Review of the Sony Xperia Z smartphone: a subservient standard. Review of Sony Xperia Z: top flagship with Full HD screen Samsung Xperia Z
Sony's mobile division has been experiencing a serious crisis for several years now. The company's new flagship, the Xperia Z, was called upon to change this situation. It was well received by the press and experts. On paper, the characteristics of the device are excellent. This includes a Full HD display with a diagonal of 5 inches, a 13-megapixel camera with special photo processing algorithms. And, perhaps, the most important thing is that the smartphone is dust-proof and very beautiful. But is everything so good in reality? We looked for the answer to this question during the Xperia Z user test.
Sony Xperia Z has opened the season of announcements of flagship products in 2013. The presentation of the flagship of the Japanese company took place at CES2013 in January. At this event, Xperia Z became the most talked about device and received many rave reviews.
Among the special merits of the new product were a quad-core processor, a Full HD display with a diagonal of 5 inches, a high-quality camera, and protection from dust and water.
Another interesting point that almost everyone talked about is the stylish design. What is the cost of using tempered glass on the front and back of the device?
Dimensions. Contents of delivery
id="sub0">Sony Xperia Z is a very thin, but very wide smartphone. Excessive length and width do not allow one-handed operation of the device. If we go into numbers, the dimensions of the device are 139x71x7.9 mm, weight - 146 g. The weight did not seem excessive to me. Rather, it gives a feeling of reliability. The large dimensions of the device are concealed by its small thickness. This allows you to wear Xperia Z even in the pockets of tight clothing. However, if you go online, you will have to take the gadget out of your pocket.
The package (our test sample was purchased in Italy) includes:
Sony Xperia Z phone
- USB charger adapter
- Cable for synchronization with computer (microUSB)
- Stereo headset with 3.5 mm mini-jack connector
- Set of pads for headsets of different sizes
- Set of NFC tags
- A set of protective films for the screen and rear surface of the device
- Instructions
In addition to this, the Russian Sony Xperia Z package will also be replenished with a charging dock, which is not intended to perform any other tasks other than charging itself. This is a plastic stand, called a “charging module” in the settings.
Design, construction
id="sub1">The Japanese did a great job on the appearance. Visually, the smartphone is not perceived as bulky as one might judge based on its characteristics. The developers managed to achieve this thanks to a minimalist design. The smartphone uses a minimum of additional elements, and all the outlines of the body are close to rectangular. According to Sony, "Xperia Z is constructed using premium materials and debuts the new OmniBalance design concept with subtly rounded edges and smooth reflective surfaces on all sides."
The ends of the Sony Xperia Z case are made of metal (with the exception of plugs for various technical connectors), and the front and back panels are covered with tempered glass. It is worth noting that different batches use different types of tempered glass. Somewhere it’s Corning Gorilla Glass, and somewhere else it’s Asahi Dragontrail. I don’t know what was on my test sample, but I can state that the glass firmly protects the display and the back from scratches and abrasions.
By the way, some people on the Internet call the Xperia Z a flattened / 4S. Comparisons with the previous two Apple smartphone models are inevitable due to the angular shapes and glass covering the front and back sides of the device. However, Xperia Z is original and unlike any mobile phone that has come out before.
The devices are available in three colors: white, purple and black. I had a black device at my disposal.
Almost the entire front part of the smartphone is occupied by a large 5-inch touchscreen display. It is about 12.7 cm. Above it is the speaker hole. To the left is a camera for video calls (2 megapixels), and to the right are all kinds of sensors: motion sensor, light sensor, G-sensor. In the upper right corner there is an LED that lights up while charging, and also blinks when receiving SMS, calls or when the battery is low.
On the back there is a 13-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash. Just below is the NFC chip, branded with a special logo.
On the right side there is a button to turn on, turn off and lock the phone. It is metal, silver, round in shape. Just below you can see the volume key. Even lower is the speaker for external calls. Its volume is below average. I would note a high probability of missing a call if your phone is in your clothes or far from your location. In other cases, the volume is enough. At the same end, behind a protective cap, there is a slot for a microSIM card.
At the top end there is a 3.5 mm headphone output. It is also covered with a plug. A standard microUSB connector for charging and connecting to a computer is located on the left side. There is also a slot for a microSD memory card and contacts for the docking station. But there is no mechanical camera button; the camera application for shooting can only be launched from the menu or lock mode. The Xperia Z's lithium-ion battery is non-removable.
The build quality of the device is excellent. During the test I did not find any external defects. The impressions are extremely positive. The smartphone is assembled at a factory in China.
After my first acquaintance with the Sony Xperia Z, I caught myself thinking that I really liked the appearance of the device. The feeling of touching glass surfaces is not comparable to plastic. In addition, the assembly here is excellent. The controls are properly positioned on the sides. But I absolutely did not like the dimensions.
Ladies and gentlemen who work in manufacturing companies and think that a 5-inch screen is good! You are wrong! It's really inconvenient and not ergonomic! You can't reach the edge of the screen with one finger. I’m generally silent about “reaching the corners.” In addition, while talking on the phone, it feels like you are pressing a brick to your head. Is this really convenient?
I can say with confidence that I have finally realized that the growth of the diagonal in modern smartphones is a dead-end line of development.
Dust and moisture protection
id="sub2">Sony Xperia Z is a rare smartphone that offers moisture and dust protection at a fairly high level. The smartphone is certified according to standards. The numbers indicate that dust may get inside the case, but will not affect the performance of the device.
It is the torture and moisture resistance that dictates the presence of such a huge number of plugs on the body of the device. It is important to ensure tightness.
As for protection from moisture, the smartphone can survive at a depth of up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. In addition, it can withstand being under running water. Testing the Xperia Z for security in real conditions confirmed that the smartphone is not afraid of liquids. For example, I dipped my smartphone in a glass of mineral water and it didn’t matter!
Screen. Graphics capabilities
id="sub3">The screen is perhaps the most controversial thing about the Xperia Z. Firstly, it is a 5-inch (12.7 cm) diagonal. Of course, it's good that it's big, but because of this the device has excessive dimensions. Secondly, the type of matrix used provides low viewing angles. As soon as you look at the screen even slightly at an angle, the colors on it will begin to fade. But in the normal position the picture and colors are good. I didn’t expect to see such a strange display on a smartphone for 30,000 rubles.
At the same time, I want to praise the resolution, which is 1080x1920 pixels with an excellent pixel density of 440 ppi. Image clarity is excellent. Individual points are difficult to distinguish even under a magnifying glass.
The brightness is adjusted both manually and automatically, based on the operation of the light sensor. Naturally, there is also a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. Multi-touch technology allows you to process up to ten touches simultaneously.
Keyboard and information input
id="sub4">Entering information, as well as writing texts and dialing numbers, occurs using a touch screen.
There are two options for typing text in the Xperia Z: vertical and horizontal QWERTY keyboard, as well as voice typing. In the first version, the buttons are small, but typing text is still convenient.
In horizontal orientation, the buttons are quite large and allow you to type text without any problems. Changing the language occurs by pressing the RU/EN key, only you must first select the main languages in the settings. One of the features I would like to note is the lack of the ability to type punctuation marks with one touch in the Sony interface. Personally, this really annoys me.
Menu. Interface and navigation
id="sub5">Sony Xperia Z runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean operating system. The software can be updated via the Internet. Sony's own shell is installed on top of the operating system. It is much simpler and more understandable than the basic one.
Among the differences there is a difference in unlocking the device with standard Androids. Sony has moved away from the boring “pull the ring” unlocking method. There is also no need to aim at the slider and pull it to the right or left. Now you just need to swipe your finger across the screen from bottom to top or top to bottom - and the phone is ready to use.
The process of desktop personalization has been made convenient and thoughtful. In the main window, the user can select the desired desktop, and using the lower menu, add widgets or application shortcuts, as well as change the background image or the entire design theme. The list of programs can be sorted alphabetically, installation time, frequency of use, or at your own discretion.
In standby mode, the user has access to up to seven desktops.
A long, continuous press on the top of the screen will activate the notification panel. It displays the current date, operator name and other supporting information. The notification panel alerts you to missed voicemails, emails, Gmail, and more. Here you can quickly enable functions such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, sound, auto-rotate.
The menu can be accessed by tapping the "Applications" option at the bottom right of the screen. The menu of the phone under test is presented by default with three screens that can be scrolled through. These are all different applications. Long pressing an application's shortcut will move it to the desktop. To remove a shortcut from the desktop, you need to do the opposite. There is also a “Widgets” tab, from where you can add useful information directly to your smartphone’s desktop.
The set of pre-installed programs in Sony smartphones does not change much from model to model. Several online services, such as TrackID, Movies, PlayNow, offer you to select, buy and immediately launch music, movies and games. Timescape collects information about friends' social activity. There is a pre-installed file manager. There is also a QR code scanner.
The proprietary Smart Connect program, which is used to launch certain profiles (operating modes), starts when the smartphone is installed in the docking station, but autorun can be turned off. There is no full-fledged version of the OfficeSuite Pro office application package, which would allow not only viewing, but also editing files in the popular formats Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Now the buyer receives only a stripped-down version of OfficeSuite, which allows only viewing files of these formats.
Telephone features
id="sub6">First of all, these include “Phone”, “Contacts”, “Messages”. They're all located at the bottom of the Xperia Z's home screen.
The Contacts application stores detailed information about phone numbers and subscribers. A specific record can have two dozen fields, be it last name, first name, patronymic, mobile number, home phone number, email address, date of birth or personal ID, Skype, etc. The search in contacts occurs immediately across all fields of the client, that is, you can dial the number, first name, last name, etc. Each subscriber’s profile can now be linked to his social media accounts.
Drawing keys, numbers and letters for dialing and a virtual keyboard for typing SMS messages is very convenient. During an incoming call, the screen displays a photo and number of the subscriber from the phone book, or, if the subscriber is unknown, a picture of a green man.
Text and multimedia messages are grouped by subscriber. By clicking on a specific contact, you can view the history of correspondence with this person.
Internet and Google services
id="sub7">The standard Chrone browser uses updated Webkit and JavaScript.
The device is fully integrated with Google services such as Gmail, Google+, Google Maps, YouTube and, of course, search. The user just has to provide his Google account information and that’s it.
Working tools include “Calendar”. It allows you to view events by date, time and action. The service is a high-quality planner-organizer, all in one. All events can be divided into groups with corresponding fields. All information is stored on a Google server.
Multimedia capabilities
id="sub8">The app for playing music is called Walkman . Here you can view and listen to audio tracks. The following file formats are supported: MP3, AMR, AAC, AAC+, e-AAC+.. There is sorting by artists, albums, genres, composers.
The standard headset is included in the package. Thanks to the 3.5 mm jack, you can choose any headphones.
The “Video” item displays videos made both by the device’s camera and downloaded from the Internet.
A unique thematic browser for photo and video files is the “Gallery” item. All files are divided into folders: photos and video clips, music.
Camera. Photo and video capabilities
id="sub9">The main camera on the Xperia Z can take pictures of up to 13 megapixels. By default, it works in the so-called super auto mode. The mentioned “super auto mode” actually locks all camera settings; the smartphone independently determines how to take photographs. It turns out quite well. The maximum resolution that can be set is 12 megapixels with an aspect ratio of 4:3. Then the photos are 3920x2940 in size.
The maximum resolution of camera images in manual mode is 13 megapixels, but this can only be achieved if you independently switch the shooting mode to normal. Then the resulting photos will have a size of 4128x3096.
The continuous shooting speed reaches 10 frames per second. The quality is not bad, but in reality it turns out that we are not dealing with photography, but with saving individual frames of a video sequence.
Additional features include automatic smile detection, panorama mode and several filters, some of which change the image beyond recognition.
The camera can shoot video in Full HD resolution 1080p, the quality is excellent, it can be used for home recording.
Photos and videos can be viewed from the Multimedia menu. Photos and videos are displayed as thumbnails, the list opens very quickly, there are no delays even with a large number of photos or images. In the gallery, you can scroll through photos by tilting the phone in one direction or another. All this became possible thanks to the built-in accelerometer.
Memory and speed
id="sub10">The flagship from Sony is built on the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 APQ8064 chipset, which consists of four Krait computing cores operating at frequencies up to 1.5 GHz. The Adreno 320 chip is responsible for the graphics, 2 GB of RAM is enough for everything. The built-in memory is only 16 GB, but there is a slot for a microSD card. In terms of hardware, the Xperia Z is almost identical to the Nexus 4, HTC Butterfly and ASUS PadFone 2.
Incredibly clear and ultra-bright display for an immersive experienceAmazing photo and video quality in any lighting
Our smartphone cameras are built with the same technology and components as Sony's best cameras, so you can take incredibly clear photos and videos anytime, anywhere.
HDR video camera
Xperia Z features the Exmor RS™ mobile sensor, the world's first smartphone sensor with HDR video, so you can take great photos and videos even against bright light.
13 megapixel camera
Featuring a fast-response 13-megapixel camera and Sony's latest generation Exmor RS™ mobile sensor, the Android-powered Xperia Z takes amazingly clear photos anytime, anywhere.
Great in all lighting conditions
With Exmor RS™ mobile sensor and HDR technology, Xperia Z captures crisp photos and videos in both low-light and backlit environments. Featuring low-light sensors on the front and back, Exmor RS™ is the first dual-sensor mobile camera.
Superior Auto mode
Are you not an expert in settings? Superior Auto mode automatically turns on HDR and noise reduction when needed.
Smart, stylish and reliable
No one knows better than Sony how to combine reliability and stylish design. At just 7.9mm thick and with a shiny glass surface, the Xperia Z is not only waterproof and dustproof, it's also tough enough to withstand any challenge.
Waterproof
Why are we so sure? To achieve high ratings for IP55 and IP57, we submerged the Xperia Z underwater for 30 minutes, after which it was as good as new. Moreover, it is resistant to water jets.
Hard as metal
How durable should a high-tech smartphone be? How about strength comparable to that of a car? The Xperia Z's body is made from glass-filled polyamide, which is used in automotive parts as a metal substitute.
Reliable glass
The durable tempered glass on the front and back is much stronger than normal glass. And taking into account the anti-shatter film on both sides, the Xperia Z cannot be called fragile.
Dust-proof
Since we can't carry every Android smartphone outside, we've moved dust resistance testing to the lab. Before we claim the Xperia Z is dustproof, we put it in a dustproof test chamber to make sure dust doesn't affect its performance.
Perfectly balanced OmniBalance design
The design has been designed to provide balance and symmetry in all directions. Xperia Z has beautifully rounded edges and smooth, shiny surfaces on both sides, all wrapped around an innovative frame design.
One touch to access a world of entertainment
Discover a quick and easy way to wirelessly stream music and photos from your smartphone. One-touch screen mirroring* with NFC technology lets you easily view everything on your phone on your TV. Simply touch your phone to the BRAVIA® remote control and your photos or music playlists will appear on the TV screen. No wires, no buttons - no complications.
A Sony smartphone that is anything but ordinary
A mesmerizing screen that can absorb you completely. Realistic images that create an immersive effect. And a camera that allows you to take a great photo anywhere, anytime. See for yourself how Xperia Z opens up new possibilities and modern ways to connect.
Incredibly powerful smartphone
The Snapdragon™ S4 Pro quad-core processor delivers ultra-fast performance, unparalleled graphics, and efficient battery life. Get directions using Google Maps. Stream the latest YouTube clips using LTE technology. Or download newly released apps and get started right away. Get everything you need right now.
Longer battery life
STAMINA Battery Mode provides better battery management and increases your phone's standby time by four times or more*. When the screen turns off, your phone automatically closes unused, power-consuming apps and launches them only when the screen turns back on.
Sound for entertainment
With Xperia™ Z you get a high-quality stereo headset.
Sony's MH-EX300AP headset features superb sound quality that lets you enjoy sound that's close to the original.
Enjoy music, games and movies to the fullest. This comfortable mini headset with in-ear headphones allows you to enjoy high-quality sound during your entertainment. And if they call you or send you a message, you will know about it immediately.
Content:The flagship of the near future will be the Sony Xperia Z, which has absorbed all the latest developments of the company. This is a FullHD screen, a waterproof case, high-quality materials and an impressive design. A beautiful large smartphone with a 5-inch display, modern hardware and a lot of useful options that will appeal to any user.
But it’s not enough to create a smartphone that looks spectacular; it must be convenient, have good battery life, and at the same time demonstrate high-quality work with media data. This includes a camera, video recording, and at the same time listening to music. At the same time, large displays suggest that such devices can be used as a navigator, which is also convenient in everyday life. So, Sony's new 5-inch flagship smartphone looks promising, but it's worth taking a closer look at what the buyer ultimately gets.
Equipment:
- smartphone
- Charger
- cable
- brief instructions
- dock station
- headset
Design
Sony pays a lot of attention to ensuring that new models have their own identity and do not look like clones of the same device. In any case, flagship models annually become iconic for the industry. And in the case when the beautiful appearance is supported by expensive materials and high-quality assembly, the sensations from the device become completely indescribable.
All these words fully apply to the Sony Xperia Z, which was announced at CES and can now be bought in stores. The smartphone has a stylish appearance that invites you to appreciate how all the necessary elements and connectors were combined into a laconic minimalism of the body.
It comes in three colors: black, white or purple. It’s difficult to say which option turned out better; in my opinion, regardless of the version chosen, the smartphone looks very beautiful.
The dimensions are typical for a large device: 139x71x7.9 mm, weight 146 g. It is moderately heavy, after all, 5 inches takes some getting used to. If you have not used devices with a display of this format before, it is better to try the device before buying.
The smartphone is distinguished by large areas covered with glass. This is both the front panel and the rear. Moreover, they can be made of either Gorilla Glass or Dragontrail.
The design of the smartphone promotes the idea of OmniBalance, which is that the device is symmetrical. It depends on everyone, but I don’t like this approach, it’s not always clear where the top is and where the bottom is, but you can survive it.
Both surfaces are protected not only by transport films, but also by factory films. Thus, despite all the useful properties of protective glass, additional protection is provided, which is never superfluous.
There is a rubber pad on the sides that plays the role of a kind of bumper - if the phone falls, the glass will not break, additional protection will soften the blow. On the other hand, when you walk with a smartphone for a long time, these sides begin to tire, the sharp corners dig into your hand. In this regard, I liked the more ergonomic one better.
Above the screen there is a light indicator, a small hole for the earpiece, light and proximity sensors, as well as a front 2-megapixel camera.
The headphone jack is located at the top end, where it is closed with a plug. Those who constantly listen to music won't like this; they have to put up with an absurdly loose lid, but that's the price to pay for water resistance.
Service information is highlighted at the bottom.
On the left there is a microUSB port, which at the same time allows you to connect a microHDMI cable to it. The memory card is located nearby, it is recessed quite deeply. However, it is unlikely that anyone will regularly remove it and insert it back into the slot. Both connectors are hidden under covers that are pressed tightly to the surface. There is also a contact group that allows you to install your smartphone in the docking station and charge it this way without opening the cap.
On the right there is a volume rocker, as well as a large silver screen lock button. The buttons are comfortable, there are no problems with ergonomics. Below is the speaker.
At the back there is a camera lens, flash and microphone.
Smartphone caps are made not only for aesthetics. The beautiful Xperia Z meets IP55 and IP57 standards, which means it is protected from moisture and dust. You can take your smartphone with you to the sea or on a trip to places where there is a chance of getting caught in the rain or just going for a swim. At the same time, there is no reason to be afraid that the device will break.
Screen
If last year everyone was surprised by the growth of screens in the physical sense, now the resolution is also increasing. Therefore, FullHD becomes a basic feature of all top models. The pixel density is very high, it is 443 PPI.
In my opinion, there is no difference between high-quality HD and FullHD screens. Full HD performs well on larger diagonals over 5.5 inches and so on. In any case, the image is clear, no graininess, and the font is very good.
The display should perform well in the sun, as was the case with previously released Sony smartphones. As before, the smartphone uses Mobile Bravia Engine 2, a feature that makes colors even brighter and more saturated in certain applications. Of course, the flagship received a screen without an air gap, this characteristic is known as No Air Gap.
Sony has never had a screen that boasts impressive viewing angles, and the same applies to the new flagship. But if you can still experience this moment, then when compared with other phones you can immediately see that the picture turned out faded and you have to admit the lack of rich colors. The TFT screen used here is neither able to provide outstanding viewing angles nor demonstrate high contrast. At the same time, there is no need to complain about the maximum brightness; the margin is sufficient. In comparison, the devices are in the following order: Fly IQ451, Sony Xperia Z, Apple iPhone 5, .
In my opinion, Sony currently has the worst screen of any flagship device in 2013. In addition to the Samsung Galaxy S IV, high-quality matrices were offered by products from HTC, Sharp, and Oppo. If we take a broader view and include models with HD resolution in the comparison, then again, the competition is extremely high, and Sony’s products look unconvincing in the overall plan.
Performance
The smartphone runs Android 4.1.2 paired with a shell from Sony. The smartphone has a quad-core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snaprdagon S4 pro APQ8064 + MSM9215M processor, Adreno 320 graphics, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal memory, a card slot allows you to install an additional 64 GB. The smartphone works quickly, everything is fine here, the rating can only be high. It’s a pleasure to play, watch videos in high quality; according to these parameters, the device leaves only pleasant sensations.
Menu
The shell is regularly improved, new functions appear. But at the same time, for some reason, the old ones disappear. For example, previously notifications about new messages, missed calls or messages on Facebook were displayed on the lock screen. Now these useful little things are gone, only icons are shown on the top status line. When unlocked, something like a strip with animation appears, which looks nice.
At the top of the screen there is a service line, which displays the time, battery charge, and signal reception level indicator. Additionally, there is a line with keys that will help you quickly disable a number of functions.
You can customize the wallpaper on the lock screen and on the desktop, where one picture is stretched across several zones. Design themes are provided, they have changed the design compared to what was offered in previous Sony smartphones. Folders are created on desktops and shortcuts are created.
A set of widgets is offered, among which there are many cute elements to decorate your smartphone.
The Application Manager is launched with a separate button. At the same time, you will get access to additional widgets that may be urgently needed: notes, calculator, voice recorder or clock. They are downloaded from Google Play. The menu is represented by a matrix of icons, which are lined up on a translucent background.
Phone book
The smartphone has a convenient assistant for importing contacts both from a SIM card and from Facebook and Google accounts; they are displayed in a single list. A backup copy of the list of numbers is created onto a memory card, and the data is subsequently restored. Sorting by first and last name works.
When you create a new contact, many fields are created. These are various types of telephone numbers, email addresses, means of quick communication (AIM, ICQ, Gtalk, Skype and others), residential addresses and others.
Call log
Directly from the phone book you will have access to the call log, it is highlighted in a separate tab. There, a single list contains dialed numbers, received and missed calls; for clarity, they are marked with icons of different colors. By clicking on a line, you can delete a number from the call log, add it to a contact, or perform some other actions. By selecting a number from the list, detailed information about the call will be displayed.
By viewing your call history, you can not only make a telephone conversation with the selected subscriber, but also send him an SMS or an email from this list without going to another menu. Dialing is carried out using a convenient virtual keyboard. There is an automatic search for numbers that match numbers or letters; Russian language symbols are also provided here.
Messages
You can copy, cut and paste text. A convenient cursor is used for navigation, which helps to correct typos and highlight the necessary sections of text. In addition, arrow buttons are used.
Intellectual text input is available, when word correction and auto-completion systems help you type text, allowing you to avoid wasting time correcting errors. Possible word options are shown in a separate line above the keyboard. Copying and pasting of fragments is supported. Now Sony has implemented an analogue of Swype, which simplifies text entry. The keyboard is comfortable, I also liked the automatic error correction system. There are several keyboard styles available, and you can also hide some characters. It’s strange, but for some reason text is entered more slowly than on the less powerful Xperia V. At the same time, if you install another keyboard, for example Swype, then this problem is not observed.
Camera
The smartphone uses a 13-megapixel Sony Exmor RS module with backlighting, autofocus and LED flash. The dedicated shooting button has been abandoned here, so you have to either launch the camera from the menu or through the lock screen.
The menu is very similar to previous models, but the concept of placing shortcuts has been slightly redesigned, I think the control in the smartphone has only benefited from this. Among the new features, we can highlight the HDR mode, which is now available for both photos and videos. There is high-speed continuous shooting - 9 frames per second allows you to shoot the world around you very quickly. The Smart Mode that was present in the Xperia V is also found here. Some people like it, but I didn’t like the way the automation worked; the white balance, as during testing of the aforementioned smartphone, was often set incorrectly. I preferred to use the device using the normal settings (Normal mode).
The quality of the pictures is comparable to the same Xperia V, it all depends on the situation, maybe the photos will be a little better, but you shouldn’t expect any extraordinary difference in quality between smartphones.
 Gallery Pictures are sorted into several categories, the size of the thumbnails changes, this can be easily done by simply pinch, enlarging or reducing the images. There is a separate map that contains images with geotags, as well as a group with different pictures from social networks. It's inconvenient that you can't select all files, which is usually a standard feature for the Android gallery, where you can quickly mark a group of files, which helps transfer data.
At the beginning of each group there is a large miniature, and next to it there are smaller images. The image opens in full screen, scaling works using multi-touch. You can assign images as desktop wallpaper or assign them to a contact. You cannot make a picture as the background of the lock screen; to do this, you need to go to the settings menu of your smartphone, and then look for the display settings section. Rotating images and reducing their size are supported. A photo editor is available that helps you add various effects to your existing images.
Video The player is presented as a separate application, it is separated from the gallery. All videos from the device’s memory are displayed here; they are equipped with additional annotations that the smartphone can download from the Internet. The player is simple, but can perform all the necessary functions. The manufacturer claims support for the following types: 3GP, MP4, AVI, MKV, MOV, XVID. The smartphone plays videos in high quality without conversion, and you can download additional data for popular videos. If you wish, watch videos in 1080p, but they take up a lot of space, and you won’t be able to copy the entire movie due to file system limitations. Therefore, it is best to limit yourself to a more modest quality, and at the same time use an additional player so that there are no problems with sound or picture.
Player Support for MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV/FLAC is declared, so you can listen to music on your smartphone in the highest quality possible for mobile devices. The player offers two tabs. The first is dedicated to the song currently playing, and the second contains all the information about the music in the device’s memory. To listen to music, you can select tracks organized by several categories: artist, album, tracks, lists, SenseMe, and favorite tracks.
There is a SenseMe option available, which comes from Walkman players. It allows you to choose tracks to suit your mood, which is very convenient. To do this, you will need an application that is installed on your computer and with its help you can analyze your entire media library by entering the necessary data into the file tags.
If desired, the song is set as a ringtone, and you can also find additional data about the song using tools from Google, YouTube, or download additional modules through the Play Market. Equalizer settings are available, in addition to ready-made ones, there are also manual parameters. Enables surround sound emulation: concert hall, club, studio. There is an option to edit data directly on the phone. You can take a song, make changes to the tags, correct the title, and the smartphone will find the cover itself.
Player control buttons have appeared on the lock screen when music is playing in the background; they help control the player. When the screen is locked, you can change the sound volume using the side keys.
The headphones that come with the kit are very good. They fit comfortably in the ears and are pleasant to listen to music in. If you connect something of higher quality, you will like the smartphone even more in terms of audio. I tried with Shure SE535 and Logitech UE900 headphones. Xperia Z, in direct comparison, is inferior in sound to the iPhone 5, or , but overall the device lives up to expectations and can be used as a replacement player. It is worth noting that the sound reserve is not the largest, it is there, but sometimes you have to set the volume to maximum. But the ringing speaker is not loud; the proprietary xLOUD option does not help here either. Radio The smartphone has a radio receiver that has an automatic station search function; you can also switch to manual search mode. Also, several dozen frequencies are stored in the phone's memory. You can easily switch between your favorite stations by clicking on small icons that will move between waves. While listening to the radio, you can record a snippet of a song, identify track information using Track ID, and post the information to Facebook.
TrackID allows you to identify a melody playing on the radio on your smartphone or somewhere nearby. Not only the song title will be displayed, but also the album title, artist name and cover art.
Organizer The calendar can be configured to display information for a whole month, week or specific day. You can set the alert type and tone for recorded events and meetings. There is a division of information by storage location, each option has its own color label.
The new entry is given a name, period and location. You can specify which calendar it will be synchronized with, and you can send invitations to contacts from your address book. The repetition period is set (every day, weekly, monthly, yearly). A reminder will help you not to lose sight of the recording - the alarm will go off in advance.
Alarm The smartphone allows you to save several alarms in memory. The repeat can be set either once or every day, only on weekdays or weekly. You can also set specific days. The signal melody is set, you can add a vibration alert and a text file to it. Sets the period for the signal to be triggered again. There are pleasant natural sounds that will make the waking up process more enjoyable; I liked this useful feature.
Applications Displays time in different time zones.
There is a stopwatch and a timer.
The calculator works in both portrait and landscape orientation.
In addition to the standard store with Google applications, there is also a kind of selection of software from Sony.
The application, standard for most modern devices, allows you to view videos and search among them. The application runs in full screen mode.
The built-in version of Office Suite can work with Word, Excel, PDF, Power Point files.
Weather forecast and news are useful every day.
The Facebook application will allow you to communicate on the network of the same name directly from your mobile device.
Built-in Google Talk chat.
The Google+ social client is also installed on the smartphone.
You can create notes. The standard application can work with Evernote, which is very convenient.
There is a convenient application for creating a copy of various data that may be stored on the phone.
The Google Now service is working.
A separate application will simplify the operation of your smartphone as a modem when establishing a connection with a tablet or computer.
You can set a number of actions to be performed when certain accessories are connected, for example, NFC tags or headphones.
Browser For the Internet, Chrome is offered, the browser works quickly, allows you to open many tabs at the same time, and there are no freezes or slowdowns. Given the large screen diagonal, the smartphone is excellent for browsing websites.
GPS navigation Google Maps is used for navigation. Traffic jams are displayed, so the application has become fully functional and convenient not only for pedestrians, but also for car owners. There is a function for determining the current location, calculating the route from the starting point to the ending point, and specifying the method of movement: by car, on foot or public transport.
The route is laid out on the map, and key places are indicated in the form of text messages, which are displayed on the screen in the form of a column; you can switch between them: view the route in advance or vice versa, go back and plot another path. The area data is clearly displayed thanks to the convenient Google Street View option.
Connections The smartphone operates in the GSM 850/900/1800/1900, UMTS 900/1700/2100 and LTE bands. The frequency range provided by our operators is supported. I used the MegaFon tariff; in Moscow the coverage, although not total, was decent. The declared speed corresponded to the actual speed, so if desired, it is possible to use the smartphone as a modem. But it is worth remembering that you will have to pay significantly more for communications than for the usual 3G connections; the premiums for high-speed Internet are decent.
There is Bluetooth 4.0 with support for EDR and A2DP, in addition to support for other generally accepted profiles. Wi-FI b/g/n works at the usual level. The smartphone remembers entered passwords for networks and can automatically connect to them while within their range. The device can work as an access point and serve as a source for accessing the Internet for other devices. Using a microUSB connector allows you to connect your phone to a computer for synchronization and charging the battery. NFC support allows you to use Smart Tags in conjunction with a smartphone. The smartphone does not have a microHDMI connector, but does have MHL support. Therefore, you can connect it to your TV with a standard USB cable if necessary, if you have a special adapter. Working hours A non-replaceable lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 2400 mAh is installed. The official operating time data is as follows: up to 11/14 hours of talk time (2G/3G), up to 550/530/510 hours of battery life in standby mode (2G/3G/4G), up to 140 hours in player mode, up to 5.5 hours minutes in video mode. In continuous video playback mode at maximum brightness, the device worked for almost 5 hours. So the manufacturer’s data can be considered quite correct, especially if you slightly reduce the brightness level while watching a video.
There is an application that will help extend the operating time of your smartphone. It defines several profiles, each of which varies the number of functions used. Thus, for example, you can immediately reduce the screen brightness or turn off Wi-Fi with one click. There are settings in the menu that allow you to set certain operating parameters when the battery is low. The new Stamina feature will turn off the Internet and silence resource-intensive applications when the screen is locked and the phone is not used for several minutes. In theory, this significantly increases operating time, but in practice the results are not so convincing. The graphs show how the smartphone discharges during sleep. This shouldn't happen. The operating time is not impressive; the need to charge the smartphone twice a day is a common occurrence under heavy load. The relatively modest capacity, which is associated with the desire to make a smartphone in a thin body, makes itself felt. The result is also possible when the charge lasts for a day, but in this case there is no talk of active use. I think that for a smartphone with a large screen and FullHD resolution, the result is normal, many analogs work the same, but I want more.
Conclusion The speaker is good, the vibration is also noticeable, I thought it would be rather weak, but no, everything is fine. The bell speaker is not loud, it is difficult to hear the melody on the street. Given that it's on the side, it's easy to lock when the phone is in your pocket. There is an original function that allows you to use the equalizer to adjust the sound in the earpiece. When I first saw the Xperia Z, I really liked the appearance of the smartphone. I don’t like large devices, I prefer a more compact solution for personal use, but it cannot be denied that Sony’s proprietary design stands out clearly against the background of a rather dull range of similar solutions. Sony and HTC, that's all the Android manufacturers who are at least trying to work on the appearance. While the smartphone is perfect in appearance and build, there are questions regarding ergonomics; sharp edges are unpleasant in everyday life. Although a fan of the brand or just someone who really liked the smartphone will easily survive this. But in terms of ease of use, I liked the Xperia ZL model more. At the same time, there are no plugs that get in the way, but without them the concept of a device protected from moisture is impossible. But I would like to note that the included charging cradle makes life much easier. I was not impressed by the autonomy of the smartphone, the results are weak, no progress is visible. The quality of the display is also low, Full HD alone is not impressive now, for the most part, this is beneficial as a marketing bonus, but in practice, seeing the same difference in fonts between the Xperia Z and Xperia V is extremely problematic. The colors of the screen were disappointing; after all, this is a device that should be an example for other models, but in this case no one will be equal to Sony. Yes, the picture is clear, yes, the colors are close to natural. However, there is a lack of rich colors, albeit not such lush colors as SuperAMOLED, but something more impressive. Ultimately, we get a beautiful smartphone that will be appreciated by everyone who loves the Sony brand. How many such users are there? It’s hard to say, especially considering the fact that sales of the HTC One will start soon, and the main opponent of the “zero” received a better screen, continuing the ideas inherent in the . In addition, the announcement of the Galaxy S IV created a small revolution among smartphones for the same 30 thousand (estimated cost) that they are asking for the Xperia Z. And what about Sony, which could well have made an ideal gadget, but due to a number of qualities it released a very compromise solution to the market - time will prove. In any case, just as the Xperia S did not become the best in its class a year ago, the Xperia Z now does not look like a reference smartphone.
© Alexander Pobyvanets, Test laboratory |
The peculiarity of the model is that it has protection against moisture and dust IP58. The smartphone is equipped with a 5-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, a 4-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with a frequency of 2.2 GHz, 16 GB of internal memory (with card support), a 20.7 MP main camera and a 2 MP front camera .
According to ZOOM.Cnews readers
Sony Xperia Z1:
Beautiful, functional, ergonomic, has a good camera, can be a replacement for a player, can act as a GPS receiver, has a capacious battery, is affordable, and lightweight.
CHARACTERISTICS
BeautifulFunctional
Ergonomic
Has a good camera
Can be a replacement for the player
Can act as a GPS receiver
Has a capacious battery
Affordable
Easy
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MAIN TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Nutrition
Battery capacity: 3000 mAh Battery: non-removable Talk time: 14 hours Standby time: 880 hours Music listening time: 110 hoursAdditional Information
Features: degree of protection - IPX5, IPX8, IP5X Date of announcement: 2013-09-04General characteristics
Type: smartphone Weight: 170 g Controls: screen buttons Design: waterproof Operating system: Android 4.4 Case type: classic Number of SIM cards: 1 Dimensions (WxHxT): 74x144x8.5 mm SIM card type: micro SIMScreen
Screen type: color TFT, 16.78 million colors, touch Touch screen type: multi-touch, capacitive Diagonal: 5 inches. Image size: 1920x1080 Pixels per inch (PPI): 441 Automatic screen rotation: yes Scratch-resistant glass: yesMultimedia capabilities
Camera: 20.70 million pixels, LED flash Camera functions: autofocus, digital Zoom 8x Video recording: yes Max. video resolution: 1920x1080 Front camera: yes, 2 million pixels. Audio: MP3, AAC, WAV, FM radio Headphone jack: 3.5 mm Recognition: faces, smiles Geo Tagging: yes Video output: MHLConnection
Interfaces: Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, USB, ANT+, NFC Standard: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, 4G LTE, LTE-A Cat. 4 DLNA support: yes Satellite navigation: GPS/GLONASS A-GPS system: yes Use as a USB drive: yes Support for LTE bands: model C6903 - 800, 850, 900, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2100, 2600 MHz; model C6906 - 700, 850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100, 2600 MHz; model C6943 - 800, 850, 900, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2100, 2600 MHzMemory and processor
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974, 2200 MHz Number of processor cores: 4 Built-in memory: 16 GB RAM capacity: 2 GB Memory card support: microSD (TransFlash), up to 64 GB Video processor: Adreno 330 Memory card slot: yes, up to 64 GBOther features
Controls: voice dialing, voice control Sensors: light, proximity, gyroscope, compass Flight mode: yes A2DP profile: yes| Peculiarities | |
|---|---|
| Type | smartphone |
| operating system | Android |
| Version | 4.3 |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 |
| Frequency | 2200 MHz |
| RAM | 2048 MB |
| Flash memory | 16384 MB |
| Screen | |
| Diagonal | 5 " |
| Permission | 1920 x 1080 |
| Color rendition | 16 million colors |
| Digital camera | |
| Camera | 20.7 million pixels |
| Nutrition | |
| Operating time | 13.5 hours |
| Standby time | 880 h |
| Dimensions and weight | |
| Width | 74 mm |
| Height | 144 mm |
| Depth | 8.5 mm |
| Weight | 170 gr. |
The most anticipated smartphones of autumn 2013 according to ZOOM.CNews
The autumn IFA 2013 exhibition has recently died down, at which manufacturers of a wide variety of equipment showed their new products (and some released them). Smartphone manufacturers did not stand aside either - now we know what to expect before the end of the year. And today we will tell you about the most interesting of these new products.The new Sony flagship, which looked so attractive in the pictures, has finally reached us. Oddly enough, the Xperia Z has turned out to be one of the most controversial devices I've encountered over the past few months. It's cool and after the very first unboxing it leaves the most pleasant impressions. Still, this is not a plastic remnant, this is a well-assembled smartphone, the body of which is dominated by glass and high-quality soft-touch plastic. However, after the first launch, you begin to notice what you don’t want to see in such a good gadget.
Design and ergonomics, buttons
But I’ll start with the good – with design and ergonomics. The smartphone is large, this is obvious, and from the outside it also does not seem miniature. But it’s quite comfortable to use. Maybe it's because I'm used to the Galaxy Note back in the day. The weight of the smartphone is 146 grams, it is neither light nor heavy, given its large size. Probably, many will not agree with me, but I can use the Xperia Z with one hand, it’s even convenient to take out the curtain. But here it comes down to the size of your palm, and as it turned out, mine is large.
The assembly is pleasing - the body is completely monolithic, even with active use, for which the Xperia Z is intended, there should be no backlash or squeaks. The feeling from the materials in the assembly is also pleasant, the smartphone is cold in the hand due to the abundance of glass, but it does not try to slip out, since all the edges are made of soft-touch plastic, thanks to which the smartphone clings well to the palm.
In the Xperia Z, the arrangement of elements is no less bizarre than in all other Sony smartphones: there’s a ton of everything and it’s all located in the most exotic places. For example, the volume key is located below the waterline, the lock key is almost in the center to the right. But, if on the Xperia T, which Bond used, this placement bothered me, then in the “Z” it does not look ridiculous, again, this is due to the size of the device. By the way, speaking about the lock button, it is very pronounced against the background of the overall design and many people did not like this particular element. I can’t say anything bad about this decision, it seems to me that it refreshes the design, otherwise it would seem like a faceless black block.
At first glance, there is nothing else on the case, because everything else is hidden from view (as well as from moisture and dust) under plugs. Namely: a SIM card slot on the right side, above the lock key; a headset jack on the top and a MicroSD memory card slot and a Micro USB connector on the left. The use of covers is logical; the Xperia Z is positioned as a waterproof device. But before I met in person, I only looked at waterproofness, because I really need it! But somehow I didn’t think about the convenience of working with stubs, but in vain. The situation is exactly the same as in the case of the Xperia S, to charge which you had to grow your nails each time in order to pick the plugs again. In addition, neither the headphones nor the charger can be inserted quickly. Of course, you can buy an additional dock (with some models it seems to come included), but in our case the smartphone does not have it. And the last question about the plugs - they can lose their sealing characteristics if they are opened many times a day. For example, if you like to listen to music, you will have to pull the plug back and forth constantly. Yes, and you will have to charge your smartphone quite often, but more on that later.
I liked the location of the external speaker - at the bottom of the right side. In my opinion, any placement of the speaker is better than on the rear side. And here, if I hold the smartphone in the most comfortable position for me when watching a video, when the control keys are on the right, the speaker looks up and the sound is clearly audible. It's probably only better in the HTC One, where two speakers look right in the face. But the sound from it is quite average, in particular, the maximum volume did not seem great to me. But there is no talk of any locking at maximum volume.
Above the display there is an earpiece, a front camera, sensors and an alert LED. Below it is a conversational microphone. The control keys are on-screen and, again, using the example of watching videos on a smartphone, I first realized that the keys should be either mechanical (remember, mourn, iPhone) or on-screen. In order to avoid touching the buttons and going back when touching/holding the smartphone.
That's all, there is nothing else on the body, except for what we will talk about separately.
Display
After water resistance, the next wow factor is the display. But, only on paper. During the presentation, it was the most pixelated display: 5″, FullHD, 440 ppi, IPS, Reality Display with Mobile Bravia Engine 2, fantastic and this doesn’t happen! I don’t want to say that the display is outdated even before its release in terms of its digital and numerical characteristics, it is very clear. But the quality of the matrix is noticeably lower than that of competitors. The first time I turned it on, I realized there was no black on this screen. Of course, this is not AMOLED, but modern IPS, like the HTC One or LG Optimus G/G pro, are capable of showing deep blacks. But that's not all. In a modern flagship, talking about insufficient viewing angles is somehow embarrassing. But it has to be, even small deviations of the screen distort the colors. The colors are not impressive, they are too calm, I would even say a little faded. In general, the situation with the Xperia S is repeated; at the beginning of last year it had a very clear display, but, as it turned out, there was a problem with the colors. Once again I am convinced that cramming in the highest possible resolution is not a panacea. To date, I have not yet seen a higher quality display than in the LG Optimus G, despite the fact that it only has a poor HD resolution.
But the pixel density is excellent, it’s simply impossible to see an individual one. I was also pleased with the responsiveness of the screen. But these advantages do not cover even small viewing angles of the screen; this is unacceptable.
Cameras
Sony Xperia Z has two cameras. Front – 2 MP, writes video in 1080p. There are no questions about it, this is the highest possible resolution among mobile devices today, and too good a quality is not required from it. The main camera is 13 MP and also records video in 1080p. It would be strange if Sony did not talk about a large number of innovations and improvements in their camera. There’s HDR shooting front and back, Exmor RS in the main camera and Exmor R in the front camera (it’s not clear what the differences between RS and R are, both are based on matrix back-illumination technology) and, I’m sure, a bunch of other marketing noise. Everything would be fine, but for me, as a smartphone photography enthusiast, the main thing is the quality of the output, and not the quality of paper brochures. And in the Xperia Z the camera was also disappointing, although less so than the display.
The first photo I tried to take was of my MacBook's keyboard. Maybe it's the subject matter, but focusing close up just doesn't work. What any modern smartphone focuses on in a jiffy, the Xperia Z refuses to see. And if you find the point on which the camera focuses, then after pressing the shutter button, the smartphone will still photograph everything blurry, and the focus will suddenly be lost. At first no one believed me, but then the whole office laughed at how obvious autofocus works. But this is only when shooting closely placed objects.
I was very confused by the software, for example, the camera minimizes every time and throws you at the lock screen if you switch the shooting mode. This is if the camera is launched not from the menu, but from the lock screen. The same goes for settings; when you launch the camera from the lock screen, there is such an item, but after clicking it you will again find yourself on the lock screen. This is unacceptable, because sometimes you need to take a photo quickly and reliably, but here you still don’t know what the smartphone will do. It used to be better when the Xperia S, for example, took a photo from a locked state in less than a second. Now the fastest way to take a photo is to press the lock key and drag the camera slider to the left. Basically the same as on the iPhone, but it was better before.
The next question for the camera is the shooting modes themselves. By default, the iauto mode is set to automatic, but I don’t like it because it constantly overexposes the picture. That's why I use the second mode - normal. But, if you launch the camera from the lock screen (I only launch it this way, because the best frames appear randomly and there is no time to look for the camera icon in the menu or on the desktop), the mode is set to iauto. Of course, you can supposedly switch it, but then the application will throw you to the lock screen. In short, it's a complete mess. I'm glad that all this is software and the manufacturer can fix these bugs.
The quality of the images is inferior to that of the Lumia 920, iPhone 5 and is on the same level as the Oprimus G. But I wouldn’t bother; in principle, the photo quality is sufficient even for a top-end device; I would shoot and not think twice about it, especially when further editing the images in Snapseed or Photoshop mobile. And the most important advantage of a camera, or rather a smartphone, is the ability to shoot video or photos in the rain or even under water, this is worth a lot!
Technical characteristics
The processor is a quad-core Qualcomm APQ8064 (Snapdragon S4 Pro) with a clock frequency of 1.5 GHz. Graphics accelerator – Adreno 320, RAM – 2 GB, user memory – 16 GB, but just over 11 GB is available for installing applications, photos, music and other user content. Thanks to Sony for the memory card slot. The smartphone, as expected, takes a leading position in the benchmarks, only the yet unannounced SGS4 clearly stands out from the current flagships. But I was not pleased with the autonomy. With a battery capacity of 2330 mAh, the smartphone’s lifespan is noticeably shorter than what we’ve encountered recently. Nowadays there is a good trend when even high-performance smartphones last at least one day with a more or less active load, the Xperia Z is discharged before our eyes, I haven’t seen this for a long time. It’s better not to think about a day of active work with a smartphone.
BY
The smartphone has Google Android 4.1.2 JB installed, on top of which Sony pre-installed its proprietary shell. The interface is similar to the one we saw in earlier models, I can’t say that I’m delighted with it, but, to be honest, I’m not delighted with any shell other than bare Android. But users are not interested in this, many of the buyers will never know what naked Android looks like, so let’s go through the interface. It feels a little slower than iOS or the Optimus UI in the Optimus G (I have yet to see a faster interface among Android devices), but overall the animation is fast.
As I said above, there are two sliders on the lock screen - to launch the camera and to open the audio player widget. It seems to me that it would be better not to have a player here, but to quickly switch to silent mode. To unlock, you need to swipe your finger up or down, thereby moving the blinds. Original. Unlike last year's devices, desktops are not assembled with a pinch; this gesture displays a menu in which you can add/remove tables, add to certain widgets, wallpapers and themes. Not as pretty as before, but much more useful. I really liked the ability to launch one of the useful applications, such as a calculator or voice recorder, from the menu of recent running applications. Such applications appear as a widget on top of the current window.
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