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Hi, i'm planning to buy a new phone. Currently i've a Samsung Galaxy S2 (i9100) and want something faster and updated.
After consider various options (phones features, prices, availability in my country) i reduced the list to the Motorola Moto X 2014 and the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact.
The things that interest me are:
Good audio quality and volume with headphones. I own a Sennheiser HD 429s headphones, wich have 32 ohm of impedance, so with the S2 i must use headphone amplifier (FiiO E6) for get more volume and "definition". My idea with a new phone is use the headphones without the amplifier (because the HD 429s have mic, and with the amplifier i cannot use)
Good Android support and fast updates. I think the Moto X is best on this point compared to the Z3C (pure Android & updates), but also know the Sony AOSP project and the efforts of Sony to bring Lollipop quickly.
Good community support and ROMs. I love to install ROMS and get the better of my device. Currently have CM10.2 on my S2. I think the Moto X will be better on this point
Powerful performance. Both devices have Snapdragon 801 @2.5 Ghz, so i think the performance is guaranteed. But ¿the customized UI on the Z3C affects the performance of the phone? ¿is best to performance getting pure Android, as on Moto X?
Good battery life and construction quality. I want to escape from all-plastic Samsung devices. Also, i don't want a big phone. The 5.2" screen and phone size of the Moto X is the maximum size that i can bear
So, what phone you recommend to buy guys? Someone have tested the phones with 32 ohm headphones?
Thanks.:good:
If you read through some of the other threads, you'll find answers to most of these questions pretty easily, as this has all been discussed. But... I'll summarize.
Audio is "fine". Some details on the actual output levels here - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=55794990&postcount=13. You'll also easily find references to other users with similar headphone setup and without complaints, but everyone is different.
Unknown about updates yet, as there's only been one revision to Android of concern, and it's still rolling out. Supposed to be available on Z3C but who knows until it actually releases. If you unlock bootloader you lose DRM permanently, so this is a big barrier to entry for other ROMS.
Performance is on par with other platforms with same hardware.
Construction quality is GREAT, IMO, and this really feels like a premium device. Big size difference between this and 2014 X though... I prefer smaller.
Curious why you're considering two phones so different in size. Why not the regular Z3 if you're also considering the Moto X? Many people seem to buy the Z3c for its size and battery life (me included) but the regular Z3 would be a no brainer if I was willing to tote around a 5" phone because it has arguably better build quality than the Z3c, a better screen, and just as good battery life.
Additionally the Z3 has a higher voltage output so it will drive your headphones better. The Z3 compact has a slightly lower voltage output than the Z3. I saw it somewhere but i cannot remember the exact values.
The Phone with the highest voltage output is according to this (http://forums.androidcentral.com/sony-xperia-z3/451120-z3-headphones-earphones-audio-output.html) the HTC M8. If you dont mind the size, and you want the best soundexperience i guess it is a phone that you cannot go wrong with. Also it does not have a plastic body.
As regards updates i think the new lollipop android for HTC was supposed to come earlier than for Sony phones. This is as far as i remember.
Performancewise the Z3 compact is top notch, you cant go wrong.
Batter life is excellent.
720p is totally fine for the screen size.
Sony UI is okay, but i would not worry too much it may look a bit outdated but runs fine and lagfree. And a new system is coming up anyway.
As for the Moto X i cant tell you much , in the end just read a couple of reviews and find out what you need/want in a phone. Then consider the prices, if you care about them. Then your decision will be made.
Pardon me the OT: Santiago, as in Santiago, Chile?
EDIT: Realized you are from Chile haha. Im too. Im betting you want to move to Movistar to get one of the two.
I have the same doubt, whether to get a Moto X 2014 or a Z3 Compact hahaha
pipspeak said:
Curious why you're considering two phones so different in size. Why not the regular Z3 if you're also considering the Moto X? Many people seem to buy the Z3c for its size and battery life (me included) but the regular Z3 would be a no brainer if I was willing to tote around a 5" phone because it has arguably better build quality than the Z3c, a better screen, and just as good battery life.
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Because in our country, one carrier company is selling the Moto X and the Z3 Compact + Smartband, at a very reduced price on 18-month contract (that's common in Chile). The regular Z3 is expensive.
Matter of fact, the difference between Moto X and Z3 Compact is that the Z3 Compact is (proportionally) 10 bucks (Z3 compact being the ""more"" expensive device)
Hello,
I am Daniel, from Argentina, and I am doubting on buying a LG G2 or a Z3 Compact.
I know they are quite diferent (z3 is from 2014 and G2 is from 2013), but Snapdragon 800 or 801 does not make difference to me.
My first choice is Z3 compact for its battery, but is that good? Because someone talks about 5 hours screen, other of 8 hours, so, is good or G2's battery is better?
Is there any con of Z3C? I have read about glass cracking by itself, i should worry about that? Is there other con?
Prices here are, LG G2 is 500uss and z3 700uss. Which one i pick??
Thanks and sorry for my english
Daniel
I'd wait for the z4, it will be announced in January..
Sent from my D5803 using XDA Premium HD app
pricey2009 said:
I'd wait for the z4, it will be announced in January..
Sent from my D5803 using XDA Premium HD app
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Click to collapse
Pricey first of all first of answering
The problem of waiting is that i am from Argentina, and here we are like Cuba or Venezuela and our president block imports. So smartphones come late, and as you see expensive.
If i wait for z4 compact, here is reaching on march luckily and very expensive. Also i heard that z4 compact will have 1080p so i think that is going to reduce battery endurance that is what matters me.
Just suck it up and go for z3c u wont regret it
Do you have any knowledge, experience or opinion of LG and Sony's respective versions of Android, as that might be a factor for you too.
I have both phones and although the G2 is still a fine phone with regard to hardware, I personally disliked LG's software. The good news is if you are not afraid to root there is a strong community here on XDA and Lollipop is already available through CM 12 and other custom roms. LG's own official version of 5.0 should reach the G2 early next year, so you will get the sanctioned update soon.
The Z3c wins out over the G2 for me through it's better form factor and also support for external storage. I love both the back buttons and the resultant ultra thin bezels on the G2 but the Z3c is pretty much the perfect size for my tastes. I do have Google Music locker but prefer to have most of my music and other media stored locally, which I can do on my 128GB sd card. I am not sure if storage capacity is important to you - if it is you should definitely look at the Z3c, or maybe a cheaper phone with a SD card slot.
I believe the battery life is slightly better on the Z3c vs the G2, but that's just with my usage patterns, YMMV. Both have strong battery life in general and most reviews I've read have seen them both compare well to rivals like the M8 or SGS5.
I don't doubt those people who have suffered spontaneous glass cracking but I do believe it to be a tiny minority versus those who like me have had no issues to date.
The key imo for your decision is the price differential. I think that assuming the $200 difference between the phones is without any special discount to either, the G2 is better value for money. In isolation I definitely would take the Z3c over the G2, but if you can get the G2 for that much cheaper I would go with that.
These are my two favorite android phones. The LG G2 has a triple threat for themes: If you like LG's heavy theme, that's the stock theme. If you want something more minimalistic but not stock, there are roms based on the LG G3 revisions. If you like AOSP, it's similarity with the Nexus 5 means it will usually have things ported quickly. If a US version only had microSD, it would be the perfect phone. LG, having the Nexus phone assignment for two years, grew big in their android phone sales and support.
In the $175-250 USD Range (ebay selling prices of US LG G2s), there is no better value for the money as the snapdragon 800 is very similiar to the 801 and the screen/body ratio is great (and it's not 5.5").
The Z3 is the android phone we've been waiting for, putting best in class performance in a small-phone package. My biggest issues with the phone are the glass back (solved with a 1.29 case) and the screen/weight ratio. Sony's anti-root policy is such that unlocking the boot-loader disables camera algos, ps4 and screen mirroring capability.
Battery life on both phones is very good, as both phones have large batteries. The camera's on both phones are very good. The screens are very good on both phones. The sound is better on the sony.
On an economic level, it's hard to recommend paying anywhere near retail for an android phone so close to the CES/MWC 2015 as Snapdragon 810s may do to our phones what the Snapdragon 800/801 did to the Snapdragon 600 (remember the last time a phone even used a SD 600).
rp3 said:
On an economic level, it's hard to recommend paying anywhere near retail for an android phone so close to the CES/MWC 2015 as Snapdragon 810s may do to our phones what the Snapdragon 800/801 did to the Snapdragon 600 (remember the last time a phone even used a SD 600).
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Thanks rp3, do you think Sony is launching a z4 compact on CES/MWC 2015? Or will be only z4 with no compact version as z2?
You may be surprised, but G2 wins
Hi DanielGatti, since your criteria is the battery life, Z3 Compact has slightly better battery life than G2. But that's it actually. I'm using Nexus 5 (over a year now), G2 (July 2014) and Xperia Z3C (end of Oct 2014) at the moment and all I can say the only thing I like with Xperia Z3C is that it's fit in the hand. So it's very comfortable to hold. Actually no, because the glass back is very slippery in the hand. But G2's bigger screen is much more compelling.
The thing is, G2's still stuck with KitKat 4.2, so some apps may crash regularly (one of them is mobileVoIP I often use). But if you ask me what is my favourite: Nexus 5 is still the king (shame that LG doesn't put the same battery capacity in it that it built in G2!).
I have read rumors of a Z4C. They are just that. I'd say 50/50 that sony launches one and 75/25 that someone else launches a high-end sub 5" phone. My reason is this: the iphone 6 and 6+ launch means every android maker needs to compete on the high end with 4, 4.7 and 5.5 standard bearer (and beat them on either performance, weight or screen/body). The HTC rumors of a 5' flagship (and the samsung Galaxy Alpha starting a new design language) make it more likely that sub 5" phones will have better than a snapdragon 410 next year.
pricey2009 said:
I'd wait for the z4, it will be announced in January..
Sent from my D5803 using XDA Premium HD app
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Is it sure there'll be a compact version?
slaia said:
But G2's bigger screen is much more compelling.
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Is G2 display better than Z3C display???? {obviusly not having on count the size, i am talking about nits and other technical stuff}
According to their GSM Arena reviews, the Z3 Compact is 10% brighter at full brightnes but 30% less contrast. The Z3C also has 30% better sunlight visability contrast. Having those two phones in hand now (just bought a LG G2 and listing Z3c on swappa), I wouldn't disagree with the indoors ratings (I am rarely outside during sunlight looking at my phone screen).
DanielGatti said:
Is G2 display better than Z3C display???? {obviusly not having on count the size, i am talking about nits and other technical stuff}
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I'm not competent enough to talk about nits and other technical stuff. But for me as user it's enough to put the device side by side and see which one looks better. G2's screen is better because it looks gorgeous with its bigger size, while everything looks tiny on Z3C's screen. Z3C display also looks too dark and cold. You have to play with the settings in order to find the best for you.
I had an LG G2 on Verizon in the US and switched to a Z3 Compact on T-Mobile. Comparing the two for you, I'd go with the LG G2 because it's less expensive and performs basically identically. If you want a smaller phone, go for the Z3 Compact.
size matters... a lot!
I think first and foremost you need to decide what size you prefer.
The G2 is fantastic. I liked it better than the Galaxy S4/S5 and Nexus 5. But it was too big for me, along with the others I mentioned. My Z3c is perfect!
Once you decide on size, then you pick one or the other, whichever is closer, OR, compare similar size phones and make your decision even harder!
I also wanted to decide so I bought both.
Well, since difference in money was more or less U$S275 i went with LG G2, because as they said, differences were not very important.
Also SnapDragon 810 is about to come and may be it will a huge change, so i'll want a z4 compact, and has no sense buy a z3 compact now, it was a waste of money.
Thanks to everyone
slaia said:
I'm not competent enough to talk about nits and other technical stuff. But for me as user it's enough to put the device side by side and see which one looks better. G2's screen is better because it looks gorgeous with its bigger size, while everything looks tiny on Z3C's screen. Z3C display also looks too dark and cold. You have to play with the settings in order to find the best for you.
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You're basing your "what's better" on looks. So, in that sense, Beats by Dre are better than a pair of ATH-ADG1s?
Sure, it might look bigger and it's easier to see, but that's nowhere near being better. There's still how the colors look, how much power it drains, contrast, sunlight visibility etc. If the OP was making his comparison purely based on screen size, he would either be considering getting the Z3 would had been on his way to the store to get a G2 instead of opening the thread.
@DanielGatti: The 810 doesn't bring anything big in terms of performance, except maybe the new GPU (now with a flashy new number). But the difference won't be visible going from a Z3C to a Z4C if rumors are to be believed though because of the increased resolution (1080 vs 720).
The G2 should be getting OEM updates for at least one more year as it basically uses the same chipset as some other 2014 devices. After that, it'll have a long life here on the Forums. At this point, quite the opposite could be said about the Z3C (though that may change anytime).
I came from g2 to z3c and i love the compact. G2 is not a bad phone but at least it was to big for me
DanielGatti said:
Hello,
I am Daniel, from Argentina, and I am doubting on buying a LG G2 or a Z3 Compact.
I know they are quite diferent (z3 is from 2014 and G2 is from 2013), but Snapdragon 800 or 801 does not make difference to me.
My first choice is Z3 compact for its battery, but is that good? Because someone talks about 5 hours screen, other of 8 hours, so, is good or G2's battery is better?
Is there any con of Z3C? I have read about glass cracking by itself, i should worry about that? Is there other con?
Prices here are, LG G2 is 500uss and z3 700uss. Which one i pick??
Thanks and sorry for my english
Daniel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As someone who came from the G2 and now has the Z3c I feel like I can be some help.
First of all i will start by saying I love the Z3c, its a great phone, really attractive, and the battery is great.
But the G2 was and is still the best phone I've ever had.
It was perfect in my opinion in ever front, its powerful, has a huge battery, is extremely comfortable in hand, has a great screen, and the ROM community is huge and there are a lot of amazing roms available. (It is basically an better Nexus 5) Something the Z3 is unfortunately completely missing. Plus I LOVED the back button placement, felt very natural, and with the tap to wake you don't have to use them if you don't like. After having the z3c for a few months I think that the G2's size / screen ratio is perfect for me. (The only reason I did't get the G3 was because it's so big).
If you can get the G2 for a good price I can't see any reason why you shouldn't go with it. I
It's a great phone. I wish I didn't lose it abroad or I would definitely would still be using it.
Hi guys. Just lost my 2-year old Xperia ZL. I loved that phone even though it gets overshadowed by its twin, the Z. Now I'm looking for a good upgrade, hence the title. I've read comparisons and reviews and both phones seem to be on equal footing, regardless of the size. Would you guys recommend the Z3C or the Z2? And additional question: Are the after-sales products(cases, screen protectors, accesories) accessible? With the ZL, I had to resort to international sites just to get a hold of the cases. No accessories are sold here in the Philippines. Anyway, thank you for your time. I'm hoping to be part of the Z3C/Z2 family
TinySarabia said:
Hi guys. Just lost my 2-year old Xperia ZL. I loved that phone even though it gets overshadowed by its twin, the Z. Now I'm looking for a good upgrade, hence the title. I've read comparisons and reviews and both phones seem to be on equal footing, regardless of the size. Would you guys recommend the Z3C or the Z2? And additional question: Are the after-sales products(cases, screen protectors, accesories) accessible? With the ZL, I had to resort to international sites just to get a hold of the cases. No accessories are sold here in the Philippines. Anyway, thank you for your time. I'm hoping to be part of the Z3C/Z2 family
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They're both great phones, same fast Snapdragon 801 chipset, both will be updated to at least Android 5.1. The Z2 has a larger screen if you would prefer that, but unlike the Z3C, it has no stereo front-facing speakers and the top and bottom bezels on the Z2 are very large.
degraaff said:
They're both great phones, same fast Snapdragon 801 chipset, both will be updated to at least Android 5.1. The Z2 has a larger screen if you would prefer that, but unlike the Z3C, it has no stereo front-facing speakers and the top and bottom bezels on the Z2 are very large.
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Thanks for the input bro. I'm really leaning towards the Z3C now. That white version is a plus. Would you recommend the white color?
Other than size,they're pretty much the same,Z2 also have stereo speakers,and a better screen i believe.There is minors improvements on Z3C like Hi-res Audio,or higher ISO for camera and slight faster CPU,but,like i said,really minor,not a deal breaker.In the end,i think you should consider more the size of Z2,its a lot bigger than Z3C,if thats ok for you,go for it
.
Hello,
Which is the best option?
The new Moto X will have a newer sock, probably a microSD slot and a slightly worst battery and smaller screen size.
Besides having a sock lesser optimized for 2k, Nexus 6 has amoled screen, which I think is not than power hungry and has a bit bigger battery.
Consider that both shares the same price range here in Brazil.
Csetoue said:
Which is the best option?
The new Moto X .....
microSD slot ; Slightly worst battery; smaller screen size.
Nexus 6 . . . .
amoled screen; bit bigger battery.
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It is subjective, but I try.
You may also consider:
- availability of factory images;
- portability; magnet sensor n6 can't switch off;
- wireless charging; camera m-pixels;
- the great dev support here;
- good kernels / Roms N6 now available;
- the screen resolution;
- the positive N6 posts of the M-preview.
NLBeev said:
It is subjective, but I try.
You may also consider:
- availability of factory images;
- portability; magnet sensor n6 can't switch off;
- wireless charging; camera m-pixels;
- the great dev support here;
- good kernels / Roms N6 now available;
- the screen resolution;
- the positive N6 posts of the M-preview.
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Click to collapse
I was comparing the specs...
Processor
- Winner: M2015 Style?
N6 has the best SD 32bits out, but 808, maybe I think, is better because its 64 bits... Besides, the video processor is worse (418 vs 420 from N6).
Camera
- Winner: M2015 Style?
N6 has OIS, but M2015 has more MP... Dunno, really, which is better on real life.
Loudspeaker
- Winner: draw
Both has front stereo speakers. Dunno which has the cleanest and/or the loudest sound.
Screen
- Winner: Nexus 6
Amoled is better than TFT, and less power hungry.
Memory
- Winner: M2015 Style
M2015 Style has microSD.
Battery
- Winner: Nexus 6
It has QI charging and probably has more battery life (more mAh and amoled screen).
User experience
- Winner: ???
Will the M2015 Style have the same pure experience and smoothness than the Nexus 6, only adding the few Moto Apps?
After this comparison, I hasnt concluded anything.
Dunno how much better is SD808 than SD805... And, also, dunno if the user experience will be equal... The amoled and the probably better battery life lean me toward the N6.
i ABSOLUTELY love my nexus 6, really do. but at this point id wait for one of the new nexus thatll come out in a few months. if you like larger screened phones, theres the 5.7 inch option(all in theory, since google hasnt announced anything yet). but, if you cant wait, definitely nexus 6
Csetoue said:
After this comparison, I hasnt concluded anything.
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Click to collapse
A lot of the comparisons require things to be known about the Moto X that we don't have information about yet. The battery life could be phenominal, or it could suck. The camera could be amazing, or it could be overhyped and end up garbage. The speakers could be the worst speakers on a phone in years. I mean, we really don't know at this point. On that note, what if there are major flaws with the device that we dont' know about, and may not until release. Display defects, camera defects, build quality issues or software bugs that looking at a spec sheet won't tell us.
Chipset. They are similar. Unless you are a really heavy user, or a gamer there probably won't be a noticeable difference between the two. We are at a point now where many devices perform similarly even though technically one is faster. The Nexus 6 is technically faster than the Nexus 5, but they perform similarly for most of the basic tasks people would do. Same with the Moto G which has a low end processor, but it should be able to send Snapchats, Instagram, and stream Spotify just as well as any device out now or coming in the near future.
One device isn't objectively better than the other, unless there happens to be a major problem with one. They each have their own pros and cons, most are subjective at this point. Only you know which ones matter most to you, and can make the decision using that information. Both are fine devices (once again assuming there is nothing majorly wrong with the Moto X), and I think a lot of customers would be happy with either.
Personally I would pick the Nexus 6 for 3 reasons.
The display, it being AMOLED and larger are both pluses to me. I have grown to love the 6" display, the bigger the better at this point.
It being a Nexus, gives me the ability to get updates quicker than other phones as well as it being easily rootable and ROMable.
Lastly, my carrier T-Mobile in the US officially supports the N6 meaning I get band 12 and wifi-calling functionality.
cupfulloflol said:
. . . about the Moto X that we don't have information about yet.
One device isn't objectively better than the other. . .
. . .carrier T-Mobile in the US officially supports the N6 meaning I get band 12 and wifi-calling functionality.
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Agree, it is a personal choice. It is difficult to say something about a phone that is not available yet,
In my view it is the subjective way of choosing.
OP wants probably make a choice by comparing phones.
cupfulloflol said:
The battery life could be phenominal, or it could suck.
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Agreed. I presume battery life will be worse on M2015S than on Nexus 6, because it uses TFT and have a 3000mAh, while N6 has amoled and 3220mAh.
I dont think how could it be better, really. :angel:
cupfulloflol said:
On that note, what if there are major flaws with the device that we dont' know about, and may not until release. Display defects, camera defects, build quality issues or software bugs that looking at a spec sheet won't tell us.
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Totally agreed. :highfive:
cupfulloflol said:
Chipset. They are similar. Unless you are a really heavy user, or a gamer there probably won't be a noticeable difference between the two. We are at a point now where many devices perform similarly even though technically one is faster. The Nexus 6 is technically faster than the Nexus 5, but they perform similarly for most of the basic tasks people would do. Same with the Moto G which has a low end processor, but it should be able to send Snapchats, Instagram, and stream Spotify just as well as any device out now or coming in the near future.
One device isn't objectively better than the other, unless there happens to be a major problem with one. They each have their own pros and cons, most are subjective at this point. Only you know which ones matter most to you, and can make the decision using that information. Both are fine devices (once again assuming there is nothing majorly wrong with the Moto X), and I think a lot of customers would be happy with either.
Personally I would pick the Nexus 6 for 3 reasons.
The display, it being AMOLED and larger are both pluses to me. I have grown to love the 6" display, the bigger the better at this point.
It being a Nexus, gives me the ability to get updates quicker than other phones as well as it being easily rootable and ROMable.
Lastly, my carrier T-Mobile in the US officially supports the N6 meaning I get band 12 and wifi-calling functionality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the comparison is worthy because both gadgets aim at the same kind of user. The one which like pure android and large screens. Besides M2015S isnt already out, I think somethings are presumable.
Other things, I think that requires a clearer understanding about 32bits vs 64bits (which I dont have)... For example, I use Onenote and Evernote a LOT daily. Dont know if it will be smooth on both cellphones while I use heavy notebooks with many data on these apps.
Technically, I dont know if a 64bits processor will make such difference in that case, or if it just about a well fitted Android - which Im not sure, because it implicates in RAM usage and data processing (maybe the difference between SD808 and SD805 is so slight that even in that case, as you said, they will perform similarly).
Objectively, Im more concerned on SOT + big screen + smoothness using apps with many graphics and texts.
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.
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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?
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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.
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There is a working Xposed module that fixes that.
ifonuser78 said:
There is a working Xposed module that fixes that.
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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.