Database Users

Best of Sony... is not really great..

First, I'd like to say that I'm not trying to hate on Sony or bash them, just pointing out that what they call "the best of Sony" isn't exactly great or better than the competition, though I really just want to point out about the display and camera. I moved on from the Note 3 to the Z1 (lost my Note 3, wanted a good phone with a good camera for a low price so I got an Xperia Z1), and here's what I've noticed.
Display:
Well, there's no other way to say it: for a flagship phone, the Z1's display isn't that great. Viewing angles are poor, and viewing it at even small angles puts a whitish hue over it that just doesn't look good. It might be good for privacy, but otherwise it's plain to see that they're using an inferior IPS tech than other manufacturers. The Note 3 or the Nexus 5's displays are clearly much better, and so is the one on the HTC One from early 2013. I've heard that the Z1 Compact finally has a great screen among Sony devices, so that's great, but I feel that many Sony fans are clearly ignorant of how much greener the grass in on the other side when it comes to displays.
Camera
To be honest, this is the biggest disappointment I've had with the Z1. I don't know if Sony was focusing purely on lossless zoom when adding the 20MP camera, but when it comes to resolved detail and visible noise, the Note 3's camera was better despite no fancy tech and standard sensor. Sure, it has a 13MP camera while the Z1 takes photos at 8MP after downsampling, but in general its photos are clearer and more detailed. I've tried taking 20MP pics, and they just do not come out as great as one would expect (if they focused on lossless zoom, even that hasn't worked out well in general outdoor photos), and Sony has basically squandered a nice opportunity.
But on the flip side, I love some things about the camera. It's fast to open (mainly thanks to the camera button), it's smooth, and is quick to change modes, which helped a lot on my weekend trip with my family.) I don't like that HDR isn't a dedicated mode and is simply a switch when you select 8MP photos in Manual, but other than that, it's pretty good overall. In fact, the quickness and the shutter button are what make me ignore the fact that in quality I've come down to a noticeably not-so-great-at-capturing-detail camera (the Note 3 took ages to select modes, open the camera app, and open pictures.)
That's something that's true in Sony's software overall: it's beautiful, sleek, and quick and responsive. I do miss some features from the Note 3 (Multi-Window, Smart Stay (extremely useful when you can't be bothered touching the screen to keep it awake), some camera modes, and the better multitasking (my Z1 is abysmal at holding apps in memory, and not because it's just 2GB of RAM.) It feels good to use, and that's a pretty good thing.
But again, the screen and camera have let me down considerably. Again, on the flip side, I love the phone's build (though it's a bit too bulky, but then it is waterproof), and things like the lanyard slot and camera button (conveniences manufacturers have forgotten in their quest to copy and follow Apple since the first iPhone arrived on the market).
So in the end it's clear that "the best of Sony" just isn't the right thing to say when your tech is behind the competition in some things and just isn't as great as owners of flagship devices of the competition have become used to. The pricing is great, though, but I kinda don't think I'd want to save a few bucks next time I want a phone, not unless Sony focuses on making the hardware more complete regarding awesomeness.
Sorry for the rant, and again, I wasn't bashing, overall I like my Z1, just don't love it (yet)!
P.S.: My Galaxy Gear is also now sitting idle, but I guess we can blame Samsung for making its watch incompatible with other devices. It's a useful watch, but not in use anymore. There is a hack to make it work with others, I tried it with the Z1, but most stuff just doesn't work. So I guess I'll buy Sony's smartwatch next. :silly:
P.P.S.: I hope KitKat comes soon. I like that Sony takes time to test its software, but with Samsung and HTC moving pretty quick with KitKat despite having heavy skins, and Samsung has even managed to not introduce any quirky bugs (they disabled third-party accessories, but an update over the weekend reversed that), I really want KitKat to come quick. I want wireless printing support (Samsung had this even before KitKat, one of the few reasons I appreciate Samsung's bloat sometimes, it has some useful features), and it might also solve the issue of lack of RAM on the Z1, even if only a little bit.

This is what you do on Sunday afternoon? We know Z1 is not best like expected.

eclyptos said:
This is what you do on Sunday afternoon? We know Z1 is not best like expected.
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Click to collapse
It's Sunday night where I am, and I had to get my thoughts out there after using the Z1's camera extensively the last two days (I bought the phone on Thursday.)

addicted2088 said:
It's Sunday night where I am, and I had to get my thoughts out there after using the Z1's camera extensively the last two days (I bought the phone on Thursday.)
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Saturday Night? You should be in some club! ..ahah...just kidding...I know...I am really disappointed by the camera too....what I can surely said is that the problem of the camera quality is related to the Software, but I don't know if we will get better pictures. Many telling me that the Z1 make amazing pictures but mine is not fake and I still not get clear pictures like it should be. Full of Noise, and with Unlocked Bootloader get even worse.

I understand what you're saying, and you have valid points, but these type of complaints come up with every phone out there.
The HTC One has exactly the same Camera complaint that you do. The UltraPixel was a big disappointment for some. The thing about the Z1's camera is that it CAN be improved. The camera is actually extremely good if you use it in manual, and the pictures that come out are the best I've seen on an Android phone. Superior Auto is a bit of a mess though. That's a software problem, not hardware, so we hope kitKat can fix that.
The display is a valid complaint, but I feel head on it's better than the Note 3. The Z1 has one of the most color accurate screens out there, which I prefer over AMOLED oversaturation. The viewing angles personally for me isn't a problem but yes, it is a negative about this phone.
So in the end it's clear that "the best of Sony" just isn't the right thing to say when your tech is behind the competition in some things and just isn't as great as owners of flagship devices of the competition have become used to
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Click to collapse
Well, the Z1 IS the best of Sony...not sure what you're trying to say. I still feel like the Z1 is one of the best phones out there. Although lacking in some parts, the overall package is hard to beat: Snapdragon 800 processor, great battery life, great camera (Yes the camera is still very very good, just not as good as advertised), and best of all premium feeling. There is really no other phone that has all that together in one package right now. The Note 3 is better in some respects but for me feels cheap, and that is a HUGE con for me that overshadows anything else. The Nexus 5 has meh battery life and camera. The HTC One has a meh camera and lower end specs. The Galaxy S4 is no longer talked about when discussing high-end phones.
The point is there's no 'perfect' phone, and I concede that the Z1 does have weaknesses, but so does every other electronic device out there

addicted2088 said:
First, I'd like to say that I'm not trying to hate on Sony or bash them, just pointing out that what they call "the best of Sony" isn't exactly great or better than the competition
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Uh huh.
My advice to you, since it appears you wrote this to practice the writing career you're hoping to have, is to consider other career options. You're not good at this.

learn to make the picture and you will find Z1 camera is great. all the comparatives with Note 3 and the other smartphones take Z1 on the top of Android world
display is very good. poor viewing angle are not a gap, but I can assume it is subjective.
when I watch photos and videos on Z1 display they are much nicer than on other displays.

kantk20111 said:
I understand what you're saying, and you have valid points, but these type of complaints come up with every phone out there.
The HTC One has exactly the same Camera complaint that you do. The UltraPixel was a big disappointment for some. The thing about the Z1's camera is that it CAN be improved. The camera is actually extremely good if you use it in manual, and the pictures that come out are the best I've seen on an Android phone. Superior Auto is a bit of a mess though. That's a software problem, not hardware, so we hope kitKat can fix that.
The display is a valid complaint, but I feel head on it's better than the Note 3. The Z1 has one of the most color accurate screens out there, which I prefer over AMOLED oversaturation. The viewing angles personally for me isn't a problem but yes, it is a negative about this phone.
Well, the Z1 IS the best of Sony...not sure what you're trying to say. I still feel like the Z1 is one of the best phones out there. Although lacking in some parts, the overall package is hard to beat: Snapdragon 800 processor, great battery life, great camera (Yes the camera is still very very good, just not as good as advertised), and best of all premium feeling. There is really no other phone that has all that together in one package right now. The Note 3 is better in some respects but for me feels cheap, and that is a HUGE con for me that overshadows anything else. The Nexus 5 has meh battery life and camera. The HTC One has a meh camera and lower end specs. The Galaxy S4 is no longer talked about when discussing high-end phones.
The point is there's no 'perfect' phone, and I concede that the Z1 does have weaknesses, but so does every other electronic device out there
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Click to collapse
Not so sure about that ...
HTC has the best software updates ATM and fastest after Google.
It has the best low light camera + best smart flash with the 5 modes
Average daylight shots
best front cam with wide angle
The best mics hdr mics
The best speakers
The best headphones sound
It's the most quality phone
It has the best screen in overall
It has unmatched feel in the hand
Ir blaster
Ois
60 fps video + zoe + really working hdr video
BlinkFeed which is still unmatched with copies
Decent battery life
Great xda development
Most of these things aren't yet matched by the competition which is shame imo since htc one is 1 year old and it's still considered the best overall package phone even in 2014 and I doubt anything but HTC one 2 will surpass it which is only a month or two away.

A lot on that list are gimmicks and a few items there are disputable. If HTC were as ahead of everyone as you make them appear to be, then that's extremely incongruent to the terrible shape the company is in.

Another "OMG Sony why did you do this to me" thread.
Sony rules!!

Shan89 said:
Not so sure about that ...
HTC has the best software updates ATM and fastest after Google.
It has the best low light camera + best smart flash with the 5 modes
Average daylight shots
best front cam with wide angle
The best mics hdr mics
The best speakers
The best headphones sound
It's the most quality phone
It has the best screen in overall
It has unmatched feel in the hand
Ir blaster
Ois
60 fps video + zoe + really working hdr video
BlinkFeed which is still unmatched with copies
Decent battery life
Great xda development
Most of these things aren't yet matched by the competition which is shame imo since htc one is 1 year old and it's still considered the best overall package phone even in 2014 and I doubt anything but HTC one 2 will surpass it which is only a month or two away.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't want to get in a fight about whose phone is better, but everyone's got different preferences in a phone. A lot of the points you mentioned are opinions, and really can't be said in a comparison.
The most 'quality' phone and 'ummatched feel' is extremely subjective.
The Z1 is no less in quality than the HTC One and has as premium materials.
The Moto X and Z1 compact both have better feel, just because they're smaller.
Z1's battery life has been much better for me than HTC One in my experience.
Headphone sound is exactly the same for me. Beats is a gimmick and just a equalizer preset which I can also set on my Z1.
I will admit the HTC One's speakers is miles ahead of the Z1's and the display is better.
Camera as well is a lot better in the Z1 in daylight, but I remember you're the guy who wrote that HTC One vs Z1 camera test and I don't want to get in a fight again about that, so I won't go there. HTC One's better in low light, but the Z1 isn't that bad either.
The Z1's camera has a ton more features as well that are pretty cool to play around with. Gimmicks? Sure, but they're still fun. Also the Z1's viewfinder is much smoother.
All front facing cameras suck equally and don't believe there's a 'best' front facing camera.
edit: Oh, also concerning updates: This is the first time HTC have actually done well with updates. We'll see a year from now how they treat HTC One users. One X and One X+ users are stuck with official 4.2 while the Xperia T, which came out around the same time+, just got updated to 4.3. Sony might be slower at giving updates but they support their phones longer.
See, I just refuted half of your points. Of course you will disagree with me, but that's what's great about Android: everyone has different preferences and different opinions on what's the best. The HTC One is a fantastic phone and is my number 2 after the Z1, but it's still not the best for me. Nothing wrong with that.

omnius1 said:
A lot on that list are gimmicks and a few items there are disputable. If HTC were as ahead of everyone as you make them appear to be, then that's extremely incongruent to the terrible shape the company is in.
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What exactly is gimmic ?
Ir blaster is very useful
Ois is very helpful in low light / movement or any other type of using the camera / 60 fps video is smooth as camera app on z1 and looks like you're looking thru the glass when watching an video / hdr video is awesome as well at low light , so is the zoe especially if you wanna take out some snaps after which are full sized , I forgot slow motion video as well which is fun tho.
Smart flash is very useful indeed and can take photos from 5cm in pitch black up to 10 meters , with the walls it can go even further
Stereo frontal speakers ...how is this a gimmic lol , anything you do on a phone sounds crazy good + loud + it hits you in the face.
Full metal body is always a good thing , it screams premium ...
Feel in the hand indeed is unmatched due metal + device shape
hdr mics pick up the sound you wouldn't believe that the phone is doing it.
I've forgot also talking via phone is unmatched as well , you get stereo sound + you can talk in super loud environment perfectly fine.
Headphones sound wouldn't be a gimmic as well lol ... Ppl just use that ...on daily bases ..
Software updates is definitely not an gimmic we all want fast and working updates ASAP ,which is not the case with the Sony , it's far from it.
Xda development for me personally is very important since I love to flash + the fact HTC one has about 9/10 times more development it's a must have for me.
The only gimmicky thing would be if you don't like the the BlinkFeed that'd be all which can be turned off.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

We have to open a thread " @@Shan89 VS @kantk20111 " ..hahah..
Ladies and Gentlemen may I present, Shan89 from HTC Section VS kantk20111 from Sony section, Round 2.
FIGHT!
:laugh:

lol
I had Xperia z1 , camera sucked , phone was too hot and screen is utter **** , so I changed to HTC one for the same stuff you wrote here!

Honestly I am huge fan of HTC but actually I do not brought HTC One, which was cheaper, just because there is no micro SD Slot, and when Apps to SD will be available on Z1, or even Apk on internal and Data on SD on Custom Roms, I will not have regrets to have Z1.

eclyptos said:
We have to open a thread " @@Shan89 VS @kantk20111 " ..hahah..
Ladies and Gentlemen may I present, Shan89 from HTC Section VS kantk20111 from Sony section, Round 2.
FIGHT!
:laugh:
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Click to collapse
Nah mate it ain't fight Lol. I was just pointing that there are devices which are quite more complete. Of course I can't think of anything else besides z1 that comes equal to m7 pretty much all devices lack design and quality which both z1 and htc have.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

eclyptos said:
We have to open a thread " [MENTION=3721363 [user=4914682]@Shan89[/user][/MENTION] VS @kantk20111 " ..hahah..
Ladies and Gentlemen may I present, Shan89 from HTC Section VS kantk20111 from Sony section, Round 2.
FIGHT!
:laugh:
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Click to collapse
No more fighting lol, just 2 guys who really love their phones alot . For me the HTC One and Z1 will always be the top of Android, with Samsung, LG and the rest way below. Sony and HTC have style along with awesome hardware.
edit: @Shan89 beat me to it

Came from the GSIII and this phone blows it out of the water, so I'm happy.
Sent from my C6916 using xda app-developers app

I came from htc one to z1 for reasons like low battery camera quality purple tint issue and worst of all its easily breakable body which produced dents on a simple fall
Sent from my C6902 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Shan89 said:
HTC has the best software updates "ATM" and fastest after Google.
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Click to collapse
Coming from a T-Mobile HTC One S and being left hangin' with no further updates from 4.1 Jellbean...I jumped off their bandwagon and upgraded to the Sony Xperia Z1S.
I'm glad that HTC is finally wiling to support their top tier products, but a bit too late for me...HTC lost in my book.
The clear winner (for me) is Sony! :good:

Confusing reviews

Hi guys. I rang my local store here today and got a price of €420 euro for the z3 without contract which seems pretty good given that the samsung alpha here is €570. Also the z3 compact is priced at being £430 in the uk so not quiet sure why its cheaper here in Ireland as usually we pay more for products then anywhere else ha
Anyways iam tempted to pull the trigger but for some confusing reviews i have read! Most reviews claim the resolution is poor and the screen is not as sharp as the competition, images look washed out and the camera is not as good as you would expect from a 20.7mp camera , color accuracy is way off and images look washed out etc and one review claimed the battery life was ok but not as good as sony claimed!
However i have also seen two reviews that say the opposite and claim the display is the best 720p they have ever seen, the camera is among the best out there and that battery life is incredible!
Can anyone that owns the device give they're impressions?
Currently own a htc one m7 which has been good to me . I often change phones regularly but have kept this for almost 2 years and it works flawlessly and is still as snappy as ever to this day so iam slightly worried about the z3 compact not being a significant upgrade! Ill miss the htc sense widgets and although iam not fan of the sony home screen and lock screen look , Iam loving the specs and the fact i can use the phone comfortable in one hand! Would have got the z3 but see it as being a little too big

Blaalad12 said:
Hi guys. I rang my local store here today and got a price of €420 euro for the z3 without contract which seems pretty good given that the samsung alpha here is €570. Also the z3 compact is priced at being £430 in the uk so not quiet sure why its cheaper here in Ireland as usually we pay more for products then anywhere else ha
Anyways iam tempted to pull the trigger but for some confusing reviews i have read! Most reviews claim the resolution is poor and the screen is not as sharp as the competition, images look washed out and the camera is not as good as you would expect from a 20.7mp camera , color accuracy is way off and images look washed out etc and one review claimed the battery life was ok but not as good as sony claimed!
However i have also seen two reviews that say the opposite and claim the display is the best 720p they have ever seen, the camera is among the best out there and that battery life is incredible!
Can anyone that owns the device give they're impressions?
Currently own a htc one m7 which has been good to me . I often change phones regularly but have kept this for almost 2 years and it works flawlessly and is still as snappy as ever to this day so iam slightly worried about the z3 compact not being a significant upgrade! Ill miss the htc sense widgets and although iam not fan of the sony home screen and lock screen look , Iam loving the specs and the fact i can use the phone comfortable in one hand! Would have got the z3 but see it as being a little too big
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll soon be buying this phone as well. About the resolution, my current phone has the same resolution on a slightly smaller display of 4.3", with a pixel density of 342 ppi and the image is so sharp that I cannot distinguish pixels with the naked eye no matter how hard I try. The Z3 Compact has 319 ppi on its 4.6" display, which really isn't much lower at all. I can imagine the pixels will still be too small to distinguish with the naked eye. Okay, maybe if, for some reason, you use the phone under a magnifying glass or if you hold it flat against your face, it won't look very sharp (duh). But if you just use your phone like normal, I'm sure the display on the Z3C will appear perfectly sharp.
About the colour: ExpertReviews, for example, claims that the whites are white enough (they describe it as "ice white"). They mention the white balance option on the device, but said that they felt no need to adjust the white balance.

With regard to camera quality, most reviews had it in Superior Auto Mode that saves the file about 8MP. Those who own one are saying the Manual Mode is where you can see the pic quality excel. I trust DXO mark more than others. Here's how they rank the phones based on IQ. This is the older generation Z2 that is using very similar lens albeit there is slight improvement on the Z3. Just not sure if the improvement is in the hardware or software. Full review can be found here:
http://www.dxomark.com/Mobiles/Sony-Xperia-Z2-overview-Revised-model-takes-first-place-in-Mobile-rankings
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I just got my Z3c today; I've had a M8 until today and a M7 before that. I honestly can't tell that the screen is 720 instead of 1080, and everything, from pictures to videos to text, looks very sharp. I don't see any color accuracy issues, and I'd say color reproduction is the same (as far as I can tell) as on the M8 and M7. I love the size of the device, and it's a great feeling to be able to use my phone with 1 hand lol. I'd say go for it!

LastQuark said:
With regard to camera quality, most reviews had it in Superior Auto Mode that saves the file about 8MP. Those who own one are saying the Manual Mode is where you can see the pic quality excel. I trust DXO mark more than others. Here's how they rank the phones based on IQ. This is the older generation Z2 that is using very similar lens albeit there is slight improvement on the Z3. Just not sure if the improvement is in the hardware or software. Full review can be found here:
http://www.dxomark.com/Mobiles/Sony-Xperia-Z2-overview-Revised-model-takes-first-place-in-Mobile-rankings
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uhh they have the Nokia 1020 under the Iphone 5 and s4... that can't be right

First off, 720/1080p means nothing. Pixel density is what actually matters, and 720p at 4.6" is more than high enough to be a non-issue unless you hold the phone up to your eyeballs.
Likewise, megapixel count doesn't mean as much as people think. The sensor size matters more, and at 1/3" it's larger than most. It's not the best smartphone camera on the market, but it's still quite good.
The colors are poorly calibrated out of the box, and it does look bad, but it's trivial to fix in the color settings, so that's not really a big deal.
Battery life is never as good as the manufacturer claims, but it's still pretty good so far. I haven't had it long enough to really tell you for sure though.

Blaalad12 said:
Hi guys. I rang my local store here today and got a price of €420 euro for the z3 without contract which seems pretty good given that the samsung alpha here is €570. Also the z3 compact is priced at being £430 in the uk so not quiet sure why its cheaper here in Ireland as usually we pay more for products then anywhere else ha
Anyways iam tempted to pull the trigger but for some confusing reviews i have read! Most reviews claim the resolution is poor and the screen is not as sharp as the competition, images look washed out and the camera is not as good as you would expect from a 20.7mp camera , color accuracy is way off and images look washed out etc and one review claimed the battery life was ok but not as good as sony claimed!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- I'm sorry but any review that complains about the resolution not being sharp enough you can just ignore, because that reviewer clearly has no idea what he/she is talking about...
- Color calibration in terms of the screen can be changed to your liking, most/many people don't like the default color scheme so they did some adjustments.
- Camera really isn't as bad as they say... in some situations it's not as good as the rest, but it's NOT BAD (That's mostly in low light situations)
My tip for you:
Don't get your phone based on other people reviews, because they seem to affect you A LOT! There are more positive reviews than bad ones, but yet you seem to have picked out the bad ones.
Get the phone in your hands (in a shop), play with it and then decide.

The display for me is the single most important aspect of any mobile, and I've not bought any of the Z Series because of it (although the Z2 display did look good). For that reason I was extremely judgemental when first using the Z3C.
I don't think you have anything to worry about in terms of quality or sharpness. The contrast is great and the default calibration does indeed produce icy whites (which I personally prefer to warmer whites).
I haven't used the camera yet, but other things that have impressed me are the build quality - especially the finish of the plastic sides, the bezels, which looks smaller in person than the promo photos suggest, and the sheer speed of the device. It's incredibly snappy!
I'm more impressed than I thought I'd be
Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk

@stormbeta, it's a 1/2.3 sensor

Cronis said:
Uhh they have the Nokia 1020 under the Iphone 5 and s4... that can't be right
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Click to collapse
The problem with the 1020 is it's great at certain things, awful at others. It's a really inconsistent camera. DxO's ratings reward consistency - a camera that's pretty good at everything trumps one that's really good at some things. That's why the last few iPhones have scored so high - they do a decent job of most things.
In their element, the 1020 and 808 are unbeaten. Unfortunately they aren't that great as day-to-day snappers.

I'm very impressed by this device so far coming from a galaxy s3. The display is absolutely fine. Everyone that says otherwise is just a spec whore (xcuse my language). And you can even tweak the colors yourself!
And the best part: 720p with high end hardware means silky smooth operation in every situation. I have never held an android device this fast. Even turning the screen on is just instant. No lag whatsoever. I'd say this is even faster than iPhone.
Camera? I have no idea about quality but the dedicated button is more important for my use than quality. If I want to make quality pictures I don't use my smartphone anyway..
If you want a high end smartphone in a smaller form factor this is the best device out there. No doubt about it.

Wired magazine review of the Z3

Please take a look at this review from Brent Rose from Wired and voice your opinion in the comments section of the article. I have never seen such a slanted/poor review and think he should be called out on it.
http://www.wired.com/2014/11/sony-xperia-z3/

what an unusual review

The speaker/camera comparison was somewhat accurate though it seems a little exaggerated, but the rest of the review was crap. The Z3 UI is better than stock where you can't even custom arrange the app drawer. My Z3 is rock stable, I even went through 3 of them for cosmetic defects (on my 4th now) and none ever crashed. If you look at the comment section you can see most of them pointing out that the review was bad.

Wow that review is so ridiculously invalid

That was such a horrible review. There are some cons to the phone, but over-exaggerating them at the level is so unprofessional.

This is very similar to my Z3C experience and in that regard all bias off I believe everything he wrote was correct...This is the reason Z3c went back and I was reluctant to even try Z3 since the internals are the same with bigger screen which would result in even worst battery than z3c
-Goran

The review wasn't that bad. I pretty much agree with everything said, except for the stability issues. Not once did I have to reboot the phone due to apps crashing.
Don't get me wrong, I like this phone a lot. There is not a single phone out right now that I'd choose over the Z3.

Love the phone but the first thing I did was switch to nova because of the rubbage skin.
Also the camera post processing on auto is garbage too.

mfpreach said:
Love the phone but the first thing I did was switch to nova because of the rubbage skin.
Also the camera post processing on auto is garbage too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Similarly, I've disabled many of Sony's stock apps, threw Nova on as the launcher, and have been plenty happy. I haven't had a single app crash, and I've gotten between 1d 16h and 2d 6h of battery. Sony says up to 2 days, so yeah, I'm good.
Besides, I can't remember the last time I trusted "Wired" for a review. Maybe they purposely did a negative review just to get a reaction for page views and ad impressions.

Absolutely agree with this review (except for the good points regarding the camera), its very accurate and the conclusion is spot on. Out of the box it is terrible, and not for Joe Public.
If it wasnt for the ps4 features, looks, waterproofing and memory card slot and me wanting to get away from Apple I would have something else. It could be much better. I've replaced or uninstalled all the pointlessly "Sony-ed" pre-installed apps, the Sony version of the calendar would constantly crash to desktop, the camera apps are horrible, the camera app is slow, clunky and terrible to navigate and all of it, really cheapens this phone. Coming from iPhone this was a very poor show.
Thankfully, after several hours of customising nova launcher, adding a new lock screen and notification handler its improved. Still lacking in many areas.
Still, I prefer this freedom over iOS so I can't complain too much! Well... apart from....
Excuse the rant here but this is the biggest issue I have with the Z3 (maybe android in general). There is one very glowing thing that the Z3/android still haven't really "got it down" on. The camera, I've noticed this on a few phones (S4, LG G2, HTC One M8, Z3, Nexus 5) too.
I'm an amatuer photographer in my spare time and without any bias I very quickly noticed that despite the extra megapixels, manual options in the software, upgraded lens etc etc the camera lags (lag the keyword) very much behind in the camera stakes to apple! The speed of opening the camera and taking a photo, the colours, the jpg processing profile, the autofocus speed and accuracy are all way way better even on an aging iPhone 4S in my mind. Its a phone, not an dslr, its designed to be there to take a "good" photo fast and I've not seen an android phone do this well. Especially in low light.
I was talking to an HTC One M8 owner who absolutely refuted this, so I asked a simple challenge, pull your phone out on 3 and take a photo of your bar snacks as quick as you can, he agrees... 3-2-1 bam, my old, slow iphone 4s (which I'm using while my broken z3 is awaiting repair) is out of my pocket at the same time but I'm done while his is trying to take focus (its as slow as my Sony as I tested this too) but not only that, his doesn't look great focus wise, colour wise etc, the iphone has sharp focus on the subject and a smooth defocused background, nice depth of field and really good colours, processing looks "interesting".
This is my general experience with a non iphone camera, in particular the Z3 and frankly the ONLY thing I miss :crying:

Lol I've been using the z3 for 3 days ago and I haven't had a single problem. Yes apps do crash but not the pre-installed apps.
Battery last me more than a day on heavy use. I still have about 32% after two days on normal use.
Camera has no washed out pictures like in the review.
The review is a load of bull.
Sent from my D6616 using XDA Free mobile app

batousan said:
Absolutely agree with this review (except for the good points regarding the camera), its very accurate and the conclusion is spot on. Out of the box it is terrible, and not for Joe Public.
If it wasnt for the ps4 features, looks, waterproofing and memory card slot and me wanting to get away from Apple I would have something else. It could be much better. I've replaced or uninstalled all the pointlessly "Sony-ed" pre-installed apps, the Sony version of the calendar would constantly crash to desktop, the camera apps are horrible, the camera app is slow, clunky and terrible to navigate and all of it, really cheapens this phone. Coming from iPhone this was a very poor show.
Thankfully, after several hours of customising nova launcher, adding a new lock screen and notification handler its improved. Still lacking in many areas.
Still, I prefer this freedom over iOS so I can't complain too much! Well... apart from....
Excuse the rant here but this is the biggest issue I have with the Z3 (maybe android in general). There is one very glowing thing that the Z3/android still haven't really "got it down" on. The camera, I've noticed this on a few phones (S4, LG G2, HTC One M8, Z3, Nexus 5) too.
I'm an amatuer photographer in my spare time and without any bias I very quickly noticed that despite the extra megapixels, manual options in the software, upgraded lens etc etc the camera lags (lag the keyword) very much behind in the camera stakes to apple! The speed of opening the camera and taking a photo, the colours, the jpg processing profile, the autofocus speed and accuracy are all way way better even on an aging iPhone 4S in my mind. Its a phone, not an dslr, its designed to be there to take a "good" photo fast and I've not seen an android phone do this well. Especially in low light.
I was talking to an HTC One M8 owner who absolutely refuted this, so I asked a simple challenge, pull your phone out on 3 and take a photo of your bar snacks as quick as you can, he agrees... 3-2-1 bam, my old, slow iphone 4s (which I'm using while my broken z3 is awaiting repair) is out of my pocket at the same time but I'm done while his is trying to take focus (its as slow as my Sony as I tested this too) but not only that, his doesn't look great focus wise, colour wise etc, the iphone has sharp focus on the subject and a smooth defocused background, nice depth of field and really good colours, processing looks "interesting".
This is my general experience with a non iphone camera, in particular the Z3 and frankly the ONLY thing I miss :crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the HTC M8 right now and the pictures are realy bad. It's a hardware issue with the lens. Sounds from all the reviews that the Xperia camera is decent, but not great. Would you agree?

dspcap said:
I have the HTC M8 right now and the pictures are realy bad. It's a hardware issue with the lens. Sounds from all the reviews that the Xperia camera is decent, but not great. Would you agree?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my opinion m8 has one of the fastest cameras in the market. Definitely faster than old iPhone 4.
Z3 biggest problem is how slow the camera is.

CandyAndy said:
In my opinion m8 has one of the fastest cameras in the market. Definitely faster than old iPhone 4.
Z3 biggest problem is how slow the camera is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wth are you talking about? slow? with my Z3 I can take a picture from sleep, in less than 2 sec. .

rspy said:
wth are you talking about? slow? with my Z3 I can take a picture from sleep, in less than 2 sec. .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So take a picture while you are moving and let's see how it looks.
It doesn't look good. M8 has faster camera and you can snap away while walking

I went through the review, and i am with him for most of the flaws except the STABILITY issues.
I had the Z3 for 15 days, and then i had to sell it off and back to Samsung S5 as it was not rootable.
The Camera definately is not as good, and even the phone body - especially the back glass, was too slippery for me, and i did drop it a few times, and its also a mega fingerprint magnet. I say the plastic back of S5 is way more superior.
Even the front speakers were just OK, yea, they were loud, and front facing, but thats it. the clarity isn't there and sounded very "tinny".
Otherwise, the performance, speed, os, battery were all brilliant!
I am now on the S5, and just a general comparision against the Z3, i like the size and finish of the S5 more better than the Z3. The S5 back (Especially the Black one) has a leather/slightly rubbery feel to it, which enhances the grip. The Camera in the S5 is excellent, capturing superb pictures! battery life is very good, though Z3 has better life. Performance wise, though the S5 has 2gb ram, never felt it under stress. Maybe it would be if i am playing some really heavy games, but as such never had a problem in regular usage.

CandyAndy said:
In my opinion m8 has one of the fastest cameras in the market. Definitely faster than old iPhone 4.
Z3 biggest problem is how slow the camera is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The issue here is the comparison is an iPhone 4 which was released in June 2010, there should be no excuse for any delay in camera boot 4 years on with much more powerful hardware.

batousan said:
The issue here is the comparison is an iPhone 4 which was released in June 2010, there should be no excuse for any delay in camera boot 4 years on with much more powerful hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I have allergy for Apple products so I cannot comment [emoji2]

CandyAndy said:
Well I have allergy for Apple products so I cannot comment [emoji2]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That doesn't mean you should bury your head in the sand on something so fundamental, surely thats just as bad than blindly buying apple products year on year? :laugh:

batousan said:
That doesn't mean you should bury your head in the sand on something so fundamental, surely thats just as bad than buying blindly buying apple products year on year? [emoji23]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I never compared z3 to iPhone.
In fact I am right now on my way to buy my second z3 since I can't stand this current note 4, buy which I originally made because z3 camera wasn't good enough. But now I realize that I can live with a bit worse camera if everything else is so fantastic.
I am shocked how quickly the battery drains with the note, and it is supposed to have quite a good battery also

Camera produces cold photos - very disappointed! Can it be fixed? White balance?

I just bought this phone, and I'm extremely disappointed in the camera. My wife has a note4 which takes great photos, which I've been using pretty much every day as we recently had a child (our first). My main reason for buying a new phone was to always have a good camera on hand for taking photos of our son. I hate big phones though, hence why I didn't buy the note4.
Anyway, after buying the z3c, it turns out that I hate the photos it takes They are all completely lifeless and cold. When I take a photo with the note4, what I see on the screen is pretty much exactly what I see in real life. With the z3c I can clearly see the difference right away (and it's not just the phone screen). I've tried experimenting with settings in manual mode as well, but I'm not having much luck. Granted I'm not claiming to know much about these things. I don't care if it's not the highest resolution or the sharpest details (or not at this stage at least), I just want some colors that looks like what I'm seeing with my eyes. I've gone back to using the camera from my wifes phone again despite my own phone only being a week old, which is a bit sad.
Is there anything I can do about this? I feel like there should be a simple adjustment somewhere, but I can't find it. The colors on the screen were horrid as well, but I've adjusted those by using the "white balance" settings (where I significantly increased red and green while leaving blue at 0). Is there a similar setting for the camera or is there a different app I can download where I can make this adjustment?
I just want to be able to use my camera...
Here is an example. I took two photos, one after the other, using the z3c and the note4. He moved a little bit so they are not identical, but zoom in on his face and you'll see what I mean. One of the photos has got some color and in the other he looks pale and lifeless. The color in the first photo seem to match what I am seeing in real life (he is half asian, so somewhat yellow skin tone) It's a bit hard to show, but you'll just have to trust me that the photo which has more yellow in it is significantly more accurate. This is not even the worst photo either, this one is probably passable if looked at in isolation, but just one example I quickly snapped just now. They are all like this (or often worse) and it has led me to not wanting to use my camera at all.
EDIT: as a new user I was not able to add a link, but as this is just to dropbox, I hope it's OK that I present it like this. You will have to piece it together if you want to view it:
www dropbox com/sh/vb68vqquykxj13m/AAArXwsdSZHKdJCzz25Tu3Qxa?dl=0
Any suggestions on how I can fix this without having to manually post process the photos are much appreciated. I should note that I really love the phone in all other aspects so far, but the main reason I bought it was for the camera as mentioned.
EDIT: sorry, maybe this belongs in the questions forum. If so I apologize and feel free to move it.
EDIT: to clarify, I found what looks like a white balance setting, but it's only 4 preset modes. But maybe that is all we've got. I'll try and experiment with them and see if any produces better result than wb auto.
EDIT: those settings above seems to seriously mess with the colors, at least in current low light room I'm in. Despite loving the phone, I'm considering cutting my losses while it's still current and try to sell it In which case i would probably pick up a Samsung galaxy s6 instead, which should have an equivalent camera to the note 4. It's much bigger than I prefer though, and inflated price due to hype and being a new model as well

The s6 has a better camera in most conditions. That said the difference isnt that bad. On my screen both photos look very similar.
Anyway the usual thing, try in manual mode 8mp, slightly lower expo, multi, and adda tiny bit of clarity in google photos - seems to give best results on average

bilboa1 said:
The s6 has a better camera in most conditions. That said the difference isnt that bad. On my screen both photos look very similar.
Anyway the usual thing, try in manual mode 8mp, slightly lower expo, multi, and adda tiny bit of clarity in google photos - seems to give best results on average
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not the best example, you probably have to zoom in on face to see the difference. I might try and take a better example photo, but basically I lose all yellow in his skin tone and all I get is white and red.
I'll try your suggestions as well. Thanks.

You'll see from my camera thread and others that the Z3 is simply a poor performing camera indoors. There's little you can do to fix it.
Sent from my Xperia Z3 Compact

PuffDaddy_d said:
You'll see from my camera thread and others that the Z3 is simply a poor performing camera indoors. There's little you can do to fix it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've read your thread now, and it doesn't paint a very positive picture. I still don't understand why it's so bad though, especially since the hardware seems good. From my point of view, I would be OK if pictures are not sharp enough or not capturing as much details as they could, but the poor color replication is a deal breaker.
Do you know if there is any sign that they are working on improving the software? Maybe with the release of z4/z3+ they might release a software update applicable to z3 as well? I know I'm grasping at straws, but still. You'd think they'd try and fix it. If nothing else, it's embarrassing that all competitors are significantly better despite using sonys sensor. This should be their absolute strongest point, their ace card, and instead they are getting destroyed.

White balance is the key for my photos... Auto WB always produces unatractive photos. Cloudy, and sunny settings add some warmth to the photo.

tompab said:
I've read your thread now, and it doesn't paint a very positive picture. I still don't understand why it's so bad though, especially since the hardware seems good. From my point of view, I would be OK if pictures are not sharp enough or not capturing as much details as they could, but the poor color replication is a deal breaker.
Do you know if there is any sign that they are working on improving the software? Maybe with the release of z4/z3+ they might release a software update applicable to z3 as well? I know I'm grasping at straws, but still. You'd think they'd try and fix it. If nothing else, it's embarrassing that all competitors are significantly better despite using sonys sensor. This should be their absolute strongest point, their ace card, and instead they are getting destroyed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't agree with you more. I read an article where someone managed to compare the display of the Z3 vs the Z3+ and noticed that the plus has a warmer tone. Probably still to early to know is the camera software has improved any though. Sadly, I've started to use filters on the shots that look too cold to help earn them up a bit... More of a workaround than a solution.
Sent from my Xperia Z3 Compact

tompab said:
I just bought this phone, and I'm extremely disappointed in the camera. My wife has a note4 which takes great photos, which I've been using pretty much every day as we recently had a child (our first). My main reason for buying a new phone was to always have a good camera on hand for taking photos of our son. I hate big phones though, hence why I didn't buy the note4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got a Z1c(not Z3c) and S6 but I think I can share you some ideas here. Sony tends to like cold WB while S6 produces warm WB. Indeed, they both got pros and cons in my experiences bcoz Samsung is also easy to produce over-warm coast and sometimes not real good, it is just too warm, though in your case I admit this time warm WB got real better result.
If you want a smaller phone, you can consider the upcoming S6 mini(SM-G9198) with 4.6" 720P, s808, 2GB ram, 16GB rom, NFC, 16MP rear camera, 5MP front camera. Sony focus is just all bad(actually the image quality isn't bad though you can't compete it with Note4/S6) and Samsung is like 10 times better when you talking about the speed and focus part.

TheEndHK said:
I've got a Z1c(not Z3c) and S6 but I think I can share you some ideas here. Sony tends to like cold WB while S6 produces warm WB. Indeed, they both got pros and cons in my experiences bcoz Samsung is also easy to produce over-warm coast and sometimes not real good, it is just too warm, though in your case I admit this time warm WB got real better result.
If you want a smaller phone, you can consider the upcoming S6 mini(SM-G9198) with 4.6" 720P, s808, 2GB ram, 16GB rom, NFC, 16MP rear camera, 5MP front camera. Sony focus is just all bad(actually the image quality isn't bad though you can't compete it with Note4/S6) and Samsung is like 10 times better when you talking about the speed and focus part.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will be very interested to see how that 16mp cam performs, if its anything like the S5 or S6 I may very well convert. Especially if they get the nicer build of the S6 in too, Just please no glass back.

S6 build also means glass back. I have no problems with glass. I'm not too fond of the diplay, Pentile matrix means less subpixels (=less sharpness) and effective resolution similar to qHD. It's clearly visible (rubbih harpness/dottiness) and just bad for the money.
PuffDaddy_d said:
I couldn't agree with you more. I read an article where someone managed to compare the display of the Z3 vs the Z3+ and noticed that the plus has a warmer tone. Probably still to early to know is the camera software has improved any though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Z3+ takes warmer pictures indeed but there's even more digital noise reduction:
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majaczos said:
S6 build also means glass back. I have no problems with glass. I'm not too fond of the diplay, Pentile matrix means less subpixels (=less sharpness) and effective resolution similar to qHD. It's clearly visible (rubbih harpness/dottiness) and just bad for the money.
Z3+ takes warmer pictures indeed but there's even more digital noise reduction:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, I can't even see the difference in color tone between these photos. At most, I see that the plus didn't focus properly in this shot.
Sent from my Xperia Z3 Compact

PuffDaddy_d said:
Honestly, I can't even see the difference in color tone between these photos. At most, I see that the plus didn't focus properly in this shot.
Sent from my Xperia Z3 Compact
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here... its splitting hairs to say there is any difference in color tone. That could easily be randomness with the Z3 being warm in the next shot.

Look at the concrete. It's much warmer. Another pictures (from gsmarena):
Z3:
http://cdn.gsmarena.com/vv/reviewsimg/sony-xperia-z3/camera/gsmarena_015.jpg
Z3+:
http://cdn.gsmarena.com/vv/reviewsimg/sony-xperia-z3plus/camera/gsmarena_102.jpg

majaczos said:
Look at the concrete. It's much warmer. Another pictures (from gsmarena):
Z3:
http://cdn.gsmarena.com/vv/reviewsimg/sony-xperia-z3/camera/gsmarena_015.jpg
Z3+:
http://cdn.gsmarena.com/vv/reviewsimg/sony-xperia-z3plus/camera/gsmarena_102.jpg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, yeah, the concrete does look warmer with the plus, but these are very obvious. Though, I question why it appears that so much time passed between shots. The sky is clear in one photo but is cloudy in the next. Overcast conditions will affect the white balance as well. Still a bit too soon for me to judge.
Sent from my Xperia Z3 Compact

Cronis said:
I will be very interested to see how that 16mp cam performs, if its anything like the S5 or S6 I may very well convert. Especially if they get the nicer build of the S6 in too, Just please no glass back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no much info yet so I can't tell about S6 Compact but we can make some safe guess here and probably quite close to the true specification.
1. Probably used the new ISOCell 16MP to save cost. We all know that S6 got two sensors which is Sony IMX240 and Samsung ISOCell. This time the ISOCell is improved and better than the one on S5, so it is a 2nd gen. It got better color during at low light while IMX240 got more details. On day time, both sensors are almost identical. Mine S6 got IMX240.
2. OIS is removed for cost.
3. Aperture down to f/2.2 or f/2.4 depending the price strategic
If Samsung willing to give it a f/2.2 then it is safe to say it is a killer for Z3c though Z3c will still own some advantages like waterproof and best battery life. Not sure about microSD card thing. Consider it got a powerful s808 so as a small flagship, very possible to own a f/2.2 aperture.
https://shopmeenova.appspot.com/st/p/mrg2.html
I use this otg to solve my storage problem on S6.

Aperture eans nothing without sensor's size. Z3 can have higher aperture because IMX220 one of the biggest sensors on the (mobile) market right now.
We know nothing about the S6 mini, SM-G9198 sounds like SM-G9098's replacement:
http://gadgets.ndtv.com/samsung-sm-g9098-1608

majaczos said:
Aperture eans nothing without sensor's size. Z3 can have higher aperture because IMX220 one of the biggest sensors on the (mobile) market right now.
We know nothing about the S6 mini, SM-G9198 sounds like SM-G9098's replacement:
http://gadgets.ndtv.com/samsung-sm-g9098-1608
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it is impossible to be the next G9098 bcoz it got only 3.7" size while G9198 is 4.6" with such powerful s808 cpu, they are in total different market segment.
Aperture is real meaningful in any size bcoz my One S(8MP 1/3.2") got f/2.0 so I know about it and Iphone 5s/6/6+ got only 8MP 1/3" f/2.2 but they are doing very well at low light too.

TheEndHK said:
I think it is impossible to be the next G9098 bcoz it got only 3.7" size while G9198 is 4.6" with such powerful s808 cpu, they are in total different market segment.
Aperture is real meaningful in any size bcoz my One S(8MP 1/3.2") got f/2.0 so I know about it and Iphone 5s/6/6+ got only 8MP 1/3" f/2.2 but they are doing very well at low light too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe they want to reduce bezels? Or make it bigger? SM-G9098 has very powerful CPU as well, actually it was the most powerful back in 2014..
They're ok in low light situations (partially thanks to decent image processing) but you can't trick physics.

majaczos said:
Maybe they want to reduce bezels? Or make it bigger? SM-G9098 has very powerful CPU as well, actually it was the most powerful back in 2014..
They're ok in low light situations (partially thanks to decent image processing) but you can't trick physics.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
G9098 is 3.7" size while G9198 is 4.6", the different is big enough because there is no 4.6" size flip phone becoz when you put a 4.6" screen together with a physical keyboard, the phone will be very fat and large and customer will end up prefer to get a Note4/5 instead with similar size. But I like the good old day flip phone style, actually I want to see more coming out.

Thanks for all the help guys. Just thought I'd give an update if anyone is interested.
I still really dislike the z3c camera and was considering selling the phone and picking up a galaxy s6. I do however like the other aspects of the z3c, so I ended up buying a proper camera instead. I can use my wife's note4 for a quick snap if I don't have my camera nearby. It's a compromise, but I think it made more sense.

Overall love

Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Sony Xperia 5 II, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Sony Xperia 5 II is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!

I don't love inanimate objects and I don't sleep with my phone next to me. I turn it off when I go to bed. But, by listing what I don't like you can see how much I like.
The Xperia 5 ii is far too slippery and difficult to hold without a case. I haven't found a case that protects the phone but still allows the shutter button to operate smoothly. The fingerprint reader works fine for me but I would prefer one mounted on the back of the phone like the old Pixels.
One surprise I really like is the option to charge up to 80% and then automatically shut off.
What I really miss is more instructions on using the pro app.
Rather than love, I would consider the fun factor. I'm having a lot of fun taking photos with the Sony Xperia 5 ii. Of course, reading the news is depressing but I go take photos and feel better.
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x5ii quick story
having had last flagship for already 4 long months, evaluated available flagships in a big theoretical matrix, and this phone won along with 8Pro which i already have. X1ii is a flop thanks to shocking 60hz screen and rated way worse. Hoping to get the light phone, without notch and with all the classic features i bought it. Returned after 1 day:
21:9 makes display small, eyes suffered straight away, also the brightness isn't great..i can reduce font and display size to minimum on 1+ and still see better than X5ii with increased font
size 6.1" is on par with Galaxy S7/8/9 cubic meter wise, e.g. S10 would have much bigger display
ultra slippery hard to pick hard to hold body.. absolutely unusable without fat ugly case.. maybe maybe X1ii flat frame is better?
unwanted keypresses thanks to buttons spread everywhere and unwanted unlocks thanks to fingerprint acting after touch
almost impossible to swipe from the edge was the major showstopper, also triggering SideSense was super difficult...i've spent hours testing this to no avail and it was the return reason
very bland OS feels vanilla on one side, but also feels cheap and sad..Win app exists but can't backup no more.. so no extras.. no Dex, phone to PC sync or something
very weird selfie pics
no wireless charging was very difficult to abandon
what was cool:
no gray backbleeding like on every Samsung/Oneplus OLED, say what!
cam trigger...special button will not only launch camera but also start shooting.. it also acts like focus because it intercepts half press
Sony variant of Samsung SmartStay is fantastic. keeps phone unlocked while you look at it and this time it works because using sensors.. Never heard of it but it's super cool
SideSense is a good improvement as it brings multiwindow back..but the requirement is to activate is easily and that doesn't happen because of display edges on a flat phone
fingerprint unlock was perfect if it was easier to locate.. maybe black version doesn't help it, or you need a case with contrasting color
massive code support unlike Samsung, counted 4* AptX for example
tiniest status bar ever saw, notchless.. gives extra space
what a lesson.. despite hoping to prove otherwise i learned punchhole isn't that bad, fingerprint under display isn't worse, big display is beneficial despite weight (crying), and curved display is also great. and Oneplus has the best flagship even one year later, easily dwarfing all those Ultras.

doggydog2 said:
x5ii quick story
having had last flagship for already 4 long months, evaluated available flagships in a big theoretical matrix, and this phone won along with 8Pro which i already have. X1ii is a flop thanks to shocking 60hz screen and rated way worse. Hoping to get the light phone, without notch and with all the classic features i bought it. Returned after 1 day:
21:9 makes display small, eyes suffered straight away, also the brightness isn't great..i can reduce font and display size to minimum on 1+ and still see better than X5ii with increased font
size 6.1" is on par with Galaxy S7/8/9 cubic meter wise, e.g. S10 would have much bigger display
ultra slippery hard to pick hard to hold body.. absolutely unusable without fat ugly case.. maybe maybe X1ii flat frame is better?
unwanted keypresses thanks to buttons spread everywhere and unwanted unlocks thanks to fingerprint acting after touch
almost impossible to swipe from the edge was the major showstopper, also triggering SideSense was super difficult...i've spent hours testing this to no avail and it was the return reason
very bland OS feels vanilla on one side, but also feels cheap and sad..Win app exists but can't backup no more.. so no extras.. no Dex, phone to PC sync or something
very weird selfie pics
no wireless charging was very difficult to abandon
what was cool:
no gray backbleeding like on every Samsung/Oneplus OLED, say what!
cam trigger...special button will not only launch camera but also start shooting.. it also acts like focus because it intercepts half press
Sony variant of Samsung SmartStay is fantastic. keeps phone unlocked while you look at it and this time it works because using sensors.. Never heard of it but it's super cool
SideSense is a good improvement as it brings multiwindow back..but the requirement is to activate is easily and that doesn't happen because of display edges on a flat phone
fingerprint unlock was perfect if it was easier to locate.. maybe black version doesn't help it, or you need a case with contrasting color
massive code support unlike Samsung, counted 4* AptX for example
tiniest status bar ever saw, notchless.. gives extra space
what a lesson.. despite hoping to prove otherwise i learned punchhole isn't that bad, fingerprint under display isn't worse, big display is beneficial despite weight (crying), and curved display is also great. and Oneplus has the best flagship even one year later, easily dwarfing all those Ultras.
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I had similar, rather unfortunate experience with Xperia 5 II. My biggest hope was impressive camera system performance which appeared to be impossible to satisfy with. I gave good 4 weeks run to this phone but unfortunately it didn't deliver what I wanted.
I mean Photo Pro camera app is really cool and hardware specs are more than sufficient to have outstanding photos but in reality the camera experience is rather hit or miss especially in not ideal light conditions. In other words, I didn't see highest quality photos whatever hard I tried. Tinkering with Lightroom (manual photo editing) is rather waste of time when it comes to smartphones camera. Absence of AI is a big omission regardless of opinion of Sony fanboys.
Other things I disliked in this phone where mentioned already are as follows:
- I expected much better battery life from it compared to my Pixel 4. In reality it's just not that great at all,
- accidental buttons triggering in the pocket (I was pissed off with it to be honest),
- missing Wireless charging and 3D Face unlock,
- not good enough selfie camera and still subbar camera performance overall (old Pixel 4 with outdated hardware does better job),
- low screen brightness at sunny day outdoor conditions.
So sorry Sony but please try harder next time when you're about to release $1000 or so phone.

WarVic said:
I had similar, rather unfortunate experience with Xperia 5 II. My biggest hope was impressive camera system performance which appeared to be impossible to satisfy with. I gave good 4 weeks run to this phone but unfortunately it didn't deliver what I wanted.
I mean Photo Pro camera app is really cool and hardware specs are more than sufficient to have outstanding photos but in reality the camera experience is rather hit or miss especially in not ideal light conditions. In other words, I didn't see highest quality photos whatever hard I tried. Tinkering with Lightroom (manual photo editing) is rather waste of time when it comes to smartphones camera. Absence of AI is a big omission regardless of opinion of Sony fanboys.
Other things I disliked in this phone where mentioned already are as follows:
- I expected much better battery life from it compared to my Pixel 4. In reality it's just not that great at all,
- accidental buttons triggering in the pocket (I was pissed off with it to be honest),
- missing Wireless charging and 3D Face unlock,
- not good enough selfie camera and still subbar camera performance overall (old Pixel 4 with outdated hardware does better job),
- low screen brightness at sunny day outdoor conditions.
So sorry Sony but please try harder next time when you're about to release $1000 or so phone.
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I am irritated when someone knows their comments are flawed so the insult anyone who comments in advance. The Sony Xperia 5 II is the first Sony phone--or camera--I've ever bought. I had the Huawei P40 pro which is sitting on a shelf.
I recognize that the Huawei is a "computational photography" force and the Xperia is, by choice, not. I also recognize that many, perhaps most people, need and enjoy an automatic camera. Life is better for them when the device has AI and computational photography and their skills and abilities are limited. So, I value both as devices meeting a need.
Now, specifics.
---Battery life. I set my phone with the charging option of stopping charging at 80%. I usually end the day with at least 50% left. I'm very happy with the speed of recharging.
---Accidental triggering in pocket. I really can't comment since I don't carry the phone loose in my pocket. I have my phone in a holster on my belt. This is mostly because I have my wallet, money clip, coins, pocket knife and the dark a small flashlight in my pockets.
---Missing wireless. I'm not someone who misses it.
---Face unlock. I would like face unlock if it worked well but I detest fingerprint readers under the screen. I got used to the side-mounted print reader and don't find it a problem.
---Selfies. I don't do "selfies" enough to matter. I'm older than most trees and never was a narcissist.
----Screen Brightness. I agree. I strong overhead sunlight it's horrible.
I thoroughly enjoy their Pro Photo App but I understand why many prefer computational photography. With self-driving cars and self-cleaning underwear, it's a trend.

141ptkelly said:
I am irritated when someone knows their comments are flawed so the insult anyone who comments in advance. The Sony Xperia 5 II is the first Sony phone--or camera--I've ever bought. I had the Huawei P40 pro which is sitting on a shelf.
I recognize that the Huawei is a "computational photography" force and the Xperia is, by choice, not. I also recognize that many, perhaps most people, need and enjoy an automatic camera. Life is better for them when the device has AI and computational photography and their skills and abilities are limited. So, I value both as devices meeting a need.
Now, specifics.
---Battery life. I set my phone with the charging option of stopping charging at 80%. I usually end the day with at least 50% left. I'm very happy with the speed of recharging.
---Accidental triggering in pocket. I really can't comment since I don't carry the phone loose in my pocket. I have my phone in a holster on my belt. This is mostly because I have my wallet, money clip, coins, pocket knife and the dark a small flashlight in my pockets.
---Missing wireless. I'm not someone who misses it.
---Face unlock. I would like face unlock if it worked well but I detest fingerprint readers under the screen. I got used to the side-mounted print reader and don't find it a problem.
---Selfies. I don't do "selfies" enough to matter. I'm older than most trees and never was a narcissist.
----Screen Brightness. I agree. I strong overhead sunlight it's horrible.
I thoroughly enjoy their Pro Photo App but I understand why many prefer computational photography. With self-driving cars and self-cleaning underwear, it's a trend.View attachment 5254351
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I'm irritated with someone who does not understand what computational photography is about. Some people (aka super Pro guys) are thinking that it's just for lazy, ordinary people with lack of photography skills. Surprise! It's not about it at all. No one camera it the world can reproduce exactly what human eye can see (I'm not talking about "Night Vision" photography). This problem as well as limitations of mobile cameras (mainly tiny size of lenses) is addressed by AI and computational photography. Trust me, we see the world in advanced HDR and depth of field of human eye is much better than on any camera.
So summarize what I said above, Xperia 1 II / 5 II photos are weak and not true-to-life at all. I can't remember any flagship smartphone delivering so many unusable photos - misfocused, blurred parts of the image further from the centre, horriblee distortion, chromatic abberation, blown out highlights, ridiculous amount of lens flares (T* marking on the lens glass is a bad joke!) etc. Having great selfie camera is not about narcissism, you know. It's just something that near $1000 modern smartphone must have!
All other Xperia 5 II flaws I mentioned before are valid and quite critical for such expensive device. I won't say a word of complain if Xperia 5 II price was about $350. Perhaps, even this price tag is too high and generous for it. Just because I came back to Pixel 4 which costed me $250. And I'm not a fan of Google phones at all. It just never let me down.

141ptkelly said:
I don't love inanimate objects and I don't sleep with my phone next to me. I turn it off when I go to bed. But, by listing what I don't like you can see how much I like.
The Xperia 5 ii is far too slippery and difficult to hold without a case. I haven't found a case that protects the phone but still allows the shutter button to operate smoothly. The fingerprint reader works fine for me but I would prefer one mounted on the back of the phone like the old Pixels.
One surprise I really like is the option to charge up to 80% and then automatically shut off.
What I really miss is more instructions on using the pro app.
Rather than love, I would consider the fun factor. I'm having a lot of fun taking photos with the Sony Xperia 5 ii. Of course, reading the news is depressing but I go take photos and feel better.
View attachment 5218585
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Sorry buddy, but the photo example you've uploaded is quite bad. I understand you're having fun with Xperia 5 II Camera app as I did though. Perhaps your photo perfectly represents my experience with Xperia 5 II .

I'm also coming from P30 pro and I'm a little bit disappointed with the camera quality of Xperia 5 ii....The only thing that I like about this phone it's the 120hz and its speed, otherwise, it's not a device that it's worth the 1000$ price tag...Lucky me that I got it for 400$ second hand and I didn't spend a fortune on it.. I regret that I sold my P30 pro for this joke of a phone

robi101012981 said:
I'm also coming from P30 pro and I'm a little bit disappointed with the camera quality of Xperia 5 ii....The only thing that I like about this phone it's the 120hz and its speed, otherwise, it's not a device that it's worth the 1000$ price tag...Lucky me that I got it for 400$ second hand and I didn't spend a fortune on it.. I regret that I sold my P30 pro for this joke of a phone
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I disagree with "this joke of a phone" comment!
There is definitely learning curve for using Pro Camera app but I noticed Normal Camera app improved after A11 update:
Attached are few point and shoot photos near Palouse falls, WA, US from Normal Camera App.

doggydog2 said:
what was cool:
no gray backbleeding like on every Samsung/Oneplus OLED, say what!
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Please explain. There is no gray "blacklighting" bled on the Note 10+. It's contrast ratio is near perfect as any display out there and the borders are laser sharp... unless I'm missing something.
I really hope Sony gives Samsung some stiff competition and picks up the ball where Samsung is dropping it. Even if you're not a Sony user, good competition helps catalyze competitors to produce better products.
A win-win for the consumer.

Good for you then. Winning in backbleeding lottery feels good. I test backbleeding as it's accentuated at night which is when I use phone, and in dark mode. Xperia 5ii was very good. Note20U, S10 is fairly good. Don't know about Note10. one pluses 6 7 8 were below average. Samsung tablets are the worst, for the record. Horrid.

doggydog2 said:
Good for you then. Winning in backbleeding lottery feels good. I test backbleeding as it's accentuated at night which is when I use phone, and in dark mode. Xperia 5ii was very good. Note20U, S10 is fairly good. Don't know about Note10. one pluses 6 7 8 were below average. Samsung tablets are the worst, for the record. Horrid.
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OLEDs* are incapable of IPS backlighting bled because there is no backlight.
The OLED pixels need power to illuminate otherwise they are black.
Apparently this is a firmware or driver glitch.
It's possible that that if not properly back shielded the OLED pixels could reflect light from behind the pixels. Have to know more about the display's physical construction to comment on that. If it were to occur it be a design or manufacturing defect rather than a typical OLED display characteristic.
My display when tested with Screen Test with black, full brightness is completely black. In fact there are no flaws visible whatever color or intensity across the whole screen including the curved portions. It's drop dead gorgeous.
The high refresh rate OLED displays of all Android makes are having various issues usually at very low light levels but not always.
Tinting is a common problem.
I'm actually glad now to be at a measily 60hz with none of these issues.
*AMOLEDs in most cases now.

PPGX5II said:
I disagree with "this joke of a phone" comment!
There is definitely learning curve for using Pro Camera app but I noticed Normal Camera app improved after A11 update:
Attached are few point and shoot photos near Palouse falls, WA, US from Normal Camera App.
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Photos are good, no doudts, but I see nothing that can't be achieved by 3 times cheaper or much older phone. Trust me, old dinky dirt cheap Pixel 2 can do the same or even better. I can give you dozens of really bad quality shots from Xperia 5 II I've got. Never had such experience with any other flagship phone, especially in bad light conditions. Finally, I've just reviewed my photos from older Xperia 5 and found that ... it was better which is unbelievable. Certainly Xperia 5 II is a waste, missing opportunity for Sony. I really hope that they will learn on own mistakes, look at what other companies do and finally come up with some great thing. Not sure that it will be Xperia 1 III / 5 III. Not enough time for Sony and a quality bar is too damn high - latest Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, iPhone, OnePlus are hard to beat indeed.

WarVic said:
Photos are good, no doudts, but I see nothing that can't be achieved by 3 times cheaper or much older phone. Trust me, old dinky dirt cheap Pixel 2 can do the same or even better. I can give you dozens of really bad quality shots from Xperia 5 II I've got. Never had such experience with any other flagship phone, especially in bad light conditions. Finally, I've just reviewed my photos from older Xperia 5 and found that ... it was better which is unbelievable. Certainly Xperia 5 II is a waste, missing opportunity for Sony. I really hope that they will learn on own mistakes, look at what other companies do and finally come up with some great thing. Not sure that it will be Xperia 1 III / 5 III. Not enough time for Sony and a quality bar is too damn high - latest Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, iPhone, OnePlus are hard to beat indeed.
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I would like to switch to oppo find x2 pro, but i m not sure its a good option...

robi101012981 said:
I would like to switch to oppo find x2 pro, but i m not sure its a good option...
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Don't switch to older devices unless you had a very good experience with them before or they're dirt cheap. Oppo Find X3 Pro came into play. That one would be interesting to play with or at least to entertain the kids with microscopic camera.

WarVic said:
Don't switch to older devices unless you had a very good experience with them before or they're dirt cheap. Oppo Find X3 Pro came into play. That one would be interesting to play with or at least to entertain the kids with microscopic camera.
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I think it's a little bit too expensive for what s offering...I've bought this Xperia 5 II for only 400$, so I think it was a good deal... About that device, I'll exchange it with my 5 II, so no cost will be involved, so idk what to say...

WarVic said:
Photos are good, no doudts, but I see nothing that can't be achieved by 3 times cheaper or much older phone. Trust me, old dinky dirt cheap Pixel 2 can do the same or even better. I can give you dozens of really bad quality shots from Xperia 5 II I've got. Never had such experience with any other flagship phone, especially in bad light conditions. Finally, I've just reviewed my photos from older Xperia 5 and found that ... it was better which is unbelievable. Certainly Xperia 5 II is a waste, missing opportunity for Sony. I really hope that they will learn on own mistakes, look at what other companies do and finally come up with some great thing. Not sure that it will be Xperia 1 III / 5 III. Not enough time for Sony and a quality bar is too damn high - latest Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, iPhone, OnePlus are hard to beat indeed.
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It's interesting more Japanese companies aren't in the fray.
Conservative digital optical giant Canon maybe thinking of making a grab. Canon spends a huge percentage of their profit on research to help advance their product lines. They have offer excellent tech support as well; a good egg.
Redirect Notice
www.google.com

WarVic said:
Photos are good, no doudts, but I see nothing that can't be achieved by 3 times cheaper or much older phone. Trust me, old dinky dirt cheap Pixel 2 can do the same or even better. I can give you dozens of really bad quality shots from Xperia 5 II I've got. Never had such experience with any other flagship phone, especially in bad light conditions. Finally, I've just reviewed my photos from older Xperia 5 and found that ... it was better which is unbelievable. Certainly Xperia 5 II is a waste, missing opportunity for Sony. I really hope that they will learn on own mistakes, look at what other companies do and finally come up with some great thing. Not sure that it will be Xperia 1 III / 5 III. Not enough time for Sony and a quality bar is too damn high - latest Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, iPhone, OnePlus are hard to beat indeed.
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Yeah, Computational Photography is where Sony lacks in Normal Camera App and $950 price tag (now at $850 and I bough for around $1050 including tax) is bit high (I would say around $800 at launch would be killer) but there are some feature which you will not find in other Flagships like Animal Eye focus and 4K 120fps video etc (Just to mention few there are other features too). Also Photo Pro gives you that extra control you need in certain situations. I was in dilemma whether to go for Xperia 5 II or Pixel 4a 5G but eventually I went for 5II and I don't regret it at all (my wife has 4a 5G) and if you look at hardware (except front facing camera, lack of 5G and extra google assistant button for some ppl) everything is just perfect.
Those brands you mentioned mostly use Sony sensor and quality which you mentioned is due to Computational Photography and not because of actual hardware. I would prefer good hardware than not so good hardware with some software magic to make it look good.

blackhawk said:
OLEDs* are incapable of IPS backlighting bled because there is no backlight.
The OLED pixels need power to illuminate otherwise they are black.
Apparently this is a firmware or driver glitch.
It's possible that that if not properly back shielded the OLED pixels could reflect light from behind the pixels. Have to know more about the display's physical construction to comment on that. If it were to occur it be a design or manufacturing defect rather than a typical OLED display characteristic.
My display when tested with Screen Test with black, full brightness is completely black. In fact there are no flaws visible whatever color or intensity across the whole screen including the curved portions. It's drop dead gorgeous.
The high refresh rate OLED displays of all Android makes are having various issues usually at very low light levels but not always.
Tinting is a common problem.
I'm actually glad now to be at a measily 60hz with none of these issues.
*AMOLEDs in most cases now.
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i wouldn't be happy on 60Hz - it hurts eyes as they constantly refocus during scrolling. But the backbleeding happens on 60Hz OLEDs equally. It's just different than IPS, not caused by obvious backlight, but by voltages and near impossibility to tune it well. OLED backbleeding (some can refer to it as lack of uniformity, glowing, banding) looks very similar as on IPS but it's less uniform. Looks like huge ghosts in various shapes on your screen or bands.
So I didn't mean pure black levels (unrealistic in most media content), i talk about low RGB levels / low brightness. That's where massive backbleeding comes to OLEDs. I rated some also here. Look at the pictures in this thread, hope you ate your breakfast already Since noone really keeps the screen turned on with RGB (0,0,0) for most pixels, the ultimate blacks are good only for one scenario: AOD. But make a microscopic step higher from (0,0,0) and you immediatelly lose this benefit of OLED.
We use IPS panels for work for hundreds of people, surprise. Now that the market races for top brightness, at the cost of eye health, glad that the high frequencies came at least. But still, this OLED technology should not exist in 2021. It's flickering, agressive to eyes, excessive blue, nauseating to some. My cheap 7year old IPS tablet is still pleasure to look at compared to nowadays OLED junk. Can't watch horrors on my state of the art OLED TV thanks to this. Bigger panel - more backbleeding. You can't pay enough to get rid of it. The death of *OLED is inevitable, let's celebrate a new technology soon!! We will laugh at OLED in future like we do at CRT, that's for sure.

doggydog2 said:
i wouldn't be happy on 60Hz - it hurts eyes as they constantly refocus during scrolling. But the backbleeding happens on 60Hz OLEDs equally. It's just different than IPS, not caused by obvious backlight, but by voltages and near impossibility to tune it well. OLED backbleeding (some can refer to it as lack of uniformity, glowing, banding) looks very similar as on IPS but it's less uniform. Looks like huge ghosts in various shapes on your screen or bands.
So I didn't mean pure black levels (unrealistic in most media content), i talk about low RGB levels / low brightness. That's where massive backbleeding comes to OLEDs. I rated some also here. Look at the pictures in this thread, hope you ate your breakfast already Since noone really keeps the screen turned on with RGB (0,0,0) for most pixels, the ultimate blacks are good only for one scenario: AOD. But make a microscopic step higher from (0,0,0) and you immediatelly lose this benefit of OLED.
We use IPS panels for work for hundreds of people, surprise. Now that the market races for top brightness, at the cost of eye health, glad that the high frequencies came at least. But still, this OLED technology should not exist in 2021. It's flickering, agressive to eyes, excessive blue, nauseating to some. My cheap 7year old IPS tablet is still pleasure to look at compared to nowadays OLED junk. Can't watch horrors on my state of the art OLED TV thanks to this. Bigger panel - more backbleeding. You can't pay enough to get rid of it. The death of *OLED is inevitable, let's celebrate a new technology soon!! We will laugh at OLED in future like we do at CRT, that's for sure.
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That's banding or at least what I call it.
Never seen that on my 10+
May be firmware or a defect in the active matrix drivers.
Either way it's completely unacceptable!
I like high end CRTs, their silky transition smoothness is hard (impossible?) to replicate.