Which one to replace Nexus 5? (Z1 vs G2) - Xperia Z1 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I love the pure Google experience but internal memory and battery capacity of Nexus 5 is just killing me. I would go for G2, but I heard it struggles with poor internal memory performance. Can anyone confirm it with KK onboard? My N5 is .84 rw. Which one has better community support? I would probably flash cm/omni. And Im considering 16GB Z1 vs 32GB G2. I like the feeling of N5, and that's why Im a bit scared of Z1 huge frame, but stable and fully functional pure Google is the most important for me.

mnickkk said:
I love the pure Google experience but internal memory and battery capacity of Nexus 5 is just killing me. I would go for G2, but I heard it struggles with poor internal memory performance. Can anyone confirm it with KK onboard? My N5 is .84 rw. Which one has better community support? I would probably flash cm/omni. And Im considering 16GB Z1 vs 32GB G2. I like the feeling of N5, and that's why Im a bit scared of Z1 huge frame, but stable and fully functional pure Google is the most important for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you care about horrible viewing angles? I mean horrible.

As long as they are not worse than in my TFT desktop monitor, I'm fine with that. Are they worse than in Xperia S? Cause those are almost unacceptable.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

I came from Experia Z and truly don't go for a Z model, screen is horrible, camera is horrible "noise!", battery more horrible than N5. Don't do it!. Today I bought a additional battery for my N5 which easy to replace..
Verstuurd vanaf mijn Nexus 5 met Tapatalk

Wait for the Z2
Sent from my C6906 using Tapatalk

mnickkk said:
As long as they are not worse than in my TFT desktop monitor, I'm fine with that. Are they worse than in Xperia S? Cause those are almost unacceptable.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They're worse. The Z2 fixed that though. It also has a much better camera algorithm. The z1 is full of noise.
Sent from my C6916 using Tapatalk

Wait for the Z2
Sent from my Xperia Z1

I think Z1 is great
Sent from my N986 using xda premium

The only horrible thing is the community, that writes crap about this nice device every time ...
I can tell you (with many hours of testing Z1, G2, S4, etc. that the Z1 is by far the best device out of the top devices at the moment... for sure you will have to know, what you are doing (and seemingly no one here does) ... i'm a photograph and have to say that the camera is brilliant (for a mobile camera) ... you just have to choose manual iso and such things, cause the automatic is (as always at EVERY camera) not the best for all situations ... e.g. if you shoot pics at night, the automatic mode gains the iso to maximum ... this will for sure make you able to shoot pictures that look like at evenig, not at night, but will gain the noise to a max ... if you choose wisely (e.g ISO 400) at night shots and hold the camera still you will get good pictures ...
i may upload a few examples today or tomorrow ..
the display: Yes, it is not such a good viewing angle as on new IPS-Panels or something ... BUT ... do you want everyone in a train e.g. be able to look and read everything on your display? Me not ... It's important to have enough angle to watch videos or look at photos (espacially for me) without getting wrong colors or something ... and THAT is what the Z1 does ...not more, but not less ...
so why is the z1 better than evey other mobile available?!
- it's water resistant (and yes, i testet it half an hour fully under water) ...
- its aluminium frame with saphire glass on both sides (yes it is) gives it a nice finish (im sure you can even let it fall on a stone without braking it, but not tested - it just falls periodically from my table on the carpet - ca 1m - and is still alive )
- the dev community is good
- the battery life is the longest for those cpus and displays
- the camera is awsome
- the display (triluminos) is brilliant with true colors, good contrast, etc ...
- sony delivers good support
- the sound that comes out of this mobile (even with just the headset in the package) is amazingly brilliant - with good earphones it's for sure the best i ever heard (sony has much experience cause of the walkman devices and such things ...)
- it comes out of the box with very cool features such as the stamina mode (wich works brilliant - no need for any other battery apps or task killers) or the ability to bind an DualShock-Controller to the mobile for gaming e.g. ... and much more ...
so enough said .. haters will allways hate ... but i will never give my z1 away ... it's the best phone i ever head in my hands (and i've had more then enough) ...mybe the z2 will be the replacement for the z1 in a while ... but at the moment there is nothing better available ...
EHHHM .. just to be clear ... im reporting about the standard german nonbranded C6903 .. i heard that some other countrys and models may have other display panels and may be worse than the "normal" device ... don't know, what is exactly true about this .. i can only tell you something about German unbranded C6903 which is mine and the mobile of 2 friends of me .. all working without problems ...

I sign this

mnickkk said:
I love the pure Google experience but internal memory and battery capacity of Nexus 5 is just killing me. I would go for G2, but I heard it struggles with poor internal memory performance. Can anyone confirm it with KK onboard? My N5 is .84 rw. Which one has better community support? I would probably flash cm/omni. And Im considering 16GB Z1 vs 32GB G2. I like the feeling of N5, and that's why Im a bit scared of Z1 huge frame, but stable and fully functional pure Google is the most important for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the Z1, but the only reason I went for it instead of the G2 is because I need more than 32GB storage and I care about the materials / build quality of a product a lot. I guess if those things are important to you, go for the Z1, otherwise the G2 is probably better than the Z1 in every way really (especially the display and the size of phone to size of screen ratio. Z1 has HUGE bezels)

DJ_Synergy said:
The only horrible thing is the community, that writes crap about this nice device every time ...
I can tell you (with many hours of testing Z1, G2, S4, etc. that the Z1 is by far the best device out of the top devices at the moment... for sure you will have to know, what you are doing (and seemingly no one here does) ... i'm a photograph and have to say that the camera is brilliant (for a mobile camera) ... you just have to choose manual iso and such things, cause the automatic is (as always at EVERY camera) not the best for all situations ... e.g. if you shoot pics at night, the automatic mode gains the iso to maximum ... this will for sure make you able to shoot pictures that look like at evenig, not at night, but will gain the noise to a max ... if you choose wisely (e.g ISO 400) at night shots and hold the camera still you will get good pictures ...
i may upload a few examples today or tomorrow ..
the display: Yes, it is not such a good viewing angle as on new IPS-Panels or something ... BUT ... do you want everyone in a train e.g. be able to look and read everything on your display? Me not ... It's important to have enough angle to watch videos or look at photos (espacially for me) without getting wrong colors or something ... and THAT is what the Z1 does ...not more, but not less ...
so why is the z1 better than evey other mobile available?!
- it's water resistant (and yes, i testet it half an hour fully under water) ...
- its aluminium frame with saphire glass on both sides (yes it is) gives it a nice finish (im sure you can even let it fall on a stone without braking it, but not tested - it just falls periodically from my table on the carpet - ca 1m - and is still alive )
- the dev community is good
- the battery life is the longest for those cpus and displays
- the camera is awsome
- the display (triluminos) is brilliant with true colors, good contrast, etc ...
- sony delivers good support
- the sound that comes out of this mobile (even with just the headset in the package) is amazingly brilliant - with good earphones it's for sure the best i ever heard (sony has much experience cause of the walkman devices and such things ...)
- it comes out of the box with very cool features such as the stamina mode (wich works brilliant - no need for any other battery apps or task killers) or the ability to bind an DualShock-Controller to the mobile for gaming e.g. ... and much more ...
so enough said .. haters will allways hate ... but i will never give my z1 away ... it's the best phone i ever head in my hands (and i've had more then enough) ...mybe the z2 will be the replacement for the z1 in a while ... but at the moment there is nothing better available ...
EHHHM .. just to be clear ... im reporting about the standard german nonbranded C6903 .. i heard that some other countrys and models may have other display panels and may be worse than the "normal" device ... don't know, what is exactly true about this .. i can only tell you something about German unbranded C6903 which is mine and the mobile of 2 friends of me .. all working without problems ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I do not think there is anything more to say :good:

Why everyone is complaining about Z1?
I have a Z1 and i LOVE IT!
Ok, my first impression wasnt the best (touch issues), but i replace it and now its perfect!
My battery can hold for 2 days with wifi and 4g the entire time, twitter, facebook, email, linkedin, everything connected and i play on my free times. TWO DAYS!
I dont have any problem with the angle because i dont use my phone looking from the sides (who do this?) when i use it the screen is in front of me, so not a problem.
Its water resistent, do you need more? (oh, but i dont live inside a pool bla bla bla, neither me, but is something to consider on a top end phone).
Performance is unbelievable! Im using stock ROM from Sony and is fast, stable, beautiful.
The camera is noisy? Yes, but ONLY on AUTO mode, change to MANUAL and do some basic camera ajustments, you will see a new camera, very clear photos even at night.
Internal storage 16gb, yes, this is crap, but i have 12 games installed and more 2gb of music without a SD Card, so all depends on your use.
So if you want a perfect phone, buy the Z1 or the brand new Z2, both of the phones are incredible!

I also agree.
I sold a Galaxy S4 and caught a Z1 and do not regret it.
I Make excellent pictures in Manual mode (the best camera on a smartphone).
Viewing angles never bothered me, so I usually look at the screen from the front.
Quality construction and water resistance = Perfect!
Excellent battery life.
G2 / N5 = plastic phones, no sdcard slot, no real good cameras, no water resistant, no great battery life.
Conclusion: Today, Z1 is the best option. If you can wait, buy a Z2 or HTC One 2 (M8). These will be better than Z1. :laugh:

I would say the technical best devices are the HTC One or the Xperia Z series. If you compare the Z, Z1 and Z2 the differences are minimal. Because of that you can decide by the amount of money you want to spend for a mobile phone. I am sure after the Z2 reaches the market, the prices for Z and Z1 will be lowered.

marciozh said:
I also agree.
I sold a Galaxy S4 and caught a Z1 and do not regret it.
I Make excellent pictures in Manual mode (the best camera on a smartphone).
Viewing angles never bothered me, so I usually look at the screen from the front.
Quality construction and water resistance = Perfect!
Excellent battery life.
G2 / N5 = plastic phones, no sdcard slot, no real good cameras, no water resistant, no great battery life.
Conclusion: Today, Z1 is the best option. If you can wait, buy a Z2 or HTC One 2 (M8). These will be better than Z1. :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
G2 has great battery life. probably on par or even better than Z1.

DJ_Synergy said:
so why is the z1 better than evey other mobile available?!
- it's water resistant (and yes, i testet it half an hour fully under water) ...
- its aluminium frame with saphire glass on both sides (yes it is) gives it a nice finish (im sure you can even let it fall on a stone without braking it, but not tested - it just falls periodically from my table on the carpet - ca 1m - and is still alive )
- the dev community is good
- the battery life is the longest for those cpus and displays
- the camera is awsome
- the display (triluminos) is brilliant with true colors, good contrast, etc ...
- sony delivers good support
- the sound that comes out of this mobile (even with just the headset in the package) is amazingly brilliant - with good earphones it's for sure the best i ever heard (sony has much experience cause of the walkman devices and such things ...)
- it comes out of the box with very cool features such as the stamina mode (wich works brilliant - no need for any other battery apps or task killers) or the ability to bind an DualShock-Controller to the mobile for gaming e.g. ... and much more ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
few things i'd like to reply on:
first a few things that are not quite right:
display:
the triluminos display may seem brilliant, but is has it downsides. for those who are in this stuff, this video is pretty nice. well aside from that, it just has to look good right? wich it, in my opinion, does.
sound:
well yeah, with headphones it's definitly something, but without? ouch...
screen:
it's dragontail glass not saphire glass (source)
positive:
camera:
the camera is excellent IF you know how to use it. The G2 does decent pictures without questions, but they are heavily post processed. It may not be visible for the normal user, but if you're in that photo stuff the z1 should do better.
take a look at this page for further information.
but this should all be in vain, because those are stock roms, who really knows how the perform on custom roms?
battery:
it's huge. i came from Xperia S what lasted about 10 Hours with my usage. The Z1 easily gets over 2 Days with wifi, gps, mobile allways on. Additionally i receive quite a few push messages.
edit:
i love my Z1

owned both (Z1 & G2) and I would definitely recommend the G2

Both are good phones...and I was in the exact same position choosing between the G2 and Z1. Yes the Z1 can have images with noise but I've managed to get a good technique with all the tips from XDA members...people are always complementing my Z1 camera
Ultimately it's down to what you want;
mnickkk said:
I love the pure Google experience but internal memory and battery capacity of Nexus 5 is just killing me. I would go for G2, but I heard it struggles with poor internal memory performance. Can anyone confirm it with KK onboard? My N5 is .84 rw. Which one has better community support? I would probably flash cm/omni. And Im considering 16GB Z1 vs 32GB G2. I like the feeling of N5, and that's why Im a bit scared of Z1 huge frame, but stable and fully functional pure Google is the most important for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So if you want custom roms the G2 is hands down the winner compared to the Z1 with a permanently locked bootloader (i.e. not unlockable). However if you can get a unlockable Z1 it's about even. If not the stock Z1 is still really good and very close to pure google experience once you root and clean things up with titanium backup.
If I could choose again I would probably go for the G2 since I prefer messing around with custom roms (although I would miss the solid premium feel the Z1 has...so maybe I'd try harder to source an unlockable Z1 :silly: ).

I was hesitating about the same thing, G2 vs Z1. I was almost sold for the G2, it was pretty nice at test (swipe gestures and tap screen are very user-friendly).
But finally I got my Z1 form my carrier, thinking that if it was not good for me I could sell it at a big price and buy a G2 instead. I never went this way. Testing a Z1 and owning a Z1 are 2 different worlds, this phone has just blown my mind.
Also had an accident with Coca and my phone held out for 30 minutes without any problem, I just washed it under a shower, cleaned it with my shirt. Way to go!
And I'm a music addict. Just check the two topics I've opened lately. All about sound. The Z1 is by far the best out there with Qualcomm DAC, implementation is perfect. Zero noise, zero distortion, power, lively music, responsive EQ, it is worth the experience.
I will definitely not trade my Z1 for a LG G2. Though the last one is an amazing phone and I recommend it, if you have money to chose either the Z1 or the G2, Z1 is the way to go. I don't know the Z2. If it does eveythign the same way or better than the Z1, it's a WIN-WIN situation.
Ah, I run stock ROM, haven't looked after root yet, nor bootloader stuff etc.

Related

[Q] Is SP the right Xperia for me? Any advice?

Hi,
I have spent a week studying the descriptions of the available Xperia phones. I have a hard time understanding which one will be the best one for me, though SP seems promising... Is anyone willing to help?
In the past I have had Xperia X10i and Xperia S. These are my priorities:
* Huge phone not needed - maximum 4,3 or perhaps 4,6 inches
* Waterproof, dust proof etc not needed
* Nice camera required. I never carry a normal camera any longer - still, I don't need 8+ megapixels, image quality is more important - but video is not important. (Xperia S photos seemed poorer than I wish for)
* Heavy user - good battery life needed. (With Xperia S, I often had to restrict my use, for the phone to survive the day.)
* Good CPU/memory needed - I sometimes run GPS tracking, music, social media simultaneously, I don't want any of my apps to shut down due to low capacity.
* I wish to have the latest Android versions without rooting my phone - will prefer a device that Sony will keep updating longer.
* Price is not overly important, but I don't wish to play a lot extra for a too larger and waterproof phone, if there are cheaper alternatives.
* Design is important (but personal)... I prefer a white model, clean design, hate Samsung rounded corners and plastic feel (sorry)...
Does the SP seem right? Or are any of the other Xperia models more suitable? Will be very thankful for any recommendations!
The only flaws with the Xperia sp are that the camera is worse then the S ( I too had a s and a x10)
Battery life is good, two days with moderate usage.
Design, well I find the sp sexy ( i have black)
Performance is good and smooth. No problems running heavy games. Multitasking is ok.
Price: its cheap.
Its running on android 4.1 dont know about future updates
Good luck picking your phone.
Sent from my C5303 using xda app-developers app
Li-polymers said:
The only flaws with the Xperia sp are that the camera is worse then the S ( I too had a s and a x10)
Battery life is good, two days with moderate usage.
Design, well I find the sp sexy ( i have black)
Performance is good and smooth. No problems running heavy games. Multitasking is ok.
Price: its cheap.
Its running on android 4.1 dont know about future updates
Good luck picking your phone.
Sent from my C5303 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I noticed different things..
The battery life is nothing special, not good, not bad. But for sure, there are other devices with better battery life in the same price range.
The camera is (unfortunately) pretty bad! Also note, that many users got problems with their wifi connection. The range of wifi is horrible and there is no official fix by Sony.
The performance is very nice and smooth, same like the design.
Well, its your choice, I would prefer another device.
I'm disappointed to hear about the poor camera. May I ask which other devices you might recommend - similar specifications, but better camera?
murmeljenta said:
I'm disappointed to hear about the poor camera. May I ask which other devices you might recommend - similar specifications, but better camera?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I heard many good things about the LG Optimus G E975.
murmeljenta said:
Hi,
I have spent a week studying the descriptions of the available Xperia phones. I have a hard time understanding which one will be the best one for me, though SP seems promising... Is anyone willing to help?
In the past I have had Xperia X10i and Xperia S. These are my priorities:
* Huge phone not needed - maximum 4,3 or perhaps 4,6 inches
* Waterproof, dust proof etc not needed
* Nice camera required. I never carry a normal camera any longer - still, I don't need 8+ megapixels, image quality is more important - but video is not important. (Xperia S photos seemed poorer than I wish for)
* Heavy user - good battery life needed. (With Xperia S, I often had to restrict my use, for the phone to survive the day.)
* Good CPU/memory needed - I sometimes run GPS tracking, music, social media simultaneously, I don't want any of my apps to shut down due to low capacity.
* I wish to have the latest Android versions without rooting my phone - will prefer a device that Sony will keep updating longer.
* Price is not overly important, but I don't wish to play a lot extra for a too larger and waterproof phone, if there are cheaper alternatives.
* Design is important (but personal)... I prefer a white model, clean design, hate Samsung rounded corners and plastic feel (sorry)...
Does the SP seem right? Or are any of the other Xperia models more suitable? Will be very thankful for any recommendations!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The device is though perfect, but some stuff can disappoint you very much :-
- Camera- Camera is not exactly as great as a XPERIA phones should be, though a fix will be officially out in a new firmware.
- Latest Android- This phone surely has a future to go till android 5.0 officially, but that can be too slow, as Sony takes a lot of time for giving the latest available OS
-Good CPU/Memory- This device is perfect for your needs
- Size- The phone has a perfect size to carry in hands or in pocket
- Price- It's a cheap as hell phone looking at it's specs.
- Connectivity- Phone is perfect in every standard in all sections, though a big con here is wifi range "for some wifi disconnects" or maybe you get neither of it, depends.
-Design- This phone is a definite beauty, I own the white model, but, I suggest to go with black, as the chrome finish on the aluminium frame will start fading into black color, even when you connect hands-free, or USB into it.
Few bugs, Touch response while charging is really ridiculous "with charger provided by Sony" I used charger of my old phone XPERIA Neo V and the touch bugs had resolved after it, so definitely there's a defect in charger provided by Sony, I'm confident coz almost everyone here has faced that bug.
A 2nd option instead of XPERIA- Nexus 4 can be a perfect choice as per your needs, though the back glass may break/crack.
-XPERIA ZR, if you're willing to pay 3-4k more go for XPERIA ZR it's definitely perfect for your needs.
I think poor Camera can`t be fixed with firmwareupdate. In my opinion the quality is bad on ExmorRS. It simply lacks the sensor resolution. But very good is the HDR mode, very effective.
For prints in 10X15 but the pictures are quite sufficient. Xperia S photos are showing many more detail for larger prints, but have much less contrast range. So you get a lot of outdoor pictures with any flaring. But this problem solves the XSP perfect.
for battery life, the XSP run at least twice as long as the XS.
take extensive look at the Xperia blahblahblah still shat display and make sure you are absolutely completely fine with its white-washedness.
My Battery stats for the full day usage including games, wifi&3g surfing, video playback etc
Sent from my C5302 using xda app-developers app

Anyone return their Z1?

I was debating and then I was like "what was I thinking" though the camera is mediocre, and speakers are Ok, everything else is fantastic.
I was going to wait for the HTC one2, and realized that more than likely no other phone soon will be able to last as long as the z1 with their battery saving software.
to be honest with you, as much as I complain about my Z1, overall there isnt one device out there for me that tops it. Just hope that the new update will do something to the Camera and 4K vid recording is something I really really wanted, but not enough to move be back to Samsung.
I have Z1, SGS4 and used the nexus 5 for a day and a half, I will compare them below
Nexus 5 best performance but lack features
SGS4 worst performance (too much lag and stuttering) but has lots of features (most of which are useless and no-one actually uses them except to show off)
Z1 excellent performance (almost identical to the nexus 5) and has some useful features like camera apps, small apps ...etc
Although the Z1 is not perfect (nothing is perfect), but it is the best overall phone out there. I will get chance to play with the HTC ONE for few days in a week or two then I will probably be able to say what is the best phone currently available (apart from the LG G2 which I haven't had the chance to play with).
Not even considered it, got it sim free and I'm happy with it
I returned mine because I spotted a dead (or maybe stuck) pixel on the screen. I hope I'll have better luck next time.
I am very very disappointed in the camera, the speaker is actually close to top considering its a tiny waterproof speaker but I love every thing else about the Z1 so no, I didn't return my device and I wont be doing so.
Gitaroo said:
to be honest with you, as much as I complain about my Z1, overall there isnt one device out there for me that tops it. Just hope that the new update will do something to the Camera and 4K vid recording is something I really really wanted, but not enough to move be back to Samsung.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm interested in knowing why since I was thinking about getting the Note 3.
Sent from my C6903 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
DAddYE said:
I'm interested in knowing why since I was thinking about getting the Note 3.
Sent from my C6903 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually I had the Note 3, it is the worst mistake that I made up until now!
now the problems I had with it are more philosophical than fair, so to make it fair I'll only point out the problems that "others" consider worthy!
1. Not so great looking even though its an improvement over the S4 and Note 2
2. Has A LOT of bloat ware
3. Cheap looking/feeling device (like all Samsungs)
4. Depending on what you do with it scales form lagging a couple of times a day to constantly lagging (I couldn't handle the lag so...)
5. Bigger than most people would want it to be (I actually where okay with it mainly because I didn't called anyone with it)
6. You would look Very-Very stupid talking with it on the street or anywhere else for that matter!
DAddYE said:
I'm interested in knowing why since I was thinking about getting the Note 3.
Sent from my C6903 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mostly personally preference but Im coming from a S3 owner, but here are some of the reasons
-touchwiz, hate it with a passion, actually got to play with a real note 3 today at the store and it actually still lag a little bit like seriously lol?! Checked the ram consumption it always over 1.2+ gigs after I clear everything it goes back up quickly no wonder why they keep added more rams for all the galaxy phones. My Z1 has to be on for a couple of weeks to hit over 1 gig and generally around 0.9.
-hate OLED colors, it has gotten a lot better with the pentile problem but still not enough to bring me back. Triluminos looks better to me straight on even if you have to sacrifice the wash out colors in extreme angles which I never look at my phone that way. Plus I see color shifting problems on Note 3, like yellow would turn green in a angle, so viewing angle is not a clear victory on the note 3 neither (same with Nexus 5 and G2 which have their own problems in extreme angle when I played with them today). Didn't get to do out door test with the note 3 not sure if it become unreadable under the sun.
-Built quality, I dont think I need to say much here, just personally when I pay hundreds of dollars for a flashship device I want it to actually feel like a flagship device.
the only features in the Note 3 that I want in the Z1 is the 4K video recording, downsampling 4K video to play on 1080p screen is a huge difference. You don't need a 4K display to take advantage of it. I used to think that the multi screen features from note2 and S3 is going to make me happy with my S3 again, but after the update came out I've never use it once.... Its all personal preference so those my not apply to others.
ahomad said:
I have Z1, SGS4 and used the nexus 5 for a day and a half, I will compare them below
Nexus 5 best performance but lack features
SGS4 worst performance (too much lag and stuttering) but has lots of features (most of which are useless and no-one actually uses them except to show off)
Z1 excellent performance (almost identical to the nexus 5) and has some useful features like camera apps, small apps ...etc
Although the Z1 is not perfect (nothing is perfect), but it is the best overall phone out there. I will get chance to play with the HTC ONE for few days in a week or two then I will probably be able to say what is the best phone currently available (apart from the LG G2 which I haven't had the chance to play with).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm coming from Note 2, Galaxy s4 and HTC one to Sony Z1, apart from note 2 (which I liked) the other's are disappointing s4 has lag and loads of stupid features you turn off, HTC One was boring and battery life was rubbish plus I was scared to scrape or dent the metal (best sound though) . I was wanting Note 3 but too expensive and cant believe it still has lag, plus Knox! (which totally put me off s4)
Sony Z1 feels premium has a decent enough camera and battery is probably the best with the note 2 I've had.
Before I had Z1 I was waiting for Nexus 5 and was going to sell s4, but after seeing it, Z1 is much better.
Thank you all guys you opened (again) my eyes. There are just few things that make me sad about the Z1.
- camera is not so fantastic. Unless you have the stone hand just pressing the hw button from focus to shoot makes the phone shaking and the picture a little blurry. This is almost not noticeable with high lights but as soon start to be a little darker things gets worse. Thus in low lights this camera is totally incapable to take decent pictures, what you see 'good' in your screen will be post processed and 'destroyed'. No manual mode could help ATM.
- freaking hardware buttons
I can't believe that my 5" real estate triluminus 400+ DPI 1080 **** should have a damn waste of space: soft keys IMHO are the android cancer. Now I'm using a pie (after gtm) it's okay but still annoying and uncomfortable. I'll be happy to pay one dollar more and have at least a central hw button. Note that I compared twitter, Google+ and Chrome with the iPhone and on the smaller 4" there is much more space!!! This piss me off!!!!
- unlock the boot loader. I used to pay the retail price in order to not increase the US mafia of carriers. After more than a month this phone isn't really unlockable. No official words from Sony about the fact they are working for a fix or a date. This scares me.
- 2013 and our display is not oleophobic. This makes me sad even more when a friend tell me: cool phone can I see it? And my screen is a finger print fest. Tried almost any good screen protector antifinger print. None of them really works without decrease the screen quality.
Sent from my C6903 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Just one tip.
Don't compare N5 and Z1 now.
Wait until Z1 gets 4.4 then you'll see what Z1 is capable to do.
As I said few times, it's better to have great camera (hardware) which is fixable than great software without hardware support.
Z1 has great camera and with 4.4 update we will have the best device money can buy...
Everyone compares N5 and Z1 now and all of them are unique in conclusion - these two devices are similar but remember we are comparing 4.2.2 with 4.4 - so you can just imagine Z1 with a KitKat under the hood
It will fly
Sent from my Z1

[Q] Tell me your experience with your Xperia ZR

Tell me about bugs, pros, cons, size, all about your user experience with ZR, i am considering buy this device, is it really good?
Tnx in advance
Don Luciano said:
Tell me about bugs, pros, cons, size, all about your user experience with ZR, i am considering buy this device, is it really good?
Tnx in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my only, and i mean only slight disapointment at this device is the screen, it washes out when viewing from large angles, which is negligble most of the times, unless you're for somereason trying to watch what someone else is doing on your phone while he's far from you.
other than that it's absolutly perfect, water resistent, very fast and snappy, battery lasts a day and sometimes two, volume is descent and camera is great once you figure out how to take goodnight shots.
i don't find the 8GB internal to be too small, i have a lot of apps installed including a few big games, for multimedia i just have my 16GB sd card.
Never get lags
Sent from my C5502 using xda premium
Low headphone volume is very annoying.
Sent from my C5502 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Don Luciano said:
Tell me about bugs, pros, cons, size, all about your user experience with ZR, i am considering buy this device, is it really good?
Tnx in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me the main problem is not to be able to use the Sd card for application storage.
Otherwise I m very happy with it.
Big screen but not too big.
Fast fast fast...
The front camera is not so good but do you use it often? Me once in 2 months...
The usb cover can get tricky sometimes but after a few week it become easier.
But why don't you wait a little more and buy a Z1s....
Not good at all
Because of:
1.Very little to No developer support for our device
2.Volume is very low
3.Probably no KitKat for our wonderful device
4.Camera is not nice,in any condition its just too grainy and zooming on a picture is pointless as it gets very bad
5.Shortage of accessories
6.Sony's service is very poor
7.No warranty on water proof.....
Etc.
Other than this the experience is great
Not on device but on android and a nicely designed phone.
kraken000 said:
Not good at all
Because of:
1.Very little to No developer support for our device
2.Volume is very low
3.Probably no KitKat for our wonderful device
4.Camera is not nice,in any condition its just too grainy and zooming on a picture is pointless as it gets very bad
5.Shortage of accessories
6.Sony's service is very poor
7.No warranty on water proof.....
Etc.
Other than this the experience is great
Not on device but on android and a nicely designed phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol kraken, go for a reading trip around the forum, most of what you wrote here is already discussed a solved...
1. almost every xz rom works on ZR with a little tweaking, you have miui and CM also, kikat will have to get to ZR if it gets to Z it's practicly the same, mybe a month later.
the camera is defenetly one of the better ones, night shots require to use manual mode to get better resaults, someone did comparison with galaxy s4 in the pictures thread and when done right quiality is the same.
shortage of accessories is also wrong, you have original sony dock and cheaper excellet docks on ebay, plenty of covers and screen procetors...
and about water warrenty?? no waterproff phone has a waterproofing warrenty, non from sony or the samsung galaxy active devices...
shteren said:
lol kraken, go for a reading trip around the forum, most of what you wrote here is already discussed a solved...
1. almost every xz rom works on ZR with a little tweaking, you have miui and CM also, kikat will have to get to ZR if it gets to Z it's practicly the same, mybe a month later.
the camera is defenetly one of the better ones, night shots require to use manual mode to get better resaults, someone did comparison with galaxy s4 in the pictures thread and when done right quiality is the same.
shortage of accessories is also wrong, you have original sony dock and cheaper excellet docks on ebay, plenty of covers and screen procetors...
and about water warrenty?? no waterproff phone has a waterproofing warrenty, non from sony or the samsung galaxy active devices...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't totally agree with you shteren
But if you know how to modify ROMs from Z or ZL to ZR
Please mod this one and upload it here cuz it's amazing
http:// http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2495576
And also tell me an ultra noob friendly way to mod Z roms for Zr
For future use....
+ Great size
+ Good battery life
+ Software (lightly skinned, no TouchWiz crap here)
+ Build quality
+ Fast and snappy with no lag
+ Sony media apps are nice
+ STAMINA mode
+ Can use with a dock
+ IP58 certified waterproof and dust proof
+ Excellent camera with proper camera button
- Notification light is too dim and colour can't be changed
- Lack of accessories (can't even get a proper leather case)
- Port covers likely to get damaged with constant open and close action
- Soft keys (prefer Samsung home button)
- Screen is washed out and looks rubbish compared to AMOLED but it's not as bad as the reviews

[Q] G3 vs Z3C? Opinions

Hey there, I'm planning to give back my g3 to amazon spend 20€ more and get the z3c...
I know this is the z3c forum so I will get more positive reviews about it.
Some extra info: I keep using my nexus 7 2013 for reading and video, with the G3 I didn't use the nexus 7 2013 at all these days so if I keep the G3 I think I will sell the tablet.
G3 foto gets really good with XCam from xdabebb although you can't modify so many values as the z3c manual mode 20 megapixel...
Battery: G3 can give me 5 hours SOT MAX in a day of use, if I forget to charge it It wont get through the second day.
The best thing I like about the LG G3 are the thin bezels and the fact of a 5.5 inch into so small sizes + the screen for multimedia purposes can substitute tablet use.
The worst thing about the LG G3 is the size for 1 hand is nearly impossible and dangerous (phone can easily fall), and the battery + the camera is only good with xdabbeb camera XCam and now with lollipop LG has removed many functionalities about the hardware of the camara that can be accesed
Sorry for the long post
TL.DR: Why should I get Z3 Compact over G3, provide some links in your answers (even I've searched in google quite a lot and not many people compare these 2 due to different screen sizes)
I come from the LG G2 (1 year) -> Amazon Firephone (3 months)-> z3 compact (3 months so far) . However I help my friend to buy a LG G3 and use if for a couple of days. Technically, the LG G3 is mostly identical to the LG G2 (slightly bigger in screen and size, same camera, battery capacity, design and internals (S801 is just an overclocked s800)) However, when the G2 has very good battery life, the G3 is just average. G3 has better camera focus time thanks to laser sensor, but the image quality is mostly the same (they uses the same Sony sensor) The reason I switch to the Z3 compact is G3 is mostly the same as G2 and I need to upgrade my smartphone, as my father love to use the G2, and he's still using. And I advise 4 of my friends to buy sony devices. Our group now have 1 z3, 4 z3 compacts.
The reason for buying z3 compact is:
+ water proof: trust me, my s4 died for just drop into the water for 3 seconds. This z3c has several times accidentally into the water and she lives well. Plus one time listening to music under the heavy rain for more than 1 hour.
+ battery: The best battery life device for more than 10 smartphones I've used in my life. My habit is charge the phone over-night and I have to plug it in normally at 40-50%, 30% on the intensive day and even 70% on the easy one.
+ speakers: It has 2 stereo speakers towards your ears. Most of the other smartphone including LG and has speaker grill at the bottom (one ear in landscape mode) or in the back ?? after using phones with front-facing speakers, you will never go back. And my daddy love my mother's Moto G 2014 just because of those speakers haha.
The reason to not buy the z3 compact is:
-screen size: Depends. Yeah it's very efficiently designed since it has 4.6 inches screen and much smaller than the 4.7 inches galaxy alpha and Iphone 6. However, 4.6 can be considered too small for some. You can buy the z3 in this case, keep in mind that the bigger Z3 doesn't have the as good screen-size ratio as the z3 compact
-camera: IMX 220 is the very good camera (proven in other devices. However, I don't know why Sony can introduce the very bad camera software. It's hard to use, it's complicated, it re-focus when you hit the button even when you already focused just before. Plus, the camera software stays the same without any major updates for nearly 2 years since the z1 and z1 compact. It's a joke when Sony keeps updating theirs other apps like Walkman (now music), Gallery, launcher, themes, major android updates. And don't get me wrong, z3c camera is really good, it just cannot cope with the potential of the sensor itself, and ironically they are the maker of the sensor ha ha. And please not to forget the 2MP front facing camera is just average (with f 2.8 and bad quality) if you are the selfie person.
In conclusion, I'm very satisfied with the z3 compact and will stick with it for a long time.
robocopvn said:
G3 has better camera focus time thanks to laser sensor, but the image quality is mostly the same (they uses the same Sony sensor)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello thanks for your post it was very usefull for me, I also owned the G2 for a while and I must say, from what I remember, the camera noise is much lower in the G3 under low light conditions. The main reason I want to get the z3c is due to the camera (in manual mode you can get impressive pictures & auto mode is improving from what I've read) and the battery. The biggest con I see with the z3c is non-removable battery. When the battery life ends it will mean you have to throw it away or take it to the service center and pay a big amount of money to get a new one.
EDIT: Damn, didn't read you already have a G3, curse my lack of reading skills.
I don't know much about the Z3C as I haven't had much contact with it besides playing with it at some store, but I suppose I can tell you a little bit about my G3
Pros:
+Screen size and resolution - it's just perfect for watching vids, playing games and browsing stuff in your bed. Everything you see is incredibly sharp due to the horrendous resolution. I can definetely say there is a difference between my dad's Z1 (it's FullHD, while Z3C is just HD so the difference is even bigger) and my G3 in terms of clarity of the display. You can literally read ant's-****-sized text.
+Camera - it produces really nice shots, in good surroundings it can give birth to magnificent images you will be proud of. And having the laser focus makes you feel like a James Bond... sometimes
+Performance - yes, the QHD sometimes makes the CPU a bit sweaty, but overall there is little to be desired. You may be disappointed if you expect your phone to switch to landscape mode in a blink, but for a simple user it is absolutely ok.
+Pretty and slim design - not as flamboyant as your favourite drag queen, but I really like the way it looks. Altough it is more like a matter of taste.
+Physical buttons placement - it may seem weird at first, but you will like it.
+Durability - I squeezed it many times in my pocket by sitting or kneeling abruptly, yet nothing happened and after six months my device still looks great. Also, the screen is really scratch resistant, there is no need to purchase any screen protector.
+Great standby time - it will live a looooooong life if you just leave it idle.
+Mod-friendly - easy to root, easy to flash, you can restore it no problem if you screw something up (no fear of permanently damaging the camera like in Z3C's case)
+Removable battery - you will love it if your phone gets stuck for some reason. Just pull the battery and all the bad dreams are gone!
Not-pros:
-Overheating - yep, sometimes it gets hotter than girls in your browser history. Hovewer, it occurs only if you push the phone to the limit.
-Need of tinkering - I mean, LG screwed up the software a little bit so you may want to get rid of some of the annoyances like screen oversharpening (it was so annoying that I've decided to root the device just to repair this one goddamn thing, I couldn't stand my mom's face oversharpened), heating, battery life, etc.
-Battery life - not as good as Z3C's, expect it to have 4-5h SOT and be battery hungry at the end of the day if you use it a lot. There are no perks like Stamina mode, though it can be dealt with through rooting or simply buying a bigger battery.
-Plastic - it doesn't feel as premium as the Z3, it emits some creaky sounds if squeezed, the back of the phone can get scratched if you place it on a harsh surface.
-Dimmed screen - not useless in a direct sunlight, but you will have a hard time reading the text on it.
-Not waterproof - unfortunately it's not as resilient as your ex-friend's head, you shouldn't try to flush it down the toilet.
-No stereo speakers - not like it is really needed on a mobile phone imo, but still.
So the way I see it... if you like small screens, perfect performance, topnotch battery life and water resistance, go for Z3C. But if these things aren't that crucial for you, then you won't be disappointed with LG's flagship child... oh wait, isn't G4 out already? Too lazy to check it, but this can only result in one thing - price drop.
Krastinov said:
So the way I see it... if you like small screens, perfect performance, topnotch battery life and water resistance, go for Z3C. But if these things aren't that crucial for you, then you won't be disappointed with LG's flagship child... oh wait, isn't G4 out already? Too lazy to check it, but this can only result in one thing - price drop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your opinion, I've been using the G3 for 1 week or so and I got exactly that, 4-5 hours SOT and at the end of the day you had to charge it. The worse part of the G3 in my opinion it is that it was too big and this made even worse the fragile/slipery feeling.
The camera are great in both smartphones, but just today I saw one which was even more amazing, the Microsoft Lumia 640 XL. I had it a while and besides 5.7 inch it felt very solid and comfortable. Now I'm between going full retard and buy the 640 XL for 200€ or the z3 compact for 350€. Both are the best in battery performance and camera (although 640XL goes a bit higher on both due to wp). But z3 compact being so smal and so good camera and battery...
sanogueralorenzo said:
The worse part of the G3 in my opinion it is that it was too big and this made even worse the fragile/slipery feeling.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe it's just me and my sticky hands, but I haven't had any problems holding it. Never experienced any OMG-GONNA-DROP-IT scenarios (just being overly careful after shattering my last Samsung...). Moreover, I heard that the Z3C is more prone to being dropped due to the glass on the back... yet I'm not sure, the one I played with had some anti-theft gizmos attached to its back, so I couldn't compare :d.
sanogueralorenzo said:
The camera are great in both smartphones, but just today I saw one which was even more amazing, the Microsoft Lumia 640 XL. I had it a while and besides 5.7 inch it felt very solid and comfortable. Now I'm between going full retard and buy the 640 XL for 200€ or the z3 compact for 350€. Both are the best in battery performance and camera (although 640XL goes a bit higher on both due to wp). But z3 compact being so smal and so good camera and battery...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, Lumias are great photo-taking devices, but you would have to settle for Windows Phone, which is... well, let's say that not everybody likes it. But it's your call, as an Android fanboy I would, of course, choose the Xperia, even though it's photo capabilities may be a bit behind Lumias.

Is the Z3C still worth to buy?

Hello everyone!
Right now I own a Moto X (2013) and I love it mainly because of the size of the screen, it actually fits in my pockets! But as of late, the battery is already draining a bit fast, and the camera has never been very good either. So I'm looking for a phone to replace it that has a better camera, battery and keeps about the same performance. The problem lies in the big sized phones available today! They're huge. I don't want it to exceed the 5.2 inch display size, nor it be larger than 140mm approximately.
So I thought about the Z3C. I also considered the new Xperia M5 (not yet on sale) (145mm long) or even wait for the Z5 Compact. What do you guys recommend? Is the Z3C still worth it?
I think the camera is is pretty good on the Z3C but I am no photographer. It suits my needs well. I think you will have a hard time finding a small phone (or any phone) that matches the battery life of the Z3C. For that reason alone, I think it is work it. I also think the Z3C is a nice looking phone. I also have a 2013 Moto X and loved it until I got spoiled by the Z3C's battery. You should find the Z3C to be faster and have better performance overall.
Z3 battery life is great and it fits in pocket much better than some of the slabs available now.
If you dont want to pay a premium for the absolute latest and greatest but want a phone that just works really well, i think the z3C is pretty good value.
Glass screen protector and decent case are a must though as although IP68 rated, dont think its very "drop proof".
- The Z3C battery life takes a hit with Lollipop though (damn mobile radio active bug), so if you're not satisfied, you can always roll back to KitKat for the best performance.
- The camera's auto-mode is decent in well lit conditions (tends to over-expose), but is sub-par indoors. It lacks sharpness once you zoom in on the picture. It actually excels in some low-light conditions due to the higher ISO, but most people don't need to take photos in a dark room.
- Over all, you won't find a better phone with more features at this price point that actually fits in one hand comfortably. Plus, it's waterproof.
That being said though, the new Z5C is supposed to be announced this week. Wait a few days and see if it's worth the upgrade or not.
Still the best compact phone (< 5") out at the moment. I just find Sony's politics towards homebrew and open source dev going slowly from mediocre to worse.
Z5c may be announced tomorrow so you may as well wait a day and see, but if it's, as rumoured, released with a Snapdragon 810 chip, Z3c may remain on top of the category until the next iteration...
Until the Z4C releases yes.
There is no Z4C - Sony skips a generation for the compacts. It will be a Z5C instead.
PuffDaddy_d said:
- The Z3C battery life takes a hit with Lollipop though (damn mobile radio active bug), so if you're not satisfied, you can always roll back to KitKat for the best performance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MobileRadioActiveFix
rafabr4 said:
Hello everyone!
Right now I own a Moto X (2013) and I love it mainly because of the size of the screen, it actually fits in my pockets! But as of late, the battery is already draining a bit fast, and the camera has never been very good either. So I'm looking for a phone to replace it that has a better camera, battery and keeps about the same performance. The problem lies in the big sized phones available today! They're huge. I don't want it to exceed the 5.2 inch display size, nor it be larger than 140mm approximately.
So I thought about the Z3C. I also considered the new Xperia M5 (not yet on sale) (145mm long) or even wait for the Z5 Compact. What do you guys recommend? Is the Z3C still worth it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am/was basically in the same situation as you! I also own a moto x 2013 an love it because of the screen size. It has a great feel in the hand, actually usable with one hand and it fits in the pocket nicely. But my battery life has gotten horrible since Lollipop, even with cm 12.1. I don't really care about the camera that much, and the performance was always great although lately its been starting to feel a little sluggish.
I researched for over a month but couldn't find any other good alternatives at this size. The only other option is the galaxy alpha ( but there are various complications with rooting, versions, LTE etc).
I finally gave up and went with the Z3C. Just got mine like yesterday though so I'm still in the process of setting everything up and transferring my stuff over. So far I really like it. It looks and feels nice and premium. It doesn't have as nice of a feel in the hand as the x because the back is flat and not curved. Software wise I will probably miss active display, but it seems like sony also included some neat features. Stereo speakers are just a different (better) experience than the moto speaker on the back. The contrast of the screen isn't as nice as the AMOLED on the x. But I definitely notice it being faster, which is nice. and so far the battery life seems to be amazing. I'll see how it is in a few days once everything is set up and I'm using it more, and then I can let you know. But so far it seems like I made a good decision.
Hope this helps.
I would go for the new z5 compact , if you dont care about custom roms, then go for the z3c , that is if you care about camera.
overall, get z3c for performance, looks, and cheaper than new z5c.
or z5c if you have money, probably better performance, bit expensive, no root yet.
PuffDaddy_d said:
- The Z3C battery life takes a hit with Lollipop though (damn mobile radio active bug), so if you're not satisfied, you can always roll back to KitKat for the be.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a working Xposed module that fixes that.
ifonuser78 said:
There is a working Xposed module that fixes that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know, but does it actually with for you? How much improvement have you seen? The thread for that fix is full of mixed results.
Sent from my D5803 using XDA Free mobile app
Before buying/ordering the Z5c I would strongly advise anyone to wait until someone reliable thoroughly tests the Z5c to make sure the Snapdragon 810 version it sports has no heating induced performance issues.
It's not because "they" say the issues have been fixed that you should trust them. Anyway it's your call...
The reviews I've seen show that the camera is still painfully slow between shots. That .003 sec autofocus doesn't do us any good if you have to wait 2 seconds to take the next picture.

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