Database Users

Sony screwed up the Xperia Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f31ojOyC7FA
Check out the video.
Lower benchmark score than the Galaxy S3 and battery drops from 97% to 93% in 5 minutes of use.
Not impressed Sony.

ssj_jaypee said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f31ojOyC7FA
Check out the video.
Lower benchmark score than the Galaxy S3 and battery drops from 97% to 93% in 5 minutes of use.
Not impressed Sony.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't that a test unit though? Plus benchmarks don't really mean that much, it's the actual user experience which is important I think

fareeed said:
Isn't that a test unit though?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What would the difference be?
The phone is coming out next month. Production has started already.
I don't blame the hardware though. The S4 Pro is powerful.
Most likely Sony screwed up the software.....
Also battery needed to be bigger.
Why in the love of god didn't Sony follow Samsung and use a bigger battery like the Note 2? :crying:

ssj_jaypee said:
What would the difference be?
The phone is coming out next month. Production has started already.
I don't blame the hardware though. The S4 Pro is powerful.
Most likely Sony screwed up the software.....
Also battery needed to be bigger.
Why in the love of god didn't Sony follow Samsung and use a bigger battery like the Note 2? :crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see what you mean, the actual production devices could ship with different software I don't know? I agree about the battery though we'll just have to wait for a full review I guess

Engadget got the ZL at 13,589

It's an S4 Pro with quad-core krait. Just like the Droid DNA and Nexus 4. Stop worrying about benchmarks, especially when it hasn't even been released. It will perform like every other S4 Pro phone, give or take a small margin.
The battery complaint is even more ridiculous. So many phones get updates on launch day fixing battery issues and they keep tweaking it with each update for months after release.
The biggest disappointment is the display. It looks exactly like a bigger version of the Xperia S/Ion/T with all the problems. Washed out look with poor viewing angles and contrast. Sony likes to turn up the brightness to mask the poor contrast. It's 2013. HTC doesn't even make displays and their SuperLCD IPS display is far and ahead the best. IPS displays on LG are also good as well as the one on the Lumia 920. Sony displays continue to disappoint.

katamari201 said:
It's an S4 Pro with quad-core krait. Just like the Droid DNA and Nexus 4. Stop worrying about benchmarks, especially when it hasn't even been released. It will perform like every other S4 Pro phone, give or take a small margin.
The battery complaint is even more ridiculous. So many phones get updates on launch day fixing battery issues and they keep tweaking it with each update for months after release.
The biggest disappointment is the display. It looks exactly like a bigger version of the Xperia S/Ion/T with all the problems. Washed out look with poor viewing angles and contrast. Sony likes to turn up the brightness to mask the poor contrast. It's 2013. HTC doesn't even make displays and their SuperLCD IPS display is far and ahead the best. IPS displays on LG are also good as well as the one on the Lumia 920. Sony displays continue to disappoint.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Ion has a pretty good display, dunno what you're talking about, many people agree with me. Probably one of the best out there.
I got the S which seems to have a pretty nice one as well, maybe almost the same as the Ion. The only washed out display that Sony produced this year on a high-end device is the one on the T. Over-saturated colors don't necessarily mean better displays.

The ION has the best display. Take a look at the thread in the Xperia T forums that compares the ION, T, and S in terms of display.

Nepythys said:
The Ion has a pretty good display, dunno what you're talking about, many people agree with me. Probably one of the best out there.
I got the S which seems to have a pretty nice one as well, maybe almost the same as the Ion. The only washed out display that Sony produced this year on a high-end device is the one on the T. Over-saturated colors don't necessarily mean better displays.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never said anything about oversaturation being better. You are making assumptions that I prefer the blown out colors of AMOLED or the extra warmth of the SuperLCD. I mentioned the LG display looks better than the Sony one, and it is even LESS saturated than the Sony display. The point is Sony does not have a single IPS display on their phones. It is 100% agreed upon that IPS is the pinnacle of LCD technology and has been for years. Professional monitors from NEC, Dell, and HP use IPS panels. The colors and contrast do not shift when viewing off axis, and that is important for an even image, even when looking dead on. LG and HTC have been putting IPS displays on their phones for years now. Sony has no excuse. If you live in a bubble of Sony phones and never look at any other smartphone, I'm sure the display looks great. But there are plenty of reviews stating the obvious. The poor viewing angles are becoming increasingly unacceptable in a premium smartphone. The flaws are even more apparent on a small mobile display that you move around and use at different angles. It's not some nice monitor you prop in front of your desk and sit perfectly in front of.

Still way prettier and with far better UI than TouchWiz.

scores slower because of the Full HD screen

Final results are close to 20.000 in AnTuTu...
Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk

its a prototype so definitely the software isnt optimized yet, wait for the final release and then start whining.

EL_BELLACO said:
scores slower because of the Full HD screen
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Click to collapse
That's probably the issue. This thing rendering everything in fullHD, the S3 does 720p only, so of course it will be "faster" in benchmarks.

guilhermedsx said:
That's probably the issue. This thing rendering everything in fullHD, the S3 does 720p only, so of course it will be "faster" in benchmarks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've seen droid DNA got 19k in antutu with that resolution..
Send from my stupid lt26i

Yeah, well the Z can score higher than that -- and with XDA here, it's bound to go higher than 22.000
I don't know what Sony's game is, but why the onscreen buttons? That only takes away from the display! For some reason, only the GNex looks good with those, maybe because it doesn't have any extra buttons?
Anyways, I still think the best buttons were on the HTC Desire. You couldn't miss those.

About what I expected and not low at all for a stock device. You have to keep in mind most of the top scores on Antutu are with custom kernels and roms. As for battery I am not worried about it as it has not really been a issue with the newer Sony stuff.

someone755 said:
Yeah, well the Z can score higher than that -- and with XDA here, it's bound to go higher than 22.000
I don't know what Sony's game is, but why the onscreen buttons? That only takes away from the display! For some reason, only the GNex looks good with those, maybe because it doesn't have any extra buttons?
Anyways, I still think the best buttons were on the HTC Desire. You couldn't miss those.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it's better. When not needed, they will hide themselves and show the full screen.
Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk

Felimenta97 said:
I think it's better. When not needed, they will hide themselves and show the full screen.
Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. And I'll be hiding the on screen buttons completely, and using gestures instead, meaning that I get the complete 5" !!
Very glad Sony did this, was waiting for someone to stop making redundant buttons.
Now if only they actually gave it a removable battery, then I'd be sold 100% (mostly talking about the ZL, I can understand the Z)

ssj_jaypee said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f31ojOyC7FA
Check out the video.
Lower benchmark score than the Galaxy S3 and battery drops from 97% to 93% in 5 minutes of use.
Not impressed Sony.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ummm I should point out the S3 gets around the 9000 range in Antutu and the Nexus 4 which runs the same processor as the Z gets around 16,000 which about in line with that benchmark so... wtf are you talking about. Also *GASP* a phone lose battery while doing intensive benchmarks I am soooo shocked. Obvious troll post.

*PROOF* Japanse display is THE SAME as world unit

So there is this persistent myth that the docomo units have a better screen.
History of the myth
When one of the xda user finally realized that the demo units in the store where not the same as the hand built units from CES but actually retail units. He was suddenly sure that the DoCoMo units had a better screen. This with the same conviction as he had for the demo unit myth and as with the demo unit myth this made no logical sense and there was no hard evidence to support the claim. A new myth was born.
So now we have some Russian movie showing both phones site to site, there are several problems with this movie to constitute as proof (apart from the fact that most of us don't know what the hell they are saying).
1. everybody and his mother knows by now that the z has, lets say, less then stellar viewing angles, the docomo unit is always at a better angle than the standard unit, even when the phones trade places the camera changes position with them.
2. there are many photos and videos where different brightness are shown, it look like the docomo unit has the brightness turned down more than the world unit.
3. DoCoMo uses a black theme for menu buttons
original article:
http://mobiltelefon.ru/post_1362318685.html
they say the differences is very minor and not really noticeable and perhaps it could be fixed with the calibration tool. thus pointing to a calibration differences in DoCoMo firmware instead of different panel. the differences are simply to small.
So since no one actually did some tests on both units it is all a guess.
But what is actually claimed by people posting the Russian video?
That the docomo unit is using IPS and the world unit is not. There are 2 problems with that.
1. the world version is know to use e-ips
2. e-ips is known not to have the best viewing angles.
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/content/panel_technologies_content.htm#e-ips
So if the docomo version is better in that respect it must use a better IPS panel right? and docomo user have to be happy about the viewing angles right?
Well the thing is that they also point out the fact that it doesn't have the best viewing angels. just search for user reviews and or forum discussing the phone.
some examples:
http://review.kakaku.com/review/J0000005887/#tab
http://desktop2ch.info/smartphone/1361027676/?matome=1
So there you go according to actual users the DoCoMo version sucks ass well in terms of viewing angles.
So lay down your pitch forks and get some rest.
Closing tip:
if you think the Xperia z is an overpriced last years tech device with washed out colors the best thing is to not buy it.

stefanve said:
So there is this persistent myth that the docomo units have a better screen.
History of the myth
When one of the xda user finally realized that the demo units in the store where not the same as the hand built units from CES but actually retail units. He was suddenly sure that the DoCoMo units had a better screen. This with the same conviction as he had for the demo unit myth and as with the demo unit myth this made no logical sense and there was no hard evidence to support the claim. A new myth was born.
So now we have some Russian movie showing both phones site to site, there are several problems with this movie to constitute as proof (apart from the fact that most of us don't know what the hell they are saying).
1. everybody and his mother knows by now that the z has, lets say, less then stellar viewing angles, the docomo unit is always at a better angle than the standard unit, even when the phones trade places the camera changes position with them.
2. there are many photos and videos where different brightness are shown, it look like the docomo unit has the brightness turned down more than the world unit.
3. DoCoMo uses a black theme for menu buttons
So since no one actually did some tests on both units it is all a guess.
But what is actually claimed by people posting the Russian video?
That the docomo unit is using IPS and the world unit is not. There are 2 problems with that.
1. the world version is know to use e-ips
2. e-ips is known not to have the best viewing angles.
So if the docomo version is better in that respect it must use a better IPS panel right? and docomo user have to be happy about the viewing angles right?
Well the thing is that they also point out the fact that it doesn't have the best viewing angels. just search for user reviews and or forum discussing the phone.
some examples:
http://review.kakaku.com/review/J0000005887/#tab
http://desktop2ch.info/smartphone/1361027676/?matome=1
So there you go according to actual users the DoCoMo version sucks ass well in terms of viewing angles.
So lay down your pitch forks and get some rest.
Closing tip:
if you think the Xperia z is an overpriced last years tech device with washed out colors the best thing is to not buy it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I blind fool can tell the docomo display is superior by 1000 miles. Anyone who puts a regular display up to an ips will already feel stupid for even looking at th lesser one. The global xperia z has an even WORSE display than a regular lcd. Dont even try to compare it to an ips. The black levels and viewing angles are absolute ****, in person and especially in the russian video. It looks so fuzzy and with such poor contrast, it looks like someone piped a vga signal to it.

katamari201 said:
I blind fool can tell the docomo display is superior by 1000 miles.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
seem like an accurate description of you

2. e-ips is known not to have the best viewing angles.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this isn't true.

Al Gore said:
this isn't true.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
since you wouldn't backup your statement with facts I will back up mine:
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/content/panel_technologies_content.htm#e-ips
"The main drawback of e-IPS in comparison with S-IPS is that the viewing angles are smaller."

stefanve said:
So since no one actually did some tests on both units it is all a guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldn't agree more with you. The Whole discussion about the Display will never end. Though Sony even won't say they used different Displays.
The whole thing more likely came up because for some the Display is awkward, for others it's worst.
Personally i don't care much about the viewing Angels becuae i look STRAIGHT on the Screen and not sidewards. If the viewing Angels aren't the very best then at least the Guy next to me in the Bus can't see what I'm typing.
However I'm absolutely happy with the Display and couldn't find a Issue which would make me hate the Device.
I have the European Version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLqgtJ7LwYY

we know full well that there are 2 different screens in the XZ.
why are you trying to fool people into thinking there aren't?

samxool said:
we know full well that there are 2 different screens in the XZ.
why are you trying to fool people into thinking there aren't?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't try to fool people I just give my reasons why I doubt the video as evidence. Unless you have real proof of two different screens you just try to fool people there are different screens.
I'm not saying I know for sure that the screens aren't the same, but there is enough reason not to take that single video as proof. Now I have given my reasoning on why the video could be bogus and have given evidence that the owners of the Japanese model are complaining about the viewing angles as well, making a strong case that the same panel is used as the complains about the screen are the same.
The true believers of the video only point to that video, or to a blog post pointing to the video without refuting anything I said with evidence or solid reasoning. And thus only use circular logic as away to proof that there are different panels being used.

original article:
http://mobiltelefon.ru/post_1362318685.html
they say the differences is very minor and not really noticeable and perhaps it could be fixed with the calibration tool. thus pointing to a calibration differences in DoCoMo firmware instead of different panel. the differences are simply to small.

stefanve said:
original article:
http://mobiltelefon.ru/post_1362318685.html
they say the differences is very minor and not really noticeable and perhaps it could be fixed with the calibration tool. thus pointing to a calibration differences in DoCoMo firmware instead of different panel. the differences are simply to small.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hoping a kernel dev can make a kernel with an adjustable gamma like nexus devices.
Sent from my C6602 using xda premium

^
Yes Please !!!

Sv: *PROOF* Japanse display is THE SAME as world unit
To me, the fact that DoCoMo has an additional, optional theme with black bars instead of gray, seems to be the only difference if there is any..
Sent from my SGPT12 using xda app-developers app

I love my screen it's one of the best feature of the phone not had any problems full stop.
Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk 2

katamari201 said:
I blind fool can tell the docomo display is superior by 1000 miles. .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you seen it in person ? Or are you saying that on basis of photos and youtube videos ?

guys, so can we say that this issue of docomo and international version is just the same screen quality, and unit?? and the whitewashed version is only the promotional version just like a dummy phone?? because its not i am a fan i just want only the truth. i hope we can clear this up.

styxter said:
guys, so can we say that this issue of docomo and international version is just the same screen quality, and unit?? and the whitewashed version is only the promotional version just like a dummy phone?? because its not i am a fan i just want only the truth. i hope we can clear this up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here is Sony denying the use of different screen types in response to an inquire from LordManhattan.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=38826141&postcount=366
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=38833952&postcount=368
Also he has asked the/a xda display expert to look in to things
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=38837751&postcount=370

What spec do you like the most in the S4 and will you buy it?

Hi everybody,
Since the SGS4 is out now I would like to know if you're planing on buying it and what Spec/Features do you like the most. Or is there a spec/feature that will make you buy this phone over another one. I know there's a lot to say but try to find the ONE thing that you find is the most important for you.
I will start by saying I'm really looking forward to have this 13MP camera.
OFFICIAL SPECIFICATIONS
•Network
•2.5G (GSM/ GPRS/ EDGE): 850 /
900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
•3G (HSPA＋ 42Mbps): 850 / 900 /
1900 / 2100 MHz
•4G (LTE Cat 3 100/50Mbps) : up to 6 different band sets(Dependent on market)
Display
•5 inch Full HD Super AMOLED
(1920 x 1080) display, 441 ppi
•1.9 GHz Quad-Core Processor /
1.6 GHz Octa-Core Processor
The selection of AP will be differed by markets.
OS
•Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
Camera
•Main(Rear): 13 Mega pixel
•Auto Focus camera with Flash & Zero Shutter Lag,
•(Front): 2 Mega pixel camera,
Full HD recording @30fps with
Zero Shutter Lag, BIS
Video
•Codec: MPEG4, H.264, H.263,
DivX, DivX3.11, VC-1, VP8,
WMV7/8, Sorenson Spark, HEVC
•Recording & Playback: Full HD (1080p)
Audio
•Codec: MP3, AMR-NB/WB, AAC/ AAC＋/eAAC＋, WMA OGG, FLAC, AC-3, apt-X
Camera Features
•Dual Camera: Dual Shot / Dual Recording/ Dual Video Call
Drama Shot, Sound & Shot, 360
Photo, Cinema Photo, Eraser,
Night, Best Photo, Best Face
Beauty Face, HDR (High Dynamic
Range), Panorama, Sports
Additional Features
Group Play: Share Music, Share
Picture, Share Document, Play
Games, Story Album, S Translator, Optical Reader,
Samsung Smart Scroll, Samsung Smart Pause, Air Gesture, Air View, Samsung Hub, ChatON (Voice/Video Call, Share screen, 3-way calling)
Samsung WatchON, S Travel (Trip Advisor), S Voice™ Drive, S Health, Samsung Adapt Display, Samsung Adapt Sound,
Auto adjust touch sensitivity
(Glove friendly) Safety Assistance, Samsung Link,
Screen Mirroring, Samsung KNOX (B2B only),
Google Mobile Services
Google Search, Google Maps,
Gmail, Google Latitude
Google Play Store, Google Plus,
YouTube, Google Talk,
Google Places, Google Navigation, Google Downloads, Voice Search
Connectivity
•WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (HT80)
•GPS / GLONASS
•NFC
•Bluetooth® 4.0 (LE)
•IR LED (Remote Control)
•MHL 2.0
Sensor
•Accelerometer, RGB light,
Geomagnetic, Proximity, Gyro,
Barometer,Temperature & Humidity, Gesture
Memory
•16/ 32/ 64 GB User memory ＋microSD slot (up to 64GB)
•2GB RAM
•Dimension 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm, 130g
Battery
•2,600 mAh​

samsung Galaxy s4
Well i like very much Samsung galaxy s4 than iphone 5. I like SmartPause and smart scolling fetures in this phone. i am very exciting for use this phone. really i want it as soon as possible.

Floating Touch. It was the main reason I wanted the Note 2 over the S3, only now I don't even need the s-pen. Everything else is a plus, but for my needs even the S3 specs with floating touch would be acceptable. BTW, I'm talking about the international S3 (I have the U.S. S3 and I'm sorely missing the Exynos features like Screen Modes and Multi Window ).

I like the....nothing there that is like-able....
I'll most probably buy the hTC One!
Dead cookies leave no trails...

Ha ha I should've know and be more specific on the OP. No need to post here if you don't like anything(I personally think it's impossible but..). The thread is "What do you like the most?"

The 5 inch 1080P super AMOLED display is what i really am looking forward to.

Sv: What spec do you like the most in the S4 and will you buy it?
Nothing in terms of hardware specs has impressed me since every spec in the s4 has been out for a while now,
Actually I would choose any screen over amoled since it has very inaccurate colors, like my tan friends turns extremely orange in their pics, my blue clothes turns crystal blue, dark red turns red and worst of all dark areas details can't be seen as good as other screens as everything turns darker as it shouldn't be, white pixels looks gray
The camera is also something that isn't special, Sony have been used the same camera specs for long now, and sorry for hating but music playback has been worst with previous galaxy's compared to HTC and Sony,
And last the wipe hand over screen thing is the worst I have seen in screen development since it takes much more energy to do and gets slower to scroll between pictures and is also looking retarded to do in public than just simply swipe with your fingers, only thing that was good was the eye tracking thing, but that is software and would be easy for me to port while having a front face camera and root
Also Samsung provides system updates that is full of bugs so that they send you hundreds of versions of for example ics or jb, they are not testing everything properly before releasing their updates, I have no clue if this was a problem for s3 users but my s2 user friends complained a lot about it but I hope they has improved since that
It isn't worth upgrading to s4 from s3 since all software things will easily be portable and software was the only new stuff in the s4, as a big company as Samsung I'm very unimpressed of what they provided us
I would go for the xperia z because of waterproofing, design and it's until now positive chock resistance showed in all drop tests, music playback and it's top specs as Samsung and HTC have,
Second choice would be HTC ONE since HTC has the best screens ever applied on android phones, but the 4ultra pixel thing is actually something that I ain't interested of
Once again sorry for hating but these are my opinions and I respect others opinions
Sent from my LT28i using xda premium

roobeyn said:
Nothing in terms of hardware specs has impressed me since every spec in the s4 has been out for a while now,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Point me to one other smartphone with a 1080p AMOLED display OR ARM's big.LITTLE architecture OR a removable 2600mAh battery OR USB 3.0. I'll wait.
roobeyn said:
Actually I would choose any screen over amoled since it has very inaccurate colors, like my tan friends turns extremely orange in their pics,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think we've all heard that before. Settings->Display->Screen Mode/Display Mode->Movie/Cinema = goodbye inaccurate colors. The LTE versions of the S2 and the U.S. S3 don't have that option since they use Adreno GPU's and no option was written for it. Plus the Galaxy S2 Skyrocket has strange screen colors compared to the other models.
roobeyn said:
The camera is also something that isn't special, Sony have been used the same camera specs for long now,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So? The camera software is just as important in determining image quality as the hardware, and Sony's image processing has been observed as subpar compared to what Samsung has done on their devices.
roobeyn said:
and sorry for hating but music playback has been worst with previous galaxy's compared to HTC and Sony,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only the the S2, and that was the exception rather than the rule due to a poorly implemented Yamaha chip. The original Galaxy S and the S3 had far cleaner audio output then HTC and Sony's competition at the time. The international One X in particular had some pretty bad audio distortion. The HTC One using the Snapdragon chip is finally up to par with Samsung's low distortion and clean output.
roobeyn said:
And last the wipe hand over screen thing is the worst I have seen in screen development since it takes much more energy to do and gets slower to scroll between pictures and is also looking retarded to do in public than just simply swipe with your fingers,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is swiping your hand above the screen taking more energy than swiping your hand on the screen? I'm not even sure if you're talking about Air Gestures or Floating Touch, which have completely different purposes.
roobeyn said:
only thing that was good was the eye tracking thing, but that is software and would be easy for me to port while having a front face camera and root
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You better get started then.
roobeyn said:
Also Samsung provides system updates that is full of bugs so that they send you hundreds of versions of for example ics or jb, they are not testing everything properly before releasing their updates, I have no clue if this was a problem for s3 users but my s2 user friends complained a lot about it but I hope they has improved since that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While HTC and Sony don't provide any updates so you have bugs AND outdated software. I can't speak for the S2, but the S3 and Note 2 seem to be doing pretty well in the software department.

Only reason for me was the Exynos 5410, as the Snapdragon SoCs are disappointing to say the least. Samsung have still not confirmed which regions are getting the Octa, but based on the pre-orders most countries are going to be getting the s600 variant.

Battery size, RAM, SD Card slot, Screen size, CPU, camera resolution, improved build quality, and weight. I'm getting this phone because the Nexus 4 was a huge disappointment and I lost faith in hoping the next one will be a worthy replacement for my Galaxy Nexus.

Sv: What spec do you like the most in the S4 and will you buy it?
GGXtreme said:
Point me to one other smartphone with a 1080p AMOLED display OR ARM's big.LITTLE architecture OR a removable 2600mAh battery OR USB 3.0. I'll wait.
I think we've all heard that before. Settings->Display->Screen Mode/Display Mode->Movie/Cinema = goodbye inaccurate colors. The LTE versions of the S2 and the U.S. S3 don't have that option since they use Adreno GPU's and no option was written for it. Plus the Galaxy S2 Skyrocket has strange screen colors compared to the other models.
So? The camera software is just as important in determining image quality as the hardware, and Sony's image processing has been observed as subpar compared to what Samsung has done on their devices.
Only the the S2, and that was the exception rather than the rule due to a poorly implemented Yamaha chip. The original Galaxy S and the S3 had far cleaner audio output then HTC and Sony's competition at the time. The international One X in particular had some pretty bad audio distortion. The HTC One using the Snapdragon chip is finally up to par with Samsung's low distortion and clean output.
How is swiping your hand above the screen taking more energy than swiping your hand on the screen? I'm not even sure if you're talking about Air Gestures or Floating Touch, which have completely different purposes.
You better get started then.
While HTC and Sony don't provide any updates so you have bugs AND outdated software. I can't speak for the S2, but the S3 and Note 2 seem to be doing pretty well in the software department.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As said I would never choose amoled, even changing the screen calibration the screen will be inaccurate in terms of colors, full HD isn't something to talk about, Samsung isn't the only providing it(almost all manufactured 2013 devices) but I see full HD as something negative, it's almost impossible to see the pixels in HD screens and more pixels would be something unnecessary taking A LOT of battery.
USB 3.0: I'm not even connecting my phone to the pc anymore since I can use it as my pc instead,
loading the battery, HDMI output and DLNA has been the only thing necessary for me in terms of connecting
About camera software, that would be even easier to port but I only need to download Photoshop touch and I would have all these features, and if you haven't seen yet since 2012 Sony released a lot of camera features to the xperia v which is also included in the upcoming and released devices, even thou it was released long before s4 they approve much more features than what the Samsung software provides.
If you are wondering the s3 software has already been ported since long ago and it wouldnt be harder to port the s4 software since it is still running on android.
About the swiping one again, would you look normal to interact with your phone as with humans? Wouldn't it take more energy to swipe your whole hand infront of your screen than with a finger? The finger is also much faster than swiping the whole hand...
About the image quality, old xperia arc was processing much better and sharper pics than all of the s2 models, and if you want to compare xperia z's cam pictures with Samsung's s4 it would be fair since both are 2013 devices, and s3 compared to even my old xperia ion is nothing and don't complain of pixels
About updates it was Sony Ericsson that had update issues, since Sony started they updated even the Ericsson devices, and if you are complaining about the Xperia Play then they wrote why it wouldn't get updated since ics is taking far more performance and the xperia play was a gaming phone
About floating touch, I have had the xperia sola with that feature, I barely used it ands it sucked a lot of battery when used, the galaxy seems to use it all the time in the other hand which will take even more battery along with having the front camera in use all the time tracking you, so that 2600mah won't help you having your phone without charging more than one day
In terms of design, will they ever do something different to other galaxy's? Will they ever change that plastic body which gives the user a cheap feel holding the device? And designed after nature, wtf is that, a plastic stone?
Something still not clear?
Please don't feel offended as I like to argue
Sent from my LT28i using xda premium

Sv: What spec do you like the most in the S4 and will you buy it?
1080p Display, 13MP camera, Floating Touch, 5" screen & 4.2.2 (really wanted KLP).
I can't wait to get my mitts on it! & neither can my sis-in-law.

Oh I'm so glad I specified to write what people LIKE otherwise people would've start writing what they don't like and the thread would be a mess.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Sv: What spec do you like the most in the S4 and will you buy it?
Kremata said:
Oh I'm so glad I specified to write what people LIKE otherwise people would've start writing what they don't like and the thread would be a mess.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I have atleast learnt that you should see stuff from different perspectives to be able to make the most accurate decisions, anyways sorry if I was disturbing
Sent from my LT28i using xda premium

Well, I really like the design of the S4. It's a smaller Note 2. I think it's the perfect size for me after 4 months of using the Note 2.
I like the new Exynos 5 Octa and I like the screen (want to test Gorilla Glass 3 so badly ).
I will definitely buy it but I need to sell my Note 2 (I wouldn't sell it right now because I don't want to use one month my old Nokia).

ionutzm05 said:
Well, I really like the design of the S4. It's a smaller Note 2. I think it's the perfect size for me after 4 months of using the Note 2.
I like the new Exynos 5 Octa and I like the screen (want to test Gorilla Glass 3 so badly ).
I will definitely buy it but I need to sell my Note 2 (I wouldn't sell it right now because I don't want to use one month my old Nokia).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same problem. I really want it but I want the Exynos 5 Octa version that will only come out on Q2(2nd Quarter) So I have to wait. In the mean timeI will just drool watching the people who will buy it first.:silly:

Feature I like the most (compared to S3 / Note2) : IR LED, seriously
Will I buy it : no, I'll keep my Note2. It is just an incremental upgrade over the S3 anyways so it doesn't worth the money IMHO.

roobeyn said:
Well I have atleast learnt that you should see stuff from different perspectives to be able to make the most accurate decisions, anyways sorry if I was disturbing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're absolutely right, the only thing is, there's a lot of discussion thread out there about people criticizing the SGS4.
Here is my theory on complainers (100% not scientific)
Except for some (really few) real expert, most(not all) S4 haters don't have any valid points. All I see is a bunch of kids with unrealistic expectations and another bunch of frustrated HTC fanboy raiding on Samsung's forum like jealous bullies. (I'm not pointing fingers at anyone, if the hat fits you....)
People think they look more intelligent when they criticize about something(it’s called Illusory superiority). It makes you think they know something that you don't. But the real intelligent people are the one who can see beyond the surface. The SGS4 is an EVOLUTION of KING SGS3.
SGS4 might not be perfect but the fact that some people can't find one single good thing about it, proves that they are totally dishonest and probably iphone or HTC agents.

roobeyn said:
As said I would never choose amoled, even changing the screen calibration the screen will be inaccurate in terms of colors
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What? It doesn't matter the technology behind it AMOLED, LCD, etc., two displays calibrated to the same target will have exactly the same colors (except that AMOLED will have a much higher contrast ratio, which is actually a good thing). The S4 comes with aRGB (Adobe RGB) and sRGB (Movie) settings out of the box so you don't even have to do the hard work. There are wide-gamut LCD displays that also won't have accurate colors out of the box because they're not working in the standard sRGB color space. That's what sRGB emulation and color managed applications are for.
roobeyn said:
I see full HD as something negative
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, that's not a very good argument. Would you consider the S4 superior if it launched with another 720p display?
roobeyn said:
USB 3.0: I'm not even connecting my phone to the pc anymore since I can use it as my pc instead,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you admit that the S4 is doing things that no other phone does?
roobeyn said:
About camera software, that would be even easier to port but I only need to download Photoshop touch and I would have all these features, and if you haven't seen yet since 2012 Sony released a lot of camera features to the xperia v which is also included in the upcoming and released devices, even thou it was released long before s4 they approve much more features than what the Samsung software provides.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not talking about colorful filters, I'm talking about the quality of the images written by the phone. Things like color balance, noise reduction, etc. are things Samsung has beaten their competitors at in the past, so there's no reason to believe the S4 won't be at least as good or better than the 13MP Xperia shots. And you can't use Photoshop Touch for things like dual camera recording, the ability to create GIF's with a static background using just the camera app, etc.
roobeyn said:
If you are wondering the s3 software has already been ported since long ago and it wouldnt be harder to port the s4 software since it is still running on android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I expect you to get this done in no time once the S4 is out.
roobeyn said:
About the swiping one again, would you look normal to interact with your phone as with humans? Wouldn't it take more energy to swipe your whole hand infront of your screen than with a finger? The finger is also much faster than swiping the whole hand...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're using the phone with one hand (which is the only case I can think if in which you'd be moving your finger without moving the rest of your hand...unless you just like to use your phone strangely), then obviously you wouldn't be using the air gestures. I don't see how dragging your finger along the glass has any advantage to moving your hand or finger over the device. The whole hand thing is only for the air gestures, which are more for convenience, whereas floating touch is actually useful like using a mouse with your device.
roobeyn said:
About the image quality, old xperia arc was processing much better and sharper pics than all of the s2 models, and if you want to compare xperia z's cam pictures with Samsung's s4 it would be fair since both are 2013 devices, and s3 compared to even my old xperia ion is nothing and don't complain of pixels
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? Reviews called the Ion's camera "average" ( http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_ion_att-review-784p6.php ), and all the top smartphone camera shootouts have the S3/Note 2 either right behind or tied with the iPhone 5, while other devices were noticeably worse.
roobeyn said:
About updates it was Sony Ericsson that had update issues, since Sony started they updated even the Ericsson devices, and if you are complaining about the Xperia Play then they wrote why it wouldn't get updated since ics is taking far more performance and the xperia play was a gaming phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excuses. Samsung is still the most consistent Android manufacturer in terms of updates by far. All of their flagships get updates and new features while the confusing distribution across carriers of other OEM devices are left hoping.
roobeyn said:
About floating touch, I have had the xperia sola with that feature, I barely used it ands it sucked a lot of battery when used, the galaxy seems to use it all the time in the other hand which will take even more battery along with having the front camera in use all the time tracking you, so that 2600mah won't help you having your phone without charging more than one day
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you've used the S4? Sorry Samsung can't do anything about Sony's poor implementation of a feature. I've left Smart Stay on on my S3 when I was running stock and I didn't have any problems with battery life.
roobeyn said:
In terms of design, will they ever do something different to other galaxy's? Will they ever change that plastic body which gives the user a cheap feel holding the device? And designed after nature, wtf is that, a plastic stone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why would they change their design direction? People vote with their wallets, and their devices are outselling competing Android phones by the truckload.

PLEASE someone tell me the S4 has FM radio?

Should you buy a Xperia Z or not?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GSMArena review is out

Of all the sites, I find GSMArenas review process to be one of the most thorough & reputable
Here's their take on the Z1
http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_z1-review-987.php
It's all pretty good, right until you come to the frankly bewildering browser & video playing battery life.
Hopefully it's something that can be addressed in firmware as the talktime & standby time are pretty good.

techguyone said:
Of all the sites, I find GSMArenas review process to be one of the most thorough & reputable
Here's their take on the Z1
http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_z1-review-987.php
It's all pretty good, right until you come to the frankly bewildering browser & video playing battery life.
Hopefully it's something that can be addressed in firmware as the talktime & standby time are pretty good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Note, they call out the lack of HDR for images. HDR isn't an option in Superior Auto, or when you go manual and bump to full resolution; however, if you drop the resolution in manual to 8MP, HDR is indeed there. With how fast the images take, I'm surprised they didn't leave HDR as an option for the 20MP resolution, but hey, they probably have their reasons.

There are 2 HDR modes as well. Just shows how unthorough the review was.
I dont understand why companies think it is ok to release buggy phones. The Z1 really needs an update, espcially on the camera. Battery life is excellent

Generaly I like the test of GSM Arena but not this one, because they fail on the 2 major point of the phone, the screen and the camera.
For the camera they said that they're not impressed. Yes but they couldn't make a good with the default of the lens of the pre-unit they had. So they can't juge this point.
The second one is the screen. It's maybe not the best, the HTC One or the LG G2 are maybe better. But the S4 screen isn't better than the one of the Z1. I have both and I made some test. When the contrast is better on the S4, the color are false. When the color are right (in video mode), the contrast and the brightness is better on the Z1 screen.

It's hard to compare side by side. It's like buying a TV at best buy or Fry's. You're in the showroom and you can nitpick from one TV to another. Get any one by itself and you probably wouldn't have any problems with any of them (beyond defects and/or missing features and whatnot). Most users wouldn't know the difference.

I dont trust gsmarena, they are too biased towards Samsung, ill wait until technobuffalo or someone else review the z1

It looks like Sony rushed the product.
Battery life : lets hope firmware update improves it.
Camera : lets hope blah blah same as above
Screen : not guaranteed. Lets hope blah blah
If this is the case then why not lets see if the z2 is better and then buy that.
They haven't put s-master audio chip/amplifier to boost volume level.
I was looking for a 5 inch phone which bests my One. But m sure Z1 is not that phone.
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

A firmware update is not going to fix the battery life. Otherwise the Z wouldn't be as anemic as it is. Weak video and browser times.

Yeah the battery life had me scared the most since my phone is on its way in the mail.
How can they make a phone with the same SoC as the G2, same batterysize, and a smaller screen, and it gets half the browsing and videotime as the G2. Sounds like software to me.
Also when you pull up the camera comparison on gsm arena, the Z1 pictures doesn't even stand a chance against the S4 or G2.

Apoxx said:
Yeah the battery life had me scared the most since my phone is on its way in the mail.
How can they make a phone with the same SoC as the G2, same batterysize, and a smaller screen, and it gets half the browsing and videotime as the G2. Sounds like software to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd say it's the screen.

g2 uses a new battery technology .. z1 didnt

Darn, Now I'm really thinking twice about buying this phone...
The Battery Life is very important to me... 6 hours of web browsing and 6 hours of video playback is quite pathetic for a 3000 mah battery...
I was at least expecting 9 hours each...

Tizza said:
I'd say it's the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
weird since IPS screens are less battery efficient than TN panels.

This really sucks by sony...
How can a bigger phone with bigger screen Z Ultra have more video playback than a smaller phone Z1?
both uses same software, battery and same screen....
I cannot understand this...

Morlock O said:
This really sucks by sony...
How care a bigger phone with bigger screen Z Ultra have more video playback than a smaller phone Z1?
both uses same software, battery and same screen....
I cannot understand this...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GSM stated that their xperia z1 is a pre-production one so it probably doesn't have the latest software . Therefore their statements on the phone are probably not accurate

Choriandus said:
GSM stated that their xperia z1 is a pre-production one so it probably doesn't have the latest software . Therefore their statements on the phone are probably not accurate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dream on...
Gesendet von meinem HTC One mit Tapatalk 4

Reviews based on pre-production units only make confusion because you'll never be sure if they changed something in the final unit or not. There might be a small update in the firmware for example that changes how the phone performs. I'm surprised Sony Mobile gives out pre-release devices for reviews.
And based on this GSM Arena review the battery life is very poor, half of what other competitors achieve (LG G2).

sachinaik said:
It looks like Sony rushed the product.
Battery life : lets hope firmware update improves it.
Camera : lets hope blah blah same as above
Screen : not guaranteed. Lets hope blah blah
If this is the case then why not lets see if the z2 is better and then buy that.
They haven't put s-master audio chip/amplifier to boost volume level.
I was looking for a 5 inch phone which bests my One. But m sure Z1 is not that phone.
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In terms of sales, definitely.
Oh, camera, speed too.
Sent from my LT28h using xda app-developers app

Apoxx said:
weird since IPS screens are less battery efficient than TN panels.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perhaps it is weird. I can't say I'm a tech guru but it just feels like it's a power-hungry screen. Did Sony spend so much time beefing up screen quality that it neglected (or felt it warranted the sacrifice of) battery life? I don't know, but I get the impression that this is the case.
I doubt software optimisation is going to change much, but I do accept the possibility that I could be wrong.

Choriandus said:
GSM stated that their xperia z1 is a pre-production one so it probably doesn't have the latest software . Therefore their statements on the phone are probably not accurate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, although I add the caveat that if there's any firmware change or a new unit, GSM Arena are likely to redo those parts of the review and update (like they did on the HTC 1 when that too had non final software)