gone though a similar decision process, I feel I am qualified to answer.
Obviously, since I am reading this forum, I went with the Z2
I also do not like the idea of a glass back. It almost made me avoid this phone. I just don't see the advantage - Thicker, heavier, slippery, and it doubles the chance of cracking.
Note that in my research, I did not see that there is any greater chance of the screen cracking on the Z2 than other similar phones, just that there is the addition of the back cracking, which doubles the statistics.
On the plus side, the Z2 was basically the only phone out there (at all) that "Checked all the boxes"
Must - haves:
4.4.x
All bands 3G and 4G
stereo speakers
NFC - Can use Google Wallet
Other "Icing on the cake"
Looks good.
1080p screen
Good Cameras
Waterproof
Other phones I was considering:
Oppo Find 7
One Plus
Xaiomi Mi3
Huawei P7
HTC One M8
I should mention that the Vertu Signature Touch (Pure Jet Calf, preferably) was the only other phone that really met all my specifications (3G/4G bands, 1080P, NFC, 4.4. stereo speakers), but even after doing a really good job of looking under the cushions of the sofa, I wasn't quite in a position to buy a $10,000 phone.

First of all, congrats for buying a new phone, having a new phone is always exciting to me.
I own a Xperia Z2, and previously owned an iPhone 5s and a galaxy S5. So as you, I don't have any concern about iOS and android.
So, let me begin with Xperia Z2. The Z2 is one of the best phones I'd ever owned, as the battery life is great, I think photos are better with this than with the iPhone 5s, it looks great, the stock UI is easy and stylish, Sony developed great tweaks such as ClearAudio or Stamina Mode and there are lots of development for this. Personally, I had problems with proximity sensor, but it was solved after I flashed a custom rom, and I'm happy after that. No overheating problems or cracking.
I consider Z3 Mini, the expensive version of Z2, as the specs are almost the same but in a smaller case, so If you want to stay with Sony, I would go for the Z2.
The iPhone 5s is such a great device, I consider this also one of the best phones I'd ever owned (Under the Z2). Camera is great, battery life is average, iOS is well balanced and stylish, tons of accessories specially designed for iPhone, and well... is an iPhone.
The Galaxy Alpha looks gorgeous and high-end, almost as an iPhone, the specs are average for the price. I think you are paying more for design than for specs. It's pretty though. In my own opinion, I don't like TouchWiz, so I will put this in the last option.
I would buy it in this way:
- Xperia Z2
- iPhone 5s
- Xperia Z3 Mini
- Galaxy Alpha
If you accept recommendations and if you want a high-end device at low prices, look for the OnePlus One. The negative aspect of this, is that you need an invitation to buy one (I have one, if you want).
Let us know which was your decision.

What about LG G3?
Sent from my D6502 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

The overheating problem with 4k video has greatly improved with software updates. Not so much an issue now. The build quality issues are never general. Luck of the draw I suppose!
The z2's got the best overall specifications on your list of devices. It's a great phone with no weaknesses side from the auto mode of the camera. Learn to use manual controls and you'll soon lose the impression that the 5S has a better camera.
Considering that is the cheapest on your list, I'd say it's a no brainier. Best phone, cheapest price! What more could you ask for. You have Sony's insane 6 month cycle policy to thank for being able to buy the z2 at such a price.
Trust me, in no way are any of the other devices on your list worth more than the z2.
That's One thing to bear in mind though when purchasing Sony devices. They don't hold their value for very long because of the rate at which Sony releases flagship phones so don't expect good resale prices should you decide to sell it on one day.
So if the rapid devaluation in value isn't an issue for you, the z2 is the one and only real choice you have. Unless, that is, you want to settle for less and pay more for the privilege lol
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Free mobile app

As far as i can tell, ive owned two z2s... The self cracking is an earlier build issue.
My 2nd one has had no issues.
Also after some fighting with sony and getting the better business bureau involved sony fixed the first one at no cost.

Self cracking is an issue for a small, but vocal, minority so can be ignored. overheating similarly isn't an issue for most users in normal usage, sure Z2 gets warm but what superphone doesn't only real issue is if you want to record long videos in 4k,which if you bear in mind most phones are limited to 4 minutes is a problem whatever device you get. Z3 compact will likely be more prone to overheating, much the same hardware in a smaller package.
As for iPhone 6,if it fits your criteria and you can live with its closed environment go with it, an android device probably isn't for you anyway.

ghostofcain said:
Self cracking is an issue for a small, but vocal, minority so can be ignored. overheating similarly isn't an issue for most users in normal usage, sure Z2 gets warm but what superphone doesn't only real issue is if you want to record long videos in 4k,which if you bear in mind most phones are limited to 4 minutes is a problem whatever device you get. Z3 compact will likely be more prone to overheating, much the same hardware in a smaller package.
As for iPhone 6,if it fits your criteria and you can live with its closed environment go with it, an android device probably isn't for you anyway.
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What makes you think android devices are not for me?

I just found out about this phone and I am in a similar situation as the OP.
I am looking for a used/new phone for less than $500 dollars, has an above average camera, good battery life, and no lag issues.
Currently, I am using HTC one m7. A few problems with it is that a camera is super slow and crappy at low light situations. The camera takes like 1-2 seconds to focus on the subjects in dark environments. Next, the phone lags and hiccups quite a bit. I've tried a few custom roms but the performance is still not flawless.
In the past, I have owned an iPhone 5 and it was great except I got tired of the OS, that's why I went back to android. iPhone took best pictures in my opinion. The camera was fast. The phone did not have any hiccups. One big thing I noticed going from iPhone to HTC was that songs don't skip as fast as on the iPhone. It takes a split second more for songs to skip in an HTC music player. It kinda took time to get used to it again. I would consider getting the iPhone 6, but it is too expensive.
I am also considering oneplus one, m8, and maybe moto x or nexus 5. But overall, I think z2 is the best all-round performer.

Ananay Singh said:
What makes you think android devices are not for me?
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With iPhone everything is designed to just work, if it doesn't tough ****. Android, still IMHO, lacks the polish but there are almost always work around to any major issues.
In my experience the people willing to work around androids foibles find the locked down world of iOS too constrained, and those who put up with those constraints find the fiddling with android to get it set up to their liking too much. But that's just my take on it.

I was kinda skeptical too after reading about all those Issues but still bought the Z2 1 month ago and I couldn't be happier.
No heating issues, no call issues, no cracking glass (so far)
Everything works flawlessly ?
Sent from my Xperia Z2

Ananay Singh said:
I had made up my mind for the Xperia Z2. It is the most balanced phone providing adequate power, battery life, decent camera, storage, etc. but recently I came to know about the over heating & self cracking screen issues with the Z2( or the entire Z series including the Z3 & Z3 compact). There are quite a lot of reports of the glass on the phone cracking. Also that the phone overheats a lot. I am worried as whatever I buy, I'll have to stick with it for 2 years. Sony has refused warranty in most cases related to this issue. Same issue plagues the Z3 Compact
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Self-cracking is not a thing. If it was, you'd be seeing the forum flooded with complaints, not just a handful of people moaning.
Those claiming self-cracking most likely damaged it themselves through abuse, possibly knowingly, or possibly not.

Related

Should you buy a Xperia Z or not?

Yes, if you can find a used one to a reasonable price, and no if youre renewing your contract or buying a brand new one.
Reason is that even though its great phone, the samsung s4 and htc one is right around the corner and they both come with full hd displays with nearly everything better in software terms, look at the rewies.
I bought mine used for around 350 pounds it had been used for 11 days. Reason, i didnt wait for the s4 (i dont like metal (htc one)) is that i didnt wanted to renew my contract, and i had a iphone 5 (just to small of a screen) which i sold and bought the Xperia Z.
Now the Xperia Z is a great phone, its a beautiful looking phone, it has a great full hd display, the launcher is nearly stock witch i prefer etc.
The "not so great" about the phone is the software side. The camera isnt the best, but its not bad!. There arent many feauteres in the settings app, its allmost stock, so for the people who like minimality its allright, but for people like me who likes a lot of features the software dissapoints. Even though a lot of the software (samsung series) is gimmicks its nice to have them. My big issue with this phone is the battery, im a heavy user and it isnt meant for heavy users. Even in stamina mode and brightness in auto mode i have to charge the phone at least 2 times a day. And the charge time is crazy, if you are using your phone while charging it just stands still. Bluetooth is dissapointing, it connect to my cars bluetooth but when trying to make a phone call it disconnects every time. On the lockscreen theres time, music and camera icons, if u have a missed call or a message it does not show, for me thats dissapointing, the software just needs big improvements.
Now this phone is big, so if you have small hands try it out in a store before you buy. I have small hands but i like to use two hands so its fine for me, but still it could have been nice if it were a bit smaller, like the zl. The rectangular shape isnt as comfortable to hold as a others. This phone definetely needs to be tried before bought.
To round up:
Good part. Its beautifull looking, great hardware, great full hd screen, good camera, little to no lag, good launcher, notifcation lights, waterproof,
Bad part. battery life, bluetooth, software, not comfortable to hold (small hands),

I would buy one because I like Sony's UI, but the dated hardware specifications, poor viewing experience and sound quality is what's keeping me from doing that.

When you recontract (in my country), the HTC One is $528 vs the Xperia Z at $388, with the NFC speakers thrown in for free. Looking at the SGS4, it's going to be >$500 if the prices of the SGS3 were anything to go by (SGS4 drops on 27th April here). Kind of an easy choice

mahay_love said:
I would buy one because I like Sony's UI, but the dated hardware specifications, poor viewing experience and sound quality is what's keeping me from doing that.
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So you've had the opportunity to use one for a few minutes and don't like the screen or the speaker and find the phone
sluggish/slow/underpowered for the tasks you would use it for?

Nameless One said:
So you've had the opportunity to use one for a few minutes and don't like the screen or the speaker and find the phone
sluggish/slow/underpowered for the tasks you would use it for?
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I'd say far more than a few minutes but yes, I did find the apps to be a little unresponsive/lag-ish at times. The sound quality wasn't good but the screen was enjoyable, at least I thought so until I tried watching a video with a friend, it turned out it wasn't.

mahay_love said:
I'd say far more than a few minutes but yes, I did find the apps to be a little unresponsive/lag-ish at times. The sound quality wasn't good but the screen was enjoyable, at least I thought so until I tried watching a video with a friend, it turned out it wasn't.
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If you want to watch a movie with your friend you can go to the Cinema
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium

gm007 said:
If you want to watch a movie with your friend you can go to the Cinema
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium
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It was a small video clip though

mahay_love said:
I'd say far more than a few minutes but yes, I did find the apps to be a little unresponsive/lag-ish at times. The sound quality wasn't good but the screen was enjoyable, at least I thought so until I tried watching a video with a friend, it turned out it wasn't.
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Click to collapse
Fair enough, I get the impression that many of the people saying they were going to buy but changed their mind are going purely on what others have said including the many trolls as if anything negative said with confidence is automatically true
and true for all examples of the device (in this case the XZ) being referred to (or they are trolls themselves). There is far too much general negativity (as distinct from negative opinions).

Nameless One said:
Fair enough, I get the impression that many of the people saying they were going to buy but changed their mind are going purely on what others have said including the many trolls as if anything negative said with confidence is automatically true
and true for all examples of the device (in this case the XZ) being referred to (or they are trolls themselves). There is far too much general negativity (as distinct from negative opinions).
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Click to collapse
Maybe on the internet but I've seen no such negativity from the people who own it, and when I displayed it to my relatives they had a clearly good impression of the device. I think I'm just too particular about my devices.

@op you say the camera isn't the Best but not bad? Yet you praise the screen...... The camera is one of the best out right now lol as for the screen, full HD yeah but the viewing angles are terrible, colors desaturate at the slightest tilt of the screen, anyways....I had my XZ for about a month now and while im happy with it for now I would gladly swap for something else, its gonna be hard to find someone who actually wants an XZ to swap with tho .
Sent from my GT-P3110 using xda premium

With respect to the OP there is simply no answer to the question. Choice is there and all the debate in the world will not alter that.
Trying to compare the top three mobiles at present is fruitless. They all have weaknesses and strengths. It will come down to personal choice and thank heavens for that choice.
I have the blessing to have purchased what mobile I like to that end I am not biased in favour of one brand nor the other. I buy what pleases me and NOT what reviews write. 'Experts' only confuse the situations. The difference between the XZ, HTC One and the SGS4 will come down to style and aesthetics, as far as daily use goes we have reached a ceiling now where the speeds etc can make zero noticeable difference in user interaction between person and device. UI's differ as does materials used in construction. I went with the Sony on this occasion as my SGS3 is a spectacular mobile, for the cost the materials used (for me) are unacceptable, it just feels cheap and the SGS4 looks exactly like its predecessor even though Samsung are using different forms of plastic it still looks cheap.
The HTC One, I fear, living in a very hot climate, that the HTC One will allow body perspiration into the phone via those large frontal speakers ? The phone looks a million dollars but again I fear the aluminium back and front plates will scratch and even dent as they did with my HTC Legend. The other point in choosing to try the Sony was signal strength.
You see I live in the middle of no where so signal strength is a vital part of my mobile ownership. Nokia, in the past, have been top notch in this area where HTC have proved abysmal and I have owned about 5 different HTC's. The Samsung Note was not too bad but the Galaxy S3 that I still have is not as strong as the Sony XZ.
I have found HTC and Nokia build quality to be very good, Samsung are, well they are plastic and look plastic!?
I am thankful for the choices. There is no best and to debate on such things is like trying to debate who the best singer is, the best song, the best brand of stereo speakers or HI-Fi separates. It is a personal choice.
What's the best fruit would be an equally pointless debate.

Best phone so far I find
The fact it's so close to stock android compared to everything else I find a real bonus as well
Feels like a nexus but with the Sony bonus features rather then a forced view of what they think android should be like e.g Samsung
Great camera
Good battery life I find
Best astetic design
Sent from my Xperia Z

swifteh said:
@op you say the camera isn't the Best but not bad? Yet you praise the screen...... The camera is one of the best out right now lol as for the screen, full HD yeah but the viewing angles are terrible, colors desaturate at the slightest tilt of the screen, anyways....I had my XZ for about a month now and while im happy with it for now I would gladly swap for something else, its gonna be hard to find someone who actually wants an XZ to swap with tho .
Sent from my GT-P3110 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the camera on both the s3 & iphone 5 are better. and those are the phones ive owned. yes the screen is beautiful and bright. i dont care about viewing angles, if you had readen the reviews you would have known that the viewing angles are not so good. well if you paid full price then yeah you should have waited.

After spending two weeks with the iPhone 5, I am unable to agree that it has a better camera than the Xperia Z. I have got better pictures with the latter when manual settings.
I would also say that the selection between Xperia Z, HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S 4 (after seeing the ad in Times Square, the name is S 4 instead of S IV) is a matter of software preferences to a high degree. In my case, the Xperia Z won because of the following:
1. IP57 and the relaxation that the smartphone can be used even if the weather is less than perfect.
2. No TouchWiz or Sense and a very clean Android experience that is more of a "refined Nexus" than a traditional manufacturer modified one. The problem with Samsung is that they change a lot of things in their devices and that results in very heavy bloated ROMs. I also think that Sony has made a better job with their apps like dialer, contacts, messaging, Album and Walkman.
The new HTC Sense isn't too attractive to me either even if I have the opinion that HTC usually make more elegant apps (Gallery, contacts, dialer etc) than Samsung.
3. Because of 2, running clean ROMs are of interest to me in the case of Samsung and HTC. Unfortunately, neither Galaxy S 4 or HTC One are too developer friendly (locked bootloaders, a lack of sources etc) which is paired with a severe fragmentation (in the case of the S 4) where different markets has different CPUs etc. Sony has made a better job with standardizing Xperia Z C6602 and C6603 since both of them can use the same ROMs and kernels. It is also worth to mention that the CM10.1 development has been very rapid for the Xperia Z and everything like camera etc is working.
4. The performance of the Xperia Z is very high, it is the first time I don't feel that overclocking is necessary. The device is very smooth and fast on the stock frequency. It is better to undervolt in order to get better battery life and less heat (it made a big difference in my case).
The performance differences between the Snapdragon S4 Pro and the 600 can be reduced by overclocking. The light ROMs for the Xperia Z is facilitating smoothness, my experience is that Samsung and HTC needs heavy debloating in order to begin to perform at their best.
The most interesting product besides the Xperia Z when it comes to the CPU is the S 4 i9500 with Exynos 5 Octa. It is a great benefit that it is always quad core in both modes (performance and power saver A15/A7). Unfortunately, the Snapdragon 600-versions are what Samsung pushes hard since the production of the Exynos 5 Octa hasn't been ramped up yet.
The drawback with the Exynos is the unwillingness of Samsung to release proper sources, a problem that has affected CM and PA on their devices. Otherwise, it is a really interesting CPU.
The step between Snapdragon S4 Pro and 600 is too small in my opinion, the step to the 800 is much more interesting.
5. The screen of the Xperia Z is very good in my opinion with good color reproduction after calibration. The viewing angle "problem" doesn't disturb me the slightest since I usually don't use the device in off angles - and the screen is still legible in those cases. The "problem" is overrated IMHO.
I also prefer the colors compared to the extreme "color explosion" Samsung offers on their AMOLED screens (which can be changed by make the proper settings). I think the Galaxy S 4 and HTC One offers decent screens but I don't see that the difference between them and the Xperia Z is much of a concern. All three are good.
6. The audio quality of the Xperia Z when decent headphones are used is very good and that is with the PureXAudio mod flashed. I don't experience any kind of "inferior sound" compared to the Galaxy Note II. For further enhancements of the sound, Power AMP can be used.
HTC focuses too much on Beats Audio instead of good DACs etc which is a drawback. Personally, I would not buy anything with Beats (Crap Audio in my opinion). When it comes to the Galaxy S 4, I think the Snapdragon 600 versions are using the integrated DAC while the Exynos version should use the Wolfson one. I therefore expect the i9500 to offer higher audio quality than i9505 et al.
I would claim the Wolfson Samsung Galaxy S 4 i9500 will be the best sounding with Xperia Z as the second while HTC with their Beats Audio will lag behind. Samsung usually manage to offer very good sound from their Wolfson equipped products.
7. The integrated battery on the Xperia Z is a drawback but can partly be explained by the water tightness. The HTC One has a completely disastrous battery placement, sandwiched between the mainboard and the screen. The 1 out of 10 in repairability that iFixit gave it would put me off completely.
The Galaxy S 4 is the winner since it offers both the user replaceable battery and a memory card slot. The Xperia Z comes in second and the HTC One suffers from a very big question mark about the internal layout.
Conclusion:
In my opinion, the Xperia Z is the most "well rounded" device available today. The Galaxy S 4 i9500 with Exynos 5 Octa offers some benefits but suffers from very restricted availability. Many of the features Samsung puts in are more of "gimmicks" than useful things. HTC focuses also on a bit of bling bling with Beats Audio and Blinkfeed.
The Xperia Z on the other hand offers a clean experience that is easy to customize and gives a more "productive" feeling rather than "bling bling". On the other hand, everything comes down to what type of Android experience that is preferred. For those that are comfortable with TouchWiz and Sense, Samsung and HTC is good choices.
On the other hand, for those that prefer a cleaner experience but think the Nexus 4 is too limited (storage, screen etc) - the Xperia Z is a very good choice - especially now when CM10.1 is out and seem to work well in the latest build. It is possible to step straight onto "pure Android" right now, without the question marks that surrounds the other options.
Personally, I think the Xperia Z is the best option right now and can only see the Galaxy S 4 with Exynos Octa as the closest competitor - then there is interesting products from Huawei that can be worth a look. HTC One is uninteresting to me, especially because of the hopeless internal layout with the sandwiched battery that makes repairs extremely complicated.
What I don't like with the Galaxy S 4 is the insane fragmentation Samsung introduced. They use two different CPUs but it doesn't end there: then we have a couple of carrier versions with alterations that make ROMs incompatible. I can see atleast FIVE different S600 versions: i9505 for Europe and then different models for AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon.
The Xperia Z C6602 and C6603 is the optimum in standardization in comparison.
HTC One seem to be more standardized too even if there are different carrier branded versions. According to available info, the AT&T version can use the EU ROMs without any alterations necessary and that is a big plus.
I think that the "worst" device of the three is the HTC One and that is purely because of the internal layout and the sandwiched battery. It is tough luck to have a problem with it. Even if it is integrated, it should be placed above the mainboard and not between it and the screen.
Galaxy S 4 is certainly a nice device in different aspects but TouchWiz and the severe fragmentation with different versions is something to keep in mind since it affects ROM development.
Xperia Z is a device that offers a very well rounded or balanced experience that is close to stock Android but with Sony refinements (that adds some value rather than just being bloat). I also think it gives an appearance of sophisticated elegance while the HTC One is a bit "bling bling" and the S 4 is a bit too much of an S III in style.
My last word is this: it is also worth to check out competitors like Huawei with their Ascend series. I think the rumored Ascend Mate II with 1080p screen will be an interesting alternative to a Note III for example.
There is also rumors about a Sony Xperia Cybershot later this year. I guess it will be powered by the Snapdragon 800.
I am very happy with the Xperia Z and don't miss Samsung the slightest.

Ryland Johnson said:
I fear the aluminium back and front plates will scratch and even dent as they did with my HTC Legend.
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Click to collapse
Well maybe scratching is not as bad, looking at this short video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EWqPpYVE08

coios84 said:
the camera on both the s3 & iphone 5 are better. and those are the phones ive owned. yes the screen is beautiful and bright. i dont care about viewing angles, if you had readen the reviews you would have known that the viewing angles are not so good. well if you paid full price then yeah you should have waited.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you seriously trying to say that an 8mp camera is better than a 13 mp camera? i read lots of reviews and watched countless youtube reviews by top reviewers, yes i paid full price but im not fully flaming the phone, viewing angles dont bother me too much either, just pointing out one of the screens shortcomings.... im just hacked off at 50/50 gamble that you get a locked bootloader, which is why we buy android devices in the first place, to unlock, mod and set free, but i really needed a phone at the time so hey ho.

Quite agree with some but not all.
Battery I find it better, at least it was far better than my previous phone - Samsung Galaxy S III, and it also charging fast, at least it was faster than my previous Samsung Galaxy S III.
I don't find this phone that bad only deserved for 2nd hand value.
I do miss some useful function by Samsung especially on those sensor part, but.. it was not a must as it ain't really important.
Stability wise, I can only said this is my 1st Android that is stable out from the box. My experience with Samsung Galaxy S II - G version was the most terrible one, it hang often until I sold it after 2 months usage, actually before I sold the SII-G ROM already quit stable but it still hang maybe once a week. Then I get S III, the performance was smooth before you install anything, it drag down after install full of apps, I am not so satisfied with S III performance, I mean the international edition which only 1GB RAM, it will anytime restart the launcher once you touch the Google Chrome. Even the most simple task - opening Phone also need to wait, this is truly nightmare as older S II - G also don't have this issue, it open instant.
Then my sister buy Note II, and this is the 1st time Samsung did it pretty solid and stable. I am sure since this, they no doubt any issue on S4. But I still don't choose S4 due to bored on it similarity design.
HTC One - this is my choice before I pick Xperia Z as I had seen HTC Butterfly screen before, and it extremely impress me. But for design wise, I still pick Sony as I find it did the best in outer and inner (software part) design. Then, after seeing a lot reviews of HTC One camera, the Ultrapixel camera was quite let down, it too easier over expose in day light outdoor shoot due to it big aperture f/2.0, such aperture if not handle well is a nightmare. HTC One body is similar and even slightly bigger than S III, in such body, it was easier squeeze in 5" screen rather than current 4.7". Beside this, Xperia Z waterproof and solid build with capable of SD card was a plus.
Now talk on screen wise, I actually not please with Samsung over saturate AMOLED screen, it was just too vivid to be natural & preset color of Natural is not working, as it became too dull. Don't talk on S4, I know it came with Adobe RGB Professional profile, maybe this help, I can't justified now as I need to see in person. Xperia Z screen wise was nature but never lost it vividness and nice to look at, the only lose here is the viewing angle but it not really impact actual use.
Sound quality on Xperia Z stock not really impress me due to it too low volume loud speaker and not clear, also all the preset was too flat to listening, Clear Audio+ not flat but too high pitch. All this issue solved after with PureXAudio mod, it was really good and not worst than my S III after the mod.
Performance wise, no doubt S4 win here as it bundle with latest highest CPU and highest speed as well. But is this really matter, I doubt about it, now every flagship phone is fast enough, not really need getting the highest speed, in-fact future phone shall more look on RAM (probably is time equip with 3GB or 4GB) and battery. RAM always play important part in any IT electrical device. More RAM will eventually make everything much smoother and better.
Until now, the only thing I want Sony make it better was reduce the camera over post processing & jpeg compression, I know the output could be better if Sony reduce down the post processing especially the noise filtering, it was like a paint of wax sometimes the output.

It's a great device. At the end of the day is a flagship so it won't disappoint you but it all comes to personal preference sony xz, HTC one or Samsung s4 they are all awesome devices. Compare them and pick the one that ticks all the boxes for you.
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium

I've got my Z on ebay, sitting in front of me waiting to sell right now. I wanted so much to love the Z and still do love the Water resistance and ruggedness, as well as the size of the screen. Simply put though, the Z falls down on too many points.
Z points;
Camera : Very good, although no better than S3 or iphone 4 or 5 for that matter.
Music: Too quiet, although sound quality is great. The low volume overall, especially through the headphone socket, even with audio mods, is inexcusable from Sony.
Screen: Sony have basically just slapped a small computer monitor screen on it, as the viewing angles remind me of PC lcd screens.
Viewing angle is the big no no here, it is almost useless viewing texts with phone on desk, and watching a movie or looking at content with a friend on the screen is very disapointing.
Performance: The Z is slightly too laggy, although it is very fast.
I love the size of the Z screen and the software is very nice, especially the album app, which is hands down the best album app i've ever used.
Sony fell just short of the mark with this. Given the choice again, I would not of bought it. The HTC One i've replaced it with beats it in every respect barring screen size and water resistance.

biffsmash said:
I've got my Z on ebay, sitting in front of me waiting to sell right now. I wanted so much to love the Z and still do love the Water resistance and ruggedness, as well as the size of the screen. Simply put though, the Z falls down on too many points.
Z points;
Camera : Very good, although no better than S3 or iphone 4 or 5 for that matter.
Music: Too quiet, although sound quality is great. The low volume overall, especially through the headphone socket, even with audio mods, is inexcusable from Sony.
Screen: Sony have basically just slapped a small computer monitor screen on it, as the viewing angles remind me of PC lcd screens.
Viewing angle is the big no no here, it is almost useless viewing texts with phone on desk, and watching a movie or looking at content with a friend on the screen is very disapointing.
Performance: The Z is slightly too laggy, although it is very fast.
I love the size of the Z screen and the software is very nice, especially the album app, which is hands down the best album app i've ever used.
Sony fell just short of the mark with this. Given the choice again, I would not of bought it. The HTC One i've replaced it with beats it in every respect barring screen size and water resistance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Music: seriously check with the doctor, volume is high enough.
Perfirmance: laggy but very fast?? What app/game lags for you. Quad core 2gb ram and lags you are trolling here for sure.
Screen: that's totally bs, viewing angles are perfectly fine, right now I'm typing from my desk, I've seen videos in bed with my partner no problems at all.
Getting a bit tired of those HTC fan boys reviews.
What I suggest you to do is go to a shop try all of them and pick the one you like more. Because at the end of the day it's you who have to like it.
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium

Why SONY Products are one of the best.

Hello, today I decided to write a post about why SONY products are one of the best on the market, I decided to write this because of Xperia Z1 which I think is the best mobile phone ever created by SONY.
I am SONY fan, I had almost all Sony Ericsson phones, I had all W,C,K series and I must say that as time goes SONY introduces more and more amazing products, do you remember Cyber-Shot series which had awesome camera quality for that time, even better then some android phones provide today. Also I can say the same about WALKMAN series that were just amazing, all phones had awesome sound quality as in earphones as in loudspeaker the sound was crisp and loud, I remember my old W980 which was the only phone with FM Radio transmitter and that was great.
My first Xperia was X10 and I was very happy about it, although it was a bit slow at times but still it was and is a great phone that started the revolution in Xperia series, SONY started putting more powerful CPU's, GPU's and other performance parts, and phones became really very good and beautiful at the same time. SONY started upgrading their phones, just making the previous phones better, after X10 I got Xperia Arc which also was a piece of artwork, it had awesome screen, design, performance and also great camera, of course it had some drawbacks like many owners experienced cracks on the housing and such small defects but all in all it was just an attempt to give us something new, same thing with my next phone Xperia S that was amazingly beautiful, fast and unique. SONY always loved to have something that other brands did not have.
In my opinion other brand like SAMSUNG, APPLE, NOKIA and etc are not bad but SONY has unique understanding of what people want the phone to look like. For example I don't like how SAMSUNG phones look they are just all the same, they become only bigger and wider nothing more, same thing with APPLE they just stretched the phone and painted it. This is what makes SONY the only one for me, after Xperia S that I upgraded to Xperia Z that was something unusual, something that was not similar to other phones, this phone is just SEXY, nothing more and nothing less. It has luxury design, cool features, awesome camera and that new "Water Resistance" which is great feature and I'll say why.
It's not really about water resistance, the thing is that most of the phones suffer from collecting dust which is annoying and harmful to the phone in some way. For example all previous SONY phones I had were having that problem, I had to clean the phone almost everyday so that dust didn't get under the battery cover into the weak spots, the dust was collecting also in the camera hole and it was annoying because camera lens became dirty and you had to clean it first and then make a shot, same for the USB port, speaker and other small holes. So this water resistance adds extra protection against dust and you don't have to clean out dust every time, it just doesn't get into your phone, as for water resistance feature itself it's also very handy, because there are some situations when you need to answer call or just take a picture under the rain.
But SONY didn't stop on that and brought us Z1 that became "etalon". Z1 unites all SONY features that you would like to see in a mobile phone, and that's why I bought it. What else do you need from a smartphone? It's has fastest CPU on the board, you can play any high-end game, you can take stunningly sharp photos, you have huge battery and beautiful screen. aluminium body gives you extra protection and glass gives your phone luxury, exclusive looks. SONY produces phone that will suite anybody, for example you don't like 5 inch screen? Okay SONY made that phone smaller so everybody was satisfied. You can't say the same thing about other brands, they simply don't think about people.
So all I wanted to say is that we must be proud of SONY products and I was so amazed with my Z1 that I decided to share my overall experience and opinions. Looking forward to your opinions as well guys.

So, for how long have you worked for Sony?
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk

We see it clearly :|
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk

what a troll post, mods please delete

I also like Sony phones. I always had Sony phones and they served me the best. After some time, I got the X10, then XS, now Z1. I can say that I'm holding the best phone right now.
Cheers.

Well I have not worked for SONY, I wish I had, yea you may delete post if you wish and there is no trolling, I just wrote how it actually is

MADNJPN said:
Hello, today I decided to write a post about why SONY products are one of the best on the market, I decided to write this because of Xperia Z1 which I think is the best mobile phone ever created by SONY.
I am SONY fan, I had almost all Sony Ericsson phones, I had all W,C,K series and I must say that as time goes SONY introduces more and more amazing products, do you remember Cyber-Shot series which had awesome camera quality for that time, even better then some android phones provide today. Also I can say the same about WALKMAN series that were just amazing, all phones had awesome sound quality as in earphones as in loudspeaker the sound was crisp and loud, I remember my old W980 which was the only phone with FM Radio transmitter and that was great.
My first Xperia was X10 and I was very happy about it, although it was a bit slow at times but still it was and is a great phone that started the revolution in Xperia series, SONY started putting more powerful CPU's, GPU's and other performance parts, and phones became really very good and beautiful at the same time. SONY started upgrading their phones, just making the previous phones better, after X10 I got Xperia Arc which also was a piece of artwork, it had awesome screen, design, performance and also great camera, of course it had some drawbacks like many owners experienced cracks on the housing and such small defects but all in all it was just an attempt to give us something new, same thing with my next phone Xperia S that was amazingly beautiful, fast and unique. SONY always loved to have something that other brands did not have.
In my opinion other brand like SAMSUNG, APPLE, NOKIA and etc are not bad but SONY has unique understanding of what people want the phone to look like. For example I don't like how SAMSUNG phones look they are just all the same, they become only bigger and wider nothing more, same thing with APPLE they just stretched the phone and painted it. This is what makes SONY the only one for me, after Xperia S that I upgraded to Xperia Z that was something unusual, something that was not similar to other phones, this phone is just SEXY, nothing more and nothing less. It has luxury design, cool features, awesome camera and that new "Water Resistance" which is great feature and I'll say why.
It's not really about water resistance, the thing is that most of the phones suffer from collecting dust which is annoying and harmful to the phone in some way. For example all previous SONY phones I had were having that problem, I had to clean the phone almost everyday so that dust didn't get under the battery cover into the weak spots, the dust was collecting also in the camera hole and it was annoying because camera lens became dirty and you had to clean it first and then make a shot, same for the USB port, speaker and other small holes. So this water resistance adds extra protection against dust and you don't have to clean out dust every time, it just doesn't get into your phone, as for water resistance feature itself it's also very handy, because there are some situations when you need to answer call or just take a picture under the rain.
But SONY didn't stop on that and brought us Z1 that became "etalon". Z1 unites all SONY features that you would like to see in a mobile phone, and that's why I bought it. What else do you need from a smartphone? It's has fastest CPU on the board, you can play any high-end game, you can take stunningly sharp photos, you have huge battery and beautiful screen. aluminium body gives you extra protection and glass gives your phone luxury, exclusive looks. SONY produces phone that will suite anybody, for example you don't like 5 inch screen? Okay SONY made that phone smaller so everybody was satisfied. You can't say the same thing about other brands, they simply don't think about people.
So all I wanted to say is that we must be proud of SONY products and I was so amazed with my Z1 that I decided to share my overall experience and opinions. Looking forward to your opinions as well guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude, you've written beautifully. I use Sony (Ericsson) phones, and K-series. (K700i, K750i, K800i, K850i), after (Satio, Xperia Arc, Xperia Z), and now of course Xperia Z1. SONY IS THE BEST!!!! XPERIA Z1 IS THE BEST!!!!!!

Thank you : )

You missed out a tiny detail, up untill 3 years ago Nokia were ahead of aony, all Nokia high end phones had fm transmitters great speakers and cameras, but I agree, thats why I have z1 now and not a lumia
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk

Yes, I agree but W980 were produced in 2008, you also missed a tiny detail

Back when Iphone did not exit I was happy with my Sony Ericsson P990. A beautiful touchscreen device with pen. Back then It was very stylish.

MADNJPN said:
Hello, today I decided to write a post about why SONY products are one of the best on the market, I decided to write this because of Xperia Z1 which I think is the best mobile phone ever created by SONY.
I am SONY fan, I had almost all Sony Ericsson phones, I had all W,C,K series and I must say that as time goes SONY introduces more and more amazing products, do you remember Cyber-Shot series which had awesome camera quality for that time, even better then some android phones provide today. Also I can say the same about WALKMAN series that were just amazing, all phones had awesome sound quality as in earphones as in loudspeaker the sound was crisp and loud, I remember my old W980 which was the only phone with FM Radio transmitter and that was great.
My first Xperia was X10 and I was very happy about it, although it was a bit slow at times but still it was and is a great phone that started the revolution in Xperia series, SONY started putting more powerful CPU's, GPU's and other performance parts, and phones became really very good and beautiful at the same time. SONY started upgrading their phones, just making the previous phones better, after X10 I got Xperia Arc which also was a piece of artwork, it had awesome screen, design, performance and also great camera, of course it had some drawbacks like many owners experienced cracks on the housing and such small defects but all in all it was just an attempt to give us something new, same thing with my next phone Xperia S that was amazingly beautiful, fast and unique. SONY always loved to have something that other brands did not have.
In my opinion other brand like SAMSUNG, APPLE, NOKIA and etc are not bad but SONY has unique understanding of what people want the phone to look like. For example I don't like how SAMSUNG phones look they are just all the same, they become only bigger and wider nothing more, same thing with APPLE they just stretched the phone and painted it. This is what makes SONY the only one for me, after Xperia S that I upgraded to Xperia Z that was something unusual, something that was not similar to other phones, this phone is just SEXY, nothing more and nothing less. It has luxury design, cool features, awesome camera and that new "Water Resistance" which is great feature and I'll say why.
It's not really about water resistance, the thing is that most of the phones suffer from collecting dust which is annoying and harmful to the phone in some way. For example all previous SONY phones I had were having that problem, I had to clean the phone almost everyday so that dust didn't get under the battery cover into the weak spots, the dust was collecting also in the camera hole and it was annoying because camera lens became dirty and you had to clean it first and then make a shot, same for the USB port, speaker and other small holes. So this water resistance adds extra protection against dust and you don't have to clean out dust every time, it just doesn't get into your phone, as for water resistance feature itself it's also very handy, because there are some situations when you need to answer call or just take a picture under the rain.
But SONY didn't stop on that and brought us Z1 that became "etalon". Z1 unites all SONY features that you would like to see in a mobile phone, and that's why I bought it. What else do you need from a smartphone? It's has fastest CPU on the board, you can play any high-end game, you can take stunningly sharp photos, you have huge battery and beautiful screen. aluminium body gives you extra protection and glass gives your phone luxury, exclusive looks. SONY produces phone that will suite anybody, for example you don't like 5 inch screen? Okay SONY made that phone smaller so everybody was satisfied. You can't say the same thing about other brands, they simply don't think about people.
So all I wanted to say is that we must be proud of SONY products and I was so amazed with my Z1 that I decided to share my overall experience and opinions. Looking forward to your opinions as well guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too have used a few sony phones too. I had a walkman phone and the sony P1i. I find your post biased. Sony makes good products, my p1i looked FUTURISTIC at its time and my walkman phone was built solid like a brick, but Apple too makes great products and on top of that they have customer service better than even Sony. I can tell you this because my phone before was an iPhone 4 and I had to return it after 2 weeks when i noticed the Camera had a huge blob of green hue. I just walked into apple store, explained to them what was wrong and they gave me a new iPhone no questions asked. On the other hand, my first Z1 had the yellow hue and i bought it back to the store and the customer service of both the salesman and manager seemed like they didn't wan't replace my device. It was a good thing their display model didn't have the yellow hue and after some arguing they were willing to replace my yellow hue Z1. Don't get me wrong, I love my Z1. I do believe Sony makes great products but you don't really need to bash on other companies. Apple too makes great products and they really do care about their customers too. A company shouldn't just be selling a product, they should be selling their support and service for the products they sell.

I know the Sony make good stuff but with few last devices which I paid a lot of money I am disappointed. Now i don't know what to think.

eclyptos said:
I know the Sony make good stuff but with few last devices which I paid a lot of money I am disappointed. Now i don't know what to think.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree , i used to use only sony devices before , but after the ARC everything went to hell ,and i mean everything then i switched for HTC even today i can't find anything that good in sony as it was with cyber shoot series.
Comparing to my current htc one i still don't see the point chaning it for Z1 and trust me i was thinking to do it but when you put both phones side by side there's really no need. I'll make short list and probably get called a troll but IDK really , it's just the facts.
1. Camera from XZ / Z1 is quiet dissapointing , to make it even worse HTC One beats it .. here the link. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2542663
2. Software updates are quiet slow and software is kind of messy , each update breaks stuff when it brings new stuff by what i've seen , camera software is the most unoptimisied software i've seen , i've got pissed off that HTC One takes better photos overall with far worse sensor. And isn't sonys software the most stock alike vs others and yet they manage to be the last with the updates.
3. Speakers are utter **** compared to HTC One.
4. Screen is utter **** compared to HTC One.
5. sound recording is crap vs htc one as well.
5. The phone is huge , i mean compared to note 3 it's almost the same but screen difference is huge or even worse compared to g2 which has larger screen but smaller phone wtf.. The bazels are too large as well.
6. Software on HTC One for me deffinetely wins it with sense 5.5 , it's just much more advanced and useful. ( don't get me wrong i love sony's software but it isn't match for sense 5.5 )
7. Freaking battery , when i heard about z1 and saw official specs i was super happy about 3000 mAh battery but when i tested phone with my cousins vs HTC One htc one at the end had 25% left while z1 was dead with the same exac usage !
8. HEAT , this part annoys me the most , without gaming on wifi heavy usage we've reached 47c WHAT THE **** , HTC One was at 37.....
9. Gaming , there's really no much difference z1/htc one in this regard except z1 starts / loads games faster but it can't match gaming time with htc one , z1 ended up with 2:20 while htc one was pushing 3:30 with 15% left ...
10. Software development is just SAD on sony devices vs HTC .. i mean HTC One has more on verizon development then z1 / xz / zl combined , imagine how much international HTC One has ...
These little things are pretty much why i skipped XZ / Z1 and i'm hopping for z2 or whatever next phone gonna be to have everything better then htc so i can get back.
@ the OP , please explain to me why z1 which is 6/7 months newer then HTC One lacks all these listed things ?

Yea you guys are correct, I just wrote my opinion aswell so, I agree about support service it totaly ***S

Shan89 said:
I agree , i used to use only sony devices before , but after the ARC everything went to hell ,and i mean everything then i switched for HTC even today i can't find anything that good in sony as it was with cyber shoot series.
Comparing to my current htc one i still don't see the point chaning it for Z1 and trust me i was thinking to do it but when you put both phones side by side there's really no need. I'll make short list and probably get called a troll but IDK really , it's just the facts.
1. Camera from XZ / Z1 is quiet dissapointing , to make it even worse HTC One beats it .. here the link. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2542663
2. Software updates are quiet slow and software is kind of messy , each update breaks stuff when it brings new stuff by what i've seen , camera software is the most unoptimisied software i've seen , i've got pissed off that HTC One takes better photos overall with far worse sensor. And isn't sonys software the most stock alike vs others and yet they manage to be the last with the updates.
3. Speakers are utter **** compared to HTC One.
4. Screen is utter **** compared to HTC One.
5. sound recording is crap vs htc one as well.
5. The phone is huge , i mean compared to note 3 it's almost the same but screen difference is huge or even worse compared to g2 which has larger screen but smaller phone wtf.. The bazels are too large as well.
6. Software on HTC One for me deffinetely wins it with sense 5.5 , it's just much more advanced and useful. ( don't get me wrong i love sony's software but it isn't match for sense 5.5 )
7. Freaking battery , when i heard about z1 and saw official specs i was super happy about 3000 mAh battery but when i tested phone with my cousins vs HTC One htc one at the end had 25% left while z1 was dead with the same exac usage !
8. HEAT , this part annoys me the most , without gaming on wifi heavy usage we've reached 47c WHAT THE **** , HTC One was at 37.....
9. Gaming , there's really no much difference z1/htc one in this regard except z1 starts / loads games faster but it can't match gaming time with htc one , z1 ended up with 2:20 while htc one was pushing 3:30 with 15% left ...
10. Software development is just SAD on sony devices vs HTC .. i mean HTC One has more on verizon development then z1 / xz / zl combined , imagine how much international HTC One has ...
These little things are pretty much why i skipped XZ / Z1 and i'm hopping for z2 or whatever next phone gonna be to have everything better then htc so i can get back.
@ the OP , please explain to me why z1 which is 6/7 months newer then HTC One lacks all these listed things ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So your saying all the reviewers that are saying Xperia Z1 is the 2nd best camera in a smartphone are all lying? got it...
not only Z1 has a better camera, but also Z1 has a better battery, better screen color reproduction (head on), better phone call quality, better chipset snapdragon 800, better Launcher (IMO)..
After the 4.3 updates, no more heating, I know coz I play Asphalt 8 almost 1-2 hours a day, battery has improved almost 30%
HTC one has of course better speakers, it has the best speakers in a smart phone, but I listen to music and videos using earphones so doesn't really matter to me...

Shan89 said:
I agree , i used to use only sony devices before , but after the ARC everything went to hell ,and i mean everything then i switched for HTC even today i can't find anything that good in sony as it was with cyber shoot series.
Comparing to my current htc one i still don't see the point chaning it for Z1 and trust me i was thinking to do it but when you put both phones side by side there's really no need. I'll make short list and probably get called a troll but IDK really , it's just the facts.
1. Camera from XZ / Z1 is quiet dissapointing , to make it even worse HTC One beats it .. here the link. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2542663
2. Software updates are quiet slow and software is kind of messy , each update breaks stuff when it brings new stuff by what i've seen , camera software is the most unoptimisied software i've seen , i've got pissed off that HTC One takes better photos overall with far worse sensor. And isn't sonys software the most stock alike vs others and yet they manage to be the last with the updates.
3. Speakers are utter **** compared to HTC One.
4. Screen is utter **** compared to HTC One.
5. sound recording is crap vs htc one as well.
5. The phone is huge , i mean compared to note 3 it's almost the same but screen difference is huge or even worse compared to g2 which has larger screen but smaller phone wtf.. The bazels are too large as well.
6. Software on HTC One for me deffinetely wins it with sense 5.5 , it's just much more advanced and useful. ( don't get me wrong i love sony's software but it isn't match for sense 5.5 )
7. Freaking battery , when i heard about z1 and saw official specs i was super happy about 3000 mAh battery but when i tested phone with my cousins vs HTC One htc one at the end had 25% left while z1 was dead with the same exac usage !
8. HEAT , this part annoys me the most , without gaming on wifi heavy usage we've reached 47c WHAT THE **** , HTC One was at 37.....
9. Gaming , there's really no much difference z1/htc one in this regard except z1 starts / loads games faster but it can't match gaming time with htc one , z1 ended up with 2:20 while htc one was pushing 3:30 with 15% left ...
10. Software development is just SAD on sony devices vs HTC .. i mean HTC One has more on verizon development then z1 / xz / zl combined , imagine how much international HTC One has ...
These little things are pretty much why i skipped XZ / Z1 and i'm hopping for z2 or whatever next phone gonna be to have everything better then htc so i can get back.
@ the OP , please explain to me why z1 which is 6/7 months newer then HTC One lacks all these listed things ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the past Sony phones especially my Z1 w/ touch screen issue, I think sony still got it but needs to focus better on their QA, I really loved the Z1 and now I'm disappointed with my issue. I was just thinking of switching brands but nothing beats the UI of Sony, HTC is a good choice but with its sales crumbling down and lack of software support maybe it's a no no for me.. I don't intend to start a flame war but this is just an opinion :good:
overall my only choice will be Sony or HTC

Morlock O said:
So your saying all the reviewers that are saying Xperia Z1 is the 2nd best camera in a smartphone are all lying? got it...
not only Z1 has a better camera, but also Z1 has a better battery, better screen color reproduction (head on), better phone call quality, better chipset snapdragon 800, better Launcher (IMO)..
After the 4.3 updates, no more heating, I know coz I play Asphalt 8 almost 1-2 hours a day, battery has improved almost 30%
HTC one has of course better speakers, it has the best speakers in a smart phone, but I listen to music and videos using earphones so doesn't really matter to me...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't really care what reviews say , i've seen with my own eyes and you can if you take a look at the link i've posted. Phone quality is deffinetely not better especially the sound of it simply due fact HTC Uses stereo , it's pure logic lol , the chipset yeah it is better the launcher i would say personal preference, it's pointless to discuss the launcher.
As for screen you're quiet delusional lol , 1st htc one has much much better whites around 20-30% better whites, blacks are even much much more better , the viewing angles are literally absolute , you can view it flat on while z1 is completlly useless with angles , as for the other colors it could be true but the colors of * es file explorer / viber / google + * and some other apps are washed out lastly daylight visibilty is miles better on HTC One , idk how can you even say z1 screen is better lol , you clearly never seen HTC one's screen.
brapicoco said:
For the past Sony phones especially my Z1 w/ touch screen issue, I think sony still got it but needs to focus better on their QA, I really loved the Z1 and now I'm disappointed with my issue. I was just thinking of switching brands but nothing beats the UI of Sony, HTC is a good choice but with its sales crumbling down and lack of software support maybe it's a no no for me.. I don't intend to start a flame war but this is just an opinion :good:
overall my only choice will be Sony or HTC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The bad sales are actually with low end/ mid range not the flagship , the flagship is doing much better then last year what was with HoX. I'm not sure what do you mean with software support , after the nexus HTC One was the 1st to have 4.3 ( both sense and GPE ) , after the nexus 5 htc one was the 1st to have 4.4 kitkat both sense and GPE , the software is flawless and there's not even one single issue nor stutter as that matter.
Anyway you're not starting an war mate we all have our opinions , clearly some other guys here are quiet biased and not willing to accept the facts infront of their eyes.

Maybe I didn't understand but all SE had radio, last one I remember that didn't had radio was t68i but after that they all had one
As long as I remember W, K, J, C, G series had it (of course I didn't test them all)

c312eal said:
I too have used a few sony phones too. I had a walkman phone and the sony P1i. I find your post biased. Sony makes good products, my p1i looked FUTURISTIC at its time and my walkman phone was built solid like a brick, but Apple too makes great products and on top of that they have customer service better than even Sony. I can tell you this because my phone before was an iPhone 4 and I had to return it after 2 weeks when i noticed the Camera had a huge blob of green hue. I just walked into apple store, explained to them what was wrong and they gave me a new iPhone no questions asked. On the other hand, my first Z1 had the yellow hue and i bought it back to the store and the customer service of both the salesman and manager seemed like they didn't wan't replace my device. It was a good thing their display model didn't have the yellow hue and after some arguing they were willing to replace my yellow hue Z1. Don't get me wrong, I love my Z1. I do believe Sony makes great products but you don't really need to bash on other companies. Apple too makes great products and they really do care about their customers too. A company shouldn't just be selling a product, they should be selling their support and service for the products they sell.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course Apple gives you a free replacement. Because when you bought the iPhone, you already paid for two of them. That's the reason why they are so expensive.
*sarcasm off

My personal experience with z2 tablet and yours?

Hello. I've owned this tablet for nearly 4 months and I think i can now give a brief of my personal experience but i would also like some others opinions.
Firstly, I would like to mention that I've not regretted buying this device from the moment i unpacked it and still going. It's an absolute pleasure.
The design is brilliant, it looks so damn premium and feels it too. The weight doesn't bother me and it feels nice to hold. Even better after i received the 'poetic graph grip' rubber case. This case feels premium as the rubber texture and quality is so great. Anybody who doesnt like a flip case should definitely invest in one of these.
Onto the tablet performance, it is practically flawless. In every aspect. The speed of app switching and the animations is smooth and with hardly any noticable delay. Scrolling is just as smooth. I have noticed no graphical glitchery of the sorts. So it's speed overall is amazing.
The battery life, considering the speed i mentioned above, is some sort of sorcery indeed. I get roughly 1 hour SOT per 10% battery life and it doesn't seem be affected by how I'm using it much. I could be playing games, watching video or browsing facebook. The difference between those uses and the impact is almost negligible. As in there's no real impact. And I'm a heavy user. No I dont use battery saving modes either. When this battery cycle is done I'll add screenshots to this post.
The display quality is stunning and the colour reproduction is near damn perfect. I did slightly adjust the rgb ratio marginally to get a slightly brighter white by increasing the blue and green by 10 each. I like that i have this option. Sony likes this too, they know someone that buys a sony is very likely keen on the display so they make sure not to miss a trick there. Great job.
Next is the sony software. Okay here i have to admit that I'm not a big sony app user. Firstly sonys gallery and movies apps don't seem to like my sdcard and i have no idea why. So I have quickpic, mxplayer and es file explorer. They all work flawlessly. But i am sad that i can't make 100% use of sonys best apps
They are all beautiful though, so it can be said that there's nothing wrong with them at all if you use the devices built in storage.
Bravia and xreality really pack a punch and nobody does it well as sony. These should be taken full advantage of.
I like the rest of the apps such as social life, lounge, remote, sketch, smart connect and even sony select is pretty good. Of course im going to use third party apps, thats why i chose android. But for once, this brand of built in apps really has everything it should have and they're splendid too. I feel guilty that i don't use them frequently enough.
I don't know what else to say really, this device is pretty magical.
Oh and I'm still using stock 4.4.2, with towel root. It failed the update because it can't be verified im guessing because i rooted it. I'm scared to update it anyway, it works too well and i know from my experiences that if something works perfectly just leave it as it is.
What are others opinions? Do you think my review is correct?
I rushed the post and no I'm not going to correct my grammar and punctuation, even though i could. Just read it.
There's no reason you shouldn't buy it if you're looking for a good tablet. Sony really deserves a pat on the back. Looking forward to my next sony device.
Oh and f**k Samsung. Never will i buy a samsung again. Ugly piece of bloated laggy trash.

iKlutz said:
Hello. I've owned this tablet for nearly 4 months and I think i can now give a brief of my personal experience but i would also like some others opinions.
Firstly, I would like to mention that I've not regretted buying this device from the moment i unpacked it and still going. It's an absolute pleasure.
The design is brilliant, it looks so damn premium and feels it too. The weight doesn't bother me and it feels nice to hold. Even better after i received the 'poetic graph grip' rubber case. This case feels premium as the rubber texture and quality is so great. Anybody who doesnt like a flip case should definitely invest in one of these.
Onto the tablet performance, it is practically flawless. In every aspect. The speed of app switching and the animations is smooth and with hardly any noticable delay. Scrolling is just as smooth. I have noticed no graphical glitchery of the sorts. So it's speed overall is amazing.
The battery life, considering the speed i mentioned above, is some sort of sorcery indeed. I get roughly 1 hour SOT per 10% battery life and it doesn't seem be affected by how I'm using it much. I could be playing games, watching video or browsing facebook. The difference between those uses and the impact is almost negligible. As in there's no real impact. And I'm a heavy user. No I dont use battery saving modes either. When this battery cycle is done I'll add screenshots to this post.
The display quality is stunning and the colour reproduction is near damn perfect. I did slightly adjust the rgb ratio marginally to get a slightly brighter white by increasing the blue and green by 10 each. I like that i have this option. Sony likes this too, they know someone that buys a sony is very likely keen on the display so they make sure not to miss a trick there. Great job.
Next is the sony software. Okay here i have to admit that I'm not a big sony app user. Firstly sonys gallery and movies apps don't seem to like my sdcard and i have no idea why. So I have quickpic, mxplayer and es file explorer. They all work flawlessly. But i am sad that i can't make 100% use of sonys best apps
They are all beautiful though, so it can be said that there's nothing wrong with them at all if you use the devices built in storage.
Bravia and xreality really pack a punch and nobody does it well as sony. These should be taken full advantage of.
I like the rest of the apps such as social life, lounge, remote, sketch, smart connect and even sony select is pretty good. Of course im going to use third party apps, thats why i chose android. But for once, this brand of built in apps really has everything it should have and they're splendid too. I feel guilty that i don't use them frequently enough.
I don't know what else to say really, this device is pretty magical.
Oh and I'm still using stock 4.4.2, with towel root. It failed the update because it can't be verified im guessing because i rooted it. I'm scared to update it anyway, it works too well and i know from my experiences that if something works perfectly just leave it as it is.
What are others opinions? Do you think my review is correct?
I rushed the post and no I'm not going to correct my grammar and punctuation, even though i could. Just read it.
There's no reason you shouldn't buy it if you're looking for a good tablet. Sony really deserves a pat on the back. Looking forward to my next sony device.
Oh and f**k Samsung. Never will i buy a samsung again. Ugly piece of bloated laggy trash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a Samsung guy through and through...........
............ Or at least I was until a week ago.
I have had Samsung for years now and although I have tried other brands I always seem to go back to Samsung.
Well, last week I swapped our lass my Galaxy S4 for her Xperia Z2. I was going to trade it in by the second day for another Samsung, but she talked me into persevering with it a little longer....... and I'm so glad she did!. It's big, it's very square, but now I'm used to it I actually like it. I prefer it over the Samsung for the fact that Sony don't force loads of bloatware on you. The screen is great, the camera is fantastic! and battery life is amazing compared to any Samsung I have had.
So what has the Z2 phone got to do with a review of the Z2 tablet???........... Nothing........but.....
I always have a tablet to match my phone. So now I am used to the Z2 I plan on trading my Note 10.1 and Nexus 10 to get the Z2 tablet.
It's just bloody typical, when I didn't want the Z2 tablet our local secondhand shop had a couple in. But now I actually want one, they have none!.

I have had it 6 Months. I did buy the official sony case but generally use it without it, except when im out and about. Holding it now without a case it feels great as it always did since the first time I bought it. Slim as hell, but confident I could drop it and still recover. Its an odd design with wide bezzels but keeps me from tapping on the sides. Camera is bad, and that is the only negative I have. But who uses a tablet to take pics. I reackon when it gets lollipop im sorted for a tablet for the next year, im a techo geek and like to keep up to date, but dont see myself upgrading this for a while, and I think that says alot. It has never let me down and has done everything I ask of it in the last 6 months, so im staying with it, and will invest in a nice sony phone aswell.

Im a bit disappointed with mine but the fault of the first 2 fall on to bell
1. My bootloader is locked (made the mistake of buying through a carrier) which leads me to two
2. Unable to customize with roms/kernel
3. The bezels make it hard, even impossible to shop for universal 10" cases
4. The battery for me isn't what i thought it would be, an hour of use it drops 15-20 %
Other then those, everything is great, performence, display, sound(with headphones)
Things would be different if i was able to unlock my BL... Now I am happy to have root and some control of the stock kernel at least.

If your battery is dropping 15-20% a hour, you're doing something wrong. {Except you're gaming, then it's perfectly normal.) This device is really battery efficient, 10% per hour is normal.
Use Stamina Mode, and look whether there are apps in the background which consume battery. Tame them by deactivating (with Titanium Backup) or by using Greenify/Amplify.
For the case, simply get the Sony case. It's perfectly fine.
And you don't need ROMs or kernels on this device. Stock ROM + Root + Xposed is perfectly fine, looks good and has by far the best battery life.
So just enjoy!

Hey guys I've been looking for a tablet for a while now that fits my needs. I'm thinking the Z2 Tab is the way to go, beautiful design, big enough and backed by Sony who are known for timely updates.
Now I've never owned a Sony Device and I've had a look in the forums... What's the deal with rooting and such? Most threads seem to point towards the 'Sony cross-device forum' and I'm a bit confused. I've only owned LG and Samsung devices and they both seemed to have more device specific Development...

I really like of this tablet. All most every single aspect of it is really good.
But my real problem with it is touch screen. It's the worst touch screen have been used. I update to last version and it is really batter but still with minor problems. My LG G2 has a really better touch screen than this tablet. What do you think about it's touch screen? These minor problems are common on other tablets ? I tried a Ipad 2 and the touch is really amazing.

Excellent tablet
I must agree with the original post, this is really an awesome tablet.
My wife has always gone with apple, both for her phone and ipad. The rest of my family and friends are all hard core Samsung or Apple users. At the beginning of the year I got an Xperia V phone, which was taken from me a month later when I was attacked walking my baby. A friend gave me his Samsung Galaxy to use. But I really loved the experience with the Sony, and being able to use it outdoors in sand and water. So when it came time to use my book and equipment allowance at work I put it towards a Sony Z2 tablet. I am really happy with the decision. After updating to 4.4.4 I find the touchscreen no longer gives issues, and while the camera performance is sub-par, it doesn't really bother me as using it for voip and anything esle other than a DSLR works great!
A big thumbs up to sony, and to all the xda developers that help us use this device the way we want to!

I just ordered mine, the 32 gig lte version, I decided to get this over the shield and a 128gig ipad air because I like sony products and hope this is as good as it looks.

You wont be disappointed.
I got this earlier this month. I had immediate buyers regret day one because the screen was being iffy. I also almost never used it that day because I was chatting and its a pain in the butt to type on a tablet.
Then day 2 rolled around. I was amazed by the battery life (10% for every 1 hr SOT) and how amazing the Sony Music, Video and Phones apps were. The only problem was its inability to play audio on mkv files. The audio booster was another thing that made a huge difference. By far the best.
The screen almost never gets glitchy anymore (thank god). If it does it goes away after turning the screen off and on. The color reproduction was fantastic.
They only downside to this was some of the built in sony apps i cant uninstall. I think people can make good use of them. Just not for me. Also wish they would give some freebies from their media store for buying a $450 purchase

GalaxyWhy said:
Hey guys I've been looking for a tablet for a while now that fits my needs. I'm thinking the Z2 Tab is the way to go, beautiful design, big enough and backed by Sony who are known for timely updates.
Now I've never owned a Sony Device and I've had a look in the forums... What's the deal with rooting and such? Most threads seem to point towards the 'Sony cross-device forum' and I'm a bit confused. I've only owned LG and Samsung devices and they both seemed to have more device specific Development...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you dont have high budget , can consider xperia tablet compact or xperia tablet z first generation

Got it today, already rooted without unlocking bootloader and charging now ?
So far I'm very glad I bought It!!! Amazing job Sony ?
Inviato dal mio SGP511 utilizzando Tapatalk

My first tablet purchase ever, so not much to compare with cept for the ipads we get at work (yawn). It works a treat so far, keeping it stock 4.4.4 for the moment, tho I look forward to removing the bloat. I wasn't able to play hearthstone on my phone so it's taken up most of my initial testing hah. I've noticed a rare slight creak from the back panel somewhere to the right and I think I read another review saying the same. And I know it's certified water resistant, but it could finally get to me, having to pick out the tab every time I want to charge or connect to the PC. I've had zero freezing, lag etc runs cool as a cucumber. Not like my galaxy note that can heat up just as good as my microwave.
Sent from my SGP521 using XDA Free mobile app

The only real issue I've experienced with my tablet is the touch issue, no creaking or anything and it froze once, but other than that it's run awesome and it plays hearthstone fantastically

I do have a touch issue with icons on the home screen, especially if they're positioned close together.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA Free mobile app

I just get an issue where touches aren't resisted, for instance in heath stone when I drag a card it drops like I let go but my finger is clearly still there, turning the screen on and of again fixes it

thanitos said:
The only real issue I've experienced with my tablet is the touch issue, no creaking or anything and it froze once, but other than that it's run awesome and it plays hearthstone fantastically
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does the Wifi version play Hearthstone just as well as LTE version, and why would LTE be 'better'? What version Z2 do you have?

Aid777 said:
Does the Wifi version play Hearthstone just as well as LTE version, and why would LTE be 'better'? What version Z2 do you have?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Game would play the same, WIFI AND LTE are just different technologies for connecting to a network. It'd only be if you had a poor connection through either, because you must log online to play.
Sent from my SGP521 using XDA Free mobile app

Yup the device certainly has touch issues as from the general concensus.
Mine has too. The screen will lose feedback while you drag things. It doesnt happen always but its more than enough to break the immersion.

Yeah ive got the z2 tablet and what Sony has achieved is great.
What is dissapointing however is the range of Android apps for the device.
Or should i say android tablets in general. An iPad provides better valute to the consumer, and until the ranger of apps available drastically improves im regretting the choice of eco system rather than sony itself.

Should I wait to buy?

Hi
I'm pretty much committed to buying a Z3 Compact or the Z1 Compact as they seem to be the only smaller Androids out there.
I've noticed the price has dropped a little (£292 on Amazon) which I presume is something to do with the imminent arrival of the Z5 compact - do you think if I wait a little longer the price may fall some more?
And is the Z3C that much better than the Z1C?
Thanks

phoneowner71 said:
Hi
I'm pretty much committed to buying a Z3 Compact or the Z1 Compact as they seem to be the only smaller Androids out there.
I've noticed the price has dropped a little (£292 on Amazon) which I presume is something to do with the imminent arrival of the Z5 compact - do you think if I wait a little longer the price may fall some more?
And is the Z3C that much better than the Z1C?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems as if there will also be a z4c.
You might want to wait for that, but if you fancy a good camera Sony phones wouldn't be something for you.
Sent from my D5803 using XDA Free mobile app

Dsteppa said:
It seems as if there will also be a z4c.
You might want to wait for that, but if you fancy a good camera Sony phones wouldn't be something for you.
Sent from my D5803 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Generally speaking I'm not quite sure how much the price of the z3c will fall with the introduction of the z4c.
However I'm curious about the overall performance of the phone: Do you think it is worth the buy?
And what is more, I've seen there is quite a struggle with the bootloader and with developers, but with official CM nightlies this should be fine, right?

Jkay7 said:
Generally speaking I'm not quite sure how much the price of the z3c will fall with the introduction of the z4c.
However I'm curious about the overall performance of the phone: Do you think it is worth the buy?
And what is more, I've seen there is quite a struggle with the bootloader and with developers, but with official CM nightlies this should be fine, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The price won't fall THAT much, but the recent price drop could be because of that.
The phone is still worth to buy for sure as for bootloader problems, they should be history now.

There is no real evidence of a z4 compact being released anytime soon. For now, pretend like it doesn't exist and get whatever phone you want. Besides, the rumors indicate the phone will only be a marginal upgrade: newer processor and increased screen resolution.
Sent from my Xperia Z3 Compact

phoneowner71 said:
Hi
I'm pretty much committed to buying a Z3 Compact or the Z1 Compact as they seem to be the only smaller Androids out there.
I've noticed the price has dropped a little (£292 on Amazon) which I presume is something to do with the imminent arrival of the Z5 compact - do you think if I wait a little longer the price may fall some more?
And is the Z3C that much better than the Z1C?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is just my opinion and I don't intend to talk trash about Sony phones but I'm gonna just tell you like it is.
Just so you know, I'm in IT field (Windows) and I have a comprehensive knowledge about PC hardware tech. Since I switched to android from iPhone about 2.5 years ago, I had bought quite a few phones that included 3 Sony phones.
- ZR with overheat problem even only on browsing the internet with Chrome and very poor quality display (made with TFT) => RETURNED with 15% restocking fee.
- ZL Same poor quality TFT display => I ended up gave it to my sis.
- Z3C made with IPS but with poor touch panel. Annoying touch pattern grids are visible. IPS display quality of the Z3C is well below average even compared to the iPhone 4's. Camera is mediocre at best but all the hype makes me really look down on Sony - the only company who created TA partition just to put their crappy softwares on it and tied the bootloader with it. Not that I give a rat ass about losing its DRM functions, it's just that errors pop up here and there when I unlock the bootloader.
My other 2 Android phones are the Nexus 5 and LG Optimus E970. These 2 phones' displays are superb. I wish the Z3C has the same display quality as those 2. I love its size and battery performance but Sony mobile display sucks big time. Don't get me started on Sony bloatwares (2 ecosystems on 1 device is a joke).
I have many Sony devices in my home (laptop, bluray player, tv...) but when it comes to Sony phones, I'm sure next time I'll pass.
I bought my Z3C for $520 USD. It's still 99.99% new. I would sell it to you for $300 USD if you live in my area (I wouldn't buy it even for $300 though)

Some of the cheaper Z3C listings in the US are for the D5833 overseas model. Be careful with this version, as it will suffer from limited 4G compatibility in the States.

phoneowner71 said:
Hi
I'm pretty much committed to buying a Z3 Compact or the Z1 Compact as they seem to be the only smaller Androids out there.
I've noticed the price has dropped a little (£292 on Amazon) which I presume is something to do with the imminent arrival of the Z5 compact - do you think if I wait a little longer the price may fall some more?
And is the Z3C that much better than the Z1C?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a D5803 running stock 5.0.2 and I'm very happy with the device.
It's compact, fast and battery lasts for 2 days minimum (if you don't play games).
The user interface is simple, fast and close to AOSP look&feel .
I saw no reason to hack the phone with custom ROMs or mods, since I found it to be VERY stable and basically everything works.
If you plan to heavily customize your phone, be ready to face some obstacles mainly due to the fact that Lolipop is quite new on this phone and mods are not yet perfect (although they are improving). I've gone that route before with previous phones, and usually the outcome is that you get some visual adaptations to your taste, but in fact the overall stability/performance will be worst.
Some may argue that the camera software could be better, and I tend to agree. But you will be able to take good pictures, if you use some manual settings.
In my experience, Bluetooth/NFC works very well with different gadgets/systems: hi-fi, Pebble watch, BT headphones (even using aptX), car system, ...
I haven't tested audio high-res external DACs, but some users report some devices are tricky to interface well using Lolipop. Other report their device works. Basic audio play is quite good if you have good headphones and choose the right eq settings.
Some users report the glass may crack due to overheating, and I saw many friends with other phones (like Samsung) suffering from the same issue. Mine is in perfect condition and I hope it stays that way.
In summary: I'm very happy with my gadget and I wouldn't change it for anything out there with similar form factor. And although Lolipop 5.0.2 is not perfect, I got used to it and don't see a reason to go back to KK. And 5.1 will certainly come...
Is there a perfect smartphone (hw+sw+UX+price) ? No, but in my opinion this one is a good step forward.
Oh, and if you don't want to fiddle around with connectivity issues, be sure to buy the phone that maps to your geography and operator (D5803 vs D5833) and use a ROM that was built for it.

z4c would defiantly be a "want to have" but at a premium price point, that's why i picked z3c and i got a great deal. In my eyes it's the best phone on the marked atm. If you exclude all the minitablets which i have 0 interest in.

I am in the same position as the OP.
I had some android devices (nexus s, gnexus, htc incredible s, nexus4, htc one m7), right now I have no smartphone.
Z3C seems the "right choice" except for a couple things:
1) Price: here in Portugal the lowest is 400eur. For that price you can also have: htc desire eye, galaxy s5, and a lot of other non-waterproof phones with better cameras and better screens, but also worse battery.
The Z1C is 100eur cheaper.
2) Camera: it seems that sony camera is not on pair with others, even with everyone saying that is software the truth is that nobody solved it.
3) Sudden death: there are some cases (see sony's forum) of sudden death phones.
4) Cracked glass: this I don't know if is hype or not.I had a nexus 5 and people said that it broken by itself but mine only broke by hitting the floor.
I guess that if the Z4C brings the Snappdragon 810 it won't be very good because of overheating and throttling...
Only option is to wait.

Thanks for the replies.
For me the Z3C choice comes down to physical size.
I want a smaller phone but good specs, and as far as I can see there is no competition in the Android sphere (happy to be proved wrong).
I'll be keeping the phone pretty much stock until I need to start tinkering, so mods are not a problem for me currently.
I suspect the Z3C will have OS support for longer than the Z1C so that may make the £100 difference worth paying.

phoneowner71 said:
Thanks for the replies.
For me the Z3C choice comes down to physical size.
I want a smaller phone but good specs, and as far as I can see there is no competition in the Android sphere (happy to be proved wrong).
I'll be keeping the phone pretty much stock until I need to start tinkering, so mods are not a problem for me currently.
I suspect .com/2015/04/22/sony-xperia-z4-compact-e5803-z4ultra-e6683-e6883-certification-details/"]http://www.whatsontech.com/2015/04/22/sony-xperia-z4the Z3C will have OS support for longer than the Z1C so that may make the £100 difference worth paying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.whatsontech-compact-e5803-z4ultra-e6683-e6883-certification-details/
Z4c and Z4U are real coming and they already passed the certification process with the model number being leaked out. I guess they will out on Sep.
But if you are speaking for the battery life, Z3c with s801 and 720p will be much better. All I can think is Z4c will improve the camera software further(and also fixed the Z3/Z3c red/green/purple tint issue) and upgraded to FHD screen. I've got a Z1c, if you want a cheaper phone to wait Z4c then Z1c is still doing good. If you want battery life for all then go for Z3c now.

Worth Buying Nov 2016?

I am thinking of buying the Z5 Premium, do you think its worth getting at this point, and how is the Battery life under normal usage?
I just wanted general feedback from what you owners of the Premium think.
Thanks!!

Torguy said:
I am thinking of buying the Z5 Premium, do you think its worth getting at this point, and how is the Battery life under normal usage?
I just wanted general feedback from what you owners of the Premium think.
Thanks!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you are SONY fan and can compromise over some of the hardware v/s price features then YES, buying Z5p in December 2016 is still fruitful
- the device has amazing resolution, each pixel shines!
- already have 6 patches/updates by SONY and soon will goto Nougat (android N)
- LAST Flagship of Z series (started in 2012) (Z /ZL / Z1 / Z2 / Z3 / Z4 and finally Z5)
- Last flashship device that came out on LP android 5.1 , so you can root without unlocking bootloader and can extract DRM KEYS before updating to MM

It's a good fone. However Sony support and updates are woefully slow. I only just got the August security release. If you plan on rooting and have never done it on a Sony fone, good luck. It's not the easiest... Battery life is good but not as good as my Z2.
Sent from my SGP311 using XDA Free mobile app

I was just about to ask the same question, when I saw this thread. I usually don't need any extra motivation when it comes to Xperia phones, as I'm in love with this brand since the day one.
However, it seems to me that there was never an Xperia phone so promising on paper, but being plagued with so many issues regarding hardware and/or software. So I have few questions that I hope you people with Z5's will know answer to.
First, regarding construction and build quality, is the back of this phone really made out of plastic and is it prone to scratches easily, like internet wants you to think?
Is that famous 3,5mm jack really so fragile, and is it the same across the whole production lifespan, like earliest models are exactly the same as latest production models?
Is there any real benefit with this 4K screen, besides watching the 4K video content, or are there some other situations when full 4K resolution is in action? And also, when it is, is the back panel really "cooking" hot like some people claim?
This beauty currently sells for about 420 euros in my country, so I'm really tempted to try it out.

Coming from the Note5 I was waiting for the Note7 battery issue to clear up. When they finally recalled it I came back to the Zed series. I am glad I did. My last Sony was the Z2 and I liked it enough but went back to the Note4 then the Note5. After only about a month with the Z5 Premium I do not think I will go back to the Note series. Do not get me wrong there are things I miss but I am thoroughly pleased with this device. I would not say that Sony is any slower than Samsung when it comes to updates. As for the build quality of the Z5 I do not think I could be happier. I am not sure about the comment of a plastic back as I put a protector on it immediately as well as a glass protector on the front and a Ringke case. Every thing I have seen says the back is glass. It boils down to how often you want to change devices. I would buy this phone again.

mr_torture said:
I was just about to ask the same question, when I saw this thread. I usually don't need any extra motivation when it comes to Xperia phones, as I'm in love with this brand since the day one.
However, it seems to me that there was never an Xperia phone so promising on paper, but being plagued with so many issues regarding hardware and/or software. So I have few questions that I hope you people with Z5's will know answer to.
First, regarding construction and build quality, is the back of this phone really made out of plastic and is it prone to scratches easily, like internet wants you to think?
Is that famous 3,5mm jack really so fragile, and is it the same across the whole production lifespan, like earliest models are exactly the same as latest production models?
Is there any real benefit with this 4K screen, besides watching the 4K video content, or are there some other situations when full 4K resolution is in action? And also, when it is, is the back panel really "cooking" hot like some people claim?
This beauty currently sells for about 420 euros in my country, so I'm really tempted to try it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
over the years i have purchased 5 Xperia phones and this is how i would rate z5p
1. hardware 8/10 - look, feel, shining everything stands out. the brightness of screen dims when fone is hot to protect processor
2. 4k works only on HD movies, othwise its regular 1080p
3 audio jack .. so far i never reached to the point where audio jack failing. but then i use it rarely since mostly i use bluetooth headphones
---------- Post added at 10:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:04 AM ----------
CodeNameRedNeck said:
Coming from the Note5 I was waiting for the Note7 battery issue to clear up. When they finally recalled it I came back to the Zed series. I am glad I did. My last Sony was the Z2 and I liked it enough but went back to the Note4 then the Note5. After only about a month with the Z5 Premium I do not think I will go back to the Note series. Do not get me wrong there are things I miss but I am thoroughly pleased with this device. I would not say that Sony is any slower than Samsung when it comes to updates. As for the build quality of the Z5 I do not think I could be happier. I am not sure about the comment of a plastic back as I put a protector on it immediately as well as a glass protector on the front and a Ringke case. Every thing I have seen says the back is glass. It boils down to how often you want to change devices. I would buy this phone again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you! the STOCK ROMs of SONY are better than of samsung in terms of minimal bloatware and somewhat better ram management. there are better roms out there who efficiently keeps ram at lower end (oxygen of oneplus3) however the whole feeling of xperia stockrom is better.
I never bought samsung for myself but my sister uses galaxy mega. i know samsung's rom and the performance. I might never buy samsung

To add to what @yusuHamed wrote about the headphone jack, I use mine 5 days a week on my way to work. I've never had a problem with it. I use different headphones as well, changing them nearly every week. And to add to what @CodeNameRedNeck wrote, I've semi retired my SGS3. I loved that fone. I also have a Z2 which I use daily. Sony devices are good but expensive. My Z5P might be my last one. The jury is still out. If I had broken it a day after I bought it, rest assured I would have bought another one as a replacement immediately. Now, I'm not so sure even the XZ would be a replacement I'd want.

guhvanoh said:
To add to what @yusuHamed wrote about the headphone jack, I use mine 5 days a week on my way to work. I've never had a problem with it. I use different headphones as well, changing them nearly every week. And to add to what @CodeNameRedNeck wrote, I've semi retired my SGS3. I loved that fone. I also have a Z2 which I use daily. Sony devices are good but expensive. My Z5P might be my last one. The jury is still out. If I had broken it a day after I bought it, rest assured I would have bought another one as a replacement immediately. Now, I'm not so sure even the XZ would be a replacement I'd want.
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Click to collapse
for many whom I chat / talked, they keep saying z5 will be their last SONY PHONE, and yes it will be my last sony Phone also! I don't know about others but for me
- I think over the years Sony is not pushing their devices in the market the way it should have been.
- this creates -ve impact
- Sony xperia buyers / lovers don't find Support, accessories easily and if they do , after so much of leg work and on high prices
- the manufacturers are focusing on mid range cost effective devices and the market is saturated with so many devices offering similar specs (and some time even more than sony's) on a very reasonable prices
- Boxing Packing of Xperia's are missing covers, protectors, book covers (high end). I believe if sony has Boxed Z5/ Z5p with 9H protector and atleast one Leather book case on such high price for the device, it would have made a huge different for user like me who is still wandering for quality accessories/protectors
- one more reason of what i think sony getting extinct from market is that GOOGLE NEVER adopted Xperia for any of its NEXUS series!! (accept Z ultra which was using Google's origina AOSP and Sony had to REDUCE their price after some conflict). Had there been Nexus 8 on XPERIA it would had boosted / help Xperia Alot!. The complain of SONY releasing STOCK ROM very late, atleast would have subsided for NEXUS Xperia!

Even though Sony makes exceptional devices, I do not think they are good enough at marketing them.
That's a phone that I had to pick from a limited range of phones which I could buy with a contract from my carier as installment is forbidden for phones in Turkey. And actually I was there for either a Huawei P9 or Xperia Z3+. I didn't even know a Z5 Premium existed as the shelves are full of Xperia "X" derivatives and I wasn't following the market since I had my hard times with my Xperia Z2, even though it was my best phone at the same time.
Still, looked at it's photo scores, laying one point under the Pixel phone with an 88 and bought it.
+ 1080/4K conversion is the cleverest thing ever! Do not be afraid of 1080p this much. You don't race your devices technology, instead focus on the screen quality and it is awesome. Also, being a device of Snapdragon 810 in a S820 era, 1080p gives it the necessary GPU advantage as the S820 rivals have fixed 2556*1440 screen.
+it also saves battery
+the material quality is superb. I jumped from Sony to LG G4, then Nexus 5 and now back again to Sony. It is great. Not a fan of glass back though, Z5 was better at that with a full aluminum body. I picked Premium just for a bigger screen for only 70$ more.
+so far the best music experience from my Android phones always came with Sony. This one is no exception.
+battery life is the best amongst my phones.
+I like Sony's Android implementation. They are slow on updates but stable, also the Woodward is light. That's the opposite on LG G4.
+The bootloader is unlockable and device is easily rootable.
+good headphones in the box
+I listen to music ever day, and never had any problems with the jack.
+camera has greater field of view than the other one on the market, that allows you to capture more area into the frame. With a Samsung, you would be taking the same photo from 10 steps further
+it is good that Sony got rid of flaps from USB ports.
-of your hands are wet or sweaty, fingerprint sensor probably won't work. That's bad for a water proof phone.
-Glass back is so 2012 matter of preference though..
-DRM backup thing requires a bit reading before jumping into the custom software world. Or there is no going back.
-Sonys are a little bit expensive in my country. This costed me nearly 1000$. For comparison; a brand new iPhone 6S 64gb is like 1350-1400$.
-the touch screen is extremely sensitive, so much that I can NOT write at full speed since it reads my two thumbs as one seriously! G4 was on a bit a heavy side when it came to touch sensitivity, thus one recognizes my finger almost before I make contact with the screen..
-never had a chance to try another one but the with-came headphones are low on volume, even though the sound clearness is %100
-it may get hot on the glass panel.
-in a regular room temperature, after 55 min of full HD video it gave me an error saying the device was too hot and needed to get cool for a little time.
-not that I see it a con, but the front camera is a low mp for today's standards..
-I just can't seem to get used to the Album app, I prefer Google's Photos instead.
-back in the days, there was this team called Free Xperia. They were always one step ahead when it came to custom ROMs and kernels on Sony devices, also worked side by side with Cyanogen Team. However, nowadays Xperia Z devices lag behind other devices on especially Custom ROMs. I didn't know that when I was buying the device but was sure I would be able to unlock the bootloader. So it kind of was disappointing for me.. I have to make do with the original ROM for now I guess.. That's a big negative for me.
-the accessory side of Sony is so weak. At least here, don't about the rest of the world.
These are my observations. Hope helps. Which devices I would trade my Z5 Premium?
1)Nexus 6P (not officially in Turkey's market, slightly cheaper).I believe Pixel is something in the history we all will try to forget.. So best Nexus is the best phone on the world.
2) Oneplus 3. That one is great, and the price is great too. But couldn't find it on Turkey. (found it in one store, without a certain origin and the guy tried to sell me at 800$)
3) HTC 10. Noo, not me. Some may like it but I can't trust HTC after One X fiasco..
4) Xperia X seems nicer and thinner. If only I could accept a smaller screen..
That's all.

I don't know, I'm still undecided between this phone and Huawei P9, which sells for about 30 euros less right now. Another phone with Sony IMX 286 sensors and another one which "miraculously" manages to produce great looking photos out of Sony sensors. :/
I still think it is a crime what Sony is doing with its own phones regarding cameras and post-processing algorithms, and seeing what other phones with Sony sensors are capable of, but that's another story not related to this topic. When you think about it, almost all of Sony flagship phones in Android era were plagued with issues this or that kind, and again I end up buying most of them. It's probably going to be the case this time again. I have to be honest and say that with Nexus 6 and Nexus 6P especially, I had great experiences, but after each of these phones I returned to Xperias again, solely for my love for Sony. I'm getting a little bit tired of "unfinished" flagships one after another to be honest, but there is still some passion left in me for Xperia phones so I guess I will give this phone a chance, maybe one last time after 6 years of unconditional love for this brand.

mr_torture said:
I don't know, I'm still undecided between this phone and Huawei P9, which sells for about 30 euros less right now. Another phone with Sony IMX 286 sensors and another one which "miraculously" manages to produce great looking photos out of Sony sensors. :/
I still think it is a crime what Sony is doing with its own phones regarding cameras and post-processing algorithms, and seeing what other phones with Sony sensors are capable of, but that's another story not related to this topic. When you think about it, almost all of Sony flagship phones in Android era were plagued with issues this or that kind, and again I end up buying most of them. It's probably going to be the case this time again. I have to be honest and say that with Nexus 6 and Nexus 6P especially, I had great experiences, but after each of these phones I returned to Xperias again, solely for my love for Sony. I'm getting a little bit tired of "unfinished" flagships one after another to be honest, but there is still some passion left in me for Xperia phones so I guess I will give this phone a chance, maybe one last time after 6 years of unconditional love for this brand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the race against time value, money and fair trade has never been so tighter before for xperias! as you mentioned the "unfinished flagships" is still the case even now with sony xperias where so many other flagship devices are offering so much more for competitive prices, boxing honestly to delight end users and enriching their experience by rich after sale support! its not just one area sony xperias are getting beaten up! its almost every ground, marketing, branding, hardware, pricing, after sale support, replacements, slow updates!
but then agian! as a die hard xperia fan! after z5p, i will buy next xperia somewhere in 2018. By then perhaps 5g will be out and my country will have VOLTE and sony may be giving 6gb ram with snapdragon821 processor, 64gb inbuild, 256gb sdcard, awsome android with switch between nav bar and or touch bar (like oneplus3). BOX containing screen guards and leather book cover .... and ROOTING option in DEVELOPER OPTIONS (like CYNOGENMOD ROMS).............
AM i imagining too much ?

I don't know what to do, literally. :/ I want this phone so much, and yet at the same time, I'm listening to music so much, that idea of audio jack failure in short time is driving me crazy. I guess I will have to choose between X, regular Z5 and Huawei P9 or even Mate 8 (although I find EMUI terribly ugly and unpractical).
*Now going in bed to watch all the Z5P unboxing videos over and over again.

mr_torture said:
I don't know what to do, literally. :/ I want this phone so much, and yet at the same time, I'm listening to music so much, that idea of audio jack failure in short time is driving me crazy. I guess I will have to choose between X, regular Z5 and Huawei P9 or even Mate 8 (although I find EMUI terribly ugly and unpractical).
*Now going in bed to watch all the Z5P unboxing videos over and over again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have had two z5 premiums, one for 8 months and another for a month now. No headphone jack issue for either one.

If you can't get a model that can support an unlocked bootloader, then just skip this disaster of a device. I regret every minute of owning mine.

pattmyn said:
If you can't get a model that can support an unlocked bootloader, then just skip this disaster of a device. I regret every minute of owning mine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Care to elaborate this in few words? Why disaster? I can't seem to find any disastrous failure with this phone beside that headphone jack issue. At least reading the web doesn't reveal any additional disaster.

mr_torture said:
Care to elaborate this in few words? Why disaster? I can't seem to find any disastrous failure with this phone beside that headphone jack issue. At least reading the web doesn't reveal any additional disaster.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's mostly how most carriers in North America locked down the bootloader, meaning there was zero way for most of us to root the phone unless we bought it straight from Sony. Without root, the phone looks great on paper but there's so much untapped potential going on that it's ridiculous.
Not sure how things operate over in Sarajevo, but there's a "phone number" you slap into the dialer to bring you to a status menu of sorts that indicates if the phone's bootloader is locked or unlocked. If it's unlocked, I'd say it'd be an amazing piece of tech. But without being able to root it (as a power user) it feels like having a Ferrari that you can't drive more than 10km/h in - looks great, but it's all just looks. I can go more into detail via PM if you want to know more. I'm just salty and felt like I got burned by a company that's supposed to embrace the dev community.

Have you tried this?
http://developer.sonymobile.com/unlockbootloader/unlock-yourboot-loader/
Edit: never mind I see what you are saying.

I move from Samsung to Sony after having issues with Samsung phones and bough the Z5 premium as wanted high def music and 4k feature and to be honest I LOVE the phone I recently rooted the device which was a complete hassle and I wish i hadnt done it but that aside the phone is great, battery life is pretty good and when viewing photos it automatically goes into 4k mode which is just awesome, i listen to high def music alot and got rid of my FIIO E17 as the phone does a good enough job

pattmyn said:
....I'm just salty and felt like I got burned by a company that's supposed to embrace the dev community.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your complaint should be addressed to your carrier...Sony sells phones with unlockable bootloaders, carriers force them to completely lock it down...
And nowadays in the US at least, carriers don't even subsidise phones any more, so might as well buy straight from the source and no more bootloader worries...

You know what, I just bought this one, so I guess that's it when it comes to my opinion is it worth bying or not. And wow, the package itself is amazing, as well as contents inside. Free screen protector, UHC10 quick charger, MH750 headset... Seems quite premium if you ask me, because somebody earlier mentioned how the package seem a bit poor compared to rivals.
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