Reviews have started to surface.
Three day battery life? I'm up for that!
http://www.theguardian.com/technolo...ria-z5-compact-review-best-smaller-smartphone
I'll update as I find more.
http://gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_z5_compact-review-1318.php
I'm so used to plugging in my Droid MAXX once every 3-4 days that when I saw this review I thought, "Ok, maybe it's about time I consider a new device..." and so far the Z5C looks to have everything that I want in a smartphone these days, including a 1280x720 display. Call me "behind the times" or something but, I just don't give a damn about super high resolution displays on small handheld devices anymore. I wouldn't mind 1920x1080 either but, 1280x720 just works for me and I know for a fact it most definitely contributes to massive battery life on the Z5C - the MAXX I have uses an AMOLED panel so that helps considerably on mine as well.
I could just get a new battery for it and I'd be getting a solid 4 days of battery life like I did when I first got it almost 2 years ago now but, the Z5C is currently sitting at the top of my "That's worth buying because I could actually use it" list.
Can't wait to see more reviews and hands on testing, as well as seeing the potential for custom ROMs as time passes. Definitely a device I intend to keep an eye on.
supercakefish said:
Reviews have started to surface.
Three day battery life? I'm up for that!
http://www.theguardian.com/technolo...ria-z5-compact-review-best-smaller-smartphone
I'll update as I find more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In terms of battery life (didn't read the review) it's pretty much correct. They said the same thing about the z3c and it was pretty much correct, got the phone for a year now and the battery life is still awesome!
Sent from my D5803 using XDA Free mobile app
Dsteppa said:
In terms of battery life (didn't read the review) it's pretty much correct. They said the same thing about the z3c and it was pretty much correct, got the phone for a year now and the battery life is still awesome!
Sent from my D5803 using XDA Free mobile app
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I'm just happy that the Snapdragon 810 hasn't severely impacted battery life as some people feared it might.
supercakefish said:
I'm just happy that the Snapdragon 810 hasn't severely impacted battery life as some people feared it might.
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Click to collapse
Yeah, many people just quote everything they read, without some real evidence. It might use more energy, but just like the gains against its predecessor the changes are pretty much marginal.
Sent from my D5803 using XDA Free mobile app
I remember Sony boasting about the new display tech in the Z5's that turns the CPU off when a static image is shown on screen. Looks like it's compensated for the more power hungry SOC quite nicely!
I have the same opinion as @br0adband. I'm perfectly fine with "just" HD display, especially if it means much better battery life. Around 320 ppi is enough to get sharp images. For me the most important things in smartphone are: camera, battery life, design and pocket size. All these things Z5C have so it's perfect for me. The only thing I whish Z5C had, is metal frame, but I'm ok with plastic, because it's matte, that looks so elegant.
I also found this Spanish test:
http://www.xataka.com/analisis/sony-xperia-z5-compact-analisis
there are some good looking camera samples.
Another review http://www.xperiablog.net/2015/09/21/sony-xperia-z5-compact-unboxing/
cioce said:
Another review http://www.xperiablog.net/2015/09/21/sony-xperia-z5-compact-unboxing/
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Click to collapse
Nice little video there, nothing really new but it's cool to see what all comes in the box. That of course is not necessarily what we here in the US might find because of the provider but if I could manage to afford it I'd most likely buy direct and get the yellow one, I have this thing about yellow and black color combinations. I kinda like the boxy quality about the Z5C, it's just different and that's fine with me.
One thing that always irked me about Xperia models is the placement of the buttons - if I didn't know better I'd think that Sony believes it lives in a world full or right-handed people 'cause the overwhelming majority of people I know that use smartphones are left-handed and they hold it in their left hand so, having the side buttons on the right side of the phone is somewhat odd - that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. Yes, my Droid MAXX has the buttons right-mounted but they're up in the top half of the right side, not the lower half which is what just seems so odd.
The hardware camera button is awesome, however. So far so good, Sony, I'm liking it more and more all the time.
There is no reason not to use it left handed
Just use an other finger than the thumb...?
The device is small enough, to grap around.
I think to remember guy in a video hands-on did so.... Right hand people tend to film with right and act with left for some reasons...
While mounted in the dash holder (car) or resting on the table people naturly use other fingers than the right hand thumb to unlock....
another review
https://www.androidpit.com/sony-xperia-z5-compact-review
Kinda messed up when they consider a 1280x720 display a negative in today's world, it really is. Nobody NEEDS more than that, I truly believe that's a nearly perfect resolution for most any purpose but that's just my opinion I guess. Super-duper high resolution screens, pretty much pointless in the palm of our hands.
On a wall as a high definition display, or a desk as a high resolution computer monitor, sure, that makes a lot more sense but, extreme resolution in a handheld device, I'll never understand that one.
br0adband said:
Kinda messed up when they consider a 1280x720 display a negative in today's world, it really is. Nobody NEEDS more than that, I truly believe that's a nearly perfect resolution for most any purpose but that's just my opinion I guess. Super-duper high resolution screens, pretty much pointless in the palm of our hands.
On a wall as a high definition display, or a desk as a high resolution computer monitor, sure, that makes a lot more sense but, extreme resolution in a handheld device, I'll never understand that one.
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Click to collapse
Yeah, 720p is the perfect resolution for this phone.
I'd consider it as a "PRO", something like:
"Has the optimal resolution for its screen size".
Some reviewers say this is a "contra". But this resolution saves a lot of battery power in all sense:
CPU power / GPU power / Screen's Power / Baseband/modem Power (lower DPI phones requires less internet bandwidth) (And lower resolution too, YouTube needs 720 instead of 1080).
I found another review and it's also a camera comparison against the S6 Edge+ (Y)
alexfrias said:
I found another review and it's also a camera comparison against the S6 Edge+ (Y)
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Click to collapse
Pretty good review! The best so far.
Added this to the camera thread as well.
Z5 series has the best mobile phone camera tested by DxOMark (beating S6):
http://www.dxomark.com/Mobiles/Sony-Xperia-Z5-Mobile-review-Best-mobile-photo-video-scores-to-date
The best camera ever!!
Hi all XDAer's, just got my Z5 compact today from carphonewarehouse and I love it. Dumped my Galaxy S6 for this.
Another review..
http://www.xperiablog.net/2015/09/30/dxomark-rates-xperia-z5-as-best-of-the-best-sits-atop-rankings/
milesg said:
Added this to the camera thread as well.
Z5 series has the best mobile phone camera tested by DxOMark (beating S6):
http://www.dxomark.com/Mobiles/Sony-Xperia-Z5-Mobile-review-Best-mobile-photo-video-scores-to-date
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Click to collapse
excuse my ignorance. so the z5 premium, the z5 and the z5 compact. all 3 have identical lens and camera features?
alpha beta gaga said:
excuse my ignorance. so the z5 premium, the z5 and the z5 compact. all 3 have identical lens and camera features?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep!
http://m.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_z5_compact-review-1318.php
Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk
Related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f31ojOyC7FA
Check out the video.
Lower benchmark score than the Galaxy S3 and battery drops from 97% to 93% in 5 minutes of use.
Not impressed Sony.
ssj_jaypee said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f31ojOyC7FA
Check out the video.
Lower benchmark score than the Galaxy S3 and battery drops from 97% to 93% in 5 minutes of use.
Not impressed Sony.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't that a test unit though? Plus benchmarks don't really mean that much, it's the actual user experience which is important I think
fareeed said:
Isn't that a test unit though?
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Click to collapse
What would the difference be?
The phone is coming out next month. Production has started already.
I don't blame the hardware though. The S4 Pro is powerful.
Most likely Sony screwed up the software.....
Also battery needed to be bigger.
Why in the love of god didn't Sony follow Samsung and use a bigger battery like the Note 2? :crying:
ssj_jaypee said:
What would the difference be?
The phone is coming out next month. Production has started already.
I don't blame the hardware though. The S4 Pro is powerful.
Most likely Sony screwed up the software.....
Also battery needed to be bigger.
Why in the love of god didn't Sony follow Samsung and use a bigger battery like the Note 2? :crying:
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Click to collapse
I see what you mean, the actual production devices could ship with different software I don't know? I agree about the battery though we'll just have to wait for a full review I guess
Engadget got the ZL at 13,589
It's an S4 Pro with quad-core krait. Just like the Droid DNA and Nexus 4. Stop worrying about benchmarks, especially when it hasn't even been released. It will perform like every other S4 Pro phone, give or take a small margin.
The battery complaint is even more ridiculous. So many phones get updates on launch day fixing battery issues and they keep tweaking it with each update for months after release.
The biggest disappointment is the display. It looks exactly like a bigger version of the Xperia S/Ion/T with all the problems. Washed out look with poor viewing angles and contrast. Sony likes to turn up the brightness to mask the poor contrast. It's 2013. HTC doesn't even make displays and their SuperLCD IPS display is far and ahead the best. IPS displays on LG are also good as well as the one on the Lumia 920. Sony displays continue to disappoint.
katamari201 said:
It's an S4 Pro with quad-core krait. Just like the Droid DNA and Nexus 4. Stop worrying about benchmarks, especially when it hasn't even been released. It will perform like every other S4 Pro phone, give or take a small margin.
The battery complaint is even more ridiculous. So many phones get updates on launch day fixing battery issues and they keep tweaking it with each update for months after release.
The biggest disappointment is the display. It looks exactly like a bigger version of the Xperia S/Ion/T with all the problems. Washed out look with poor viewing angles and contrast. Sony likes to turn up the brightness to mask the poor contrast. It's 2013. HTC doesn't even make displays and their SuperLCD IPS display is far and ahead the best. IPS displays on LG are also good as well as the one on the Lumia 920. Sony displays continue to disappoint.
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Click to collapse
The Ion has a pretty good display, dunno what you're talking about, many people agree with me. Probably one of the best out there.
I got the S which seems to have a pretty nice one as well, maybe almost the same as the Ion. The only washed out display that Sony produced this year on a high-end device is the one on the T. Over-saturated colors don't necessarily mean better displays.
The ION has the best display. Take a look at the thread in the Xperia T forums that compares the ION, T, and S in terms of display.
Nepythys said:
The Ion has a pretty good display, dunno what you're talking about, many people agree with me. Probably one of the best out there.
I got the S which seems to have a pretty nice one as well, maybe almost the same as the Ion. The only washed out display that Sony produced this year on a high-end device is the one on the T. Over-saturated colors don't necessarily mean better displays.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never said anything about oversaturation being better. You are making assumptions that I prefer the blown out colors of AMOLED or the extra warmth of the SuperLCD. I mentioned the LG display looks better than the Sony one, and it is even LESS saturated than the Sony display. The point is Sony does not have a single IPS display on their phones. It is 100% agreed upon that IPS is the pinnacle of LCD technology and has been for years. Professional monitors from NEC, Dell, and HP use IPS panels. The colors and contrast do not shift when viewing off axis, and that is important for an even image, even when looking dead on. LG and HTC have been putting IPS displays on their phones for years now. Sony has no excuse. If you live in a bubble of Sony phones and never look at any other smartphone, I'm sure the display looks great. But there are plenty of reviews stating the obvious. The poor viewing angles are becoming increasingly unacceptable in a premium smartphone. The flaws are even more apparent on a small mobile display that you move around and use at different angles. It's not some nice monitor you prop in front of your desk and sit perfectly in front of.
Still way prettier and with far better UI than TouchWiz.
scores slower because of the Full HD screen
Final results are close to 20.000 in AnTuTu...
Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk
its a prototype so definitely the software isnt optimized yet, wait for the final release and then start whining.
EL_BELLACO said:
scores slower because of the Full HD screen
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Click to collapse
That's probably the issue. This thing rendering everything in fullHD, the S3 does 720p only, so of course it will be "faster" in benchmarks.
guilhermedsx said:
That's probably the issue. This thing rendering everything in fullHD, the S3 does 720p only, so of course it will be "faster" in benchmarks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've seen droid DNA got 19k in antutu with that resolution..
Send from my stupid lt26i
Yeah, well the Z can score higher than that -- and with XDA here, it's bound to go higher than 22.000
I don't know what Sony's game is, but why the onscreen buttons? That only takes away from the display! For some reason, only the GNex looks good with those, maybe because it doesn't have any extra buttons?
Anyways, I still think the best buttons were on the HTC Desire. You couldn't miss those.
About what I expected and not low at all for a stock device. You have to keep in mind most of the top scores on Antutu are with custom kernels and roms. As for battery I am not worried about it as it has not really been a issue with the newer Sony stuff.
someone755 said:
Yeah, well the Z can score higher than that -- and with XDA here, it's bound to go higher than 22.000
I don't know what Sony's game is, but why the onscreen buttons? That only takes away from the display! For some reason, only the GNex looks good with those, maybe because it doesn't have any extra buttons?
Anyways, I still think the best buttons were on the HTC Desire. You couldn't miss those.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it's better. When not needed, they will hide themselves and show the full screen.
Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk
Felimenta97 said:
I think it's better. When not needed, they will hide themselves and show the full screen.
Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. And I'll be hiding the on screen buttons completely, and using gestures instead, meaning that I get the complete 5" !!
Very glad Sony did this, was waiting for someone to stop making redundant buttons.
Now if only they actually gave it a removable battery, then I'd be sold 100% (mostly talking about the ZL, I can understand the Z)
ssj_jaypee said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f31ojOyC7FA
Check out the video.
Lower benchmark score than the Galaxy S3 and battery drops from 97% to 93% in 5 minutes of use.
Not impressed Sony.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ummm I should point out the S3 gets around the 9000 range in Antutu and the Nexus 4 which runs the same processor as the Z gets around 16,000 which about in line with that benchmark so... wtf are you talking about. Also *GASP* a phone lose battery while doing intensive benchmarks I am soooo shocked. Obvious troll post.
Yes, if you can find a used one to a reasonable price, and no if youre renewing your contract or buying a brand new one.
Reason is that even though its great phone, the samsung s4 and htc one is right around the corner and they both come with full hd displays with nearly everything better in software terms, look at the rewies.
I bought mine used for around 350 pounds it had been used for 11 days. Reason, i didnt wait for the s4 (i dont like metal (htc one)) is that i didnt wanted to renew my contract, and i had a iphone 5 (just to small of a screen) which i sold and bought the Xperia Z.
Now the Xperia Z is a great phone, its a beautiful looking phone, it has a great full hd display, the launcher is nearly stock witch i prefer etc.
The "not so great" about the phone is the software side. The camera isnt the best, but its not bad!. There arent many feauteres in the settings app, its allmost stock, so for the people who like minimality its allright, but for people like me who likes a lot of features the software dissapoints. Even though a lot of the software (samsung series) is gimmicks its nice to have them. My big issue with this phone is the battery, im a heavy user and it isnt meant for heavy users. Even in stamina mode and brightness in auto mode i have to charge the phone at least 2 times a day. And the charge time is crazy, if you are using your phone while charging it just stands still. Bluetooth is dissapointing, it connect to my cars bluetooth but when trying to make a phone call it disconnects every time. On the lockscreen theres time, music and camera icons, if u have a missed call or a message it does not show, for me thats dissapointing, the software just needs big improvements.
Now this phone is big, so if you have small hands try it out in a store before you buy. I have small hands but i like to use two hands so its fine for me, but still it could have been nice if it were a bit smaller, like the zl. The rectangular shape isnt as comfortable to hold as a others. This phone definetely needs to be tried before bought.
To round up:
Good part. Its beautifull looking, great hardware, great full hd screen, good camera, little to no lag, good launcher, notifcation lights, waterproof,
Bad part. battery life, bluetooth, software, not comfortable to hold (small hands),
I would buy one because I like Sony's UI, but the dated hardware specifications, poor viewing experience and sound quality is what's keeping me from doing that.
When you recontract (in my country), the HTC One is $528 vs the Xperia Z at $388, with the NFC speakers thrown in for free. Looking at the SGS4, it's going to be >$500 if the prices of the SGS3 were anything to go by (SGS4 drops on 27th April here). Kind of an easy choice
mahay_love said:
I would buy one because I like Sony's UI, but the dated hardware specifications, poor viewing experience and sound quality is what's keeping me from doing that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you've had the opportunity to use one for a few minutes and don't like the screen or the speaker and find the phone
sluggish/slow/underpowered for the tasks you would use it for?
Nameless One said:
So you've had the opportunity to use one for a few minutes and don't like the screen or the speaker and find the phone
sluggish/slow/underpowered for the tasks you would use it for?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd say far more than a few minutes but yes, I did find the apps to be a little unresponsive/lag-ish at times. The sound quality wasn't good but the screen was enjoyable, at least I thought so until I tried watching a video with a friend, it turned out it wasn't.
mahay_love said:
I'd say far more than a few minutes but yes, I did find the apps to be a little unresponsive/lag-ish at times. The sound quality wasn't good but the screen was enjoyable, at least I thought so until I tried watching a video with a friend, it turned out it wasn't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to watch a movie with your friend you can go to the Cinema
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium
gm007 said:
If you want to watch a movie with your friend you can go to the Cinema
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was a small video clip though
mahay_love said:
I'd say far more than a few minutes but yes, I did find the apps to be a little unresponsive/lag-ish at times. The sound quality wasn't good but the screen was enjoyable, at least I thought so until I tried watching a video with a friend, it turned out it wasn't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fair enough, I get the impression that many of the people saying they were going to buy but changed their mind are going purely on what others have said including the many trolls as if anything negative said with confidence is automatically true
and true for all examples of the device (in this case the XZ) being referred to (or they are trolls themselves). There is far too much general negativity (as distinct from negative opinions).
Nameless One said:
Fair enough, I get the impression that many of the people saying they were going to buy but changed their mind are going purely on what others have said including the many trolls as if anything negative said with confidence is automatically true
and true for all examples of the device (in this case the XZ) being referred to (or they are trolls themselves). There is far too much general negativity (as distinct from negative opinions).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe on the internet but I've seen no such negativity from the people who own it, and when I displayed it to my relatives they had a clearly good impression of the device. I think I'm just too particular about my devices.
@op you say the camera isn't the Best but not bad? Yet you praise the screen...... The camera is one of the best out right now lol as for the screen, full HD yeah but the viewing angles are terrible, colors desaturate at the slightest tilt of the screen, anyways....I had my XZ for about a month now and while im happy with it for now I would gladly swap for something else, its gonna be hard to find someone who actually wants an XZ to swap with tho .
Sent from my GT-P3110 using xda premium
With respect to the OP there is simply no answer to the question. Choice is there and all the debate in the world will not alter that.
Trying to compare the top three mobiles at present is fruitless. They all have weaknesses and strengths. It will come down to personal choice and thank heavens for that choice.
I have the blessing to have purchased what mobile I like to that end I am not biased in favour of one brand nor the other. I buy what pleases me and NOT what reviews write. 'Experts' only confuse the situations. The difference between the XZ, HTC One and the SGS4 will come down to style and aesthetics, as far as daily use goes we have reached a ceiling now where the speeds etc can make zero noticeable difference in user interaction between person and device. UI's differ as does materials used in construction. I went with the Sony on this occasion as my SGS3 is a spectacular mobile, for the cost the materials used (for me) are unacceptable, it just feels cheap and the SGS4 looks exactly like its predecessor even though Samsung are using different forms of plastic it still looks cheap.
The HTC One, I fear, living in a very hot climate, that the HTC One will allow body perspiration into the phone via those large frontal speakers ? The phone looks a million dollars but again I fear the aluminium back and front plates will scratch and even dent as they did with my HTC Legend. The other point in choosing to try the Sony was signal strength.
You see I live in the middle of no where so signal strength is a vital part of my mobile ownership. Nokia, in the past, have been top notch in this area where HTC have proved abysmal and I have owned about 5 different HTC's. The Samsung Note was not too bad but the Galaxy S3 that I still have is not as strong as the Sony XZ.
I have found HTC and Nokia build quality to be very good, Samsung are, well they are plastic and look plastic!?
I am thankful for the choices. There is no best and to debate on such things is like trying to debate who the best singer is, the best song, the best brand of stereo speakers or HI-Fi separates. It is a personal choice.
What's the best fruit would be an equally pointless debate.
Best phone so far I find
The fact it's so close to stock android compared to everything else I find a real bonus as well
Feels like a nexus but with the Sony bonus features rather then a forced view of what they think android should be like e.g Samsung
Great camera
Good battery life I find
Best astetic design
Sent from my Xperia Z
swifteh said:
@op you say the camera isn't the Best but not bad? Yet you praise the screen...... The camera is one of the best out right now lol as for the screen, full HD yeah but the viewing angles are terrible, colors desaturate at the slightest tilt of the screen, anyways....I had my XZ for about a month now and while im happy with it for now I would gladly swap for something else, its gonna be hard to find someone who actually wants an XZ to swap with tho .
Sent from my GT-P3110 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the camera on both the s3 & iphone 5 are better. and those are the phones ive owned. yes the screen is beautiful and bright. i dont care about viewing angles, if you had readen the reviews you would have known that the viewing angles are not so good. well if you paid full price then yeah you should have waited.
After spending two weeks with the iPhone 5, I am unable to agree that it has a better camera than the Xperia Z. I have got better pictures with the latter when manual settings.
I would also say that the selection between Xperia Z, HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S 4 (after seeing the ad in Times Square, the name is S 4 instead of S IV) is a matter of software preferences to a high degree. In my case, the Xperia Z won because of the following:
1. IP57 and the relaxation that the smartphone can be used even if the weather is less than perfect.
2. No TouchWiz or Sense and a very clean Android experience that is more of a "refined Nexus" than a traditional manufacturer modified one. The problem with Samsung is that they change a lot of things in their devices and that results in very heavy bloated ROMs. I also think that Sony has made a better job with their apps like dialer, contacts, messaging, Album and Walkman.
The new HTC Sense isn't too attractive to me either even if I have the opinion that HTC usually make more elegant apps (Gallery, contacts, dialer etc) than Samsung.
3. Because of 2, running clean ROMs are of interest to me in the case of Samsung and HTC. Unfortunately, neither Galaxy S 4 or HTC One are too developer friendly (locked bootloaders, a lack of sources etc) which is paired with a severe fragmentation (in the case of the S 4) where different markets has different CPUs etc. Sony has made a better job with standardizing Xperia Z C6602 and C6603 since both of them can use the same ROMs and kernels. It is also worth to mention that the CM10.1 development has been very rapid for the Xperia Z and everything like camera etc is working.
4. The performance of the Xperia Z is very high, it is the first time I don't feel that overclocking is necessary. The device is very smooth and fast on the stock frequency. It is better to undervolt in order to get better battery life and less heat (it made a big difference in my case).
The performance differences between the Snapdragon S4 Pro and the 600 can be reduced by overclocking. The light ROMs for the Xperia Z is facilitating smoothness, my experience is that Samsung and HTC needs heavy debloating in order to begin to perform at their best.
The most interesting product besides the Xperia Z when it comes to the CPU is the S 4 i9500 with Exynos 5 Octa. It is a great benefit that it is always quad core in both modes (performance and power saver A15/A7). Unfortunately, the Snapdragon 600-versions are what Samsung pushes hard since the production of the Exynos 5 Octa hasn't been ramped up yet.
The drawback with the Exynos is the unwillingness of Samsung to release proper sources, a problem that has affected CM and PA on their devices. Otherwise, it is a really interesting CPU.
The step between Snapdragon S4 Pro and 600 is too small in my opinion, the step to the 800 is much more interesting.
5. The screen of the Xperia Z is very good in my opinion with good color reproduction after calibration. The viewing angle "problem" doesn't disturb me the slightest since I usually don't use the device in off angles - and the screen is still legible in those cases. The "problem" is overrated IMHO.
I also prefer the colors compared to the extreme "color explosion" Samsung offers on their AMOLED screens (which can be changed by make the proper settings). I think the Galaxy S 4 and HTC One offers decent screens but I don't see that the difference between them and the Xperia Z is much of a concern. All three are good.
6. The audio quality of the Xperia Z when decent headphones are used is very good and that is with the PureXAudio mod flashed. I don't experience any kind of "inferior sound" compared to the Galaxy Note II. For further enhancements of the sound, Power AMP can be used.
HTC focuses too much on Beats Audio instead of good DACs etc which is a drawback. Personally, I would not buy anything with Beats (Crap Audio in my opinion). When it comes to the Galaxy S 4, I think the Snapdragon 600 versions are using the integrated DAC while the Exynos version should use the Wolfson one. I therefore expect the i9500 to offer higher audio quality than i9505 et al.
I would claim the Wolfson Samsung Galaxy S 4 i9500 will be the best sounding with Xperia Z as the second while HTC with their Beats Audio will lag behind. Samsung usually manage to offer very good sound from their Wolfson equipped products.
7. The integrated battery on the Xperia Z is a drawback but can partly be explained by the water tightness. The HTC One has a completely disastrous battery placement, sandwiched between the mainboard and the screen. The 1 out of 10 in repairability that iFixit gave it would put me off completely.
The Galaxy S 4 is the winner since it offers both the user replaceable battery and a memory card slot. The Xperia Z comes in second and the HTC One suffers from a very big question mark about the internal layout.
Conclusion:
In my opinion, the Xperia Z is the most "well rounded" device available today. The Galaxy S 4 i9500 with Exynos 5 Octa offers some benefits but suffers from very restricted availability. Many of the features Samsung puts in are more of "gimmicks" than useful things. HTC focuses also on a bit of bling bling with Beats Audio and Blinkfeed.
The Xperia Z on the other hand offers a clean experience that is easy to customize and gives a more "productive" feeling rather than "bling bling". On the other hand, everything comes down to what type of Android experience that is preferred. For those that are comfortable with TouchWiz and Sense, Samsung and HTC is good choices.
On the other hand, for those that prefer a cleaner experience but think the Nexus 4 is too limited (storage, screen etc) - the Xperia Z is a very good choice - especially now when CM10.1 is out and seem to work well in the latest build. It is possible to step straight onto "pure Android" right now, without the question marks that surrounds the other options.
Personally, I think the Xperia Z is the best option right now and can only see the Galaxy S 4 with Exynos Octa as the closest competitor - then there is interesting products from Huawei that can be worth a look. HTC One is uninteresting to me, especially because of the hopeless internal layout with the sandwiched battery that makes repairs extremely complicated.
What I don't like with the Galaxy S 4 is the insane fragmentation Samsung introduced. They use two different CPUs but it doesn't end there: then we have a couple of carrier versions with alterations that make ROMs incompatible. I can see atleast FIVE different S600 versions: i9505 for Europe and then different models for AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon.
The Xperia Z C6602 and C6603 is the optimum in standardization in comparison.
HTC One seem to be more standardized too even if there are different carrier branded versions. According to available info, the AT&T version can use the EU ROMs without any alterations necessary and that is a big plus.
I think that the "worst" device of the three is the HTC One and that is purely because of the internal layout and the sandwiched battery. It is tough luck to have a problem with it. Even if it is integrated, it should be placed above the mainboard and not between it and the screen.
Galaxy S 4 is certainly a nice device in different aspects but TouchWiz and the severe fragmentation with different versions is something to keep in mind since it affects ROM development.
Xperia Z is a device that offers a very well rounded or balanced experience that is close to stock Android but with Sony refinements (that adds some value rather than just being bloat). I also think it gives an appearance of sophisticated elegance while the HTC One is a bit "bling bling" and the S 4 is a bit too much of an S III in style.
My last word is this: it is also worth to check out competitors like Huawei with their Ascend series. I think the rumored Ascend Mate II with 1080p screen will be an interesting alternative to a Note III for example.
There is also rumors about a Sony Xperia Cybershot later this year. I guess it will be powered by the Snapdragon 800.
I am very happy with the Xperia Z and don't miss Samsung the slightest.
Ryland Johnson said:
I fear the aluminium back and front plates will scratch and even dent as they did with my HTC Legend.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well maybe scratching is not as bad, looking at this short video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EWqPpYVE08
coios84 said:
the camera on both the s3 & iphone 5 are better. and those are the phones ive owned. yes the screen is beautiful and bright. i dont care about viewing angles, if you had readen the reviews you would have known that the viewing angles are not so good. well if you paid full price then yeah you should have waited.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you seriously trying to say that an 8mp camera is better than a 13 mp camera? i read lots of reviews and watched countless youtube reviews by top reviewers, yes i paid full price but im not fully flaming the phone, viewing angles dont bother me too much either, just pointing out one of the screens shortcomings.... im just hacked off at 50/50 gamble that you get a locked bootloader, which is why we buy android devices in the first place, to unlock, mod and set free, but i really needed a phone at the time so hey ho.
Quite agree with some but not all.
Battery I find it better, at least it was far better than my previous phone - Samsung Galaxy S III, and it also charging fast, at least it was faster than my previous Samsung Galaxy S III.
I don't find this phone that bad only deserved for 2nd hand value.
I do miss some useful function by Samsung especially on those sensor part, but.. it was not a must as it ain't really important.
Stability wise, I can only said this is my 1st Android that is stable out from the box. My experience with Samsung Galaxy S II - G version was the most terrible one, it hang often until I sold it after 2 months usage, actually before I sold the SII-G ROM already quit stable but it still hang maybe once a week. Then I get S III, the performance was smooth before you install anything, it drag down after install full of apps, I am not so satisfied with S III performance, I mean the international edition which only 1GB RAM, it will anytime restart the launcher once you touch the Google Chrome. Even the most simple task - opening Phone also need to wait, this is truly nightmare as older S II - G also don't have this issue, it open instant.
Then my sister buy Note II, and this is the 1st time Samsung did it pretty solid and stable. I am sure since this, they no doubt any issue on S4. But I still don't choose S4 due to bored on it similarity design.
HTC One - this is my choice before I pick Xperia Z as I had seen HTC Butterfly screen before, and it extremely impress me. But for design wise, I still pick Sony as I find it did the best in outer and inner (software part) design. Then, after seeing a lot reviews of HTC One camera, the Ultrapixel camera was quite let down, it too easier over expose in day light outdoor shoot due to it big aperture f/2.0, such aperture if not handle well is a nightmare. HTC One body is similar and even slightly bigger than S III, in such body, it was easier squeeze in 5" screen rather than current 4.7". Beside this, Xperia Z waterproof and solid build with capable of SD card was a plus.
Now talk on screen wise, I actually not please with Samsung over saturate AMOLED screen, it was just too vivid to be natural & preset color of Natural is not working, as it became too dull. Don't talk on S4, I know it came with Adobe RGB Professional profile, maybe this help, I can't justified now as I need to see in person. Xperia Z screen wise was nature but never lost it vividness and nice to look at, the only lose here is the viewing angle but it not really impact actual use.
Sound quality on Xperia Z stock not really impress me due to it too low volume loud speaker and not clear, also all the preset was too flat to listening, Clear Audio+ not flat but too high pitch. All this issue solved after with PureXAudio mod, it was really good and not worst than my S III after the mod.
Performance wise, no doubt S4 win here as it bundle with latest highest CPU and highest speed as well. But is this really matter, I doubt about it, now every flagship phone is fast enough, not really need getting the highest speed, in-fact future phone shall more look on RAM (probably is time equip with 3GB or 4GB) and battery. RAM always play important part in any IT electrical device. More RAM will eventually make everything much smoother and better.
Until now, the only thing I want Sony make it better was reduce the camera over post processing & jpeg compression, I know the output could be better if Sony reduce down the post processing especially the noise filtering, it was like a paint of wax sometimes the output.
It's a great device. At the end of the day is a flagship so it won't disappoint you but it all comes to personal preference sony xz, HTC one or Samsung s4 they are all awesome devices. Compare them and pick the one that ticks all the boxes for you.
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium
I've got my Z on ebay, sitting in front of me waiting to sell right now. I wanted so much to love the Z and still do love the Water resistance and ruggedness, as well as the size of the screen. Simply put though, the Z falls down on too many points.
Z points;
Camera : Very good, although no better than S3 or iphone 4 or 5 for that matter.
Music: Too quiet, although sound quality is great. The low volume overall, especially through the headphone socket, even with audio mods, is inexcusable from Sony.
Screen: Sony have basically just slapped a small computer monitor screen on it, as the viewing angles remind me of PC lcd screens.
Viewing angle is the big no no here, it is almost useless viewing texts with phone on desk, and watching a movie or looking at content with a friend on the screen is very disapointing.
Performance: The Z is slightly too laggy, although it is very fast.
I love the size of the Z screen and the software is very nice, especially the album app, which is hands down the best album app i've ever used.
Sony fell just short of the mark with this. Given the choice again, I would not of bought it. The HTC One i've replaced it with beats it in every respect barring screen size and water resistance.
biffsmash said:
I've got my Z on ebay, sitting in front of me waiting to sell right now. I wanted so much to love the Z and still do love the Water resistance and ruggedness, as well as the size of the screen. Simply put though, the Z falls down on too many points.
Z points;
Camera : Very good, although no better than S3 or iphone 4 or 5 for that matter.
Music: Too quiet, although sound quality is great. The low volume overall, especially through the headphone socket, even with audio mods, is inexcusable from Sony.
Screen: Sony have basically just slapped a small computer monitor screen on it, as the viewing angles remind me of PC lcd screens.
Viewing angle is the big no no here, it is almost useless viewing texts with phone on desk, and watching a movie or looking at content with a friend on the screen is very disapointing.
Performance: The Z is slightly too laggy, although it is very fast.
I love the size of the Z screen and the software is very nice, especially the album app, which is hands down the best album app i've ever used.
Sony fell just short of the mark with this. Given the choice again, I would not of bought it. The HTC One i've replaced it with beats it in every respect barring screen size and water resistance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Music: seriously check with the doctor, volume is high enough.
Perfirmance: laggy but very fast?? What app/game lags for you. Quad core 2gb ram and lags you are trolling here for sure.
Screen: that's totally bs, viewing angles are perfectly fine, right now I'm typing from my desk, I've seen videos in bed with my partner no problems at all.
Getting a bit tired of those HTC fan boys reviews.
What I suggest you to do is go to a shop try all of them and pick the one you like more. Because at the end of the day it's you who have to like it.
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium
Of all the sites, I find GSMArenas review process to be one of the most thorough & reputable
Here's their take on the Z1
http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_z1-review-987.php
It's all pretty good, right until you come to the frankly bewildering browser & video playing battery life.
Hopefully it's something that can be addressed in firmware as the talktime & standby time are pretty good.
techguyone said:
Of all the sites, I find GSMArenas review process to be one of the most thorough & reputable
Here's their take on the Z1
http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_z1-review-987.php
It's all pretty good, right until you come to the frankly bewildering browser & video playing battery life.
Hopefully it's something that can be addressed in firmware as the talktime & standby time are pretty good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Note, they call out the lack of HDR for images. HDR isn't an option in Superior Auto, or when you go manual and bump to full resolution; however, if you drop the resolution in manual to 8MP, HDR is indeed there. With how fast the images take, I'm surprised they didn't leave HDR as an option for the 20MP resolution, but hey, they probably have their reasons.
There are 2 HDR modes as well. Just shows how unthorough the review was.
I dont understand why companies think it is ok to release buggy phones. The Z1 really needs an update, espcially on the camera. Battery life is excellent
Generaly I like the test of GSM Arena but not this one, because they fail on the 2 major point of the phone, the screen and the camera.
For the camera they said that they're not impressed. Yes but they couldn't make a good with the default of the lens of the pre-unit they had. So they can't juge this point.
The second one is the screen. It's maybe not the best, the HTC One or the LG G2 are maybe better. But the S4 screen isn't better than the one of the Z1. I have both and I made some test. When the contrast is better on the S4, the color are false. When the color are right (in video mode), the contrast and the brightness is better on the Z1 screen.
It's hard to compare side by side. It's like buying a TV at best buy or Fry's. You're in the showroom and you can nitpick from one TV to another. Get any one by itself and you probably wouldn't have any problems with any of them (beyond defects and/or missing features and whatnot). Most users wouldn't know the difference.
I dont trust gsmarena, they are too biased towards Samsung, ill wait until technobuffalo or someone else review the z1
It looks like Sony rushed the product.
Battery life : lets hope firmware update improves it.
Camera : lets hope blah blah same as above
Screen : not guaranteed. Lets hope blah blah
If this is the case then why not lets see if the z2 is better and then buy that.
They haven't put s-master audio chip/amplifier to boost volume level.
I was looking for a 5 inch phone which bests my One. But m sure Z1 is not that phone.
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
A firmware update is not going to fix the battery life. Otherwise the Z wouldn't be as anemic as it is. Weak video and browser times.
Yeah the battery life had me scared the most since my phone is on its way in the mail.
How can they make a phone with the same SoC as the G2, same batterysize, and a smaller screen, and it gets half the browsing and videotime as the G2. Sounds like software to me.
Also when you pull up the camera comparison on gsm arena, the Z1 pictures doesn't even stand a chance against the S4 or G2.
Apoxx said:
Yeah the battery life had me scared the most since my phone is on its way in the mail.
How can they make a phone with the same SoC as the G2, same batterysize, and a smaller screen, and it gets half the browsing and videotime as the G2. Sounds like software to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd say it's the screen.
g2 uses a new battery technology .. z1 didnt
Darn, Now I'm really thinking twice about buying this phone...
The Battery Life is very important to me... 6 hours of web browsing and 6 hours of video playback is quite pathetic for a 3000 mah battery...
I was at least expecting 9 hours each...
Tizza said:
I'd say it's the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
weird since IPS screens are less battery efficient than TN panels.
This really sucks by sony...
How can a bigger phone with bigger screen Z Ultra have more video playback than a smaller phone Z1?
both uses same software, battery and same screen....
I cannot understand this...
Morlock O said:
This really sucks by sony...
How care a bigger phone with bigger screen Z Ultra have more video playback than a smaller phone Z1?
both uses same software, battery and same screen....
I cannot understand this...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GSM stated that their xperia z1 is a pre-production one so it probably doesn't have the latest software . Therefore their statements on the phone are probably not accurate
Choriandus said:
GSM stated that their xperia z1 is a pre-production one so it probably doesn't have the latest software . Therefore their statements on the phone are probably not accurate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dream on...
Gesendet von meinem HTC One mit Tapatalk 4
Reviews based on pre-production units only make confusion because you'll never be sure if they changed something in the final unit or not. There might be a small update in the firmware for example that changes how the phone performs. I'm surprised Sony Mobile gives out pre-release devices for reviews.
And based on this GSM Arena review the battery life is very poor, half of what other competitors achieve (LG G2).
sachinaik said:
It looks like Sony rushed the product.
Battery life : lets hope firmware update improves it.
Camera : lets hope blah blah same as above
Screen : not guaranteed. Lets hope blah blah
If this is the case then why not lets see if the z2 is better and then buy that.
They haven't put s-master audio chip/amplifier to boost volume level.
I was looking for a 5 inch phone which bests my One. But m sure Z1 is not that phone.
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In terms of sales, definitely.
Oh, camera, speed too.
Sent from my LT28h using xda app-developers app
Apoxx said:
weird since IPS screens are less battery efficient than TN panels.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perhaps it is weird. I can't say I'm a tech guru but it just feels like it's a power-hungry screen. Did Sony spend so much time beefing up screen quality that it neglected (or felt it warranted the sacrifice of) battery life? I don't know, but I get the impression that this is the case.
I doubt software optimisation is going to change much, but I do accept the possibility that I could be wrong.
Choriandus said:
GSM stated that their xperia z1 is a pre-production one so it probably doesn't have the latest software . Therefore their statements on the phone are probably not accurate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, although I add the caveat that if there's any firmware change or a new unit, GSM Arena are likely to redo those parts of the review and update (like they did on the HTC 1 when that too had non final software)
So many negative threads about how the screen sucks, the camera sucks etc etc. Would be nice to hear from the people who actually like the Z1. Write down your experience with the phone. It doesn't have to be all rosy but hopefully it will give a little bit more nuance.
Sure.
Last Saturday I got my Z1, I've had a Gnex for a long time and my first impressions are very good. The device is amazingly fast, everything works as it should, multitasking is very good, all performance related things are nothing to complain about.
The screen 'dead-on' is also nice the viewing angles people are talking about is something I don't really see as a problem. I just held the phone in an angle and when the colours start to wash out it's an angle I would never use my phone at. Other than that the camera does have noise issues, although it's not too bad IMHO. (do bear in mind I come from the Gnex so pretty much every new device is a big upgrade) I don't think the noise issues aren't too bad though, as Sony can easily fix the noise issues with a software update. Speaking of updates, the Z1 already had 3 updates. Whether this is a good or a bad thing is up to you, but to me it sounds like it's well supported by Sony.
Battery... I feel mixed about it. It's better than my Gnex, but again, pretty much every device is. I did expect a lot more from a 3000 mAh battery though. I had about 23 hours of standby and roughly 4 hours of screen on time. That is with 3G on all the time, wifi on most of the time and applications like Twitter, Whatsapp and Facebook running in the background. It's a weird thing though, the xperia ZR gets 11:30 (11 hours and 30 minutes) of browsing in the GSMarena test. While the Z1 gets about half of that. I have the feeling Sony has to do some software optimization, since they can pull it off. (note: the ZR battery is 2300 mAh) How long this will take, and if Sony will even do it, I have no idea. If the problem is related to Qualcomm it may take a long time though since they're not very keen on doing things in a different way. (look at the Nexus 7 2013 and binaries)
Overall I personally think the Xperia Z1 is an amazing device. It's super fast, the build quality is amazing and it feels really good.(get a case though!) There are things to improve on such as battery life and it depends on whether you trust Sony to fix these issues or not.
Positve
Got mine yesterday.
S/W: problems yet
Performance: Extremely quick 9/10
Screen Quality: 8/10 but too early to say if I'm just being jaded by all the moaning.
Camera seems pretty good to me, what a blessing a proper camera button makes.
Shame I can't upload samples of photos / videos etc. I will find a way if request. Anyone wanna buy a Galaxy 3? ho ho..
Oh one thing I don't like, is having to uncover the charger port to charge it up (i know its re waterproofing).
My options are :-
Cut the cover flap off or buy a magnetic charger unit £30.00 !!!!! (I probably will.)
So far pretty dam good phone.
Paul
I've had my XZ1 since Saturday 21st sept, and so far I love it, the camera is good but has issues like the grain and noise which prevent it from being a great one.
Love the sharpness and colours of the screen and it's resolution makes browsing the Web or forums so easy.
I've gotten used to the waterproof tabs after having my Xtz before I got the z1 but at least if you don't like having to keep opening the flap you can use a magnetic charger cable or dock.
That's all I can think of at lol
Sent from my C6903 using XDA Premium HD app
screen is best... best contrast and color you can get... no yellow tint or extra blue. no issue at all..
screen performance not so good from an angle... but who use it like that... 98% i use head on... 2 % ready to sacrifice. for head on awesomeness..
battery is a ****. (Wifi and bluetooth on, may be due to this)
Auto mode of camera is a ****..
play around with ISO in manual mode to get best shot for each scenario...
sound from speaker is not so good... even headphone sound (wired) is not good...
performance... nothing can beat it... samsung s4 struggles before this beast..
i am still on 518 firmware and no software issue so far.. using wireless headphones...
jos_031 said:
screen is best... best contrast and color you can get... no yellow tint or extra blue. no issue at all..
screen performance not so good from an angle... but who use it like that... 98% i use head on... 2 % ready to sacrifice. for head on awesomeness..
battery is a ****. (Wifi and bluetooth on, may be due to this)
Auto mode of camera is a ****..
play around with ISO in manual mode to get best shot for each scenario...
sound from speaker is not so good... even headphone sound (wired) is not good...
performance... nothing can beat it... samsung s4 struggles before this beast..
i am still on 518 firmware and no software issue so far.. using wireless headphones...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me it's this above plus
Weird touch screen issues where it goes a bit bonkers when doing the pattern unlock.
Wow a positive thread about the Z1, do my eyes deceive me?
Seriously it's nice to see positive in all the threads of doom and gloom.
Nice
Sent from my C6903 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
My showers have become a lot less of a chore and more of a pleasure;
https://vine.co/v/hvY5MVFTLXd?fb_action_ids=10151847100714799
Just add 2 hooks with a little bit of sugru
So I got mine yesterday.
Hardware: I can't tell you how gorgeous this phone is if you haven't seen it yet, the blend of pure vanilla white with the aluminium frame is a spot on direct hit in my eyes. Under the hood HW is even better. The S800 chip seriously flies and it's been a long time but Android is now becoming just as fluid as iOS and WP and it's great to see that.
Software: I am a big fan of the Sony UI simply because it's easy and it looks pretty vanilla, I haven't installed a Homescreen in 2 years now ever since I got a Xperia S and I am not changing that now. There is some minor SW bugs where some dialouges just doesn't show up but I can still press them(if I know their real position)
Camera: The camera is a serious SW mess because I know and I see that Sony has a good camera HW-wise BUT their SW and esspecially Auto mode is seriously one complete mess. Other than the major problems with the noise the camera app is fluid and it's quite promosing to have some nice options like AR and the Livestream mode.
Sound: THe loudspeaker is decent and nothing you would cheer about but it's better than my old XS of course. The headphone jack for me is perfect and I hear absolutely no difference when playing the same song on my XS or my Z1
Screen: THe screen for me is supersharp, I can only see a little difference in sharpness between my XS and Z1 but that is expected but still it's a nice feature. The colours are almost accurate(I had to increase my blue level by +3 to +4), viewing angles aren't the best but they are clearly better than my XS besides head on is the way to go in my world.
Battery: Battery is a mixed bag; Standby is EXCELLENT hours can go and the phone is still on the same percentage. However and this is a big one the battery during Web browsing or other minor things is seriously underperforming. Clearly this is also something wrong with the SW because other Sony phones does not have the same problem.
I hope this gives a good view on the phone, clearly Sony needs to fix the battery and the Camera and for some swap out faulty screens. Other than that my money was well put!
I got my XZ1 on monday and I love it so far! Yeah the viewing angles aren't the best but who is gonna use their phone from those angles? The camera is good, yes it needs some improvements but it isn't unusable.
The waterproof tabs take some getting used to after coming from a Nexus 4 but my battery lasts me about a day and a half almost 2; so I don't have to undo the tab to often.
I like the speaker, it isn't as loud as the one on the Note 2 I had but it is WAY better than the Nexus 4. I really like the notification LED also, its in a really discrete location and its pretty visible; and paired with light manager it is really useful for me.
Wifi has also been good for me, at least compared to my old N4. The overall speed of the phone is awesome! This thing rips!
Coming from the Nexus 4 this was a SOLID upgrade for me. SD card slot, better camera, Snapdragon 800, better speakers (ear piece also), and its waterproof? I can't really complain on my end!
I think people are just being a little too picky. I mean come on the phone has only been out for almost a week now. What else can you expect? Sony has been releasing updates pretty frequently so hopefully everything will get better soon.
So i will do that short: Sony Xperia Z1 is just good. Not perfect. but good and defently better as my old Xperia S. (Whiches i aso not so bad if i compare to to other cellphone from this timewindow)
Mine is good so far, only got it for 2days will test camera etc some more
One thing I can say about the screen:
I went to local store and compared to ZU screen, both on full brightness and my Z1 screen definitely has better colors and details then Z1. I tried the Sony sample pics and compared those.
Better details is due to 5" vs 6.4" I guess. But colors are really better on Z1, also in video I noticed the same result
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app
Love the z1
Got the Z1 on pre-order, arrived the 17th.
- First thing i notice, phone is not bulky (in oposition to what reviewers say). Second thing, sony actually provides screen protect (Awsome)
- Phone turns on great and continues to perform great, Loving 4g and the speed and smoothness of the whole system.
- Screen contrast is not superb, lost in comparison to the s4, but during video streaming/playback, it performed amazingly as being hit directly by sunlight it was still very clear.
- Overall The phone is amazing, everyone says constantly i can't stop playing around with it (so true).
The only negative i have is battery life. Due to my constant use it drains very very quickly. But i think i'll be able to fix that.
B1nny said:
Sure.
Last Saturday I got my Z1, I've had a Gnex for a long time and my first impressions are very good. The device is amazingly fast, everything works as it should, multitasking is very good, all performance related things are nothing to complain about.
....
Overall I personally think the Xperia Z1 is an amazing device. It's super fast, the build quality is amazing and it feels really good.(get a case though!) There are things to improve on such as battery life and it depends on whether you trust Sony to fix these issues or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see you're from the Netherlands. Could you confirm we are still on 14.1.G.1.518 firmware? It seems everyone who has been able to upgrade to 534 firmware has far better camera results, yet I cannot update to this new firmware, still stuck on the old one. I'd love to update the firmware to get better camera results but I do not want to root this phone. I'm on Vodafone RED 4G btw, dunno if it mathers.. Thanks.
bramgg said:
I see you're from the Netherlands. Could you confirm we are still on 14.1.G.1.518 firmware? It seems everyone who has been able to upgrade to 534 firmware has far better camera results, yet I cannot update to this new firmware, still stuck on the old one. I'd love to update the firmware to get better camera results but I do not want to root this phone. I'm on Vodafone RED 4G btw, dunno if it mathers.. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am. I can confirm I didn't get any updates on my unlocked Z1. I updated to 534 manually via flashtool though. (doesn't void warranty) I have no idea why we don't get the updates pushed to our phones.
thought i'd give my 2 cents here as i have been seeing a lot of negative comments, especially from people who judge way too quickly. Back when the Z came out i followed it madly and already had it on pre-order but i ended up getting a htc one. Ive had this phone for 2 days now and compared to my htc one it is a definite improvement. The only thing im getting used to is the size of the phone, i have small hands so you can imagine its not a 1 handed affair, but you cant fault the build quality, i love the fact that sony puts its own screen and back panel protector on (remember the x10). Call quality is amazing i have to say, loud and clear. performance is amazing, i can see the improvements in the chipset s800 has over s600 (was in my htc one), in real life you wont notice it too much but its defo there, games run amazing no lags and hits a very good fps (wild blood, real racing 3 in particular looks and plays amazingly). I've not really played with the camera much but its better than my htc one, that was the only thing i was disappointed with that phone. Now i have been constantly messing about with the phone so cant really give an accurate example of battery life, but what are you supposed to expect from a phone specc'd like this, yes it has a bigger capacity battery, it also has a big screen and a powerful cpu too, if i get a full days use out of it il be happy.
The Z1 is easily the best phone ever built. Its so nice to hold and use. Definitely my favourite phone to date and I have owned nearly all the previous flagship phones from most companies.
Absolutely blown away by this phone it's just amazing for me.
Sent from my C6903 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Xperia Z1 music video
Hi,
I'm totally new to android and the Z1 is my first personal android phone. My expectations where so high coming from many years of All iPhones.
I don't want to start a flame but yes I think android is a little behind (in some aspects) to ios7 BUT this device is actually freaking awesome and looks to me the only one that can beat the iPhone quality.
- High quality. When you touch it you feel that your money are well spent.
- The camera (if we consider is a phone) Is just super good.
- The Sony rom doesn't make me sad as and in a hurry to grab a random 3th party rom
- Display is super good colors looks real and rich. Yes view angles are not awesome but only crazy people use the phone in that way. One thing that NO ONE MENTION is that any phone is close to the iPhone under the sun. Surprise surprise according to phone arena the Z1 is in 2 place. That's for me means A LOT more than insane view angles. The only difect so far is the black. The display show (only in some circumstances) one of the lightest black on the market. You'll may notice it watching a movie (a dark one) in a dark room.
- screen protector: isn't so fragile as many said but yes isn't olephobic
Am I satisfied? A lot!!!!
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app
So I have a Samsung S6 Edge from Tmo. I like the phone but do not like all the bloatware that carriers put in it. I'm thinking of returning it and getting an unlocked Z3 compact.
I've read about it and I like the style and other things about it.
My question for those with the phone. How do you like it? Is the phone fast and snappy enough for you? Was rooting straightforward? Hows real world camera quality and speed?
Theres many things I like about the s6 edge but I wouldnt mind returning it and spending less for a phone that still seems really good on paper
bad_HABIT said:
So I have a Samsung S6 Edge from Tmo. I like the phone but do not like all the bloatware that carriers put in it. I'm thinking of returning it and getting an unlocked Z3 compact.
I've read about it and I like the style and other things about it.
My question for those with the phone. How do you like it? Is the phone fast and snappy enough for you? Was rooting straightforward? Hows real world camera quality and speed?
Theres many things I like about the s6 edge but I wouldnt mind returning it and spending less for a phone that still seems really good on paper
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Love mine.
Its the same hardware as the Z3 but is only driving a 720p screen rather than 1080, so its nippy
Rooting was a breeze and and debloated lollipop firmware available.
Not that sony fimrware is bloated as its not really compared to some.
What's important for you?
The Z3C camera isn't that good as I thought it would be... you can find one or two threads with people complaining about it... if you are not so much into photos, maybe you won't notice otherwise you will be a little disappointed. I mean, it's Sony! Others companies use their sensor and give much better images.
What I love about my Z3C is the size and the battery life. It's fast enough, not blazing fast.
Root may be a little complicated, but nothing impossible. I came from a Note II which rooting process was a piece of cake. But following the tutorials you will have it rooted with no issues.
scoobydu said:
Love mine.
Its the same hardware as the Z3 but is only driving a 720p screen rather than 1080, so its nippy
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Samsung does not have the same hardware as the Z3C. It has an Exynos processor and an AMOLED screen. Also, it feels faster in every way.
I like my Z3C and won't switch because of the Z3C's size and battery life. The Samsung does not come close in battery life.
Sony includes almost as much bloatware as Samsung.
scottjb said:
The Samsung does not have the same hardware as the Z3C. It has an Exynos processor and an AMOLED screen. Also, it feels faster in every way.
I like my Z3C and won't switch because of the Z3C's size and battery life. The Samsung does not come close in battery life.
Sony includes almost as much bloatware as Samsung.
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Click to collapse
He is comparing the Z3 to Z3 Compact, that only have of diference the screen (720p and 1080p) and RAM (2GB and 3GB).
iFlasher said:
He is comparing the Z3 to Z3 Compact, that only have of diference the screen (720p and 1080p) and RAM (2GB and 3GB).
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Oops, my mistake. [emoji5]
I tried the S6 Edge for about a week. The S6 Edge is better in almost every way. It's slightly faster (and I mean very slightly), has better speakers, better build quality, better display, and the camera outclasses the Z3 Compact's. The Z3 Compact has waterproofing and much better battery life. Ultimately, I returned the S6 Edge and kept my Compact. The battery life on the S6 is awful IMO (even worse than my Z Ultra with its massive display) and that pretty much negates all the other positives.
love my z3c running my debloated FW, very fast and battery friendly
using it with root and xposed, didn't unlock the bootloader yet. root was very easy for me.
love the size and the battery life. didn't use the camera for long, but seems decent to me so far btw.
btw, bloatware that comes with the phone is a lot for me (I'd say the same I've always seen in samsung phones, maybe just a little less) so you'll have to debloat it if you don't like bloatware as I do, but that's what I always do immediately everytime I get a new phone and stay with stock FW for some time, so nothing new for me
would never buy a s6 edge especially for the screen.. how can you guys like those edges? just a waste of screen and visible area for me! :laugh:
Love my Z3C, camera is bit disappointing but still above average. The phone is very fast but somehow other phones with snapdragon 800/801 feel snappier (HTC one m8 and nexus 5). Still, no problems with speed whatsoever.
I prefer the Sony ui over Samsungs. Samsung interface looks cheap and it's the opposite of clean. Sony has a calm nice to use interface.
The killer feature of this phone however is the batterylife. I get an easy 2 days and I'm a pretty heavy user. I still laugh at people with their.iPhone 6/Galaxy S5 taking their charger everywhere while I'm just sitting here with 62% at the end of the day (3 hours SOT)
Also the water proofness is a nice addition. Still wash my phone every morning after a party (beer is sticky). It's a small plus but I would love to have it jn my next phone.
I have never rooted this phone but stock firmware works flawlessly for me (yes 5.0 also)
I would still recommend this phone to everybody who wants a practical phone(Size) without having to worry about anything(battery, memory,speed).
Sent from my D5803 using XDA Free mobile app
I love everything about the Z3 Compact except the camera. It is flaring all over and I have 2 of them. Overall PQ particularly contrast is so bad compared to Samsung or iPhone 6.
FiWi said:
I tried the S6 Edge for about a week. The S6 Edge is better in almost every way. It's slightly faster (and I mean very slightly), has better speakers, better build quality, better display, and the camera outclasses the Z3 Compact's. The Z3 Compact has waterproofing and much better battery life. Ultimately, I returned the S6 Edge and kept my Compact. The battery life on the S6 is awful IMO (even worse than my Z Ultra with its massive display) and that pretty much negates all the other positives.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yep same experience. makes the z3c a better phone for me, but when you think about it sony wouldnt have much to do to have made the z3c an excellent phone.. slightly annoying that they havent
that said.. you can get my days of battery life from the z3c off my dead cold fingers - its the main single reason for keeping it, until competition gets as good.
Z3 works great overall except its camera, but it won't be problem for you if you are not too serious about photos.
nobody mention the sound enhancement? it is great, clearly better than s6.
The S6 and Z3c are entirely different beasts so I'm puzzled why the OP is not considering the regular Z3 (or Z3+), which is at least a similar size. But anyhoo... the Z3c is fast enough for me with Lollipop, but the camera is mediocre at best. You can get good results with it, but that usually involves too much faffing around with manual settings. For quick snaps on the fly, Samsung cameras are a lot better IMO.
The biggest selling points of the Z3c, however, are size and battery life. They are the only reasons I (and probably many others) bought this phone.
bad_HABIT said:
So I have a Samsung S6 Edge from Tmo. I like the phone but do not like all the bloatware that carriers put in it. I'm thinking of returning it and getting an unlocked Z3 compact.
I've read about it and I like the style and other things about it.
My question for those with the phone. How do you like it? Is the phone fast and snappy enough for you? Was rooting straightforward? Hows real world camera quality and speed?
Theres many things I like about the s6 edge but I wouldnt mind returning it and spending less for a phone that still seems really good on paper
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hold in hand and form factor is good..
performance is adequate.. you can root easily and install a debloated lollipop rom.. Battery life is great.. Thats about it..
Coming from a edge to this is such a downgrade display (huge), camera(huge).. Display is the worst on z3 compact..very bad viewing angles.. If you dont mind display and camera then welcome..
sravanz said:
hold in hand and form factor is good..
performance is adequate.. you can root easily and install a debloated lollipop rom.. Battery life is great.. Thats about it..
Coming from a edge to this is such a downgrade display (huge), camera(huge).. Display is the worst on z3 compact..very bad viewing angles.. If you dont mind display and camera then welcome..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although you're technically correct, I've never understood why anyone cats about viewing angles on a phone. Whenever you use it, it's going to be one foot directly in front of your face. I just don't see the point in comparing viewing angles on a 4 inch display.
Sent from my Xperia Z3 Compact
PuffDaddy_d said:
Although you're technically correct, I've never understood why anyone cats about viewing angles on a phone. Whenever you use it, it's going to be one foot directly in front of your face. I just don't see the point in comparing viewing angles on a 4 inch display.
Sent from my Xperia Z3 Compact
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are correct for the most part. However, I often put the phone down on a table or counter top while I eat and use it to read or browse sites like this. This creates an angle that can make it difficult to read even though it's only a foot and a half from my face.
PuffDaddy_d said:
Although you're technically correct, I've never understood why anyone cats about viewing angles on a phone. Whenever you use it, it's going to be one foot directly in front of your face. I just don't see the point in comparing viewing angles on a 4 inch display.
Sent from my Xperia Z3 Compact
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I care about it.. Most of the times my phone is on my desk while working.. I will just tap on it to wake to see any notifications.. at that time i dont hold my phone.. its still on table.. And from side.. black becomes gray/white and its terrible.. Even when you are showing pictures to some one you wont be viewing it straight.. Also some times while watching a video on bed.. There are many cases which bother me.. i wrote my experience.. if it bothers you or not depends on your use case.. Not all people use the phone same
I never rly understood the viewing angle issue. I type this at 70degres and i see fine. I must be crazy ?
bilboa1 said:
I never rly understood the viewing angle issue. I type this at 70degres and i see fine. I must be crazy ?
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Click to collapse
Agree with u but not at thatextreme angle