Sony Xperia Z - Specifications. Review of the Sony Xperia Z smartphone: a subservient standard Review of the Sony Xperia z phone

• Smartphone
• Stereo headset
• Stand
• USB cable
• power unit
• Documentation

Sony's flagship for the first half of the year, one of the most interesting Android smartphones of all time - there are a lot of advantages, but there are also disadvantages. The most controversial point is the display...

Design, construction

During the announcement at CES, they played an interesting video of how a master assembles Z and other Sony equipment with his hands. You can look here, however, several products are shown here at once.

I decided to show this video for a reason; the design and construction of the Z deserves special attention. Sony came up with many different marketing phrases, both about design, good from different sides, and about other things, but the main thing is different. The device is really nice to hold in your hands. Another question is that for most people it will seem very large; when you use Instagram, you have to grab the device to go back to the photo feed. And so with many proposals. A shovel is what it is, but a shovel, in my opinion, is very attractive. Maybe the best in appearance among other Android shovels. Just keep in mind that the black device is very easily soiled; a film is factory-applied to the front and back, and there are some fingerprints and scratches.

I don’t recommend removing the film; I did it with a Sony Xperia V, and as a result, the Sony inscription disappeared from the front panel. As you can imagine, erasing prints from film is not as easy as erasing prints from glass. Therefore, for neat people, I would recommend the Sony Xperia Z in white, where fingerprints are invisible. The ends are rounded, the assembly is excellent, there is not the slightest hint of play. At the bottom end there is a traditional groove for a strap, all connectors are under plugs, these are 3.5 mm, microUSB, a slot for microSIM, a slot for microUSB. The plugs fit tightly into place and are equipped with a rubber edging; the Sony Xperia Z is not afraid to take a swim in the sink or on the beach. Below the power button is a neat volume rocker. The only drawback is the strange design of the 3.5 mm jack when the flap is open, somehow poorly consistent with the appearance of the device. If you are afraid that the plugs will become loose and start to pop out, I recommend using a Bluetooth headset and a charging dock. By the way, the headphone jack block itself moves a little from side to side, this is noticeable. The inserts on the ends are dark blue, an unusual combination of colors. The dimensions are 139 x 71 x 7.9 mm, weight 146 grams, I like the weight of the device, but I already said about the dimensions - keep in mind that if you can’t stand large smartphones, then the Z will definitely not suit you.

I've been using the Z for quite some time, it's seen a lot of things, it's fallen on parquet floors and in the snow, it's survived a lot of impacts, it's drowned, it's been washed. As you can see, this did not affect the appearance in any way, which makes me happy. The plugs are still in place. There is a light indicator above the display that lights up during charging or various events; I like that Sony does not forget about this kind of indication.

Protection

The device is protected from water, IP55&IP57 standards, which means that you can easily take it with you for a swim in the shower or directly swim in the sea. For a device with such characteristics, this is an interesting feature, at the exhibition we talked about it for a long time, someone never broke their device from water penetration, another colleague destroyed a couple of smartphones in this way, and I myself accidentally flooded my devices more than once or twice (coffee, cola, plain water). In the case of the Sony Xperia Z, you would simply need to wash it off the coffee and continue using it; in the case of another gadget, you would have to visit a service center. I'm not talking about a few drops, but about worse things.

Display

The TFT display diagonal is 5 inches, resolution is 1080 x 1920 pixels, it supports Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 technology (second generation) to improve image display, but that’s not all, like a number of other products, there is no air gap, there are a number of others interesting moments. It’s a fact, but the screen behaves perfectly in the sun, compared with the iPhone 5, even under direct rays the information is easy to read.

Another question is that compared to a number of other devices, for example, the HTC One, the screen in the Z does not stand up to criticism, it seems faded, colors lose saturation when viewed from a slight angle, and there is no reserve of brightness. I repeat, all this is noticeable when compared, but in life you immediately pay attention only to the viewing angles, the white color begins to turn a little yellow. Actually, the screen is the most controversial detail here, and, by and large, you can only find fault with it. And here you have to decide for yourself whether you can use such a smartphone or not. For me, you can get used to it - when purchasing, try launching the browser and other applications; you should not evaluate the display using preinstalled pictures.

It will be very interesting to see the ZL display, whether it will be the same or better quality.

Contents of delivery

There is a very convenient stand, the smartphone is inserted with a slight click, it is very easy to take it out of this “socket”, it is best used for charging - I had it on the chest of drawers in the living room. When you come home, you immediately put the device back in place, it charges, and you pick it up in the morning with a full battery. The color of the stand differs depending on the color of the smartphone. Interestingly, for Russia the stand was included in the kit; in some other countries you will have to buy it separately (of course, if you need it).

Many thanks to Sony for the headphones. Now this is a really high-quality headset, created on the basis of the good old EX-300 model. There is a version for iPhone, there is a review of it on the website - among inexpensive headsets it is one of the best.

Paired with the Xperia Z, the headphones help you understand one truth: the days of the Walkman are over. I had a lot of praise for the Android-based F-series player, but now comparable sound quality can be achieved with a smartphone. The sound settings are similar, the headphones seem to be “tailored” to the device, and they are a pleasure to use. The button on the headset starts or pauses playback, not only in the standard player, but also in third-party applications (for example, Soundcloud). There is a good speaker installed here, you can talk without bringing it close to your mouth. And I also like that this headset has different lengths of cable sections with headphones, you can put them on your neck.

Differences between European and Japanese versions

The device for Japan is called SO-02E, apparently, a different display is installed there, you can see more details in this video. In short, the display there is better, this applies to both brightness and viewing angles, the black color is better, and other colors too.

There are differences in design; there is an IR port on the back. There is no Stamina mode in the power settings, the body colors are the same. There is additional software, these are various local services.

It’s strange that a different display was installed in the version for Europe; I repeat, this is the most controversial point in the Sony Xperia Z.

Performance

Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) is already installed here; you can read about the capabilities of this version in a separate review.

The main thing is that now you can leave only one desktop, place all the necessary icons there and make a second one only if there is not enough space. Now I’ll talk about different features. For example, the proprietary “Clock” widget allows you to select a binary clock, for those who like to rack their brains during the day. Very beautiful new themes, but the ringtones haven’t changed much. As always, Sony has a lot of its own icons, but what I liked most was the lock screen, these shutters, you can move your finger endlessly, the process is mesmerizing. Moreover, on this screen you can quickly go to the player or camera. There is a radio, mini-applications that can be called up from the menu of running programs, they open on top of the utility that is currently running. This is a calculator, notes, voice recorder, I used the latter all the time, it’s very convenient - you can go to your mail from the browser, and the recording goes on and on. Traditionally, Sony supports not only FLAC, but also AVI; the downloaded movie was recognized by a regular player without any problems. The proprietary player supports ClearAudio+, this function seriously changes the sound, but then you will not be able to use other equalizer presets, surround sound, dynamic normalizer and other features. It seems to me that the main thing here is the headset used, it makes the sound interesting, similar to what I heard in the Sony Walkman F. The effects, although secondary, are also important - in general, among devices with Android it is Sony Xperia Z and ZL can be called one of the best in terms of playback quality.

As you can see, at the top of the notification line by default there is a mute widget, wireless interfaces, below is the time and date. When the screen is locked, you can go to the mini player and control playback without going to the main screen. It’s convenient in the car, I did it myself all the time. By the way, you can also use the pre-installed navigation program Wisepilot in the car, although even Google maps seem more convenient to me.

For some reason, the Sociallife program is installed, when you click on the icon, it goes to Google Play, and it says that it is “not supported on your device” - nonsense.

A quad-core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm APQ8064+MDM9215M Quad Core processor is used, Adreno 320 is responsible for graphics, 2 GB of RAM. It is not clear where to direct all this power, what applications are needed to unlock the full potential of such a powerful filling. In real life, the device is quite fast, but even when you just use the browser, the area next to the camera on the back heats up, and it heats up quite seriously; you have to hold the device by its ends. In Antutu, the device scored 20219 points, as far as I understand, one of the most productive smartphones at the moment.

Camera

The front camera is 2.1 MP, you can take a good self-portrait, supports video with a resolution of 1080p, on the back is the main “camera” lens, 13 MP (Sony Exmor RS), LED flash, many of my favorite settings. Naturally, autofocus, panorama and other functions familiar to Sony. By the way, there is an interesting Burst mode: by pressing a button, the device starts shooting continuously and then puts all the frames from the buffer into one album; as colleagues say, it was possible to take up to a thousand pictures in this way (apparently, then it got boring). This is good for dynamic shooting, for example, if you have children or pets, you can shoot reports while running. The camera interface has been changed, in my opinion, it has become clearer.

I shot video both day and night, with all due respect to Sony, I can’t say that the HDR mode for video works well, the picture is grainy, and viewing on a computer is depressing. During the day, the video turns out quite well; by the way, while shooting a video, you can take photos, but only at a low resolution. On the iPhone 5, the resolution does not change - it simply cannot be changed in the menu or anywhere else. Not everything is smooth with photographs either; recording does not happen instantly, just a split second; the iPhone 5 is faster. The quality is normal, but again I will say that the iPhone 5 takes better pictures in some cases. In general, everything is not bad, but many people expect a miracle in all aspects from this device. Including many people asking me whether the Sony Xperia Z can replace a digital point-and-shoot camera. Maybe. How can Xperia V, iPhone 4/4S/5, and Samsung Galaxy S3 do this. It all depends on what you expect from the device. Naturally, many modern digital point-and-shoot cameras take pictures a hundred times better than smartphones, and you have to come to terms with this. Another question is that a smartphone can replace two devices at once, and this is expensive in a number of situations. I shot with the Sony Xperia Z for a long time, I’ll give the owners a couple of tips. It’s better to always use the “Super Auto” mode, turn off the flash, touch shooting is very convenient (when you don’t have to touch the “button”), and check what the resolution is before you start using it. It's better to choose the maximum. And I’ll also note that it’s painful to look at the “graphic effects” mode; who in their right mind could choose a kaleidoscope or a Harris shutter, I can’t imagine. It would be better if there was a mechanical shooting button instead of all these settings.

Nutrition

It uses a 2400 mAh battery, there is an interesting Stamina mode, when you turn off the device (that is, the display), Wi-Fi is turned off, applications are not allowed to access the network, this can seriously increase the operating time. I noticed that some programs conflict with this mode, for example Facebook. You shouldn’t believe the happy messages on the meter; the Sony Xperia Z is unlikely to survive four days. The stated operating time is about 11 hours of talk time, 40 hours of music playback, 5.5 hours of video playback. In reality, the device could work for me for about two days, for example, this was the case with a SIM card for roaming, when I more often used Wi-Fi in a hotel or other places and did not talk much. In general, the Xperia Z seemed very predictable to me; even when browsing via Wi-Fi with a display where the brightness is turned all the way up, there is no rapid discharge. In Moscow, under normal load, the device ran smoothly from morning until evening, and sometimes more than 40% of the charge remained. Yes, I recommend Stamina to all owners, it also disciplines you - you won’t be distracted by notifications from different programs while the device is turned off and in your pocket. We sat down in a cafe, turned it on, connected to Wi-Fi or 4G (or 3G), now you can watch everything in peace.

Memory

16 GB of internal memory is declared, 11.73 GB is available, it’s very good that they did not remove the microSD memory card slot. Upgrade to a 64GB card and get over 70GB of storage for your TV shows, music, photos and more. Considering that there is serial shooting here and you can shoot until you run out of space, there will never be enough memory here.

Wireless capabilities

It must be said right away that the Sony Xperia Z supports LTE, tests have already been carried out with Megafon, so owners of both components will be able to enjoy high speeds. In addition, of course, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi Direct, GPS, GLONASS, NFC, the microUSB connector supports MHL, you can connect your smartphone to TVs, the main thing is to find such a cable. It also supports DLNA, Glonass, and Throw's proprietary feature, which allows you to exchange files with other devices.

conclusions

The earpiece is not very loud, sometimes you have to strain your ears, especially if the environment is noisy. They can hear you well. The external speaker is also far from the loudest; I don’t really want to use the Sony Xperia Z to listen to music this way. Better with a headset. I still don’t understand where the proximity sensor is located; during a conversation, the screen sometimes did not turn off, so you can reset the call or press something wrong.

What's the result? The editor, on the one hand, needs to be objective. On the other hand, I have never been a supporter of this point of view and offered you my view of things. Objectively, for 30,000 rubles it is better to buy an iPhone 5 as a more balanced device - the disadvantages are clear, but overall it is a universal soldier. Subjectively, for 30,000 rubles, the Sony Xperia Z is one of the most interesting smartphones on the market in principle. I personally really like the design and solution with the aluminum button on the right side - the habit comes very quickly. I hope Sony will not forget about this button and will use it in other devices. The large size no longer bothers me, but there is protection from water. By the way, if you can’t make friends with the Z due to its dimensions, pay attention to the ZL (but then there will be no water resistance). The included headset is excellent, and the stand is also convenient. The screen is the most controversial point, but here I recommend that you look at it yourself and decide whether you can put up with it or not. It seems to me that this is quite possible. It's a good camera, there's a slot for memory cards, all sorts of wireless capabilities, and even the operating time is a little surprising (just don't forget about Stamina).

But the most important thing is not even this. At Sony, the letter Z is usually used for the most advanced devices, this applies to laptops, cameras, and other things. Can Z be called such? In my opinion, yes. It's a shame that people in Japan got a smartphone with a better display. It's a pity that UK residents could pre-order a set with Sony MDR-R1 headphones (good stuff).

But the great design remains. It's a pleasure to pick up and a pleasure to use every day. I recommend the Sony Xperia Z not only to fans of “Sonystyle”, but also to all those who are looking for an interesting toy. The device is not without its oddities, but overall this is a breakthrough for Sony. All that remains is to finish all sorts of small jambs, not skimp on displays and record melodies that are more interesting, not reminiscent of polyphony from the nineties. In the near future I will write more about Z in material related to skiing.

Sergey Kuzmin ()

General characteristics

Type

Deciding on the type of device (phone or smartphone?) is quite simple. If you need a simple and inexpensive device for calls and SMS, it is recommended to choose a telephone. A smartphone is more expensive, but it offers a wide variety of options: games, videos, the Internet, thousands of programs for all occasions. However, its battery life is significantly less than that of a regular phone.

smartphone operating system Android OS version at the start of sales Android 4.3 Case type classic Design waterproof Control screen buttons Number of SIM cards 1 SIM card type

Modern smartphones can use not only regular SIM cards, but also their more compact versions micro SIM and nano SIM. An eSIM is a SIM card integrated into the phone. It takes up virtually no space and does not require a separate tray for installation. eSIM is not yet supported in Russia. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones

micro SIM Weight 146 g Dimensions (WxHxD) 71x139x7.9 mm

Screen

Screen type color TFT, 16.78 million colors, touch Touch screen type multi-touch, capacitive Diagonal 5 inches. Image Size 1920x1080 Pixels per inch (PPI) 441 Aspect Ratio 16:9 Automatic screen rotation There is Scratch-resistant glass There is

Multimedia capabilities

Number of main (rear) cameras 1 Main (rear) camera resolution 13.10 MP Rear flash Functions of the main (rear) camera autofocus, digital Zoom 16x Face and smile recognition Recording videos There is Max. video resolution 1920x1080 Geo Tagging yes Front-camera yes, 2.2 MP Audio MP3, AAC, FM radio Headphone jack 3.5mm MHL Video Output

Connection

Standard GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, 4G LTE LTE bands support 2600, 800, 850, 1800, 2100 MHz Interfaces

Almost all modern smartphones have Wi-Fi and USB interfaces. Bluetooth and IRDA are a little less common. Wi-Fi is used to connect to the Internet. USB is used to connect your phone to a computer. Bluetooth is also found in many phones. It is used to connect wireless headphones, to connect your phone to wireless speakers, and also to transfer files. A smartphone equipped with an IRDA interface can be used as a universal remote control. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones

Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, USB, NFC Satellite navigation

Built-in GPS and GLONASS modules allow you to determine the phone's coordinates using signals from satellites. In the absence of GPS, a modern smartphone can determine its own location using signals from cellular operator base stations. However, finding coordinates using satellite signals is usually much more accurate. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones

GPS/GLONASS A-GPS system yes DLNA support yes

Memory and processor

CPU

Modern phones and smartphones usually use special processors - SoC (System on Chip, system on a chip), which, in addition to the processor itself, houses the graphics core, memory controller, input/output device controller, etc. Therefore, the processor largely determines the set of functions and device performance. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones

Qualcomm APQ8064, 1500 MHz Number of processor cores 4 Video processor Adreno 320 Built-in memory capacity 16 GB RAM capacity 2 GB Memory card slot Yes, up to 32 GB Flashlight yes USB-host yes

Additional Information

Equipment phone, docking station, Sony EX-300AP headphones, power supply, USB cable Peculiarities waterproof (IP55 and IP57 standard), dustproof (IP5X standard); HDR technology for photo and video shooting; HDMI over MHL Announcement date 2013-01-08

Before purchasing, check the specifications and equipment with the seller.

Sony Xperia smartphones, all models of which have their own characteristics, appeared after the termination of the agreement with Ericsson.

Sony Mobile (formerly known as Sony Ericsson Mobile) is a division of electronics giant Sony Corporation.

Xperia is a unique model range of the company, which was initially released running Windows Mobile OS.

Then technical management decided to switch to .

At the moment, this line occupies a strong niche in today's market.

Some of the company's smartphones may benefit from being waterproof and moisture-resistant.

Sony Xperia smartphones - all models

All Xperia models

The Japanese giant is one of the world's largest manufacturers of mobile devices; every year they completely update their line.

Their sleek, sophisticated design and serious technical characteristics attract new fans year after year.

Over the past few years, this manufacturer has often experimented with its new products, delighting its followers with both premium flagships and very budget models.

Everyone could find a sample for every taste and budget.

In the last 2 years alone, the company has launched 12 models on the market. Not to mention the lighter versions.

At the beginning of 2016, at MWC 2016, the company announced that it was completely relaunching the line of gadgets beloved by many.

According to the company, Xperia (which stands for experience) smartphones should provide users with a unique experience of interaction between gadgets and their owners.

It is these updated devices that our review will be devoted to.

First, let's divide them by year. Separately, it is worth noting that we will not separate them by colors and modifications with different memory capacities.

Xperia 2016 models

• Xperia XZ
• Xperia X Compact
• Xperia X
• Xperia XA Ultra
• Xperia XA
• Xperia E5

Xperia models of 2017 (the list is current as of the end of April)

• Xperia XZ Premium
• Xperia XZs
• Xperia XA1 Ultra
• Xperia XA1
• Xperia L1

Sony Xperia XZ Premium

Those expecting a revolution in XZ Premium design will be disappointed.

Over the years, designs have become more refined, and loyal fans have realized the high value of corporate recognition. This is not just a recognizable trademark, it is a brand.

The company has certainly focused on the details for the new XZ Premium.

The main innovation is support for 960fps video playback.

This frame rate is still out of reach for many manufacturers.

Not many people at MWC could boast of this advantage.

To manage such a high video frame rate, which clearly outshines the performance of other devices and even last year's own flagship 4K action camera, it was necessary to install the FDR-X3000.

This is the patented know-how of the digital imaging department.

Cameras such as the RX1000 IV are famous for its use. It's all about its memory and array of sensors that allow it to capture images faster.

XZ Premium is equipped with the most powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC.

At first glance, the XZ "Premium" looks similar to last year's Xperia XZ. To give it a more expensive look, engineers used .

Moving on to the specifications, the XZ Premium features a 5.5-inch Triluminos HDR display with 4K (2160x3840) resolution.

The gadget is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (Gigabit LTE speed is achieved through the use of an X16 LTE modem).

Also installed in the device is an Adreno 540 GPU video chip and 4 GB. 64 GB of internal memory, which is expandable via microSD cards (up to 256 GB).

The front of the device has a 13-megapixel camera with a 1/3.06-inch Exmor RS sensor. The phone OS is Android 7.0 Nougat, the battery capacity is 3230mAh.

In fact, we can talk about this excellent flagship for a very long time.

On the Internet there are photographs of copies that showed more than 150 thousand points in the Antutu test. This is a very impressive result.

Without a doubt, this flagship will excite the minds of users of modern gadgets for a long time.

Surely it will be compared with devices with similar characteristics. But we can say with confidence that at the time of writing this review it is the best.

Specifications

• Display size: 5.5
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
• Rear video camera: 19 MP with Motion Eye technology
• Front video camera: 13 MP
• Memory capacity: 64 GB

Sony Xperia XZs

Smaller version of XZ. Both devices use the same design with a flat top and bottom, and rounded sides.

On the right side of the device is the power button, which also doubles as a fingerprint scanner.

The XZs is equipped with a 5.2-inch screen (1080x1920 pixels) with Triluminos technology and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with Adreno 510 GPU and 4 GB of RAM.

Internal memory is 32 GB and 64 GB, expandable thanks to a slot (up to 256 GB).

Specifications

• Display size: 4.3
• Processor: Qualcomm MSM8230
• Rear video camera: 23 MP with Motion Eye technology
• Front video camera: 8 MP
• Memory capacity: 8

Sony Xperia Z1

It looks like with the release of this smartphone, the Japanese giant may have finally learned its lesson. This time they were the first to release a smartphone with a 5″ diagonal and 1080p support.

The specification makes it clear that the Z model is half a millimeter larger than, say, the Samsung Galaxy S III. This was a technical necessity; the smartphone has a fairly powerful battery.

The Quad-core 1.5 GHz Krait chipset is fully capable of handling all these pixels.

Summing up this smartphone, I would like to say once again that Sony is a broadly oriented company.

By releasing their product line, they try to fully cover the market.

These are practically the perfect premium mobile devices at this point, offering everything you would expect from a flagship phone.

If you haven’t owned a smartphone from this Japanese giant before, you should think about purchasing it.

conclusions

Moving on to the 2016 line of smartphones, it became clear that it is easier to divide them into subgroups.

In our review we will not dwell on them in as much detail as on the representatives of 2017. We will simply provide comparative tables with the most significant characteristics.

• X, X Compact
• XA Ultra and XA

It's much easier to compare X and X Compact using a table.

In addition to the obvious difference in size, the characteristics listed below allow you to see a more complete picture.

Smartphone	X COMPACT	XPERIA X
Weight	135 gr	153 g
Screen size	4.6 inches	5 inches
Screen resolution	1280×720 HD	1920×1080 Full HD
Moisture protection class	No	No
Fingerprint scanner	Eat	Eat
CPU	Snapdragon 650	Snapdragon 650
RAM	3GB	3GB
Expansion using a memory card	32GB	32/64GB
Availability of MicroSD	Eat	Eat
Cameras	23MP, 13MP	23MP, 5MP

Also, many users may be interested in a more complete comparison of the smartphone line.

Considering that over the past year as many as 12 devices of this line entered the market, I would like to compare only the most remarkable ones in terms of characteristics.

Smartphone	XPERIA X	XPERIA XA	XPERIA X PERFORMANCE	XPERIA XA ULTRA
Screen size	5 inches	5 inches	5 inches	6 inches
Screen resolution	1920×1080	1280×720	1920×1080	1920×1080
Waterproof	No	No	Yes (in versions supplied to the Chinese market)	No
Fingerprint scanner	Yes	No	Yes	No
Frameless display	No	Yes	No	Yes
CPU	Snapdragon 650	Mediatek P10	Snapdragon 820	Mediatek P10
RAM	3GB	2GB	3GB	3GB
MicroSD support	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cameras	23/13MP	13/8MP	23/13MP	21.5/16MP

Comparing the E5 and Z1, we came to the conclusion that they are similar in many ways.

The E5 wins only in terms of battery capacity; in terms of other characteristics, the Z1 turned out to be more powerful, and we’ll talk about it later.

Indeed, in fact, if we consider the entire model range, it is easy to get confused in the variety of processors and other hardware.

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 plug. 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. © Alexander Pobyvanets, Test laboratory Article publication date: March 19, 2013

Problem solved

Advantages: After 4 days of use. I like almost everything. * The design is cool (I don’t like remnants like SGS3, I prefer more angular phones) * The screen is clear and rich. Not inferior in quality to an iPhone (I myself had iPhones 4, 4S, 5 and Sony S). The only thing I didn’t like was the glossy one, but it’s not for everyone and for myself, I decided, as always, to use a matte sticker (for me, it’s more tactilely comfortable) * After the iPhone, I thought it would be a bit heavy, nothing like that, it fits in the hand like a glove. My wife had SGS3, so she won’t have to get used to the size. * The network catches normally where the iPhone dies, and the S barely sees the network. Disadvantages: Identified disadvantages: * The external speaker is located inconveniently, I constantly close it with my little finger. * The native book and dialer are made using “thin” fonts, I understand that this is a high-resolution demonstration, but it’s not convenient for me on such a screen (I immediately replaced it with GO Contacts EX and everything became gorgeous) * I was disappointed by the lack of an HDMI connector (I got used to him in S) * Phone speaker volume is lower than in S * Price. I understand that there are cool “ears”, but I don’t use them and would prefer them to be separate. Comment: On the day sales started, I stopped by the Sony showroom and wanted to look at this phone. As a result, I bought both myself (white) and my wife (black) (the last two remained). In terms of dimensions, it is no different from the SGS3 (my wife doesn’t even have to get used to its size). Scary tales about the display are told by those who have not used the phone. Yes, the angles are better on the iPhone, but I noticed this only after I began to specifically compare. Whose sick head comes up with the idea of ​​using the phone tilted almost 90 degrees?

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Advantages: +Large high-quality screen +excellent camera +moisture protection +design +working speed +high-quality body materials Disadvantages: -weak battery Comment: Don’t listen to those who claim that it has a bad screen - the screen is excellent, very bright and contrasting! Well, yes, the viewing angles are not the widest - but do you always look at your phone screen at an angle? Don't think. The camera leaves the best impression - before it I had an iPhone 4c and 5, whose cameras are some of the best on the market, so even in comparison, the Z-ki has a better camera! This applies to both detail and intensity of the picture. Don’t believe the reviews online - almost all of them were made at the very beginning of the device’s sales, after updating it to Android 4.2.2 both the screen and the camera became significantly better. By the way, one more thing about the camera. She's absolutely gorgeous underwater! Separately, I would like to touch on the design. First of all, he is simply gorgeous! The phone is truly incredibly beautiful and stands out significantly from other plastic remnants; it really looks expensive. And, despite the screen size of 5", it fits very comfortably in the hand, you can even adapt to using it with one hand - I speak as the owner of not the largest hand;) In general, if you are thinking about buying it, take it without hesitation! This device really good, for which huge respect to Sonya!