US version z5 compact impressions - Xperia Z5 Compact General

Hi
I got the phone from amazon yesteday. My previous phone is z3 compact.
Build quality:
To start with fingerprint is disabled on us version. I really like the new glass material on the back when compared to my z3c. The lock/unlock button is big and pronounced and feedback is good. Over all build quality is excellent. I prefer this phone for form factor. I did not find any phone in the market nearly spec'd as this in compact size.
4/5
Display:
A part from that display is the same as z3c. No improvement at all except it is more brighter. But for some reason it feels dim under sunlight. I dont have z3c with me right now to compare. But i think z3c is a little more bright under sunlight. Other than that i hate the display. I am ok with 720p but the colors suck. Blacks are better than previous model but still have greyish tint.. Overall i hate this display.. I dont understand why sony makes such beautiful displays for TV's and worse displays on their smart phones.
2/5
Sound:
Speaker volume is tiny. Even though they are front facing volume is too low for my liking. Speaker phone volume when on calls is terrible. For the earphones its the other way round. Clarity is excellent. Sony did not include any earphones despite charging 499+tax which is a shame. I did not experience any bluetooth issues. Worked fine in my car and with my lg headset.
3/5
Performance:
I dont see noticeable improvement in performance from z3c to z5c. Apps open a tad bit faster. Ram is the same so dont except much with multitasking. It handled decent.. I see lagging and frame rate drop from time to time.. May be lollipop? Because i tested nexus 6p on marshmallow with sd810 and it flies.. Hopefully update should fix it. Also i noticed back of my phone very hot when i am restoring apps from google play after first boot.. I also feel the heat when its charging.. After that i did not feel heat again.. I dont play any games on my phone so not a deal breaker
3/5
Camera:
As sony touts, focus is very quick. But my god.. It takes forever to launch the app and take a photo.. Photo quality is decent in day light but low light it is terrible with a lot of noise. Again the same.. Sony makes some great point and shoot and DSLR cameras. Provides sensors for major manufacturers but fails with their phones.. Need major work especially with software.. I did not test video recording
3/5
Battery:
The biggest pro for this phone.. I did not have it longer to give statements but from what i see it is amazing.. Standby drain is ok.. Lost 9% over the course of 8 hours which is acceptable.. currently at 63% with 2 hrs 14 mins screen on time which is great..
5/5
Conclusion:
Overall i am disappointed with the phone. What ever it does it is just ok except for battery and build quality. Display and camera are deal breakers for me. I have the same impressions with my z3c but compact size won me over display and camera issues. After 1 year i cannot take this anymore.. 23mp camera upgrade is a dud.. same display.. bad speaker quality despite of front facing.. Some heating issues which is ok but still for a $500 phone.. With fingerprint disabled in us markets i dont see a good reason to upgrade from a z3c if you have one. If you want compact size phone with great battery , excellent build and dont mind short comings of display and camera look no further. For me sadly i will be returning this phone.
Let me know if you have any questions

Pretty fair review. I agree with all your points. The Z5 series is very disappointing, and the awful firmware doesn't help. I'm not very impressed by Sony (it's my first Sony phone) and I will probably replace my Z5 soon for something better.
Sadly, I don't think they belong in the same league as LG, Motorola, a Nexus or Samsung (despite Touchwiz). I wouldn't recommend someone to buy a Xperia over a Nexus or Galaxy. Too many issues and flaws

fair review and agree with most points..

sravanz said:
Let me know if you have any questions
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have other thoughts. IPS screen you must have grey scale issues it's just more or less, if you want true black go get an Amoled. The screen on Z5c is excellent and color is more of a personal taste, on Z5 the color style tend to the more accurate side not the eye catching one. The same on the camera color reproduction, my Z1c photo provided more vivd color and sometimes it does look better. But in fact, the Z5c color is closer to real scene.
I've heard the speaker volume is a bit lower than Z3c but the quality on Z5c should be better, more stereo output.
Marshmallow will optimize the big.Little CPU so expected speed gains later.
Camera is good within 200iso range both day and light. Low-light photo is also good but only if you manage to shoot at low ISO without OIS...lol... It real better than my Z1c at low iso but above 200iso my Z1c outperformed Z5c noticeably, I think it is a software issue waiting for 6.0 to fix the camera driver.
The official price of Z5c in Hong Kong dropped to USD460 now in all major provider channel, I think it is more valuable here.

The speaker on Z5c is great. Go to sound settings and turn on Dynamic Normaliser only. And turn off all the other settings. And you'll get great sound on speaker. It's much much better than on Z3c. Nearly as good as Boomsound and no I'm not exaggerating. Sound also depends on the app or the kind of music.
You can try the song " Diary Of Jane" by Breaking Benjamin on Youtube after setting it up like I said, to test how loud the speakers are.

TheEndHK said:
I have other thoughts. IPS screen you must have grey scale issues it's just more or less, if you want true black go get an Amoled. The screen on Z5c is excellent and color is more of a personal taste, on Z5 the color style tend to the more accurate side not the eye catching one. The same on the camera color reproduction, my Z1c photo provided more vivd color and sometimes it does look better. But in fact, the Z5c color is closer to real scene.
I've heard the speaker volume is a bit lower than Z3c but the quality on Z5c should be better, more stereo output.
Marshmallow will optimize the big.Little CPU so expected speed gains later.
Camera is good within 200iso range both day and light. Low-light photo is also good but only if you manage to shoot at low ISO without OIS...lol... It real better than my Z1c at low iso but above 200iso my Z1c outperformed Z5c noticeably, I think it is a software issue waiting for 6.0 to fix the camera driver.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand your point about deep blacks. I have seen several other screens which are not amoled and produce not only better blacks but also have a vibrant display.. I dont think iphone or htc m9 has amoled screen. I am comparing to those because for the price we are paying we should get a better quality display considering iphone 6s also has 760p screen and is better overall.. May be i prefer vibrant or saturated colors rather than real life ones as you are stating.. Even nexus 5x screen looks amazing to me and its not amoled..
For the sound as you said clarity may be good but it is very low and if you are outside you can hardly hear it..
For camera even though there is manual mode i prefer phone to handle it automatically rather than me tinkering with settings. I like how well optimized samsung's and apple's camera software.. I want to see that level of output with sony's. Sadly it is no where near it..
I havent used z1c.. From what i can see you are quite happy with the jump.. But from z3c to z5c that too us variant there is no good reason to upgrade

sravanz said:
I havent used z1c.. From what i can see you are quite happy with the jump.. But from z3c to z5c that too us variant there is no good reason to upgrade
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my experiences, Apple & HTC & LG always use top-notch LCD screen, they pretty much represented the best screen you can get on market. I've to admit Sony usually only used second grade panel but Z5c isn't bad in my opinions. There are many beautiful FHD/2K but you hardly could find one small screen 720P better with the only exception of IP6/IP6s. The official price of Z5c is USD460 now in HK and to that price level, I think worth it. Yes, I think you prefer vibrant or saturated color.
The jump from Z1c to Z5c is big enough to stay but it's a mixed result to me bcoz sometimes I also prefer more vivd color photo/video from Z1c(but overall I prefer accurate color) and 320iso started better than my Z5c, not to mention my Z1c 4K video(with 4K mod) at low-light even got better focus and quality. If Sony doesn't fix the camera in 6.0, I may sell it out and stick with Z1c and wait Z6c/Z7c.

TheEndHK said:
In my experiences, Apple & HTC & LG always use top-notch LCD screen, they pretty much represented the best screen you can get on market. I've to admit Sony usually only used second grade panel but Z5c isn't bad in my opinions. There are many beautiful FHD/2K but you hardly could find one small screen 720P better with the only exception of IP6/IP6s. The official price of Z5c is USD460 now in HK and to that price level, I think worth it. Yes, I think you prefer vibrant or saturated color.
The jump from Z1c to Z5c is big enough to stay but it's a mixed result to me bcoz sometimes I also prefer more vivd color photo/video from Z1c(but overall I prefer accurate color) and 320iso started better than my Z5c, not to mention my Z1c 4K video(with 4K mod) at low-light even got better focus and quality. If Sony doesn't fix the camera in 6.0, I may sell it out and stick with Z1c and wait Z6c/Z7c.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.. Its 499 here and with tax it came to 540 for me.. Hopefully marshmallow update should fix some of the issues.. Amazon has 30 day return policy so i will see if i get update and if it fixes camera issues.. i might keep it

Sadman Khan said:
The speaker on Z5c is great. Go to sound settings and turn on Dynamic Normaliser only. And turn off all the other settings. And you'll get great sound on speaker. It's much much better than on Z3c. Nearly as good as Boomsound and no I'm not exaggerating. Sound also depends on the app or the kind of music.
You can try the song " Diary Of Jane" by Breaking Benjamin on Youtube after setting it up like I said, to test how loud the speakers are.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It did sound good.. My issue is with watching videos with people talking and listening podcasts..

sravanz said:
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.. Its 499 here and with tax it came to 540 for me.. Hopefully marshmallow update should fix some of the issues.. Amazon has 30 day return policy so i will see if i get update and if it fixes camera issues.. i might keep it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wow it's freaky expensive 540, no wonder you are unhappy. It's only 460 here no tax and small retailers may even sell a bit lower but no return policy.

TheEndHK said:
wow it's freaky expensive 540, no wonder you are unhappy. It's only 460 here no tax and small retailers may even sell a bit lower but no return policy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see a lot of listings on ebay for international version around 430 and no tax but problem is no returns and no warranty

sravanz said:
It did sound good.. My issue is with watching videos with people talking and listening podcasts..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-z5/themes-apps/split-thread-soundmod-xperia-z5-project-t3255636
I think sound mod might be able to fix your issue but you got to root your phone to void the warranty.
---------- Post added at 02:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:24 PM ----------
sravanz said:
I see a lot of listings on ebay for international version around 430 and no tax but problem is no returns and no warranty
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
460 here comes with warranty.

TheEndHK said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-z5/themes-apps/split-thread-soundmod-xperia-z5-project-t3255636
I think sound mod might be able to fix your issue but you got to root your phone to void the warranty.
---------- Post added at 02:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:24 PM ----------
460 here comes with warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If unlock bootloader i think i will lose drm keys which makes camera even worse and no warranty so not gonna do that right now.. thanks

sravanz said:
It did sound good.. My issue is with watching videos with people talking and listening podcasts..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What podcast app do you use? If you use Pocket Casts, there's a feature that's kind of hidden away that boosts the volume substantially. You have to play an episode of a podcast, and bring up the control screen (the screen where you would skip back or skip forward the audio). On the bottom left hand corner should be what looks like a dial. If you click on it, you should get an option to "Volume Boost" that you can click on. Made a huge difference for me.

Adrift98 said:
What podcast app do you use? If you use Pocket Casts, there's a feature that's kind of hidden away that boosts the volume substantially. You have to play an episode of a podcast, and bring up the control screen (the screen where you would skip back or skip forward the audio). On the bottom left hand corner should be what looks like a dial. If you click on it, you should get an option to "Volume Boost" that you can click on. Made a huge difference for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes i use pocketcasts.. will try that.. thanks for the tip

sravanz said:
If unlock bootloader i think i will lose drm keys which makes camera even worse and no warranty so not gonna do that right now.. thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Been used DRM patch for 2~3 weeks on my z5c.

I've been debating weather I want to go back to the z5c. (had one but sold to try the 5x) Is there any real reason to buy the US version over the UK version besides warranty? I'd buy the UK model to save for sure.
*edit.. Sorry don't mean to hijack your thread but I would love an answer
Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

Notchr302 said:
I've been debating weather I want to go back to the z5c. (had one but sold to try the 5x) Is there any real reason to buy the US version over the UK version besides warranty? I'd buy the UK model to save for sure.
*edit.. Sorry don't mean to hijack your thread but I would love an answer
Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-z5/general/e6653-flash-e6603-firmware-enable-t3307158
It's very easy to enable fingerprint sensor without root and void warranty on US Z5, I think it's just same on US Z5c.

sravanz said:
Hi
Camera:
As sony touts, focus is very quick. But my god.. It takes forever to launch the app and take a photo.. Photo quality is decent in day light but low light it is terrible with a lot of noise. Again the same.. Sony makes some great point and shoot and DSLR cameras. Provides sensors for major manufacturers but fails with their phones.. Need major work especially with software.. I did not test video recording
3/5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you let us know which firmware version is running on your Z5c? On my phone with firmware 32.0.A.6.200 (unlocked German version) the camera app starts up quickly when I firmly push the camera button. Also starting the app from the app drawer doesn't show noticeable delays. Maybe an update will resolve (some) of your issues.

I agree with:
- Build quality.
- Performance
-Camera: I'd rest 1 more point; 2/5 in total because I don't like the FoV of this camera and the minimum focus distance of 12mm, bad for really close close-ups. Obviously, considering the price of the phone. As you said, photos under a LOT of light are fine). I really don't like the camera of this phone is my biggest disappointment.
- Battery
I disagree with:
> Display: for me it's fine, 4/5 or 5/5. I'm happy with it (except for the Auto Brightness bug), I love the idea of a 720p screen with 2015 hardware (I know you didn't complain about the resolution), battery and performance is incredible thanks to this resolution and DPI settings. Brightness is high enough for me under the sun. They should tweak a little more the auto brightness levels in dark rooms.
> Sound: I don't care too much about, I mean, speaker is hi enough. It's stereo. Sound is fine for games and some quick videos. Not good for music, like any small speaker. But I never use small speakers for that. Maybe not a 5/5 but 4/5 would be my score.
One important point is the time to update after a new version is released. Sony has a 0/5 in that. At least for the Z5 line.
If I were you I'd enable the fingerprint sensor. But if you need to open the bootloader I'd wait some more time before do it.

Related

Rate your Xperia Z

This is for owners only, if you don't have a Z dont rate it.
So guys, since a lot of people have received their Xperia Z, rate your Z
1- Poor
2- Average
3 -Good
4- Very Good
5- Excellent
Also justify your rating. You can add a mini review too. :good:
P.S. I have not included a poll as then all the trolls would vote which will make no sense.
SEFanX10i said:
This is for owners only, if you don't have a Z dont rate it.
So guys, since a lot of people have received their Xperia Z, rate your Z
1- Poor
2- Average
3 -Good
4- Very Good
5- Excellent
Also justify your rating. You can add a mini review too. :good:
P.S. I have not included a poll as then all the trolls would vote which will make no sense.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd rate mine excellent.
Its fast, slightly laggier than my Nexus 4, has better volume in headphones and better music quality too, camera is hit and miss but has the potential to be better than sgs3 camera. Speaker and ear piece could be clearer and louder, screen is not as good as Nexus 4 but is very crisp, just not as bright and a little more washed out. The Brava engine makes things a little too dark and too blue for my liking but I can live with it.
Overal an update to improve camera performance and possibly to add screen adjustments would be a welcome addition but overall I'm happier with it.than my Nexus. Now to compare it with One when that comes out as the one will.have much better speakers, a better screen and seems to have a much better design.
SEFanX10i said:
This is for owners only, if you don't have a Z dont rate it.
So guys, since a lot of people have received their Xperia Z, rate your Z
1- Poor
2- Average
3 -Good
4- Very Good
5- Excellent
Also justify your rating. You can add a mini review too. :good:
P.S. I have not included a poll as then all the trolls would vote which will make no sense.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
5 for sure!
coming from a xperia s its a big improvement!
the camera is awesome and music quality in AUX or headphones --- F'in Awesome!
the supplied headphones are rocking!
that was my justification
and it does not lag at all for me!
heats a bit but thats ohkay!
5
The only problem is the screen in bright sun.
But that is not a serious issue for me.
Sent from my C6602 using xda app-developers app
4 because of the battery melt like a butter
sorry to be politicaly right (as a sony funb) 4.5
I rate it 2
Plus : Very good materials und Body
Fast
Minus :
1-Screen very bad (not sharp)
2-Battery life is very bad
3-Sound quality ist a disaster
wait for S4
zakwak said:
I rate it 2
Plus : Very good materials und Body
Fast
Minus :
1-Screen very bad (not sharp)
2-Battery life is very bad
3-Sound quality ist a disaster
wait for S4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you don't have one do you?
I rate it 4 maybe 4.5
but best phone I ever had, but ergonomics could be better among other small things
zakwak said:
I rate it 2
Plus : Very good materials und Body
Fast
Minus :
1-Screen very bad (not sharp)
2-Battery life is very bad
3-Sound quality ist a disaster
wait for S4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
spot the samsung troll.
bet he doesn't even have a XZ!
samxool said:
spot the samsung troll.
bet he doesn't even have a XZ!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the Xperia Z but it does not mean that i have to rate it good, i just wrote my opinion about it , may you tell me how long you can let the screen on? it is like a monster, can you compare it with Note 2 ? no comparison at all !!!
zakwak said:
I have the Xperia Z but it does not mean that i have to rate it good, i just wrote my opinion about it , may you tell me how long you can let the screen on? it is like a monster, can you compare it with Note 2 ? no comparison at all !!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
of course the battery is not as good as the note 2, but than again my tablet has better battery life than the note 2.
Anyway saying that the screen is not sharp is total BS unless it is a languages problem and you are trying to say something else. Same go's for sound quality BTW
stefanve said:
of course the battery is not as good as the note 2, but than again my tablet has better battery life than the note 2.
Anyway saying that the screen is not sharp is total BS unless it is a languages problem and you are trying to say something else. Same go's for sound quality BTW
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel the Screen is washed out, is not Colourful like the Amoled ones especially if you do not look direkt to it , i like the device but i hoped to get something better !
Sony did a good job but not Perfect !!
zakwak said:
I feel the Screen is washed out, is not Colourful like the Amoled ones especially if you do not look direkt to it , i like the device but i hoped to get something better !
Sony did a good job but not Perfect !!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
aha okay that's something different than sharp yup coming from amoled every thing looks washed out, but Amoled has unnatural colors, so I think in some days, if you still use the z, you will come to appreciate the more natural color reproduction , your eyes have to get used to it.
5. Or perhaps 4.5 as the battery isn't the best, so rating it full marks would be a little unjust. But everything else is all I want in a phone. Zero complaints so far, only bags of joy!
So far I rate it 4.5. Not getting any lag, any of the battery drain issues some are reporting and screen colours more than adequate. Speaker position is arse but sound is okay for my use.
Just upgraded from an S2 and not missing it at all. Will be happier still when root without unlocked bootloader is achieved.
Had the phone since Friday morning, 3 out of 5 for me.
Good point:
Good camera, went to London zoo on Sunday. Took over 300 pictures with different settings and light conditions. Pictures are very good for a phone even with digital zoom.
Battery life is good on par with high end smartphones.
Example:
Left the house at 10:30,
In zoo between 11:30 to 18:00, taken over 300 pictures.
Using GPS for 30 mins navigate to restaurant on public transport while sorting photos during the journey.
Battery around 30% left in restaurant.
Sorting photos on the way home on the underground for 50mins.
Battery almost dead at home around 11pm.
Battery had 2 full cycles before visiting the zoo. Customized stamina and low battery mod was on. Brightness was on auto with max 75% using Lux.
Bad point:
Take away 1 point for the washed out screen.
No matter if it bothers users or not. The viewing angle is not good enough for a 2013 flagship device from a major company.
Take 0.5 point for build quality.
There is a small gap on the left hand side of the phone around nail width that is not present on the right hand side.
Normally this could be fine, but not for a water resistant phone (thinking send it back).
Speaker volume is too low to hear out and about.
WIFI is slow, around 10mpbs down, other devices between 22 to 30mbps down.
software -0.5 point:
There is no clear all apps in the multi task menu, which makes clear all apps very tedious.
No notification LED with stamina mode (can't wast that much battery)
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app
First of all I am not a troll and certainly not a samsung one as samsung are crap end of that! For me the only real manufacturers of phones are HTC & SONY but that doesn't mean I am biased to those OEMs because If they do something stupid or make what I feel are wrong moves or no improvements then I am going to critisize it.
I haven't got an xperia z (my friend does though) but was going to get one until I saw the HTC one. I have had a chance to use the phone for a pre longed period of time
I would say maybe a 3.5 - 4
Plus sides:
Design/look
screen
Audio is good and loud enough, especially with beats solo or over head headphones.
camera is very good but does sometimes have a pinkish hue on things that are red
video audio is good
the UI and keyboard
internet speed
call quality/loudness is good
phone is generally smooth
able to take pics or record video or both, watch videos + take screen shots all when in a phone call (only other phones that can do this are HTC phones)
Minus sides:
while far better than xperia s/t after playing with it for a while it lacks the wow, that i gained when i first played with it
the edges are sharp
Some phones aswell have gaps between the screen and edge of the phone.
loud speaker is good only in quiet environments
videos can loose sharpness at times and I don't mean in low light I mean in the daytime and colours a bit off sometimes.
battery life isn't as good as I thought it was going to be (wasn't expecting anything note 2 like here, which would be stupid)
camera auto focus even in superior auto mode still has that nagging slow focusing at times
Overall it is a very good phone but not one I feel that is worth £500 or £500+.
Infact I don't think I have played with or had any phone that is worth over £400. Also if the rumours about the C670x are to be true and coming out in july, I feel that is a proper kick in the teeth for those who have actually just bought the phone for £500 or £500 plus because imo it means SONY feel that the xperia z isn't the best they could of offered to customers.
Also if this new phone does have a s600 processor, seeing as the HTC One has the same processor and is due out next week, sony could have delayed the Z a little an used a s600 processor.
Guys wait like 2 or 3 weeks to say battery life is bad.. It was the same with XS amd XU, battery life was bad first 2 - 3 weeks.
And the screen is sharp for me and everyone I know, so I don't really get the point of washed out. Colors may be different and viewing angle is not the best, but I don't think you can say it isn't sharp when just looking directly at it.
And one thing I'll probably never understand is why people complain about viewing angles lately, a phone is to be used by looking straight at the screen as far as I know. I really don't get it why one would look from an angle of even 50 or 60 degrees towards your phone.
I'd rate it 4/5
Good development support from Sony and I know some good stuff is coming with the 4.2.2 update
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app
krabappel2548 said:
And one thing I'll probably never understand is why people complain about viewing angles lately, a phone is to be used by looking straight at the screen as far as I know. I really don't get it why one would look from an angle of even 50 or 60 degrees towards your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For one thing, we like to compare our phone to other high end smartphones. So compared to other LCD phones such as iPhone, HTC One, and Nexus 4, the Z have the worst viewing angle.
For another, the screen start to wash out around 30 degrees. A 5 inch screen is big enough to be viewed by more than one person. For example, two people sitting next to each other and view photos on the phone will not see the exact same image as I found out yesterday.
The fact is the screen viewing angle is on a level of mid range phone and worse than other high end phones, which will be noticed by majority of users.
stefanve said:
aha okay that's something different than sharp yup coming from amoled every thing looks washed out, but Amoled has unnatural colors, so I think in some days, if you still use the z, you will come to appreciate the more natural color reproduction , your eyes have to get used to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly, I feel that people are spoiled with amoled colors thinking they look good but do not consider the fact that they are unnatural colors and are way oversaturated.
I rate my XZ a 5 - Excellent!
Coming from the Galaxy Note N7000 this phone is a bit smaller but that's not a bad thing.
I'm also coming from an AMOLED screen but you don't hear my bichin about it. The people who are complaining should try doing these things themselves I bet they talk different then.
In the end you won't use the phone your whole life, every few years or so you will switch to another phone, so it doesn't really matter if the phone isn't perfect. Your live isn't perfect never will be, the same goes for the phones, there will always be something to "cry" about.

This phone is really fantastic!

I was little bit skeptical before buying this phone, but I have it now for few days and all has been great. The build quality is OK, even with those plastic edges, and I really like the simplistic design. I can imagine this phone lasting me for about 4-5 years!
It's fast and it's responsiveness is insane! For all the people who can't decide because of some bad experience of some users here, they are just a small fraction and there are thousands of happy owners of this beauty...
Only two things than can be improved is the storage capacity (only 16gb) and the overheating (this phone can get really hot), otherwise it's all great...
This is my small review of the features of the phone.
design: 10/10 (this design is timeless)
build quality: 9/10 (much better than I was expecting)
performance: 10/10 (can't be better)
battery life: 10/10 (about 7 hours on display)
display: 8/10 (the white balance is not perfect)
camera: 8/10 (photos are not the best, video quality is amazing)
audio quality 10/10 (it's awesome for listening to mp3 albums)
speakers: 8/10 (loud enough, not the best quality)
system UI: 10/10 (just great)
texting/calling/signal: 10/10 (no problems at all)
overall: 9.5/10 ...best phone I've ever had!
Thanks Sony, you did it!
Mine doesn't get hot. A little warm when it's working hard, but temps are very manageable.
It is a great device though.
Continue : my small review ( I had / Have a Moto G before )
design: 9/10 nice, but very 1990's
build quality: 8/10 feels fragile , plastic sides not wonderful
performance: 10/10 (can't be better)
battery life: 10/10 it goes on and on and on on
display: 8/10 not as good as some other "flagship " phones out there
camera: 9/10 all good so far , have three camera apps , google and stock is best so far
audio quality 9/10 , it has a equalizer , and can be tweaked , out of the box , not bad
speakers: 8/10 (loud enough, not the best quality)
system UI: 9/10 Not 5.0
texting/calling/signal: 9/10 sound a bit muffled ... water proofing etc
Linking with my Sony TV 10/10 seamless
overall: 8.5/10 can it beat my desire ??? so far its giving it a good go !
I am currently with MOTO G .There is a serious improvement? after
You buy Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
I love this phone too. I pair my my ANT+ strap and go out running, i take a lot o photos and i like to install many apps that make my life better. This phone never gives up whatever i do and it's unbelievable the potentials that it has for its small size. It's the phone of the decade for me!
New Sony fanboy here. I love this little powerhouse!
Sent from my D5803 using xda-developers.com, powered by appyet.com
amos700 said:
I am currently with MOTO G .There is a serious improvement? after
You buy Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My gf has the Moto g. On paper it's a serious improvement. However the Moto g is a great phone. If it's truly an improvement, depends on your personal needs. If you want specific comparisons based on your needs, ask away.
Sometimes i think my Z3c has a Ghost Touch problem. Anyone else?
I have read on Reddit and a few other places where Z3C users are not getting text and mms messages and sometimes can not get calls.
Are these people who are trying to use the wrong version
on USA Carriers instead of D 5803 ?
With the power of the Compact, how is it working as a Phone/Mini Computer?
Are you guys able to make clear audible Speakerphone calls?
Can you put 6 photos together in a slideshow and adjust timing of each slide ?
Can you easily type a Proposal in Desktop Gmail and send it
with photos and attachments ?
Problems, issues ?
Thanks.
williamgrant said:
Sometimes i think my Z3c has a Ghost Touch problem. Anyone else?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It has a very sensitive touch screen, although that's mitigated somewhat by having a screen protector.
I've had the phone for a few weeks now and it's been pretty good. The one feature I had high hopes for, however, is proving to be an increasing disappointment -- the camera. Between the pink spot, awful white balance, often weird choice of settings in auto mode, and different features for different resolutions, the camera is proving to be inconsistent and infuriating in equal measure. I'm jealous of my GF's iPhone camera, which just works consistently all the time. Need a quick photo with the Z3c in auto mode? Just be prepared for the lottery of whether it turns out blurry, pink, noisy or OK.
Yeah the camera is particularly awful... They should have stuck to a simple UI too, instead of having 20 different photo modes, none of which are straightforward. I actually use Google camera, way better in its ergonomics... The most impressive thing i find about this phone is its battery life and Sony's software effort on Stamina mode. Screen white balance is utterly random across devices (I've tried 3 different z3c's...) which doesn't fit the quality effort from Sony's on its screen...
amos700 said:
I am currently with MOTO G .There is a serious improvement? after
You buy Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have / had a moto g . the difference is chalk and cheese! You have a good phone but very cheap against a flagship phone... Well worth the move , loads of videos on you tube , comparing them both
phentex said:
Yeah the camera is particularly awful... They should have stuck to a simple UI too, instead of having 20 different photo modes, none of which are straightforward. I actually use Google camera, way better in its ergonomics... The most impressive thing i find about this phone is its battery life and Sony's software effort on Stamina mode. Screen white balance is utterly random across devices (I've tried 3 different z3c's...) which doesn't fit the quality effort from Sony's on its screen...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you go in and disable the various camera mode in your apps list they will not show up in the camera UI... makes things look a whole lot cleaner and if I ever want to play around with elves I can just enable the particular plugin.
On a side note the Manual mode can take some seriously impressive pictures. Been comparing the Z3c to my wife's Canon XTI DSLR and its really remarkable how good the little sony cam is. They do need a better white balance adjustment option. Colors also seem to come out a bit bluish on some of the pics for some reason. Still need to play around with a few different cam apps to see if that fixes things.
Cronis said:
If you go in and disable the various camera mode in your apps list they will not show up in the camera UI... makes things look a whole lot cleaner and if I ever want to play around with elves I can just enable the particular plugin.
On a side note the Manual mode can take some seriously impressive pictures. Been comparing the Z3c to my wife's Canon XTI DSLR and its really remarkable how good the little sony cam is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can take impressive photos in good light, but Sony's infamous noise reduction/detail-smearing jpeg processing can also sometimes do a number on low-light photos (I took a photo in manual of a menu last night, for example, and the color of some of the text was smeared nicely into the surrounding white). But it's the auto mode lottery that annoys me the most and the auto mode is the one I tend to use the most with the dedicated shutter button. I really hope Sony fixes this in the next update. Yes, battery life is phenomenal, but I'd happily trade that for a decent camera. Plugging a phone in to recharge once a day is tolerable and easy to get used to. Having a photo you just took of a unique moment in time turn out a blurry, pink-tinged mess gets annoying very fast.
The Superior Auto mode will be improved for Z3c after the update to Android 5.0 like as it did for Z2 after the update to 4.4.4.
Katsigaros said:
The Superior Auto mode will be improved for Z3c after the update to Android 5.0 like as it did for Z2 after the update to 4.4.4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i dont believe till see it...
"Inferior Auto" will likely become slightly less inferior with the next update, but I'm not holding my breath that it will ever live up to the "Superior" moniker. Meanwhile we have a few more months of crappy photos to tolerate :crying:
Not sure why people bash this phones Camera so much. Maybe a skill issue? yes its not the type of cam you can just whip out and take great shots with(like an Iphone 5/6 or S5), but it does reward a little research/learning immensely. I would be willing to bet most people seeing a lineup of pictures taken by a reasonably skilled photographer using a Iphone 5/6 S5 G3 and Z3c could not accurately pick out the individual phones pics.
The main fault I have found with this cam is the bluish tint that seems to come out when using the auto white balance. Its hard to adjust, because the other white balance options in manual mode tend to make the pics too red or yellow. I will try playing around with other cam apps to see if I can improve things. Any recomendations on camera apps? I have heard good things about Camera FV-5.
Either way I don't mind all the complaining too much... if it gets Sony in a tizzy to get their cam software improved all the better for us!
I will say this thing blows my OG Moto X out of the water for quality of pics in virtually any setting.
Any tips for taking good pics then?
Im finding the camera appalling, the other day it was just overwhelmed by light and incredibly blurry, seriously it was like having a Motorola Razr all over again, tried taking it outside and it was exactly the same. Then 2 hours later it was back to being just mediocre. Very weird.
Cronis said:
Not sure why people bash this phones Camera so much. Maybe a skill issue? yes its not the type of cam you can just whip out and take great shots with(like an Iphone 5/6 or S5), but it does reward a little research/learning immensely. I would be willing to bet most people seeing a lineup of pictures taken by a reasonably skilled photographer using a Iphone 5/6 S5 G3 and Z3c could not accurately pick out the individual phones pics.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a phone, not an SLR! I expect the majority of people (me included) simply want to use it as a simple point and shoot, which it's really not very good for that. Sure, if I find myself without my SLR gear and have the time to take a higher-quality pic then the manual mode can be good. But as a basic phone camera for quick, on-the-go photos, it's often appalling.
As for other camera apps... I've tried FV-5, and it offers almost too many options (it can also be unstable.... it kept crashing on my Nexus 4). ProCapture is another good option and I also quite like Open Camera. I'm still trying to work out if any of them do better in auto mode than the Sony software.

Moving from Sony Xperia Z2/Z3 to Galaxy S6 - your feedback

Hi Boys and Girls!
It's been a while since I last posted on XDA, maybe since I have been very content of my Z2 which was ticking almost all of my requirements. This phone is ALMOST all I need - legendary battery life, good camera, waterproofness, stereo speakers and so much more.
I want to upgrade and S6 is one of the options - others being considered are Galaxy S6 Active, Xperia Z4 later this year.
I would like to hear opinions from those of you who made the switch and it would be great if you gave some comparison on the following:
- Camera quality,
- Screen quality (sun legibility),
- Speaker LOUDNESS,
- Battery life.
My biggest worry is battery life. I know that Z2 has almost 25% more battery capacity, but Samsung has more energy efficient elements so really curious how this looks from your personal experience.
Any feedback from you and examples (your usage Z2 vs usage on S6) would be really appreciated!
Do you regret and if yes/no - why?
Already have forum.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3043183
Moved to S6 from which device & why
Read forum rules and do use search..
Sent from my SM-G900F using XDA Free mobile app
That topic is garbage, not only opinions but much off topic.
I am targeting this to more specific user group so no, don't think I have violated any rules and I have done search...
valdigre said:
That topic is garbage, not only opinions but much off topic.
I am targeting this to more specific user group so no, don't think I have violated any rules and I have done search...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree.
I had a Z2 then went to a Z3 C and then to a OPO and then to a SGS 6.
I much prefer the SGS 6 over any of the other devices.
For the sake of this topic I will compare it directly to the Z3C.
- Camera quality
SGS 6 hands down kicks the arse off of the Z3 C.. I believe the sensor on the Z3 is capable of competing with the SGS 6 but the processing done on the SGS 6 is unbelievably gorgeous, plus the 1.9 aperture really REALLY helps it out a lot. Oh and the pink spot issue was ridiculously bad as well.
Best camera in a mobile device. Simply as that.
- Screen quality (sun legibility)
Never had any dramas with the Z3 C in this regard, but the SGS 6 is marvellous in sunlight.. The Super AMOLED screen simply cannot be beaten in any way shape or form.
- Speaker LOUDNESS
Plenty loud enough, when I first got it and copied some music across I started listening to it (couple slider notches from maximum) and it was heaps loud enough while sitting at my desk. My ringtone volume and message tone sits at 3 notches from maximum and I can easily hear it across the house. Even while using my electric shaver! Plus the sound quality is spectacular.. By far the best I have ever heard on a mobile. HTC can bite it.
- Battery life.
The only point of the SGS 6 that isn't spectacular.
Medium usage it will last a full day easily enough, in fact I'd say the only time you'd have trouble with the battery not lasting a full day is if you were heavily gaming all day.
It really is not bad at all. It will easily get you a full day and two days light usage and Coming from an OPO that is a pretty strong opinion.
To be honest, I've owned an arse load of devices and have used/tested so many I can't even remember half of them and this device blows them all out of the water, it has every good quality you could possibly want from a device. The lack of removable storage I don't care about (OTG EXISTS PEOPLE!! AND ITS FASTER AND CHEAPER THAN MICROSD!!!) the lack of battery I don't care about, it's plenty enough for me. Buy a portable battery pack if you're paranoid or need to be out of electric power point range for a week.
I went off Samsung because I didn't like the whole plastic casing design choice, and I am glad to say I am back on the bandwagon with this beautiful device
By the way.. The Xperia devices are significantly let down by the lack of hardware buttons. Really pisses me off having such a nice large screen and having a chunk of that taken away with terrible soft keys.
I currently have a Z2, and I am almost certainly going to jump to the S6. Probably solely for the camera. The Z2 never really seemed to fulfill it's potential camera-wise. It takes aaaaaages for the thing to focus - a toddler will only sit still for so long!. The video is also a bit disappointing on it - it's a bit too mushy (not sharp enough) even in good light. The software stabillisation really helps eliminate handshake for videos, but again, it adds to the mushyness of the image.
Although, really well made, it's also a bit too blocky. I think the S6 looks about the right size and shape.
I will miss the battery though, which is fantastic - I still can't believe sometimes how much juice is left at the end of the day.
le_lutin said:
I currently have a Z2, and I am almost certainly going to jump to the S6. Probably solely for the camera. The Z2 never really seemed to fulfill it's potential camera-wise. It takes aaaaaages for the thing to focus - a toddler will only sit still for so long!. The video is also a bit disappointing on it - it's a bit too mushy (not sharp enough) even in good light. The software stabillisation really helps eliminate handshake for videos, but again, it adds to the mushyness of the image.
Although, really well made, it's also a bit too blocky. I think the S6 looks about the right size and shape.
I will miss the battery though, which is fantastic - I still can't believe sometimes how much juice is left at the end of the day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha yeah the blockiness was absurd! Forgot about that!
It was like carrying a thin brick in your pocket.
Now this is what I am talking about!
Thanks people and keep it comming!
Batter life worries me. If you get a full day of medium usage and end up with <10% battery life then in the long term, this will not be good for the battery... This stops me from going for it... Still thinking
Stevles said:
Haha yeah the blockiness was absurd! Forgot about that!
It was like carrying a thin brick in your pocket.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stevles,
Do you have any feel for how it captures images of people in less than ideal light? I'm thinking specifically about taking photos of my kids indoors.
I remember I had a G2 a while back and it was TERRIBLE at this. Because it had OIS, the camera would always keep the shutter open way too long to let more light in. The downside of this is of course that any movement resulted in a blurry mess. Z2 is better at this, but still not very good.
le_lutin said:
Stevles,
Do you have any feel for how it captures images of people in less than ideal light? I'm thinking specifically about taking photos of my kids indoors.
I remember I had a G2 a while back and it was TERRIBLE at this. Because it had OIS, the camera would always keep the shutter open way too long to let more light in. The downside of this is of course that any movement resulted in a blurry mess. Z2 is better at this, but still not very good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah the shutter speed goes to around 1/10 in low-light. Highly recommended to switch to "pro" and manually adjust the shutter speed to around 1/30 - 1/50 while keeping the rest of the "pro" settings on auto to account for it automatically. It will result in slightly noisier pictures but at least they won't be fully blurry like auto mode provides in fast-pace low-light situations.
Ultimately, best bet would be to either a) use flash b) pro mode with manual shutter speed c) Sony A7S (current low-light king MILC costing around $2600AUD)
With the SGS6 it will let you either use tracking focus OR Optical image stabilization, not both at the same time. Although I'm pretty sure that only effects the video taking, not 100% sure.
I'm sure you'll work something out
I think anyone coming from a z3c will be massively spoiled by its battery life. Its a freak. My s6 battery is average tbh but it's super fast and the camera is awesome. Sammy cam and picture software is really on point here
Stevles said:
Yeah the shutter speed goes to around 1/10 in low-light. Highly recommended to switch to "pro" and manually adjust the shutter speed to around 1/30 - 1/50 while keeping the rest of the "pro" settings on auto to account for it automatically. It will result in slightly noisier pictures but at least they won't be fully blurry like auto mode provides in fast-pace low-light situations.
Ultimately, best bet would be to either a) use flash b) pro mode with manual shutter speed c) Sony A7S (current low-light king MILC costing around $2600AUD)
With the SGS6 it will let you either use tracking focus OR Optical image stabilization, not both at the same time. Although I'm pretty sure that only effects the video taking, not 100% sure.
I'm sure you'll work something out
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The s6 has two types of stabilisation: OIS which is mechanical and you can't turn off. This used for photo and video. The second is EIS (electronic image stabilisation) which is software stabilisation and can be turned off. This is only for video. Both can be used together for video. EIS is type is the one that can't be used with tracking focus, but the camera is still using OIS (as it isn't something you can switch off).
Apologies if you knew all this already.
le_lutin said:
The s6 has two types of stabilisation: OIS which is mechanical and you can't turn off. This used for photo and video. The second is EIS (electronic image stabilisation) which is software stabilisation and can be turned off. This is only for video. Both can be used together for video. EIS is type is the one that can't be used with tracking focus, but the camera is still using OIS (as it isn't something you can switch off).
Apologies if you knew all this already.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah that makes sense, thanks. Knew there was something a bit "this sounds wrong" about my post lol
I owned z3 since its release although sold it two moth ago and got s6 last week. I can say this, s6 is vastly superior in every aspect except the battery life. You can really tweak z3 setting and that battery would last two days easy.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I mostly agree with everything that was already said. Battery life is far from equivalent to the z3c. Also I should mention size and one hand usability in favor of the Sony. Also another missed function that Samsung just doesnt want to implement is Tap to unlock the screen. I dont really use the photos on the laptop screen, so from a small screen point of view I sometimes liked the photos of the z3c more that those of the S6. Colors combinations and the final result was more eye pleasant for me on the z3c (many times). Sure S6 has a great overall camera.
Lack of microsd is annoying, but I solved it with OTG.
I still have both because I cracked the screen on the Z3 and I won't sell it until I get it repaired. But my opinion pretty much reflects what everyone else said.
The S6 does pretty much everything better except for battery life.
I love the fingerprint scanner. Way easier than having to use lock pattern or password.
I tested the speaker with the same youtube video and the S6 was actually louder. But the Z3 sounds better when you're watching something that pans from left or right.
Interesting, z3 louder than S6?
My z2 seems very quiet in comparison to other phones. My gf's 2013 motto g seems louder on 50 percent than z2 on 90 percent... No comparison with z3, maybe they actually made it louder.
I am also really tempted to wait on z4 but I have this bad feeling that nothing will change in terms of camera software and screen... Also worried about overheating snapdragon.
I guess z4 will not beat s6 in those regards and as you said, s6 is better in everything but battery...
If I only knew when S6 active is released and will it have better battery and same screen and camera...
Was just going through some videos I took recently with my Z2 and remembered another issue: the autofocus during video capture is diabolical. It's either out of focus or constantly going in and out of focus. It really affects the watchability of the recorded videos.
le_lutin said:
Was just going through some videos I took recently with my Z2 and remembered another issue: the autofocus during video capture is diabolical. It's either out of focus or constantly going in and out of focus. It really affects the watchability of the recorded videos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point. I noticed this as well, especially in worse lighting.
I've only owned my S6 for about 8 hours, but compared to my Z3,it blows it out the water. The only thing I preferred on the Z3 is the mostly stock Android UI, and the battery life. The camera on the s6 is crazy good. When you take a picture of say a cat or a dog, the amount of detail it picks up is amazing. My Z3 took some really nice pictures when the lighting was nice and sunny, but it was very inconsistent. The S6 is better in every condition by far. .
Display wise, the Z3 has a very bluish white balance, while the S6 is warmer. I haven't directly compared brightness yet but they both get bright enough in direct sunlight. The S6 kills it when it comes to resolution, and also them gorgeous deep blacks. The S6 display is easily the best display on any smartphone that I've ever seen. But that's not to say the Z3 has a bad display, it just isn't as good when directly compared.
Build quality, I would say they're both really nice, and I'm hesitant to give the win to either of them.
Ergonomics go to the S6. It's a smaller size, and just feels better in the hand as opposed to the square shape of the Z3. They're both quite slippery though.
Performance goes to the S6,but not by much. My Z3 was no slouch, and never lagged, but the S6 does seem faster by a little, and the animations are smoother more often.
Overall I would say the S6 is definitely the better phone. But if battery life is very important to you, and you really do prefer stock android to Touchwiz, then the Z3 is the better option. Honestly though, they're both awesome phones, and the only massive difference is the camera, and the S6 is noticeably better.
I came from an Xperia Z2 and the camera on this S6 is 1000x better. The focusing is fast and the pictures are sharp even in low light. The slow focusing speed on my Z2 drove me insane...

24 Hrs with the Z5 Prem.. Initial Impressions..

Hey all
Just got my Z5 Prem Chrome yesterday (unlocked and Unbranded, but on O2 UK) and I wanted to give my first impressions...
On set up I logged onto Wifi and downloaded MM 6.0 (build 163) so I cant comment on 511.
The screen is Gorgeous, I have it set round about 50 - 60% and in daylight.. I can see it fine, Sunlight.. well every phone struggles in bright Sunlight.
Music Player has an awesome and quite cool UI, sounds Great through the Speakers but can distort if set too loud.. but I used to own an M8 then an M9.. so Im a little bit spoiled by them... The speaker audio lacks the bass and fullness of the M9, but to me the Z5s sound sweeter and more musical than the M9s, but I reckon the Z5 issue maybe the weterproofing membrane they put on the Z5 speakers.. but theyre still good and a joy to listen too.
But where true quality lies is in the Headphones.. and man.. Is the sound amazing in headphones... and this is where you know you have a Walkman.. Wow.. blew my mind and blows away any phone or Ive ever used including the 24-bit G4 and M9. Ive tried both a set of LG Quadbeat 3s and Sennheiser 400s.
And now for the major question.. and thankfully.. Yes the Camera is good, in fact it can be truely awesome... coming from a G4,. I can see how the G4 over-sharpened and over-processed its images, but the Z5 has a fantastic colour reproduction and accurate white balance. Lack of OIS isnt a big issue Ive found.. the images arent over sharpened and do have a "realness" to them.. they arent as "sharp and crispy"" as the G4 or S6 but this is a good thing and the camera can turn out some beautiful shots.
One thing I will say about "Auto Mode", part of the reason for the softness, especially when zooming in is that the camera tends to set the ISO very low... even as low as 40, probably in order to combat noise... but this has an opposite effect as well.. in that it softens the image right down, this is something to be aware of as some people like crispy images and can give the impression of the camera under performing. In order to combat this.. Use Manual mode and set your ISO manually.
For everyday use 8Mpx is great and strangely enough... theres not that big a jump between 8 and 20mpx,, but the difference is there. One thing i did find with the camera is it can over-expose alot of the time.. but using Manual Mode and dropping the EV down half a stop (0 - 0.5) or even a full stop (0 - -1) fixes this.
Also, unlike the standard Z5, the Prem model, at least mine anyway, doesnt suffer from the poor camera quality alot of forum threads have mentioned.
Im still on my first battery charge after 24 hrs (Im a light to mod user), but as with all new phones.. the battery needs 1-2 full cycles to fully "wake up", but so far Im quite pleased with it.
So im very happy with my new Z5 premium, and its hard to pick out an exact fault, other than the extremely low ISO settings, but Its fast, its fluid.. no lag, but coming from a G4 or S6, the camera imaging is "different".. but in a good way, but not worse.. it doesnt have the harsh over-processing, Great Music player.. and contrary to some forum posts.. Ringtones and Notifications are plenty loud enough, even with Volume set at 80 - 90% and with "Increased Ringtone" toggle "OFF"
Wouldve also been nice to see SONY include a set of Noise Cancelling headphones in the Box as a Premium.. or Wireless QI charging as standard on the Premium model, but in truth I guess Ide rather have the bigger screen and unlike trhe vanilla Z5, the camera that works.
Hope this helps you make a desicion....
Have Fun
The camera is great... not as good as lumia 1020 but I am accepting the fact that lumia is dead... I am using snapspeed and it make the pic taken by z5 way better...
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
I bought me a pair of MDR-NC750 in-ear NC headphones.
WOW what a good combination that is, it is realy good in the airplane.
Much more comfortable than my MDR-1RNC over the ear NC headphone, which is also awesome.
I tested them both on two intercontinental flights. I cannot say which one is better.
The amount of cancelling from the MDR-1RNC is a bit better, but the MDR-NC750 is more comfortable when you want to sleep.
I can recommend anybody to go for MDR-NC750.
Just received my chrome beauty today!
I'm in love like the good ol' days of Sony Ericsson!
I'm really excited about the phone and, oh god, this thing is insanely smooth in every aspect!
The screen is gorgeous, the sound through headphones is superb, the construction is rock solid, the camera is very good, the signal is nice and there's a lot of things better than all the phones i've tested!
Finally back to Sony Xperia Family that i missed since Z3!
Oh! And the "heat" is on par with every flagship that i've tested! (S6, Note 5, G4, Meizu Pro 5)
Luhccas-X10 said:
Just received my chrome beauty today!
I'm in love like the good ol' days of Sony Ericsson!
I'm really excited about the phone and, oh god, this thing is insanely smooth in every aspect!
The screen is gorgeous, the sound through headphones is superb, the construction is rock solid, the camera is very good, the signal is nice and there's a lot of things better than all the phones i've tested!
Finally back to Sony Xperia Family that i missed since Z3!
Oh! And the "heat" is on par with every flagship that i've tested! (S6, Note 5, G4, Meizu Pro 5)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reading this made me a bit happy!
I also tried lots of phones in the past and I currently have a Note 4 and looking for a worthy upgrade.
I know the note 4 can beat the Z5 premium in many ways/areas especially productivity/spen!
But I'm seeking a different experience! I tried LG, tried oneplus (cm and near stock), I want to try now Sony and HTC.
Do you think the z5p is a wise upgrade for me?
Life Engineer said:
Reading this made me a bit happy!
I also tried lots of phones in the past and I currently have a Note 4 and looking for a worthy upgrade.
I know the note 4 can beat the Z5 premium in many ways/areas especially productivity/spen!
But I'm seeking a different experience! I tried LG, tried oneplus (cm and near stock), I want to try now Sony and HTC.
Do you think the z5p is a wise upgrade for me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure! You'll not regret!
The only thing, in my opinion, that Note 4 overcome Z5P is the removable battery.
Even being a IPS display against the best calibrated AMOLED, you will enjoy every movie/video/picture on it. The image is crisp as crystal and contrast is on the right point as the color saturation.
So... The performance, the smoothness of interface, the multimedia experience, the feel in your hands and specially the look of this thing, will put you in some funny situations! You'll catch yourself looking for the device like a kid with a new toy! Like me! LOL
It's a nice way to refresh your taste for tec! Sony Xperia Z5 Premium is a "for sure" to buy it.
The dual speaker is a nice thing that i've missed from HTC M9 and Xperia Z3. It could be a lil bit louder but it's ok due to its position.

Overall love

Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Sony Xperia 1 II, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Sony Xperia 1 II is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
One of my all time favorite phones / camera's
So I have been able to play with and use the xperia 1 ii for over 4 days.
this will be a short review and perhaps I will add to it at a later moment.
Main Things I Didn't Test
* Gaming
* Video
Look and Feel
I personally really like the look and feel of this phone. It has some iPhone 4 qualities to it. By which I mean it feels like a device/tool with nice buttons, very high quality materials. It feels like a tool, like a device that is build for usability rather than build for the wow factor (if that makes sense).
It doesn't have a crazy high screen to body ratio. So something like S20 (or the S10 i used previously) is a bit more awe inspiring. But as soon as you slap a case on a S10 this will disappear any way. But what it has is a uninterrupted screen with no notches or punch hols, it has two front facing high quality speakers. It is function over form rather than form over function. That is not to say that it is not a good looking device it is very nice build it look really great. Although I'm not a fan of mirror polishing but you will not notice that as soon as you slap a cover on it (and it looks way better than the ugly blue s10). I have the official Sony case with stand which will still allow you to see the very nice sides of the phone; they are beautifully machined and have a nice color (especially with the purple one).
The buttons of the volume and the power feel really nice, they have a reassuring click to them. The only thing I'm missing is a click for the shutter button. Perhaps it is not implemented to make sure you don't move the phone while clicking. This has a bit of a downside when you don't have a shutter sound enabled. As the camera is crazy fast and it is therefor hard to see / notice if you took the photo or not. A click would have been nice. But when using the phone more often I got used to it.
Screen
The screen is absolutely amazing especially in creator mode. Colors are very accurate and it is a real joy to watch media on this phone be it movies, clips or photos. Because of the very high PPI reading news or books is possible with small letters it basically looks like it is printed. Compared to my old s10 which has a amazing screen as well I prefer the Sony as it has such natural colors and this printed feel to it. Also the colors are good with low luminescence something the s10 could not manage. That being said the max brightness is a bit less than the s10 and I feel that the display is a bit more reflective. But this could be caused by the fact I keep the brightness down with the Sony as thing look really good with low brightness. That being said I did not encounter any problems reading the screen outside on a bright day.
The screen ratio is really handy. I never used split screen a lot on previous devices. But since it is slightly taller than a s10 (while having the same width) it makes more sense to use it and I use it for more often now (watching YouTube while messaging). I don't feel it is a big phone. It is a bit heavier than the s10 but also it feels better build than the s10. Compared to a Note 10+ the height is similar but the width is significantly less.
Sound
Front facing speaker are great far better than the S10 or any other phone I used. Switching on Dolby Atmos is mandatory as without it is not that good. You really have stereo sound and both speakers are equal in terms of loudness positioning and quality.
The sound quality from the audio jack is good and you have quite a lot of options to set the sound to your tasted. As I mostly use wireless atm I have not tested this comprehensively.
Speed
It is fast, sometimes notably faster than the s10. I think is mostly because of faster memory as I don't to that much cpu intensive stuff. That being said I think the most phones for the last couple of years are fast enough for most of the tasks any way.
5G / reception
5G works no idea if it is faster than 4g. didn't run any test as 4g didn't give me any problems. Reception seems to be very good at least better than the S10. Some places where I did not have a great reception or didn't have any reception with the s10 I do have with the 1ii. Maybe this could be because of 5G (as it uses multiple connections), or maybe not, I have no Idea . WiFi is stable and fast. Bluetooth as well.
Call quality.
It is great, voice is really good, again better than the s10
Battery
it is good, I'm a heavy phone user as I use it for lot's of reading, emailing, work stuff, music and YouTube. No complains and even slightly amazed considering is has "only" a 4000Mha battery
Camera (and a little bit about pricing)
Properly the most important part of this phone it the camera. As Sony did not release a "cheaper" version of the phone with 64GB like the iPhone 11 pro it is a very expensive device and the camera is it's main selling point. Although you could argue it should be compared with a 11 pro max which makes the Sony cheaper than a iPhone 11 pro max (256GB) or similar priced to the 64GB version. I don't understand reviewers that give a lower rating because of the price. It should be compared to an 11 pro (max) or S20+ / Ultra. Personally I think it comes out ahead in many comparisons to these phones. The 1ii is a "pro" phone with a pro price. But than again a "pro" phone is a silly concept to begin with (the only pro phone I ever used was the blackberry passport, best professional / work phone ever, but bad at anything else).
First a small disclaimer. I didn't use the android camera at all (only for scanning a QR code) as you get a photo pro app which should be used if you buy this phone. Secondly I like photography I have used many camera's over the years and also may phones. Up till now my two favorite camera phones where the Lumia 950XL for color and the Mate 9 for b&w photography. The Lumia still amazes me to this day and Nokia/Microsoft did not get enough credit for there work. It was the only phone I knew that could really capture light. Also I don't care for AI powered camera apps. I understand that this is really handy if you just make snapshot and don't care about doing photography your self. I don't care for "HDR" images as all it accomplish is that it removes shadows and makes for a equal brightened image regardless of how the scene looks. If you like these things I'm not sure that this is the phone for you as Google, Samsung and Apple are better at these things
The camera app phone combination is amazing. It really gives you the feel that you are using a camera and more importantly that you are in control. It is a unbelievably fast combinations. For instance; I tried to take a photo of a dog and I was sure I mist it. As he started moving as soon as I pressed the shutter button but to my amazement the camera took the picture, it must have been less than a second between me clicking and the dog moving. I think it might be faster than my RX100m6. If you like to tinker and you know what shot you want and how you want it to look there is not better phone atm. (the Samsung pro camera is highly unusable and Huawei sadly doesn't have Google apps).
The 20fps works really good as well, it is amazing to use on a phone and to be so sure of the results (yes I know I'm using the word amazing a lot). Another surprise is the performance of the digital zoom it is far better than expected is highly usable. Also it is quit nice to have a 70mm option, although I feel that it doesn't perform on the same level as the other two sensor / lens combinations it seems a bit softer and not as sharply focused. The hero of this phone is the main 24mm sensor / lens combo it performs the best and has all the possible options. For the xperia 1iii I would like to see a 50mm included as well. The colors are natural and this gives you the opportunity to post processes the picture your self more easily than say a iPhone or Samsung.
There are some things I would like to see in a software update. Mainly the ability to zoom in normal focal lengths instead of continues (so from 24 to 28 to 35 to 50 etc). To change the shutter sound to a soft click sound. The ability to set sharpness , contrast and saturation. Last but not least RAW support. Also I had a couple of times the app freeze on me but as this is the first version I presume they will fix this.
a bunch of pictures with various focal length and lighting conditions:
https://we.tl/t-8rRytOUylm
Video
didn't really use it and on cnet there is a great review about its video capabilities including a nice short movie. It's great; one of the best reviews ever for any phone or product https://www.cnet.com/news/sony-xperia-1-ii-review-yep-thats-a-real-telephoto-lens/
If you have any questions I will try to answer them (I will not install apps to check stuff )
stefanve said:
So I have been able to play with and use the xperia 1 ii for over 4 days.
this will be a short review and perhaps I will add to it at a later moment.
)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
see link in original post for full rez pictures
Really great feedback, thanks. As a prospective buyer who mainly takes photos of friends/family/selfies, how does the 'shoot and point' on the camera pro app hold up? I'm
a big fan of the portrait mode on my Mate Pro 20, does this phone have a similar mode?
Tmel14 said:
Really great feedback, thanks. As a prospective buyer who mainly takes photos of friends/family/selfies, how does the 'shoot and point' on the camera pro app hold up? I'm
a big fan of the portrait mode on my Mate Pro 20, does this phone have a similar mode?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had the phone for two days. I'd say this is not a phone you'd buy to be "point and shoot" camera. The main camera app takes good photos but not the best. To get best photos, you should use the camera pro app. It is a solid app/camera and I feel like I have a close to DSLR camera in my pocket. Colors are very natural and accurate compared to manipulated photos you get from Samsung or even Pixel camera app. It does have a portrait mode that works fine however in Camera Pro if you learn to adjust focus manually can have similar effect even better.
Thanks for the heads up. Any tweaks you'd recommend to the default settings on the camera pro app?
The pro mode has a auto mode which is quit good. And I used it for a couple of shots I shared. So it can work really well. I guess it is depending on the look of the auto mode settings and if the other pros of this phone are of interest to you
stefanve said:
see link in original post for full rez pictures
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OMG! Sorry man, I'm quite shocked by the quality photos form your X1 II. Seriously horrified! There are a couple of good pics from your sample bunch. All others are out of focus, under / overexposed, low detailed etc. I clearly recognize my personal experience with my current phone - Xperia 5 - hit or miss, around 50% of good outcome. Now I'm fully convinced to not even look at possibility of getting Xperia 1 II . Thanks
Love and Hate from me. Eagerly waited for it since announcement and first adverts. High expectations, not only because of SONY´s promises but mostly because of my experience with and long - term SONY user / devices. Most of my SONY phones delivered good images: my XZ Premium, XZ2 Premium, even my last addition, the X, gives me proper images. Not counting the older device along my lifetime (SE68, W-Series, K-Series and so on). But this MK2 is more Hate than Love. Gorgeous design, screen, speakers. Fast and, finally, more storage (novum at SONY!). But the camera - system is a no-go. Mediocre image quality from all but the main camera, even with the 24 lens it delivers inconsistent material. Videos are simply said...to forget. Focus is a hit and miss game when light conditions are different from sunny - outdoor. From 10 images half is usable, depending what lens was used. Not to talk about the front camera. I just informed Sony about my complain and offered them my image and video material to check it. Dunno if they will give me reply....
WarVic said:
OMG! Sorry man, I'm quite shocked by the quality photos form your X1 II. Seriously horrified! There are a couple of good pics from your sample bunch. All others are out of focus, under / overexposed, low detailed etc. I clearly recognize my personal experience with my current phone - Xperia 5 - hit or miss, around 50% of good outcome. Now I'm fully convinced to not even look at possibility of getting Xperia 1 II . Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to say I really like most out of camera photo's, but they don't sharp the photos or use HDR ( you can switch it on) but I guess in the end is about personal taste. to my eyes they look miles better than anything samsung.
just to show what you can do with the out of camera photos (I hope raw support will be added soon) look at the different versions of two photos.
But indeed this phone is not for some one that wants a camera that " just works"
That's fine then. For me they looks like made by Galaxy S5 really. Old dinky Pixel 1 makes a way better shots straight out of the camera to my opinion. Thanks for sharing photos anyway. You've stopped me from making a very costly mistake.
WarVic said:
That's fine then. For me they looks like made by Galaxy S5 really. Old dinky Pixel 1 makes a way better shots straight out of the camera to my opinion. Thanks for sharing photos anyway. You've stopped me from making a very costly mistake.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure if you looked at the images attached to the post. but keep in mind that XDA is heavily compressing the images. so pixel peaking is not advisable and I can understand you would say it seems to be at S5 level
stefanve said:
Not sure if you looked at the images attached to the post. but keep in mind that XDA is heavily compressing the images. so pixel peaking is not advisable and I can understand you would say it seems to be at S5 level
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not an idiot or simply blind, mate . I downloaded your archive with full sized images and had a good look at them. Sorry man but it's just complete disaster, "unbelievable" photo quality. And it's not just subjective opinion or a matter of taste. If I spent $1200 on a camera-phone which makes photos like THAT.... I'd return IT without a second thought. It's hard to believe that future patches and fixes will help. Anyway, Sony has a tremendous job ahead. Otherwise I predict mass returns, very poor sales or significant price drop.
WarVic said:
I'm not an idiot or simply blind, mate . I downloaded your archive with full sized images and had a good look at them. Sorry man but it's just complete disaster, "unbelievable" photo quality. And it's not just subjective opinion or a matter of taste. If I spent $1200 on a camera-phone which makes photos like THAT.... I'd return IT without a second thought. It's hard to believe that future patches and fixes will help. Anyway, Sony has a tremendous job ahead. Otherwise I predict mass returns, very poor sales or significant price drop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not saying or thinking you are an idiot, just checking
Funny how different people see different things looking at the same image. That being said if the main reason of this phone is to have a great camera than indeed it's disappointing and it's better to get a RX100V or what ever and a mid range phone for the same money. I guess no phone is worth 1200 it is way to much for any phone and perhaps especially for a android as the long term support is non existing.
I just have fun snapping with it and i am pleased with the output (considering that it is a phone
Noticed gaming performance is dropping, guess I've installed something....
Playing COD, every 10 odd seconds it shows, then goes back to normal.
Notice this in other games to, even silly idle games that should be pulling no demand. One of them even said, drop to low performance mode, your phone is struggling. WTF!
My previous phone, one lower chip model and g card model never had any problems.
Must be done software conflicts, but dunno how to find them
Am I the only one who doesn't see what's wrong with the pictures that have been posted?
They are perfectly fine. But if you are used to processed photos from Samsung, Google or Apple you might not like the look as these are basically not altered by some algorithm.
Burst shot of me Pooch : https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=18Os3AQ2j0TuqaFjJ6c9h-TvFGr2zyIk1
WarVic said:
I'm not an idiot or simply blind, mate . I downloaded your archive with full sized images and had a good look at them. Sorry man but it's just complete disaster, "unbelievable" photo quality. And it's not just subjective opinion or a matter of taste. If I spent $1200 on a camera-phone which makes photos like THAT.... I'd return IT without a second thought. It's hard to believe that future patches and fixes will help. Anyway, Sony has a tremendous job ahead. Otherwise I predict mass returns, very poor sales or significant price drop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This guy is not an idiot either
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zevK7xMsYdA&feature=youtu.be
---------- Post added at 03:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:24 AM ----------
I think the standard photo App is still a work in progress - a rushed unfinished bolt on that is likely to be improved over the next few updates - they wanted to get this phone to market before they lost the window - understandable
I expect improvements and will wait a few months to see if they materialise before I make a purchase
we need to remember what they are pushing in this phone - the Pro Camera availability and I am loving the idea, a new concept in the market
Think of it this way, what if they never included the standard photo app at all and just improved the auto functions of the pro app, that may have been their intention during development but decided to throw in the standard app last minute - you can't please everyone all at once
Geoffxx said:
This guy is not an idiot either
&feature=youtu.be
---------- Post added at 03:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:24 AM ----------
I think the standard photo App is still a work in progress - a rushed unfinished bolt on that is likely to be improved over the next few updates - they wanted to get this phone to market before they lost the window - understandable
I expect improvements and will wait a few months to see if they materialise before I make a purchase
we need to remember what they are pushing in this phone - the Pro Camera availability and I am loving the idea, a new concept in the market
Think of it this way, what if they never included the standard photo app at all and just improved the auto functions of the pro app, that may have been their intention during development but decided to throw in the standard app last minute - you can't please everyone all at once
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't use someone on the Xperia YouTube channel to counter the comment from someone criticising the quality as it'll just be massively biased towards Sony lol
If it's like the Xperia 1 you'll be waiting forever for the improvements to come so I wouldn't hang around.

Resources