Review of the Sony Xperia Z smartphone: a subservient standard. Review of the Sony Xperia Z smartphone: a subservient standard Sony z smartphones

Incredibly clear and ultra-bright display for an immersive experience

Amazing photo and video quality in any lighting

Our smartphone cameras are built with the same technology and components as Sony's best cameras, so you can take incredibly clear photos and videos anytime, anywhere.

HDR video camera

Xperia Z features the Exmor RS™ mobile sensor, the world's first smartphone sensor with HDR video, so you can take great photos and videos even against bright light.

13 megapixel camera

Featuring a fast-response 13-megapixel camera and Sony's latest generation Exmor RS™ mobile sensor, the Android-powered Xperia Z takes amazingly clear photos anytime, anywhere.

Great in all lighting conditions

With Exmor RS™ mobile sensor and HDR technology, Xperia Z captures crisp photos and videos in both low-light and backlit environments. Featuring low-light sensors on the front and back, Exmor RS™ is the first dual-sensor mobile camera.

Superior Auto mode

Are you not an expert in settings? Superior Auto mode automatically turns on HDR and noise reduction when needed.

Smart, stylish and reliable

No one knows better than Sony how to combine reliability and stylish design. At just 7.9mm thick and with a shiny glass surface, the Xperia Z is not only waterproof and dustproof, it's also tough enough to withstand any challenge.

Waterproof

Why are we so sure? To achieve high ratings for IP55 and IP57, we submerged the Xperia Z underwater for 30 minutes, after which it was as good as new. Moreover, it is resistant to water jets.

Hard as metal

How durable should a high-tech smartphone be? How about strength comparable to that of a car? The Xperia Z's body is made from glass-filled polyamide, which is used in automotive parts as a metal substitute.

Reliable glass

The durable tempered glass on the front and back is much stronger than normal glass. And taking into account the anti-shatter film on both sides, the Xperia Z cannot be called fragile.

Dust-proof

Since we can't carry every Android smartphone outside, we've moved dust resistance testing to the lab. Before we claim the Xperia Z is dustproof, we put it in a dustproof test chamber to make sure dust doesn't affect its performance.

Perfectly balanced OmniBalance design

The design has been designed to provide balance and symmetry in all directions. Xperia Z has beautifully rounded edges and smooth, shiny surfaces on both sides, all wrapped around an innovative frame design.

One touch to access a world of entertainment

Discover a quick and easy way to wirelessly stream music and photos from your smartphone. One-touch screen mirroring* with NFC technology lets you easily view everything on your phone on your TV. Simply touch your phone to the BRAVIA® remote control and your photos or music playlists will appear on the TV screen. No wires, no buttons - no complications.

A Sony smartphone that is anything but ordinary

A mesmerizing screen that can absorb you completely. Realistic images that create an immersive effect. And a camera that allows you to take a great photo anywhere, anytime. See for yourself how Xperia Z opens up new possibilities and modern ways to connect.

Incredibly powerful smartphone

The Snapdragon™ S4 Pro quad-core processor delivers ultra-fast performance, unparalleled graphics, and efficient battery life. Get directions using Google Maps. Stream the latest YouTube clips using LTE technology. Or download newly released apps and get started right away. Get everything you need right now.

Longer battery life

STAMINA Battery Mode provides better battery management and increases your phone's standby time by four times or more*. When the screen turns off, your phone automatically closes unused, power-consuming apps and launches them only when the screen turns back on.

Sound for entertainment

With Xperia™ Z you get a high-quality stereo headset.

Sony's MH-EX300AP headset features superb sound quality that lets you enjoy sound that's close to the original.

Enjoy music, games and movies to the fullest. This comfortable mini headset with in-ear headphones allows you to enjoy high-quality sound during your entertainment. And if they call you or send you a message, you will know about it immediately.

The mobile division of the Japanese company Sony Corporation - Sony Mobile Communications AB - has very rich experience in the production of rugged smartphones that easily survive the not-so-pleasant relationship for many electronic devices - with water, dust and dirt. The first secure device after the collapse of the alliance with Ericsson was the mid-range smartphone Sony Xperia go, which, despite not having advanced technical characteristics, managed to win its audience. Then the equally popular Sony Xperia acro S and Sony Xperia V appeared, and Sony itself, having proven that rugged smartphones can be attractive, continued to develop new devices.

One of these solutions, and also the flagship of 2013, was a stylish “SUV”, the body of which is distinguished by a sophisticated appearance with abundant use of mineral glass and full compliance with IP55 and IP57 protection standards. However, after turning on the smartphone for the first time, all the magic that was in the air before, unfortunately, begins to dissipate. What is the reason, let's figure it out.

Specifications

Manufacturer
	Xperia Z (C6603/L36i)
Type, form factor	Smartphone, monoblock
Communication standards	2G (GSM/GPRS/EDGE): 850/900/1800/1900 MHz 3G (HSPA/HSUPA): bands 1, 2, 4, 5, 8 4G (LTE): bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20
SIM card type
CPU	Qualcomm S4 Pro (APQ8064T+MDM9215M): 4 Krait cores (ARMv7), 1.51 GHz
Graphics adapter	Qualcomm Adreno 320
	TFT, 5", 1920x1080 pixels (441 ppi), touch, capacitive, multi-touch up to 10 touches, Asahi Dragontrail Glass, Sony BRAVIA Engine 2 and OptiContrast technologies
RAM	2 GB, dual channel LPDDR2
	(about 11 GB available to the user)
Expansion slot	microSD (up to 64 GB)
Interfaces	1 x micro-USB 2.0 (MHL 2.0, USB On-the-go, USB Host) 1 x audio jack (mini-jack 3.5 mm)
Multimedia	Acoustics
	Audio processing	xLOUD Experience
	Microphone

	Main	Exmor RS: 13 MP, BSI, autofocus, LED flash, digital image stabilization, HDR, 1080p video recording (30 fps), geotagging
	Frontal	Exmor R: 2.0 MP BSI, HDR, digital image stabilization, 1080p video recording (30fps), geotagging
Communication capabilities		802.11ac/a/b/g/n (2.4/5 GHz) (Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot)



		(in versions for the Japanese market)

	Accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, light sensor, LED indicator, geomagnetic sensor (compass)
Battery	Li-ion, 2330 mAh
power unit	Input: 100~240V AC Eg. At 50/60 Hz Output: 5 VDC E.g. 1.5 A
	Dust and waterproof housing (IP55 and IP57), rear panel covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 2, pre-installed set of applications, including WALKMAN and Gracenote players
Dimensions, mm


operating system	Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean (planned to update to Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean)
User interface
Official guarantee	12 months
Products webpage

Delivery and configuration

The smartphone comes in a compact square package made of thick white cardboard. The minimalist design looks nice. On the top side there is an image of the smartphone itself and a couple of logos, which are also duplicated on one of the sides.

On the back of the package you can see the main features of the Sony Xperia Z, presented in the form of beautiful icons. There is also some brief legal information here.

The delivery package, in addition to the smartphone itself, which is detected first, includes:

adapter cable from micro-USB to USB for connecting to a power supply unit and synchronizing with a PC;
compact power supply;
Sony MH-EX300AP headset with three pairs of vacuum attachments;
device setup guide;
a booklet describing safety precautions and a list of all official support centers;
FCC and SAR certification information booklet;
warranty card.

Appearance, arrangement of elements

Sony Xperia Z has a very attractive appearance, which is definitely one of the most beautiful not only in the Sony lineup, but also in the mobile device market as a whole. Sony specialists developed a proprietary design called OmniBalance especially for Zetka. Its essence is to create the most symmetrical shape of the body, which, in fact, was successfully achieved. Only the power button and the volume rocker stand out from the general concept, but nothing else.

At first glance, the smartphone is devoid of any connectors, which also emphasizes the incredible feeling of solidity of the body. The recently quite popular word “unibody” immediately comes to mind. However, this is just a perfectly created illusion, which is not far from what is desired.

The base of the case is made of a single piece of plastic and houses all the electronic stuffing. The front panel, just like the back panel, is made entirely of mineral glass, albeit from different manufacturers. The front is a relatively new to the market heavy-duty Asahi Dragontrail Glass, while the back is the already familiar Corning Gorilla Grass 2. It is noteworthy that the sidewalls, on which all the necessary connectors are concentrated, are covered with special plugs and also trimmed with glass.

In general, the Xperia Z gives the impression of an expensive and well-built device, but, unfortunately, it is very easily soiled, which noticeably spoils the first impressions after a couple of minutes of use. The rigidity of the case is good, but the front protective glass, due to the absence of an air gap, is quite easily pressed to the surface of the display, which is confirmed by characteristic stains.

It is important to note that on the main glass panels, i.e. front and back, there is a very high-quality factory protective film glued on, which, on the one hand, of course, is intended to provide greater protection for the glass, including from chipping and coloring during strong impacts, but, on the other hand, provides a less pleasant tactile sensation . However, this is by no means a disadvantage.

The dimensions of the smartphone are quite large, but not so large that it is inconvenient to use, which, in principle, can be done even with one hand. Reaching the opposite corner of the screen is not difficult, but it all depends on your grip and the size of your palm. The weight of the device is neither small nor large - 146 grams is pleasantly heavy in the hand.

The main element of the front panel of the smartphone is a 5" diagonal display, which is framed by a relatively small frame. Above it, exactly in the center, is the Sony logo and the speaker hole, to the left is the front camera, and to the right are light and proximity sensors, as well as an LED indicator. There is a hole under the display, which is completely symmetrical to the top. The main microphone is hidden in it. There are no dedicated control keys, they are on-screen.

The arrangement of elements on the sides of the smartphone is done in a manner familiar to Sony - not like everyone else. So, in the upper part on the left there is a micro-USB 2.0 connector, a microSD memory card slot and a two-pin connector for connecting to a proprietary docking station. On the opposite side there is a slot for Micro-SIM cards (installed using special slides), just below which, almost in the center of the side, there is a beautiful metal power/lock button, and even lower - a volume rocker. At the very bottom is the main speaker and an eyelet for attaching any laces and accessories.

On the top edge there is only a headset jack (mini-jack 3.5 mm), while the bottom edge remains empty. On it you can only see a barcode and brief information, including the device model, EMEI number and country of manufacture.

In general, this arrangement of elements for testing turned out to be quite ergonomic. For example, holding the Sony Xperia Z in your left hand, the power button is just under your index finger, and the volume rocker is under your middle finger. When using a smartphone with the right hand, all elements are located within the reach of the thumb.

On the back side at the top there is a main camera module with an LED flash and a second microphone. Just below there is a small sticker with the “N” symbol, this is where the NFC module is located. Almost in the center is the chrome Xperia logo. At the bottom there is technical information.

By the way, the smartphone is available not only in classic colors - black and white, but also in a very exotic purple, which looks very interesting.

Dust and moisture protection

The highlight of the Sony Xperia Z smartphone is undoubtedly its body, which fully complies with IP55 and IP57 protection standards. Moreover, at the moment this is the only flagship on the market that has such qualities. However, very soon Zetke’s company will be joined by Samsung in the form of a modified Galaxy S4 Active.

In general, the smartphone easily survives many weather conditions. With it you can safely take a shower and even dive under water up to 1 meter for 30 minutes. Photographing in the rain will also not cause any difficulties, and in case of heavy contamination, the smartphone can be easily washed under running water. The main thing is to check before doing this that all the plugs are closed. Also, do not expose the device to sudden temperature changes, otherwise it is likely that the glass panels will burst.

Display

The display of the Sony Xperia Z is a very interesting and at the same time controversial development, called Reality Display. Firstly, there is a proprietary 5" OptiContrast panel, which helps reduce glare and increase image clarity when working under bright sunlight. Secondly, there is support for Sony BRAVIA Engine 2 software technology, designed to provide increased image contrast, increased color saturation, and also carry out noise reduction and increase detail in video. Thirdly, the display has Full HD resolution (1920 by 1080 pixels), which with such a diagonal forms a very high pixel density per inch - 441 ppi. And finally, fourthly, everything this is “seasoned” with not the best matrix production technology (the manufacturer does not report the type, limiting itself to the abbreviation TFT) with relatively small viewing angles: at the slightest deviation from the normal, the display begins to fade and lose contrast, and this seriously spoils the overall impression of an expensive and very beautiful devices.

However, you can get used to this drawback, and the Sony BRAVIA Engine 2 technology used still brings significant improvements to the displayed information, however, they do not work in all cases, but only when viewing photo and video material. In other cases, the colors seem somewhat faded. The quality of detail of the information displayed on the display, thanks to the high resolution, is one of the best at the moment; it is almost impossible to see individual pixels.

Reality Display pleases with high backlight brightness and excellent glare protection, thanks to which the image on the screen remains readable even on a very bright sunny day.

The touch pad is highly responsive and can handle up to 10 simultaneous touches.

Sound

The external speaker is located in a very good place - at the bottom of the right side. Thanks to this, it will not be muffled when the smartphone is lying on the table. However, the speaker is easy enough to cover with your palm during use. The quality of the reproduced sound is quite good, but the volume level is a little lacking and in a noisy environment there is a possibility of missing a call. But no distortion is observed when listening at maximum.

As for the earpiece, first of all, it is quite loud, it even transmits significant vibrations to the smartphone body and this can be a little annoying. The interlocutor, with a stable network signal, can be heard well, and the interlocutor can also hear you well.

The included Sony MH-EX300AP headset is very easy to use. It has a vacuum design of headphones, three pairs of replaceable tips are provided. We also note the different lengths of the cable with headphones, which many will like, but many will not. The headset has a good microphone, and using the provided button you can start/stop playback. The sound quality is very good, both high and low frequencies are perfectly processed. The only thing that confused me was that the color of the headset did not match the color of the smartphone.

The Sony Xperia Z has a number of software techniques that significantly improve the quality of the reproduced sound. These include: , which is only available in the WALKMAN player, but when activated, all equalizer settings are locked.

Camera

The Sony Xperia Z has two cameras: the main Sony Exmor RS with 13MP and the front Sony Exmor R with 2MP. Both cameras are based on back-illuminated sensors (BSI), have digital image stabilization, and the ability to shoot HDR, including video mode with a resolution of up to 1080p (30 fps). It is possible to sign geotags.

The main camera, in addition, has autofocus and LED flash. The maximum photo resolution is 4128 by 3096 pixels (13 MP) with an aspect ratio of 4:3 and 3920 by 2204 pixels (9 MP) with an aspect ratio of 16:9. In automatic shooting mode, the maximum resolution is 3920 by 2940 pixels, i.e. 12 MP.

The camera application, which can be launched directly from the lock screen (you can choose one of four subsequent actions, for example, launch and immediately take a photo or start recording a video), has a pleasant and very user-friendly interface. However, its main disadvantage is that when launched from the lock screen, the super-automatic shooting mode (iAuto) is always activated, regardless of which mode was selected before closing the application. Otherwise, the user is offered a fairly large number of modes and settings for them. There is also a set of various filters.

The quality of the resulting images is quite high and, when viewed on a smartphone screen, pleases with colors and contrast, and this is the direct merit of Sony BRAVIA Engine 2 technology. In fact, upon closer inspection, it becomes noticeable that the photographs are somewhat lacking in detail, and the colors are not so rich. But, in general, if you don’t find fault, the Sony Xperia Z allows you to get very decent pictures, including in adverse weather conditions and even under water.

By the way, it is important to note that in super-automatic mode (iAuto) the correct shooting mode is not always selected, which is why many moments can be ruined. Also, do not forget to completely close the Album application, otherwise launching the camera from the lock screen will be accompanied by an error.

Examples of photography

All photos were taken in automatic mode

Shooting panoramas is limited to a view of up to 270° and does not shine with quality at all

Examples of HDR shooting

But HDR shooting works wonders and significantly expands the dynamic range, allowing you to significantly enhance shadows and highlights in complex scenes. In this shooting mode, three consecutive frames are taken and combined into one. Therefore, it is worth taking care to stabilize the position of the smartphone.

Video examples

1920x1080, MPEG-4, normal mode

1920x1080, MPEG-4, HDR mode and digital stabilization

Accessories

The Sony Xperia Z package in many markets, in addition to the headset, may include a proprietary docking station DK26 (can be purchased separately), the color of which is similar to the color of the smartphone body. Its dimensions are 144 x 40 x 30 mm and weighs 55.4 grams. The main purpose of the docking station is to charge the smartphone without having to open the protective cap. Information is displayed on the display at this time in landscape mode, including on the desktop. At the same time, all functions remain fully operational, and the smartphone itself is placed at a convenient angle, both for work and for viewing media files.

You can also purchase branded NFC tags - Xperia SmartTag NT2. They provide the opportunity to enter pre-programmed settings into the smartphone with one touch, and thereby change the behavior of the device, for example, at home and at work.

User interface

The smartphone comes with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean operating system pre-installed, but an update to Android 4.2.2 JB should be available very soon. The proprietary Xperia UX shell is installed on top of the OS, which has smooth and fairly fast animation, as well as a visually pleasing interface.

On the lock screen, in addition to the relatively large clock and date, there are two sliders, by pulling which you can go to the music player widget and launch the camera. It also provides access to the notification panel, where, in addition to the notifications themselves, there are icons for changing the sound profile, activating wireless modules, enabling data transfer via the mobile network, and, finally, going to the “Settings” menu item. To unlock the device, you need to pull it up or down, and an interesting and very original effect of moving the blinds is observed.

The desktop is represented by five horizontally scrolling screens, which already contain quite useful widgets: clock, weather, quick settings panel. There can be seven such screens in total, or you can limit yourself to just one. To edit, as well as to access the list of widgets, applications (also available in the traditional menu), change wallpaper and select screen themes, you need to perform a “sliver” or a long tap on an empty space. The recent open applications menu contains several mini-applications that appear on top of any application that is already running. There is a calculator, a timer, notes and a voice recorder with which you can even record conversations, although you can’t hear the interlocutor very well, but you can make out what is being said. Additional mini-apps can be found on Google Play. The list of installed applications is divided into matrices of 20 icons (5x4), and the control elements are moved to the top. For example, you can search for the applications you need and sort them.

Thanks to the large display diagonal and well-designed interface, it is very convenient to work with the phone book, make calls and dial SMS. The proprietary virtual keyboard has pleasant ergonomics and boasts an analogue of the Swype function. In addition, you can select one of the preset skins for the keyboard that differ in color and allow the display of additional characters.

As mentioned above, the Sony Xperia Z has a couple of pre-installed players, one for watching videos - Gracenote, and the second for listening to music - the branded WALKMAN. Both players have a beautiful and functional interface. Thus, all video files are automatically divided into typical groups: a film or a TV program, and the corresponding logo is added to the latter. The player is capable of playing AVI, MKV and M4V formats without any problems, and from the menu you can quickly go to the sound and display settings. WALKMAN traditionally understands all popular formats, including FLAC, and offers a huge number of functions, for example, editing ID3 tags, searching for video clips and information about the artist on the Internet. You can also launch the visualizer and adjust the equalizer. The Xperia Z also has FM radio with the proprietary TrackID function and RDS support.

The gallery, simply called "Album", looks nice, and all images loaded into memory are automatically sorted by the date they were created. You can also sort by location: device memory, online services. If you have space, you can run a slide show and process any of the images in a fairly simple editor.

The smartphone settings menu is designed in exactly the same form as in “naked” Android, i.e. one vertical column, where everything is divided into sub-items. In general, there are practically no changes, but they exist. For example, in the sound settings you can enable Clear Phase and xLOUD Experience processing technologies, and in the display settings you can enable Sony BRAVIA Engine 2 and adjust the white balance. The power supply now has a STAMINA mode, which turns off mobile data transmission when the screen is off, and a counter for the approximate operating time in standby mode.

One additional sub-item has appeared in the settings - “Xperia”. It contains parameter settings for Internet and MMS operation, action settings when connecting a smartphone to a PC via USB, as well as a number of proprietary Sony functions: displaying information on a TV, enabling MirrorLink and Throw. Here you can also find information about PlayStation certification.

By the way, every time you disconnect the headset or USB cable, the system notifies you about the need to close the plugs.

Hardware platform and communications

The Sony Xperia Z uses the powerful and proven Qualcomm S4 Pro system-on-chip (APQ8064T+MDM9215M), which includes four Krait cores clocked at up to 1.51 GHz and Adreno 320 graphics adapter. There is also 2 GB of RAM. and 16 GB of internal storage, expandable by another 64 GB using microSD cards. There is also support for MHL 2.0, USB On-the-go, USB Host.

This performance, at the moment, is sufficient to complete most modern tasks, including 3D games. For example, Real Racing 3, even at Full HD resolution, runs very smoothly, only sometimes, in the most difficult scenes, you can observe minor twitching. During operation, the smartphone gets quite hot, and this is especially observed on the back side near the main camera.

There are no complaints about the operation of the wireless network modules. Connecting via Wi-Fi is almost instantaneous, and the data transfer speed is very high. Finding GPS satellites takes a few seconds.

Autonomous operation

The smartphone is powered by a relatively capacious lithium-ion battery - only 2330 mAh. The battery is non-removable and this imposes certain limitations, especially when the capacity is rapidly approaching zero. And it approaches very quickly with very active use, especially considering the large high-resolution display and powerful hardware platform.

In general, the Sony Xperia Z is capable of surviving a 12-hour working day with 20-30 minutes of talking, an hour of browsing (40 minutes via Wi-Fi and 20 minutes using 3G), taking about 20 pictures, an hour and a half of listening to music and 30 minutes watching videos on YouTube, as well as half an hour of games. And after all this, about 10% of the capacity remains, which is enough to get home and put the smartphone on charge. However, it is worth noting that automatic brightness adjustment was used and energy saving modes were activated, including the STAMINA mode, which, by the way, is better not to disable at all. Otherwise, with such use, the smartphone may not last even 10 hours. However, if you do not use the smartphone’s functions to the maximum and properly configure its power consumption, then the battery can be recharged once every two days.

Results

At the moment, it is the most beautiful, technologically advanced and functional smartphone ever produced by the manufacturer, at least until the release of the yet officially unveiled Sony Honami camera phone. However, not everything about Zetka is as good as it initially seems, especially considering its flagship status and high official price - about 6,300 UAH ($775).

Undoubtedly, the main feature of the device is the dust- and water-resistant case (IP55/57), which has a wonderful, but very impractical appearance with an abundance of glass panels that are instantly covered with fingerprints. The 5" display pleases with its high brightness, excellent behavior in the sun and Full HD resolution, but it does not please with the production technology with relatively small viewing angles and a noticeable loss of contrast when deviating - this is the most significant drawback of the Sony Xperia Z, however, you can get used to it. The Qualcomm S4 Pro processor with Adreno 320 graphics is powerful enough not only to render Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean GUI with Xperia UX skin quickly and smoothly, but also for all modern games, while the battery capacity is enough to keep you running smartphone throughout the working day with proper load distribution.It remains to note good multimedia capabilities, the presence of a slot for memory cards and good camera modules, the software part of which still requires minor improvements.

Advantages:

wonderful appearance and excellent assembly;
dust- and moisture-proof housing;
convenient dimensions and pleasant weight;
productive hardware platform;
high resolution of the display and its behavior under bright sun;
the main glass panels are protected by factory film;
recording photos and videos in HDR mode;
support for all popular audio and video formats;
high-quality sound subsystem with plenty of settings;
convenient and visually pleasing Xperia UX shell;
support for memory cards and USB Host;
4G (LTE) support;
high-quality headset included (optional with a convenient docking station).

Flaws:

the glass panels of the case are incredibly easily soiled;
small display viewing angles;
the main speaker lacks volume a little;
insufficient detail of images from the main camera;
shortcomings in the software part of the Camera application;
non-removable battery;
Constantly opening/closing protective caps quickly becomes tiresome.

We would like to express our gratitude to the Yellow electronic gifts salon for providing us with a smartphone for testing.

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Today we are testing a device that is very desirable for many - a smartphone. Sony Xperia Z, model C6603.

The Sony Xperia Z smartphone was launched on the market at the very beginning of 2013 and was then the flagship of the line of smartphones produced by Sony, for the first time having a Full HD resolution screen (1920x1080) and a 4-core processor. Almost a year has passed since the appearance of the mobile gadget, but it still remains one of the top representatives of the smartphone class, although during this time new products have already been released that are 1.5 times superior in performance, both from competitors and from Sony Corporation itself. Despite this, Sony Xperia Z can still satisfy the most demanding customers, providing them with quality, all-weather, reliability and a lot of necessary communication functions.

For many users, it is the protection of a mobile phone from moisture and dust that is the key parameter that helps them make a choice in favor of one model or another. Sony realized this in time, providing in the new top-end device amenities that were previously available only to devices that were very simple in terms of technical level. Now you don’t have to be afraid of rain, accidentally dropping your phone into a bathtub of water, or a dust storm. To implement these protective properties in a regular-looking smartphone case, it was necessary to equip the plug holes with rubber seals and undergo certification according to the requirements of the IP55 and IP57 standards. According to these standards, the Sony Xperia Z can withstand low-pressure water jets for at least 3 minutes, or immersion in fresh water to a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. Quite useful properties, especially considering the fact that each of us at least once in our lives got wet to the skin when caught in heavy rain. Now the owner of such a gadget is absolutely not afraid of rain. It must be said that Sony has recently been constantly expanding the line of its water/dust-resistant smartphones, of which it now seems to have even more than unprotected ones.

But it’s time to finally find out for yourself what exactly the Sony Xperia Z is, despite the huge number of reviews and tests already published on the Internet.

Specifications

General characteristics

Standard: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, LTE,
Band support: LTE 2600, 800, 850, 1800, 2100 MHz,
Type: smartphone,
Operating system: Android 4.1.2,
Case type: classic,
Design: waterproof,
SIM card type: micro SIM,
Quantity: SIM cards: 1,
Weight: 146 g,
Dimensions (WxHxT): 71x139x7.9 mm.

Screen

Screen type: color TFT, 16.78 million colors, touch,
Touch screen type: multi-touch, capacitive (10 simultaneous presses),
Diagonal: 5 inch,
Image size: 1080x1920 pixels,
Pixels per inch (PPI): 441,
Automatic screen rotation: yes,
Scratch-resistant glass: yes.

Calls

Type of ringtones: polyphonic, MP3 ringtones,
Vibration alert: yes.

Multimedia capabilities

Camera: 13.10 million pixels, built-in flash,
Camera functions: autofocus, digital Zoom 16x,
Recognition of faces, smiles,
Video recording: yes
Max. video resolution: 1920x1080,
Geo Tagging: yes,
Front camera: yes, 2.2 million pixels,
Audio: MP3, AAC, FM radio,
Headphone Jack: 3.5 mm,
Video output: MHL.

Connection

Interfaces: USB, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0,
USB charging: yes,
USB host: yes,
Satellite navigation: GPS/GLONASS,
A-GPS system: yes,
Internet access: WAP, GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, email POP/SMTP, email IMAP4, HTML,
Modem: yes,
Synchronization with computer: yes,
DLNA support: yes.

Memory and processor

Processor: Qualcomm APQ8064, 1500 MHz,
Number of processor cores: 4,
Video processor: Adreno 320,
Built-in memory: 16 GB,
RAM capacity: 2 GB,
Memory card support: micro SD, up to 32 GB.

Messages

Additional SMS functions: text input with dictionary,
MMS: yes.

Nutrition

Battery capacity: 2330 mAh,
Talk time: 11 h,
Waiting time: 550 h,
Operating time while listening to music: 40 hours.

Other features

A2DP profile: yes,
Sensors: light, proximity, gyroscope, compass.

Notebook and organizer

Search by book: yes,
Organizer: alarm clock, calculator, task planner.

Peculiarities: waterproof (IP55 and IP57 standard), dustproof (IP5X standard); HDR technology for photo and video shooting; HDMI over MHL.

As you can see, the smartphone has everything a sophisticated user could wish for. The Qualcomm APQ8064 processor contains four ARMv7 Krait cores operating at a maximum frequency of 1500 MHz, which, together with an improved Adreno 320 graphics accelerator and two gigabytes of RAM, should provide excellent performance of the smartphone screen interface on a screen of this resolution. The permanent memory of the Sony Xperia Z is 16 GB, of which only 11.7 GB is actually available to the user. To increase the amount of permanent memory, there is a slot for a micro SD card. It can store the user's media files, photo album and applications that can be placed on an additional card.

Packaging and equipment

The Russian version of the Sony Xperia Z smartphone should include the following equipment: phone, docking station, Sony MH EX-300AP headset, charger, USB cable and brief documentation. We received a demo sample for testing that did not come with a docking station, so to recharge it we would constantly have to open the USB port plug.

Sony Xperia Z arrived in this black and white cardboard box with a color image on the smartphone screen. Nothing special, modest and tasteful. Obviously, the main idea of the packaging designers was to make a clear distinction between black and white reality and the colorful holiday that the purchase of this smartphone will bring to life.

At the back, in the form of easy-to-remember logos and icons, the most important technologies and technical details from the point of view of Sony marketers are shown, characterizing the advanced characteristics of the product. There is an Exmor RS camera sensor, and Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 technology to improve image quality on the screen, and a 5-inch Full HD screen, protected from scratches, and a 4-core processor with a frequency of 1.5 GHz, and the Android operating system, and moisture protection...

On one of the sides of the box there is a label with the inscription that this is a demonstration sample, not for sale. Exact model name C6603, color black. Place of production - China.

Inside the box, the smartphone is in a thick plastic case.

Under the cardboard cover inside the package is the entire kit, with the exception of the docking station. Apparently, it wouldn’t even fit in this package..

The Sony EC801 USB cable, 1 meter long, is almost standard, with a microUSB connector, suitable for both Sony cameras and mobile phones from other companies. It is designed to connect a smartphone to a charger or to the USB port of a system unit, in this case providing simultaneous charging and data exchange.

The high-quality Sony MH EX-300AP mini headset is equipped with a four-pin 3.5 mm mini-Jack plug. It is specially designed for use in mobile phones and smartphones, since when an incoming call or message arrives, music playback is paused. To answer a call, you need to press the corresponding key on the mini-remote control located right here on the cord. When the call ends, music playback will resume.

The cable length is 120 cm, it is very soft and thin.

The emitters of the mini-headset use neodymium magnets, which should improve the quality of low-frequency reproduction. Frequency range: 5 to 24,000 Hz, nominal impedance: 16 Ohms at 1 kHz, sensitivity: 105 dB/mW.

The emitters are already equipped with one set of ear pads made of soft thin rubber, two more sets of different diameters are in a separate bag.

The Sony EP880 charger operates from an alternating current voltage of 100-240 V and produces a constant voltage of 5 V at a current of up to 1.5 A. The miniaturization of circuit solutions for power circuits has reached great heights; in fact, the charger is made in the form of a plug plugged into an outlet.

From the documentation in the box there was information about radio frequency compatibility and a guide to quickly setting up the smartphone, both documents in English.

It seems difficult to imagine a brief guide to such a complex gadget as a smartphone, but Sony engineers managed to do it. The most important information is provided on paper, but for a full description you will have to go to the official website. How to insert a micro SIM card, turning it on, controls, navigating the screen, making calls and most importantly - how to restart if the device fails to work normally (by simultaneously pressing the power and volume up buttons).

The phone, despite being in a plastic case, is covered with a protective film on the front and back. The film on the back also has an informative function; it shows the procedure for installing a micro SIM card and important information that before turning on the phone it must be recharged for at least 30 minutes, since the battery is only partially charged. We received a black phone for review, but in general there are also varieties of white and purple colors on sale.

Appearance and controls

To begin with, it will be useful to list the controls of the Sony Xperia Z smartphone.

An interesting feature of the smartphone is that almost the entire body, excluding the edges, is covered with special mineral glass that is resistant to shocks and scratches. Not only the front part, but also the back and sides are covered with glass. The edges are made of soft black (soft-touch) plastic; at the corners of the smartphone they are rounded. Despite the seemingly large dimensions of the case and the use of glass, the weight of the smartphone is not at all large, only 145 grams. Case thickness - 7.9 mm. It is practically not felt by its weight in a jacket pocket, but to protect it it is still advisable to purchase a special case.

On the front side of the device there is a large five-inch screen, speaker, main microphone, front 2 MP camera lens, light sensor and notification indicator. Despite the presence of holes in the microphone and speaker, you should not be afraid of water getting into them; the manufacturer has provided a membrane structure there that does not allow water molecules to pass through.

At the back of the phone you can see the windows of the main 13 MP camera, LED backlight, and a small hole for the second microphone, which plays an important role in filtering out ambient noise during a telephone conversation (the processor subtracts noise from the useful signal by comparing the sound signal coming from two microphones). Also on this side there is a square with the NFC logo, which serves to indicate the range of the sensor of this technology for data transfer between mobile devices. It is with the help of NFC that you can use mobile devices as payment cards, for example, when entering public transport. The required amount will simply be withdrawn from your electronic wallet. In Japan, this is already a mass phenomenon, but for now we are as far from Japan as we are from the Moon... There is also a very interesting icon on the case that prohibits throwing the smartphone in the trash. I hope in Russia none of the buyers who can afford to purchase this electronic miracle will be worthy of this.

On the right side of the smartphone, a large shiny metal button attracts attention. This is not a camera shutter release, as one might assume. This is the device's on/off button. Next to it is a plastic rocker for adjusting the volume of the speaker or headphones. Just above the power button there is a plug for a micro SIM card. Before using the device, it must be inserted first.

At the bottom of the right side you can see a strip of speaker that produces sound in games or media applications. Even lower there is a through hole on the bottom side of the smartphone case for threading a strap through it.

Bottom side of the case. In addition to the hole for the strap, there is another pinhole on it, but its purpose is not known.

Left side of the smartphone. There are two gold-plated contacts visible on it for the docking station; the smartphone is placed on it with its left side and voltage is supplied to these contacts to recharge the battery. Just above the contacts there is a slot cover for a micro SD memory card, the capacity of which can be up to 32 GB. I don’t exclude that cards with a larger capacity will work, but the manufacturer guarantees only 32. The micro USB connector plug is located even higher; it is not labeled in any way. If you have a docking station, then you won't have to open this plug to recharge the device, although you will still need to do this to transfer files between your computer and your smartphone. In general, the side edges of the smartphone seem to be black, but they have a blue tint. Due to the glass coating, fingerprints are easily removed from them, but on the soft-touch plastic in the photo there are traces of talcum powder from the medical gloves used to hold the smartphone during photography.

The top side of the smartphone case. There is only one plug on it, hiding the headphone or headset jack. By the way, all the plugs, after opening, remain attached to the body thanks to elastic plastic leads. This will avoid their accidental loss.

The smartphone body looks expensive in the truest sense of the word.

The plastic tray for the micro SIM is not held in place by anything; it can be removed completely, and given its microscopic size, it can easily be lost. Without it, you will not be able to insert a micro SIM card, so it is better not to frequently replace cards on the Sony Xperia Z, which was previously practiced by many on cell phones.

Having opened the memory card slot, we find a 2 GB demo micro SD card installed there. For everyday use this is, of course, a ridiculous value, but for testing a phone it will do. By the way, this card did not take part in testing, since it was replaced by an 8 GB Transcend card, which is also quite small by today’s standards.

Micro USB slot. Through a special adapter, the smartphone supports MHL technology, which allows you to output images directly to a TV via the HDMI port via the Sony IM750 MHL/HDMI™ adapter.

Inclusion

Without waiting for the required 30 minutes of charging, we turn on the smartphone, I really want to see it in action, and the charging process continues.

The first launch was the longest, the smartphone entertained us at that time with very beautiful colored plasma jets running across the screen, but now the process is completed and the user is offered a short four-step setup wizard that allows you to connect to a wireless network and also log in to your Google accounts , Facebook and Twitter.

In the beginning, it is better to do without data transfer via a mobile communication channel, and leave only the Wi-Fi connection active, because you will have a lot of updates that will entail a lot of data traffic. Initially, the smartphone had the Android operating system version 4.1.2 installed; when turned on, an update to version 4.2.2 with a volume of 272 MB was automatically found, along with 2.4.2.

It won't be possible to update the operating system until the battery level reaches a certain level, so we had to wait a bit. This was done so that if the charger is accidentally disconnected, the update process is completed successfully, without rendering the gadget inoperative. After some time, when we started the update process, we were given a warning that the update would take approximately 28 minutes, then the phone rebooted and the update process began. At this time, there was a funny android robot on the screen, with a door on its stomach open and plasma discharges sparkling inside. Under the android there was a bar showing what stage of the operating system update the process was at. Unfortunately, it was not possible to capture this moment well.

Finally, the update process was completed and the phone booted up fairly quickly. On the left side is a photo of the initial screen of a “clean” Sony Xperia Z without icons of any additionally installed applications, and on the right is a part of the initial screen located to the left of the main window, where the weather data initially included the city of Moscow, then changed to Rostov-on-Don. Don, where we conducted the test

Directly from the home screen, you can enable or disable the desired data transfer protocol or “flight mode”, which disables all wireless interfaces of the smartphone so as not to create possible interference with the aircraft’s electronics.

You can add shortcuts to widgets and applications to the home screen; if there is not enough space on the main desktop, you can use 4 more windows located on the sides of the main one. In these screenshots, some applications are already additionally installed that are not included in the official firmware of the smartphone, for example tests and a program for watching television over the Internet.

In general, the interface and home screen themes of the Sony Xperia Z are very beautiful. It is felt that the company approached their development not for the so-called “show-off”, but with the goal of pleasing the buyer of this expensive device. As a result, you can choose something to suit any mood or favorite color scheme, and if the preset backgrounds are not enough, use photos from the Internet or from a memory card for them.

As a result of our experiments, the interface took on the following form:

And to get to the start screen, you need to make a scrolling movement up or down on the splash screen. By the way, if you noticed, at the top of the desktop there is a gray horizontal bar with the word Google and a stylized image of a microphone. If you touch the microphone icon with your finger, voice recognition and a search for the request in Googl will start. It is worth noting that voice recognition is very good.

However, the purpose of this review is not to compile an illustrated encyclopedia on the Android 4.2.2 operating system, nor do we set ourselves the goal of making a practical guide to the functions of a smartphone, however, we would still like to touch on some points of interest to the consumer, at least in the form of screenshots and a brief explanations. Those who are familiar with the capabilities and interface of Android will understand, and those who are just about to purchase the Sony Xperia Z will easily figure it out after the purchase. The smartphone interface is as user-friendly as possible, everything is Russified and maximally integrated with Google and Facebook.

The Android system settings themselves are quite extensive, and Sony has added something else to them in order to ensure the use of its proprietary technologies and useful functions. Here are some screenshots of the settings.

The following settings are very useful for users who want to maximize the operating time of their smartphone. According to the manufacturer's recommendation, it is advisable to enable the STAMINA mode, which turns off wireless data transmission when the screen is off. As soon as the screen turns on, data exchange will immediately continue until the next time the screen turns off. This mode is very convenient for cases when the device is simply lying in standby mode in a pocket or bag. Theoretically, when you turn on the STAMINA mode, the operating time increases exactly 2 times. It will also be useful to disable the geolocation function and enable the low battery saver function. In this case, the brightness of the switched-on screen will decrease slightly.

In our test, a smartphone with the STAMINA option enabled quietly lasted more than a day while actively working with the menu, capturing screenshots, taking photographs and briefly watching videos, and determining location via satellites. According to statistics, the Wi-Fi connection was turned on almost all the time, even when the smartphone was not being used, although in theory it should have only worked while the screen was on. After about 26 hours of fully charging the battery, we still had 18% charge left.

Distribution of memory between applications, including running ones.

The My Xperia application allows you to find your phone if it is lost, or remotely block or delete data on it. Using the same application, you can connect a game controller to your smartphone and configure various settings, for example, to wirelessly transfer content to various multimedia devices.

Here you can also set the option to install PC Companion software on a computer connected to a smartphone via a USB port. In this case, the computer sees part of the device's permanent memory as a boot disk with an installation package.

There are also various kinds of settings, of which the most important are security settings.

In addition to the widget (application) icons on the main screen, most of them are located on the application window screen, which opens when you click the icon that looks like a Rubik's cube. At first there are only three scrollable screen pages, but their number will increase as applications are installed, the page number is displayed at the top of the screen with a small circle highlighted in white.

It makes sense to briefly go over the applications to show the capabilities that the Sony Xperia Z provides.

Successful Internet browser Google Chrom, Google Play Market site for downloading proven content for Android, SMS and MMS message center. Due to the fact that many Internet services are collected under the auspices of Google, YouTube, Google Maps, Google Mail and other opportunities automatically become available to a user who is logged into Google under their account.

In Chrom, you can view websites in a simplified form, designed for mobile devices, or in full. Image scaling occurs very smoothly and without delay.

Through the Phone application, you can dial a number and call a subscriber; if you give him an image, for example, taken by a camera, it will be displayed on the screen. When you dial numbers manually, the phone numbers containing the set of numbers you are dialing are displayed at the top. If the Skype communication application is installed, you will be asked whether to use telephone or Skype for the call.

We even managed to successfully import a phone contacts file saved to disk from an old Sony Ericsson K790i phone into the smartphone. This is what brand continuity means.

Sony would not be a Sony company if it did not pay great attention to organizing music listening in its device. For this purpose, the smartphone specifically contains an application under the patented brand name WALKMAN. There are several pre-installed music tracks, and the player program itself has a visualizer that allows you to display relaxing moving patterns on the screen, conveniently manage playlists, search for music on the Internet and over the network, and adjust the frequency range using a graphic equalizer. It also contains many additional sound settings that really transform the audio signal being listened to. Even the sound of various rooms, such as a studio, club and concert hall, is laid down.

Applications Album, Movies, Sony Select. The first displays and organizes all image files in the smartphone's memory, the second allows you to view movies and play them on external devices via a wireless connection. This applies not only to videos, but also to music. Sony Select contains recommended applications for Sony gadgets.

The ability to customize photo and video shooting parameters is impressive and is almost in no way inferior to the capabilities of compact Sony digital cameras, but you cannot change the recording format of video files and its bitrate. Video from the camera is always written to the MP4 container, and in low resolution for MMS - to the 3GP format.

It will be easy for a person familiar with the process of setting camera parameters to understand, and for a beginner in photography there is a so-called “intelligent” mode.

You can apply exposure compensation and change flash operating modes, although it can hardly be called a flash. This is actually an LED backlight.

The resolution of not only photos, but also videos can be adjusted; you can also use the HDR mode and various presets (scenes).

There are 9 different processing effects for photos. The benefits of them are questionable, but maybe they will be suitable for someone to experiment with. The HDR mode does not provide any dramatic changes to the picture, but it does become a little richer.

Your YouTube account becomes accessible after logging in with your Google password, but you must log in to the Facebook social network separately.

Email, calendar organizer, notes and contacts (phone book).

Alarm clock and clock, a very convenient implementation of these functions, including a stopwatch. The alarm clock has a lot of settings.

The Maps app essentially overlaps with several other apps like Navigation and Car. You can look at a map, you can look at the terrain in the form of satellite images, you can plot a route. Information on public transport routes and traffic jams is available. The approximate travel time from one point to another is calculated, depending on the chosen method of travel - by car, by public transport or on foot. If you do not have unlimited mobile Internet traffic, then it is better to view satellite photos via Wi-Fi. This will help you avoid spending a lot of money.

The FM radio application only works when a headset or headphones are connected; in this case, they are used as an antenna. A search for radio stations is available, and their selection is subsequently carried out by scrolling horizontally across the screen. There is support for radio bands of several countries and the RDS information transmission system. The screen visualizer can also be enabled, just like in the WALKMAN app. The sensitivity of the radio receiver cannot be called high; many cell phones do better with this.

The Tools widget includes a calculator, a copy and restore app, a product barcode reader, and an online download viewer.

The Film Studio application allows you to combine several video files into one, add music to it, and export the file. In general, this is the simplest video editor.

The TrackID app is designed to identify artists playing on the radio or outside of a smartphone. 100% detection of songs is not guaranteed; the program simply does not recognize rare tracks, but you can try. The Smart Connect app allows you to connect wireless headphones or a headset, as well as a charger, to your smartphone.

The Car application combines applications that make life easier for the smartphone owner when driving a car. These are Maps, Phone, WALKMAN, FM radio. The application interface in this mode is somewhat different from normal use, displaying large light numbers on a dark background. When driving, the Navigator voices commands in a female voice, similar to this function in specialized car navigators. In addition to traffic jams, information is also available about catering establishments, hotels... The Google Earth application is not yet available for mobile devices in Russia.

You can connect other mobile devices to your smartphone using Bluetooth or NFC.

Setting up a Google account, access to Google+, for example to a personal photo album on Panoramio.com.

Applications News and Weather, Play Movies and Play Books. The last two are subsections of the Play Market, focused specifically on these categories of content.

File Commander, Adobe Reader and the powerful EVERNOTE application, which even allows you to recognize text from a photo taken with your phone camera and convert it into editable text. EVERNOTE has a lot of possibilities, there is also synchronization with a computer, for which you need to download the version of EVERNOTE for Windows using the link that will be sent to your email address.

Play Now Store is an application for downloading and purchasing games, MacAfee Security is an antivirus with a one-month trial period. Until you activate it, it will not work, but after activation it wants you to purchase it (about 1,400 rubles for 1 year). A separate application provides support for Sony products. Here you can get documentation, visit the forum and the company store. Opera Mini is a popular Internet browser.

The Sony Xperia Z smartphone is equipped with a convenient office suite, OfficeSuite 7, which allows you to work with all major file formats commonly used in offices and when sending business emails. The Update Center application promptly informs you about the availability of updates on the Sony website. The Xperia Link application will allow you to quickly connect your smartphone and tablet computer, as well as distribute mobile Internet to your tablet or desktop computer.

It should also be mentioned that when any connector is disconnected from the smartphone, a warning message is displayed on the screen about the need to close the plugs on the case in order to maintain water resistance. This warning can be disabled. The Skitch app allows you to draw on PDF documents and receive media content using the Xperia Lounge.

When you click on the weather bar, fairly detailed information is displayed on the main screen, although the information provider is foreign and how accurately it can forecast the weather in Russia is unknown. In our case, the rain forecast was confirmed and even more so.

Testing and general impressions of the work

What immediately catches your eye when you turn on the Sony Xperia Z smartphone is the complete absence of stuttering on the on-screen menu and interface. Smooth scrolling of the main screen and application screen windows, instant launch of widgets. To be honest, you can’t even dream of this even on many laptops and desktop computers. Installation of downloaded applications is also lightning fast.

The screen quality is very good, but still not ideal, since according to the information we have, the version of the Xperia Z distributed in Japan has a brighter screen. Our test unit's screen fades a little as you change your viewing angle, and in bright daylight it looks dark, although the information on it is still legible.

We couldn't ignore the water resistance testing. The smartphone was immersed in a bowl filled with water, and then under running water, under a tap. The smartphone even played music while under the stream. But it’s impossible to use the touch screen underwater, and the stream of water caused false alarms, leading to spontaneous opening of application windows. Nevertheless, the water tests were successful - the smartphone proved its resistance to the aquatic environment.

A multifunctional indicator is a very useful thing in the operation of a smartphone, which, unfortunately, many manufacturers forget about in their models. If there are no events that require the attention of the smartphone owner, the indicator does not light up. During the charging process, the indicator glows red if the battery has a low charge level, orange if the battery is about half charged or more, and green when the battery is charged above 90%. If there is a missed phone call, the indicator will occasionally blink white and flash blue if there is a missed message, for example in the Skype application.

Listening to the standard micro-headset showed its good sound, although there was a slight lack of low frequencies, which can be compensated for by a graphic equalizer. Testing software simulation of sound in a studio, club and concert hall showed that the best sound is obtained in the studio. In a club, a certain dull “boom” is added to the sound, and in a concert hall there is an echo, which is completely absent in good concert halls. Turning on Clear Stereo mode slightly improves stereo separation, while ClearAudio+ gives the sound more detail and clarity. As mentioned earlier, the radio receiver of a smartphone does not have high sensitivity and is inferior in these parameters to mobile phones.

The speaker of a smartphone does not sound very loud, so a phone call, if the device is not in your pocket and there is noise in the room, can be missed. What helps with this is the light indicator, which immediately shows that someone has called. During a telephone conversation, the interlocutor’s speech is transmitted qualitatively, with the presence of low frequencies, in fact, all features of speech are clearly audible. Playing music through the built-in speaker showed a lack of low frequencies, but mids and highs were reproduced cleanly.

Unfortunately, initially the smartphone does not support many video file formats, for example, MKV containers with the H.264 codec and AVI containers with the DivX codec, it refused to be read in the Movies application and from File Commander. The problem with viewing was solved by installing a third-party free application MX Player, but even after that the smartphone completely refused to play such files via a wireless Wi-Fi connection on the WD TV Live media player.

When copying video files that are non-standard for a smartphone from a computer to it, you are offered to convert the format (recommended by the program), or simply copy it without modification. If you select the conversion option, the mfpmp.exe process starts on the computer, heavily loading the processor (the i7-2600K processor was loaded at 75-80% during the test), and the conversion time for a 1 GB 1 GB TS file with a resolution of 1920x1080 was approximately 27 minutes long. 14 minutes 30 seconds. The file was eventually converted to MP4 format with a resolution of 1280x720 and a size of 230 MB. It was simply impossible to watch it because of the terrible pixelation with squares, although this is not a problem with the smartphone, but with the conversion software. Simply copying this 1 GB file without losing video quality took only 1 minute 45 seconds, that is, with a speed of about 9.5 MB/s, but when watching the video, the image had a low frame rate, perhaps the video processor could not cope with the data flow. The picture did not change even when changing the hardware decoder to a software one, only the video delays increased even more. The audio track played normally only with software decoding. I don’t rule out that these flaws were caused by a specific video and codecs, but it was a fact. Files with non-Full HD resolution were played back perfectly, without stuttering.

Copying data between a smartphone and a computer via USB takes place in only one stream through the software driver; the copying speed is not reflected in Windows Explorer. If you press the power button on your smartphone while copying files, the copying process ends immediately and the files are not copied.

The 2 megapixel front camera produces good quality for video communication, but the main camera caused ambivalent feelings. On the one hand, realistic color reproduction, on the other hand, strong noise in low light and plasticity of the picture in bright daylight. Although even when shooting in bright sunlight, noise is visible in dark details, even at the lowest ISO of 40. With a lack of light and a not very high ISO, noise is more visible at the edges, in the form of red-green areas. It is quite possible that this is due to vignetting of the image on the matrix and software amplification of the signal in these areas.

Here are some examples of daylight shots. You can see how the amount of noise in the image increases with increasing sensitivity:

12 MP, 40 ISO

12 MP, 40 ISO with HDR enabled

9 MP, 40 ISO with HDR enabled

5 MP, 40 ISO with HDR enabled

2 MP, 40 ISO with HDR enabled

VGA resolution, 40 ISO with HDR mode enabled

In backlight (the rays of the sun enter the lens), the image fades and loses contrast.

12 MP, 40 ISO

Image processing effects available when taking photos:

2500 ISO

The smartphone stitches panoramas quite well, but only in one resolution, and fills uneven horizontal movement above and below with a dark gray fill.

Examples of pictures with a 2 megapixel front camera:

In VGA resolution the quality is quite good; the camera is definitely suitable for video calling.

The smartphone shoots video well, especially in Full HD quality, although the presence of digital zoom (scaling) cannot be considered justified. The image quality when using it cannot be criticized, so it’s better to forget about the existence of the zoom altogether. The quality of the image stabilizer cannot be called good either; it even seems that it works on the front camera, but not on the main one.

An example of a video shot with the main camera in 1920x1080 resolution:

An example of a video shot with the main camera in 1280x720 resolution:

An example of a video shot with the main camera in 640x480 resolution:

Example of a video shot with a front camera for MMS:

The Wi-Fi connection works properly and stably; the smartphone connected to the D-Link access point at a speed of 78 Mbit/s. Determining location using GPS is quite accurate thanks to the simultaneous use of two standards, GPS and GLONASS, but for this you need to be in an open area. The battery drains much faster when determining your location than when watching a video. The installed Skype application made it possible to conduct high-quality video communication sessions, although this was done using a Wi-Fi network and landline Internet. An application for watching television via the Internet was also successfully tested on a smartphone.

Several games were installed and tested, such as Asphalt 8 and GTA Vice City. The quality of the graphics on the screen is very good and the movements are very smooth. True, when looking at the screenshots in detail, it turned out that the quality of mobile graphics is still very far from stationary, computer graphics, but when viewed on a small smartphone screen, this is not noticeable.

Test results in 3DMark13, AnTuTu Benchmark (along with stability test). After testing for stability, the top part of the smartphone got quite hot, but it was easy to hold in your hands.

AnTuTu 3DRating Benchmark on Sony Xperia Z only worked with OpenGL ES2.0 (the graphics chip does not support ES3.0 version) and gave 4119 points.

The NenaMark 2.4 test produced 60 frames per second.

The CPU-Z utility gave us all the information on the type of smartphone processor and some additional information, for example, on the state of the battery, memory capacity, and screen resolution.

The VELLAMO test produced 2173 points in the HTML 5 test, 576 points in the METAL test, and 1551 points in video playback. MultiTouchTester recorded the ability of the touch screen to process 10 touches simultaneously. No more is needed; a person usually has only ten fingers on both hands.

The battery consumption of a smartphone, which by the way is not very capacious in terms of its rating, should be recognized as not very high and corresponding to the level of other smartphones with similar power “stuffing”; turning on the STAMINA mode and disabling Wi-Fi can dramatically increase the operating time of the smartphone in standby mode with Rarely turning on the display. A smartphone is definitely enough for a full day of active use, and if you use it only for telephone communications, then for three or four days.

When playing a video with speaker sound at volume level 11, the smartphone battery lasted 5 hours

After activating the MacAfee Security antivirus, I began to get tired of periodically locking the screen with a requirement to enter the PIN code created during activation. It's good that we saved it. After running synthetic tests or locking the screen, for some reason the SIM card was turned off with a corresponding disappearance of mobile communications; it is not clear whether this is a software glitch or what the developers intended.

Bottom line

Having briefly tested the Sony Xperia Z smartphone at work, we can say that Sony turned out to be successful. Despite the minor negatives listed below, the positives definitely outweigh. The quad-core Qualcomm APQ8064 processor and Adreno 320 graphics accelerator were not the most powerful solutions even when the Xperia Z appeared on the market, but they still satisfy the requirements of most games and applications for the Android operating system. The water resistance, processor performance, large high-quality screen and workmanship of the smartphone clearly indicate that it is recommended for purchase by those users for whom it is important to have all the functions for business communication and entertainment in one device. But when actively using your smartphone, you need to take care of charging it at least once a day.

Positive sides:

high-quality screen 5” Full HD resolution;
productive hardware;
excellent workmanship;
presence of a color multifunctional indicator on the case;
good photo and video quality in daylight;
Wide integration with Google services, due to which many sites become accessible from one account;
housing protected from dust and water;
the presence of Stamina energy saving mode, which prolongs the life of the smartphone;
Sony's sophisticated update system and developed warranty support network;
excellent sound quality in a micro-headset, especially when using proprietary Sony ClearAudio+ technology;
developed security and search system in case of theft or loss.

Flaws:

poor image display in the sun;
lack of support for some video formats by default, poor performance when playing video in Full HD resolution;
when working, especially in the horizontal screen mode, or in the normal position when scrolling radio stations, the side speaker is often accidentally covered with a finger;
there is no separate button for taking photographs;
poor photo quality in low light;
Supports only one SIM card.

Content:

The flagship of the near future will be the Sony Xperia Z, which has absorbed all the latest developments of the company. This is a FullHD screen, a waterproof case, high-quality materials and an impressive design. A beautiful large smartphone with a 5-inch display, modern hardware and a lot of useful options that will appeal to any user.

But it’s not enough to create a smartphone that looks spectacular; it must be convenient, have good battery life, and at the same time demonstrate high-quality work with media data. This includes a camera, video recording, and at the same time listening to music. At the same time, large displays suggest that such devices can be used as a navigator, which is also convenient in everyday life. So, Sony's new 5-inch flagship smartphone looks promising, but it's worth taking a closer look at what the buyer ultimately gets.

Equipment:

smartphone

Charger

cable

brief instructions

dock station

headset

Design

Sony pays a lot of attention to ensuring that new models have their own identity and do not look like clones of the same device. In any case, flagship models annually become iconic for the industry. And in the case when the beautiful appearance is supported by expensive materials and high-quality assembly, the sensations from the device become completely indescribable.

All these words fully apply to the Sony Xperia Z, which was announced at CES and can now be bought in stores. The smartphone has a stylish appearance that invites you to appreciate how all the necessary elements and connectors were combined into a laconic minimalism of the body.

It comes in three colors: black, white or purple. It’s difficult to say which option turned out better; in my opinion, regardless of the version chosen, the smartphone looks very beautiful.

The dimensions are typical for a large device: 139x71x7.9 mm, weight 146 g. It is moderately heavy, after all, 5 inches takes some getting used to. If you have not used devices with a display of this format before, it is better to try the device before buying.

The smartphone is distinguished by large areas covered with glass. This is both the front panel and the rear. Moreover, they can be made of either Gorilla Glass or Dragontrail.

The design of the smartphone promotes the idea of OmniBalance, which is that the device is symmetrical. It depends on everyone, but I don’t like this approach, it’s not always clear where the top is and where the bottom is, but you can survive it.

Both surfaces are protected not only by transport films, but also by factory films. Thus, despite all the useful properties of protective glass, additional protection is provided, which is never superfluous.

There is a rubber pad on the sides that plays the role of a kind of bumper - if the phone falls, the glass will not break, additional protection will soften the blow. On the other hand, when you walk with a smartphone for a long time, these sides begin to tire, the sharp corners dig into your hand. In this regard, I liked the more ergonomic one better.

Above the screen there is a light indicator, a small hole for the earpiece, light and proximity sensors, as well as a front 2-megapixel camera.

The headphone jack is located at the top end, where it is closed with a cap. Those who constantly listen to music won't like this; they have to put up with an absurdly loose lid, but that's the price to pay for water resistance.

Service information is highlighted at the bottom.

On the left there is a microUSB port, which at the same time allows you to connect a microHDMI cable to it. The memory card is located nearby, it is recessed quite deeply. However, it is unlikely that anyone will regularly remove it and insert it back into the slot. Both connectors are hidden under covers that are pressed tightly to the surface. There is also a contact group that allows you to install your smartphone in the docking station and charge it this way without opening the cap.

On the right there is a volume rocker, as well as a large silver screen lock button. The buttons are comfortable, there are no problems with ergonomics. Below is the speaker.

At the back there is a camera lens, flash and microphone.

Smartphone caps are made not only for aesthetics. The beautiful Xperia Z meets IP55 and IP57 standards, which means it is protected from moisture and dust. You can take your smartphone with you to the sea or on a trip to places where there is a chance of getting caught in the rain or just going for a swim. At the same time, there is no reason to be afraid that the device will break.

Screen

If last year everyone was surprised by the growth of screens in the physical sense, now the resolution is also increasing. Therefore, FullHD becomes a basic feature of all top models. The pixel density is very high, it is 443 PPI.

In my opinion, there is no difference between high-quality HD and FullHD screens. Full HD performs well on larger diagonals over 5.5 inches and so on. In any case, the image is clear, no graininess, and the font is very good.

The display should perform well in the sun, as was the case with previously released Sony smartphones. As before, the smartphone uses Mobile Bravia Engine 2, a feature that makes colors even brighter and more saturated in certain applications. Of course, the flagship received a screen without an air gap, this characteristic is known as No Air Gap.

Sony has never had a screen that boasts impressive viewing angles, and the same applies to the new flagship. But if you can still experience this moment, then when compared with other phones you can immediately see that the picture turned out faded and you have to admit the lack of rich colors. The TFT screen used here is neither able to provide outstanding viewing angles nor demonstrate high contrast. At the same time, there is no need to complain about the maximum brightness; the margin is sufficient. In comparison, the devices are in the following order: Fly IQ451, Sony Xperia Z, Apple iPhone 5, .

In my opinion, Sony currently has the worst screen of any flagship device in 2013. In addition to the Samsung Galaxy S IV, high-quality matrices were offered by products from HTC, Sharp, and Oppo. If we take a broader view and include models with HD resolution in the comparison, then again, the competition is extremely high, and Sony’s products look unconvincing in the overall plan.

Performance

The smartphone runs Android 4.1.2 paired with a shell from Sony. The smartphone has a quad-core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snaprdagon S4 pro APQ8064 + MSM9215M processor, Adreno 320 graphics, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal memory, a card slot allows you to install an additional 64 GB. The smartphone works quickly, everything is fine here, the rating can only be high. It’s a pleasure to play, watch videos in high quality; according to these parameters, the device leaves only pleasant sensations.

Menu

The shell is regularly improved, new functions appear. But at the same time, for some reason, the old ones disappear. For example, previously notifications about new messages, missed calls or messages on Facebook were displayed on the lock screen. Now these useful little things are gone, only icons are shown on the top status line. When unlocked, something like a strip with animation appears, which looks nice.

At the top of the screen there is a service line, which displays the time, battery charge, and signal reception level indicator. Additionally, there is a line with keys that will help you quickly disable a number of functions.

You can customize the wallpaper on the lock screen and on the desktop, where one picture is stretched across several zones. Design themes are provided, they have changed the design compared to what was offered in previous Sony smartphones. Folders are created on desktops and shortcuts are created.

A set of widgets is offered, among which there are many cute elements to decorate your smartphone.

The Application Manager is launched with a separate button. At the same time, you will get access to additional widgets that may be urgently needed: notes, calculator, voice recorder or clock. They are downloaded from Google Play. The menu is represented by a matrix of icons, which are lined up on a translucent background.

Phone book

The smartphone has a convenient assistant for importing contacts both from a SIM card and from Facebook and Google accounts; they are displayed in a single list. A backup copy of the list of numbers is created onto a memory card, and the data is subsequently restored. Sorting by first and last name works.

When you create a new contact, many fields are created. These are various types of telephone numbers, email addresses, means of quick communication (AIM, ICQ, Gtalk, Skype and others), residential addresses and others.

Call log

Directly from the phone book you will have access to the call log, it is highlighted in a separate tab. There, a single list contains dialed numbers, received and missed calls; for clarity, they are marked with icons of different colors. By clicking on a line, you can delete a number from the call log, add it to a contact, or perform some other actions. By selecting a number from the list, detailed information about the call will be displayed.

By viewing your call history, you can not only make a telephone conversation with the selected subscriber, but also send him an SMS or an email from this list without going to another menu. Dialing is carried out using a convenient virtual keyboard. There is an automatic search for numbers that match numbers or letters; Russian language symbols are also provided here.

Messages

You can copy, cut and paste text. A convenient cursor is used for navigation, which helps to correct typos and highlight the necessary sections of text. In addition, arrow buttons are used.

Intellectual text input is available, when word correction and auto-completion systems help you type text, allowing you to avoid wasting time correcting errors. Possible word options are shown in a separate line above the keyboard. Copying and pasting of fragments is supported. Now Sony has implemented an analogue of Swype, which simplifies text entry. The keyboard is comfortable, I also liked the automatic error correction system. There are several keyboard styles available, and you can also hide some characters. It’s strange, but for some reason text is entered more slowly than on the less powerful Xperia V. At the same time, if you install another keyboard, for example Swype, then this problem is not observed.

Camera

The smartphone uses a 13-megapixel Sony Exmor RS module with backlighting, autofocus and LED flash. The dedicated shooting button has been abandoned here, so you have to either launch the camera from the menu or through the lock screen.

The menu is very similar to previous models, but the concept of placing shortcuts has been slightly redesigned, I think the control in the smartphone has only benefited from this. Among the new features, we can highlight the HDR mode, which is now available for both photos and videos. There is high-speed continuous shooting - 9 frames per second allows you to shoot the world around you very quickly. The Smart Mode that was present in the Xperia V is also found here. Some people like it, but I didn’t like the way the automation worked; the white balance, as during testing of the aforementioned smartphone, was often set incorrectly. I preferred to use the device using the normal settings (Normal mode).

The quality of the pictures is comparable to the same Xperia V, it all depends on the situation, maybe the photos will be a little better, but you shouldn’t expect any extraordinary difference in quality between smartphones.

Gallery

Pictures are sorted into several categories, the size of the thumbnails changes, this can be easily done by simply pinch, enlarging or reducing the images. There is a separate map that contains images with geotags, as well as a group with different pictures from social networks. It's inconvenient that you can't select all files, which is usually a standard feature for the Android gallery, where you can quickly mark a group of files, which helps transfer data.

At the beginning of each group there is a large miniature, and next to it there are smaller images. The image opens in full screen, scaling works using multi-touch. You can assign images as desktop wallpaper or assign them to a contact. You cannot make a picture as the background of the lock screen; to do this, you need to go to the settings menu of your smartphone, and then look for the display settings section. Rotating images and reducing their size are supported. A photo editor is available that helps you add various effects to your existing images.

Video

The player is presented as a separate application, it is separated from the gallery. All videos from the device’s memory are displayed here; they are equipped with additional annotations that the smartphone can download from the Internet. The player is simple, but can perform all the necessary functions. The manufacturer claims support for the following types: 3GP, MP4, AVI, MKV, MOV, XVID. The smartphone plays videos in high quality without conversion, and you can download additional data for popular videos. If you wish, watch videos in 1080p, but they take up a lot of space, and you won’t be able to copy the entire movie due to file system limitations. Therefore, it is best to limit yourself to a more modest quality, and at the same time use an additional player so that there are no problems with sound or picture.

Player

Support for MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV/FLAC is declared, so you can listen to music on your smartphone in the highest quality possible for mobile devices. The player offers two tabs. The first is dedicated to the song currently playing, and the second contains all the information about the music in the device’s memory. To listen to music, you can select tracks organized by several categories: artist, album, tracks, lists, SenseMe, and favorite tracks.

There is a SenseMe option available, which comes from Walkman players. It allows you to choose tracks to suit your mood, which is very convenient. To do this, you will need an application that is installed on your computer and with its help you can analyze your entire media library by entering the necessary data into the file tags.

If desired, the song is set as a ringtone, and you can also find additional data about the song using tools from Google, YouTube, or download additional modules through the Play Market. Equalizer settings are available, in addition to ready-made ones, there are also manual parameters. Enables surround sound emulation: concert hall, club, studio. There is an option to edit data directly on the phone. You can take a song, make changes to the tags, correct the title, and the smartphone will find the cover itself.

Player control buttons have appeared on the lock screen when music is playing in the background; they help control the player. When the screen is locked, you can change the sound volume using the side keys.

The headphones that come with the kit are very good. They fit comfortably in the ears and are pleasant to listen to music in. If you connect something of higher quality, you will like the smartphone even more in terms of audio. I tried with Shure SE535 and Logitech UE900 headphones. Xperia Z, in direct comparison, is inferior in sound to the iPhone 5, or , but overall the device lives up to expectations and can be used as a replacement player. It is worth noting that the sound reserve is not the largest, it is there, but sometimes you have to set the volume to maximum. But the ringing speaker is not loud; the proprietary xLOUD option does not help here either.

Radio

The smartphone has a radio receiver that has an automatic station search function; you can also switch to manual search mode. Also, several dozen frequencies are stored in the phone's memory. You can easily switch between your favorite stations by clicking on small icons that will move between waves. While listening to the radio, you can record a snippet of a song, identify track information using Track ID, and post the information to Facebook.

TrackID allows you to identify a melody playing on the radio on your smartphone or somewhere nearby. Not only the song title will be displayed, but also the album title, artist name and cover art.

Organizer

The calendar can be configured to display information for a whole month, week or specific day. You can set the alert type and tone for recorded events and meetings. There is a division of information by storage location, each option has its own color label.

The new entry is given a name, period and location. You can specify which calendar it will be synchronized with, and you can send invitations to contacts from your address book. The repetition period is set (every day, weekly, monthly, yearly). A reminder will help you not to lose sight of the recording - the alarm will go off in advance.

Alarm

The smartphone allows you to save several alarms in memory. The repeat can be set either once or every day, only on weekdays or weekly. You can also set specific days. The signal melody is set, you can add a vibration alert and a text file to it. Sets the period for the signal to be triggered again. There are pleasant natural sounds that will make the waking up process more enjoyable; I liked this useful feature.

Applications

Displays time in different time zones.

There is a stopwatch and a timer.

The calculator works in both portrait and landscape orientation.

In addition to the standard store with Google applications, there is also a kind of selection of software from Sony.

The application, standard for most modern devices, allows you to view videos and search among them. The application runs in full screen mode.

The built-in version of Office Suite can work with Word, Excel, PDF, Power Point files.

Weather forecast and news are useful every day.

The Facebook application will allow you to communicate on the network of the same name directly from your mobile device.

Built-in Google Talk chat.

The Google+ social client is also installed on the smartphone.

You can create notes. The standard application can work with Evernote, which is very convenient.

There is a convenient application for creating a copy of various data that may be stored on the phone.

The Google Now service is working.

A separate application will simplify the operation of your smartphone as a modem when establishing a connection with a tablet or computer.

You can set a number of actions to be performed when certain accessories are connected, for example, NFC tags or headphones.

Browser

For the Internet, Chrome is offered, the browser works quickly, allows you to open many tabs at the same time, and there are no freezes or slowdowns. Given the large screen diagonal, the smartphone is excellent for browsing websites.

GPS navigation

Google Maps is used for navigation. Traffic jams are displayed, so the application has become fully functional and convenient not only for pedestrians, but also for car owners. There is a function for determining the current location, calculating the route from the starting point to the ending point, and specifying the method of movement: by car, on foot or public transport.

The route is laid out on the map, and key places are indicated in the form of text messages, which are displayed on the screen in the form of a column; you can switch between them: view the route in advance or vice versa, go back and plot another path. The area data is clearly displayed thanks to the convenient Google Street View option.

Connections

The smartphone operates in the GSM 850/900/1800/1900, UMTS 900/1700/2100 and LTE bands. The frequency range provided by our operators is supported. I used the MegaFon tariff; in Moscow the coverage, although not total, was decent. The declared speed corresponded to the actual speed, so if desired, it is possible to use the smartphone as a modem. But it is worth remembering that you will have to pay significantly more for communications than for the usual 3G connections; the premiums for high-speed Internet are decent.

There is Bluetooth 4.0 with support for EDR and A2DP, in addition to support for other generally accepted profiles. Wi-FI b/g/n works at the usual level. The smartphone remembers entered passwords for networks and can automatically connect to them while within their range. The device can work as an access point and serve as a source for accessing the Internet for other devices. Using a microUSB connector allows you to connect your phone to a computer for synchronization and charging the battery. NFC support allows you to use Smart Tags in conjunction with a smartphone. The smartphone does not have a microHDMI connector, but does have MHL support. Therefore, you can connect it to your TV with a standard USB cable if necessary, if you have a special adapter.

Working hours

A non-replaceable lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 2400 mAh is installed. The official operating time data is as follows: up to 11/14 hours of talk time (2G/3G), up to 550/530/510 hours of battery life in standby mode (2G/3G/4G), up to 140 hours in player mode, up to 5.5 hours minutes in video mode. In continuous video playback mode at maximum brightness, the device worked for almost 5 hours. So the manufacturer’s data can be considered quite correct, especially if you slightly reduce the brightness level while watching a video.

There is an application that will help extend the operating time of your smartphone. It defines several profiles, each of which varies the number of functions used. Thus, for example, you can immediately reduce the screen brightness or turn off Wi-Fi with one click. There are settings in the menu that allow you to set certain operating parameters when the battery is low. The new Stamina feature will turn off the Internet and silence resource-intensive applications when the screen is locked and the phone is not used for several minutes. In theory, this significantly increases operating time, but in practice the results are not so convincing. The graphs show how the smartphone discharges during sleep. This shouldn't happen. The operating time is not impressive; the need to charge the smartphone twice a day is a common occurrence under heavy load. The relatively modest capacity, which is associated with the desire to make a smartphone in a thin body, makes itself felt. The result is also possible when the charge lasts for a day, but in this case there is no talk of active use. I think that for a smartphone with a large screen and FullHD resolution, the result is normal, many analogs work the same, but I want more.

Conclusion

The speaker is good, the vibration is also noticeable, I thought it would be rather weak, but no, everything is fine. The bell speaker is not loud, it is difficult to hear the melody on the street. Given that it's on the side, it's easy to lock when the phone is in your pocket. There is an original function that allows you to use the equalizer to adjust the sound in the earpiece.

When I first saw the Xperia Z, I really liked the appearance of the smartphone. I don’t like large devices, I prefer a more compact solution for personal use, but it cannot be denied that Sony’s proprietary design stands out clearly against the backdrop of a rather dull range of similar solutions. Sony and HTC, that's all Android manufacturers who are at least trying to work on the appearance.

While the smartphone is perfect in appearance and build, there are questions regarding ergonomics; sharp edges are unpleasant in everyday life. Although a fan of the brand or just someone who really liked the smartphone will easily survive this. But in terms of ease of use, I liked the Xperia ZL model more. At the same time, there are no plugs that get in the way, but without them the concept of a device protected from moisture is impossible. But I would like to note that the included charging cradle makes life much easier.

I was not impressed by the autonomy of the smartphone, the results are weak, no progress is visible. The quality of the display is also low, Full HD alone is not impressive now, for the most part, this is beneficial as a marketing bonus, but in practice, seeing the same difference in fonts between the Xperia Z and Xperia V is extremely problematic. The colors of the screen were disappointing; after all, this is a device that should be an example for other models, but in this case no one will be equal to Sony. Yes, the picture is clear, yes, the colors are close to natural. However, there is a lack of rich colors, albeit not such lush colors as SuperAMOLED, but something more impressive.

Ultimately, we get a beautiful smartphone that will be appreciated by everyone who loves the Sony brand. How many such users are there? It’s hard to say, especially considering the fact that sales of the HTC One will start soon, and the main opponent of the “zero” received a better screen, continuing the ideas inherent in the . In addition, the announcement of the Galaxy S IV created a small revolution among smartphones for the same 30 thousand (estimated cost) that they are asking for the Xperia Z. And what about Sony, which could well have made an ideal gadget, but due to a number of qualities it released a very compromise solution to the market - time will prove. In any case, just as the Xperia S did not become the best in its class a year ago, the Xperia Z now does not look like a reference smartphone.

Sony Xperia Z is the crowning achievement of the Japanese manufacturer. In it, the company tried to combine all its achievements - a 5-inch display with Full HD resolution, 13 MP and 2 MP cameras, the new Xperia UX interface and a number of other innovations, including a mineral glass case with protection from dust and moisture. How successful Sony's flagship smartphone turned out to be, you will find out from the review.

Design and ergonomics

Sony calls the design idea for the Xperia Z smartphone OmniBalance. If in the younger model it is not so clearly expressed, then in the case of the Xperia Z the symmetry of the front part is in all its glory. With the exception of the power key and volume rocker, there are no protrusions or connectors on the case. Everything is subordinated to design and, rare for flagship smartphones, quality, dust and water resistance. To comply with IP55 and IP57 standards, all connectors on the case are covered with plugs. Apart from the plugs, there are no collapsible parts in the case, but, unlike the bulk of unibody cases, the Sony Xperia Z has a slot for memory cards. But to replace the battery you will have to contact a service center.

On the front of the case there is a 2 MP camera, a light sensor and a proximity sensor, a manufacturer’s logo, a 5-inch Full HD screen and two symmetrical holes for a speaker and a conversational microphone. With the exception of the holes, everything listed above is covered with film. It is not clear why the Japanese manufacturer imposes film cases on users. Firstly, its grease-repellent properties are significantly lower than glass. Secondly, the feeling of glass, which is presented as a qualitative advantage over plastic cases, is lost. Thirdly, the finger glides on the film worse than on glass. And finally, the film can be added to the kit as a separate accessory, so that those who wish to do so can stick it on, and those who cannot stand cases in films, cases and other protective devices can enjoy the sensations of virgin glass.

Despite the protection of the case from dust and moisture, the rigidity leaves much to be desired. Pressing mineral glass up to the display is not difficult. You need to be careful and not place your smartphone with hard objects, otherwise you can end up paying a tidy sum for replacing the front panel, consisting of a display, sensor and glass.

On the back side there are even fewer elements that can attract attention. There is a camera at the top, a flash underneath, and a microphone hole on the right. In the center is the inscription XPERIA, and at the very bottom is information that could easily be placed on the sides or ends of the case, so as not to spoil the same OmniBalance. The camera lens is recessed into the body, so you don’t have to worry about its safety.

As in, the frame of the case is made of a single piece of plastic, the sides of which are covered with polyamide inserts. These are where all the connectors are located. On the right there is a slot for microSIM, a power and volume button, as well as an oblong speaker hole. On the left is a connector for Micro-USB and MicroSD cards, plus contacts for synchronizing with a docking station, which is not included with the smartphone. At the top end there is a headphone jack, and at the bottom end there is a hole for a strap.

The build quality is excellent, the body does not creak, and the parts have no play. But do not forget that the glass still bends, as if you are holding a device in your hands that is not afraid of immersion in water or splashes.

Operating system and shell

The smartphone runs on the Android 4.1.2 operating system and uses its own shell – Xperia UX – as an interface. It is quite noticeably different from what we saw in Sony models with an earlier version of the OS.

The differences start with the lock screen. There are two shortcuts on it, by pulling them to the side you can launch the music player or camera. To unlock your smartphone, you need to swipe the screen from top to bottom or bottom to top, and the animation that accompanies your finger resembles window blinds. From the lock screen, you can go to the Notification panel. In addition to notifications, it contains five icons responsible for going to the settings menu, turning Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, data transfer and sound profiles on/off. In addition, the notification panel displays the time and date.

The desktop contains five windows with application shortcuts and widgets. The number of windows can be increased to seven, or consist of just one. In the new interface, installing widgets, shortcuts, background images or themes is reminiscent of the HTC Sense and LG Optimus UI shells, that is, to call the corresponding menu you need to press and hold your finger on the screen, and then select the desired one by clicking on it.

You can only get to the menu with widgets from the Desktop. The list of applications can be sorted alphabetically, frequently used, recently installed, or in a random order when the user moves the shortcuts himself. In addition to sorting, folder creation is supported. The number of windows depends on the number of installed applications.

From the set of pre-installed software, we note the Walkman music player, the “Album” gallery, the “Movies” video file player and Sony Select – a shell with selected applications that redirects you to Google Play. In addition to this four, traditionally for the latest Sony models there is a Smart Connect application, which allows you to set a specific scenario of actions when a specified time comes and you connect headphones or a charging cable.

Also in the smartphone there was a place for the File Commander file manager, Evernote, McAfee Security antivirus, Socialife, OfficeSuite and Xperia Link - an application for connecting several devices under one common network.

Hardware platform

In technical terms, the Sony Xperia Z smartphone is a complete copy of the Sony Xperia ZL. System-on-chip is also used here Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro which includes four Krait processor cores with a maximum clock frequency of 1.5 GHz, an Adreno 320 video accelerator, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of disk space, of which 11.7 GB is available to the user, which can be expanded using memory cards.

Performance results are consistent with those of the Xperia ZL. The video player supports all popular codecs, and only sound in AC3 format forces you to use a third-party application.

With Walkman music player, there is no need to search for another application. It has a nice design, visualization and a lot of different sound settings; moreover, it supports not only the usual audio formats, but also FLAC.

The autonomy of the Sony Xperia Z turned out to be slightly lower than that of the Xperia ZL. This is evidenced both by tests of operating time when continuously watching videos, listening to music and reading, and by the Antutu Tester application, where the Xperia Z scored 520 points, while the Xperia ZL 540. The difference is insignificant, but still there. If we talk about the battery capacity, in this model it is 2330 mAh, versus 2370 mAh in the Xperia ZL. This slight difference was the reason for the lower figures. However, like the younger smartphone with a Full HD screen, the Sony Xperia Z deserves a good rating for its autonomy. For example, HTC One shows more modest results.

The quality of the wireless modules is not satisfactory. It takes a few seconds to find satellites. The data transfer speed in the Wi-Fi network is also high. There were no difficulties with network reception and voice transmission both ways. The speaker volume is average. The volume of the multimedia speaker is sufficient for a noisy environment, and the vibration alert did not disappoint. The sound quality of the headphones is similar to the Xperia ZL, excellent.

Display

It would seem that, having absolutely identical technical characteristics, there should be no differences between the displays in the Xperia Z and Xperia ZL. In fact, it turned out that they differ quite a lot. Firstly, the brightness levels are different, from 20.2 cd/m² to 414 cd/m², while the Xperia ZL has 28 cd/m² and 478 cd/m². Secondly, there is no option to adjust white balance in the menu. Finally, thirdly, the figures obtained from the measurements indicate that the color gamut goes beyond sRGB for all primary colors, the display does not shine with white balance, and only the color temperature is as close as possible to 6500K.

But the behavior of the display on a bright sunny day is one of the best. The information remains readable.

Camera

Since there are no differences in the interface and camera modules between the Sony Xperia Z and Sony Xperia ZL, we will only provide examples of photographs and videos.

Photos lack detail and have focusing problems. Unlike the main camera, there are absolutely no complaints about the front camera.

Video recording also has a number of disadvantages, including low detail and not the best sound.

Example of Full HD video recording

Example of Full HD video recording: “Night mode”

Example of Full HD video recording

Example of Full HD video recording: HDR mode

Results

It would seem, why release two such similar smartphones, Sony Xperia Z and Sony Xperia ZL, and only after getting acquainted with them, you understand how differently they are perceived. The compact Xperia ZL feels good in the hand, but the owner doesn't feel like he's using one of the most expensive devices on the market. The Xperia Z feels a little different. After the Xperia ZL, the Xperia Z seems huge, and yet even the glass body on both sides does not create the feeling of an expensive thing. Impressions are also spoiled by soiled materials.

If we talk about functionality, then a small gap has also grown between smartphones. The younger model has an infrared port, with which you can control household appliances, battery life is slightly better, and the display brightness is higher. The Xperia Z only has a rugged case. Which one to choose is up to you.

The Sony Xperia Z has more than enough competitors, and all of them will cost at least 600 hryvnia less. At least three days before the start of sales, the price tag for Xperia Z has not changed, it is still 7,600 hryvnia. Among the advantages of Sony is a dust- and moisture-proof case and the presence of glass on its back side. For those who are interested in the protected properties of the case, you can look aside, the appearance of which, however, is constantly postponed, and the price for it will not be as rosy as we were promised. Among the shortcomings of Huawei, one can note that it is not the most productive processor. Well, finally, it’s about to appear. Its cost is 1,100 hryvnia lower, and the only disadvantage compared to the Sony Xperia Z is its autonomy. In all other respects, even taking into account the low camera resolution, HTC is in a more advantageous position.

Liked
+ Design
+ Hardware platform
+ Support for popular video codecs
+ Multimedia speaker volume
+ Volume and sound quality in headphones
+ Front camera quality
+ Xperia UX interface
+ Video recording in HDR mode
+ Screen resolution
+ Data transmission and reception speed in the Wi-Fi network
+ Screen behavior on a bright sunny day

	GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA (up to 42 Mb/s), HSUPA (up to 5.76 Mb/s), LTE (DL up to 100 Mb/s, UL up to 50 Mb/s)
Dimensions (mm)	139x71x7.9
Weight (g)	146
Processor (for smartphones)	Krait (Qualcomm APQ8064 chipset), 1.5 GHz (4 cores) + Adreno 320 GPU
Memory	2 GB RAM + 16 GB internal memory
Expansion slot	microSD (up to 32 GB)
Main screen	TFT (Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2), 5″, 1920×1080 pixels, 16 million colors, touch, capacitive, multi-touch support, protective glass
Keyboard type	screen input
Accumulator battery	Li-Ion, 2330 mAh
Operating time (manufacturer's data)	conversation - up to 11/14 hours (2G/3G), standby - up to 550/530 hours (2G/3G), audio - up to 40 hours
Communications	USB 2.0 (micro-USB, MHL), Bluetooth 4.0 (A2DP), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, NFC
Photography	13.1 MP, auto focus, digital zoom, Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, image stabilization, HDR, sweep panorama, 2.2 MP front camera
Video shooting	1920x1080 pixels, 30 ks
Flash	LED
operating system	Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) with a high probability of updating to subsequent versions
FM radio	+
Additional features	media player, video telephony, protection from dust and moisture (compliance with IP 57 standard), a-GPS receiver, Google services, accelerometer, gyroscope, electronic compass, integration with social networks, work with office documents, SIM card type - Micro-SIM