Related
Hey guys, so I have upgraded my Xperia Z to Z1 and thought I would make a video giving you 10 reasons why you may wish to upgrade.
For most the upgrade is pointless though as the Xperia Z is still a very powerful phone and has really good specs but I thought I would point out the 10 things that are better about the Z1, so if you are in for an upgrade, you have the money definitely go for it
bro everyone want to upgrade to Z1 but considering the cost that i've already spent my 630$ and im not sure if i want to spend another 750$ for Z1 unless Sony throws any phone swap scheme. how much did you get after selling your Xperia Z?
mysticmetal said:
bro everyone want to upgrade to Z1 but considering the cost that i've already spent my 630$ and im not sure if i want to spend another 750$ for Z1 unless Sony throws any phone swap scheme. how much did you get after selling your Xperia Z?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is your back glass lifting the way mine was? If so you should be able to get your money back in full (I was able through EU law).
shem2409 said:
Hey guys, so I have upgraded my Xperia Z to Z1 and thought I would make a video giving you 10 reasons why you may wish to upgrade.
For most the upgrade is pointless though as the Xperia Z is still a very powerful phone and has really good specs but I thought I would point out the 10 things that are better about the Z1, so if you are in for an upgrade, you have the money definitely go for it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
why the z screen look better
no my backglass is just fine
mysticmetal said:
bro everyone want to upgrade to Z1 but considering the cost that i've already spent my 630$ and im not sure if i want to spend another 750$ for Z1 unless Sony throws any phone swap scheme. how much did you get after selling your Xperia Z?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't sold it yet. I had to send it for warranty replacement of one of the flaps covering the ports first. I should get around 400$ for it though
ihaxda1 said:
why the z screen look better
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My z1 has a little bit of a yellow hue problem, which I mentioned in the video. Unfortunately there isn't much I can do about it for now.
did u ask sony for valuation of your xperia z?
mysticmetal said:
did u ask sony for valuation of your xperia z?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I just sent it to have it fixed before I try and sell it. They retail for around 400$ where I live though
I will say why NOT to upgrade:
1. Too big
2. Same sound on external speaker
3. Same shutter proof cover on the glass, WTF!
4. Battery consumption is the same.
5. Web browsing, video playback time is below competitors.
Now, im my case who bought S, T and Z there is no reason to upgrade and one of the main reasons is that ASF s**t at the end of 2013, the only upgrade i can see is to leave sony and buy from competitors...but i have an entire collection of Sony since J70 and i still.. prefer to eat their crap.
smardu said:
I will say why NOT to upgrade:
1. Too big
2. Same sound on external speaker
3. Same shutter proof cover on the glass, WTF!
4. Battery consumption is the same.
5. Web browsing, video playback time is below competitors.
Now, im my case who bought S, T and Z there is no reason to upgrade and one of the main reasons is that ASF s**t at the end of 2014, the only upgrade i can see is to leave sony and buy from competitors...but i have an entire collection of Sony since J70 and i still.. prefer to eat their crap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Have you held it in your hand? It is actually way more comfortable than Z
2. The speaker placement is better though
3. You can always take it off. I have spoken to a Sony Center emloyee and apparenty those are replaceable and you do not lose your warranty (but yeah you would have to confirm that one with your retailer)
4. In tests the battery life is in fact better and in normal usage I have found it to last me longer
5. Ok but for the tests they should have switched off X-Reality in some of them they didn't and that is an extra strain on CPU and GPU
shem2409 said:
2. The speaker placement is better though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's the matter of taste. I like Z speaker more than in Z1. Just my opinion.
My bro got the Z1 today after having a play im glad i went with the Z ultra over the Z1 (currently using a Z) the z1 is a really nice handset but for me the original z was a big leap forward for Sony where as the Z1 is just an upgrade rather than anything new.
marcgear said:
My bro got the Z1 today after having a play im glad i went with the Z ultra over the Z1 (currently using a Z) the z1 is a really nice handset but for me the original z was a big leap forward for Sony where as the Z1 is just an upgrade rather than anything new.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Z Ultra is a great tablet. It is very comfortable to use, most units have a very nice display (a lot of them come with yellow hue though some worse than on my Z1). You say it is just an upgrade but with so many areas improved and redesigned it is kinda difficult to call it that.
Just an upgrade would be if they put 1 maybe 2 things from the list but here you have so many changes that it is like a completely new handset.
Of course it is a matter of personal needs and preference whether an upgrade is right for you at this moment but without a doubt it is a great piece of equipment which shows that Sony can innovate and is moving forward ahead of its competitors.
shem2409 said:
Z Ultra is a great tablet. It is very comfortable to use, most units have a very nice display (a lot of them come with yellow hue though some worse than on my Z1). You say it is just an upgrade but with so many areas improved and redesigned it is kinda difficult to call it that.
Just an upgrade would be if they put 1 maybe 2 things from the list but here you have so many changes that it is like a completely new handset.
Of course it is a matter of personal needs and preference whether an upgrade is right for you at this moment but without a doubt it is a great piece of equipment which shows that Sony can innovate and is moving forward ahead of its competitors.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah i agree its all dependent on personal taste my bro loves it coming from an S4 he is really happy (not that he didnt love his S4)
he just said the z1 felt like premium handset and was extremely solid.
Only reason i ordered the Ultra was i like to be different and nobody i know is brave enough to own a handset of that size so i know ill be unique.
shem2409 said:
1. Have you held it in your hand? It is actually way more comfortable than Z
2. The speaker placement is better though
3. You can always take it off. I have spoken to a Sony Center emloyee and apparenty those are replaceable and you do not lose your warranty (but yeah you would have to confirm that one with your retailer)
4. In tests the battery life is in fact better and in normal usage I have found it to last me longer
5. Ok but for the tests they should have switched off X-Reality in some of them they didn't and that is an extra strain on CPU and GPU
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seriously the video playback time and web browsing time is not good. Video playback is like only 5 hours plus? Samsung's s3 has got like 9 hour plus and note 3 if I'm not wrong is around 11-14hours I think. Web browsing and video playback is two of the main things we do on a smartphone isn't it?
Sent from my C6603
when XPERIA Z2 comes out Z1 will be just the same old forgotten toy like Z
One of my annoyances.. uhh... Two are
01. The flash is extremely weak! I've taken pictures at night side by side with another much lower end phone and my pics came out way darker. In daylight its fine.
02. The WiFi range isn't too far
Are these two points improved on in the Z1 or Ultra?
Sent from my C6602 using xda app-developers app
I think the s4 pro is enough; don't need to upgrade to s800, it seems like the old PCs processors war...
It seems the WiFi in Z1 has also a poor signal as the Z,one of the reasons may not get this phone if the issue is not fixed
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2451640
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium
Hello, today I decided to write a post about why SONY products are one of the best on the market, I decided to write this because of Xperia Z1 which I think is the best mobile phone ever created by SONY.
I am SONY fan, I had almost all Sony Ericsson phones, I had all W,C,K series and I must say that as time goes SONY introduces more and more amazing products, do you remember Cyber-Shot series which had awesome camera quality for that time, even better then some android phones provide today. Also I can say the same about WALKMAN series that were just amazing, all phones had awesome sound quality as in earphones as in loudspeaker the sound was crisp and loud, I remember my old W980 which was the only phone with FM Radio transmitter and that was great.
My first Xperia was X10 and I was very happy about it, although it was a bit slow at times but still it was and is a great phone that started the revolution in Xperia series, SONY started putting more powerful CPU's, GPU's and other performance parts, and phones became really very good and beautiful at the same time. SONY started upgrading their phones, just making the previous phones better, after X10 I got Xperia Arc which also was a piece of artwork, it had awesome screen, design, performance and also great camera, of course it had some drawbacks like many owners experienced cracks on the housing and such small defects but all in all it was just an attempt to give us something new, same thing with my next phone Xperia S that was amazingly beautiful, fast and unique. SONY always loved to have something that other brands did not have.
In my opinion other brand like SAMSUNG, APPLE, NOKIA and etc are not bad but SONY has unique understanding of what people want the phone to look like. For example I don't like how SAMSUNG phones look they are just all the same, they become only bigger and wider nothing more, same thing with APPLE they just stretched the phone and painted it. This is what makes SONY the only one for me, after Xperia S that I upgraded to Xperia Z that was something unusual, something that was not similar to other phones, this phone is just SEXY, nothing more and nothing less. It has luxury design, cool features, awesome camera and that new "Water Resistance" which is great feature and I'll say why.
It's not really about water resistance, the thing is that most of the phones suffer from collecting dust which is annoying and harmful to the phone in some way. For example all previous SONY phones I had were having that problem, I had to clean the phone almost everyday so that dust didn't get under the battery cover into the weak spots, the dust was collecting also in the camera hole and it was annoying because camera lens became dirty and you had to clean it first and then make a shot, same for the USB port, speaker and other small holes. So this water resistance adds extra protection against dust and you don't have to clean out dust every time, it just doesn't get into your phone, as for water resistance feature itself it's also very handy, because there are some situations when you need to answer call or just take a picture under the rain.
But SONY didn't stop on that and brought us Z1 that became "etalon". Z1 unites all SONY features that you would like to see in a mobile phone, and that's why I bought it. What else do you need from a smartphone? It's has fastest CPU on the board, you can play any high-end game, you can take stunningly sharp photos, you have huge battery and beautiful screen. aluminium body gives you extra protection and glass gives your phone luxury, exclusive looks. SONY produces phone that will suite anybody, for example you don't like 5 inch screen? Okay SONY made that phone smaller so everybody was satisfied. You can't say the same thing about other brands, they simply don't think about people.
So all I wanted to say is that we must be proud of SONY products and I was so amazed with my Z1 that I decided to share my overall experience and opinions. Looking forward to your opinions as well guys.
So, for how long have you worked for Sony?
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk
We see it clearly :|
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk
what a troll post, mods please delete
I also like Sony phones. I always had Sony phones and they served me the best. After some time, I got the X10, then XS, now Z1. I can say that I'm holding the best phone right now.
Cheers.
Well I have not worked for SONY, I wish I had, yea you may delete post if you wish and there is no trolling, I just wrote how it actually is
MADNJPN said:
Hello, today I decided to write a post about why SONY products are one of the best on the market, I decided to write this because of Xperia Z1 which I think is the best mobile phone ever created by SONY.
I am SONY fan, I had almost all Sony Ericsson phones, I had all W,C,K series and I must say that as time goes SONY introduces more and more amazing products, do you remember Cyber-Shot series which had awesome camera quality for that time, even better then some android phones provide today. Also I can say the same about WALKMAN series that were just amazing, all phones had awesome sound quality as in earphones as in loudspeaker the sound was crisp and loud, I remember my old W980 which was the only phone with FM Radio transmitter and that was great.
My first Xperia was X10 and I was very happy about it, although it was a bit slow at times but still it was and is a great phone that started the revolution in Xperia series, SONY started putting more powerful CPU's, GPU's and other performance parts, and phones became really very good and beautiful at the same time. SONY started upgrading their phones, just making the previous phones better, after X10 I got Xperia Arc which also was a piece of artwork, it had awesome screen, design, performance and also great camera, of course it had some drawbacks like many owners experienced cracks on the housing and such small defects but all in all it was just an attempt to give us something new, same thing with my next phone Xperia S that was amazingly beautiful, fast and unique. SONY always loved to have something that other brands did not have.
In my opinion other brand like SAMSUNG, APPLE, NOKIA and etc are not bad but SONY has unique understanding of what people want the phone to look like. For example I don't like how SAMSUNG phones look they are just all the same, they become only bigger and wider nothing more, same thing with APPLE they just stretched the phone and painted it. This is what makes SONY the only one for me, after Xperia S that I upgraded to Xperia Z that was something unusual, something that was not similar to other phones, this phone is just SEXY, nothing more and nothing less. It has luxury design, cool features, awesome camera and that new "Water Resistance" which is great feature and I'll say why.
It's not really about water resistance, the thing is that most of the phones suffer from collecting dust which is annoying and harmful to the phone in some way. For example all previous SONY phones I had were having that problem, I had to clean the phone almost everyday so that dust didn't get under the battery cover into the weak spots, the dust was collecting also in the camera hole and it was annoying because camera lens became dirty and you had to clean it first and then make a shot, same for the USB port, speaker and other small holes. So this water resistance adds extra protection against dust and you don't have to clean out dust every time, it just doesn't get into your phone, as for water resistance feature itself it's also very handy, because there are some situations when you need to answer call or just take a picture under the rain.
But SONY didn't stop on that and brought us Z1 that became "etalon". Z1 unites all SONY features that you would like to see in a mobile phone, and that's why I bought it. What else do you need from a smartphone? It's has fastest CPU on the board, you can play any high-end game, you can take stunningly sharp photos, you have huge battery and beautiful screen. aluminium body gives you extra protection and glass gives your phone luxury, exclusive looks. SONY produces phone that will suite anybody, for example you don't like 5 inch screen? Okay SONY made that phone smaller so everybody was satisfied. You can't say the same thing about other brands, they simply don't think about people.
So all I wanted to say is that we must be proud of SONY products and I was so amazed with my Z1 that I decided to share my overall experience and opinions. Looking forward to your opinions as well guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude, you've written beautifully. I use Sony (Ericsson) phones, and K-series. (K700i, K750i, K800i, K850i), after (Satio, Xperia Arc, Xperia Z), and now of course Xperia Z1. SONY IS THE BEST!!!! XPERIA Z1 IS THE BEST!!!!!!
Thank you : )
You missed out a tiny detail, up untill 3 years ago Nokia were ahead of aony, all Nokia high end phones had fm transmitters great speakers and cameras, but I agree, thats why I have z1 now and not a lumia
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk
Yes, I agree but W980 were produced in 2008, you also missed a tiny detail
Back when Iphone did not exit I was happy with my Sony Ericsson P990. A beautiful touchscreen device with pen. Back then It was very stylish.
MADNJPN said:
Hello, today I decided to write a post about why SONY products are one of the best on the market, I decided to write this because of Xperia Z1 which I think is the best mobile phone ever created by SONY.
I am SONY fan, I had almost all Sony Ericsson phones, I had all W,C,K series and I must say that as time goes SONY introduces more and more amazing products, do you remember Cyber-Shot series which had awesome camera quality for that time, even better then some android phones provide today. Also I can say the same about WALKMAN series that were just amazing, all phones had awesome sound quality as in earphones as in loudspeaker the sound was crisp and loud, I remember my old W980 which was the only phone with FM Radio transmitter and that was great.
My first Xperia was X10 and I was very happy about it, although it was a bit slow at times but still it was and is a great phone that started the revolution in Xperia series, SONY started putting more powerful CPU's, GPU's and other performance parts, and phones became really very good and beautiful at the same time. SONY started upgrading their phones, just making the previous phones better, after X10 I got Xperia Arc which also was a piece of artwork, it had awesome screen, design, performance and also great camera, of course it had some drawbacks like many owners experienced cracks on the housing and such small defects but all in all it was just an attempt to give us something new, same thing with my next phone Xperia S that was amazingly beautiful, fast and unique. SONY always loved to have something that other brands did not have.
In my opinion other brand like SAMSUNG, APPLE, NOKIA and etc are not bad but SONY has unique understanding of what people want the phone to look like. For example I don't like how SAMSUNG phones look they are just all the same, they become only bigger and wider nothing more, same thing with APPLE they just stretched the phone and painted it. This is what makes SONY the only one for me, after Xperia S that I upgraded to Xperia Z that was something unusual, something that was not similar to other phones, this phone is just SEXY, nothing more and nothing less. It has luxury design, cool features, awesome camera and that new "Water Resistance" which is great feature and I'll say why.
It's not really about water resistance, the thing is that most of the phones suffer from collecting dust which is annoying and harmful to the phone in some way. For example all previous SONY phones I had were having that problem, I had to clean the phone almost everyday so that dust didn't get under the battery cover into the weak spots, the dust was collecting also in the camera hole and it was annoying because camera lens became dirty and you had to clean it first and then make a shot, same for the USB port, speaker and other small holes. So this water resistance adds extra protection against dust and you don't have to clean out dust every time, it just doesn't get into your phone, as for water resistance feature itself it's also very handy, because there are some situations when you need to answer call or just take a picture under the rain.
But SONY didn't stop on that and brought us Z1 that became "etalon". Z1 unites all SONY features that you would like to see in a mobile phone, and that's why I bought it. What else do you need from a smartphone? It's has fastest CPU on the board, you can play any high-end game, you can take stunningly sharp photos, you have huge battery and beautiful screen. aluminium body gives you extra protection and glass gives your phone luxury, exclusive looks. SONY produces phone that will suite anybody, for example you don't like 5 inch screen? Okay SONY made that phone smaller so everybody was satisfied. You can't say the same thing about other brands, they simply don't think about people.
So all I wanted to say is that we must be proud of SONY products and I was so amazed with my Z1 that I decided to share my overall experience and opinions. Looking forward to your opinions as well guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too have used a few sony phones too. I had a walkman phone and the sony P1i. I find your post biased. Sony makes good products, my p1i looked FUTURISTIC at its time and my walkman phone was built solid like a brick, but Apple too makes great products and on top of that they have customer service better than even Sony. I can tell you this because my phone before was an iPhone 4 and I had to return it after 2 weeks when i noticed the Camera had a huge blob of green hue. I just walked into apple store, explained to them what was wrong and they gave me a new iPhone no questions asked. On the other hand, my first Z1 had the yellow hue and i bought it back to the store and the customer service of both the salesman and manager seemed like they didn't wan't replace my device. It was a good thing their display model didn't have the yellow hue and after some arguing they were willing to replace my yellow hue Z1. Don't get me wrong, I love my Z1. I do believe Sony makes great products but you don't really need to bash on other companies. Apple too makes great products and they really do care about their customers too. A company shouldn't just be selling a product, they should be selling their support and service for the products they sell.
I know the Sony make good stuff but with few last devices which I paid a lot of money I am disappointed. Now i don't know what to think.
eclyptos said:
I know the Sony make good stuff but with few last devices which I paid a lot of money I am disappointed. Now i don't know what to think.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree , i used to use only sony devices before , but after the ARC everything went to hell ,and i mean everything then i switched for HTC even today i can't find anything that good in sony as it was with cyber shoot series.
Comparing to my current htc one i still don't see the point chaning it for Z1 and trust me i was thinking to do it but when you put both phones side by side there's really no need. I'll make short list and probably get called a troll but IDK really , it's just the facts.
1. Camera from XZ / Z1 is quiet dissapointing , to make it even worse HTC One beats it .. here the link. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2542663
2. Software updates are quiet slow and software is kind of messy , each update breaks stuff when it brings new stuff by what i've seen , camera software is the most unoptimisied software i've seen , i've got pissed off that HTC One takes better photos overall with far worse sensor. And isn't sonys software the most stock alike vs others and yet they manage to be the last with the updates.
3. Speakers are utter **** compared to HTC One.
4. Screen is utter **** compared to HTC One.
5. sound recording is crap vs htc one as well.
5. The phone is huge , i mean compared to note 3 it's almost the same but screen difference is huge or even worse compared to g2 which has larger screen but smaller phone wtf.. The bazels are too large as well.
6. Software on HTC One for me deffinetely wins it with sense 5.5 , it's just much more advanced and useful. ( don't get me wrong i love sony's software but it isn't match for sense 5.5 )
7. Freaking battery , when i heard about z1 and saw official specs i was super happy about 3000 mAh battery but when i tested phone with my cousins vs HTC One htc one at the end had 25% left while z1 was dead with the same exac usage !
8. HEAT , this part annoys me the most , without gaming on wifi heavy usage we've reached 47c WHAT THE **** , HTC One was at 37.....
9. Gaming , there's really no much difference z1/htc one in this regard except z1 starts / loads games faster but it can't match gaming time with htc one , z1 ended up with 2:20 while htc one was pushing 3:30 with 15% left ...
10. Software development is just SAD on sony devices vs HTC .. i mean HTC One has more on verizon development then z1 / xz / zl combined , imagine how much international HTC One has ...
These little things are pretty much why i skipped XZ / Z1 and i'm hopping for z2 or whatever next phone gonna be to have everything better then htc so i can get back.
@ the OP , please explain to me why z1 which is 6/7 months newer then HTC One lacks all these listed things ?
Yea you guys are correct, I just wrote my opinion aswell so, I agree about support service it totaly ***S
Shan89 said:
I agree , i used to use only sony devices before , but after the ARC everything went to hell ,and i mean everything then i switched for HTC even today i can't find anything that good in sony as it was with cyber shoot series.
Comparing to my current htc one i still don't see the point chaning it for Z1 and trust me i was thinking to do it but when you put both phones side by side there's really no need. I'll make short list and probably get called a troll but IDK really , it's just the facts.
1. Camera from XZ / Z1 is quiet dissapointing , to make it even worse HTC One beats it .. here the link. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2542663
2. Software updates are quiet slow and software is kind of messy , each update breaks stuff when it brings new stuff by what i've seen , camera software is the most unoptimisied software i've seen , i've got pissed off that HTC One takes better photos overall with far worse sensor. And isn't sonys software the most stock alike vs others and yet they manage to be the last with the updates.
3. Speakers are utter **** compared to HTC One.
4. Screen is utter **** compared to HTC One.
5. sound recording is crap vs htc one as well.
5. The phone is huge , i mean compared to note 3 it's almost the same but screen difference is huge or even worse compared to g2 which has larger screen but smaller phone wtf.. The bazels are too large as well.
6. Software on HTC One for me deffinetely wins it with sense 5.5 , it's just much more advanced and useful. ( don't get me wrong i love sony's software but it isn't match for sense 5.5 )
7. Freaking battery , when i heard about z1 and saw official specs i was super happy about 3000 mAh battery but when i tested phone with my cousins vs HTC One htc one at the end had 25% left while z1 was dead with the same exac usage !
8. HEAT , this part annoys me the most , without gaming on wifi heavy usage we've reached 47c WHAT THE **** , HTC One was at 37.....
9. Gaming , there's really no much difference z1/htc one in this regard except z1 starts / loads games faster but it can't match gaming time with htc one , z1 ended up with 2:20 while htc one was pushing 3:30 with 15% left ...
10. Software development is just SAD on sony devices vs HTC .. i mean HTC One has more on verizon development then z1 / xz / zl combined , imagine how much international HTC One has ...
These little things are pretty much why i skipped XZ / Z1 and i'm hopping for z2 or whatever next phone gonna be to have everything better then htc so i can get back.
@ the OP , please explain to me why z1 which is 6/7 months newer then HTC One lacks all these listed things ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So your saying all the reviewers that are saying Xperia Z1 is the 2nd best camera in a smartphone are all lying? got it...
not only Z1 has a better camera, but also Z1 has a better battery, better screen color reproduction (head on), better phone call quality, better chipset snapdragon 800, better Launcher (IMO)..
After the 4.3 updates, no more heating, I know coz I play Asphalt 8 almost 1-2 hours a day, battery has improved almost 30%
HTC one has of course better speakers, it has the best speakers in a smart phone, but I listen to music and videos using earphones so doesn't really matter to me...
Shan89 said:
I agree , i used to use only sony devices before , but after the ARC everything went to hell ,and i mean everything then i switched for HTC even today i can't find anything that good in sony as it was with cyber shoot series.
Comparing to my current htc one i still don't see the point chaning it for Z1 and trust me i was thinking to do it but when you put both phones side by side there's really no need. I'll make short list and probably get called a troll but IDK really , it's just the facts.
1. Camera from XZ / Z1 is quiet dissapointing , to make it even worse HTC One beats it .. here the link. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2542663
2. Software updates are quiet slow and software is kind of messy , each update breaks stuff when it brings new stuff by what i've seen , camera software is the most unoptimisied software i've seen , i've got pissed off that HTC One takes better photos overall with far worse sensor. And isn't sonys software the most stock alike vs others and yet they manage to be the last with the updates.
3. Speakers are utter **** compared to HTC One.
4. Screen is utter **** compared to HTC One.
5. sound recording is crap vs htc one as well.
5. The phone is huge , i mean compared to note 3 it's almost the same but screen difference is huge or even worse compared to g2 which has larger screen but smaller phone wtf.. The bazels are too large as well.
6. Software on HTC One for me deffinetely wins it with sense 5.5 , it's just much more advanced and useful. ( don't get me wrong i love sony's software but it isn't match for sense 5.5 )
7. Freaking battery , when i heard about z1 and saw official specs i was super happy about 3000 mAh battery but when i tested phone with my cousins vs HTC One htc one at the end had 25% left while z1 was dead with the same exac usage !
8. HEAT , this part annoys me the most , without gaming on wifi heavy usage we've reached 47c WHAT THE **** , HTC One was at 37.....
9. Gaming , there's really no much difference z1/htc one in this regard except z1 starts / loads games faster but it can't match gaming time with htc one , z1 ended up with 2:20 while htc one was pushing 3:30 with 15% left ...
10. Software development is just SAD on sony devices vs HTC .. i mean HTC One has more on verizon development then z1 / xz / zl combined , imagine how much international HTC One has ...
These little things are pretty much why i skipped XZ / Z1 and i'm hopping for z2 or whatever next phone gonna be to have everything better then htc so i can get back.
@ the OP , please explain to me why z1 which is 6/7 months newer then HTC One lacks all these listed things ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the past Sony phones especially my Z1 w/ touch screen issue, I think sony still got it but needs to focus better on their QA, I really loved the Z1 and now I'm disappointed with my issue. I was just thinking of switching brands but nothing beats the UI of Sony, HTC is a good choice but with its sales crumbling down and lack of software support maybe it's a no no for me.. I don't intend to start a flame war but this is just an opinion :good:
overall my only choice will be Sony or HTC
Morlock O said:
So your saying all the reviewers that are saying Xperia Z1 is the 2nd best camera in a smartphone are all lying? got it...
not only Z1 has a better camera, but also Z1 has a better battery, better screen color reproduction (head on), better phone call quality, better chipset snapdragon 800, better Launcher (IMO)..
After the 4.3 updates, no more heating, I know coz I play Asphalt 8 almost 1-2 hours a day, battery has improved almost 30%
HTC one has of course better speakers, it has the best speakers in a smart phone, but I listen to music and videos using earphones so doesn't really matter to me...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't really care what reviews say , i've seen with my own eyes and you can if you take a look at the link i've posted. Phone quality is deffinetely not better especially the sound of it simply due fact HTC Uses stereo , it's pure logic lol , the chipset yeah it is better the launcher i would say personal preference, it's pointless to discuss the launcher.
As for screen you're quiet delusional lol , 1st htc one has much much better whites around 20-30% better whites, blacks are even much much more better , the viewing angles are literally absolute , you can view it flat on while z1 is completlly useless with angles , as for the other colors it could be true but the colors of * es file explorer / viber / google + * and some other apps are washed out lastly daylight visibilty is miles better on HTC One , idk how can you even say z1 screen is better lol , you clearly never seen HTC one's screen.
brapicoco said:
For the past Sony phones especially my Z1 w/ touch screen issue, I think sony still got it but needs to focus better on their QA, I really loved the Z1 and now I'm disappointed with my issue. I was just thinking of switching brands but nothing beats the UI of Sony, HTC is a good choice but with its sales crumbling down and lack of software support maybe it's a no no for me.. I don't intend to start a flame war but this is just an opinion :good:
overall my only choice will be Sony or HTC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The bad sales are actually with low end/ mid range not the flagship , the flagship is doing much better then last year what was with HoX. I'm not sure what do you mean with software support , after the nexus HTC One was the 1st to have 4.3 ( both sense and GPE ) , after the nexus 5 htc one was the 1st to have 4.4 kitkat both sense and GPE , the software is flawless and there's not even one single issue nor stutter as that matter.
Anyway you're not starting an war mate we all have our opinions , clearly some other guys here are quiet biased and not willing to accept the facts infront of their eyes.
Maybe I didn't understand but all SE had radio, last one I remember that didn't had radio was t68i but after that they all had one
As long as I remember W, K, J, C, G series had it (of course I didn't test them all)
c312eal said:
I too have used a few sony phones too. I had a walkman phone and the sony P1i. I find your post biased. Sony makes good products, my p1i looked FUTURISTIC at its time and my walkman phone was built solid like a brick, but Apple too makes great products and on top of that they have customer service better than even Sony. I can tell you this because my phone before was an iPhone 4 and I had to return it after 2 weeks when i noticed the Camera had a huge blob of green hue. I just walked into apple store, explained to them what was wrong and they gave me a new iPhone no questions asked. On the other hand, my first Z1 had the yellow hue and i bought it back to the store and the customer service of both the salesman and manager seemed like they didn't wan't replace my device. It was a good thing their display model didn't have the yellow hue and after some arguing they were willing to replace my yellow hue Z1. Don't get me wrong, I love my Z1. I do believe Sony makes great products but you don't really need to bash on other companies. Apple too makes great products and they really do care about their customers too. A company shouldn't just be selling a product, they should be selling their support and service for the products they sell.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course Apple gives you a free replacement. Because when you bought the iPhone, you already paid for two of them. That's the reason why they are so expensive.
*sarcasm off
Hey, i am wondering if it would worth it to upgrade my XZ to Z2
I dont really mind about specs overall, only battery life improvement does matter.
The other thing which i would be afraid, its size of Z2, its sightly bigger than Z
I remember i have compared my XZ to a Note 2 from friend and size difference was not that huge despite of 5''5 Note 2 screen size.
Yes indeed size difference between Z and Z2 would be ridiculously thigh
But i dont want to follow the race of ''most biggest smartphone each year''
2013, 5 was standard
2014, 5''2
2015 like mostly 5''5 (LG already made it for G3)
I hope further Xperia model would have reasonable size (around 5 would be perfect if they can reduce bezels, they might actually put 5 on 4''5)
cheers,
i did it, and i have to say. battery life is awesome!
The Size difference from Z2 to Z is not that big, you don't realy feel it in the pants.
monsieur_debile said:
Hey, i am wondering if it would worth it to upgrade my XZ to Z2
I dont really mind about specs overall, only battery life improvement does matter.
The other thing which i would be afraid, its size of Z2, its sightly bigger than Z
I remember i have compared my XZ to a Note 2 from friend and size difference was not that huge despite of 5''5 Note 2 screen size.
Yes indeed size difference between Z and Z2 would be ridiculously thigh
But i dont want to follow the race of ''most biggest smartphone each year''
2013, 5 was standard
2014, 5''2
2015 like mostly 5''5 (LG already made it for G3)
I hope further Xperia model would have reasonable size (around 5 would be perfect if they can reduce bezels, they might actually put 5 on 4''5)
cheers,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used to use Note 2 then XZ then Z2.
For the battery life, my daily normal usage on Xperia Z would leave battery at red level (less than 14%) at the end of the day. However, on Z2, I always have more than 50% at the end of the day with the same usage.
For the size, of course Z2 is bigger but its not that significant since Z2 maintains its waistline at 8.2 mm while XZ is 7.9. However when compared to Note 2, I think its, not a lot but also not a bit, quite more handy.
The only thing I see that XZ is better than Z2 (excluding minor bugs that would be solved later) is that when you are babling on Z2, it would not pick any of your words at all. One you are talking to will think your are being silence.
I owned the original Xperia Z and at the time it broke into many new areas of technology. I found the phone to be superb. A family member now has it. The Z was heavily criticised for 'viewing angles'. I NEVER understood that? WHO looks at their phone from a 45degree angle? Never mind.
From memory I think the battery life on the Z may last longer than on the Z2? Don't shoot me, I don't know. I have only owned the Z2 for nearly a week. Size wise the Z2 is larger BUT not significantly. Both are very well made and function well. Both have their little foibles but then so do we owners. The specification of the Z2 leaves the original Z dead in the water in nearly every aspect.
As I so often write here, no one can choose a mobile for you. The right mobile for you is the mobile that fulfils your daily requirements. Massive choice now with several different UI and OS not to mention construction materials and size etc.
I hope what ever your purchase will be the mobile for you. Good luck. :highfive:
Ryland
Hi ! I had Xperia Z like you. I bought Xperia Z2 this week. I had same questions on my mind like you. A bit bigger size of Z2 worried me too. But I can say that it's tolerable. My hand quickly adapted to it. Battery is significantly better when compared to my old Z. I think i can use it without charging for two days I had to charge my old Z once a day. And screen and camera is significantly better. I advise you to give a chance to new Xperia Z2.
Like most have reported in this thread, I also had the Z. I've passed it on to a niece and now have the Z2. Why, because I wanted it. I did rationalize it as a pre-birthday present tho...
Sent from my SGP311 using XDA Free mobile app
guhvanoh said:
Like most have reported in this thread, I also had the Z. I've passed it on to a niece and now have the Z2. Why, because I wanted it. I did rationalize it as a pre-birthday present tho...
Sent from my SGP311 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"A pre-birthday present"!? I like that, I shall borrow that line. :highfive:
Ryland :laugh:
i didn't think about switching from Z to Z2 too cause to me they both seem a bit similar, but my carrier contract was ended and they contact me saying if id like to get a new cellphone, so i got it and it was awesome. the size is a bit bigger and the battery performance is like 200% better
its a great switch, i recommend that you get it
I think the difference in size is noticeable, personally. I really like the size of the Z better.
The screen, battery life, camera, and hardware camera shutter button are big improvements for the Z2
I don't think the Z2 feels any faster for normal use so the spec bumps in hardware don't make as much of a difference. I don't game on it at all.
The power button is not as large or positive-feeling on the Z2. Not a show stopper, but noticeable.
I don't like the KK firmware with the Home button takeover and the two-tabbed notification page. I preferred the older JB interface. It seems like the KK interface in general is much less dense - less information in a larger space for all elements. I don't see the point in that - there is a 5.2 in screen and you leave it mostly as empty space?
If I had a Z I wouldn't pay full price for the Z2 - I would at least wait for the next one. If it's cheap on contract and you sell off the Z, I'd say go for it.
Btw, I prefered the volume buttons on the Z, they're just strange on the Z2!
Haldi4803 said:
Btw, I prefered the volume buttons on the Z, they're just strange on the Z2!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree on this. Out of the Z, Z1 or Z2, I prefer the Z's volume rockers.
Just got my z2 yesterday as I can tell better screen, sound, picture quality and battery life than my beloved z. But I like z's design than z2 cause of the size, ratio and color matches. But its time to let go bye bye z.
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Free mobile app
for me, because i love my Sony PS4:good: ... kindda ' love her, love her dog'
I believe i'm not the only one person LOL
I've followed Sony Ericsson since the k810 days after jumping from Nokia and wouldn't have anything else ? I now have a range of devices had every Sony SmartWatch, ps3, ps4, srs-x11 speaker, bluray player
Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk
First I have seen and use the products of Sony company. The best thing about Sony Xperia smartphone is its sound and It's look, which I like most. It runs on latest version of Android 6.0 (also known as Android M or Marshmallow).
Not that marshmallow is available just yet officially for the Z5
Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk
pankaj554 said:
First I have seen and use the products of Sony company. The best thing about Sony Xperia smartphone is its sound and It's look, which I like most. It runs on latest version of Android 6.0 (also known as Android M or Marshmallow).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmmm....? Marshmallow?
Personally I just fancied a change after having the nexus 5 and the 5X didn't seem like a worth while upgrade to me. With a decent case and tempered glass and it's waterproofing it's pretty solid and unbreakable and has a good specification
Sent from my Xperia z5 using Tapatalk
I needed something to replace my broken Nexus 5 and I chose the Z5 over the S6 because of Exynos' proprietary BS.
Just a good phone
I had an original Xperia Z as I liked the square design, and was impressed with the stamina mode and the self healing metallic bumper around the phone. I also liked with waterproof functionality and have used the phone in pools to take video and photos. I also use it as a GPS on my motorbike which also benefits from the waterproof functionality.
I have recommended the Xperia range to a few friends, and those who have tried it love the power of the compact series, the battery life, and are now Sony converts!!! So it's not only my experience, but also that of others.
The new Z5 was the latest available after my 2 year lock-in, and I'm happy again with the device.
SD card slot.
I've had Apple, LG, OnePlus, Samsung and HTC devices in the past. I wanted to try something new
The phone design, near-stock Android experience and SD card reader helped too.
I'm pretty happy with my Z5 so far... but a little bit less impressed by how long it takes to get Marshmallow...
I just love the design of sony, exceptionally different from other smartphones. Waterproofing is one more thing to add...
seems that lots us Nexus 5 owners jumped to Z5 as the next logical choice
SD800 is still a beast and anything more isn't gonna show any difference in normal daily use. so I looked for the most features to get for my next mobile, Dust/Water proof + Fingerprint sensor seemed like the best combo for my next phone.
anasgets111 said:
seems that lots us Nexus 5 owners jumped to Z5 as the next logical choice
SD800 is still a beast and anything more isn't gonna show any difference in normal daily use. so I looked for the most features to get for my next mobile, Dust/Water proof + Fingerprint sensor seemed like the best combo for my next phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This time because the Samsung edge + did not have micro SD slot, and the Z5P wasn't available
so much things...
-I really love ergonomic Xperia Design
-Water and sand resistance
-Humidity resistance
-SD card slot
and the most important for me:
**I hate when camera is out of the body**
Expandable memory is the main reason. I also thought that because the Z5 launched a while later that it would be better than the S6 but reality was in fact the opposite.
Oh well still happy with it, it does look really nice and gets a lot of heads turning. I just hope that we can get better GPU drivers because its seriously hampering my gaming.
Honestly, I got it because I was sick of huge phones and generic look of Samsung. Had a Note 4, can't believe the difference of half an inch is that good. My wife has the S6 Edge, it's nice and the gimmick can get newcomers. We can name and list all those specs, but I seriously love the basic simple ui Sony offered. Don't like the Sony extra, but hey it's their branded phone and I'll get rid of that stuff on my own. Other than that I'm more than happy. Don't think I'll be looking at Samsung any time soon.
Been with Sony since W810. Started Xperia's with X1. Have tried other brands but keep coming back to Sony.
Same with the other comments the design is so good and it's has waterproof unlike the other phone it doesn't have waterproof.
Waterproof, supposedly great camera which could improve, not-too-bad battery life, and very importantly firmware upgrade. (sony is doing great compared with many other brands who dropped support only a year after releasing the phone. My previous sony xperia zr is still receiving system update!!!)
Sent from my E6653 using XDA Free mobile app
I have used only Samsung till now (S2; S4; Note 2; S6edge and Note 4). Nevertheless removing SDcard and very weak battery in S6 make me to change smartphone. Now I use black Sony Xperia Z5 and I'm very happy with it. It's so cool and elegant
In Z5 I like:
- waterproof
- great design and quality (Samsung has to learn from Sony). Z5 looks so elegant.
- great camera
- UI - light but with many functions
- very good and bright screen with lots of options to config
- I have PS and Sony TV too
I have had my Z5 for about 3 days now and I love it
I will probably never go back to Samsung or something else if only Sony still will make such great phones.
First I bought a xperia s to be on sale and just fell in love. after that, just bought Sony by making sure the competition does not do better than Sony. I had the xperia Z1 and am currently with the Z5.
My previous phone was the incredible Z Ultra. When it gave up the ghost two weeks ago, I wanted to stay with Sony and I wanted a screen the size of the Z Ultra. The XA Ultra with its 6.0” screen seemed like the best choice and at $329 was priced right. After using it for a little while, I have mixed feelings at best.
First thing first, the phone in my hand – horrible. The Z Ultra was significantly bigger than my new XA Ultra, but its thinness and balance made it a pleasure to hold in the hand. The XA Ultra is somehow too thick and heavy and unbalanced. If you never owned the extraordinary Z Ultra, maybe you won’t complain, but to me the phone just doesn’t feel right. And here’s another problem - it’s slippery as hell, the front, but especially the back.
The screen is my biggest disappointment. I didn’t think that 0.4”, or lack thereof, would make a big difference, but it does. The Z Ultra felt more like a tablet, the XA Ultra feels more like a phone. I really wish Sony had a model with the 6.4” screen size of the Z Ultra. But the even bigger problem is that the screen extends all the way to the sides of the phone. It looks very cool, but the phone is a nightmare to use. A little bit of a bezel is necessary so that your fingers don’t active who knows what on the screen while you’re holding the phone. Consequently, the XA Ultra has to be held very carefully – a total PITA. Function sacrificed on the altar of esthetics. Another minor consideration (at least minor to me) is that anything metallic could be used as a stylus on the Z Ultra (I often used my car keys). The XA Ultra can’t do that. It’s no big deal most of the time, but occasionally I want to use the Sketch app to draw a diagram… and my finger is not nearly as good for that purpose as a pointy stylus.
Construction and quality – no contest, the XA Ultra can’t hold a candle to the Z Ultra. Construction looks cheap and feels cheap. It’s also not waterproof (an important consideration for me). And finally the power button is too sensitive, i.e. too easy to push inadvertently as you handle the phone. BTW, my first XA Ultra had a defective USB port and had to be replaced. It seems that faulty reception is another problem forcing people to have their phones replaced. Quality control seems to be a problem.
On the plus side, the speaker is significantly louder that the one in Z Ultra, albeit still mono. And the camera is light years ahead of the 8 megapixel, no-flash atrocity that was in the Z Ultra.
Software – I liked the almost-stock Android of the Z Ultra. The XA Ultra is the exact same thing. That’s good. Also, the Z Ultra had Lollipop and the XA Ultra has Marshmallow with Nougat on its way. That’s actually the only reason I decided not to buy another Z Ultra (apparently still available new for sale) - one has to keep up with modernity.
The battery on the XA Ultra is not impressive. But then again the battery on the Z Ultra was not impressive either, so it’s a draw. With both phones I found it necessary to have an external battery pack at hand. The Z Ultra had the very nice and practical CP12 battery case from Sony. I’d use it whenever I knew I had a long day ahead of me. The XA Ultra doesn’t have a Sony battery case, nor is there a third-party one on the market… yet. For now I make do with a generic USB battery pack. The XA Ultra does have the optional UCH12 quick charger which promises “5.5 hours of battery life in just 10 minutes” but it’s apparently not available in the US yet.
So overall, I find the XA Ultra rather disappointing. Part of it is that I was spoiled by the Z Ultra, and part of it is that the XA Ultra is a midrange phone while the Z Ultra was Sony’s flagship at the time. The Z Ultra was unique in size, performance, and capability, a phone like no other. The XA Ultra is just another meh phone.
But midrange as the XA Ultra is, a few simple improvements would have made the phone much better without increasing the price - a grippy back, a harder to press power button, and a few millimeters of bezel on the sides of the screen. I'm not asking too much from Sony, I know for a fact that they know how to build an absolutely perfect phone. A fingerprint sensor like in the Z5 would have been nice too, but it's a midrange phone....
Thanks for this review and I think it actually says it all. I would like to add a few things for those considering the XA Ultra as a 'replacement' for the Z Ultra:
1. The MediaTek CPU means no Open Devices Program and essentially no development in comparison with the Z Ultra. This is a major thing even if Sony officially abandoned the ZU with LP. It is better to flash a ROM anyway and it is telling that early Nougat builds are already up and running on the ZU.
2. The difference between 6.44" and 6" is very noticeable indeed and anyone who prefer the big screen is making themselves a disservice if they consider such a device as the XA Ultra.
3. The XA Ultra offer similar CPU performance as the Z Ultra so 'upgrading' using the 'better performance' as a reason isn't a good idea. It is possible that the Sony MM ROM is 'smoother' than LP on the ZU but the latter flies on other ROMs.
4. There are no reason to stay with Sony as a ZU owner at this time due to their inability of replacing the device with a proper successor. It is better to look for alternatives based on features such as display size etc rather than attempting to find a specific brand with the 'right' device (i.e. choosing brand first and then a device).
5. There are four devices in the market now that can offer a proper 'upgrade path' from the ZU: Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra, Huawei/Honor Note 8, Lenovo Phab2 Pro and the Xiaomi Mi Max. I went for the latter and it has impressed me so far - it is simply the 'Ultra successor' Sony failed to release.
6. The XA Ultra could be a decent choice for anyone using a smaller Sony device (not one of their flagships, though) but more if the current one is the M4 Aqua or E series etc.
The most important rule here is:
Never lock yourself into a certain brand - look at the device properties first and get what tick the boxes.
I have been very happy with my ZU myself but the reality is - unfortunately - that Sony haven't managed to launch a successor and getting a Mi Max was simply the best option to me rather than trying to wait for some kind of 'XZ Ultra' - which doesn't look probably (especially not when they even seems to kill off their tablets unless something happens).
When you get it, this phone does look like a phone, because the pixel density is all wrong. Everything is huge, so you can't fit everything on the screen. Setting it to 340 made sizes etc. much more like the Z Ultra. It's still too damn small, but much closer like this. See the thread in the Q&A section for instructions.
I find the build quality good, not at all slippy, and even my fat fingers don't activate the screen from the sides. It's designed that way. It's far snappier than my Z Ultra (even when it was running aosp lol).
I'm still not sure it's a worthwhile upgrade, but those old Z Ultras won't last forever. None of the available larger replacements have usable LTE for me, so are non-starters. I know, not everyone requires LTE, some will even carry around two devices :laugh:, but it's a requirement for me.
E90 Commie said:
The XA Ultra offer similar CPU performance as the Z Ultra so 'upgrading' using the 'better performance' as a reason isn't a good idea.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a good point. I didn't benchmark the two phone and I didn't play games, but in everyday use the XA Ultra does not feel faster or snappier.
E90 Commie said:
Never lock yourself into a certain brand - look at the device properties first and get what tick the boxes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, totally agree. The Z Ultra left me with such a high opinion of Sony... and I needed a replacement phone urgently and the XA Ultra was available at my local Best Buy... Lesson learned.
E90 Commie said:
There are four devices in the market now that can offer a proper 'upgrade path' from the ZU: Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra, Huawei/Honor Note 8, Lenovo Phab2 Pro and the Xiaomi Mi Max. I went for the latter and it has impressed me so far - it is simply the 'Ultra successor' Sony failed to release.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's the situation with the software for these devices? I've heard horror stories about the Chinese versions of Android. Did you have to flash a new ROM for your device?
rickgillyon said:
When you get it, this phone does look like a phone, because the pixel density is all wrong. Everything is huge, so you can't fit everything on the screen. Setting it to 340 made sizes etc. much more like the Z Ultra. It's still too damn small, but much closer like this. See the thread in the Q&A section for instructions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that's something I want to try. It might remedy the situation somewhat.
Azra4 said:
Yes, that's something I want to try. It might remedy the situation somewhat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No root required, takes a few minutes.
So I played with
adb shell wm density nnn
The original value is 480. I tried everything in-between 300 and 480. In most cases it resulted in the home screen looking weird. At 320 I got a home screen with 6 icons across which was very cool. But the font size was way too small. Changing the font size setting to "extra large" fixed the problem (the font was still smaller than originally, but legible). However some apps like Firefox don't recognize the "extra large" font setting and are therefore unusable.
Maybe I didn't mess with this thing long enough, but my conclusion is that this is not really a viable solution., although I understand that reasonable people might disagree on this one. However one thing is for sure - a 6.0" display is not nearly the same as a 6.4" display and there's no way the XA Ultra can hold a candle to the Z Ultra.
340 gives best effect IME. Use a proper launcher so you can set the grid however you want...
Azra4 said:
That's a good point. I didn't benchmark the two phone and I didn't play games, but in everyday use the XA Ultra does not feel faster or snappier.
Yes, totally agree. The Z Ultra left me with such a high opinion of Sony... and I needed a replacement phone urgently and the XA Ultra was available at my local Best Buy... Lesson learned.
What's the situation with the software for these devices? I've heard horror stories about the Chinese versions of Android. Did you have to flash a new ROM for your device?
Yes, that's something I want to try. It might remedy the situation somewhat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The z Ultra really set a high bar for big phablets and it isn't easy to replace it. What can be said is that no 8xx replacement exists, which can be a bummer. The Xiaomi Mi Max is excellent and I am typing this on it but we can certainly look forward to new models with even more powerful hardware when the statistics for 2016 are in for those which made 6 44" at this time.
The Max is like the Ultra in daily operation with RR 5.7.3 and it really runs well with a nice speed boost. Those devices haven't caught on in the West yet and that is why some LTE bands are missing. I rather have HSPA+ on my Max than LTE on the XA Ultra since I use my device as my computer to go and my priorities are powerful hardware and software while the connectivity can be managed in different ways.
Xiaomi ticked the right boxes and the battery is excellent. 77 percent remaining after heavy use with around 3-4 hours SOT. It just goes and goes and....
It also works beautifully on my 240 DPI Ultra configuration with all Sony apps installed.
rickgillyon said:
Use a proper launcher so you can set the grid however you want...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I agree that a better launcher is needed to turn this thing from a phone to a phablet. I installed Nova only to get more icons, otherwise I don't really need the advanced features. I seem to remember that the Z Ultra had the option of setting the number of icons you want on the home screen. I wonder why Sony took that feature out on the XA?
Setting the DPI lower than ~400 gives me issues with pulling down the notification bar for some reason. It often takes a second swipe to bring it down. 400 dpi and above no issue. Strange.
dannejanne said:
Setting the DPI lower than ~400 gives me issues with pulling down the notification bar for some reason. It often takes a second swipe to bring it down. 400 dpi and above no issue. Strange.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No delay here at 340.
Azra4 said:
Yes, I agree that a better launcher is needed to turn this thing from a phone to a phablet. I installed Nova only to get more icons, otherwise I don't really need the advanced features. I seem to remember that the Z Ultra had the option of setting the number of icons you want on the home screen. I wonder why Sony took that feature out on the XA?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think Sony had the ability to go 4, 5 or 6, still not enough IMO. I had mine at 10 wide on Z Ultra, 9 wide on XA Ultra.
So I thought maybe people would like an opinion from someone not coming from a Z Ultra. Honestly everywhere I look people are only giving bad reviews because they came from a Z Ultra but if you look around the z ultra still costs more. Sorry I understand that it seems like a downgrade and you feel ripped off but honestly, isn't it a downgrade? It's a mid-range phone. I'll give my impressions of someone who is just coming off of another mid-range phone. Before the xa ultra I had an Asus Zenfone 2, which I think is pretty comparable because at the time it cost about the same as this one does now. There is absolutely no comparison between the Sony and Asus, the Asus was a total piece of garbage IMO (In some ways I'm glad I accidentally dropped it). Now to be fair I haven't seen how the XA Ultra will age, but so far everything from the build quality to the screen, to the UI, to the camera is worlds apart. If this is what Sony is making for their mid-range phones then I will try another one. Now maybe I am so far the other way in that I had such a bad experience with another phone but I really like the polish of the XA Ultra and think it deserves a bit more credit than it is getting. The only down I can see has something to it is battery life as I don't see why they couldn't have included a 3000mAh battery or more, but still sony does a pretty good job making it last.
After over a week now with this phone as a Z Ultra replacement, it's a big improvement. I'm still missing the extra size a bit, but the screen on the XA Ultra is so much better, it more than makes up for it: brighter, clearer, sharper, better contrast, better colours, darker blacks; it's more responsive; it has a better 4G signal; obviously it has a much better camera. I wouldn't go back...
prtl said:
So I thought maybe people would like an opinion from someone not coming from a Z Ultra. Honestly everywhere I look people are only giving bad reviews because they came from a Z Ultra but if you look around the z ultra still costs more. Sorry I understand that it seems like a downgrade and you feel ripped off but honestly, isn't it a downgrade? It's a mid-range phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I'm hash on the XA Ultra, it's because that phone is all Sony gave us with a 6" screen. I understand it's a mid-range phone, but I would have been ready to pay an extra $100 or $200 or $300 to get a real replacement for my Z Ultra. It was Sony's silly decision to make their phone with the biggest screen and therefore intended for power users a mid-range phone. I mean, seriously, who buys a 6" phone if not somebody who's gonna make heavy use of it?
I'm glad you and rickgillyon are happy with your phones, but I'm extremely disappointed with Sony. I've learned to live with my XA Ultra, but I am keeping an eye out for a phone that will be a real Z Ultra Mk2 and as soon as I find one, it'll be goodbye Sony.
Azra4 said:
I'm glad you and rickgillyon are happy with your phones, but I'm extremely disappointed with Sony. I've learned to live with my XA Ultra, but I am keeping an eye out for a phone that will be a real Z Ultra Mk2 and as soon as I find one, it'll be goodbye Sony.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I should clarify, I'm happy with the phone and it replaces a 3-year-old Z Ultra relatively well, and gives huge improvements in some area. But I'd prefer a flagship 6.4-incher with a top-end Qualcomm processor. There doesn't look like any alternatives at the moment with LTE for the UK, but I'll be looking out for the Phab 2 if it ever arrives.
The Phab 2 Pro is interesting, but it's not waterproof and it's way thicker and heavier than the Z Ultra. The only reason the Z Ultra was usable despite its size was because it was so thin and light. Well, not the Phab 2 Pro. I'm also not sure if I want to be an early adopter of that Tango technology. And we'll also have to see what Lenovo does with their version of Android...
Azra4 said:
The Phab 2 Pro is interesting, but it's not waterproof and it's way thicker and heavier than the Z Ultra. I'm also not sure if I want to be an early adopter of that Tango technology. And we'll also have to see what Lenovo does with their version of Android...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, too thick and too heavy, agreed; it'll be a judgement call as to whether it's worth it, and you'll have to use it a while to know. Expensive trial. Tango is immaterial unless you're using Tango apps, and the Android is almost vanilla.
Waterproof, don't care. Nice to have, but I haven't got the Z Ultra wet in 3 years so I won't lose any sleep over it...
Hey, I'm a cyclist... waterproofing is very nice to have even tho I live in SoCal where it never rains.
Azra4 said:
Hey, I'm a cyclist... waterproofing is very nice to have even tho I live in SoCal where it never rains.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too, here it always rains. But the phone goes in the bag when it rains, otherwise the screen goes ape**** with false touches anyway.
I had the z ultra...now i have the xa ultra and i can say the xa ultra is better in all specs...only in gpu and water resist...not