Review and comparison of Sony Xperia Z3 and Z2. Compare flagships: Sony Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact Comparison of Sony z2 and z3

Detailed testing of the new flagship Sony Mobile

Perhaps it’s worth starting with the fact that Sony, having once again updated its main and most popular line of mobile devices called Xperia Z, this time brought everything “to a common denominator”, giving all devices included in the updated series, without exception, an ordinal number 3. Thus, even a miniature version of the flagship smartphone Sony Z3 Compact immediately "jumped" one digit in its index, so as not to differ from its comrades in the line. There is no and never will be a model called Xperia Z2 Compact, users immediately received the third “mini” version, and now all three main products in the top family have the same Z3 index in their names.

The new line of Sony mobile devices was presented at the very beginning of autumn during the world exhibition IFA 2014 and includes three top devices: the flagship smartphone Sony Xperia Z3, its miniature version Xperia Z3 Compact, and a new eight-inch tablet called Sony Z3 Tablet. This is with regard to the main devices of the line. In addition to them, the new series of Sony mobile products includes the budget smartphone Xperia E3, a watch, and a new bracelet with an electronic ink screen… But everything has its time. Today we present to your attention a detailed test review of the most important device in the top family - the Sony Xperia Z3 smartphone, which very quickly replaced the Xperia Z2 presented literally in the spring. The Japanese firmly adhere to the once chosen course to update the flagship line every six months, rightly believing that during this time enough reasons have accumulated to update the lineup.

In contrast to the Xperia Z2, which has progressed relative to its predecessors in terms of technical improvements, the Xperia Z3 has practically no changes in this regard. But on the other hand, a very tangible work was carried out on the appearance of the product itself and the user graphical interface, that is, most of the changes this time lie precisely in the plane of design and embellishments. However, this does not mean at all that the next update should be treated with disdain. On the contrary, the Sony Xperia Z3 eliminated all those shortcomings and roughness that annoyed the powerful, but in many ways turned out to be rude Xperia Z2. However, in terms of technical characteristics, there have been some changes. Let's talk about everything in order.

Video review

To get started, we suggest watching our video review of the Sony Xperia Z3 smartphone:

Key Features of Sony Xperia Z3 (Model D6603)

	Sony Xperia Z3	Vivo Xshot	HTC One M8	Samsung Galaxy S5
Screen	5.2" IPS	5.2" IPS	5″ Super LCD 3	5.1″ Super AMOLED
Permission	1920×1080, 423 ppi	1920×1080, 424ppi	1920×1080, 440ppi	1920×1080, 432 ppi
SoC			Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (4x Krait 400) @2.3GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (4x Krait 400) @2.5GHz
GPU	Adreno 330	Adreno 330	Adreno 330	Adreno 330
RAM	3 GB	2/3 GB	2 GB	2 GB
Flash memory	16 GB	16/32 GB	16/32 GB	16 GB
Memory card support	microSD	microSD	microSD	microSD
Operating system	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 4.3	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 4.4
Battery	non-removable, 3100 mAh	non-removable, 2600 mAh	non-removable, 2600 mAh	removable, 2800 mAh
cameras	rear (20.7 MP; 4K video), front (2.2 MP)	rear (13 MP; video 4K), front (8 MP)	rear (4 MP; video 1080p), front (5 MP)	rear (16 MP; video 4K), front (2 MP)
Dimensions and weight	146×72×7.3mm, 152g	146×73×8 mm, 148 g	146×71×9.4mm, 160g	142×73×8.1mm, 145g
average price	T-11028534	T-10970877	T-10761030	T-10725078
Sony Xperia Z3 offers	L-11028534-10

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AC), 2.5 GHz, 4 cores
• GPU Adreno 330
• Operating system Android 4.4 KitKat
• Touch IPS display, 5.2″, 1920×1080
• Random access memory (RAM) 3 GB, internal memory 16 GB
• microSD card slot up to 128 GB (SDXC)
• Protection against dust and moisture according to IP 65/68
• Communication GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
• Communication 3G UMTS HSPA+ 850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz
• LTE Band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 20 (2600/800 FDD are used in Russia)
• Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
• Support DLNA, MHL 3.0, OTG, Media Go, MTP, Miracast
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz), Wi-Fi hotspot
• GPS/Glonass
• 20.7MP Exmor RS camera, autofocus, LED flash, 4K video
• Front camera 2.2 MP
• Non-removable battery 3100 mAh
• Dimensions 146×72×7.3 mm
• Weight 152 g

Contents of delivery

The Sony Xperia Z3 smartphone is packed in a fairly simple outwardly, which has already become classic for the latest products of the Sony mobile line, a flat and square box made of thin unvarnished cardboard with a cardboard tray and three different-sized compartments inside, separated by thin partitions.

The Sony Xperia Z3 package bundle is very laconic: a compact charger and a Micro-USB connecting cable. Headphones Sony has decided not to invest in a set of their flagship products anymore, they will be offered separately at a fairly reasonable price, as an additional accessory.

Appearance and usability

If most of the main changes in the Sony Xperia Z2 touched on the technical side, then in the third incarnation, the previous content was dressed in a much fresher shell. Since the very first Xperia Z, the appearance of the case of all the flagship smartphones of the line has not changed much over the generations, remaining the same type. The basis of the design, which the developers even gave their own name OmniBalance, was a frame with flat edges. And recently it has taken the form of such a rough heavy all-metal construction with cut off sharp edges that the Xperia Z2, for example, was already really uncomfortable to hold in your hand. The main claims that immediately fell from users regarding the Xperia Z2 presented in the spring concerned precisely the rudeness and heaviness of the novelty case. This time, the developers took into account all the negative nuances and changed the feeling of using a smartphone beyond recognition.

Moreover, they didn’t have to do almost anything: they just removed the flat chamfers from the surface of the side frames, which is why the rough edges that stuck into the palm also disappeared. The metal frame has become completely streamlined, flat and sharp edges have been replaced by rounded sidewalls, which makes the device really nice to take in hand.

The polymer spacer between metal and glass, which disappeared in the latest models, has not returned here, but the metal edges of the edge no longer dig into the skin as before. Now in the hands of the user is a pleasant to the touch, smooth and streamlined "bar", which, moreover, also threw off the weight. The mass of the Sony Xperia Z3 was brought to a comfortable level, which had the most favorable effect on the overall perception of the device - now there is simply nothing to complain about.

As for the general structure of the case, the smartphone is still a monolithic non-separable monoblock, consisting of two glass plates and a metal frame that runs along the entire side perimeter of the case. The metal surface is matte and slightly rough, which makes the smartphone perfectly held in the fingers and does not slip out of the palm.

At the same time, even greater changes have been made to the design of the frame than are immediately noticeable to the eye. The fact is that the corners of the frame this time were made of polycarbonate material, which dampens the impact when the device falls. Now they play the role of a kind of shock absorbers, which, in theory, should favorably affect the “survival” of the product after falls from a height. This plastic is indistinguishable in appearance from the metal of the frame itself, so that in general the case retains a uniform look.

Another change has affected the thickness of the case: the smartphone has become a little thinner, and it looks very cool. True, the decrease in thickness led to a decrease in the volume of the built-in battery, but the changes in this regard are not too significant.

Otherwise, everything remains in place: the front and rear glasses no longer have a factory protective film, the characteristics of the glass are similar to the popular Corning Gorilla Glass, but the proud Sony does not like to talk about its suppliers. The screen is now made using IPS technology, next to it on the front side there are two stereo speakers facing the user. Not forgotten and a special connector with an open pair of contacts for installing a smartphone in a docking station. The connector is universal: most modern Sony devices, including tablets, can be installed in the same docking station, purchased separately.

The covers on the side frame are still made of metal and equipped with rubberized gaskets. As a result, the smartphone, like its predecessors, is provided with maximum protection against ingress of water and dust according to the IP 65/68 standard. There are two covers, they hide slots for a memory card and a SIM card, as well as a Micro-USB connector. By the way, changes have taken place here too: now top-end Sony mobile devices use Nano-SIM cards, obviously with an eye to a painless possible transition of some users from the Apple iPhone. The rest will have to go to the communication salon again and change their SIM card to a new standard card.

The front and back glass panels are now free of those factory protective films that have been so controversial. Maybe this is for the best, since the films, of course, wore out faster and were covered with a mass of scratches than glass, and it was quite problematic to remove them, and besides, the glass then lost its grease-repellent coating.

Grilles for sound output are located at the top and bottom of the screen, the role of the gratings is played by two symmetrical slots in the glass. A completely logical solution is to turn the speakers towards the user, and not away from him, and there are two speakers themselves. By the way, the sound of the new flagship has become much louder than that of its predecessors, even despite the gaskets that protect against water. Another change: it used to be through the top slot of the speaker that the light of the status indicator made its way, now its role is played by a more traditional separate LED dot. There is an item in the settings menu where you can turn off some of the indicator functions, leaving it to notify only about the charging status.

Below the screen, as usual with Sony, there are no hardware touch buttons; control is carried out using virtual buttons on the screen. So here below you can only find the grille of the lower speaker, and even then there is not much space left for it. In general, the frames around the screen are very thin on all sides, so the smartphone case with such a large display area remained in quite digestible dimensions - both for the average human hand and for a pocket of any size.

The back wall of the case is exactly the same as the front: it is made of glass, there is no protective film on it, there are no gaskets between the glass and metal of the side faces, and of the functional elements there are only a camera window and a flash eye. The flash here consists of a single LED, while most competing flagships have had twin flashes for a long time, and now they also come in multi-colored ones. It’s good that they didn’t forget to provide the smartphone with pre-installed software that allows you to use this module in flashlight mode.

The power and lock button is located on the right side, next to the volume rocker. It traditionally for the latest Sony smartphones looks like a metal round, but in models of the third series it is somewhat different in appearance. All keys are large, easy to grope blindly, have a distinct spring-loaded stroke, so there are no complaints about the Sony Xperia Z3 controls.

At the bottom of the right side there is a dedicated hardware camera control key, due to which the smartphone can be used to shoot even underwater, although the screen at this time becomes insensitive to touch. The ability to shoot on Sony mobile devices under water is such a branded “chip” that the company constantly beats in advertising and on posters.

The headphone jack (3.5 mm) is located on the top here, and it is not covered by any plugs. However, it is also protected from water getting inside the case. There is nothing on the bottom end - the universal Micro-USB connector, which, by the way, supports connecting external devices in OTG mode, is hidden under a cover on the left side face. For daily charging, you will have to flip this cover every time - or use a separately purchased docking station. Sony is in no hurry to integrate wireless charging support into its mobile devices.

Another hole has been made in the lower left corner of the case - this is the traditional strap attachment that is present in all Sony smartphones, and it is a pity that other manufacturers neglect this useful element.

The color scheme of the cases of the new flagship has undergone significant changes. Quite unexpectedly, the smartphone was presented not only in traditional black and white, and, quite expectedly, golden colors, but also in a completely new mint green, which the developers simply call green. In fact, this color has a soft pastel, as if a slightly faded greenish tone; the color is discreet and very pleasing to the eye. But the golden color is more reminiscent of polished copper to a shine, for which it got its name Copper (copper-red).

Screen

Smartphone Sony Xperia Z3 is equipped with an IPS touch matrix. The screen dimensions are 64 × 114 mm, the diagonal is 5.2 inches, the resolution is 1920 × 1080 pixels. A parameter such as pixel density is 423 ppi here. From the developers themselves, this type of display received the brand name Triluminos.

Outside, the screen is covered with protective glass without a factory protective film - this branded distinctive feature has completely disappeared from the screens of Sony mobile devices. The thickness of the side frames from the edge of the screen to the edge of the case is about 3 mm - the frames are very narrow.

The brightness of the display can be adjusted manually, or you can use automatic adjustment. Multi-touch technology here allows you to handle up to 10 simultaneous touches. The display supports operation with gloves, as well as with wet fingers. When you bring the smartphone to your ear, the screen is locked using the proximity sensor.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" sections Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the test sample.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the off screens of both devices (Sony Xperia Z3, as it is not difficult to determine, is on the right, then they can be distinguished by size):

Both screens are dark, but the Sony screen is still darker (its brightness in the photo is 98 versus 103 for the Nexus 7). The tripling of reflected objects on the Sony Xperia Z3 screen is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the outer glass (it is also a touch sensor) and the matrix surface (OGS type screen - One Glass Solution). Due to the smaller number of borders (glass-air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better with strong external illumination, but their repair in case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be changed. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (very effective, perhaps better than the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much easier and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass.

With manual brightness control, its maximum value was about 680 cd / m², and the minimum - 4.7 cd / m². The maximum value is simply huge and is a record for this type of technology, and, given the good anti-glare properties, in bright daylight and even in direct sunlight, the image on the screen should be clearly distinguishable. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable level. Automatic brightness control works by light sensor (it is located to the left of the logo on the front panel). In automatic mode, when the ambient light conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness control. If it is at maximum, then in complete darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 130 cd / m² (a bit too much), in an artificially lit office (about 400 lux) it sets it to 350 cd / m² (very much), in a very bright environment (corresponds to bright daylight outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) increases to 580 cd/m² (sufficient). If the brightness slider is at half the scale (it is very non-linear - after 50% the brightness goes up sharply as the setting is increased), then the screen brightness for the three conditions indicated above is as follows: 68, 240 and 580 cd / m² (suitable values). If the brightness control is set to a minimum - 7.4, 120, 580 cd / m². As a result, the auto-brightness function works absolutely adequately. At any brightness level, there is no significant backlight modulation, so there is no screen flicker.

This screen uses an IPS type matrix. Micrographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

The screen has good viewing angles without hue inversion and without significant color shift even at large deviations of the gaze from the perpendicular to the screen. For comparison, here is a photo in which the same images are displayed on the screens of the Nexus 7 and Sony Xperia Z3, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to about 200 cd / m² (on a white field in full screen), and the color balance on the camera was forcibly switched to 6500 K Perpendicular to the plane of the screens is a white field:

Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And a test picture:

The colors on the Sony Xperia Z3 screen are oversaturated, skin tones are heavily redshifted, and the color balance is very different from the standard. Now at an angle of about 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens, but on the Sony Xperia Z3, the contrast has decreased to a greater extent due to the strong blackout and a greater decrease in brightness. And the white box:

The brightness at an angle for both screens has noticeably decreased (at least 5 times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but in the case of the Sony Xperia Z3, the drop in brightness is greater (brightness in photos is 216 versus 230 for Nexus 7). At the same time, the color tone has changed slightly. The black field, when deviated diagonally, is highlighted strongly and acquires a purple or red-violet hue. The photos below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is the same for the screens!):

And from another angle:

With a perpendicular view, the uniformity of the black field is average, since there are areas with a slightly increased brightness along the edge:

Contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is normal - about 690:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 23ms (14ms on + 9ms off). The transition between grayscale 25% and 75% (according to the numerical value of the color) and back in total takes 33 ms. The gamma curve constructed from 32 points with equal intervals according to the numerical value of the gray tint did not reveal a blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows, and the exponent of the approximating power function turned out to be 2.31, which is higher than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve strongly deviates from the power dependence:

The smartphone has a dynamic adjustment of the brightness of the backlight, depending on the nature of the displayed image. The general trend is that the brightness decreases on dark images, but the algorithm is somehow complicated, and as a result, the brightness periodically jumps noticeably, which is annoying, and reducing the brightness on dark images reduces the visibility of gradations in the shadows under ambient light conditions. That is, the benefits of this function are zero, only harm. As a result, a number of tests - determining the contrast and response time, comparing black light at angles - we carried out when displaying special patterns with consistently average brightness, and not monochromatic fields in full screen. Of course, the resulting dependence of brightness on hue (gamma curve) most likely does not correspond to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential grayscale output almost on the entire screen.

The color gamut is noticeably wider than sRGB:

Let's look at the spectra:

They are very atypical. As they write on the Sony website, this screen uses LEDs with a blue emitter and green and red phosphor (usually a blue emitter and a yellow phosphor), which, in combination with special matrix filters, allows you to get a wide color gamut. Unfortunately, as a result, the colors of images - drawings, photographs and films - oriented to the sRGB space (and the vast majority of them) have an unnatural saturation. This is especially noticeable on recognizable shades, such as skin tones. The result is shown in the photo above. Note that when compared with the Sony Xperia Z2, it can be seen that the manufacturer tried to improve the situation with oversaturated colors, and increased the cross-mixing of the component to bring the coverage back to normal, but something stopped it at the phase of de-saturating the green color. Thanks for trying, but we need to go further, reduce to sRGB.

The balance of shades on the gray scale is far from ideal, since the color temperature is above the standard 6500 K. True, the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) in most of the gray scale is less than 10, which is considered an acceptable indicator for a consumer device. But at the same time, the variation in color temperature and ΔE is large, which negatively affects the visual perception of color balance. (The dark areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since the color balance is not of great importance there, and the measurement error of color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

This smartphone has the ability to correct the color balance by adjusting the intensities of the three primary colors. What we tried to do, the result is data signed as Corr. on the charts above. As a result, we slightly reduced ΔE on white and brought the white point a little closer to 6500 K (but also greatly reduced the brightness).

We were prevented from bringing at least the white point back to normal by the limited range of adjustments and high resolution, which is actually higher than the adjustment step. However, such a correction did not reduce the oversaturation of colors.

If someone still finds the image on the screen of this smartphone not bright enough, then you can turn on the corporate mode X-Reality for mobile. The result is shown below:

Saturation and contour sharpness are programmatically increased, and there are fewer distinguishable gradations of shades in the area of ​​saturated colors. But the picture, yes, has become brighter. For color extremists, there is a “ultimate brightness” mode, in which a mockery of the image (and common sense) exceeds all reasonable limits. Here's what we got:

Of course, such a picture will find fans. We are all very different.

Let's summarize. The brightness adjustment range of this screen is simply nowhere wider, and everything is in order with anti-glare properties, which allows you to comfortably use your smartphone both on a sunny day on the beach and in complete darkness. It is permissible to use the mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works absolutely adequately. The advantages also include a very effective oleophobic coating, no flicker and no air gap in the layers of the screen. The disadvantages are a strong lightening of black when the gaze deviates from the perpendicular to the screen surface and aggressive dynamic brightness adjustment. With color reproduction, things are not the best way, the colors are oversaturated (especially skin tones suffer), the color balance is different from the standard. The presence of appropriate adjustments allows you to slightly correct the balance, but not completely and by reducing the brightness. Nevertheless, taking into account the importance of the characteristics for this particular class of devices (and the most important thing is the visibility of information in a wide range of external conditions), the screen quality can be considered high.

Sound

For the first time, the sound of Sony's flagship smartphone truly pleased. During the behind-the-scenes first acquaintance with the Sony Xperia Z3 prototypes at the IFA exhibition in Berlin, the device did not impress with its sound. However, the serial sample sent to us later to the editorial office pleasantly surprised us with the power of its sound and the depth of sound, especially considering that the speakers here are also covered with membranes that protect against water ingress. The new Xperia Z3 has become much louder and better than its predecessors, the sound remains clear at the maximum volume level, low frequencies are not in excess, but quite enough, the maximum volume is high. Looking ahead, it is worth noting that the mini version of the Xperia Z3 Compact is not so rosy with this, the devices are clearly equipped with speakers of different quality.

The device traditionally uses the branded Walkman player to play musical compositions. The standard audio player is rich in settings and additional software sound enhancements, such as a built-in equalizer with a lot of preset values ​​​​(you can set your own), Clear Phase technologies, xLoud or virtual surround sound. Management of most settings is available if the complex ClearAudio + function is turned off, otherwise all settings are left to the machine.

FM radio is standard on the smartphone. Traditionally, it works only with connected headphones as an antenna; it does not have the ability to record programs. There was no voice recorder in the standard configuration of the flagship, as, by the way, in the Xperia Z3 Compact.

Camera

Sony Xperia Z3 is equipped with two modules of digital cameras with a resolution of 20.7 and 2.2 megapixels. The hardware base here is exactly the same as in the Sony Xperia Z2, only software effects have been added. The main 20.7-megapixel camera is equipped with a G Lens with a focal length of 27mm and an aperture of F2.0. The camera uses a 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS for mobile sensor and a Bionz for mobile processor.

By default, the cameras of all Sony devices work as standard in the so-called super auto mode (iauto) with a wide aspect ratio of the frame, but you can switch shooting to manual settings. It is noteworthy that when you use the hardware button on the side of the device to quickly turn on the camera, it is always activated only in automatic shooting mode, even if manual mode was previously enabled. If you start the camera application by touching the icon on the display, then in this case everything goes as usual, and the camera leaves the previous settings intact, that is, it starts in manual mode, if it was set earlier. Note that there is a big difference between automatic and manual modes, because the maximum resolution of images can only be set in manual adjustment mode. When shooting in automatic mode, which is set by default, photos are obtained with a size of 3840 × 2160 (8 MP), and in manual mode, the maximum possible resolution is just the same 20.7 MP (5248 × 3936).

In addition to automatic and manual, the Sony Xperia Z3 camera software has a few more curious additional shooting modes. The Info-eye mode, for example, substitutes contextual information for an object in the frame using augmented reality technology. In Timeshift burst mode, the camera takes up to 61 shots two seconds before pressing the shutter button, from which you can then choose the best one. The Social live function allows you to upload footage directly to Facebook and view comments on them on the smartphone screen. AR effect makes it possible to combine images with animation using proprietary SmartAR augmented reality technology. In addition, the set of additional applications that increase the choice of various shooting modes can be expanded by downloading applications, the number of which is constantly growing. To do this, simply turn on the camera, press the shooting mode icon and select "+Apps" to view more options.

The camera can shoot video in 1080p and UHD (4K), but the main thing is that there is also the ability to shoot in the most interesting of the modes - 1080p at 60 frames / second. An example of such a video is shown below.

• Clip #1 (84 MB, 1920×1080, 60 fps)

	Good (but not great) sharpness on the left side of the frame, which cannot be said about the right side and edges.
	To medium plans, the sharpness drops noticeably. The camera adjusts the exposure too sensitively.
	There are problems with exposure, as well as noise in the shadows and the borders of objects.
	The color of the sky is quite “even”, although the wires simply “drowned” in it for this reason.
	In this case, the exposure is well chosen, and the shadows are worked out. But there are still problems with the noise reduction and the right side of the frame.
	Again, an unpleasant choice of exposure and a large area of ​​blur on the right.
	The foliage in the background is worked out perfectly in places, and in places it is terrible. The number of the nearest car is distinguishable.
	Some sharpening is noticeable on the wires, which still does not save them from drowning in blue.

Trying to keep up with the inexorable progress, manufacturers do not always present ready-made devices. It has happened more than once that the very first models turned out to have something “damp”. Unfortunately, sometimes eminent manufacturers also sin with this.

The smartphone came to us even before the official presentation in Russia, and therefore we recall the case of the Sony Z1 Compact, whose camera we not quite deservedly “hacked to death”. The problem was that due to the “dampness” of the sample, good pictures were obtained every other time, or even after three. Most likely, the matter was in the camera firmware, which did not adequately process the signal from the image sensor, which is why there was a characteristic blur in the pictures. A similar effect occurs when the camera rotates around the optical axis at relatively slow shutter speeds, while the sharpness deteriorates noticeably from the center to the edges of the frame. As a result, it was probably possible to shoot with a camera only from a tripod. But in later copies of the smartphone, the camera has become noticeably better.

A similar effect is present here: part of the image is blurred, as with a slow shutter speed. Perhaps the reason is that the camera takes several shots at too long an interval. In any case, we hope that everything will be fixed soon enough, and Sony, as we have already noticed, brings its products to a decent state.

	Lighting ≈3200 lux. The camera works well.
	Lighting ≈1400 lux. The situation practically does not change.
	Lighting ≈130 lux. The grain from the noise reduction becomes a little larger.
	Lighting ≈130 lux, flash. Flash does little to improve the situation.
	Lighting<1 люкс, вспышка. Камера справляется немного хуже, чем в прошлый раз. Вспышка очень слабая.

As for this camera "here and now", it does not correspond to the flagship of this level. The software processing is not the worst, but it is clear that it was done in haste: there are barely noticeable traces of sharpening and "ladder" on straight lines, the exposure metering is overly sensitive, and the noise reduction works randomly and (not always in places) rudely. Noise canceling does not handle shadows very well for a flagship, but acceptable. Worse, it spoils medium and long-range plans, although the sharpness of the optics and the resolution of the sensor are quite able to work out such details, which is confirmed by the graph, which in this case somewhat rehabilitates the camera and gives it the right to life. Ultimately, all the problems (I want to believe) rest on the program, which the manufacturer did not have time to bring to the ideal. The reason to believe so is also given by the feeling that a module is installed in the camera, very similar to the Z2 camera. At the same time, Superior Auto mode gives pictures of a different size than in the case of Z2. Therefore, if the assumption is correct, then the module is definitely good, and the program is completely redesigned and, apparently, (yet) underdeveloped. But Sony is unlikely to leave their flagship to its fate, and this problem should be fixed in serial samples. Well, in any case, the physical parameters of the camera are very worthy, and after completion it promises to be interesting. And even now, with a certain skill, it is suitable for various subjects.

Telephone part and communications

The smartphone works as standard in modern 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks, and there is also support for the fourth generation networks (LTE) used in Russia. In practice, with a SIM card from the domestic operator MTS, the smartphone confidently recognizes and works with 4G networks. The network capabilities of the smartphone are extensive, they correspond to a truly top level: there is support for the 5 GHz Wi-Fi range, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, as standard, you can organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels. The external device connection mode (USB Host, USB OTG) is supported, so you can connect flash drives and mice with keyboards to the Micro-USB port. The navigation module works both with GPS and with the domestic Glonass system.

Spontaneous reboots / shutdowns during testing were not observed, as well as slowdowns or system freezes. When you bring the smartphone to your ear, the screen is blocked by the proximity sensor. The LED indicator at the top of the front panel serves to notify you of charging status and incoming events.

There is no dedicated top row with numbers on the standard keyboard by default, you need to switch the layout every time, or manually connect the number row through the settings menu. The layout itself and the layout of the keys are standard: to switch the language layout, just click on the button with the corresponding icon. The phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, while dialing a phone number, a search is immediately carried out by the first letters in contacts. There is a convenient opportunity to shift the keyboard closer to one of the sides of the screen, so that it is easier to reach the fingers of the hand holding the smartphone. Naturally, Swype continuous writing (sliding your finger from letter to letter) is also supported.

OS and software

The operating system uses the latest version of the Google Android 4.4.4 KitKat software platform, on top of which its own proprietary graphical user interface is traditionally installed. The internal arrangement of the shell, all menus, settings items and pop-up contextual submenus - everything remained exactly the same. However, outwardly the shell has undergone significant changes. Previously, Sony's GUI elements were drawn quite small. Now, unexpectedly, all the elements on the screen, and most importantly, the application icons themselves, began to look much larger and clearer. Fonts have increased, such sudden transformations have only benefited the smartphone. There are also less conspicuous, but in some ways more useful improvements. Finally, for example, the function of rebooting the device appeared in the menu, because before that only Sony smartphones suffered from the lack of such an opportunity. If it was necessary to restart the device, it was necessary to first turn off and then turn on the smartphone, which was annoying.

The most important software innovation that has taken place with the new Sony mobile devices is the appearance of tight integration with the Sony PlayStation 4 game console. If the house already has one, then the Xperia Z3 smartphone, or the Xperia Z3 Tablet, will be able to act as a "portable screen" , that is, everything that happens begins to be displayed not on the TV screen, but on the screen of the mobile device. This is, for example, convenient when you need to free the TV if one of the family members suddenly wants to watch some other program on TV. For such use, Sony will produce a special mount that is able to connect a smartphone or tablet to the game console's joystick. This service is called Remote Play.

Performance

Like the previous flagship, the Sony Xperia Z3 hardware platform is based on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 single-chip quad-core system (SoC) with four Krait 400 cores. Z3 it is increased to 2.5 GHz. This is explained by the fact that a slightly more advanced version of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AC) is used here.

The processor is supported in graphics processing by the same Adreno 330 video accelerator. About 11 GB out of 16 GB are initially available for the user's needs in the device. The amount of RAM of the smartphone is 3 GB, and this Sony Xperia Z3 stands out among its direct competitors - everyone else received only 2 GB of RAM. MicroSD memory cards in this model are supported up to 128 GB, you can also connect external flash drives, keyboards and mice to the Micro-USB port using a special adapter in OTG mode.

To get an idea of ​​the platform performance of the tested smartphone, let's run a standard set of tests.

For convenience, we have summarized all the results obtained by us when testing a smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks in tables. Several other devices from various segments are usually added to the table, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry numbers). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison, it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions of test programs.

Testing in MobileXPRT, as well as in the latest versions of AnTuTu and GeekBench 3:

According to the results of testing in benchmarks, the device proved to be one of the most powerful and productive modern mobile devices on the market. It is worth noting that all the figures almost coincided with the results of the previous model Sony Xperia Z2, which passed exactly the same tests not so long ago. As for the relates in the AnTuTu test, they have increased significantly, but it is not yet clear how the results of the two versions of the popular benchmark correlate with each other, because now the fifth version has replaced the fourth version, and all new devices are now tested in it. It is not known whether the developers have brought everything to a common denominator, so for now it will be necessary to mark in the tablets with which versions of the benchmark this or that model was tested. However, for sure, the difference is not so great, all top-end smartphones based on the Snapdragon 801 are, in any case, the most powerful mobile devices on the market today, the hardware capacities of which will be enough for a long time to perform any tasks.

When testing in 3DMark for the highest performing smartphones, it is now possible to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (due to which the speed can rise above 60 fps).

The results of testing the graphics subsystem in the Epic Citadel gaming test, as well as Basemark X and Bonsai Benchmark:

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for evaluating the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowances for the fact that the results in them depend significantly on the browser in which they are launched, so that the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this possibility is available when testing not always. In the case of Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

Video playback

To test the "omnivorous" when playing video (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Web. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern versions using processor cores alone. Also, you should not expect everything from a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it.

According to the test results, the Sony Xperia Z3 smartphone was not equipped with all the decoders necessary for the full playback of most of the most common files on the network. But the first smartphone of the series, the Xperia Z model, played all the same files without any problems without the need to resort to third-party solutions. Here, for their successful playback, you will have to resort to the help of a third-party player - for example, MX Player. True, it will also have to first change the settings, switching from hardware decoding to software or to a new mode called Hardware+(not supported by all smartphones), only then will the sound appear. All results are summarized in a table.

Format	container, video, sound	MX Video Player	Regular video player
DVDRip	AVI, XviD 720×400 2200 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally	plays normally
Web-DL SD	AVI, XviD 720×400 1400 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally	plays normally
Web-DL HD	MKV, H.264 1280x720 3000Kbps, AC3	Hardware+
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280x720 4000Kbps, AC3	plays fine with decoder Hardware+	Video plays fine, no sound¹
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920x1080 8000Kbps, AC3	plays fine with decoder Hardware+	Video plays fine, no sound¹

¹ Audio in MX Video Player only played after switching to software decoding or new mode Hardware+; The regular player does not have such a setting.

Additionally, the MHL interface was tested. To test it, we used the LG IPS237L monitor, which supports direct MHL connection using a passive micro-USB to HDMI adapter cable. At the same time, MHL output was carried out at a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels at a frequency of 30 fps. Regardless of the actual orientation of the smartphone, the display of images on the screens of the smartphone and the monitor is carried out only in landscape orientation with the connector on the smartphone facing down. At the same time, the image on the monitor fits exactly into the boundaries of the display area (if you do not forget to increase the setting Image size up to 100%) and one to one repeats the image on the smartphone screen.

The sound is output via MHL (in this case, the sounds were heard through the headphones connected to the monitor, since there are no speakers in the monitor itself) and has a good quality. At the same time, sounds are not output through the loudspeaker of the smartphone itself, and the volume is not adjusted by the buttons on the smartphone case, but is turned off. In our case, a smartphone with an MHL adapter connected, judging by the charge indicator, was charging.

Further, using a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see "Methodology for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)"), we checked how the video is displayed on the screen of the smartphone itself. Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output frames of video files with various parameters: the resolution varied 1280 by 720 (720p), 1920 by 1080 (1080p) and 3840 by 2160 (4K) pixels and a frame rate of 24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps. In tests, we used the MX Player video player in Hardware+ mode. The results of this (block titled "Smartphone screen") and the following test are summarized in the table:

Okay No

Note: If both columns Uniformity And Passes green ratings are set, this means that, most likely, when watching movies, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and dropping frames will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems with the playback of the respective files.

According to the frame output criterion, the playback quality of video files on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) may output with a more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without frame drops. The displayed range of brightness is equal to the standard range of 16-235, that is, in the shadows and in the highlights, all gradations of shades are displayed. When playing video files at 1080p (1920 by 1080 pixels), the image of the actual video file is displayed exactly to the width of the screen, in its original Full HD resolution.

With a monitor connected via MHL, when playing video, the monitor displays an exact copy of the screen of the smartphone, that is, the output is in true Full HD resolution in the case of 1080p files.

The brightness range displayed on the monitor is equal to the standard range of 16-235 - all gradations of shades are displayed in the shadows and in the highlights. The results of the monitor output tests are shown in the table above in the "MHL (monitor output)" section. The output quality is good. For files with 50 and 60 fps, we do not provide results, as this does not make sense due to the output mode at 30 fps. For games where higher frame rates are desirable, you can use available external adapters that provide 60fps output at 720p, or you can try to find monitors/adapters that support 1080p MHL output at 60fps.

The conclusion is typical: the MHL connection can be used for games, watching movies, web browsing and other activities that benefit from the increase in screen size.

Battery life

The lithium-ion battery installed in the Sony Xperia Z3 turned out to be quite a bit smaller in volume than that of the Xperia Z2, but still has a capacity of 3100 mAh that is quite decent for a modern flagship. Sony's new flagship did not become a record holder in terms of battery life, but on the whole it showed itself no worse, and maybe a little better than its predecessor. Perhaps the new type of battery is affecting, or the power consumption optimization has become better, but in any case, a slight decrease in the volume of the new battery did not adversely affect the battery life of the device in test modes.

	Battery capacity	Reading mode	Video mode	3D game mode
Sony Xperia Z3	3100 mAh	20:00	10:00 a.m.	4h 50m
Sony Xperia Z2	3200 mAh	15h 20m	11:00 a.m.	3h 30m
Oppo Find 7a	2800 mAh	16h 40m	8h 20m	3 a.m.
HTC One M8	2600 mAh	22h 10m	13h 20m	3h 20m
Samsung Galaxy S5	2800 mAh	5:20 p.m.	12:30 pm	4h 30m
TCL Idol X+	2500 mAh	12:30 pm	7h 20m	3 a.m.
Lenovo Vibe Z	3050 mAh	11:45 a.m.	8 a.m.	3h 30m
Acer Liquid S2	3300 mAh	16h 40m	7h 40m	6 a.m.
LG G Flex	3500 mAh	23h 15m	13h 30m	6h 40m
LG G2	3000 mAh	20:00	12:30 pm	4h 45m
Sony Xperia Z1	3000 mAh	11:45 a.m.	8 a.m.	4h 30m

Continuous reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light theme) at the minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd / m²) lasted more than 20 hours until the battery was completely discharged, and with continuous viewing of YouTube videos in high quality (HQ) with the same level of brightness through a home Wi-Fi network, the device lasted 10 hours. In the 3D gaming mode, the smartphone worked for almost 5 hours. The device charges quickly enough, the time for a full charge is less than 3 hours.

Outcome

Once again, Sony Mobile has released an excellent top-end device of the highest quality and performance class. The flagship of the Japanese boasts an expensive, catchy and stylish design and, of course, premium materials. Among its strengths are also the presence of a high degree of protection against water and dust, the highest hardware performance and technical equipment to date, as well as a powerful battery and good sound quality. The screen and camera are not exactly great, but they generally correspond to the high level of a smartphone. However, at this point I would like to state with a little sadness that we did not see any breakthroughs in the next update. Smartphone stuffing remained almost the same, the changes are noticeable, but still, for the most part, cosmetic. However, we did not see any breakthroughs in the new season from other manufacturers either, the market froze in anticipation of new technical discoveries, and we are also looking forward to them.

It was known that the flagship Sony Xperia Z4 and in a number of characteristics, and outwardly similar to the Z3, but hardly anyone could have imagined how obvious the resemblance would be. Comparative images have already appeared on the Web, demonstrating the analogy in the design and arrangement of the main elements.

On the front, the Xperia Z4 differs from its predecessor only in a different location of the logo, sensors and front camera, as well as a shift in paired speakers. All these changes can only be distinguished by a user familiar with the line, while others will not notice such minor innovations at all.

Xperia Z4 - left, Z3 - right

Things are quite different with the rear panel - there the analogy is close to 100 percent. The novelty is distinguished only by the NFC icon and the flash, located slightly lower relative to the camera than the Xperia Z3. Well, another important point is the color of the rear panel itself, the Z4 has a slightly darker copper design option.

The most obvious difference between the new model and the old one is the design of the ends - Xperia Z4 has a glossy frame and has a characteristic sheen, especially noticeable on metal corners. Well, here are the connectors and buttons: in the new model, the USB input has moved to the bottom and lost its protection, the magnetic connector on the left has disappeared, and the microSD card slot on the right end is now under the same plug as the SIM card, on the left.

Xperia Z4 - top, Z3 - bottom

Users with an excellent eye will be able to determine the slightly thinner body of the Xperia Z4, although in reality the difference is not so significant - only 0.4 mm.

Xperia Z4 - left, Z3 - right

In terms of technical characteristics, there are also few significant differences between the devices - the Z4 has a much more powerful chip, a high-quality front camera, Bluetooth 4.1 support, and a less capacious battery. A detailed specification comparison is shown in the table below.

Comparison of characteristics of Sony Xperia Z4 and Xperia Z3

	Sony Xperia Z3
CPU:	Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 8 cores	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 4 cores
GPU:	Adreno 430	Adreno 330
RAM:	3 GB	3 GB
memory:	32/64 GB + microSD up to 128 GB	16/32 GB + microSD up to 128 GB
display:	5.2" IPS 1920x1080 pixels density 424 ppi Gorilla Glass 4	5.2" IPS 1920x1080 pixels density 424 ppi Gorilla Glass 3
main camera:	20.7 MP single LED flash autofocus digital stabilization	20.7 MP single LED flash autofocus digital stabilization
frontal camera:	5.1 MP wide 1080p	2.2 MP 1080p
modules:	Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1 GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC	Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0 GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC
battery:	2930 mAh	3 100 mAh
dimensions:	146x72x6.9mm	146x72x7.3mm
weight:	144 grams	153 grams
bonuses:	protection against moisture and dust IP68	protection against moisture and dust IP68

Alternative titlesXperia Z3 Plus
E6553E6653
E6603

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Used materials, suggested colors, certificates.

SIM card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

GSM	GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz	GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz
UMTS	UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz	UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz
LTE	LTE 700 MHz Class 17 LTE 800 MHz LTE 850 MHz LTE 900 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz LTE-TDD 2300 MHz (B40) LTE 700 MHz (B28)	LTE 700 MHz Class 17 LTE 800 MHz LTE 850 MHz LTE 900 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 1900 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz LTE-TDD 2300 MHz (B40) LTE-TDD 2600 MHz (B38) LTE 700 MHz (B12) LTE 700 MHz (B28)

Mobile technologies and data rates

Communication between devices in mobile networks is carried out through technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

The operating system is the system software that manages and coordinates the operation of the hardware components in the device.

Operating system (OS)

Android 5.0.2 Lollipop Android 6.0 Marshmallow Android 7.0 Nougat Android 7.1.1 Nougat

Android 5.1.1 Lollipop Android 6.0 Marshmallow Android 7.0 Nougat Android 7.1.1 Nougat

SoC (System on a Chip)

System on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device in one chip.

SoC (System on a Chip)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994 v2.1	Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994
Technological process	20 nm	20 nm
Processor (CPU)		4x 2.0 GHz ARM Cortex-A57, 4x 1.5 GHz ARM Cortex-A53
Processor bit depth	64 bit	64 bit
Instruction Set Architecture	ARMv8-A	ARMv8-A
Level 0 Cache (L0)	4 kB + 4 kB	4 kB + 4 kB
First level cache (L1)	16 kB + 16 kB	16 kB + 16 kB
Second level cache (L2)	2048 kB 2 MB	2048 kB 2 MB
Number of processor cores	8	8
Processor clock speed	2000 MHz	2000 MHz
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)	Qualcomm Adreno 430	Qualcomm Adreno 430
GPU clock speed	650 MHz	600 MHz
The amount of random access memory (RAM)	3 GB	3 GB
Type of random access memory (RAM)	LPDDR4	LPDDR4
Number of RAM channels	dual channel	dual channel
RAM frequency	1600 MHz	1600 MHz

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has a built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed amount.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Type/technology	IPS	IPS
Diagonal	5.2in 132.08 mm 13.21 cm	5.2in 132.08 mm 13.21 cm
Width	2.55in 64.75 mm 6.48 cm	2.55in 64.75 mm 6.48 cm
Height	4.53in 115.12 mm 11.51 cm	4.53in 115.12 mm 11.51 cm
Aspect Ratio	1.778:1 16:9	1.778:1 16:9
Permission	1080 x 1920 pixels	1080 x 1920 pixels
Pixel Density	424 ppi 166ppm	424 ppi 166ppm
Color depth	24 bit 16777216 flowers	24 bit 16777216 flowers
Screen area	71.09 %	71.14 %
Other characteristics	capacitive Multitouch Scratch resistance	capacitive Multitouch Scratch resistance
	Triluminos display for mobile X-Reality display sRGB 130% 700 cd/m²	Triluminos display for mobile X-Reality display chemical tempered glass Anti-fingerprint coating

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that are recognized by the mobile device.

rear camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the device and can be combined with one or more secondary cameras.

Sensor Model	Sony IMX220 Exmor RS	Sony Exmor RS
Sensor type	CMOS	CMOS
Sensor size	6.17 x 4.55mm 0.3in	6.17 x 4.55mm 0.3in
Pixel size	1.176 µm 0.001176 mm	1.118 µm 0.001118 mm
crop factor	5.64	5.64
ISO (light sensitivity)	50 - 12800	100 - 12800
Svetlosila	f/2	f/2
Focal length	-	4.26 mm 24.01mm *(35mm / full frame)
Flash type	LED	LED
Image resolution	5248 x 3936 pixels 20.66 MP	5520 x 4140 pixels 22.85 MP
Video Resolution	3840 x 2160 pixels 8.29 MP	3840 x 2160 pixels 8.29 MP
Video recording speed (frame rate)	30 fps	30 fps
Characteristics	autofocus Burst shooting digital zoom geo tags panoramic shooting HDR shooting Touch focus Face recognition Adjusting the white balance ISO setting Exposure compensation Self-timer Scene Selection Mode Macro mode	autofocus Burst shooting digital zoom Digital Image Stabilization geo tags panoramic shooting HDR shooting Touch focus Face recognition Adjusting the white balance ISO setting Exposure compensation Self-timer Scene Selection Mode Macro mode
	1080p@60fps 720p@120fps	1080p@60fps 720p@120fps Pulse LED flash Wide angel G-lens

Front-camera

Smartphones have one or more front cameras of various designs - a pop-up camera, a PTZ camera, a cutout or hole in the display, a camera under the display.

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for short distance data transmission between different devices.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to communicate.

HDMI

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a digital audio/video interface that replaces older analog audio/video standards.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by the device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Video file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support various video file formats and codecs, which store and encode/decode digital video data, respectively.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge they need to function.

Capacity	2930 mAh	2900 mAh
Type		Li-polymer (Li-polymer)
Talk time 2G	12 h 720 min 0.5 days	13 h 10 min 13.2 h 790 min 0.5 days
2G standby time	580 h 34800 min 24.2 days	520 h 31200 min 21.7 days
3G talk time	17 h 1020 min 0.7 days	17 h 1020 min 0.7 days
3G standby time	590 h 35400 min 24.6 days	540 h 32400 min 22.5 days
4G standby time	540 h 32400 min 22.5 days	500 h 30000 min 20.8 days
Fast charging technology	-	Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0
Characteristics	Fixed	fast charging Fixed

It's time to compare 4.7 inch iPhone 6 with Sony's latest flagship 5.2" Xperia Z3. Sony's phone has a whole bunch of tricks up its sleeve to help it counter the popularity of the iPhone lineup: waterproof, stereo speakers, 20MP camera, so let's see which one gets the top spot...

Design

The Xperia Z3 is by no means a small phone for a 5.2-inch screen, especially when compared to some other flagships with a similar display size. This is due to the fairly wide top and bottom bezels (the frame around the screen), which is also true for the iPhone 6, but given the smaller screen size, using the iPhone 6 with one hand is much more convenient. The comparatively wide bezels that frame the screens of both smartphones have a reason - the Xperia Z3 has waterproof stereo speakers, and the iPhone 6 has a fingerprint sensor built into the Home button. Both phones are incredibly thin and light, and look very elegant despite their unimpressive screen-to-body ratio.

Incredibly thin cases and premium design make the iPhone 6 and Xperia Z3 some of the most beautiful devices on the market, and Sony's flagship is also waterproof.

The iPhone has a premium looking and feel metal body, but the Sony creation, with its rounded edges and glass back, looks great too, plus it's highly dust and water resistant (IP68).

If you look at the sides of the devices, on the right side of the Xperia Z3 you can find the traditional Sony (in accordance with the OmniBalance design concept) round power button, which looks a little wobbly and requires you to bend your thumb to press. The lock key on the iPhone 6 is conveniently located right under your fingertip. In the Xperia Z3, most of the elements are located on the right side: you will also find there a rather thin volume control, slots for nanoSIM and microSD cards, as well as a separate camera shutter button. Both slots, as well as the microUSB port located on the left, are covered with protective caps that ensure the tightness of the case, and if you do not want to constantly open the cap while charging the phone, there is a magnetic connector on the left side for more convenient charging and synchronization, but you will need to purchase a special cable or docking station.

What we didn't like about both smartphones is the location of the camera in the upper left corner: it is too close to the edge, and you can easily block it with your finger while shooting. In addition, the iPhone 6's camera protrudes slightly from the case.

Apple iPhone 6 (left, bottom) and Sony Xperia Z3 (right, top)

Screen

The Apple iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch screen with a resolution of 750x1334 pixels, which results in a lower pixel density (326 ppi) compared to the Xperia Z3's 5.2-inch Full HD (1080x1920) display with a density of 424 ppi. However, the pixel density of both displays is more than adequate for any need, and small text, as well as other small details, looks sharp and crisp on both displays.

Losing in terms of color reproduction, the screen of the Xperia Z3 outperforms the iPhone 6 in size and resolution

The superiority of the iPhone in terms of color reproduction is obvious - the colors are very accurate, while the Xperia Z3 sins not only with strongly wrong colors, but also with an excessively cold blue tint of the image. Sony explained that this was done on purpose, as this is the current trend for TV screens - cooler colors are perceived by the brain brighter than natural ones. Be that as it may, we would rather choose clothes in the online store on the screen of the iPhone, rather than the Xperia Z3. You can adjust the white balance on the Xperia Z3 using the display settings, by boosting the intensity of the three primary colors, which looks a bit artificial.

On the other hand, the Sony Xperia Z3's screen technology, according to our tests, achieves a maximum brightness of over 700 nits, which is a record-breaking result and results in better outdoor readability than the iPhone 6. In addition, the new LED backlight is even more energy efficient, than before. Combined with "display memory" technology, which prevents the GPU from constantly refreshing the image when a static image is displayed, the Xperia Z3 screen allows the smartphone to achieve record-breaking battery life, but we'll talk about that in a bit.

In terms of viewing angles, since we are dealing with high-quality IPS displays, both phones perform well, with a slight advantage on the iPhone 6. The screen of the Xperia Z3 can be used with gloves, if you activate the appropriate mode in the settings that increases the sensitivity of the sensor, this will be useful in winter time.

Interface

The Sony Xperia interface is one of the most functional and at the same time simple shells. Compared to bare Android, it adds some multitasking tools (Small Apps) that allow you to run up to five windowed applications at the same time, which can be moved and scaled. The iPhone 6 does not have these features, but it has a much more convenient Control Center and Notification Center, unlike the Sony interface, where you need to make a few extra swipes across the screen each time to get to the archaic look of the connection switches.

Apple opened access to the Notification Center, now there can be widgets for third-party applications that send messages and interactive notifications. They're certainly not as functional as the full Android widgets that can be placed on multiple desktop screens, but it's a less intrusive Apple-style approach.

Apple iPhone 6 user interface
Lock screen		Desktop	Command centre
Notification Center		One-hand control mode

The only thing the Xperia Z3 provides for comfortable one-handed operation is the ability to shrink the keyboard to the left or right of the display, in which case it becomes much easier to reach the on-screen buttons with your finger. The iPhone 6 introduced a so-called Reachability mode that, if you double-click the Home button, moves the entire interface to the bottom of the screen so you can easily enter the web address or email recipient's name. You can also swipe to the right from the left edge of the screen, this gesture emulates the back button in related applications, such as a browser. On the Xperia Z3, you'll have to drag your finger to the top of the screen.

Sony Xperia Z3 user interface
Lock screen	Desktop	Application section	Task bar
Small Apps		Quick Settings

Processor and Memory

You won't be disappointed with the performance of these smartphones as both have decent specifications. The Apple iPhone 6 is powered by a 64-bit A8 processor running at half the frequency of the Snapdragon 801-AC in the Xperia Z3, but delivering comparable performance in synthetic benchmarks. Built-in apps in IOS 8 are optimized for 64-bit computing and the interface is extremely fluid no matter what you're doing, while the Xperia Z3's interface has occasional minor stutters that will likely be fixed with software updates. as the hardware component is very powerful. Apple doesn't list the amount of RAM in their phone specs, but it's still 1GB while the Xperia Z3 has a whopping 3GB of RAM - that doesn't mean the iPhone has any performance issues. heavy applications and games, but iOS has to actively unload minimized programs from memory. The Small Apps mode on the Xperia Z3 no doubt consumes more RAM, especially if you choose to run more than two or three apps at the same time.

Despite the higher clock speed of the Xperia Z3 processor and more RAM, the interface of the iPhone 6 is smoother. But you will have to fork out for additional amount of internal memory

In terms of onboard storage, the Xperia Z3 comes with 16GB, of which 12GB is available to the user, while the iPhone 6 comes in 16GB, 64GB, or 128GB variants, with higher configurations costing significantly more. The Sony smartphone has a microSD card slot that will help increase the usable space.

Performance test results (benchmarks):

Camera

Sony's flagship has a 20.7-megapixel 1/2.3" Exmor RS sensor with a 1.12 micron pixel size, just like the Xperia Z2, but Sony advertises that the field of view has increased to 25mm (wide-angle lens), and many more other improvements such as light sensitivity up to ISO 12800. Apple has also improved its 8-megapixel 1/3" iSight camera with 1.5-micron pixels and f/2.2 aperture, adding a new focusing system as well as new shooting modes. When it comes to shooting speed, the iPhone 6's camera takes a picture and is almost instantly ready to take another one, making it the fastest phone in our tests in that respect. The Xperia Z3 takes pictures pretty quickly too, with a separate two-stage camera shutter button on the right side that can launch the camera app and take a picture right from the lock screen, it only takes about a second, two at the most.

Apple iPhone 6 camera interface

Sony Xperia Z3 camera interface

With the exception of the Time-lapse mode, the Xperia Z3 offers all the settings and shooting modes available on the iPhone: panorama, HDR for photos and live video, and so on. In addition, there is a rather interesting background defocus mode (Background Defocus), which allows you to achieve the popular effect of shallow depth of field.

The new iSight camera is the fastest we've ever tested and excels in all lighting conditions, while the Xperia Z3's main selling point is 4K video capture

In terms of picture quality, the iPhone 6 takes great photos with slightly warm but generally accurate colors and excellent detail in all conditions. The Xperia Z3 in its default Superior Auto mode takes 8-megapixel shots with a comparable level of detail. Colors are softer than iPhone 6. Xperia Z3 has trouble taking photos against a strong light source such as a window or the sun.

Apple iPhone 6 sample shots

Sample shots Sony Xperia Z3

When it comes to shooting indoors, the Xperia Z3's color reproduction remains generally natural, while the iPhone 6 leans heavily towards warmer tones. However, the Xperia Z3's shots look fairly heavily post-processed and slightly washed out, while the iPhone manages to retain high detail and acceptable noise levels. Both LED flashes are capable of adequately illuminating a small scene, although the iPhone 6's dual-tone flash seemed a bit more powerful to us.

Good lighting	Medium lighting	low light	In the dark with a flash
Apple iPhone 6
Sony Xperia Z3

Camera speed:

* Camspeed score - evaluation of the speed of the camera in a special application Camspeed

The Xperia Z3 has an edge when it comes to video recording, as it is capable of recording 4K (Ultra HD) video with a higher level of detail. This process heats up the smartphone more and consumes its memory, compared to Full HD (1080p) video recording, which is sufficient for most cases. The Apple iPhone 6 is capable of shooting 1080p video at 60 frames per second, and also offers time-lapse and slow-mo, 240fps video recording modes that look just fine. Videos shot with both phones are smooth, without annoying artifacts, and with good color reproduction. The sound range is also excellent and corresponds to the quality of the video - clear, loud enough and without background noise, if you comment on what is happening during video shooting.

Examples of videos taken with smartphone cameras are presented below (to view in original quality, follow the link to YouTube and select 1080p in the settings):

Connection quality

The Xperia Z3's earpiece is of average sound quality, loud enough to be heard in noisy environments, but voices seem muffled and slightly distorted at high volumes. On iPhone 6, even in noisy environments, the interlocutor's speech remains clearly distinguishable. Both the Xperia Z3 and iPhone 6 feature additional noise-canceling microphones that are great at filtering out ambient noise, sending loud and clear speech to the other end of the line. However, this will not help if you are in an area with poor reception - you will start to sound like a mouthful of toffee, which is common with all phones.

Battery life

The Sony smartphone is equipped with a capacious 3100 mAh battery, while the slim iPhone 6 is equipped with a 1810 mAh battery. Both companies list 14 hours of talk time, but Sony's claimed standby time is an impressive 37 days, while the iPhone is content with just ten. Of course, these data are nothing more than a hint of real abilities. The Xperia Z3 managed to last over 9 hours in our tests, while the iPhone 6 didn't make it past 6 hours. That's a pretty big difference, which means the iPhone 6 will need to be charged at the end of each day, and with the Xperia Z3, you can expect, as Sony advertises, a "two-day battery" phone.

We measure battery life using a dedicated web script that emulates typical smartphone usage. The screen brightness of all tested devices is set to 200 nits.

Prices

You can compare prices for smartphones in various online stores using the links below.

Conclusion

Both smartphones, the iPhone 6 and Xperia Z3, are the best that design giants like Apple and Sony have to offer today. Slim and stylish, both phones look and feel the same premium, but are vastly different in how they operate.

The Apple iPhone 6 is more comfortable to use with one hand than the rather large Xperia Z3, and is almost invisible in your pocket. It also has a better camera, which is especially noticeable in low light conditions, and a beautiful screen with accurate colors. To these advantages, we must add a better optimized iOS system and the fact that the iPhone 6 will depreciate much more slowly than the Xperia Z3 (which is relevant for people who sell old smartphones). The new Sony flagship, in turn, has a lot to offer that is not available on the iPhone. Of course, not everyone and not always needs a waterproof phone, just as many do not care about stereo speakers, but it's always nice to know that such opportunities are available if necessary.

The most important selling point for Sony's smartphone, which we've saved for last, is its remarkable battery life. Its "two-day battery" is currently the best in the flagship device category, and our own tests confirm this. So, if you're tired of charging your smartphone every night, which will certainly happen with the iPhone 6, the Xperia Z3 should be at the top of your shopping list.

After reviewing the Xperia XA, I had a curious thought. Why not try to compare the cameras of the current state employee with the once top Sony smartphone of yesteryear.

The choice immediately fell on the Xperia Z3, as it is the most popular Xperia flagship in recent years.

There really is progress between the once-flagship Xperia Z3 and the new state employee Xperia XA, and it is not at all illusory.

The purpose of this comparison is not so much to demonstrate the qualities of a particular camera in a particular device, but to show how relentless technological progress is in such a competitive field as smartphones.

Additional materials:

Xperia XA vs Xperia Z3: comparing the cameras of the current state employee and the old flagship

Before comparing, you should read the technical specifications of the Xperia XA and Xperia Z3 cameras:

Xperia XA

• Main camera - 13 MP, Exmor RS, physical sensor size 1/3″, 24mm wide-angle lens with f2.0 aperture, fast intelligent hybrid autofocus, 5x Clear Image zoom;
• Front camera - 8 MP, 22mm wide-angle lens with f2.2 aperture.

Xperia Z3

• Main camera - IMX220, 20.7 MP, Exmor RS, physical sensor size 1/2.3″, 25mm f2.0 wide-angle lens, 6 G Lens;
• Front camera - 2.2 MP, 1/3″.

On paper, the Xperia Z3 has a more advanced image sensor than the Xperia XA. A larger number of megapixels and the physical size of the matrix directly indicate this. Also, the optical part of the Xperia Z3 camera seems to be more perfect.

The Xperia XA's main camera looks noticeably simpler and has a smaller CMOS sensor.

But in terms of front cameras, the Xperia XA is in a deliberately winning position - a new 8 MP sensor against the outdated 2.2 MP in the Xperia Z3.

Comparison of photo quality between the main and front cameras of Xperia XA and Xperia Z3

The Xperia XA shot in Super Auto 9MP 16:9, and the Xperia Z3 in Super Auto 8MP 16:9. Due to the difference in focal length between the two devices, the photos don't look exactly the same.

Both phones took pictures only from hands and at the same time. All pictures of the main cameras were cropped in a 1:1 ratio in the center of the picture. The focus point was also set at the center. The frames were not subjected to any post-processing, everything is presented "as is".

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Comparison of the front cameras Xperia XA and Xperia Z3

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Comparison of the video quality of the main cameras Xperia XA and Xperia Z3

When shooting video, both phones recorded in FHD (1080p) 30fps with SteadyShot enabled. The videos are presented as is, without processing and cropping.

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***

The Xperia XA won on almost all fronts, parity with the Xperia Z3 is maintained only in daytime photography, and even then with a stretch.

After such comparisons, you wonder if it even makes sense to buy these expensive flagships?

All the same, the flagships will turn into a pumpkin for a couple of years. And not even because of the lack of software updates, but because of the banal hardware obsolescence. The Xperia Z3 and Xperia XA demonstrate this perfectly.