My story is much and boring , but please endeavour to read and suggest solutions for me. Here goes the story: As a longtime iOS user, I decided to take android os on a spin, and after watching several reviews and much of info seeking, I decided to try out the sony coz I believe its the only android that has a quality build next to iPhones. I also considered other brands like samsung and htc,bt none suited my need(besides I hate samsung and touchwiz with passion?)
Anyways I decided to buy the xperia z3 but the its waaaay too expensive here in my country, so I traded-in my one-year old iPhone 5 and a samsung galaxy tab 3 8.0 that was given to me as a gift just to get xperia z2,coz i came to learn that it has no much difference with the z3, besides the z2 has a larger battery. And so I did, got the xperia z2 last week and I must admit, it looks gorgeous. The screen is awesome!! However, I'm still facing some issues that frustrates me all the time about this phone to an extent of making me regret buying the phone, but I'm hoping that I can get solutions to the problems so as to enjoy the phone to the fullest!! ?
1. Call quality issues: This is undoubtedly the most annoying one. My girlfriend always complain that she cant hear me well whenever we are talking on the phone,and that breaks my heart alot! I mean a buying such an adorable phone with a premium price tag and yet cant even enjoy a good call quality is a miss!! I did some research on the problem and learnt that its quite a common problem with the z2, and as a user on the forum suggested, I flashed the .314 (4.4.2) firmware on it and the problem has reduced a little bit, not completely thou. Its even worse on 4.4.4(which it came out with out of the box).
Q]Could it be a software related problem? Or perhaps hardware? Is there any workaround about it? Will the lollipop update fix this issue??
2. Camera: "xperia 2 has one of the best camera out there" as stated by many reviewers, but thats not true as far as I'm concerned. Yes it has a massive 20.7 mp but honestly I still miss the camera on iphone. The images z2 takes are somewhat blurry and has lots of noise, they aren't as crispy sharp as that taken by an iphone. Could have tempered with the manual mode, bt im not a photograph expert. Can someone walk me through? ☺
3. Battery: Well, I can't complain much about this coz z2 has the best battery on any smartphone iv ever owned. That said, when I got it the first few days, the power management estimated about 2 days of usage and I was super happy about that, now after few days it only shows 1 day at most. Could something have gone wrong?
4.Heating issues: Seems like this is one of the most complained about issue regarding the xperia z2. Even though I have not experienced any severe overheating case that will hinder its usage, the device still get warm on average usage and that feels abit uncomfortable to the palm. Although I understand it has a glass back panel so it will conduct much heat. Iv already ordered for a case, hopefully that will solve my heating problem.
Thats pretty much it guys. I hope I will get some solutions from you. Thanks
(PS: 1.Sorry about my english 2. I can't return the device back to place of purchase coz I got it from a local retailer. 3. And oh! Its the D6502 model running 4.4.2 .314)
Thanks
upgrade the firmware, there are lots of improvements
icedeocampo said:
upgrade the firmware, there are lots of improvements
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Click to collapse
Like I mentioned above, it came with the latest firmware out of the box which has the worst call quality problem. So I had to downgrade to find ease. Reccomend any ftf specifically?
I think its an old update 4.4.4 is the latest
And by the way iphone is a different species compared to android so i think the hardware components is much more different thats why you can't find what iphone's cam to a xperia
On calls maybe it about the network
1. Call quality issues: Yes, this problem is there since the microfon is at the bottom of the phone. Its not a software problem, i also having the problem when talking with someone. The solution i made, talking with my hand covering the microfon OR i had to use a handsfree. This is Sony mistake of the build Z2(bottom microphone). Sad, theres no other solution.
2. Camera: Dont have much problem about the camera. Yeah, we have some people reported that the camera was abit lag from the previous sofware version, but the camera is still good and i dont have much problem about it. About the noise, i also dont hv so much problem. I can take picture well and ive compare my picture with my brother's iPhone 5s, and yet he said my picture taken from my Z2 is more better then his iphone.
3. Battery: Depend how u use your phone, but for me this device has the best battery life ever! Im also a heavy type user, but 1-2 days is already enough for me.
4.Heating issues: This is normal when u always playing games or multitasking with non-stop usage of ur phone. I dont experience this problem coz im not playing game with my phone.
I hope this will help you a little. :fingers-crossed:
yuskhayru said:
1. Call quality issues: Yes, this problem is there since the microfon is at the bottom of the phone. Its not a software problem, i also having the problem when talking with someone. The solution i made, talking with my hand covering the microfon OR i had to use a handsfree. This is Sony mistake of the build Z2(bottom microphone). Sad, theres no other solution.
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Click to collapse
Really?? Never knew there could be another location for microphone apart from the bottom, except for the one above which is used for video recording. Pardon my noobness. So is bottom not the ideal location for a microphone?
With the call quality, I have experienced a lot of problems. Some say turning off noise suppression helps. Personally the best fix I have found is using a custom ROM (eXistenZ) as niaboc79 provided a fix what works (Sony, you could learn a lot from the community).
Re: Mic location. With how big the phone is it is stupid how low down Sony positioned the mic. A better place would have been next to the bottom speaker (the sides) or just above the bottom speaker. It really needs to be higher up and on the front side (like the low price phones they make)
Abdl said:
Really?? Never knew there could be another location for microphone apart from the bottom, except for the one above which is used for video recording. Pardon my noobness. So is bottom not the ideal location for a microphone?
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Click to collapse
Sorry, i think u missunderstood what i mean actually. I cant explain it clearly to u, my english is so bad. Look at the Z3 main mic, at the front-bottom instead the Z2(bottom-bottom). The Z3 mic more closer to our mouth when we speak. So when talking on the phone, voice from the Z3 is more easily to be hear then the Z2. I hope this will explain, otherwise i need someone to help me. Sorry for my bad english. :fingers-crossed:
yuskhayru said:
Sorry, i think u missunderstood what i mean actually. I cant explain it clearly to u, my english is so bad. Look at the Z3 main mic, at the front-bottom instead the Z2(bottom-bottom). The Z3 mic more closer to our mouth when we speak. So when talking on the phone, voice from the Z3 is more easily to be hear then the Z2. I hope this will explain, otherwise i need someone to help me. Sorry for my bad english. :fingers-crossed:
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I think you explained it perfectly. I didn't realise the Z3 had this and that is what I was describing in my post before yours
gamer649 said:
I think you explained it perfectly. I didn't realise the Z3 had this and that is what I was describing in my post before yours
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Click to collapse
That microphone location on the Z3 likely due to complaints from the Z2 users. I think everyone including me didnt expect this the day we bought it. Right?
I had to turn off the noise suppression on my z2 as the volume is low as well.
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Free mobile app
gamer649 said:
With the call quality, I have experienced a lot of problems. Some say turning off noise suppression helps. Personally the best fix I have found is using a custom ROM (eXistenZ) as niaboc79 provided a fix what works (Sony, you could learn a lot from the community).
Re: Mic location. With how big the phone is it is stupid how low down Sony positioned the mic. A better place would have been next to the bottom speaker (the sides) or just above the bottom speaker. It really needs to be higher up and on the front side (like the low price phones they make)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow! i never thought anything will make me flash a custom rom on a snappy and fast ui like that of xperias(its fast and responsive ui is actually one of the reasons why i went for the sony)....but if doing so will bring an end to my nightmares then im all in.
Ok i have a few questions for you please coz i want to be sure im doing the right thing before i proceed....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/xpe...m-existenz-ultimate-1-0-5-light-dark-t2835196 this is the link to the right existenz rom right?
And the fix you were talking about,is it based on your personal experience or it was stated in the changelog?
If it happens im going to flash the rom,i will definitely need a backup,can you please suggest any automated way of doing so? coz i have lots of apps and apps data on the internal storage. I would prefer a general backup and restore that will return the phone contents to their former places like nothing has happened,
Thanks alot
Abdl said:
Wow! i never thought anything will make me flash a custom rom on a snappy and fast ui like that of xperias(its fast and responsive ui is actually one of the reasons why i went for the sony)....but if doing so will bring an end to my nightmares then im all in.
Ok i have a few questions for you please coz i want to be sure im doing the right thing before i proceed....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/xpe...m-existenz-ultimate-1-0-5-light-dark-t2835196 this is the link to the right existenz rom right?
And the fix you were talking about,is it based on your personal experience or it was stated in the changelog?
If it happens im going to flash the rom,i will definitely need a backup,can you please suggest any automated way of doing so? coz i have lots of apps and apps data on the internal storage. I would prefer a general backup and restore that will return the phone contents to their former places like nothing has happened,
Thanks alot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the right ROM. The fix was first provided by niaboc79 in v3.1.0 (I think) or maybe it was an add on. Either way I flashed the file what contained the fix as people kept complaining they couldn't hear me. From then on I have had no problems at all, I think the fix was also included in every version since the fix was provided.
Titanium backup is by far the easiest way to backup your data. Back it all up to the external SD card (this can be done in tb. Menu>Preferences>Backup Folder Location>Navigate to the external SD card and create a new tb folder. Upon installation of the ROM you can install tb and then restore your backups (you may need to re-navigate to the tb backup folder in tb).
gamer649 said:
That's the right ROM. The fix was first provided by niaboc79 in v3.1.0 (I think) or maybe it was an add on. Either way I flashed the file what contained the fix as people kept complaining they couldn't hear me. From then on I have had no problems at all, I think the fix was also included in every version since the fix was provided.
Titanium backup is by far the easiest way to backup your data. Back it all up to the external SD card (this can be done in tb. Menu>Preferences>Backup Folder Location>Navigate to the external SD card and create a new tb folder. Upon installation of the ROM you can install tb and then restore your backups (you may need to re-navigate to the tb backup folder in tb).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Woow this is great. Thanks alot mate. I will flash at my leisure and report back.:good:
About the other caller not hearing you, if it doesn't work you should replace your phone, if you bought it new. I read that call quality was a problem in some earlier models,, the same problem that you and I experienced.
When I went to buy mine in the store, they had 2 available. I got one, put my sim card in it, and called someone, who told me that they can't hear me very well. Without leaving the store, because I wanted to return it right away, I tried disabling noise suppression, playing with the volumes, but nothing worked. I got the other available Z2, made a call, the other person said they could hear me fine, so I got that one. Unfortunately, this one also has problems, the lower speaker is distorting a bit at higher volumes (no sound mods), but I only found that out at home. I may replace it again someday.
So I say it's just poor build quality, and if the existenz rom doesn't work for you, you should try to get it replaced by the shop or Sony. We shouldn't be the ones trying to repair mistakes that Sony made. Nonetheless, I really love this phone.
sandulea said:
About the other caller not hearing you, if it doesn't work you should replace your phone, if you bought it new. I read that call quality was a problem in some earlier models,, the same problem that you and I experienced.
When I went to buy mine in the store, they had 2 available. I got one, put my sim card in it, and called someone, who told me that they can't hear me very well. Without leaving the store, because I wanted to return it right away, I tried disabling noise suppression, playing with the volumes, but nothing worked. I got the other available Z2, made a call, the other person said they could hear me fine, so I got that one. Unfortunately, this one also has problems, the lower speaker is distorting a bit at higher volumes (no sound mods), but I only found that out at home. I may replace it again someday.
So I say it's just poor build quality, and if the existenz rom doesn't work for you, you should try to get it replaced by the shop or Sony. We shouldn't be the ones trying to repair mistakes that Sony made. Nonetheless, I really love this phone.
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Click to collapse
The thing is people can hear me talking but not can not get what im saying so they are always asking me to repeat myself and its super annoying ?. Just finished making a call with a friend and I had to yell before she could hear me, and that actually provoked me!!! I really regret buying this phone!!!!
As for returning it, I can't do that hear, no any sony store. Once bought its yours forever! What a piece of crap arrrghh!!!
PS. I dont think mine is the earlier model coz it shipped with 4.4.4 Not sure though
Abdl said:
The thing is people can hear me talking but not can not get what im saying so they are always asking me to repeat myself and its super annoying . Just finished making a call with a friend and I had to yell before she could hear me, and that actually provoked me!!! I really regret buying this phone!!!!
As for returning it, I can't do that hear, no any sony store. Once bought its yours forever! What a piece of crap arrrghh!!!
PS. I dont think mine is the earlier model coz it shipped with 4.4.4 Not sure though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Several things you can try in order to understand the problem better:
Try a headset, just to see whether the problem is to do with the mic (software or hardware).
Try a recording software to see what it sounds like for yourself. Try different environments, noisy and quiet.
Try talking over Hangouts for example to see if the quality is any different.
There's a setting for the amount of noise suppression applied, try the quiet environment setting or turning it off completely.
I guess you are probably unlucky, as I've never had people complaining to me about the voice quality.
Si_NZ said:
Several things you can try in order to understand the problem better:
Try a headset, just to see whether the problem is to do with the mic (software or hardware).
Try a recording software to see what it sounds like for yourself. Try different environments, noisy and quiet.
Try talking over Hangouts for example to see if the quality is any different.
There's a setting for the amount of noise suppression applied, try the quiet environment setting or turning it off completely.
I guess you are probably unlucky, as I've never had people complaining to me about the voice quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If tried recording with an app and it was superb so I suppose its not a hardware issue.
Anyways I have flashed the existenz rom and I'll be testing for the next couple days, although so far so good. I really hope lollipop update will bring a fix to this, sometimes I prefer to remain stock.
Call quality... I've never had anyone complain about not hearing me properly on mine so I can't help you. It could just be that you have a small head and so the mic placement at the very bottom doesn't help you at all lol.
Camera.... The superior auto mode is notoriously poor. It usually cranks up the iso and exposure producing very noisy photos. To get the best results, use it with manual controls. It's not difficult. You have the basic settings. Exposure, white balance or colour temperature, and iso.
For exposure, you can leave it at default most of the time only adjusting when really needed.
White balance has five options. Auto which I strongly recommend not using in daylight. Use the sunny or cloudy options.
The key really is ISO, this is where the auto mode does most of its damage by cranking the value way to high.
Under daylight and florescent lighting, use the lowest value of 50 mostly but no higher than 100. For incandescent lighting say coming from a bulb or lamp, use iso 200. ISO is basically the sensors sensitivity to light, the higher this value the more luminescent noise is present. In general, never go above 400 unless you're in a really dark room and don't want to use the flash. And when you use 400 it's advisable to drop the exposure value down a notch or two or three lol
Its really simple, just play around with the settings. In order words adjust them until what you see in the viewfinder closely resembles the scene you're trying to take.
Unfortunately the Sony auto software doesn't come anywhere close to that on the iPhone but with manual controls, it spanks the iPhone. It's a great camera especially on 4.4.4 which I recommend you return to. Maybe hold the phone higher up when calling so your mouth is closer to the mic.
Overheating hasn't been a problem for me for a while especially after 4.4.4. There was the 4k problem but that's largely resolved. I can shoot 10 min videos no problem now.
Battery life as you said is excellent even though worse on 4.4.4 but I believe that's because of the increased brightness. On older firmware, it maxed out at 420 nits but now it goes up to 520 nits. Also the z2 unlike the z3 has a very warm and colourful panel. Probably the most colourful lcd panel ever produced and that takes it toll on battery as well. That's probably why Sony toned things down considerable with the z3 series to make good their 2 day promise but I hate cold displays and one of the main reasons I'd always recommend the z2 over its newer sibling. Well that and the fact that it's camera is also more consistent at focusing in lower light and the fact that it's much cheaper.
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Free mobile app
Q
zodiac100 said:
Call quality... I've never had anyone complain about not hearing me properly on mine so I can't help you. It could just be that you have a small head and so the mic placement at the very bottom doesn't help you at all lol.
Camera.... The superior auto mode is notoriously poor. It usually cranks up the iso and exposure producing very noisy photos. To get the best results, use it with manual controls. It's not difficult. You have the basic settings. Exposure, white balance or colour temperature, and iso.
For exposure, you can leave it at default most of the time only adjusting when really needed.
White balance has five options. Auto which I strongly recommend not using in daylight. Use the sunny or cloudy options.
The key really is ISO, this is where the auto mode does most of its damage by cranking the value way to high.
Under daylight and florescent lighting, use the lowest value of 50 mostly but no higher than 100. For incandescent lighting say coming from a bulb or lamp, use iso 200. ISO is basically the sensors sensitivity to light, the higher this value the more luminescent noise is present. In general, never go above 400 unless you're in a really dark room and don't want to use the flash. And when you use 400 it's advisable to drop the exposure value down a notch or two or three lol
Its really simple, just play around with the settings. In order words adjust them until what you see in the viewfinder closely resembles the scene you're trying to take.
Unfortunately the Sony auto software doesn't come anywhere close to that on the iPhone but with manual controls, it spanks the iPhone. It's a great camera especially on 4.4.4 which I recommend you return to. Maybe hold the phone higher up when calling so your mouth is closer to the mic.
Overheating hasn't been a problem for me for a while especially after 4.4.4. There was the 4k problem but that's largely resolved. I can shoot 10 min videos no problem now.
Battery life as you said is excellent even though worse on 4.4.4 but I believe that's because of the increased brightness. On older firmware, it maxed out at 420 nits but now it goes up to 520 nits. Also the z2 unlike the z3 has a very warm and colourful panel. Probably the most colourful lcd panel ever produced and that takes it toll on battery as well. That's probably why Sony toned things down considerable with the z3 series to make good their 2 day promise but I hate cold displays and one of the main reasons I'd always recommend the z2 over its newer sibling. Well that and the fact that it's camera is also more consistent at focusing in lower light and the fact that it's much cheaper.
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Free mobile app
Q
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Click to collapse
Well said. I would surely play with the manual settings. Thanks
Related
I have some questions for you dhd owners as they are basiclly the same phone, please be honest.
1.how is the screen quality? With super Amoleds and iphone and atrix's high res screens how does the super LCD hold up? Does it look good in person? Text look good? Is it much better looking then say a 3GS? Very important to me, I want a good screen as I went from the Captivate to the 3G3 (my Captivate broke) and it was a huge downgrade imo.
2.Does the LED light do blue, red, yellow as well or just green and orange?
3.How is the camera quality? Wasnt impressed with the N1's camera and I here the desires was bad as well, this good?
4.How is the phone in person? Build quality? Does it feel REALLY big?
5.Will they get 2.3 officially? Beyond? And will it be supported a lot by xda devs in the future?
6.Music quality is very important to me, is the audio loud and good through headphones?
7.is the phone call quality loud and clear, another problem I had with my N1 and I eventually had to get rid of it because the call quality was too low.
8.Battery, be honest. How is it?
9.And finally how happy are you with your DHD and would you reccomend it to someone at this point in time?
Thanks in advance!
solidkevin said:
I have some questions for you dhd owners as they are basiclly the same phone, please be honest.
1.how is the screen quality? With super Amoleds and iphone and atrix's high res screens how does the super LCD hold up? Does it look good in person? Text look good? Is it much better looking then say a 3GS? Very important to me, I want a good screen as I went from the Captivate to the 3G3 (my Captivate broke) and it was a huge downgrade imo.
2.Does the LED light do blue, red, yellow as well or just green and orange?
3.How is the camera quality? Wasnt impressed with the N1's camera and I here the desires was bad as well, this good?
4.How is the phone in person? Build quality? Does it feel REALLY big?
5.Will they get 2.3 officially? Beyond? And will it be supported a lot by xda devs in the future?
6.Music quality is very important to me, is the audio loud and good through headphones?
7.is the phone call quality loud and clear, another problem I had with my N1 and I eventually had to get rid of it because the call quality was too low.
8.Battery, be honest. How is it?
9.And finally how happy are you with your DHD and would you reccomend it to someone at this point in time?
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. The screen quality is very good. (S)AMOLED vs (S)LCD is a thing that is really down to personal preference. I find LCDs better than AMOLEDs because the colors look more realistic. IMO the only thing AMOLEDs are better is the true black. Viewing angles in AMOLEDs are useless. You never look at your phone at that angle. Compared to iPhone 3G screen the DHD is mindblowing (I think 3GS has the same screen as 3G). Even compared to iPhone 4 the DHD holds its ground. Pixel density is lower but the big screen experience makes up for that.
2. Although the LED is tri-color and theoreticaly it can produce any color, AFAIK there is no way to make it flash other than green or amber for now.
3. Camera quality is good, minding it's a HTC's phone. You can check the camera guide in the sticky thread, there are ways you can improve the camera performance and some actual pictures taken with the DHD.
4. Build quality is amaising. It's my first phone with alluminum body and it makes a difference. Some users reported SIM and/or battery cover misalignment, but I have nothing of the sort. Also on mine DHD the camera is slightly misaligned with the body, but it doesn't interfere with its performance. Actualy I had the same issue with my second Touch HD, while the first one I had was perfect. Anyway that doesn't make photos blurry or anything.
The DHD might seem big, but in a few days you'll realise that it's just that all the other phones are small . I got used to it pretty fast. The fact that most of the area is used by the screen makes it's size reasonable. There is no feeling of a waste of space like on the iPhone.
5. I suppose the DHD will get 2.3 from HTC. Not so sure for anything else, but I'm willing to bet this great forum will not leave the DHD behind
6. The stock headphones are crap. With some quality headphones you can get great sound. Also SRS and Dolby make a difference.
7. Again there are user that complain about low in-call volume. I had no such issues, but it seems that if the headspeaker is not aligned with your ear the volume drops significantly.
8. Battery is good enough. With moderate to heavy use it easily lasts a day. At first it seems bad, because a/ it's still not conditioned and b/ you play with your new phone way too much. Once the excitement about your new toy has passed and the battery has few cycles behind it's back things improve. Charging every night is a must though. I could go through two days only with minimum usage.
9. Being my first Android I'm very excited about the DHD. I bought mine in late October and since then I had no reasons to be sorry about my purchase.
Anyway, if you have the chance to try the phone in person, I suggest you do it. Everyone demands different things from his/her phone and it's always best to see how you feel with the phone.
Thank you very much, main thing I was worried about was the Screen Quality, I mean it not being Amoled or anything and being so big, but thanks again.
solidkevin said:
Thank you very much, main thing I was worried about was the Screen Quality, I mean it not being Amoled or anything and being so big, but thanks again.
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Click to collapse
In that case I really think you should try it in a shop and decide for yourself. These are things that can most easily be checked with a live unit. Camera, volume, sound quality require more tweaking and time to evaluate, but screen and size are the two most noticable things in the phone
Yup on the 13th I will go to ATT and check out the inspire, I am kinda worried about the battery life but then again it cant be as bad as the 3GS im using...
solidkevin said:
Thank you very much, main thing I was worried about was the Screen Quality, I mean it not being Amoled or anything and being so big, but thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Big and more portable then a tablet or Dell streak 5"
The screen is more natural then the s-amoled screens. No hard non-natural colors bumping in to your eyes.
tkolev said:
1. The screen quality is very good. (S)AMOLED vs (S)LCD is a thing that is really down to personal preference. I find LCDs better than AMOLEDs because the colors look more realistic. IMO the only thing AMOLEDs are better is the true black. Viewing angles in AMOLEDs are useless. You never look at your phone at that angle. Compared to iPhone 3G screen the DHD is mindblowing (I think 3GS has the same screen as 3G). Even compared to iPhone 4 the DHD holds its ground. Pixel density is lower but the big screen experience makes up for that.
2. Although the LED is tri-color and theoreticaly it can produce any color, AFAIK there is no way to make it flash other than green or amber for now.
3. Camera quality is good, minding it's a HTC's phone. You can check the camera guide in the sticky thread, there are ways you can improve the camera performance and some actual pictures taken with the DHD.
4. Build quality is amaising. It's my first phone with alluminum body and it makes a difference. Some users reported SIM and/or battery cover misalignment, but I have nothing of the sort. Also on mine DHD the camera is slightly misaligned with the body, but it doesn't interfere with its performance. Actualy I had the same issue with my second Touch HD, while the first one I had was perfect. Anyway that doesn't make photos blurry or anything.
The DHD might seem big, but in a few days you'll realise that it's just that all the other phones are small . I got used to it pretty fast. The fact that most of the area is used by the screen makes it's size reasonable. There is no feeling of a waste of space like on the iPhone.
5. I suppose the DHD will get 2.3 from HTC. Not so sure for anything else, but I'm willing to bet this great forum will not leave the DHD behind
6. The stock headphones are crap. With some quality headphones you can get great sound. Also SRS and Dolby make a difference.
7. Again there are user that complain about low in-call volume. I had no such issues, but it seems that if the headspeaker is not aligned with your ear the volume drops significantly.
8. Battery is good enough. With moderate to heavy use it easily lasts a day. At first it seems bad, because a/ it's still not conditioned and b/ you play with your new phone way too much. Once the excitement about your new toy has passed and the battery has few cycles behind it's back things improve. Charging every night is a must though. I could go through two days only with minimum usage.
9. Being my first Android I'm very excited about the DHD. I bought mine in late October and since then I had no reasons to be sorry about my purchase.
Anyway, if you have the chance to try the phone in person, I suggest you do it. Everyone demands different things from his/her phone and it's always best to see how you feel with the phone.
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Click to collapse
+1 to this.
About audio volume, generally, I dont have any problems but playing YouTube video's useually nets me very low/weak volume. I have no idea why but everything else plays loud. It might be an app issue, methinks.
The only thing that really sucks is the mic.
1. Screen quality is great. Text is clear, images look wonderful, video is more than watchable on a screen this size (all depending on the source, of course).
2. I've only ever seen green and orange, but I've never needed any other colour.
3. It's an HTC phone; The camera is an afterthought, really. Autofocus performs well, images are typical for a camera phone really. For a quick snap at a party it's great, if you want photos to remember take a digital compact with you.
4. I found the phone very big to begin with, but got used to it very quickly. A lot of reviewers said it was too big to use one handed, but that's all I ever do now. I have big hands and can reach the screen with minimal adjustment. If you have smaller hands, you may have more of an issue. FWIW, typing even in portrait mode with both thumbs is easy on a screen this size.
5. No idea about Gingerbread officially, but I wouldn't be surprised if we got 3.0 on it too. Should be able to run the improved UI as the DHD has a dedicated graphics chip and capable CPU.
6. I sold my iPod. Enough said.
7. Like many people, I find that you need the phone placed very exactly over your ear to get good volume out of it. I also find that unless the phone is pressed against my cheek, the person on the other end has trouble hearing me. Not a big deal, just needed to adjust how I hold my phone.
8. I'd like more battery life, obviously, but I get a day out of it with moderate use, a weekend with light use.
9. I would absolutely recommend the DHD to anyone who wanted an android phone with a large screen, capable software and hardware, and the money to afford one. I almost sold it to get a Motorola Defy, but I'm glad I didn't.
4.How is the phone in person? Build quality? Does it feel REALLY big?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my Oppinion the size is not too big. But if you take the DHD than take another Phone, the other one will fell REALLY small!
matzestinks said:
The only thing that really sucks is the mic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am trying to recommend a AT&T phone for my mom, and I am thinking Inspire or atrix. I was leaning toward inspire because it will be available sooner, has a bigger screen, and a higher Megepixel camera. (plus I like my friends EVO)
I know that everybody likes to defend their phone, it is only natural,but please provide some cold hard feedback. There seems to be a lot of not so minor issues with this phone.
problems seem to be mounting from the feedback online:
1. Battery life is bad. every other 4"+ smartphone has a 1500 mah battery, and still have battery problems, so why make it even worse with a 1230 mah?
2. I am hearing the camera sucks. That is just the opposite of my Vibrant I find the pictures and video are incredibly good, and everyone always asks "did you really take that with your phone?" I figured an 8mp camera should be even better than the 5mp on my samsung, am I wrong about that?
3 The Mic sucks? what does this mean? Do people conplain about sound quality on phonecalls?
Dont get me wrong I love HTC build quality as I have had their phones before, but I dont want to buy a phone that I already know has some not so small problems. I also dont want my mom to have to tweak the heck out of the phone to make the battery last a day, or turn the screen down to where she can barely see it, or turn off 3g for goodness sake.
Are the problems popping up on the forums overblown? should I pick up an inspire, or should we wait for the Atrix?
My 2 cents
I'm a HTC die hard but I've had more issues with the DHD than any other devices before it.
A few (key) issues...
- Random reboots. Happened today during a call when an appointment alarm sounded off. Sometimes it just reboots when idle..
- Screen freeze - sometimes the device will not reach on touch input. Wait it out or reboot...
- Lag problem. The unofficial "USB fix" with reduced lags significantly, but not 100% on my device
- Bluetooth is slow to connect and sometimes only connects with HS profile (no A2DP). Half the times it's okay though. Also, A2DP disconnects randomly.
- Integration with Google navi removed in FW 1.72. But even with FW 1.32 there were problems - ex. Google Navi failing to lookup adress' searched from car panel.
This being a flagship device I expected a lot more. I still like HTC devices but I honestly cannot recommend the DHD to anyone.
HoundDK said:
I'm a HTC die hard but I've had more issues with the DHD than any other devices before it.
A few (key) issues...
- Random reboots. Happened today during a call when an appointment alarm sounded off. Sometimes it just reboots when idle..
- Screen freeze - sometimes the device will not reach on touch input. Wait it out or reboot...
- Lag problem. The unofficial "USB fix" with reduced lags significantly, but not 100% on my device
- Bluetooth is slow to connect and sometimes only connects with HS profile (no A2DP). Half the times it's okay though. Also, A2DP disconnects randomly.
- Integration with Google navi removed in FW 1.72. But even with FW 1.32 there were problems - ex. Google Navi failing to lookup adress' searched from car panel.
This being a flagship device I expected a lot more. I still like HTC devices but I honestly cannot recommend the DHD to anyone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is something seriously wrong with your phone. For more than 3 months now, I didn't experienced a single random reboot, the only delay I have in touch input is when the phone is installing something and I think that's normal, the only lag issue I had experienced was back in the days when we had no permroot and I had the old version of Visionary (even without temprooting the device). The lag was gone as soon as I deinstalled Visionary, but I turned on USB debugging just in case. I only use BT to connect to my handsfree while driving and when transfering files to/from my laptop and had no problems with that. Don't know about Google navigation because it's not available in Bulgaria, the only flaw in the preinstalled navi app IMO is that it has no landscape mode.
Anyway check what you have installed on your phone and if you have overclocked, reduce the max freq, because the reboots you experience are deffinately not normal nor common.
No problems at all
HoundDK said:
I'm a HTC die hard but I've had more issues with the DHD than any other devices before it.
A few (key) issues...
- Random reboots. Happened today during a call when an appointment alarm sounded off. Sometimes it just reboots when idle..
- Screen freeze - sometimes the device will not reach on touch input. Wait it out or reboot...
- Lag problem. The unofficial "USB fix" with reduced lags significantly, but not 100% on my device
- Bluetooth is slow to connect and sometimes only connects with HS profile (no A2DP). Half the times it's okay though. Also, A2DP disconnects randomly.
- Integration with Google navi removed in FW 1.72. But even with FW 1.32 there were problems - ex. Google Navi failing to lookup adress' searched from car panel.
This being a flagship device I expected a lot more. I still like HTC devices but I honestly cannot recommend the DHD to anyone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well mate you should go to a service center whit your DHD a friend of mine has simular problems and in the first serie s of the DHD is a lot that gives problems he went back whit it and they give him a new one
Regards
HoundDK said:
I'm a HTC die hard but I've had more issues with the DHD than any other devices before it.
A few (key) issues...
- Random reboots. Happened today during a call when an appointment alarm sounded off. Sometimes it just reboots when idle..
- Screen freeze - sometimes the device will not reach on touch input. Wait it out or reboot...
- Lag problem. The unofficial "USB fix" with reduced lags significantly, but not 100% on my device
- Bluetooth is slow to connect and sometimes only connects with HS profile (no A2DP). Half the times it's okay though. Also, A2DP disconnects randomly.
- Integration with Google navi removed in FW 1.72. But even with FW 1.32 there were problems - ex. Google Navi failing to lookup adress' searched from car panel.
This being a flagship device I expected a lot more. I still like HTC devices but I honestly cannot recommend the DHD to anyone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do have a faulty phone i believe because i do not have does issues..
As for call phone volume i m on the stock rom and i don't have that kind of issues, weird maybe i put right in the first place i don't know.
1. Screen is fab. My original desire amoled screen wasn't as sharp as dhd and I love it.
2. Size well at first I thought it will be to big but after few days i've got use to it and now holding anything smaller feels weird
3. Build quality well. No problems here really. My SIM cover has maybe 1mm gap but I use barely there protection case and don't pay attention to it.
Aluminium body is great but due to the phone being so thin quite often it slips of my hand but with protective case it makes it slightly thicker and it's just right now...
4. Battery is ok I can easily get day use and it's actually better than original desire
5. Camera well I'm not a photographer but photos look very good to me and I love sense photo enhance feature
6. Sound quality well ring tone could be Lauder and i've not been using my phone as mp3 player.
Voice quality is ok imo
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
Thanks for the info mattskeet sounds like a satisfied customer to me!
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Just buy your mom an iPhone
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
crankdelly said:
Just buy your mom an iPhone
There's no need to be vulgar.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
What I dont like about the DHD?
1. The battery cover. That thing is damn hard to open.
2. That excess sealing thing at the right side of the LCD.
3. Volume rocker. Its a little to flush and difficult to use.
Hey guys my nexus 4 was recently stolen :crying: and now its time to start looking for a new phone
This is probably the best option i've found so far in my price range but... I have a few questions I'd like to ask to people who actually own the phone, not biased internet reviewers
First of all, I will not ask about benchmarks or specs as we all know they mean nothing if the software is not optimized... but here are a few doubts I have before I buy it
1- How is the overall user experience, I mean, are the transitions smooth and do apps open fairly quick?
2- What do you think from the display? Ive read that its pretty good for a mid/almost high-end smartphone but viewing angles aren´t the best
3- Should i be worried about ram? On my fist android phone, apps crashed because there wasnt enough ram, for example if I was playing a ram intensive game, while listening to music, the music suddenly stoped playing
4- How is sony's support, has anyone had any problems with their phone?
5- What are the most popular roms arround here? and kernels? This is a big one for me, as i consider my self a flashoholic hehehe I ask because after a quick look at the android development forum in here i haven´t found much althrough Im happy to see DoomLord around (remember him, and his awesome kernels for the Xperia play)
6- Is there any specific thing you hate about this phone? Anything?
7- How is the wifi reception? Ive read somewhere that it was terrible but that seems unlikely, so what do you think about it?
8- Camera... How is it? And how does the front facing camera perform? I use it a lot in low light situations, and my nexus camera was kind of terrible
9- Finally, would you recommend a different phone (in a similar price range of course) over this one? How do you think it compares to the s4 mini, or an lg L7 as those are probably the only other options available in my country
1- How is the overall user experience, I mean, are the transitions smooth and do apps open fairly quick?
Yes - it's a fast phone. A high clock speed and the fact it renders to 720p rather than 1080 means it's very snappy
2- What do you think from the display? Ive read that its pretty good for a mid/almost high-end smartphone but viewing angles aren´t the best
A good screen, not great like flagship devices. Viewing angles are fine IMO - Sony has a bad rep for this but the SP's viewing angles are a vast improvement on their older xperia phones
3- Should i be worried about ram? On my fist android phone, apps crashed because there wasnt enough ram, for example if I was playing a ram intensive game, while listening to music, the music suddenly stoped playing
I don't think you should be worried, this is improving with each update, but people have complained about this.
4- How is sony's support, has anyone had any problems with their phone?
Sony have a good support network, but there are some issues they seem unwilling/unable to address with this phone. Wifi is clearly a problem
5- What are the most popular roms arround here? and kernels? This is a big one for me, as i consider my self a flashoholic hehehe I ask because after a quick look at the android development forum in here i haven´t found much althrough Im happy to see DoomLord around (remember him, and his awesome kernels for the Xperia play)
A relatively new device and not especially common IMO, but development is steady, a rom a week maybe. I don't know which are popular, but stripped back ROMS and ones attempting to give the feel and look of flagship Xperia devices dominate. Kernels are all stock based at the moment, but FreeXperia and some independent developers are planning to bring CM10.1 and CM10.2 to the phone. After that I expect things to gather pace - MIUI and AOSP roms should follow on pretty quickly I imagine. There are a decent amount of mods as well
6- Is there any specific thing you hate about this phone? Anything?
The internal storage - around 5gb is available for the user, this is just about adequate, coming from a 2011 device I thought it would be enough, but because you can't move apps to an external SD, it get's used up quickly. I'm not a power user and it doesn't feel like enough. There are ways around it if you're rooted, but you wish Sony would do what Samsung have done and mod their builds to allow this
7- How is the wifi reception? Ive read somewhere that it was terrible but that seems unlikely, so what do you think about it?
I think it helps if you've got a newish router, but my experience isn't great and this is echoed by many others here and on Sony's support forums. There are ways to improve it, but out of the box performance for some users is unacceptable IMO. However with the tweaks in place I now get reception in parts of my house where none of my other devices (laptop, netbook, old phone) get reception - for me range has always been excellent, but connecting in the first place sometimes took several attempts or needed a phone reboot
8- Camera... How is it? And how does the front facing camera perform? I use it a lot in low light situations, and my nexus camera was kind of terrible
The camera is average, don't know whether this is a hardware issue or Sony's image processing - but the fact that people complain about the cameras on better Xperia devices suggests that Sony's software may be at fault. They definitely cut costs with the front camera - fine for video calls and basic snaps but not suitable for photography. Ultimately, whoever the manufacturer, people complain about cameras
9- Finally, would you recommend a different phone (in a similar price range of course) over this one? How do you think it compares to the s4 mini, or an lg L7 as those are probably the only other options available in my country
The S4 mini has a smaller screen (lower resolution too?), but more RAM, I think it's a better device if you want a more compact phone. The SP feels better in the hand IMO, it is somewhat chunky and heavy but feels solid and well made. If you've come from an N4 going to a smaller screen may be difficult. The SP is almost flagship standard - the corners cut aren't that important to sensible users, do mobiles really need 4 core processors, 1080p and 2gb of ram? I don't think you can do much better for the price - so it's really about the screen size when it comes to choosing between this and the S4 mini. I don't know about the L7
Parkside said:
1- How is the overall user experience, I mean, are the transitions smooth and do apps open fairly quick?
Yes - it's a fast phone. A high clock speed and the fact it renders to 720p rather than 1080 means it's very snappy
2- What do you think from the display? Ive read that its pretty good for a mid/almost high-end smartphone but viewing angles aren´t the best
A good screen, not great like flagship devices. Viewing angles are fine IMO - Sony has a bad rep for this but the SP's viewing angles are a vast improvement on their older xperia phones
3- Should i be worried about ram? On my fist android phone, apps crashed because there wasnt enough ram, for example if I was playing a ram intensive game, while listening to music, the music suddenly stoped playing
I don't think you should be worried, this is improving with each update, but people have complained about this.
4- How is sony's support, has anyone had any problems with their phone?
Sony have a good support network, but there are some issues they seem unwilling/unable to address with this phone. Wifi is clearly a problem
5- What are the most popular roms arround here? and kernels? This is a big one for me, as i consider my self a flashoholic hehehe I ask because after a quick look at the android development forum in here i haven´t found much althrough Im happy to see DoomLord around (remember him, and his awesome kernels for the Xperia play)
A relatively new device and not especially common IMO, but development is steady, a rom a week maybe. I don't know which are popular, but stripped back ROMS and ones attempting to give the feel and look of flagship Xperia devices dominate. Kernels are all stock based at the moment, but FreeXperia and some independent developers are planning to bring CM10.1 and CM10.2 to the phone. After that I expect things to gather pace - MIUI and AOSP roms should follow on pretty quickly I imagine. There are a decent amount of mods as well
6- Is there any specific thing you hate about this phone? Anything?
The internal storage - around 5gb is available for the user, this is just about adequate, coming from a 2011 device I thought it would be enough, but because you can't move apps to an external SD, it get's used up quickly. I'm not a power user and it doesn't feel like enough. There are ways around it if you're rooted, but you wish Sony would do what Samsung have done and mod their builds to allow this
7- How is the wifi reception? Ive read somewhere that it was terrible but that seems unlikely, so what do you think about it?
I think it helps if you've got a newish router, but my experience isn't great and this is echoed by many others here and on Sony's support forums. There are ways to improve it, but out of the box performance for some users is unacceptable IMO. However with the tweaks in place I now get reception in parts of my house where none of my other devices (laptop, netbook, old phone) get reception - for me range has always been excellent, but connecting in the first place sometimes took several attempts or needed a phone reboot
8- Camera... How is it? And how does the front facing camera perform? I use it a lot in low light situations, and my nexus camera was kind of terrible
The camera is average, don't know whether this is a hardware issue or Sony's image processing - but the fact that people complain about the cameras on better Xperia devices suggests that Sony's software may be at fault. They definitely cut costs with the front camera - fine for video calls and basic snaps but not suitable for photography. Ultimately, whoever the manufacturer, people complain about cameras
9- Finally, would you recommend a different phone (in a similar price range of course) over this one? How do you think it compares to the s4 mini, or an lg L7 as those are probably the only other options available in my country
The S4 mini has a smaller screen (lower resolution too?), but more RAM, I think it's a better device if you want a more compact phone. The SP feels better in the hand IMO, it is somewhat chunky and heavy but feels solid and well made. If you've come from an N4 going to a smaller screen may be difficult. The SP is almost flagship standard - the corners cut aren't that important to sensible users, do mobiles really need 4 core processors, 1080p and 2gb of ram? I don't think you can do much better for the price - so it's really about the screen size when it comes to choosing between this and the S4 mini. I don't know about the L7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for taking the time to answer everything I asked!!!
This really seems like a good phone, specially for the price. Regarding the screen size, thats why im interested in this phone more than any other "budget" phone, I know it will be hard to go any smaller than 4.5" and 720p. Anyways thanks a lot for your time, guess Ill try to go to a store where I can use it for a while and compare it with others
fcb-1899 said:
Thanks a lot for taking the time to answer everything I asked!!!
This really seems like a good phone, specially for the price. Regarding the screen size, thats why im interested in this phone more than any other "budget" phone, I know it will be hard to go any smaller than 4.5" and 720p. Anyways thanks a lot for your time, guess Ill try to go to a store where I can use it for a while and compare it with others
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Plus... If you're a gamer, then this is it! Amazing performance!
Sent from my C5303 using xda app-developers app
Go for it mate.. Using it since 3 months.. Amazing performance.. With the latest Update all bugs are solved for me.. Camera is not great but not bad.. And u will get upcoming android 4.3 and 4.4 ( may be)
Rajeev said:
Go for it mate.. Using it since 3 months.. Amazing performance.. With the latest Update all bugs are solved for me.. Camera is not great but not bad.. And u will get upcoming android 4.3 and 4.4 ( may be)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I will! thanks a lot man, I've seen you around a lot on this forum, glad to know we have people like you guys helping the community!
I have one more question, do I have to unlock my bootloader in order to intall custom roms and kernels, or iin order to make them perform better? If so , I hope any of you can guide me on how to unlock the bootloader without loosing any features as I've read that you'll loose bravia engine and some other stuff... Please excuse my ignorance but the method to do this on the N4 was pretty straight forward and Im a little confused right now lol
Btw: I know I don't even have the phone yet but usually the first thing I do is rooting and unlocking the bootloader and installing a rom so I really want to know a bit more before doing anything stupid :silly:
Thanks again
To open the bootloader it is easy but not like n4, if you open bootloader then you will loose be2 etc.
You can root and install cwm without opening bootloader.
Many Sony xda members use software called flash tools to install ftf files these contain all the stock ROM files.
To install custom stock ROMs you generally can use on locked bootloader, for some custom ROMs like cm 10.xx you will need to unlock bootloader to use kernels(this applies to all kernels)
Sent from my C5303 using xda premium
zolaisugly said:
To open the bootloader it is easy but not like n4, if you open bootloader then you will loose be2 etc.
You can root and install cwm without opening bootloader.
Many Sony xda members use software called flash tools to install ftf files these contain all the stock ROM files.
To install custom stock ROMs you generally can use on locked bootloader, for some custom ROMs like cm 10.xx you will need to unlock bootloader to use kernels(this applies to all kernels)
Sent from my C5303 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah thats what I thought, but I think ill install a "stock enhanced" rom or something similar, Xperia pureness seems to be a good rom with a bit of customization while keeping all Sony features. No custom kernel for me, although I was kind of exited to try doomlodr's
Once again, I appreciate your quick response and support. Think ill buy this little guy today
fcb-1899 said:
Hey guys my nexus 4 was recently stolen :crying: and now its time to start looking for a new phone
This is probably the best option i've found so far in my price range but... I have a few questions I'd like to ask to people who actually own the phone, not biased internet reviewers
First of all, I will not ask about benchmarks or specs as we all know they mean nothing if the software is not optimized... but here are a few doubts I have before I buy it
1- How is the overall user experience, I mean, are the transitions smooth and do apps open fairly quick?
2- What do you think from the display? Ive read that its pretty good for a mid/almost high-end smartphone but viewing angles aren´t the best
3- Should i be worried about ram? On my fist android phone, apps crashed because there wasnt enough ram, for example if I was playing a ram intensive game, while listening to music, the music suddenly stoped playing
4- How is sony's support, has anyone had any problems with their phone?
5- What are the most popular roms arround here? and kernels? This is a big one for me, as i consider my self a flashoholic hehehe I ask because after a quick look at the android development forum in here i haven´t found much althrough Im happy to see DoomLord around (remember him, and his awesome kernels for the Xperia play)
6- Is there any specific thing you hate about this phone? Anything?
7- How is the wifi reception? Ive read somewhere that it was terrible but that seems unlikely, so what do you think about it?
8- Camera... How is it? And how does the front facing camera perform? I use it a lot in low light situations, and my nexus camera was kind of terrible
9- Finally, would you recommend a different phone (in a similar price range of course) over this one? How do you think it compares to the s4 mini, or an lg L7 as those are probably the only other options available in my country
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1- So far very smooth and great experience. I have around 50 apps installed and so far no noticeable lag or performance issues.
2- The display is pretty good, the viewing angles are not very good but it doesn't bother my much as I'm usually holding my phone straight or have it propped up against something. Other than that the screen is very crisp and beautiful.
3- Like in point #1, no ram issues so far but I haven't tried any resource intensive apps to test it to it's limit yet.
4- Haven't needed to contact Sony so far hope it stays that way. Bear in mind their support services might change from one region to another.
5- Personally I'm really enjoying the stock rom so I didn't feel like I need to install any custom ones. There are a few custom roms out there though including Cyanogen Mod
6- There is something that bothers me about this phone but I don't hate it, it's just an annoyance. The phone feels a bit fragile and if you're clumsy or paranoid like me you'll want to get a case for it. The problem is this model doesn't have that much accessories out for it (and no official accessories) so you might have a hard time finding something. I had to order stuff for it online and it was quite costly.
7- WiFi reception is pretty bad, especially when I use it side to side with my other devices. There is a couple of WiFi fix threads on this forum, I haven't read them yet but you should definitely check them out.
8- Camera isn't amazing but it's not bad either. In low light conditions you have to fiddle around the settings a bit first to get a decent shot. Again there's a thread on this forum with users' camera shots to give you a good idea on how good or bad the camera is
9- The Galaxy S4 mini is a decent competitor for this phone, it has a better camera and better viewing angles if that's important for you, but it has a smaller screen.
The Sony Xperia ZR is slightly more expensive than this phone but has higher specs and some extra features. Mind that the water proof models have all their ports covered with water tight flaps and the sound on the speakers sound a bit muffled probably also because they are made water proof. (http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_zr-5421.php)
There are some nice mid-range HTC phones but the new HTCs often have internal battery and memory (no SD card slot).
Overall I'm absolutely in love with this phone. I love the battery life, the screen and the sound (loud speakers included). If you're into gaming this phone performs good and it also supports Sony Playstation's Dual Shock 3 controller which is a nice little bonus. (Hook it up to your TV and play with the controller :victory: )
fcb-1899 said:
I think I will! thanks a lot man, I've seen you around a lot on this forum, glad to know we have people like you guys helping the community!
I have one more question, do I have to unlock my bootloader in order to intall custom roms and kernels, or iin order to make them perform better? If so , I hope any of you can guide me on how to unlock the bootloader without loosing any features as I've read that you'll loose bravia engine and some other stuff... Please excuse my ignorance but the method to do this on the N4 was pretty straight forward and Im a little confused right now lol
Btw: I know I don't even have the phone yet but usually the first thing I do is rooting and unlocking the bootloader and installing a rom so I really want to know a bit more before doing anything stupid :silly:
Thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good thing you asked this because I stupidly unlocked my bootloader without paying attention and I permanently gimped my phone in the process. Xperia devices have a hidden partition that contains DRM keys. Without them the Bravia Engine and certain non-essential features in the Walkman app won't work. There is a way to back up and restore that partition before unlocking the bootloader. This will keep your phone's full features and warranty intact if you need them.
Check this thread here before unlocking the bootloader :
forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2292598
ByteFalcon said:
1- So far very smooth and great experience. I have around 50 apps installed and so far no noticeable lag or performance issues.
2- The display is pretty good, the viewing angles are not very good but it doesn't bother my much as I'm usually holding my phone straight or have it propped up against something. Other than that the screen is very crisp and beautiful.
3- Like in point #1, no ram issues so far but I haven't tried any resource intensive apps to test it to it's limit yet.
4- Haven't needed to contact Sony so far hope it stays that way. Bear in mind their support services might change from one region to another.
5- Personally I'm really enjoying the stock rom so I didn't feel like I need to install any custom ones. There are a few custom roms out there though including Cyanogen Mod
6- There is something that bothers me about this phone but I don't hate it, it's just an annoyance. The phone feels a bit fragile and if you're clumsy or paranoid like me you'll want to get a case for it. The problem is this model doesn't have that much accessories out for it (and no official accessories) so you might have a hard time finding something. I had to order stuff for it online and it was quite costly.
7- WiFi reception is pretty bad, especially when I use it side to side with my other devices. There is a couple of WiFi fix threads on this forum, I haven't read them yet but you should definitely check them out.
8- Camera isn't amazing but it's not bad either. In low light conditions you have to fiddle around the settings a bit first to get a decent shot. Again there's a thread on this forum with users' camera shots to give you a good idea on how good or bad the camera is
9- The Galaxy S4 mini is a decent competitor for this phone, it has a better camera and better viewing angles if that's important for you, but it has a smaller screen.
The Sony Xperia ZR is slightly more expensive than this phone but has higher specs and some extra features. Mind that the water proof models have all their ports covered with water tight flaps and the sound on the speakers sound a bit muffled probably also because they are made water proof. (http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_zr-5421.php)
There are some nice mid-range HTC phones but the new HTCs often have internal battery and memory (no SD card slot).
Overall I'm absolutely in love with this phone. I love the battery life, the screen and the sound (loud speakers included). If you're into gaming this phone performs good and it also supports Sony Playstation's Dual Shock 3 controller which is a nice little bonus. (Hook it up to your TV and play with the controller :victory: )
Good thing you asked this because I stupidly unlocked my bootloader without paying attention and I permanently gimped my phone in the process. Xperia devices have a hidden partition that contains DRM keys. Without them the Bravia Engine and certain non-essential features in the Walkman app won't work. There is a way to back up and restore that partition before unlocking the bootloader. This will keep your phone's full features and warranty intact if you need them.
Check this thread here before unlocking the bootloader :
forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2292598
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you talking about the TA partition? Just curious...i did back it up before i unlocked bootloader..so if i restore it, will my "features" be back? Also..any special procedure for restoring the backup? By the way i am on .254 ..i made the backup while on .245 . So will restoring, in any way, harm the device? And also. Does restoring TA wipe data of the phone? ..sorry for so many questions.
Sent from my C5303 using xda app-developers app
That was quick! Congrats on your new phone
Yep, I mean the TA partition. What did you use to back it up? Either FlashTool or TA_Backup script (the .bat file) should give you the option to restore, so use the same one you used in the first place. Yes, it should restore all your features back. I haven't tried restoring before since I lost mine, but I would assume it would wipe your phone since it also re-locks your Bootloader.
As for firmwares, I'm not sure. You can check this thread (use the "search this thread" box) or maybe even ask them directly. If you're feeling brave you can go ahead and try it. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2292598
Edit: Sorry, my internet is a bit slow today. I did a quick search and it seems it's safe to restore to any firmware. I still highly recommend you check the thread for yourself first. Don't take my word for it.
That was quick! Congrats on your new phone <br />
<br />
Yep, I mean the TA partition. What did you use to back it up? Either FlashTool or TA_Backup script (the .bat file) should give you the option to restore, so use the same one you used in the first place. Yes, it should restore all your features back. I haven't tried restoring before since I lost mine, but I would assume it would wipe your phone since it also re-locks your Bootloader.<br />
<br />
As for firmwares, I'm not sure. You can check this thread (use the "search this thread" box) or maybe even ask them directly. If you're feeling brave you can go ahead and try it. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2292598<br />
<br />
Edit: Sorry, my internet is a bit slow today. I did a quick search and it seems it's safe to restore to any firmware. I still highly recommend you check the thread for yourself first. Don't take my word for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh thanks man and i'm not the one who made this thread XD i just wanna restore to stock completely
Sent from my C5303 using xda app-developers app
Sadman Khan said:
Oh thanks man and i'm not the one who made this thread XD i just wanna restore to stock completely
Sent from my C5303 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oops! Looks like my internet isn't the only thing that's slow today xD
Sent from my C5303 using xda app-developers app
ByteFalcon said:
Oops! Looks like my internet isn't the only thing that's slow today xD
Sent from my C5303 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha XD and just letting you know, i did a full wipe and returned to .245 , then rooted it and THEN restored TA partition. Afterwards i clean flashed 245 and updated to 254 via OTA.everything's fine now and i finally feel the effects of Bravia Engine
Sent from my C5303 using xda app-developers app
Very Very good phone.
Hi,
I'll try to give you my most honest feedback, unbiased as much as possible. I'd like to state that XSP is my 1st droid phone ever, my last phone was nokia E52 (which had a high velocity encounter with a wall) so it is quite a change so my opinion might be and prolly is influenced by that. Ofc i played around with other droid phones like my brother's HTC wildfire S so i have some minor comparison to the inferior phones. Lest get started...
fcb-1899 said:
Hey guys my nexus 4 was recently stolen :crying: and now its time to start looking for a new phone
This is probably the best option i've found so far in my price range but... I have a few questions I'd like to ask to people who actually own the phone, not biased internet reviewers
First of all, I will not ask about benchmarks or specs as we all know they mean nothing if the software is not optimized... but here are a few doubts I have before I buy it
1- How is the overall user experience, I mean, are the transitions smooth and do apps open fairly quick?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The overall Xperia'ence is very good if not great. I would say that 99% of apps you will find run flawlessly, the one i remember that manages to stutter having influent scrolling is A1 SD bench (it also doesnt recognize SD card as a external card). Every game i installed and toyed with ran beautifully be it Osmos, PvZ or nearly anything else. The most extreme fps drop i've managed to get is in (this is the "nearly") arcane legends where there is like 30 people at once on the screen. i think that fps might drop there to like ~25 fps, personally i find it a very secluded and specific case and i am not bothered with it. For crying out loud this little gadget runs full HD 1080p mkv movies like its nothing... The processing power is insane and you really have to find/do some crazy stuff to encounter any kind of unsmooth transition. The only other situation i can think of when things get a bit jerky is the first few seconds after boot up. But i guess it's normal when there is a crapload of things to load up at once.
fcb-1899 said:
2- What do you think from the display? Ive read that its pretty good for a mid/almost high-end smartphone but viewing angles aren´t the best
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At first when i got the phone i was in 3 days awe, things looked insane. When i started to read reviews there is indeed some truth to it but lets face it... why would anyone need some sick viewing angles on a 4.6" display? Its not a display large enough to view from to great distance to get in the bad angle range. When you are looking at it straight or even on some minor angle, like 3 people looking at the display at once things look great. So... angles aren't THE best, true but are really really great. Not only for this price, but in general they display is performing great. You also have to be aware that you (you as eye-brain) get used to things. So if you are using a very high end IPS display day to day with 120 Hz+ refresh rate you are likely to be not satisfied ONLY due the fact are used to something so much better. I use S27B350 Samsung display daily so my eye is used to similar class or quality and i am very satisfied with XSP display. I am sorry i cant give you any angle values but i didnt measure it so i can only give some examples from practice.
fcb-1899 said:
3- Should i be worried about ram? On my fist android phone, apps crashed because there wasnt enough ram, for example if I was playing a ram intensive game, while listening to music, the music suddenly stoped playing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont think you should be worried about that. I very rarely seen app crash but i did nonetheless. I cant even recall what were the apps to crash since it was so rare. At some point i used Google navigation, music and had a browser opened in the back - no problem, phone not breaking a sweat (apart from insane battery drainage and some heat).
fcb-1899 said:
4- How is sony's support, has anyone had any problems with their phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be influenced a little by your country. I once called polish support, since i am polish, and the lady i talked to... god id rip her throat out, quite a b*tch she was. The one problem i encountered is the LTE. Let me explain, when my phone is set to LTE (preffered) / WCDMA / GSM the gsm reception (signal) is often lost - i get 0 bars and red x for few seconds. This goes away when i set to WCDMA (preffered) / GSM.
fcb-1899 said:
5- What are the most popular roms arround here? and kernels? This is a big one for me, as i consider my self a flashoholic hehehe I ask because after a quick look at the android development forum in here i haven´t found much althrough Im happy to see DoomLord around (remember him, and his awesome kernels for the Xperia play)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I cant help on this one i use stock, rooted, locked bootloader (btw rooting with DoomLord's method nearly always generate an offline charging bug - fixable but needs some work). Isnt Cyanomod an option?
fcb-1899 said:
6- Is there any specific thing you hate about this phone? Anything?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes in fact there is but minor. I hate the color inconsistency of apps. I would shoot in the head the one responsible for not making black/dark gui (only white) as a stock option for sms phonebook etc. I love that smartconnect in stock is black but hate with passion that updates are white and no longer support gps toggle. Last one is more about 4.1.2 not XSP, i hate that i cant get a popup when i connect to PC via USB asking which mode to connect in. The option to choose either Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) or Mass Storage mode (MSC) is only manual and "hidden" very deep in options (settings > Xperia > USB connectivity > USB connction mode).
fcb-1899 said:
7- How is the wifi reception? Ive read somewhere that it was terrible but that seems unlikely, so what do you think about it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That one might be true. Prolly one of the biggest if not the biggest issue of this phone - quite bad wifi antenna. It really works bad with weak signals, where laptops or other devices have like ~30% wifi strength the XSP might not have it at all. Where my silly old E52 had 100% the XSP has 50-75%... It is also very likely to lose wifi connection on very weak signals. Some people claim that the 2.254 soft fixed the issue but the only fix i noticed, compared to 1.257, is that i dont need to wait few seconds after unlocking the phone to connect to wifi (at home situation). Sadly I cant see the signal strength to be one bit better.
fcb-1899 said:
8- Camera... How is it? And how does the front facing camera perform? I use it a lot in low light situations, and my nexus camera was kind of terrible
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally i am not too satisfied with the camera, neither of the 2.[Rear] I think that compression of images is way to great. I wouldnt mind having 4 MB photos from 8 Mpix camera and not 2-2.2 MB like now. I cant compare to your nexus but i feel that camera could have been a tiny bit better. However, many/most people say it is very good and are happy with it. I dont do too many photos so i am living with that but if you really like or need to do good photos... you might wanna think twice. [Front] And front facing? It's a tiny, little thing in VGA, let's not expect miracles from 640x480 resolution form optics that are the size of a needle (?). Although, I dont know if you would get anything better in that price range...
fcb-1899 said:
9- Finally, would you recommend a different phone (in a similar price range of course) over this one? How do you think it compares to the s4 mini, or an lg L7 as those are probably the only other options available in my country
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Click to collapse
Personally i hate samsung phones mostly cos they **** them out like they had a diarrhea which leaves little time to introduce updates. Only because like 50% of the market is samsung doesnt mean its good. The LG L7 i dont know... literally i have no opinion. I for one am very happy with XSP. It has one of the highest capacity batteries out there: 2370 mAh, compared to high end considered Xperia Z's 2330 mAh it looks darn good. Beaten by far afaik only by Xperia's Z ultra's 3050 mAh battery. With moderate and reasonable usage the battery can last even 2 days which is quite a feat for any new generation smartphone with a display of that size. XSP to this day has one of the best dual core CPUs and GPU which performs superbly in practice. It is also made quite well, u dont see any "cheapness" in the material. If i were to chose again from the three S4 mini vs LG L7 vs XSP id still go for the Xperia. One more good thing is that we are expecting the 4.3 JB update soon, which gives hope that this phone won't be disregarded and leaves hope for upgrades in foreseeable future. The phone seems optimized dead on in terms of software efficiency which perhaps why many people on XDA are quite glad with stock rom - simply it really is good and well made, not perfect simply because there is are no perfect things in this world.
Personally i think it is the best choice it its class.:good:
Any Front camera samples?
Not expecting any miracles tbh just want to see how it looks.
They should'v ereally put a 1.3 on the front tbh
I can vouch for Sony Support, a few drops of water were in my screen and the aluminum casing was totally messed up(scratched and chipped) from an awful fall, I sent it in using warranty, saying that the display was acting up, and they replaced the screen and the aluminum casing ^_^
it seems that there are fairly decent reviews for SP in this thread.
Actually, I cant decide between a N4 and a SP since I can get either one for the exact same price
I am an average user who tends to do some light gaming, browsing and whatsap
I just wish to have a smooth user experience. Personally I am inclined to have a sony sp, given that the various bugs (wifi, touch screen sensitivity) are actually solved by the recent updates.
Are they major differences between the two handsets ( apart from 3g and 4g) or I would be happy with either one of them?
Thank you.
Main issue for me is the lack of internal storage on the n4. The n5 is rumored to only be a month away and its supposed to be quite competitively priced. Only a rumour though.
Sent from my C5303 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Im between several phones tbh.
Been looking at the HTC One X, not brand new but used, better camera and what not but I heard the battery lifes horrible.
So, after two weeks of use, I am still loving the phone overall. I do however have some nitpicks that I would like to share here, just for edification.
(1) The automation software that Sony has written is buggy and I mean really buggy. My main issue is that the state changes don't return the phone back to the way it was before the automated state went into effect. For example, NIGHT silences everything, but if I was silent before and I take the phone off the charger in the middle of the night, it turns sounds back on.
(2) Bluetooth - My bluetooth module crashes EVERY time I am in the car and connected. If I'm on a call, it goes in and out at least once. I would say it is the car's bluetooth, but I've never had this happen with other phones.
(3) Wi-Fi - My wifi connection at work has been spotty, but now I sit directly under an access point. The Z2 contines to go in and out of service for no reason. It still may be the connection at work, as it doesn't happen on my home network. But, I find it quite strange.
(4) Docked - The wake-up screen doesn't switch to vertical when the phone is docked. The home screen does.
(5) Phone screen - Not sure who laid the screen out, but it is too easy to engage the phone pad screen, which in turn starts dialing numbers. The sensor doesn't seem to recognize my big face on it, so it doesn't turn off while in a call. DO NOT LIKE.
(6) Autodimming Feature - doesn't really work as advertised. If I'm in a dark room, I don't need the screen to be full on. And yet, it does.
(7) 4K camera recording shut off AND manual camera (20MP) gets an over heating after a few pictures.
now, the good part...
(1) Screen is great for everything, I don't know what people are complaining about. No it isn't flame on strong like a Galaxy S5, but it works and very well, for whatever I need.
(2) Battery life and performance are phenomenal
(3) Simple Android skin.
(4) Camera quality is fantastic. Even in a dark room I got great pictures.
Thanks for info. Looking at bright side, most of your problems should be solved with software update.
I love everything about this phone except one thing :
I have T-Mobile and before this I had Nexus 5 and mostly I had LTE almost ever where but with this phone that percentage is lowered now and rather than having 90% of LTE everywhere I have like 50% LTE everywhere and mostly H+, I don't know why or maybe that's how's this phone or maybe if they release a better radio or firmware if fix the problem, I hope for it.
Thanks for the info/initial impressions. As already mentioned, most of your problems seem to be due to software issues that could well be fixed in the future. However, the overheating issue concerns me a lot. What if it's a design fault and no ROM updates are going to fully solve it... Idk...
vctrdnl said:
Thanks for the info/initial impressions. As already mentioned, most of your problems seem to be due to software issues that could well be fixed in the future. However, the overheating issue concerns me a lot. What if it's a design fault and no ROM updates are going to fully solve it... Idk...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have had the phone for more than a week and I have to say I love it. I can confirm a few niggles here and there, but nothing deal breaking and I can see myself living with the phone for the next few years. I agree with many that the real killer issue here is overheating. While initially restricted to 4k recording, it seems that the issue is more widespread than this, and today it happened to me recording 1080p at 60fps as well as 4k recording. Only a few minutes in each time. No each time the phone did not feel particularly hot, so I suspect this is predominenty related to the threshold set for the software to go in safe mode so that could be fixed if that was inadequate calibration.
Saying that, I find it difficult to believe that an issue like this could not have been picked up during testing... Certainly makes it looked like they did fry up a few phones during development for them to be so overly (?) cautious on this...
I have the same problem with the spotty wifi. It can drop and go back to LTE all of a sudden with no apparent reason. And it has the tendency to lose mobile connection while I'm traveling on the train, I don't get this with my S3. Fortunately I'm sure Sony can fix these issues buy upgrading the radio and software updates. It's just a matter of whether they will take notice.
Sent from my non-Apple device via XDA App
You know I think Sony makes bad radio antenna. cause Xperia SP is also having issues of dropping signals right now with it's latest update.
Once I went out for skiing and I was using Xperia Z and my two friends had HTC Evo 3D and GS3, they both got h+ yet I only got edge which kinda sucked.
Well, Ive had the phone for a week today
I haven't had the same issues as the OP,
the automation software I do have issues with as in night mode it does not turn off notifications and the picture viewer starts, but the way I have got round this is to go to flight mode at night
No problems whatsoever with Bluetooth connections in my S-0max, Freelander or Jag XF, all working perfectly
no problems with wifi, but I did have to uncheck the "Avoid Poor Connections" in advanced wifi setting
no issues with phone pad random dialling or catching it
agree with camera quality, screen quality and noise cancelling headphones are great (but are awful in my ipad, terrible quality on that)
would agree the sound levels are too low, needs an update to increase volume choices
Warkman said:
Well, Ive had the phone for a week today
I haven't had the same issues as the OP,
the automation software I do have issues with as in night mode it does not turn off notifications and the picture viewer starts, but the way I have got round this is to go to flight mode at night
No problems whatsoever with Bluetooth connections in my S-0max, Freelander or Jag XF, all working perfectly
no problems with wifi, but I did have to uncheck the "Avoid Poor Connections" in advanced wifi setting
no issues with phone pad random dialling or catching it
agree with camera quality, screen quality and noise cancelling headphones are great (but are awful in my ipad, terrible quality on that)
would agree the sound levels are too low, needs an update to increase volume choices
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad I get to pick mine up today. I will say that when I had the z1 that it had low signal issues where it would cycle between LTE, HSPA and no signal in areas where other att phones stay locked on one or two bars of LTE. I'm hopeful this one will be a bit better, but we'll see.
Had my Z2 since Tuesday, It's going back!! Only for a replacement though as I love it.
Reason for going back, the gap is present on the top right on the phone.
other problems I have is the camera. Amazing results but I keep getting overheating message and shutdowns, and the keyboard is a nightmare, keep missing the space bar, but this is no big issue.
The good things, well just about everything else. The speakers are amazing, the screen is absolutely gorgeous, and it is not dim, I spend most of the day with it on auto with slider at the lowest setting. The mrs says it's ugly and looks old, I do not agree with this, it's gorgeous, and looks sleek and elegant.
Would I recommend, hell yeah!!
One further note, when you place it on the stand at night and go sleep, don't leave the bloody vibrate on, man, I sh*t myself and so did the Mrs, followed by me getting a bit of verbal!!!
Sent from my D6503 using xda app-developers app
jayc1980 said:
Had my Z2 since Tuesday, It's going back!! Only for a replacement though as I love it.
Reason for going back, the gap is present on the top right on the phone.
other problems I have is the camera. Amazing results but I keep getting overheating message and shutdowns, and the keyboard is a nightmare, keep missing the space bar, but this is no big issue.
The good things, well just about everything else. The speakers are amazing, the screen is absolutely gorgeous, and it is not dim, I spend most of the day with it on auto with slider at the lowest setting. The mrs says it's ugly and looks old, I do not agree with this, it's gorgeous, and looks sleek and elegant.
Would I recommend, hell yeah!!
One further note, when you place it on the stand at night and go sleep, don't leave the bloody vibrate on, man, I sh*t myself and so did the Mrs, followed by me getting a bit of verbal!!!
Sent from my D6503 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Iam thinking of buying this phone asap
Sent From S4 I9500 Crash Rom Final 4.4.2
paras said:
Iam thinking of buying this phone asap
Sent From S4 I9500 Crash Rom Final 4.4.2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i would too, but the overheating issues are a turn off. hoping the second batch of Z2s would not have such problems
SexyIceCream said:
i would too, but the overheating issues are a turn off. hoping the second batch of Z2s would not have such problems
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But then z3 would be announced
Sent From S4 I9500 Crash Rom Final 4.4.2
paras said:
But then z3 would be announced
Sent From S4 I9500 Crash Rom Final 4.4.2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol..perhaps a s5 would be the better choice then...but i am really tired of the design language being used by them come on, sony! lets hope the overheating can be solved through a software update
I've had mine since the 17th of April and I haven't experienced most of the problems the OP listed. I've had the 4k over heating force closing camera app but that was only on the first day because I was already using the camera for ages before testing 4k. Since then it's never happened again. Never happened with 1080p video at any point even 60fps.
No problems with lte or wifi. Don't use bluetooth much so can't comment there. Automodes work OK for me. Well it's just the night mode I used so no extensive testing done there.
Z2 rocks, put it this way, I've spent a lot of time criticising most of the Sony Ericsson and Sony devices I've owned but the z2 ain't gonna join that list.
The display is class leading, whites may not be the whitest but they're white enough. The colour reproduction is spot on despite the vibrancy unlike you know who. Performance is boss too. Only notice frame drops in games when the phone gets very hot after prolonged periods.
Sound quality is great too and I for one don't have any problems with notifications. I hear them from the living room when I'm outside. I also like the fact that it automatically adjusts the sound volume depending on what you're doing. It's loudest during gaming. I think that's good because I can just leave the phone on full volume and it automatically takes care of everything. No need to keep adjusting the volume. Another thing I discovered is that you can zoom in on any video you record with the device, not just 4k. Obviously not as much detail is preserved but it's great nonetheless.
The camera for me is the real star of the show. Not really a superior auto man because historically that produced the worst results possible especially with the Z. Not this time though. Manual for me is still king but superior auto has been greatly improved and you can be happy using it. It actually does a better job at white balance under artificial lighting. Something I hope is addressed in manual mode with software updates.
As for photo quality, it's fantastic at 8mp. Sure you can't zoom in as much as with 20.7mp but the quality is much better in ever respect. Detail preservation, colour reproduction, dynamic range etc. Fantastic job done here by Sony. They've certainly joined Nokia in the premier league of smartphone cams. If the lumia 1020 is an incredible 5mp camera, think of the z2 as an incredible 8mp camera.
Took me a while to get used to the size of the phone though but I'm over that now. Z starting to look an feel small now lol!
All in all, it's not only by far and away the best effort from Sony, it's the best smartphone ever built. It's monolithic rectangular design might not be everyone's cup of tea especial those who like to grip their phones but I love it and hope Sony never changes it. To give you some perspective, I absolutely hated the xperia arc design. That's just me I know. The m8 might feel more premium but I think it's butt ugly with those juvenile speaker grills. I actually prefer the s5's look if not feel.
There's more to talk about especially the noise cancelling genius. Works like a charm and does exactly what it claims to do.
It's also pretty solid and rugged. I've dropped mine a few times and it's shown no damage at all. I'm glad Sony went back to the original z design and put a plastic edge around the aluminum frame. My mates z1 is already showing signs of age but the z still looks fab. I think z2 will stand the test of time much like the z did.
For the bad, the phone is way too slippery hence why I've dropped it a lot. It even slides off surfaces on its own lol.
The camera also tries to force the bokeh effect on you. If you have anything that remotely looks dominant and central to the scene, the camera tends to blur out a bit objects in the background. IPhone 5s does this too but is sort of annoying especially when the z2 has a dedicated shooting mode for this. Admittedly one that's not the most accurate. Well even m8 with its secondary depth sensor is inaccurate so let's not take the high ground here.
To avoid rambling on, this is one phone I'll gladly recommend to anyone who isn't worried about size. For those of you that are, just wait for the z2 compact.
Sent from my D6503 using xda app-developers app
zodiac100 said:
I've had mine since the 17th of April and I haven't experienced most of the problems the OP listed. I've had the 4k over heating force closing camera app but that was only on the first day because I was already using the camera for ages before testing 4k. Since then it's never happened again. Never happened with 1080p video at any point even 60fps.
No problems with lte or wifi. Don't use bluetooth much so can't comment there. Automodes work OK for me. Well it's just the night mode I used so no extensive testing done there.
Z2 rocks, put it this way, I've spent a lot of time criticising most of the Sony Ericsson and Sony devices I've owned but the z2 ain't gonna join that list.
The display is class leading, whites may not be the whitest but they're white enough. The colour reproduction is spot on despite the vibrancy unlike you know who. Performance is boss too. Only notice frame drops in games when the phone gets very hot after prolonged periods.
Sound quality is great too and I for one don't have any problems with notifications. I hear them from the living room when I'm outside. I also like the fact that it automatically adjusts the sound volume depending on what you're doing. It's loudest during gaming. I think that's good because I can just leave the phone on full volume and it automatically takes care of everything. No need to keep adjusting the volume. Another thing I discovered is that you can zoom in on any video you record with the device, not just 4k. Obviously not as much detail is preserved but it's great nonetheless.
The camera for me is the real star of the show. Not really a superior auto man because historically that produced the worst results possible especially with the Z. Not this time though. Manual for me is still king but superior auto has been greatly improved and you can be happy using it. It actually does a better job at white balance under artificial lighting. Something I hope is addressed in manual mode with software updates.
As for photo quality, it's fantastic at 8mp. Sure you can't zoom in as much as with 20.7mp but the quality is much better in ever respect. Detail preservation, colour reproduction, dynamic range etc. Fantastic job done here by Sony. They've certainly joined Nokia in the premier league of smartphone cams. If the lumia 1020 is an incredible 5mp camera, think of the z2 as an incredible 8mp camera.
Took me a while to get used to the size of the phone though but I'm over that now. Z starting to look an feel small now lol!
All in all, it's not only by far and away the best effort from Sony, it's the best smartphone ever built. It's monolithic rectangular design might not be everyone's cup of tea especial those who like to grip their phones but I love it and hope Sony never changes it. To give you some perspective, I absolutely hated the xperia arc design. That's just me I know. The m8 might feel more premium but I think it's butt ugly with those juvenile speaker grills. I actually prefer the s5's look if not feel.
There's more to talk about especially the noise cancelling genius. Works like a charm and does exactly what it claims to do.
It's also pretty solid and rugged. I've dropped mine a few times and it's shown no damage at all. I'm glad Sony went back to the original z design and put a plastic edge around the aluminum frame. My mates z1 is already showing signs of age but the z still looks fab. I think z2 will stand the test of time much like the z did.
For the bad, the phone is way too slippery hence why I've dropped it a lot. It even slides off surfaces on its own lol.
The camera also tries to force the bokeh effect on you. If you have anything that remotely looks dominant and central to the scene, the camera tends to blur out a bit objects in the background. IPhone 5s does this too but is sort of annoying especially when the z2 has a dedicated shooting mode for this. Admittedly one that's not the most accurate. Well even m8 with its secondary depth sensor is inaccurate so let's not take the high ground here.
To avoid rambling on, this is one phone I'll gladly recommend to anyone who isn't worried about size. For those of you that are, just wait for the z2 compact.
Sent from my D6503 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for your input! but btw, when you mean you haven't faced the overheating for 4k, was it at least 5 minutes? i fully intend to use the z2 for an upcoming concert, so at least 5 mins of 4k would be awesome(for cropping/zooming in) :good:
SexyIceCream said:
thanks for your input! but btw, when you mean you haven't faced the overheating for 4k, was it at least 5 minutes? i fully intend to use the z2 for an upcoming concert, so at least 5 mins of 4k would be awesome(for cropping/zooming in) :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before replying, I started another 4k video to see what happened. It recorded for 5mins 22 seconds and then forced closed. Mind you I've been using the phone all morning so was already a bit hot. I think it all depends on the temperature of the phone. If cool, you can probably record for longer. You can though zoom into any video you record. I would suggest using 1080 at 60fps at the concert or just make sure your device is cool before recording in 4k.
I think it's a threshold Sony set for it. If that's correct then removing or increasing this threshold may result in people pushing it too far and damaging their devices.
If it's not a threshold then who knows, there maybe a fix released at some point. Don't forget, the z2 really hasn't got going yet. Sony is still struggling to make it widely available so we may have to wait a few months for any fixes.
I'll wait for the device to cool down completely and retry. I'll come back to you then.
Sent from my D6503 using xda app-developers app
zodiac100 said:
Before replying, I started another 4k video to see what happened. It recorded for 5mins 22 seconds and then forced closed. Mind you I've been using the phone all morning so was already a bit hot. I think it all depends on the temperature of the phone. If cool, you can probably record for longer. You can though zoom into any video you record. I would suggest using 1080 at 60fps at the concert or just make sure your device is cool before recording in 4k.
I think it's a threshold Sony set for it. If that's correct then removing or increasing this threshold may result in people pushing it too far and damaging their devices.
If it's not a threshold then who knows, there maybe a fix released at some point. Don't forget, the z2 really hasn't got going yet. Sony is still struggling to make it widely available so we may have to wait a few months for any fixes.
I'll wait for the device to cool down completely and retry. I'll come back to you then.
Sent from my D6503 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks loads! haha if it would really take months, the Z3 would be out already(as said by another member above) i still think their 6 months refresh rate is a tad too fast but oh well
Sent from my D6503 using xda app-developers app
---------- Post added at 11:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:06 AM ----------
SexyIceCream said:
thanks loads! haha if it would really take months, the Z3 would be out already(as said by another member above) i still think their 6 months refresh rate is a tad too fast but oh well
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Click to collapse
I think the 6 month cycle is disgusting. Nobody benefits from this. Not consumers and not Sony. With all the delays I doubt we'll see z3 until next year. I think z2 compact and possibly z2 ultra are more likely later this year. Sony would just have absolutely no justification for pushing the z3 in September. Even if they do, it'll just be another rough sketch phone like the z1 was. One which I'll surely be skipping and would advise others to do so as well. 6 months is way too short a time to develop a phone. You'll end up with another unrefined rough sketch. Let's be honest, the z1 looks now like an early prototype of the z2. If it was a proper construct, they would have called it the z2. The z1 was the original z. The z1 was a child of pure greed on Sony's part. I'm sure most z1 users will be wishing they'd skipped that device. Doing think there were that many z users who wished they'd waited for the z1 though. We've seen what Sony has to offer for 2014 and you'll realistically have to wait at least a year to any meaningful improvements. Case in point, z2 and z1 have similar camera specs but z2 produces infinitely better results. Why? The z1's camera was just the hardware without the refinements needed. Like I said, it was a rough sketch of what Sony had to come. In my opinion h2 flagships from Sony are nothing but dishonest devices. Sony's basically selling early prototypes to consumers.
Sent from my D6503 using xda app-developers app
Are you guys on the 2.55 or 2.69 firmware? Maybe the 2.69 has some changes to help with the overheating.
Out of all the smart phones I have owned since 2009, my experience with the Z2 has probably been the worst. On paper, the phone looks good. Nice big screen, good battery life, nice camera and water and dust proof to boot. In my mind, it beat all of the competitors at the time. The big problem I have found is the terrible software.
Sony seems to be clueless. Each new build introduced new bugs and didn't squash the old ones. Since Lollipop I have had issues with the screen not locking properly. The phone was constantly unlocking itself in my pocket and pocket dialling my contacts. I had to disable tap to unlock and this stopped that but still the phone wont always lock properly. I will have read a text say, close the application and lock the phone. The screen goes dark but a press of the button and it's unlocked again. No swipe of the screen. When you lock it, it should be locked. Typing out texts, sometimes it will freeze for a moment, then catch up with what I typed. I'm not fast at typing or anything. In fact I'm pretty rubbish lol.
The camera isn't great by any means. My old S3 was just as good and took better low light images. I don't think I will ever get a Sony again. It's a shame as my k700i was a great old phone.
Is it just me or does anyone else have issues with the Z2's dodgy software?
I am satisfied except camera performance.
@5nakedoc , i think it's just you...
I never had the phone unlock by itself, never had a pocket call and never disabled tap to unlock either...
Go to settings --> security --> automatically lock --> choose immediately and it should solve the problem of phone not locking right away when you press power button.
Lags? if you have lags the problem is on your side for sure, i have 55gb of stuff on my phone and i run my cpu at 1.5ghz max most of the time, no lags here.
I never used sony keyboard maybe it has bugs, i use swype in all my android phones, zero lag typing on my z2.
About camera...yeah auto mode sucks, manual mode is better, but camera fv-5 is what does the trick for me. Just try other camera apps...
I would hate to know what you think about the rest of the phone as you said the camera is one of your favourite features :/
5nakedoc said:
Build quality
Waterproofing
Noise Cancelling
Large friendly screen
Free Speaker!!!
Magnetic charging dock
Quality Sony case
Two stage camera button
Camera
AR app
Background Blur app
The banana dispenser
OK I lied about the last one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk
I don't think an awful lot of it. The software bugs are annoying. That post was just after I got it and before the worst of the bugs began to plague me. Plus the expensive case I bought from Sony direct, failed on two corners and is completely useless now. (Not dropped ever) I think I mentioned that the problems really only started when they updated to Lollipop.
I was unable to locate the setting mentioned above, perhaps you are not running the most recent software but it wasn't where you described or anywhere else that I looked within settings.
Lags may be down to the sheer number of texts I have from that contact. I suspect they number in the thousands. I might try a factory reset when I have an evening spare and see if this helps. I do feel a little sentimental about those texts though but they are backed up to google.
Nope i have not seen any single problm except battery
to me the performance is still a issues even in lollipop update , dont know whether it was android fault or not , i need to restart each 2 days since i can see framedrop which is pretty annoying . Kinda agree , the update also lower the loudness of the speaker , camerawise their superior auto is pretty bad hmm. and my screen sometimes become crazy i dont know before this i dont have this problem i have own z2 since june 2014 , and the problems appear like 2-3 months ago until now.
5nakedoc said:
The phone was constantly unlocking itself in my pocket and pocket dialling my contacts. I had to disable tap to unlock and this stopped that but still the phone wont always lock properly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How about you turn the phone screen away from your body when you place it in your pocket?
Android version
muhammadnajmi96 said:
to me the performance is still a issues even in lollipop update , dont know whether it was android fault or not , i need to restart each 2 days since i can see framedrop which is pretty annoying . Kinda agree , the update also lower the loudness of the speaker , camerawise their superior auto is pretty bad hmm. and my screen sometimes become crazy i dont know before this i dont have this problem i have own z2 since june 2014 , and the problems appear like 2-3 months ago until now.
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Click to collapse
Hi Najmi,I'm currently running version 5.1.1,i dont have encountered any issues with this version,I'd like to ask at what android version did you start to have these problems?Thank you
Maybe you should try asking for solutions to each of your problems. I don't like Lollipop either. Its been crap on all but nexus phones. Have you the S5? It became a bugs galore with Lollipop. Every non-nexus smartphone had the awake problem and extended power consumption.
I would advise you to go back to KK. Its bug-free.
About the camera, I tried indoor image comparison between both phones in auto-mode (I just got both phones and didnt get the time to properly compare the cameras) and the Z2 was clearly better indoors without lighting. Macros and close shots were also better on Z2. Later on I learnt about the Night Scene Mode in Manual mode. No phone could match Z2 at the time. There was a lot of noise but the pictures had more details than what was visible through the naked eyes. Nowadays phones with manual mode can shoot the same type of photos. But comparing the phones that came with Z2 it was the best.
Oh and I used to get 8 hours SoT in KK in 2 days without any root or such thing.
5nakedoc, I regret being in complete disagreement with you. For me, the Z2 has been one of my most appreciated phones. I bought it with Android 4.1.2 and have been updated since then until 4.4.4. I have not kept updating it more because I have a very useful app to my health insurance does not work with Lollipop.
Certainly, I recognize that the lock-release of Lollipop do not like as much as Kit Kat, but with a Xposed framework and modules in kit kat, I have a super performance, without any problem to lock-unlock, even removing the button emergency call and also the one of the camera.
The Stamina mode gives me an excellent performance during the day, coming to the end of the day with an average of 50-70% of battery, using whatsapp usually.
Also the wifi mode based on location works well, etc.
The camera fully satisfy me, and with an optical zoom could be the summum
What else can I want from a phone?
Perhaps you must keep in Kit kat and forget Lollipop experiences. I think there's most stable with old android versions.
5nakedoc said:
The camera isn't great by any means. My old S3 was just as good and took better low light images.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You dont know to use camera for sure.Look at my pictures from Z2 on my flickr account and you will see how camera is really good.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/
The Sony Xperia™ Z2 is one awesome device. If it has cons, it would be the speakers, I guess. But that's all. I've been using it since June 2014 and NEVER got those same problems with you.
Get your phone checked instead of coming here and blabbing about how bad it is.
androidforlyfe said:
Hi Najmi,I'm currently running version 5.1.1,i dont have encountered any issues with this version,I'd like to ask at what android version did you start to have these problems?Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since Lollipop of course. Latest one also. Fresh install including formatting both internal and external storage. You should compared kitkat and lollipop. That's why I revert back to Kitkat which give me better battery life and louder speaker.
Totally disagree
5nakedoc said:
Out of all the smart phones I have owned since 2009, my experience with the Z2 has probably been the worst. On paper, the phone looks good. Nice big screen, good battery life, nice camera and water and dust proof to boot. In my mind, it beat all of the competitors at the time. The big problem I have found is the terrible software.
Sony seems to be clueless. Each new build introduced new bugs and didn't squash the old ones. Since Lollipop I have had issues with the screen not locking properly. The phone was constantly unlocking itself in my pocket and pocket dialling my contacts. I had to disable tap to unlock and this stopped that but still the phone wont always lock properly. I will have read a text say, close the application and lock the phone. The screen goes dark but a press of the button and it's unlocked again. No swipe of the screen. When you lock it, it should be locked. Typing out texts, sometimes it will freeze for a moment, then catch up with what I typed. I'm not fast at typing or anything. In fact I'm pretty rubbish lol.
The camera isn't great by any means. My old S3 was just as good and took better low light images. I don't think I will ever get a Sony again. It's a shame as my k700i was a great old phone.
Is it just me or does anyone else have issues with the Z2's dodgy software?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The ONLY thing you have proven with your attitude is that old saying ...
"You can't please ALL the people ALL the time."
Aside from being a techie with over 35 years of computer and phone skills, I've been through dozens of smartphones from the original iPhone to my current Sony Z2. I've RARELY kept any of them for more than 6 months. I've jailbroken or rooted every single one of them (except a Sharp which nobody has been able to root).
IMHO, the Sony Z2 is THE BEST smartphone I've ever carried. I'm NOT saying it's perfect. None of them are perfect. However, having carried and compared Apple, HTC, Samsung, LG, Motorola and Sharp smartphones, I believe that the Sony Z2 has the BEST screen image quality, color accuracy and camera (excluding the Z5). The photos I've captured with my Z2 are so good, I no longer haul around my expensive Hasselblad equipment when I travel. I've blown up my Sony pics and turned them into life-size pieces of artwork. No other smartphone lets you turn it sideways and keep it charged in a magnetic $4 cradle. Very few smartphones since the original Nexus have the ability to program the notification light with different colors. It even feels like a quality device, not a plastic toy.
Sony has been one of the very few manufacturers that embraces developers like the ones on XDA,
instead of trying to stop us from rooting and customizing our phones.
I'm sorry that you don't have the abilities or desire to resolve your Z2 software dislikes.
I'm currently running Mx ROM V7.70 which has Android 5.1.1 plus lots of Z5 apps
and am not having ANY problems with it. Only complaint are 2 apps he adds which I uninstalled.
I'm so happy with my Z2, I'm even passing up the new Z5 (for now anyway) and may keep my Z2 for a second year.
Glenn
P.S. I also have a Sony Smartwatch 3 and am loving how Google keeps improving Android Wear.
Nexus 7 / Sony Z2 / Teclast X98 Air 3G / iPhone 2S
Yea the z2 is by far my favourite smart phone ever. It may have some minor issues here and there, but all in all, it really is a solid device. I've had it for a year and a half now, and I still don't see any devices that I could justify upgrading to (with the exception of the z3, z4, z5). Every other manufacturer would have some sort of drawback in some way. My z2 does everything I need plus more.
Bull Sh*t. Z2 is one of the best phones. If you compare it with Z3 I think design wise Z3 maybe good but other than that I think Z2 is an amazing device.
Display, Battery Life, Software, everything is perfect. Yes Lollipop actually made the phone to die fast. It's all because of the "Mobile Radio Active bug"
If you talk about Camera it all comes to personal experience. I agree it doesn't do well on Superior Auto mode but it does a great job if you tweak the manual mode and you need to know the stuff you're dealing with.
Then again I think Sony kinda ruined HDR mode but I am okay with it.
I can't use single phone for a good year, I upgrade fast, dude this phone I am using for 2 freaking years now. I am more than happy and I'm actually not pleased with any of the phones which was released this year(maybe because of SD810). @Authi it was released with 4.4.2 not 4.1.2
This phone is awesome are you kidding. My only issue is people are always asking what kind of fancy phone that is. Noone in the US even has any idea that Sony even makes phones even though they like the look of it. This is exactly why Sony is losing money because of no marketing presence.
mrsatan said:
This phone is awesome are you kidding. My only issue is people are always asking what kind of fancy phone that is. Noone in the US even has any idea that Sony even makes phones even though they like the look of it. This is exactly why Sony is losing money because of no marketing presence.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. Anyone with an interest in phones that has seen my z2, loves it. Even people I know who don't have an interest, when they see all the pros of it, they still comment asking what kind of phone it is. I've said it from day one. Sony makes an incredible device, it's just that nobody knows about them (in North America at least).
5nakedoc said:
Out of all the smart phones I have owned since 2009, my experience with the Z2 has probably been the worst. On paper, the phone looks good. Nice big screen, good battery life, nice camera and water and dust proof to boot. In my mind, it beat all of the competitors at the time. The big problem I have found is the terrible software.
Sony seems to be clueless. Each new build introduced new bugs and didn't squash the old ones. Since Lollipop I have had issues with the screen not locking properly. The phone was constantly unlocking itself in my pocket and pocket dialling my contacts. I had to disable tap to unlock and this stopped that but still the phone wont always lock properly. I will have read a text say, close the application and lock the phone. The screen goes dark but a press of the button and it's unlocked again. No swipe of the screen. When you lock it, it should be locked. Typing out texts, sometimes it will freeze for a moment, then catch up with what I typed. I'm not fast at typing or anything. In fact I'm pretty rubbish lol.
The camera isn't great by any means. My old S3 was just as good and took better low light images. I don't think I will ever get a Sony again. It's a shame as my k700i was a great old phone.
Is it just me or does anyone else have issues with the Z2's dodgy software?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have owned a Galaxy S3 before my XPERIA Z2 (and before the Galaxy S3 I owned the x10i). The Samsung phone (not a fanboy of Sony here) was my worst phone EVER. It was faster than my XPERIA x10i, yeah, but I can't relate to anything you say. My XPERIA has NEVER unlocked out of nothing, even with tap to unlock (I know this feature can cause automatic unlocks in your pockets for example). My camera is much and much better than the Galaxy S3. Battery life is also much better. My S3 couldn't hold out a full day, my XPERIA can reach up to 2 days. Freezing? Well it never freezed here only by a faulty third party app.
And you're saying the phone is full of new bugs each update? Which bugs? I haven't seen any major bugs, only on that crappy slow Galaxy, which was freezing all the time because of the heavy Touchwiz software that was running. Okay, I'm exaggerating with all the time, but you know how frustrating it is since your XPERIA has been freezing too. But I haven't experienced one of the problems you describe, my girlfriend owns the XPERIA Z2 too, and she hasn't experienced it too.
I think the source of the problems is you and not the phone and the software that is pre-installed on the phone. Don't take this as a personal attack, because it isn't one.
Cheers.
I'm posting this as i think Sony doesn't know what they are doing anymore, they are not in control of their mobile dev department, its a real mess.
After years of experiencing android market, Sony reinventing the wheel every time they come up with something new, the latest example is the Z5 series
they released a device with half a day battery life under fair usage, they are marketing it as a 2 days battery ready
they forgot to add the correct drivers for the bluetooth and wifi, that's why the bower consumption is really high when both left on without connecting to BT headset or Wi-Fi
the camera is far from the expectations, lagy, hardly focus, image optimization is at the worst, extremely noisy, file size is at the highest, please do a fair comparison between this camera and any other mid-range device, even Huawei doing much better than Sony camera, the weird thing is they are selling their camera module to most of the high-end manufacturers, but others knows how to perfectly use this module.
even their own apps like "Smart Connect" it doesn't trigger the required action upon device pairing to a bluetooth for example
Stamina Clock disconnects the mobile data believe me it does
"Adaptive Brightness" is not correctly functioning, it extremely exposure the screen brightness for seconds before it detects the correct settings
sound drivers are sh*^%&t, stereo speakers are not well calibrated, and after every Facebook call or disconnecting noise cancelling headset, I have to readjust ringer and call volumes again
Sony fans stay away please, no need for (my device lasts for full 5 years with only 10% battery) as this is a lie, I factory rest and repaired my device 6 times with all possible settings before I post this, this post is not for you guys, I was a Sony fan, starting from Xperia Z, Z1, Z2, Z3, and finally this sh%^ty Z5P, and unfortunately am an advanced user and i know Sony mobiles behavior
Good luck everyone, stay away from Sony mobiles this year if you care about your money, you won't be satisfied unless you are a beginner, or you have the patience to wait for months for an update to fix a bug and bug another, till finally after ages they fix their firmware.
Be Happy Story Teller
hahah you sure bro ? you got all that problem in your phone ? is that even legit Sony product or maybe you buy the cloned one hahahha . I think the problem is you or let's say your phone only because every error that you mentioned is all just story .
1. My phone takes almost 2 day before it drain : game , facebook , music . Also i think you need to learn to read , Sony announced it 2days in Standby mode , really are you fan of Sony . Nice story .
2.Do you know the correct drivers your talking about ? My wifi is on always i dont get that problem.
3. LMAO the CAMERA this one , really ? Sony Camera is SUPERB ! Even my friends who used Samsung , Iphones they know Z5 Camera is better . This the best hahaha .
4.Smart Connect ? Even this one you got problem hahahahah !
5.I used Stamina Clock and I can still use mobile data with LTE .
6.The adaptive brightness is very good also . You know i dont know whats your problem retarded hahaha .
7.Lastly the Music , ow common . Sony's Stereo is great .
Dont listen to this guy claiming he is a Sony Fan hahahah . Its easy to say that your a Sony Fan . Actually your a great Story Teller on the other side . Laughing very hard to this post haha . Almost all the details in the phone you got the problem seriously ? Your too obvious . I pity you , all story that you mentioned i didnt even got one . I hope i have atleast one ! hahahah
True Sony Z5 Series Xperia User can tell it . I know others will get some problems just like all other phones but not all the problems that you mentioned . Cool Story Bro ! Cheers
Im very proud with this phone.
Z5 Premium Dual User
Lucky you, none even one problem with your Xperia Z5P, that's cool while Sony knows these issues and promising for an upcoming update to fix these issues, you -the only one on planet- who has none of the above at all, and I'm the story teller??
please check the following:
a professional reply from Sony here, not a childish one as yours (the guy with no issues) https://talk.sonymobile.com/t5/Xper...isappointed/m-p/1071489/highlight/false#M5004 check Sony reply and awareness of these issues
Adaptive Brightness Issue: http://forum.xda-developers.com/z5-premium/help/screen-looking-washed-t3265869
Stareo Speakers Issue: http://forum.xda-developers.com/z5-premium/general/sound-problem-z5-premium-t3264852
these are just examples, i can post tons of links
Hossam.Abdelsalam said:
Lucky you, none even one problem with your Xperia Z5P, that's cool while Sony knows these issues and promising for an upcoming update to fix these issues, you -the only one on planet- who has none of the above at all, and I'm the story teller??
please check the following:
a professional reply from Sony here, not a childish one as yours (the guy with no issues) https://talk.sonymobile.com/t5/Xper...isappointed/m-p/1071489/highlight/false#M5004 check Sony reply and awareness of these issues
Adaptive Brightness Issue: http://forum.xda-developers.com/z5-premium/help/screen-looking-washed-t3265869
Stareo Speakers Issue: http://forum.xda-developers.com/z5-premium/general/sound-problem-z5-premium-t3264852
these are just examples, i can post tons of links
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You sound like a fairly smart and technical dude so I'll give u the benefit of the doubt and try to stay constructive.
There are a number of quirks with the Z5P that we all wished were not there, just like there are many quirks with every single phone in it's first months of release
There will be fixes for the MINOR bugs you are mentioning and there is no reason to blow it out of proportion like a teenager on her first period. I mean if Smart Connect, adaptive brightness(no issue here), Stamina clock and readjusting volume after FB call is you idea of "STAY AWAY FROM SONY" issues, I think you have some serious unresolved ones. Not trying to offend you, just a friendly observation.
As far as camera, battery and wireless drivers(?!), you either got a faulty device, or you are smoking some fine dope and I want in on it
Camera pics (low light especially) made a pal of mine switch to Z5 from an iPhone. I was at a party on Saturday and people were borrowing my phone to take pics and send to themselves afterwards. As objective as it comes. .
I haven't switched off BT or WiFi ever since I became a Sony user(Z, Z1, Z2). Z5P does noticeably worse than my Z2, which was a power stamina beast, but it still holds up to the two day promise Sony makes (~4 hours of screen time, stamina mode - On, wifi/BT - On, adaptive brightness set to medium). I easily start a morning with 100% and last to next day evening. I am not a power user and rarely play games on it, so if you do, I can see your frustration. The Snapdragon 810 is infamous with its power starve.
As for the "tons" of links with bad feedback, it is true for every single piece of hardware. Simple human behavior is that they rarely write on a forum about a positive experience.
My advice is, write down all the issues you are having, send back your phone for a warranty service (even invent a few if it helps your case) and see if they can swap it.
Otherwise you can keep whining and badmouthing, it's your choice, but it's also no way to live a life Put a nice smile on and make it better
Cheers
bahkata said:
You sound like a fairly smart and technical dude so I'll give u the benefit of the doubt and try to stay constructive.
There are a number of quirks with the Z5P that we all wished were not there, just like there are many quirks with every single phone in it's first months of release
There will be fixes for the MINOR bugs you are mentioning and there is no reason to blow it out of proportion like a teenager on her first period. I mean if Smart Connect, adaptive brightness(no issue here), Stamina clock and readjusting volume after FB call is you idea of "STAY AWAY FROM SONY" issues, I think you have some serious unresolved ones. Not trying to offend you, just a friendly observation.
As far as camera, battery and wireless drivers(?!), you either got a faulty device, or you are smoking some fine dope and I want in on it
Camera pics (low light especially) made a pal of mine switch to Z5 from an iPhone. I was at a party on Saturday and people were borrowing my phone to take pics and send to themselves afterwards. As objective as it comes. .
I haven't switched off BT or WiFi ever since I became a Sony user(Z, Z1, Z2). Z5P does noticeably worse than my Z2, which was a power stamina beast, but it still holds up to the two day promise Sony makes (~4 hours of screen time, stamina mode - On, wifi/BT - On, adaptive brightness set to medium). I easily start a morning with 100% and last to next day evening. I am not a power user and rarely play games on it, so if you do, I can see your frustration. The Snapdragon 810 is infamous with its power starve.
As for the "tons" of links with bad feedback, it is true for every single piece of hardware. Simple human behavior is that they rarely write on a forum about a positive experience.
My advice is, write down all the issues you are having, send back your phone for a warranty service (even invent a few if it helps your case) and see if they can swap it.
Otherwise you can keep whining and badmouthing, it's your choice, but it's also no way to live a life Put a nice smile on and make it better
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm on the fence on choosing a z5premium or a iPhone 6s plus. ..which one do you think I should get? How's the front camera on the z5premium I'm into social media and use snap chat alot so I want a good selfie camera. .as well as a good rear camera and how long do you guys think the next premium model drops ?
Which version of the premium do you have? Is it dual? Is it E6883? I wonder if bugs are only in certain versions of the phone. Especially the battery issue. I got the dual E6883 and I feel like the battery is not lasting how it should.
jordy787 said:
I'm on the fence on choosing a z5premium or a iPhone 6s plus. ..which one do you think I should get? How's the front camera on the z5premium I'm into social media and use snap chat alot so I want a good selfie camera. .as well as a good rear camera and how long do you guys think the next premium model drops ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both have a good front facing camera. The Sony one captures a little more (wider lens) but the quality is not different enough to drive a decision. Right now, before a Firmware update, you'll be happier with the 6s Plus.
After Sony releases a couple of updates, I think the Sony will be the better phone.
The rear camera is better on the Sony but that is subjective to my picture preferences. On the objective side, Sony's lenses are much wider and capture more of the scene and it has a camera button, which I wouldn't swap for anything. the 6s Plus does have OIS tho. Videos tend to be a little less shaky.
pick the one u like in your hand. I am not a fan of apple's product line but that's on a personal level so I can't recommend against it.
gd luck
P.S. If you'r not in a hurry, my advice is - wait till spring. The Z6 line will be a lot better. Rumors are there will be 5 screen sizes to pick from and lot of goodies. And in case they suck, you can grab the Z5P cheaper. The only reason I got mine was a random Black Friday promo for 50% off
bahkata said:
Both have a good front facing camera. The Sony one captures a little more (wider lens) but the quality is not different enough to drive a decision. Right now, before a Firmware update, you'll be happier with the 6s Plus.
After Sony releases a couple of updates, I think the Sony will be the better phone.
The rear camera is better on the Sony but that is subjective to my picture preferences. On the objective side, Sony's lenses are much wider and capture more of the scene and it has a camera button, which I wouldn't swap for anything the 6s Plus does have OIS tho. Videos tend to be a little less shaky.
pick the one u like in your hand. I am not a fan of apple's product line but that's on a personal level so I can't recommend against it
gd luck
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Probably when the marshmallow update drops soon it will be alot better huh? Yeah the camera button would be nice !! i wanted a rear camera closest to a dslr so the z5p is probably that. I heard the z5p has a better stabilizer..Do you think a new model z5p will drop soon? i guess thats my main concern, i dont want the phone to depreciate after Christmas and i know iphones dont hardly do that haha. Hows your battery life ??
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bahkata said:
Both have a good front facing camera. The Sony one captures a little more (wider lens) but the quality is not different enough to drive a decision. Right now, before a Firmware update, you'll be happier with the 6s Plus.
After Sony releases a couple of updates, I think the Sony will be the better phone.
The rear camera is better on the Sony but that is subjective to my picture preferences. On the objective side, Sony's lenses are much wider and capture more of the scene and it has a camera button, which I wouldn't swap for anything. the 6s Plus does have OIS tho. Videos tend to be a little less shaky.
pick the one u like in your hand. I am not a fan of apple's product line but that's on a personal level so I can't recommend against it.
gd luck
P.S. If you'r not in a hurry, my advice is - wait till spring. The Z6 line will be a lot better. Rumors are there will be 5 screen sizes to pick from and lot of goodies. And in case they suck, you can grab the Z5P cheaper. The only reason I got mine was a random Black Friday promo for 50% off
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edit: Do they still have that black friday promo? lol and i should probably get a iphone 6s plus then since i can easily resell it for alot (seem to hold value). i found a 6s plus 128gb for $700 new
Nah, was just a 12 hour promo on a Swedish provider
If u want to hold value, iPhone would be a better option. U'll be happy with both.
Battery is fine. I miss my Z2's marathon stamina but I easily get two days and it will get better with andro M.
In the end, its a lifestyle choice, dude. They cover different needs and have a different customer base. If u want pretty, shiny and easy to use - go 6s Plus. If u want to tinker, customize and a more real experience in a tougher shell - its Sony. Go play with both of them in a store.
bahkata said:
Nah, was just a 12 hour promo on a Swedish provider
If u want to hold value, iPhone would be a better option. U'll be happy with both.
Battery is fine. I miss my Z2's marathon stamina but I easily get two days and it will get better with andro M.
In the end, its a lifestyle choice, dude. They cover different needs and have a different customer base. If u want pretty, shiny and easy to use - go 6s Plus. If u want to tinker, customize and a more real experience in a tougher shell - its Sony. Go play with both of them in a store.
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2 days seems amazing, on my s6 edge plus i sold i got around 10hrs only with probably 2-3sot. Guess i gotta think this through lol... do you have any camera samples? or any samples on instagram or something ?
Thats quite disappointing. People here don't like it when they get "only" 4-5 hrs SOT on the Z5P
check here -> http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_z5_premium-review-1344.php
loads of samples and a decent review
bahkata said:
You sound like a fairly smart and technical dude so I'll give u the benefit of the doubt and try to stay constructive.
There are a number of quirks with the Z5P that we all wished were not there, just like there are many quirks with every single phone in it's first months of release
There will be fixes for the MINOR bugs you are mentioning and there is no reason to blow it out of proportion like a teenager on her first period. I mean if Smart Connect, adaptive brightness(no issue here), Stamina clock and readjusting volume after FB call is you idea of "STAY AWAY FROM SONY" issues, I think you have some serious unresolved ones. Not trying to offend you, just a friendly observation.
As far as camera, battery and wireless drivers(?!), you either got a faulty device, or you are smoking some fine dope and I want in on it
Camera pics (low light especially) made a pal of mine switch to Z5 from an iPhone. I was at a party on Saturday and people were borrowing my phone to take pics and send to themselves afterwards. As objective as it comes. .
I haven't switched off BT or WiFi ever since I became a Sony user(Z, Z1, Z2). Z5P does noticeably worse than my Z2, which was a power stamina beast, but it still holds up to the two day promise Sony makes (~4 hours of screen time, stamina mode - On, wifi/BT - On, adaptive brightness set to medium). I easily start a morning with 100% and last to next day evening. I am not a power user and rarely play games on it, so if you do, I can see your frustration. The Snapdragon 810 is infamous with its power starve.
As for the "tons" of links with bad feedback, it is true for every single piece of hardware. Simple human behavior is that they rarely write on a forum about a positive experience.
My advice is, write down all the issues you are having, send back your phone for a warranty service (even invent a few if it helps your case) and see if they can swap it.
Otherwise you can keep whining and badmouthing, it's your choice, but it's also no way to live a life Put a nice smile on and make it better
Cheers
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Thanks man for your reply, but when you pay around $850 to get a Z5P in my country -with no warranty BTW-, and after days of waiting for it to be delivered to find out you've paid this for a downgraded version of your current device (Z3) which lasts easily for a day with heavy use, most of issues were fixed (except for the call and ring volumes and Smart connect actions), battery smooth UI, no lags, fair camera, ...etc, imagine the impression man, paying such amount of money to be downgraded to half a day battery usage, software issues here and there, practically same camera results.
add to this, being in a poor country, no Sony support, all the above issues are hidden to the normal user, advanced digging needed to reach out for solutions, this is not like a teenager on her first period, this is called disappointment
Hossam.Abdelsalam said:
Thanks man for your reply, but when you pay around $850 to get a Z5P in my country -with no warranty BTW-, and after days of waiting for it to be delivered to find out you've paid this for a downgraded version of your current device (Z3) which lasts easily for a day with heavy use, most of issues were fixed (except for the call and ring volumes and Smart connect actions), battery smooth UI, no lags, fair camera, ...etc, imagine the impression man, paying such amount of money to be downgraded to half a day battery usage, software issues here and there, practically same camera results.
add to this, being in a poor country, no Sony support, all the above issues are hidden to the normal user, advanced digging needed to reach out for solutions, this is not like a teenager on her first period, this is called disappointment
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Im originally from Bulgaria, mate. I don't have to imagine. But being from the third world you must also be aware that the lowest quality batches get send there and you need to be extra careful. As far as warranty goes, there is no such thing as "no warranty" with a big name brand. You can always send it to a Sony service center outside your country. You just have to communicate that through the correct channels. I managed to do it with a Nokia and a Samsung in my teens. You are a big boy, you'll figure it out
Now the disappointment part. It's not the feeling I am referring to. It's the process you are going through to handle it. This is a forum where people come together to be helpful/get help. Thanks to topics and posts like yours it is becoming a mundane and unhelpful place where people come to vent and whine without really seeking a solution, which makes it a less helpful place. Essentially you are making the world a ****tier place. By a very little amount of course, but it contributes
What was wrong with posting in the Q&A, troubleshooting section, explaining your problems and ask nicely if people have the same and what could be a solution?
Also don't be mad at Yolo. He has the right to be frustrated, just cannot express it very well.
I have the 6853 and honestly it works great... The camera is definitely better than the iPhone 6S+...my wife uses that and I took a ton of pictures using both...the Sony is considerably better...no phone is perfect but right now I don't think there's anything better than the Z5P...Android M will be out soon and it will only get better...the one thing that Sony is wrong on is Battery....as a heavy user, I get one full day usage, not 2...but its usually hovering around 15-20% when I finally put it back on the charger...another thing I noticed was that Sony's quick charger is slower than others...I have a $9 certified Qualcomm quick charger I got from Amazon that charges the phone from 2-3% to 100% in one hour...and I get it up to like 70% in 30-35 minutes.
Only battery drain a little bit too fast other then is perfect for me.
Before z5p I had use moto x prue ,nexus 6p, lumia 950xl but I feel z5p is better one
i've used the z, z1, z ultra (still have this beast), z3, z3 tablet compact, and recently got the z5 premium.
I've never gotten a lemon in any of those devices, and none of those problems happened to me before.
the z5 premium's performance is blowing all those out of the waters now so I guess I'm just one lucky son of a gun
ivrsn_des said:
i've used the z, z1, z ultra (still have this beast), z3, z3 tablet compact, and recently got the z5 premium.
I've never gotten a lemon in any of those devices, and none of those problems happened to me before.
the z5 premium's performance is blowing all those out of the waters now so I guess I'm just one lucky son of a gun
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I am still using my Z1 and it has never had a single issue in over two years but I am contemplating getting the Z5 Premium in black.
How would you rate it next to the Z1, take into consideration that o have not used or owned any other Z series device.
Would it be a massive jump and difference in user experience, in a positive manner?
jordy787 said:
I'm on the fence on choosing a z5premium or a iPhone 6s plus. ..which one do you think I should get? How's the front camera on the z5premium I'm into social media and use snap chat alot so I want a good selfie camera. .as well as a good rear camera and how long do you guys think the next premium model drops ?
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I'll be brutally honest here. Go with the iPhone. It's the best phone for social media. I've been using the Z5premium for a little longer than a week now and I can tell you that the front facing camera is definitely not as good as the one on the iPhone. It also doesn't take pictures as fast as the iPhone does. However I will say that the Z5's rear camera does take better photos than the iPhone, albeit slower due to post-processing.
There's also a weird glitch with the camera when taking videos of extremely detailed subjects on Snapchat. I don't know when this will be fixed, but I do know that it looks distorted and really weird. I wish I could show you a sample, but the snap was a few days ago.
This is not to say that I don't love this phone though. For more reasons I like this phone better than my iPhone. There are just a few things that the iPhone simply does better. But hey, no phone is perfect.
fancymans said:
I'll be brutally honest here. Go with the iPhone. It's the best phone for social media. I've been using the Z5premium for a little longer than a week now and I can tell you that the front facing camera is definitely not as good as the one on the iPhone. It also doesn't take pictures as fast as the iPhone does. However I will say that the Z5's rear camera does take better photos than the iPhone, albeit slower due to post-processing.
There's also a weird glitch with the camera when taking videos of extremely detailed subjects on Snapchat. I don't know when this will be fixed, but I do know that it looks distorted and really weird. I wish I could show you a sample, but the snap was a few days ago.
This is not to say that I don't love this phone though. For more reasons I like this phone better than my iPhone. There are just a few things that the iPhone simply does better. But hey, no phone is perfect.
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i ended up ordering a 6s+ on ebay haha thanks for replying back! I know exactly what you mean, they haven't optimized the camera yet for snapchat i had that happen with my old g4 ..only way to fix that is to use the 3rd party snapchat app called "casper" it allows you to use original camera app. idk what it is but iphones always tend to have the better front camera even with being a lower resolution. Main reason i did not get the z5p is because there is rumors with the z6 plus/ultra coming out soon so i would rather stick with something that wont depreciate yenno
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