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Xperia Z1 vs Nexus 5 (UPDATED WITH VIDEO)

I have just got my Nexus 5 few hours ago, and I thought I would give a quick comparison between the Nexus 5 and the Xperia Z1 while waiting for more in depth comparisons from tech sites. I will keep it short and informative.
Look, Feel and size
The Nexus is alot lighter and smaller but the Z1 is more premium. This doesn't mean that the Nexus looks cheap. the Nexus is very good and the Z1 is excellent in the feel but the Nexus is better when looking at the size or weight.
Performance
Benchmarks
I know it means nothing bla bla bla, but people still wants to see them
antutu benchmark X nexus ~26000, Z1 ~35000
quadrant nexus ~8700, Z1 ~21000
sunspider nexus 745ms, Z1 694ms
I am not sure why the nexus 5 scored less (consideribly less for antutu and quadrant) but I think it has to do with ROM stability as the nexus 5 was turned on for the first time few hours ago.
Real life
just done few tests on opening various websites and apps. the Nexus was milliseconds faster on opening almost all websites except one or two where both phones were as fast. However, opening apps were of the same speed for both phones. (keep in mind that the Z1 has alot going in the background while the nexus was clean)
Screen
I tried viewing various photos and videos but couldn't really say which is better. Some photos were better on the Nexus while other were better on the Z1.
the viewing angle were significantly better in the Nexus, but not perfect though.
The brightness of both devices are almost equal.
.
Camera
This is quite hard, I do need some more time to say which is better. But initially, the Nexus has better low light image (the images are softer which has advantage of less noise and disadvantage of less details) but the colors are more accurate in the nexus as well. in good light conditions, the Z1 is better in every way.
Speaker
tried playing various sounds in youtube and the Z1 is Alot louder and of better quality than the Nexus.
Battery
I didn't have time to test the battery life of the nexus of course. However, during testing the previous things, the Z1 dropped ~%25 while the Nexus dropped ~%40. Again, I know that the battery tends to get better after couple of charges but the Z1 had lots of apps installed and lots working in the background while the Nexus was clean. Additionally, the Nexus was in airplane mode while the Z1 had the radio working. all in all, I would say the Z1 battery would be better as expected by the battery size and hopefully it will get better after getting 4.4
I should mention that the Nexus 5 was warmer than the Z1 after finishing these tests.
Advantages of the Z1
Better Battery life
Better camera images in good light conditions
Louder speaker
SD card
more premium feel
doesn't get warm as fast
Advantages of the Nexus5
Android 4.4
Better camera images in low light conditions
better viewing angel
smaller and lighter
Both were as good in
Screen quality
Performance
Here is video showing detailed comparision between the Nexus 5 and the Z1 by shem2409 who came up with similar conclusion.
I don't see the nexus 5 significantly better in anyway compared to my Z1 or SGS4. And the 4.4 update doesn't seem to add much (the Z1 doesn't lack anything compared to the nexus 5) 4.3 and 4.4 mostly added performance improvements which won't really benefit us (Z1 users). The Z1 is already powerful enough and I didn't see it lag or stutter not even once. and I couldn't see any differences between the Z1 and Nexus 5 overall performance. 4.4 will benefit low end and mid range phones more than high end ones. We might benefit from battery improvement more than performance improvement.

One more thing...
You did interesting thing but...
4.4 Android is optimised whole lot better than 4.2.2 and you'll get better results when Sony release 4.4 for Z1.
So, if you now think they are similar devices - you can be sure that Z1 powered by KitKat will be faster and smoother than Nexus.
That's all theoretically for now but I'm 100% sure Z1 will become even better device on 4.4...
Sent from my Z1

ahomad said:
I have just got my Nexus 5 few hours ago, and I thought I would give a quick comparison between the Nexus 5 and the Xperia Z1 while waiting for more in depth comparisons from tech sites. I will keep it short and informative.
Look, Feel and size
The Nexus is alot lighter and smaller but the Z1 is more premium. This doesn't mean that the Nexus looks cheap. the Nexus is very good and the Z1 is excellent in the feel but the Nexus is better when looking at the size or weight.
Performance
Benchmarks
I know it means nothing bla bla bla, but people still wants to see them
antutu benchmark X nexus ~26000, Z1 ~35000
quadrant nexus ~8700, Z1 ~21000
sunspider nexus 745ms, Z1 694ms
I am not sure why the nexus 5 scored less (consideribly less for antutu and quadrant) but I think it has to do with ROM stability as the nexus 5 was turned on for the first time few hours ago.
Real life
just done few tests on opening various websites and apps. the Nexus was milliseconds faster on opening almost all websites except one or two where both phones were as fast. However, opening apps were of the same speed for both phones. (keep in mind that the Z1 has alot going in the background while the nexus was clean)
Screen
I tried viewing various photos and videos but couldn't really say which is better. Some photos were better on the Nexus while other were better on the Z1.
the viewing angle were significantly better in the Nexus, but not perfect though.
The brightness is so much better on the Nexus 5. 100% in the Z1 = 40% in the Nexus 5. I am not sure if this because of the recent update which brought the brightness down for the Z1. Anyway, this is not big issue for me, I have my Z1 at 25% all of the time. But again this would probably mean better viewing in sunlight for the Nexus.
Camera
This is quite hard, I do need some more time to say which is better. But initially, the Nexus has better low light image (the images are softer which has advantage of less noise and disadvantage of less details) but the colors are more accurate in the nexus as well. in good light conditions, the Z1 is better in every way.
Speaker
tried playing various sounds in youtube and the Z1 is Alot louder and of better quality than the Nexus.
Battery
I didn't have time to test the battery life of the nexus of course. However, during testing the previous things, the Z1 dropped ~%25 while the Nexus dropped ~%40. Again, I know that the battery tends to get better after couple of charges but the Z1 had lots of apps installed and lots working in the background while the Nexus was clean. Additionally, the Nexus was in airplane mode while the Z1 had the radio working. all in all, I would say the Z1 battery would be better as expected by the battery size and hopefully it will get better after getting 4.4
if anyone wants me to test anything else, please let me know as I will probably be sending this phone tomorrow as I don't see it significantly better in anyway compared to my Z1 or SGS4. And the 4.4 update doesn't seem to add much (the Z1 doesn't lack anything compared to the nexus 5) 4.3 and 4.4 mostly added performance improvements which won't really benefit us (Z1 users). The Z1 is already powerful enough and I didn't see it lag or stutter not even once. and I couldn't see any differences between the Z1 and Nexus 5 overall performance. 4.4 will benefit low end and mid range phones more than high end ones. We might benefit from battery improvement more than performance improvement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the review/... It seemed to confirm quite a few things about it... BTW, are you in the UK? I'm willing to buy it off you

funky0308 said:
One more thing...
You did interesting thing but...
4.4 Android is optimised whole lot better than 4.2.2 and you'll get better results when Sony release 4.4 for Z1.
So, if you now think they are similar devices - you can be sure that Z1 powered by KitKat will be faster and smoother than Nexus.
That's all theoretically for now but I'm 100% sure Z1 will become even better device on 4.4...
Sent from my Z1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree with you Z1 runs 4.2 while Nexus runs 4.4 and both are using the same chipset. So there is advatage for the nexus but the Z1 performs on the same level.
I do agree that the Z1 will get faster with 4.4 but I am not sure about smoother because it is already smooth to the highest level, I am not sure if it can get any smoother. in the past we used to look for performance boost from the hardware and the software sides to get smoother phone. But now we won't notice any improvement to the smoothness. what we will get from better software or hardware is just faster loading time of apps, websites, movies ... etc. But still your point is valid +1

Sean473 said:
Thanks for the review/... It seemed to confirm quite a few things about it... BTW, are you in the UK? I'm willing to buy it off you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you are more than welcome. I am in the UK, and ordered two nexus 5 and willing to sell both unopened

ahomad said:
you are more than welcome. I am in the UK, and ordered two nexus 5 and willing to sell both unopened
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What colour and size? I just need 1 and looking for 32GB one...

ahomad said:
The brightness is so much better on the Nexus 5. 100% in the Z1 = 40% in the Nexus 5. I am not sure if this because of the recent update which brought the brightness down for the Z1. Anyway, this is not big issue for me, I have my Z1 at 25% all of the time. But again this would probably mean better viewing in sunlight for the Nexus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you untick adapt lighting condition in the settings on the Z1? makes a big difference...

Thanks for review, Xperia z1 is a really good device
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app

pham077 said:
Did you untick adapt lighting condition in the settings on the Z1? makes a big difference...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tip. I always use auto brightness (forgot to turn it off). Now the brightness is almost equal and will the update the original topic

Sean473 said:
What colour and size? I just need 1 and looking for 32GB one...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have 16 and 32gb black ones

ahomad said:
Thanks for the tip. I always use auto brightness (forgot to turn it off). Now the brightness is almost equal and will the update the original topic
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! Got me worried a little if the difference was that huge lol

Thanks for testing!
Great to see that the Z1 is still the fastest Snapdragon 800 phone around (and yes: I am one of those benchmark lovers ).
The performance difference in Antutu really is impressive though, and that's although the Z1 has a slightly lower maximum clock than the Nexus (2,15 vs 2,3 GHz). It is probably for the same reason as with the LG G2: Thermal management.
Sony allows for the Z1 to run quite hot and the phone is bigger and does better at dissipating the heat, therefore the CPU is not clocked down during benchmarks.
You could try placing both phones in your refrigerator and repeat the Antutu test just for the fun if it, scores should be up by some 100 points

That was the case with the Nexus 4 too, due to thermal management it scored lower than the Z despite having the same hardware.
Thanks for the nice review btw.
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk

I have putted 64Gb SDcard in my Z1 - now everything is fine , also damn huge Akku! I think Z1 is best choise for snapdragon 800 atm imho

Z1 is with your last update? I ask because the camera has received some improvements.

As for me I didn't even considered getting nexus 5. No sdcard slot is a huge deal-braker for me...
Imagine that you want to watch full hd video on your mobile. Thats 11GB, where am I going to put my music in the end?
Its even worse than no led in XZU.
Another thing is that if it wouldnt come out for my ISP in Poland till 27'th then I just wouldn't be able to get it.
Wysyłane z mojego R800i za pomocą Tapatalk 2

I purchased the Nexus 5 as well. If it somehow trumps the Z1 then I'll just give this phone to my mom, if not: she'll get the N5 as intended
When it came down to it, it was either the Galaxy Note 3, Z1, or the N5. The GN3 suffered from touchwiz and the N5 is still up for debate since I have yet to really use it (used it for a bit when a Google rep came into my best buy store) but I think the Z1 is definitely the way to go. I just can't imagine myself ever using something that doesn't feel as solid as the Z1 in the future. I'm excited to see what Sony does with Kit Kat (hopefully we get it!) But till then, it's a bit pointless to compare the two phones IMO. One is running superior hardware but inferior software (not that 4.2.2 sucks or anything) while the other is running superior software with average hardware (save for the processor).
Both phones are amazing at the end of the day in their own right. But I'm willing to bet that we'll all see the same things said about them when these two phones are compared: people will rave about kit kat and how cheap the N5 is and will complain about viewing angles and price for the Z1.
Sent from my C6906 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

I'm really torn between the N5 and the Z1 at the moment... pretty much narrowed it down to those two, since I don't want any Touchwiz/LG crapware on my phone (2 years with an SGS2 is enough). Number one priority is battery life for me, and I thought the Z1 would be great since it had the large 3000 mAh battery, but from what I read that's not really the case. On the other hand my girlfriend's N4 actually has a very decent battery life, despite her using facebook and stuff extensively, so maybe the N5 is actually in a way equal to the Z1. And then of course I don't know when/if Sony releases updates, and do they bring all the 4.4 software goodness?

ahomad said:
Camera
This is quite hard, I do need some more time to say which is better. But initially, the Nexus has better low light image (the images are softer which has advantage of less noise and disadvantage of less details) but the colors are more accurate in the nexus as well. in good light conditions, the Z1 is better in every way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Z1 is F2.0 and N5 is F2.4. That's a half stop difference. So Z1 has a 50% bigger aperture size than the N5.
Thus Z1 will get away with shots with 50% faster shutter speed so action shots as well as better low light pics will go to the Z.
You can zoom to about 1.8x with Z1
N5 only has a 2 axis OIS which isn't all that great. Digital stabilisation can beat a 2 axis OIS.
Check this photo comparison between 5s & N5. (scroll down a bit till you see the starbucks coffee) Now check the lobby shot. At first glance the N5 looks better, but zoom into the garden behind and you can see the 5s doing a better job there.
Al this is not to say you cannot get good shots with the N5 or any other camera for that matter.. You can and its a definite improvement over the N4.

OfficerTux said:
Thanks for testing!
Great to see that the Z1 is still the fastest Snapdragon 800 phone around (and yes: I am one of those benchmark lovers ).
The performance difference in Antutu really is impressive though, and that's although the Z1 has a slightly lower maximum clock than the Nexus (2,15 vs 2,3 GHz). It is probably for the same reason as with the LG G2: Thermal management.
Sony allows for the Z1 to run quite hot and the phone is bigger and does better at dissipating the heat, therefore the CPU is not clocked down during benchmarks.
You could try placing both phones in your refrigerator and repeat the Antutu test just for the fun if it, scores should be up by some 100 points
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Jiyeon90 said:
That was the case with the Nexus 4 too, due to thermal management it scored lower than the Z despite having the same hardware.
Thanks for the nice review btw.
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I repeated antutu test on the Nexus 5 today morning while it is cold (left it next to the window where it is so cold here in the UK) and it managed to get higher score ~29500, but still no where near the Z1. I should mention that the nexus 5 got warmer than the Z1 during yesterday and todays tests (although the nexus was colder when I started doing antutu test today as I was using the Z1 to check e-mails and other things before reading you comment and decided to repeat antutu test on both devices).

Z1 vs. Note 3 vs. 1520... Who takes better pictures... let's see

Hi friends, this will be a test between 3 monster devices
Sony vs Samsung vs Nokia
Note 3
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/31137430/20140308_150206.jpg
Z1
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/31137430/DSC_0075.JPG
1520
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/31137430/WP_20140308_15_02_10_Pro.jpg
and here are the same pictures SIDE BY SIDE
from the left to the right in this order: Note 3... Sony... Nokia
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dp65ngpo3zw5fzy/prova01.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7y98xzot2pccxxb/prova02.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/h17ywo2r7s7qong/prova03.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9rk9yga8jhiiulf/prova04.jpg

It's very close, but i'd say Nokia is best, and Sony is second.

nikola1970 said:
It's very close, but i'd say Nokia is best, and Sony is second.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i thing that Samsung and Sony plays together .... and Nokia wins easily ...
other fight
Note 3
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/31137430/20140307_120022.jpg
Z1
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/31137430/DSC_0074.JPG
1520
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/31137430/WP_20140307_11_57_09_Pro.jpg

The Z1 is a blurry mess on that last photo of the mountain. Looks much better in the rest though. I'd say the Nokia is best, but not by much.

The Nokia destroyed them.
Second is the note 3 and unfortunately third is the Z1

mm79k said:
The Nokia destroyed them.
Second is the note 3 and unfortunately third is the Z1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes... it's right... this is my opinion too
Inviato dal mio C6903 utilizzando Tapatalk

i think the Nokia comes first.
Then it's Note 3 and Z1 same. Z1 has more detail but more noise. Note 3 has less detail but less noise.

The Nokia wins then the Z1 and last but not least the Note 3
Sent from my C6906 using Tapatalk

Nokia wins.
Colours are far too bright on the other 2

Z1 vs 1520
Hi,
I have Sony Z1 and Nokia Lumia 1520; i take pictures with both since weeks, months; my favorite is the INCREDIBLE NOKIA (Too much noise with Z1)
Regards

1520 kills all. Contrast, color reproduction and dynamic range are so good. About detail, quite similar, but 1520 has the best FoV.
Note 3 seems overly sharp - due to the aggressive algorithm. I don't know, basic comsumers will prefer it, but look at the leaves of the tree, a little bit "abnormal" for me. However, IMO, overall still looks better than Z1. Z1 has nothing so special compared to the other two. Look at the rock of the mountain below and we can see how Note 2 is still better.
One thing about the white balance, I think on 1520 and Z1 a little bit too warm, and a little bit too cold on Note 2. In average is the best.

in these two compares,note 3 is really terrible,knocks out first.
For sure NOKIA is better that SONY here.but far objects in z1 are more bright.but totally 1520 is one step above z1..
hope some CAMERA SOFTWARE improvements on z1 on KitKat.because everyone knows the camera hardware on z1 is really better that those two

Clearly the Nokia has better contrast, and depth of field. The Nokia image is wider angle, combined with a .4 of an f stop advantage with such small image sensors will make a substantial difference to distant objects appearing to be in focus.
On a side note, if you reduce the Sony image down to the same size as the Nokia, then they are much closer in terms of quality.
Sony need to be more smart with their image processing, still far too aggressive with the noise reduction significantly hurting the final result.

Going from Samsung Note 2 to Z3, smart move?

Hi
I am considering leaving my beaten Samsung Note 2 for a Z3. I don't use the SPen a lot so I don't think I will miss that features from my Note .
My main priorities are:
Good battery life
Fast upgrade to Android L
Responsive
Great audio quality on headphones
Any opinions?
Thanks, Trond

Trondeh said:
Hi
I am considering leaving my beaten Samsung Note 2 for a Z3. I don't use the SPen a lot so I don't think I will miss that features from my Note .
My main priorities are:
Good battery life
Fast upgrade to Android L
Responsive
Great audio quality on headphones
Any opinions?
Thanks, Trond
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do it!
I did a similar upgrade, Note 2-> Xperia Z for approx 6 months -> Xperia Z3.
It's definitely worthwhile, the Note 2 seems old and clunky in comparison, and IMHO Touchwiz sucks compared to Sony's android software. The build quality is in another league also.

tooch1 said:
Do it!
I did a similar upgrade, Note 2-> Xperia Z for approx 6 months -> Xperia Z3.
It's definitely worthwhile, the Note 2 seems old and clunky in comparison, and IMHO Touchwiz sucks compared to Sony's android software. The build quality is in another league also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! How would you rate the audio quality of the Z3 compared to the Note? Even if the Note 2 has a Wolfson DAC, which is supposed to be good, I am not happy at all with the sound quality using my high-quality earbuds (Shure 535). Audio quality is one of the most important decision factors for me.
How is the office-part of the Z3, Exchange email and calendar especially.

Do it, bro. I upgraded from a S III. Best decision I've ever made, I suffered with the craptastic Android 4.3 update on the S III so much I'd take any other phone that is a lot more responsive.
In terms of audio quality, I can't perceive any difference. Both the S III and the Z3 sound great. Though, I'd prefer the Z3 to be a bit louder, I know I'm possibly destroying my ears but I like loud music.

Trondeh said:
Thank you! How would you rate the audio quality of the Z3 compared to the Note? Even if the Note 2 has a Wolfson DAC, which is supposed to be good, I am not happy at all with the sound quality using my high-quality earbuds (Shure 535). Audio quality is one of the most important decision factors for me.
How is the office-part of the Z3, Exchange email and calendar especially.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sound quality was a big thing for me as well, and the Z3 does not disappoint. I had a quick listen to a HDTracks 24/192 master of Miles Davis-Kind Of Blue this morning with my Sennheiser HD-25-II and it was amazing. It sounds great with everything I've thrown at it so far.
Z3 also officially supports USB DACs and DSD playback. It's designed to sound great
Can't comment too much on the office side of things as I only really use Gmail and Google Calendar, but they both work flawlessly as on most modern Android devices

Any clue if and when the new Z3 will get Android L? Could it be that Sony would only provide this on a future Z4 to be released perhaps early next year? Perhaps this is only paranoia :silly:

If you want fast updates, then take a look at the new Google nexus 6. The z3 will get updated to Android L and z4 should come early next year with Android L as Sony has been doing the two phones a year cycle. But if updates are a priority, then nexus is the way to go. Also the new note 4 looks like a great phone.
You can't go wrong with the z3, note 4 or nexus 6. All three should be good for a while.

Sony are not known for their quick updates and due to their bi yearly release cycle it would be safe to say that the Nexus 6 or Note 4 will 'last you longer'. However on the hardware front you cannot go wrong with any of the three.

They were fast with the Kitkat update.
And the hardware stays the same. If it won't last long enough, it's because you want a new phone.

paysen said:
They were fast with the Kitkat update.
And the hardware stays the same. If it won't last long enough, it's because you want a new phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just read this: http://www.androidbeat.com/2014/10/sony-bringing-android-5-0-lollipop-entire-xperia-z-series/
If it is true, it is rather impressive of Sony!

Trondeh said:
Just read this: http://www.androidbeat.com/2014/10/sony-bringing-android-5-0-lollipop-entire-xperia-z-series/
If it is true, it is rather impressive of Sony!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They will prioritise updates for the Z3 series and the Z2.

ive gone from the note 2 to the z3 and cant complain other than no root at the mo for locked bootloader as this messes with the drm keys for the camera for low light conditions

Two things to consider. One is the very low headphone volume. It's much too low. Second is the excessively blue tint on the screen. I am constantly adjusting my white balance, it's driving me crazy.

Ditto on the output volume. Guess Sony is a bit overzealous in implementing the EU volume restrictions which stipulated a 85 dBa limit. According to GSMArena tests, the Z3 tops up at about 86 dBa, with no option to increase it without firmware mods.

Having had the note 2 end 2012- early 13 was one of the worst and most boring phones have ever owned!!
I got the z3 on thursday (same day I got my note 4 aswell) and the z3 is better than the note 2 in every way I can think of.
especially audio and battery life. The Z3 is my main phone now its the first sony phone I have really been interested in in a long time. The last sony phone I had was the z1 and I had the Z, T & S before and while I liked the Z in the way it looked at the water resistance, the audio volume/loud speaker was rather low and the battery life wasn't great and the camera I found slow to focus same can be said for the S & T aswell. The Z2 was much improved but still had low audio volume for my use, the Z3 fixed that, along with I prefer the z3s more rounded design makes the phone look smaller than it is.

Keep my htc m8 or buy Note 4?

hi guys, i am a happy owner of a htc one m8, the device is the fastest i've used and UI is a lot smooth. i also loved note 4 when i played with it in a samsung store. But i have some concerns about this device.
1-how is the UI performance in day to day use? in my m8 the UI is fast, no lag at all, but i know TW is heavy and i am a bit worried. mainly because i saw this video from flossy carter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdYuj2NSZZ0#t=851 . in 14:11 the device completely crash.
2-here in Brazil i just have the option to buy exynos version SM-N910C. is not clear anywhere what is dac it is using and if camera sensor is sony or samsung isocell, and which one is better.
3-how loud do you guys can record video without distortion? my other previous devices everytime i am with a place with high volume sound the audio distorts with bass, but with my m8 is clear, also iphones and some lumias don't have this problem. does note 4 have this problem?
4-how speaker audio compares to htc m8?
5- how is the battery life? it can reach 8 hours of screen on time with continuous usage?
6-how is the outdoor visibility?
is a lot of questions because i like my m8, and don't want to regret if i buy note 4. thanks.

leandronb said:
hi guys, i am a happy owner of a htc one m8, the device is the fastest i've used and UI is a lot smooth. i also loved note 4 when i played with it in a samsung store. But i have some concerns about this device.
1-how is the UI performance in day to day use? in my m8 the UI is fast, no lag at all, but i know TW is heavy and i am a bit worried. mainly because i saw this video from flossy carter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdYuj2NSZZ0#t=851 . in 14:11 the device completely crash.
2-here in Brazil i just have the option to buy exynos version SM-N910C. is not clear anywhere what is dac it is using and if camera sensor is sony or samsung isocell, and which one is better.
3-how loud do you guys can record video without distortion? my other previous devices everytime i am with a place with high volume sound the audio distorts with bass, but with my m8 is clear, also iphones and some lumias don't have this problem. does note 4 have this problem?
4-how speaker audio compares to htc m8?
5- how is the battery life? it can reach 8 hours of screen on time with continuous usage?
6-how is the outdoor visibility?
is a lot of questions because i like my m8, and don't want to regret if i buy note 4. thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was an M8 user for quite some time before getting Note 4 and I'm pretty sure I can answer all of your questions:
1. M8's peformance is definitely smoother than N4's. Not that you'll notice daily lag or something, but TouchWiz is just so much heavier than Sense that the hiccups always come out in different parts of the UI.
2. I own an N910C as well and I am pretty sure it use Samsung's ISOCELL camera. Is it better than the Sony one found in Exynos? No idea. As far as the camera quality goes compared to M8, it's pretty much the same: selfies and normals are amazing and they look even better on the amazing QHD display, but M8's HDR and low light performance beats N4.
3. Never really had any problems with audio distortion on videos but I'm pretty sure with the additional microphones Samsung has put in, it should be a pleasant experience.
4. Nobody can beat M8's boom speakers at the moment in the market. N4's speaker is obviously nowhere better than stereo speakers of M8, but it's not too bad either.
5. 8 hours of screen on ? Whoaaa, dream on! Every N4 user has difference battery performance from what I saw on the forums, but I can assure you around 3-4 hrs of SoT. Fast Charging kinda makes up for that.
6. Since N4 has an AMOLED display, it always struggles in daylight visibility. However it is better than any other AMOLED display before and while it might not be better than M8's, it's still not gonna cause you a lot of problems in direct sunlight.

quadlt said:
I was an M8 user for quite some time before getting Note 4 and I'm pretty sure I can answer all of your questions:
1. M8's peformance is definitely smoother than N4's. Not that you'll notice daily lag or something, but TouchWiz is just so much heavier than Sense that the hiccups always come out in different parts of the UI.
2. I own an N910C as well and I am pretty sure it use Samsung's ISOCELL camera. Is it better than the Sony one found in Exynos? No idea. As far as the camera quality goes compared to M8, it's pretty much the same: selfies and normals are amazing and they look even better on the amazing QHD display, but M8's HDR and low light performance beats N4.
3. Never really had any problems with audio distortion on videos but I'm pretty sure with the additional microphones Samsung has put in, it should be a pleasant experience.
4. Nobody can beat M8's boom speakers at the moment in the market. N4's speaker is obviously nowhere better than stereo speakers of M8, but it's not too bad either.
5. 8 hours of screen on ? Whoaaa, dream on! Every N4 user has difference battery performance from what I saw on the forums, but I can assure you around 3-4 hrs of SoT. Fast Charging kinda makes up for that.
6. Since N4 has an AMOLED display, it always struggles in daylight visibility. However it is better than any other AMOLED display before and while it might not be better than M8's, it's still not gonna cause you a lot of problems in direct sunlight.
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So are you happy with your decision? there is something in your m8 that you miss now?

leandronb said:
hi guys, i am a happy owner of a htc one m8, the device is the fastest i've used and UI is a lot smooth. i also loved note 4 when i played with it in a samsung store. But i have some concerns about this device.
1-how is the UI performance in day to day use? in my m8 the UI is fast, no lag at all, but i know TW is heavy and i am a bit worried. mainly because i saw this video from flossy carter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdYuj2NSZZ0#t=851 . in 14:11 the device completely crash.
2-here in Brazil i just have the option to buy exynos version SM-N910C. is not clear anywhere what is dac it is using and if camera sensor is sony or samsung isocell, and which one is better.
3-how loud do you guys can record video without distortion? my other previous devices everytime i am with a place with high volume sound the audio distorts with bass, but with my m8 is clear, also iphones and some lumias don't have this problem. does note 4 have this problem?
4-how speaker audio compares to htc m8?
5- how is the battery life? it can reach 8 hours of screen on time with continuous usage?
6-how is the outdoor visibility?
is a lot of questions because i like my m8, and don't want to regret if i buy note 4. thanks.
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Hello
I went from the M8 to the Note 4, and while I don't regret my decision, the M8 in its own right is an amazing device and does trump the Note 4 in a few areas. My advice to you is stick with what you have, it's already a great device and you could swap it with an S6 or M9 down the line.

M8 would be smoother with the UI. I have a note 4, it's brilliant. It's really just an all-rounder. But ultimately what made me choose it over getting an M8 was my need for the s-pen. I'm a digital artist, and I use sketchbook pro on my note 10.1, and using dropsync I can now sync my projects between both devices... I'm super happy with this. Again, I would have probably bought the M8, or Z3 cause of the smoother UI if I didn't need the stylus. Enjoy your phone sir, it's one of the best out there

Sony Xperia Z1 Compact versus Xperia Z5 Compact

Guys, I've been bought Z5c to replace my Z1c(I also own a S6). Still very busying to test the z5c now, if you guys got any questions regarding Z5c feel free to ask me in this thread(if there are still any Z1c survivor here...).
My first impression vs. Z1c(and vs. S6):
1. Camera way faster and fixed the annoyed focus issue. The camera launch speed slightly slower than S6 but close to it. The focus speed at low light S6 a bit faster but Z5c already done a good job like 3x better and blow out Z1c completely.
2. Camera details isn't much better than Z1c only little improvements there, yet S6 got better details. Color, WB, AE is accurate than Z1c and S6, however sometimes you'll think that it is just too accurate and not as eye caught as Z1c/S6(they do more tweaking while Z5c towards to neutral side, the overall style still Sony and similar to Z1c).
3. Speaking to camera shutter lag and saving speed. S6 got instant speed in this area, Z5c slower but 3x faster than Z1c again.
4. Sceen is much better than Z1c like next generation with noticeably better color, WB, brightness, viewing angle and more clear. No doubt the 5.1" 2K on S6 is sharper, Z5c is just 720p but an exceptional quality one for this kind of resolution.
5. Support double tap to wake in stock rom. S6 needs root or custom kernel/rom to get this function.
6. Fingerprint recognition looks more sensitive than my S6, no worse than ip6/6s I think.
7. s810 on 720P is extremely fast, the smoothness is around the same with Exynos 7420 on S6. Kicks ass though the s800 on Z1c is already very fast but Z5c performs even much more responsively, no slower than S6 in my opinions. What the drawback on s810 it gets hot during heavy gaming or video recording but manged to an okay level for any s808/s810. If you want to get a cool device, I'm afraid Exynos 7420 is the only choice in 2015 until s820 comes out.
8. Battery life is identical to Z1c but since I've only got it for 3 days, I can't tell much at right now, it takes time to know. But it seems no worse than Z1c of 4.4.4/5.1.1, 2700mAh feed the s810 well. Expected to out perform Z1c when Android 6.0 arrive.
9. Solid build quality but I think S6 and Z1c more premium with metal bumper. Z5c goes to the fashion design, more young and motivative, not the same direction on S6/Z1c.
10. Speaker is superior. To be honest, S6 speaker also sounds out loudly but Z5c got very stereo feeling.
11. MicroSD supports up to 200GB, IPX67 rated, glove mode is still there. Finally no flag usb port with quick charge 2.0. USB-OTG is supported but you have to click USB connectivity to ask it to detect. S6 got an IR blaster which is also useful if you got many electronic devices at home or like to remote the TV in restaurant.
12. Internal storage speed lots quicker than Z1c though can't beat the more advanced emmc used on S6.
13. The front LED is as good as Z1c/S6, that LED notification is bad on Z3c.
14. After rebooting both Z5c/S6 got exactly 1GB free memory on stock rom(currently both of my Z5c/S6 running on stock rom without root) but I'll probably very soon to unlock and root Z5c bcoz I want to try to limit cpu speed to reduce heat.
My Z5c is running on latest firmware(second OTA) and it's been improved much on speed, those reviews on net are dated now. Sony said new camera update will come in this month so we'll see.

My colleague has just bought Z5c and I've got Z1c so I compared these 2 phones
and I've got the same opinion as you - I can confirm each point of the post above, especially:
- screen is better and you know this on the first look
- speakers are better and the stereo feeling is easy to hear
- camera focus is faster
- it's hotter, not only on heavy use
One thing I can add is the look of Z5c: it looks fatter, more bulky - mainly because of bezel shape - but it feels fine when you take the phone in your hand

Davka said:
My colleague has just bought Z5c and I've got Z1c so I compared these 2 phones
and I've got the same opinion as you - I can confirm each point of the post above, especially:
- screen is better and you know this on the first look
- speakers are better and the stereo feeling is easy to hear
- camera focus is faster
- it's hotter, not only on heavy use
One thing I can add is the look of Z5c: it looks fatter, more bulky - mainly because of bezel shape - but it feels fine when you take the phone in your hand
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The size is identical to Z3c but the bezel shape looks like an older WP phone similar to Lumia 920. Especially if you get a yellow model.
Turn on Stamina mode will help but I think the ultimate solution is to lower the max cpu speed plus switch to other governor(waiting custom kernel). It's sure getting hotter but that's happened on every other s808/s810 phone in this year. Exynos 7420 is the only one suffering from this issue, it also warmer than s800/801.
Screen and camera has the major goodness. This monitor got very accurate color and decent viewing angle, both made it finally like a true IPS this time. The speaker is real very stereo. Camera focus at low light S6 still faster and better, I've done some extensive testing about this yesterday but Z5c focus easy beat all older xperia phones.
Other than the heat problem(can be solved after root by reduce cpu I think) and no OIS. I'll say every part got juice and definitely an upgrade for any small phone lover.
I'll post some indoor and night shot I've done last night of Z5c and S6 soon, including FHD/4K. I'll offer all in original size, please check this thread again.