In 2007, the first iPhone from Apple was introduced for the first time, and almost all the guests present at the conference were amazed to the core by the size of its display. Today, a 6.44-inch screen with a resolution of 1080 p rarely causes really rave reviews. Sony Xperia Z in this regard is a pleasant exception, as potential buyers noticed it immediately.
Even those users who are not too fond of huge smartphones looked with great interest at his first presentation. Now we will consider customer reviews and try to make a definite conclusion about the qualities of this wonderful gadget.
Immediately, we note that the âelder brotherâ of the device we are considering, Sony Xperia Z Ultra, has for the most part all the same characteristics, so the article can also be used for acquaintance with the flagship model in absentia. Of course, it is much better in some respects, but still the main features have not changed much.
Key Specifications
In order for you to understand on the basis of what consumers expressed this or that opinion, it would be nice to get acquainted with the basic characteristics of our âheroâ. Here they are:
- Managed by the gadget of the mobile OS Android 4.2.2.
- A screen with a diagonal of 6.44 inches and a resolution of 1920 x 1080.
- An excellent Exmor RS 8MP camera is installed at the back, but for some reason the developers decided not to set the flash.
- The âheartâ of the device is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, clocked at 2.2 GHz.
- Adreno 330 core is responsible for video processing.
- On the "board" has 2 GB of RAM.
- Built-in memory - 16 GB, additionally there is a slot for micro-SD.
- Data transmission and reception interfaces: NFC, GPS, USB OTG, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth.
- Battery capacity is 3000 mAh.
- Dimensions of the device: 179.4 x 92.2 x 6.5 mm.
- Your pocket will be weighed immediately by 212 g.
What kind of magnificence does it give reviews? Sony Xperia Z immediately fell in love with customers with a powerful filling, a modern (at that time) version of Android, as well as a smart graphic shell. As experienced users say, usually when you see the shell for Android from the hardware developer, you immediately want to remove it. But not this time: everything is done as accurately and efficiently as possible, the interface does not âlagâ, the animation is fast and smooth.
In this regard, the Sony Xperia Z, the characteristics of which we examined, is sometimes able to give odds to much more eminent competitors. In any case, the network is not so rare to find reviews about how people switched to it with Apple products. Users are attracted by the initial openness of the platform, which makes it possible to more effectively interact with the device.
Other differences from competitors
At the moment, this particular model is the largest and most massive Full HD-smartphone in the world. Compared with it, the iPhone 5 is about 2.5 times smaller. However, it practically does not exceed the size of the Samsung Galaxy Mega. The latter is important, since with a further increase in the size of the display, users finally lose the ability to use the device as a phone, without looking like a circus tent worker.
It should be noted that manufacturers often include this class of equipment in the middle price segment: the same âshovelâ from Samsung has the worst filling (if you compare), but it costs around 15 thousand rubles. Sony, known for its perfectionism, couldnât do that. Xperia Z is an excellent smartphone, equipped with the best solutions of the manufacturer, as well as having proprietary protection against dust and moisture.
What do the reviews say ? Sony Xperia Z, according to buyers, does not react to strong humidity in the room. Of course, itâs better not to go to the sauna with him, but he transfers the light dousing with juice or water (while watching cartoons with a child) without any problems.
Moreover, desperate experimenters report that the Sony Xperia Z phone can be immersed to a depth of a meter for half an hour! However, it is for the sake of protection against moisture that the smartphone has so many plugs. As buyers notice, due to various layers of protective materials, the speakers on this smartphone are somewhat deaf, so when watching movies without a headset, you have to set the sound to its maximum value. However, its quality is on top, so that a quick loss of life does not threaten the microphone.
As for dust, such conditions should still be avoided, since it clogs up in all available slots. Users say that picking it out is incredibly difficult. However, given the amazing water resistance for a model of this class, the phone can simply be washed under running water. Of course, you should not rub it with a stiff brush, but it transfers perfectly with a gentle wash with a soft cloth.
This feature is extremely valuable for those who prefer not to part with their smartphone, even on a summer beach vacation. Important! Despite the ease and simplicity of washing, you should not take a smartphone to rest on the display of which a protective film is not pasted. Reviews indicate that the screen is scratched quite easily, and there is definitely no equal to the sand in the case of damage to technology!
Stunning performance
Having a good (but still not outstanding) filling, the device earns almost 29,000 points in the AnTuTu test! At the time of the release, only the Nvidia Shield set-top box was gaining more , which was originally âsharpenedâ for powerful games, and therefore was equipped with a Tegra 4 chip. Gamers' reviews indicate that all the latest mobile games, the Sony Xperia Z smartphone âdigestsâ perfectly. You will never encounter any brakes or freezes (even light ones).
But if you think that our review of Sony Xperia Z consists solely of a description of the strengths of the smartphone, then you are mistaken. Like any model of technology, this gadget has its drawbacks. There is nothing serious about them, but nevertheless, some points should be paid attention to.
Negative points
We already noticed that there is no flash in the local camera. Not at all. Why this is done, shoppers and marketers do not understand too much, but suggest that the company could take this strange step in order to increase the competitiveness of the flagship Z Ultra. The fact is that the instance we are considering has practically the same characteristics as his older brother. That's just Sony Xperia Z, whose price is about 20 thousand, is quite suitable for the role of "mid-budget" phone, while the official cost of the older model - from 30 thousand rubles.
In short, the manufacturerâs marketing team did their best! Many buyers admit that if the camera had that ill-fated flash, they would definitely not spend money on the older generation model, preferring the âyounger brotherâ to it.
However, the users of both devices themselves admit that the camera does not have any outstanding abilities, shooting almost at the level of the old iPhone 4S. But the viewing angles of the display are excellent, and the picture quality is very high. Images are so clear and rich that in this regard, the smartphone Sony Xperia Z outperforms all its competitors.
Concluding the review of shortcomings, another unpleasant circumstance should be noted. The fact is that almost all music lovers who dealt with this phone complain about the lateral location of the headphone jack. Given the hefty size, it is extremely inconvenient to use: in a pants pocket, such a miracle with a side ledge can not be crammed, and you wonât be able to use a normal cover.
Reviews from the masters of service centers
If you at least follow the latest trends in the high-tech market, you probably know that the case of almost all modern smartphones, tablets and other equipment is fastened with latches. Accordingly, with patience and more or less direct hands, they can be disassembled for cleaning and easy maintenance.
With this phone, such a trick will not work. The fact is that all the parts are put on hot melt adhesive. So for assembly and disassembly, it is necessary to use a special soldering station, which is only available to individual craftsmen at home. If you do not have any experience with such actions at all, we strongly do not recommend tackling them using this phone: you will definitely break something in it.
Almost all internal elements are glued, so we recommend avoiding sharp âshocksâ, we do not recommend dropping your smartphone on hard surfaces. In addition to the risk of breaking the display, this will almost certainly entail damage to other components that can simply come off their seats. Of course, nothing like this will happen from a simple shaking, but still it is absolutely necessary to remember these design features.
What is wrong with watching movies?
One question torments all fans of watching movies on a smartphone. Sony company! How is it that you, being a âtrendsetterâ in the world of cinema, cannot make standard video viewing software more omnivorous? Nowadays, when MKV files perfectly reproduce almost all the latest models of even cheap TVs, when you try to watch them on your phone, they play without sound! Of course, you can put any player you prefer, but the very absurdity of the situation confuses many users.
As for FullHD resolution, at least in this regard there are no problems. Some buyers complain about some unusual controls in the local player, but you just need to get used to these features.
Do not forget about the cover!
Yes, the aspect is unexpected, but therefore no less important. The fact is that the phoneâs display, although protected by a good coating, but without a normal cover, can come into a completely indigestible state in just a month or two. Users recommend Krusell. It costs about one and a half thousand rubles. Higher (in comparison with competitors) cost is compensated by the fact that there is a built-in stand, which greatly improves the use of a smartphone to watch movies.
What do they say about the dock?
The device comes with a relatively good Sony Xperia Z dock. This circumstance is simply well perceived by users, since with this âlotionâ a smartphone can be turned into a more or less serious tool for work, suitable not only for writing comments on social networks .
For example, on a business trip you can even pile up a report. This is not very convenient, but still quite doable. In addition, customers appreciate the fact that after buying the device in their hands is a gadget, which is almost a full-fledged tablet. Important! Many buyers note that the plugs with which all technological connectors are covered for protection are not too durable. This Sony Xperia Z phone unpleasantly impressed many of its fans.
Especially goes to the charging connector. If you pull its plug on a regular basis for six months, it can become very loose, or even fall off altogether. It is much better to use the docking station for charging: just remove the smartphone from the tablet and install it on the designated platform. The charging process will begin immediately and you wonât have to mock the plug.
Picture quality
The picture quality that the Sony Xperia Z screen gives is excellent, but a part of the screen âeatsâ the panel with control buttons. By the way, Sony is one of the first companies that completely switched to virtual buttons. In some cases, this is not so convenient, since you have to use the side button to activate the display, and in some cases it obviously will not work out the first time.
However, we would still not consider this as a serious drawback: the traffic police do not recommend using the phone on the road, and in other situations, you can easily find a couple of extra seconds, stop and press this ill-fated button.
The screen is made very high quality, as a result of which users note excellent color rendition. Since the manufacturer uses really good matrices, even the black color actually looks like that (although buyers with good eyesight still note some grayishness). Of course, the backlight quality is excellent, no annoying light spots in the corners are observed.
Fans of modern gadgets have also fallen in love with the tablet because its display also shows web pages, movies, and dynamic games that look great. Alas, there is no magnetic latch that would activate the display when opening the cover of a special case. However, almost all users take this circumstance quite calmly, not considering it a drawback of the Sony Xperia Z. The tablet of the average manufacturer (the same Samsung) also does not have such an opportunity, and therefore our users are not spoiled by this.
Wireless and GSM Modules
If you have a router capable of operating at a frequency of 5 GHz, then you can rejoice! The phone supports this range, so you can avoid interference in apartment buildings, where almost everyone has wireless access points. In addition, users note the impressive âtenacityâ of the module on this model: the phone more or less confidently catches the network even in remote corners of an apartment or house.
As for conventional mobile communications, there are no particularly outstanding results: not better, but not worse than competitors. How does the Sony Xperia Z behave in the new networks? LTE networks (of which we have very few so far) work perfectly with it. He is friends with SIM cards of any domestic operators without problems. In any case, there are no negative reviews in this regard. However, many users believe that the Sony Xperia Z Ultra allows you to transfer data at a faster speed.
Deciding whether to spend an extra 10 thousand rubles for this is a purely personal matter.
A bit about other wireless standards
As we have already indicated in the specifications, there is support for the newfangled NFC. More recently, this option was completely useless, but the new owners of the LG printer and the Sony DSC-QX10 smartograph indicate that the smartphone started working with them immediately, without any glitches. In addition, NFC wireless headphones can be found on sale, so many music fans also respect this feature.
In the new Sony Xperia Z 2, this option was saved just because users found it very useful. In particular, company representatives mention that customers have repeatedly written about the benefits of this standard in the feedback form.
Since the size of the device when used as a phone gives the user a pretty ridiculous look, it is better to get a headset right away. Buyers also note that the smartphone perfectly âhooksâ on almost all existing âsmartâ watch models, so for solidity you can also buy them.
A bit about design
As for the design, here Sony has gone its own way. It's about her signature button, which many don't like. However, a considerable part of users nevertheless claims that it is very pleasant to the touch, and it is very convenient to use it. The engineers of the company can be understood: this small touch of design for many years has become so familiar to users that just take and get rid of it will not work.
What do the reviews tell us? The Sony Xperia Z is an excellent choice in its price range. The phone is very comfortable to use, the materials of the case cause a pleasant tactile sensation. If you always wanted to have a gadget that combines the qualities of a smartphone and tablet, then nothing better to find will simply fail.
To summarize ...
I definitely do not want to part with the Xperia Z device. In no way inferior to tablets with a display diagonal of 7 inches, it at the same time perfectly performs all the functions characteristic of ordinary phones. If you have a TV that supports the corresponding function, you can stream video and photos to it from your Sony smartphone. In a word, the device is definitely good and well tailored.
The manufacturer promises that Sony Xperia Z will be updated for at least a year and a half, so that even lovers of the freshest Android can take the time to switch to the new model. If you need something more powerful, we recommend that you look at the model with the Ultra prefix. Users indicate that its capabilities are enough to completely replace the standard seven-inch tablet.