Screen issues - uneven backlight and lower framerate - Xperia Z5 General

I've had my Z5 a day now and I already noticed two things that really irritate me about the screen. First thing I noticed is the backlight is pretty uneven. When looking at a white screen I can see darker spots in the center. It's most noticeable when scrolling through pages with white background(which is pretty much most pages). I could probably live with that alone but the second thing I noticed is my dock animations seemed sluggish compared to my Z3 compact. I use some of the fancy animations on Nova launcher and they just looked plain choppy. I downloaded a framerate checker on the Play store and my hunch was right - this screen is 48Hz. I double checked my Z3 compact and it's 60 Hz like you would expect.
Anyone else notice these issues? I used OpenGL FPS to check it. It would be nice if someone else can confirm to make sure it's not just me. It kind of sucks to drop the framerate on a phone that is designed to take 120Hz videos to a number that isn't even easily divisible. Plus, I can certainly tell the difference between 48 and 60Hz . Was the Z3 screen like this too? Not impressed.
I think I'll give it another day but I might be returning it. Sucks because I'm a huge Xperia fan as this is my 4th phone.
Likes: the color(I got green), thinness, external microUSB, 3GB Ram
Dislikes: uneven backlight, framerate, gets hot, sharp edges on back frosted glass interface, battery life so far is inferior to the Z3 compact by far

Mine also had really bad, uneven backlight. I have previously owned Z2, Z3 and Z3+ and this display was the worst of them all. I returned it immediately and got myself an Edge+ 64gb instead. Never been happier.
Skickat från min iPhone med Tapatalk

Related

Screen: Arc vs Optimus 2x/G2x

As stated, this thread is purely about the display screen.
I previously had Optimus 2x before, and after dramas and adventures, purchasing an Xperia Arc/Arc S might be part of my plan soon.
Something from Optimus 2x that totally captivated me is its IPS Nova display. The colors are vibrant, power consumption is great, despite whatever other people say, the contrast is incredible, which even led me into believing that it was a Super AMOLED screen for a short while.
I know the reputation of Sony making decent display screens, but the TFT LCD just simply does not sound that attractive.
For those of you who had seen an Optimus 2x/G2x before, how do you think these two fare against each other in terms of screen display?
tl;dr: Optimus 2x/G2x and Arc/Arc S, whose screen is better?
IMO SONY's screen is better than LG's when you look straight on the phone without tilting it, BUT you're gonna be extremely disappointed with viewing angles on the arc.
I second this. The display quality is very good when looking at it directly but tilt it a bit and the contrast drops to ridiculously low levels. It's like Sony did wonders with a really crappy TN screen. You might also be disappointed with washed out dark tones but it's average for an LCD here I'd say.
If you believe that this phone packs great screen you will be disappointed. It's not bad, but it's not great by any means.
progosu said:
IMO SONY's screen is better than LG's when you look straight on the phone without tilting it, BUT you're gonna be extremely disappointed with viewing angles on the arc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Times after times, I still don't really get why people care that much about viewing angle. It's a mobile device and could hold it however we want. Doesn't sound like a problem for me.
Thanks for the reply anyway.
szymon247 said:
I second this. The display quality is very good when looking at it directly but tilt it a bit and the contrast drops to ridiculously low levels. It's like Sony did wonders with a really crappy TN screen. You might also be disappointed with washed out dark tones but it's average for an LCD here I'd say.
If you believe that this phone packs great screen you will be disappointed. It's not bad, but it's not great by any means.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty sad to hear this, but thanks
I took a look at friend's LG Swift Black which is said to pack an IPS screen, better than 2X and I'd say the one on Xperia Arc is slightly better when looking at it directly. If you don't care about viewing angles I'd say it should be okay for you. It shouldn't bother you with anything other than the viewing angles. The colors are nice when looking at it directly.

Xperia Z1 First Impressions

I just got the Z1 today and I have to say that im impressed with it, I was an xperia z user and loved it but the Z1 is on a whole nother level. For those of you wondering : The Screen is a drastic improvement over the old one, the Camera I haven't put to good use yet but the initial impressions are pretty good and the phone is blazing fast everything is silky smooth on it. The build quality is much better as well the phone is more rigid and it feels great in the hand, no more crummy quality nfc sticker on the back. However one downfall for this phone is the music quality (speaking in terms of line out, headphones etc,) , overall the quality is decent but the loudness levels are just appalling, my two year old htc sensation produced much louder and bassier tones than this phone. Is there anything I can do to increase the volume on this thing?
msurowka said:
I just got the Z1 today and I have to say that im impressed with it, I was an xperia z user and loved it but the Z1 is on a whole nother level. For those of you wondering : The Screen is a drastic improvement over the old one, the Camera I haven't put to good use yet but the initial impressions are pretty good and the phone is blazing fast everything is silky smooth on it. The build quality is much better as well the phone is more rigid and it feels great in the hand, no more crummy quality nfc sticker on the back. However one downfall for this phone is the music quality (speaking in terms of line out, headphones etc,) , overall the quality is decent but the loudness levels are just appalling, my two year old htc sensation produced much louder and bassier tones than this phone. Is there anything I can do to increase the volume on this thing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1.- Check the individual sound levers (settings -> sound -> volumes)
2.- Activate x-loud (settings -> sound)
.
use poweramp
msurowka said:
I just got the Z1 today and I have to say that im impressed with it, I was an xperia z user and loved it but the Z1 is on a whole nother level. For those of you wondering : The Screen is a drastic improvement over the old one, the Camera I haven't put to good use yet but the initial impressions are pretty good and the phone is blazing fast everything is silky smooth on it. The build quality is much better as well the phone is more rigid and it feels great in the hand, no more crummy quality nfc sticker on the back. However one downfall for this phone is the music quality (speaking in terms of line out, headphones etc,) , overall the quality is decent but the loudness levels are just appalling, my two year old htc sensation produced much louder and bassier tones than this phone. Is there anything I can do to increase the volume on this thing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Walkman -> Settings>-Sound enhancements->Settings->Surround Sount(VPT)->Studio
helps me on all my Xperia devices
Morlock O said:
Walkman -> Settings>-Sound enhancements->Settings->Surround Sount(VPT)->Studio
helps me on all my Xperia devices
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I already had those cranked I guess Ill have to wait for a mod or something, you know considering sony helped invent portable music players I really wish they did something nice with their phones
msurowka said:
I already had those cranked I guess Ill have to wait for a mod or something, you know considering sony helped invent portable music players I really wish they did something nice with their phones
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If using Walkman then turn off all sound enhancements like clear audio etc. (i.e default settings). It is loudest (and most neutral) sound via headphones to my ear!
First Impressions
Sony Xperia Z1 First Impressions!
Before the phone dropped on my mat (it really didn't, it was handed delicately to my wife), I didn't really know what to make of it. Early previews and reviews had been mixed, to say the least.
Was it going to be too big? Was the screen going to be a crushing disappointment? And, most importantly, was all that talk of a 20mp camera all hot air; all talk and no trousers?
First things first, the build is superb. It just feels nice to hold. That smooth aluminium frame, coupled with the plastic contouring and glass front and back scream premium. I thought the Xperia Z was good - this is on another level.
That said, it's big in the hand - no doubt about it, this is NOT a one handed affair - you're going to need both of your mitts. Oddly, however, despite it being longer, wider and thicker than the original Z, it feels smaller. It's the tapered and rounded edges that do it. It's more comfy in the hand, that's for sure.
The screen? Head on, it's outstanding. Colours are punchy without being artificial, fine detail is scalpel sharp, blacks are deep and brightness will sear your retinas. Outside visibility is also fine.
At an angle, however, there is no real improvement from the first Z. Turning it beyond 30 degrees washes out colours very quickly, though detail remains fairly strong. It's a real shame but livable, considering you'll be viewing it head-on for 90% of the time,... and when you do, you're in for a treat. Top drawer, if not back-of-the-net.
And finally, the biggie: "It's as good as a compact" shouted Sony. "It's behind the competition" lamented CNET. "The World's best camera in a waterproof smartphone" retorted Sony (see how they qualified that? Cheeky beggars.) "Camera not as far ahead as we'd hoped" chipped in Pocket Lint (GSM Arena are, wisely, awaiting a replacement unit before the come to any conclusions).
So, who to believe? I have to admit, after all that negative fuss, I was ready to be disappointed - Sony blows it again.
Wrong.
Never, ever get sucked in by early reviews. They're never running final software (mine was updated to new firmware 10 minutes after powering it on).
The camera detail on 8mp stills is superb in good light. Tests with my Xperia Z, shooting at 9mp to keep comparisons fair, demonstrate a very visible difference. As expected, the Z1 seems to be employing some form of Pixel Binning to draw more detail out of individual pixels, leading to a less blocky, smoother and higher-contrast image.
As good as a compact? Better than the competition? A bit early to say, but my initial tests are very promising.
BUT there is a fly in the ointment: Much like GSM Arena, my unit seems to have a lens aberration. There is a spot just to the left of centre that is noticeably indistinct and out of focus compared to the areas around it. if I'm shooting high-contrast detail, like the tree in my back garden, the software processing seems to adjust for it, but distant objects just become a blur.
It's a pain in the arse. I will be sending the phone back for replacement as soon as I am able. Hopefully my second unit will be perfect.
So, how do I feel? A mixture of relief and annoyance. Relief because the camera seems to live up to the hype (and I bought it for the camera) and disappointment that I'm going to have to replace it so soon. Why oh why don't Sony spend just that little more on quality control? Sigh,......
I have to agree with everything you said - this is a world beater, Sony has thrown a stake in the ground for all others to catch, I've had the Z ZU and now the Z1 it is simply awsume - funny after using the XZU for a few weeks the X1 feels rather small lol
Only issue I've had is that my 64gb Kingston SD card is not being recognised 16gb works fine - probably not the Z1 at fault but I still need to test the SD card in another device to prove it 100% - this card worked in my Z and XZU
Have now had my phoen since wednesday afternoon and it is fantastic the look and feel of it, the camera performance is fantastic much better than the s4 and the xz imo, battery life is just superb, I wish the loudspeaker was louder but atleast it is some what louder than the z, also phone calls are louder and audio in headphones is slightly louder all in all i am very happy and is well worth the upgrade from my z which goes down as my second favourite phone ever with the s4 in third.
Timaustin2000 said:
Sony Xperia Z1 First Impressions!
Before the phone dropped on my mat (it really didn't, it was handed delicately to my wife), I didn't really know what to make of it. Early previews and reviews had been mixed, to say the least.
Was it going to be too big? Was the screen going to be a crushing disappointment? And, most importantly, was all that talk of a 20mp camera all hot air; all talk and no trousers?
First things first, the build is superb. It just feels nice to hold. That smooth aluminium frame, coupled with the plastic contouring and glass front and back scream premium. I thought the Xperia Z was good - this is on another level.
That said, it's big in the hand - no doubt about it, this is NOT a one handed affair - you're going to need both of your mitts. Oddly, however, despite it being longer, wider and thicker than the original Z, it feels smaller. It's the tapered and rounded edges that do it. It's more comfy in the hand, that's for sure.
The screen? Head on, it's outstanding. Colours are punchy without being artificial, fine detail is scalpel sharp, blacks are deep and brightness will sear your retinas. Outside visibility is also fine.
At an angle, however, there is no real improvement from the first Z. Turning it beyond 30 degrees washes out colours very quickly, though detail remains fairly strong. It's a real shame but livable, considering you'll be viewing it head-on for 90% of the time,... and when you do, you're in for a treat. Top drawer, if not back-of-the-net.
And finally, the biggie: "It's as good as a compact" shouted Sony. "It's behind the competition" lamented CNET. "The World's best camera in a waterproof smartphone" retorted Sony (see how they qualified that? Cheeky beggars.) "Camera not as far ahead as we'd hoped" chipped in Pocket Lint (GSM Arena are, wisely, awaiting a replacement unit before the come to any conclusions).
So, who to believe? I have to admit, after all that negative fuss, I was ready to be disappointed - Sony blows it again.
Wrong.
Never, ever get sucked in by early reviews. They're never running final software (mine was updated to new firmware 10 minutes after powering it on).
The camera detail on 8mp stills is superb in good light. Tests with my Xperia Z, shooting at 9mp to keep comparisons fair, demonstrate a very visible difference. As expected, the Z1 seems to be employing some form of Pixel Binning to draw more detail out of individual pixels, leading to a less blocky, smoother and higher-contrast image.
As good as a compact? Better than the competition? A bit early to say, but my initial tests are very promising.
BUT there is a fly in the ointment: Much like GSM Arena, my unit seems to have a lens aberration. There is a spot just to the left of centre that is noticeably indistinct and out of focus compared to the areas around it. if I'm shooting high-contrast detail, like the tree in my back garden, the software processing seems to adjust for it, but distant objects just become a blur.
It's a pain in the arse. I will be sending the phone back for replacement as soon as I am able. Hopefully my second unit will be perfect.
So, how do I feel? A mixture of relief and annoyance. Relief because the camera seems to live up to the hype (and I bought it for the camera) and disappointment that I'm going to have to replace it so soon. Why oh why don't Sony spend just that little more on quality control? Sigh,......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was going to give my initial impression of the Z1 after using it for almost 2 days, but your post sums it all ! The camera unit though is perfect on mine, no aberrations or smudging. Display is excellent, viewing angles only slightly better than XZ (worse than amoled or z ultra) but brightness seems higher than Z ultra or GS4. I personally have no complaints with the display as is (though off axis viewing could've been at par with ZU at least).
Like you, I too bought the device maily for it's camera & I'm not disappointed. I think the camera on this device is awesome. Didn't even play with all the features yet but took a few daylight shots & some indoors. Overall IQ is much better than XZ or GS4 (even at full 20mp). It's early to say but I don't feel a need to carry my good old canon powershot anymore !
One thing I'd like to add is that this device is blazing fast! Fastest & most fluid device I've used till date. The new UI is refreshing & I like the new subtle animations (improved over the XZ). All apps working great till now for me.
Overall very much pleased with my new purchase so far!
BTW, I'm on the latest 14.1.G.1.531 stock rom.
rpedroso said:
''Stop complaining''
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think he is complaining, just giving an opinion and asking for a solution... SMH..
Have mine for about a week now.
Pluses:
Beautiful device, sturdy and unique aesthetics
Wickedly fast!
Very impressive screen with vivid colours when viewed at an almost perpendicular angle*
Minuses
*The viewing angles (for a flagship product mind you) are for lack of a better word...atrocious. As soon as I tilt this at about 15 degrees the colours begin to loose intensity.
Placing the phone flat on the table forces me to strain my eyes (things get really washed out). There are of course very easy ways to circumvent this but dunno... I just feel that a phone costing ~600 quid shouldn't really have this issue...
Nevertheless, aside from the viewing angles thing I still believe that the Z1 is the device to beat this year.
there are bugs in this phone, more than XZ at release - the XZU which I owned for about a month was much more stable than the Z1, it doesn't really bother me because I think they rushed retail deployment and have released 2x updates in the last week, I expect this phone to be stable over the next 5 weeks, in the mean time expect a few glitches
Geoffxx said:
there are bugs in this phone, more than XZ at release - the XZU which I owned for about a month was much more stable than the Z1, it doesn't really bother me because I think they rushed retail deployment and have released 2x updates in the last week, I expect this phone to be stable over the next 5 weeks, in the mean time expect a few glitches
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haven't encountered any.
I never really understood why viewing angles matter, I mean I don't remember the last time I looked at my phone from the side I always look at it dead on, on a tv with a bunch of people on a couch I see why viewing angles matter but on a phone its irrelevant
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app

Xperia Z1 vs Galaxy S4 vs Xperia S vs iPhone 4s

Hi everyone
I know that there are several topics that reviewed the device but I thought this might be useful when comparing the Z1 vs SGS4, if not please let me know and I will delete it
I just received my Xperia Z1 couple of hours ago (from EE through P4U white one) I have been playing with it and tested most things (apart from the camera)
first I was worried from the review saying the screen is bad or the battery life is poor but the phone I am holding is impressive over all
I compared it against the Xperia S and iPhone 4s and I came to quick conclusion which is if you owned any of the two and liked it you will definitely like the Z1 it is better than the two in every single aspect that you would think of (assuming you don't mind the size).
now the comparison between the Z1 and SGS4
first the phone is heavier, however, I think this is an advantage as the phone feels premium (it doesn't feel heavy to an extent that worries you that it might hurt your hand)
by looking at the devise it feels so big but comparing it with SGS4 (side by side) it is not that big. Keep in mind that this still different from one person to the other, but the size doesn't bother me.
Now with the screen
I was really worried to get poor screen, so I though I would start with it. I put both phones side by side, turned off auto brightness put them at max brightness and the surprise is the Z1 is SIGNIFICANTLY brighter than my SGS4. I then opened google search to compare the white and surprisingly, the Z1 is ALOT whiter you can easily say which is better. then searched in google images for various things and compared the images on both phones and ALWAYS the Z1 is better than the SGS4. Now I am happy.
lets move to the battery
I have played with the phone for 1 full hour, the screen was on, wifi on opened couple of websites used the camera a lettle, downloaded apps used various apps and the battery went down by ~10% which is really impressive. This means the phone would last around 10 hours of continues use (this really depends on what you are doing as different things consume different amount of the battery) but then keep in mind that the device is new and the battery tends to get better with time. now I am even happier.
now these things what worried me the most but I am perfectly happy with the phone and would recommend it to anyone. if anyone has any question please let me know and I will try to answer it for you. I will be out in a while and will be back in few hours and will try to answer questions by then.
ahomad said:
Hi everyone
I know that there are several topics that reviewed the device but I thought this might be useful when comparing the Z1 vs SGS4, if not please let me know and I will delete it
I just received my Xperia Z1 couple of hours ago (from EE through P4U white one) I have been playing with it and tested most things (apart from the camera)
first I was worried from the review saying the screen is bad or the battery life is poor but the phone I am holding is impressive over all
I compared it against the Xperia S and iPhone 4s and I came to quick conclusion which is if you owned any of the two and liked it you will definitely like the Z1 it is better than the two in every single aspect that you would think of (assuming you don't mind the size).
now the comparison between the Z1 and SGS4
first the phone is heavier, however, I think this is an advantage as the phone feels premium (it doesn't feel heavy to an extent that worries you that it might hurt your hand)
by looking at the devise it feels so big but comparing it with SGS4 (side by side) it is not that big. Keep in mind that this still different from one person to the other, but the size doesn't bother me.
Now with the screen
I was really worried to get poor screen, so I though I would start with it. I put both phones side by side, turned off auto brightness put them at max brightness and the surprise is the Z1 is SIGNIFICANTLY brighter than my SGS4. I then opened google search to compare the white and surprisingly, the Z1 is ALOT whiter you can easily say which is better. then searched in google images for various things and compared the images on both phones and ALWAYS the Z1 is better than the SGS4. Now I am happy.
lets move to the battery
I have played with the phone for 1 full hour, the screen was on, wifi on opened couple of websites used the camera a lettle, downloaded apps used various apps and the battery went down by ~10% which is really impressive. This means the phone would last around 10 hours of continues use (this really depends on what you are doing as different things consume different amount of the battery) but then keep in mind that the device is new and the battery tends to get better with time. now I am even happier.
now these things what worried me the most but I am perfectly happy with the phone and would recommend it to anyone. if anyone has any question please let me know and I will try to answer it for you. I will be out in a while and will be back in few hours and will try to answer questions by then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
open a black image... turn of the lights and see it in dark... how deep black is the black... and does normal viewing angle effect the blackness.. i do not want to know unpractical viewing angle...
Thanks for info,
for camera shootout between my Z1 and 5S, http://gavinsgadgets.wordpress.com/...xperia-z1-share-you-view-on-the-better-phone/ also daily blog review of Z1 ongoing, so check out earlier posts.
jos_031 said:
open a black image... turn of the lights and see it in dark... how deep black is the black... and does normal viewing angle effect the blackness.. i do not want to know unpractical viewing angle...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
when lights off, you would see black as grey this is back lit screen where all pixels lights even black ones unlike SGS4 AMOLED where each pixel is lit on its own.
but then you won't watch a completely black screen. when you look at screen with different colors (images, videos ...etc) you won't notice the grayish black and when lights are on, the black is deep to a level similar to the SGS4 (you won't notice any difference)
viewing angle is very good ( the colors fade a bit when you look at almost flat device). In other words it stays perfect all the way until it is almost flat where the colors fade a bit which wouldn't be very noticeable and no one would even look at a device from that angle. normal angle where few people looking at the phone won't cause any issue and the image will be crystal clear.
gavinfabl said:
Thanks for info,
for camera shootout between my Z1 and 5S, http://gavinsgadgets.wordpress.com/...xperia-z1-share-you-view-on-the-better-phone/ also daily blog review of Z1 ongoing, so check out earlier posts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the source. I wounder why people doing camera comparison do not include reference image (from pro cameras) because the first two images in this source, the color is slightly different between the Z1 and 5s and we can't really tell which shows the real color. Apart from that the Z1 looks brighter, sharper and with more noise while the 5s is more blurry and seems to have pink tint that I had in my previous Xperia S. So the Z1 images are not prefect but hopefully an update can improve it. Still need to test mine when I get back.
ahomad said:
Thanks for the source. I wounder why people doing camera comparison do not include reference image (from pro cameras) because the first two images in this source, the color is slightly different between the Z1 and 5s and we can't really tell which shows the real color. Apart from that the Z1 looks brighter, sharper and with more noise while the 5s is more blurry and seems to have pink tint that I had in my previous Xperia S. So the Z1 images are not prefect but hopefully an update can improve it. Still need to test mine when I get back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are my photos and from my blog
So what you are saying is to take the same shots with all the phones and use a DSLR for comparison? I will say the 5S overall has more natural colours, the Z1 does sometimes blur on edges, but otherwise its a tricky one. Also Z1 will get updates from Sony to fix a number of its bugs and tweak the camera which is exciting really.
gavinfabl said:
They are my photos and from my blog
So what you are saying is to take the same shots with all the phones and use a DSLR for comparison? I will say the 5S overall has more natural colours, the Z1 does sometimes blur on edges, but otherwise its a tricky one. Also Z1 will get updates from Sony to fix a number of its bugs and tweak the camera which is exciting really.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yup that what I meant, but you were there thats fair enough. I think sony are trying to make there images brighter in order to get better picture in low light situation, so you get brighter images but then this sometimes affect the colors. Anyway, I tested my Z1 camera (didn't compare it to SGS4), the images are good but as everyone said before, the Z1 can do alot better. Comparing the hardware between the Z1 SGS4 and iPhone 5s, the Z1 is ALOT better (bigger sensor and G-lens) however, sony were always weak in the software department but we hope (as everyone said before) that future updates make the camera performs alot better than this.

My impressions of the Z5C vs Z3C (stuff not generally talked about in reviews)

Overall I've been a pretty happy Z3C user. My two main beefs with the Z3C we're some build quality issues (screen on two devices would pop/flex) and I've never been crazy about the photos. They were just ok.
So here's my take on the Z5C:
First, the fingerprint sensor changes a lot in terms of how I interact with the device and how quickly I can access the device. I really like it. However, as reported elsewhere the scanner is not always completely reliable if my finger has recently been wet, cold, etc. I'm still exploring how to optimize my fingerprint readings, and it may also be a case that my fingerprints are a bit worn down and so fingerprint scanners in general may not work very well for me (this is the first one I've tried using). But overall it's an excellent addition and I love the location of it on the side.
Second, the speed of the 810 processor is phenomenal and makes the phone feel so much quicker. This is something I did not anticipate liking as much as I do, and it has been a real pleasant surprise. If you're a Z3C owner and on the fence about upgrading definitely do not use the Z5C unless you're ready to move up to it as I think you'd have a hard time going back to the relatively slower Z3C.
Third, the build quality has dramatically improved on the Z5C. It feels much more solid and sturdy; a firmer hold in the hand. Z3C was much more slippery, bigger risk to drop. In addition to the screen pop issues I had, my Z3Cs always had more flex and creaking than I liked. Really glad Sony did away with the second flap/compartment on the Z5C, which I'm sure helped reduce device flex. The new SD card/SIM compartment closure feels more solid. Making the USB waterproof was also a great move. I thought I might miss magnetic charging, but I'm not.
Fourth, the audio quality, in terms of both phone call quality and speaker music, is much improved. I can hear people much more clearly on this device than the Z3C. I also play music from the speakers when I jog, and the sound quality is much crisper. I want to also say that using my headphones (aptX Sennheiser Momentum wireless) that sound quality is also slightly improved, perhaps due to a better DAC? I'm not 100% sure about this and was already pretty happy with the Z3C headphone performance.
Fifth, battery life seems to be about the same, which is a relief. I had heard some people were experiencing worse performance, but I have no problems getting through the day with 30 to 40% still left after heavy use.
Sixth, the display seems to be improved. Slightly sharper and more vibrant. I didn't expect this and I'm not quite sure why this is the case because the resolution/spec has not changed much.
Seventh, the location of the volume button has not been a problem. Some early reviews complained about this, particularly on the bigger model, but I find its placement on the Z5C just fine.
Eight, I'm not a gamer or 4K video shooter, but I have not experienced the phone overheating or getting too hot, which was something that was a concern.
Ninth, I have not experienced any of the software stuttering that the Verge and others have reported. I'm wondering if some of the complaints here were on an earlier firmware.
Tenth, using the screen in the tub when the screen is wet, or with a wet finger, also works a lot better. I think Sony rolled out this improvement in the Z4/Z3+. Much appreciated.
I have not had a chance to thoroughly test the camera yet or do a side-by-side with the Z3C, but so far (especially after the 2.0 upgrade) I'm happier with the Z5Ccamera.
So overall, well done Sony!
Good to hear. Mine is coming in the mail today so it's good to hear this positive review.
The improved audio quality is something I've noticed. On calls or when connected to bluetooth headphones / headset.
I'm with you on the volume button position. Once you get acquainted with the change, it is no problem. Quite a few reviews made a big deal of this , but I have no problem adjusting volume on a call.
I have 2 of the z5c and have yet to experience even one issue regarding complaints from users and previous reviews, from battery life and buttery smooth performance to the blurring in the camera,
Everything works perfectly, and it's a fantastic phone.
I wonder if the issues were resolved with an update? I made sure to update before doing anything else once I first activated the devices .
I am coming from a Sony Xperia ZL (basically a Z1). I also had the Z1 Compact.
I've had mine for a week. Mine even came with headphones (which I saw most unboxing videos didn't)
I absolutely love my Z5C. A very beautiful phone (it's more grey than black which i love) and it feels very premium due to it's frosted glass back and weight. I have not had a single issue with it. No overheating and the camera (using 2.0) launches quickly. Picture quality is great (i use manual mode every now and then). Some videos out there show lag if moving through the menu to fast, i have not had this issue. Battery lasts an entire day (disconnect at 8AM connect at 11PM with over 50% of batt. with medium to heavy use and screen on brightest).
By far the best phone i have ever owned. I do not see myself changing anytime soon.
Thanks for this nice impression write-up.
Very clear to understand, and more and more I read about it, the more I get convinced to buy one too.(still using the first Z)
Though, what do u guys talk about with the "2.0 update"?
(Edit) never mind, just read some post beneath this thread. Looks good!
Maybe some of the issues you heard about, are "only" issues for certain people, but not the device in general?
I can agree with quite some stuff you mentioned, but for me:
2) or 9) It looks like the processing apps/devices is much slower than with my z1c. F.i. scrolling down through a page isn't as smooth, loading apps slows down my phone a lot, and some apps open way too slow. I'm still guessing this has something to do with my configuration, and I'm sure I'll figure it out one of these days.
11) The camera... I didn't read too many reviews but quite some people seem to be really happy about it. I can't figure out why. It's an ok camera to take snapshots in bright light, but apart from that it would rather make me cry. The delay between clicking to take a picture and getting the actual picture is gigantic, which make it (again: for me) impossible to take the cam serious. It's much more like a gadget-camera, it's hardly able to make sharp pictures and it's performance in low(er) light conditions isn't that well either...
What can you say about the plastic sides? I really like the metal sides of my z1c and z2, so I'm not sure if I will be satisfied with the plastic. After holding a z3c I wasn't very impressed. Unfortunately, no actual stores here carry the z5 or z5c so I can't test myself.
mmceorange said:
What can you say about the plastic sides? I really like the metal sides of my z1c and z2, so I'm not sure if I will be satisfied with the plastic. After holding a z3c I wasn't very impressed. Unfortunately, no actual stores here carry the z5 or z5c so I can't test myself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will just say that the grey one looks very premium. And trust me on this. Hold one and you won't be disappointed. The other colours look plasticky to me though
What about how they feel in the hand while using?
mmceorange said:
What about how they feel in the hand while using?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love it. Has a very sturdy feel to it. The sides feel like aluminium. The back feels amazing and smooth in the hand but can be a little slippery.
Personnally, I wait Android M before giving my opinion about battery and average perfs.
Crappy Lollipop/launch rom/etc...
Besides that, I found the phone is really great and smooth.
And I like the brightness, enough to see outside, don't kill your eyes at night on lowest setting.
Just wondering what is the real utility of the camera button ?
mmceorange said:
What about how they feel in the hand while using?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I came from Z, the feel is better because angles are rounded.
ninjy said:
Personnally, I wait Android M before giving my opinion about battery and average perfs.
Crappy Lollipop/launch rom/etc...
Besides that, I found the phone is really great and smooth.
And I like the brightness, enough to see outside, don't kill your eyes at night on lowest setting.
Just wondering what is the real utility of the camera button ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To lock focus and to take the photo after that instantly. It actually helps in a lot of cases and gives you the "camera" feel. Also, it allows you to launch the camera from within any app.
Also take pictures under water
mmceorange said:
Also take pictures under water
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How could I miss that :|
1 of the big downsides that is also not talked about is the screen pixel quality, if you look closer to lets say a white icon on a black background you can see some ugly RGB bleeding if you watch carefully youll see the red subpixels bleeding out of the white icon on the right side of it, i have no idea why this is happening on z5 compact but it got me so upset that i ended up choosing for a galaxy s6 instead, which is a shame as i really liked z1 compact and wanted to "upgrade" rather than switch to another brand and such a big screen size.
TheWarKeeper said:
1 of the big downsides that is also not talked about is the screen pixel quality, if you look closer to lets say a white icon on a black background you can see some ugly RGB bleeding if you watch carefully youll see the red subpixels bleeding out of the white icon on the right side of it, i have no idea why this is happening on z5 compact but it got me so upset that i ended up choosing for a galaxy s6 instead, which is a shame as i really liked z1 compact and wanted to "upgrade" rather than switch to another brand and such a big screen size.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well it all comes down to what you want. For me a sd card is a must so a s6 wont do it for me. And hard to finjd a high end phone is such a small size with a awesome camera.
I had a Z3c, and the Samsung S6 Active. I returned the active and have the Z5c on the way!!! I agree with the expansion slot, that was a real killer with the S6. The camera on the S6 was not as good as my Z3c and the Z5c sounds AMAZING!!! I hope the speakers are better than the Z3c, the S6 was very loud and clear. Love the camera button too, hated the S6 for not having a dedicated button. Pulling it out of my pocket and snapping pictures or giving it to a passer-by to take a picture for me without having to unlock or explain buttons is great. S6 can do it with the home key, but then you gotta tap the screen to snap the pic, not as easy IMO.
Look forward to my YELLOW Z5c in two days!!!
Yellow... hahahahahahaha!
Huli13 said:
I had a Z3c, and the Samsung S6 Active. I returned the active and have the Z5c on the way!!! I agree with the expansion slot, that was a real killer with the S6. The camera on the S6 was not as good as my Z3c and the Z5c sounds AMAZING!!! I hope the speakers are better than the Z3c, the S6 was very loud and clear. Love the camera button too, hated the S6 for not having a dedicated button. Pulling it out of my pocket and snapping pictures or giving it to a passer-by to take a picture for me without having to unlock or explain buttons is great. S6 can do it with the home key, but then you gotta tap the screen to snap the pic, not as easy IMO.
Look forward to my YELLOW Z5c in two days!!!
Yellow... hahahahahahaha!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The speakers are better than those on Z3c once you turn Clear Audio on
RiTCHiE007 said:
Well it all comes down to what you want. For me a sd card is a must so a s6 wont do it for me. And hard to finjd a high end phone is such a small size with a awesome camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, i am really happy that so many people picked up a z5 compact, i really like powerfull compact phones, hopefully Sony will make more in the future when galaxy s6 is obsolete so i can switch back, and by then they probably will wake up and make physical buttons for the compact series as its silly to waste such limited screen space for some virtual keys, all in all z5 compact is the best compact phone out there

Clarity/resolution

The Huawei P30 Pro has a crazy crisp display. Just kidding, this is automated text so who knows if this screen is any good. So, you be the judge! A higher rating indicates that it's extremely sharp and clear, and that you cannot see pixels with your naked eye.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
They should have definitely gone with a 2k panel, as the display on this phone reminds me a lot of the S5 and S4 displays. Texts looks fuzzy, and the brighter the screen goes, the more you'll be able to notice the pixels, and you don't even need to look for them. Maybe my eyes got used to the sharper displays I had in the past few years, but even when compared to my last year's P20 P30, this doesn't look that good in terms of sharpness.
If you keep the phone really near your face for example when in bed or trying to read something, you will notice it.
You also noticed it when comparing some videos between this and a 2k screen. The images in this phone are very sharp, but in a bad way..
You will also notice the better battery life. It was the major negative in the specification and nearly stopped me buying the phone. But I checked out the display in the shop and I was happy with the OLED panel. Not blown away but I think the difference between this and some of the higher resolution phones is marginal. I cant see any pixels in text have changed the default size of text in the phones settings?
Wonder why be default Samsung set the Galaxy S10 to FHD+ the same as the P30?
No pixelation at all,and default settings for most of 2k phones is fhd+ resolution.
The 2k resolution is useful for VR content using cardboard or similar.
For normal eye,we can't notice any pixelation with FHD+ resolution. 2k resolution is selling point only for other phones or brand but not necessarily useful or noticable
They should give us the option to use 1440p or 1080p instead of just took it away while charging full flagship price.
You won't notice the difference at all unless comparing side by side.
Came from a pixel 2 xl and the downgrade in the screen is barely noticeable
rajziel said:
You won't notice the difference at all unless comparing side by side.
Came from a pixel 2 xl and the downgrade in the screen is barely noticeable
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pixel 2 xl screen on white was already grainy.
You can see pixels on Black text on whites for sure sure sure. The display is so bad. Compare it with any 1080p display in market. That's the only down side of this phone and also the camera hype.
I've compared to quite a few devices. The whole pixel display hysteria was a non issue with later models.
But I have access to samsung s8 and s9 and the display is not that far behind them in terms of quality. Heck I'm straining at the text as I write this and I can't make out any pixels.
Either you have a dodgy unit or seeing things.
Also the camera is pretty damn good. Got some amazing shots that is just not possible from other devices
Maher.k22 said:
They should have definitely gone with a 2k panel, as the display on this phone reminds me a lot of the S5 and S4 displays. Texts looks fuzzy, and the brighter the screen goes, the more you'll be able to notice the pixels, and you don't even need to look for them. Maybe my eyes got used to the sharper displays I had in the past few years, but even when compared to my last year's P20 P30, this doesn't look that good in terms of sharpness.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
An update on this matter after owning the phone for almost two weeks now:
I don't know if it was the tweaks I did to the screen's scaling, or the font size, or my eyes were used to 2k displays, or maybe a combination of all what I mentioned above, but I don't notice the pixels on my phone anymore, and even when I grab my wife's S10+, I don't feel like I'm looking at a much crisper screen. The S10+ still looks like the better panel imo, it feels like it's a sticker that is sitting on top of the glass, but in terms of clarity, I honestly don't see the difference as much as I did the 1st few days after I got my P30 Pro.
mathrania said:
Pixel 2 xl screen on white was already grainy.
You can see pixels on Black text on whites for sure sure sure. The display is so bad. Compare it with any 1080p display in market. That's the only down side of this phone and also the camera hype.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends which pixel 2 xl they sent you, mine is pure white and been happy with it since release, and yes the text is awful on the p30 pro, should have been a 2k screen.
Ady1976 said:
Depends which pixel 2 xl they sent you, mine is pure white and been happy with it since release, and yes the text is awful on the p30 pro, should have been a 2k screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wow i'd love to see your p30 pro panels because mine is nice and crisp.
Nothing wrong with the text
Even had comments on how good the display is from other people
rajziel said:
wow i'd love to see your p30 pro panels because mine is nice and crisp.
Nothing wrong with the text
Even had comments on how good the display is from other people
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lucky you, the one i sent back was worse clarity than my pixel 2 xl, do some research and apparently they're using 2 different panels, already can't trust a company that can't be arsed using the same **** trying to fulfill orders.
i use fhd+ resolution setting and not the smart choice(default). I m pretty satisfied with the res. FHD is enough for a screen 6-10 inches. Even in 55 4k tv's most people strungle to separate real 4k from FHD(Not me), so this is more psycological feeling than visual on phone screens. Of course side by side qhd looks crispier than fhd but not by far.
Having used many 1080p devices I found the display not seem as sharp as other 1080p devices, never mind 2k. Not sure if its because of the size or the panel. Maybe it would have been better if it was a samsung panel?
Mine is also nice and crisp, you have to change the resolution to 1080p+. Its not as sharp as the s10 but after a while not noticeable. The colours are good and outdoor visibility is great.
I cant honestly tell the difference! if it saves me battery, I am all for it!
Have used it alongside note 8 display, can't seem to find any difference. Works good for me.
Screen looks just as sharp and vibrant as my Note 9. Battery life is noticeably better than that phone though. I can't fault the decision to use a 1080p screen at all.
coming from a Note 9. I definitely see the difference. P30 Pro display is not as crisp. I agree with above that you can actually see the pixels without looking hard

Categories

Resources