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Currently owner of Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman, however I feel the phone is too small for me with its 3.2 inch screen.
I went to look for a phone with bigger screen, not in a way-too-high price class. Xperia Arc S got my attention there. It's performance is a bit better with the processor, firmware is the same(4.0.4) as my LWW etc.
Xperia S was also an idea, but the price is also a lot higher. Xperia U has really limited storage. And I really would prefer Android.
How is the screen in sunlight? Quality of the screen and sound(headphones and loudspeaker)? The actual performance? Camera quality(dark, light)? Battery life on stock firmware? Are there any known bugs/problems with the phone/firmware?
My question is - Would you recommend Arc S or are there any other phones in this price class, that are better?
If Arc S, then which color suits the best for it?
EDIT: Also, forgot to mention, that the shop where I am going to buy a new phone from, has quite limited selection, so post more ideas for other phones, incase it is needed.
First...what is the price of the arc s at ur country? At my country it cost about ~RM1100, which is around ~USD320
If its kinda this price, i recomend looking for a phone with 1gb of ram with the almost near price...
Sent from my LT18i using xda premium
maliceomalice said:
First...what is the price of the arc s at ur country? At my country it cost about ~RM1100, which is around ~USD320
If its kinda this price, i recomend looking for a phone with 1gb of ram with the almost near price...
Sent from my LT18i using xda premium
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329 euros, Estonia.
I didn't notice any phones with 1GB RAM in that price class.
screen under sunlight is good..if u have some screen guard on then only u might face lil problem..but for me its good visibility under the Mighty Sun
Screen is sharp and with lil sound enhancement pack, audio quality will be damn good on earphones.
Camera quality of our arc s is just awesome ..i have SGS2 and i can say it is better than that
Arc s price has dropped alot and at this price i think it is a very good deal..only problem is the RAM
arpith.fbi said:
screen under sunlight is good..if u have some screen guard on then only u might face lil problem..but for me its good visibility under the Mighty Sun
Screen is sharp and with lil sound enhancement pack, audio quality will be damn good on earphones.
Camera quality of our arc s is just awesome ..i have SGS2 and i can say it is better than that
Arc s price has dropped alot and at this price i think it is a very good deal..only problem is the RAM
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My LWW has currently also 512MB of RAM, multitasking was not very good, however with the newest 4.0.4 update, that I recently got, it is not that bad and feels fine for my regular usage.
I have rooted my phone's stock firmware and threw out some unneeded stuff, so that firmware would be running clean. I do not think, that the difference between these 2 phones' firmware would be too high.
How is the audio quality via loudspeaker? My LWW has 2 loudspeakers, quality is great and volume is just loud, phone and it's screen is a bit too small, probably gonna miss these speakers
audio output is good...well not as good as walkman..but it is very good..it doesnt shout with high volume which results in high pitch sound..all i can say is it is good ..
u need to hear it out urself only..we cant describe it
arpith.fbi said:
audio output is good...well not as good as walkman..but it is very good..it doesnt shout with high volume which results in high pitch sound..all i can say is it is good ..
u need to hear it out urself only..we cant describe it
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I will go to a nearby shop when I have time, just to try out the Arc S, how big it really feels etc.
I also saw quite a nice selection of custom stuff for it
Oh, and battery life, how long can you make with regular usage? Any of you using extended batteries?
Someguyfromhell said:
I will go to a nearby shop when I have time, just to try out the Arc S, how big it really feels etc.
I also saw quite a nice selection of custom stuff for it
Oh, and battery life, how long can you make with regular usage? Any of you using extended batteries?
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It's difficult to answer your question about battery life. It depends on ROM/Kernel/Baseband...
As for me, battery life of Arc S is awesome!
thuanngotau said:
It's difficult to answer your question about battery life. It depends on ROM/Kernel/Baseband...
As for me, battery life of Arc S is awesome!
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Which ROM/kernel/BB are you using and how long you get?
i get 3 days easily with normal usage with Arconium ICS.. normal usage means texting,few calls and lil 3G data thats all..i am sure with lil more usage you may get atleast 40 hrs
That's a lot better than my Live with Walkman, it has 1200 mAh, but with my usage I can barely get 1,5 days from it. Maximum with no usage was for me 2 days.
Seems like Arc S is a great choice so far, neither could I find any other phones from the shop website, either less phones on the website than in shop or really not so much to choose from. Need to sell my Live with Walkman now first.
u can also consider xperia P as the price of xperia p and arc s is almost same..xperia P has 1Gb of RAM..well screen is lil small but manageable
arpith.fbi said:
u can also consider xperia P as the price of xperia p and arc s is almost same..xperia P has 1Gb of RAM..well screen is lil small but manageable
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0.2 inch difference with screen isn't that bad.
Xperia P seems great, however the battery is quite weak.
Try reading in the xperia s forum regarding xperia p. I read that the battery is not bad..
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1656649
Sent from my LT18i using xda premium
maliceomalice said:
Try reading in the xperia s forum regarding xperia p. I read that the battery is not bad..
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1656649
Sent from my LT18i using xda premium
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I see quite a lot of different answers and opinions about battery, some say with heavy usage it is in 2 hours empty, others say they can get 1,5 days with it with normal usage.
Some say, that they can't get more than 12 hours out of it, some say they can get same as Arc...
If I only could try it myself for some time...
Samsung galaxy s advance got better specs than arc s but with 5 MP camera but rest are pretty cool and its same price as arc s maybe less cheaper
I reckon you can get a better phone for the price right now, perhaps a second hand SGS2 would be good for you. Arc S is really starting to get laggy except if you flash an AOKP/CM9 ROM ( My opinion ) and the specs in terms of processor + ram is outdated
However, beautiful design, really nice in the hand, really nice screen (amazing what sony did with it). Fairly large and a great camera
better go for xperia P man...i know it is fat..but it is faster..our sexy arc is still sexy but had become old
dinesh690 said:
I reckon you can get a better phone for the price right now, perhaps a second hand SGS2 would be good for you. Arc S is really starting to get laggy except if you flash an AOKP/CM9 ROM ( My opinion ) and the specs in terms of processor + ram is outdated
However, beautiful design, really nice in the hand, really nice screen (amazing what sony did with it). Fairly large and a great camera
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The thing is, that I am able to get a phone a lot cheaper from a certain shop, that is the only reason why I want to get one with bigger screen.
arpith.fbi said:
better go for xperia P man...i know it is fat..but it is faster..our sexy arc is still sexy but had become old
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Will take a look, if it is really available in the shop and if it inside the max price I am able to pay. It is great phone indeed.
One advantage of sony smartphones is the well structured GUI. It looks simple and clear but I think a Galaxy S II/III/Nexus is better in user experience.
My arc (overclocked to 1.6 GHz, CM9 ICS) is slow and gets overextended in e.g. multi-tasking. every time i have to wait several seconds (or minutes ) until it finished loading. maybe you think "i don't care" but after several times you just go crazy. Furthermore, the internal storage isn't so large. Just install some no-app2sd-apps and you'll have a problem...
However, go to your next electrical retailer and "play" with some smartphones. Take a closer look on multitasking performance, smoothness of the GUI and loading time when you start a game (I recommend to test: Galaxy S II/III/Nexus, Xperia S/P). you'll know if you find your smartphone .
My gf own an Arc S, and after nearly one year of using slightly.
I notice that the camera is getting worse, the color is dull and not sharp, even the detail.
I compare to another Arc buy at the same time, the color is brighter and better.
Arc is running 2.3. Arc S 4.0.4
shokuhawan said:
My gf own an Arc S, and after nearly one year of using slightly.
I notice that the camera is getting worse, the color is dull and not sharp, even the detail.
I compare to another Arc buy at the same time, the color is brighter and better.
Arc is running 2.3. Arc S 4.0.4
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Click to collapse
You sure, the camera glass is not covered with crap?
Mine has also gotten much worse, and it's probably the hardware.
It's glass, it collects dust and gets scratched.
After handling both the Z and the ZL for a few hours, the ZL is what I chose. I dont understand why it is a priority for everyone all of a sudden to have a water resistant phone. That, the much more durable and grippy curved plastic back, and the insane screen to body ratio were what made me buy the ZL.
If you guys would like to know anything in particular, please feel free to ask.
Pro Tip: For the folks in India, try asking the shopkeeper to exclude the headphones. They end up giving you a nice little discount. That is assuming you already have a good set of IEMs or cans.
anirudh412 said:
After handling both the Z and the ZL for a few hours, the ZL is what I chose. I dont understand why it is a priority for everyone all of a sudden to have a water resistant phone. That, the much more durable and grippy curved plastic back, and the insane screen to body ratio were what made me buy the ZL.
If you guys would like to know anything in particular, please feel free to ask.
Pro Tip: For the folks in India, try asking the shopkeeper to exclude the headphones. They end up giving you a nice little discount. That is assuming you already have a good set of IEMs or cans.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had no choise to go with the ZL the Z I would get edge/2G here in the USA haha. But The ZL seems to sound better than the ZL, I came from the Note 2 and Loving it!
Are those headphones worth that much for them to give such a discount? WoW I looked them up they sell for a good 30-50 USD. Thats interesting for headphones that come with a phone.
anirudh412 said:
After handling both the Z and the ZL for a few hours, the ZL is what I chose. I dont understand why it is a priority for everyone all of a sudden to have a water resistant phone. That, the much more durable and grippy curved plastic back, and the insane screen to body ratio were what made me buy the ZL.
If you guys would like to know anything in particular, please feel free to ask.
Pro Tip: For the folks in India, try asking the shopkeeper to exclude the headphones. They end up giving you a nice little discount. That is assuming you already have a good set of IEMs or cans.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, for me, obviously i would like to have the Z, but since there's no any information abou the releasing date, i placed the order of ZL..i am going to wait for the Z to come out and get the both/_\
greatremix said:
well, for me, obviously i would like to have the Z, but since there's no any information abou the releasing date, i placed the order of ZL..i am going to wait for the Z to come out and get the both/_\
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The Z has been out longer than the ZL, The Z is on Handtec, Negri, eBay, Amazon.
The Z has been out for a few weeks...
I initially thought I would like the clean lines of the Z, but at that size, such hard lines make it uncomfortable to hold. Now, if only they would make it in a 4.5-4.7 inch form factor, with the screen ratio of the ZL, it would be a perfect phone. Not to mention all the issues plaguing the Z, made the ZL a perfect choice for me :good:
anirudh412 said:
After handling both the Z and the ZL for a few hours, the ZL is what I chose. I dont understand why it is a priority for everyone all of a sudden to have a water resistant phone. That, the much more durable and grippy curved plastic back, and the insane screen to body ratio were what made me buy the ZL.
If you guys would like to know anything in particular, please feel free to ask.
Pro Tip: For the folks in India, try asking the shopkeeper to exclude the headphones. They end up giving you a nice little discount. That is assuming you already have a good set of IEMs or cans.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did u see Zl demo unit? its not there in Rajouri Garden
nikhiltanwar said:
Where did u see Zl demo unit? its not there in Rajouri Garden
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Sony Center in South Extension Part 1. They have both the Z and the ZL on display. I am betting it should be there in Select Citiwalk too.
On a side note, can someone point me to a guide as to how to remove the nav bar?
anirudh412 said:
Sony Center in South Extension Part 1. They have both the Z and the ZL on display. I am betting it should be there in Select Citiwalk too.
On a side note, can someone point me to a guide as to how to remove the nav bar?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why would you want to remove it? It would make the phone useless,
Loving my new Xperia ZL
anirudh412 said:
After handling both the Z and the ZL for a few hours, the ZL is what I chose. I dont understand why it is a priority for everyone all of a sudden to have a water resistant phone. That, the much more durable and grippy curved plastic back, and the insane screen to body ratio were what made me buy the ZL.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too chose the Xperia ZL over XZ. I agree with what u have said, and would also add that the sound on ZL is louder than Z. And i tested the screens and found that ZL has better screen (calibration perhaps?) viewing angles and colour vibrance than XZ (today i went back and confirmed it by checking 3 different XZ screens from 2 different sony stores). Also, physical camera key is a plus & the notification LED at bottom of ZL is an eye candy .
Lol, i was so moved by the ZL (the moment i saw it live in my hands) that i sold my note2 at once & bought the Zl (for a price difference of 6000INR). I also managed to get the Sony headphones (MDR-ZX100A worth 1490 INR) & the ZL tpu case (worth 1490 INR) free :good:.
@hyelton.. i too am coming from note2 & loving the ZL. The screen is gorgeous! Text appears crisp, no matter how small it is while browsing!
hyelton said:
Why would you want to remove it? It would make the phone useless,
Click to expand...
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Check out LMT Launcher! Thats the first thing I install on any rooted android phone
anirudh412 said:
Check out LMT Launcher! Thats the first thing I install on any rooted android phone
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Click to collapse
Oh okay I seen that on the Note 2, I couldnt get used to it. I still miss android 2.2 so I`m old fashioned I guess haha
Hi, can you please test USB host?
Sent from my Desire HD using xda app-developers app
Alright got it working!
Add "qemu.hw.mainkeys = 1" (without the quotes) at the end of the build.prop in /system and reboot. The nav bar disappears. Now the ENTIRE screen is usable! Awesome!!
EDIT: Make sure to install and setup LMT launcher before you do this. Also, make sure startup is set to AUTO in LMT
Dpk1 said:
I too chose the Xperia ZL over XZ. I agree with what u have said, and would also add that the sound on ZL is louder than Z. And i tested the screens and found that ZL has better screen (calibration perhaps?) viewing angles and colour vibrance than XZ (today i went back and confirmed it by checking 3 different XZ screens from 2 different sony stores). Also, physical camera key is a plus & the notification LED at bottom of ZL is an eye candy .
Lol, i was so moved by the ZL (the moment i saw it live in my hands) that i sold my note2 at once & bought the Zl (for a price difference of 6000INR). I also managed to get the Sony headphones (MDR-ZX100A worth 1490 INR) & the ZL tpu case (worth 1490 INR) free :good:.
@hyelton.. i too am coming from note2 & loving the ZL. The screen is gorgeous! Text appears crisp, no matter how small it is while browsing!
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Click to collapse
Hey guys I have a Note 2 and I have been debating on selling it and getting the ZL ever since i saw it thats the phone i was waiting for to make the bezel as small as possible in a good screen size and zl did it. Im kind of getting tired of carrying a big Note 2 arround "dont get me wrong N2 is a beast". Couple of questing i love the speaker on N2 how does that compare on ZL and also how small is the ZL really is it smaller than the S3?
Ill prob check out the ZL when it hits AT&T, im between that and the s4. im kind of bored of samsung phones. I like a removable battery but its not a deal killer so we will see...
cheapshot789 said:
Hey guys I have a Note 2 and I have been debating on selling it and getting the ZL ever since i saw it thats the phone i was waiting for to make the bezel as small as possible in a good screen size and zl did it. Im kind of getting tired of carrying a big Note 2 arround "dont get me wrong N2 is a beast". Couple of questing i love the speaker on N2 how does that compare on ZL and also how small is the ZL really is it smaller than the S3?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello there! I was in the similar situation as yours. I loved my note2 and it probably has the best battery backup among current android lineup. But i couldn't resist the ZL. Note2's internal speaker are definitely louder than ZL (by about 30% i would guess) and so is the default volume via earphones. But i find the sound quality much better on ZL (esp with clear audio mode) and default loudspeaker volume is higher on ZL.
About the size, it is significantly smaller than note2 & like the OP says, ZL has got stunning screen to bezel ratio (i think the best amongst all smartphones i've yet seen). GS3 is 5mm taller, 1.3mm wider and 1.2mm thinner as compared to the Xperia ZL. Smaller ZL yet packs 5" screen!
Has anyone tried the black and white one to see which one felt better?, I'm not so sure if I should get the black one, might not be used to the texture.
DJsCrIBbLe said:
Ill prob check out the ZL when it hits AT&T, im between that and the s4. im kind of bored of samsung phones. I like a removable battery but its not a deal killer so we will see...
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AT&T Most likely wont get the phone......
I also sold my note 2 for the Z but it just didn't feel comfortable to hold so i decided to give ZL a try and i am glad that i did. Love the ZL, the plastic back doesn't feel cheap at all.:thumbup:
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app
hyelton said:
AT&T Most likely wont get the phone......
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It just passed FCC for att pretty sure ...
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2
Despite all the limelight is on the Z, I can said that I have no regrets on switching from the Z to the ZL. Although the Z has it's back glassed to have a premium look, it feels to large on the hand, yes it's slim but too boxy. Makes holding with one hand uncomfortable. One the other end, the ZL FEELS REAL COMFORTABLE. Although slightly thicker, the feel is really good, especially operating with one hand. The screen colors were on par with Z too. Camera wise, surprising that it performs slightly better then Z,. To me, Z feels like a Mercedes and ZL like an BMW. Solid, compact, powerful.
finoqq84 said:
Despite all the limelight is on the Z, I can said that I have now regrets on switching from the Z to the ZL. Although the Z has it's back glassed to have a premium look, it feels to large on the hand, yes it's slim but too boxy. Makes holding with one hand uncomfortable. One the other end, the ZL FEELS REAL COMFORTABLE. Although slightly thicker, the feel is really good, especially operating with one hand. The screen colors were on par with Z too. Camera wise, surprising that it performs slightly better then Z,. To me, Z feels like a Mercedes and ZL like an BMW. Solid, compact, powerful.
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But you have regrets?
oops!! Its NO REGRETS!!! LOL
finoqq84 said:
oops!! Its NO REGRETS!!! LOL
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LOL, u know what.. you lose waterproof function from Z.. Are u sure you wont regret at all?
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app
daniLaLaLaLaLa said:
LOL, u know what.. you lose waterproof function from Z.. Are u sure you wont regret at all?
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How much time you can actually keep your phone in water just like a kid,, looks crazy.....
On the other hand zl has better sound quality, more brighter screen and smaller size, plus IR REMOTE, though it is not of much importance for all, but still for some.
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app
thumbs up!! but hopefully it will not end up like Xperia ion, a pace slower then Xperia S in software update. Some ppl say ZL is a sacrifice, its real difficult to find a simple case here in singapore. Even sony has no stock/ :crying:
Good day fellow XDAers!
I recently received my Xperia Z1 as an upgrade to my Xperia S as my Xperia S was hitting the age two mark, and what better upgrade than the Xperia Z1 I thought? Sure, the Z2 or Sirius is also about to be announced but that'll only mean the Z1 will be priced even better! I've had the Z1 for about a week now and I figured I wouldn't be the only one thinking of upgrading their Xperia S.
So in this thread I will let you know whether it's a good choice for you personally to upgrade (since there is no such thing as a 'smartphone to rule them all').
I will create another post below with a couple of camera comparisons because, if you were like me, you probably also chose the Xperia S for its camera, and are likely to consider the Xperia Z1 for the same reason. I will say beforehand that, yes, the camera is indeed an upgrade. The Z1's camera is not as bad as some review(er)s may have made you believe - at least not with the latest firmware of Android 4.3 installed.
Anyway, let's get to the hardware. The Xperia Z1 feels much, much more premium. It's a really slim device that's cold to the touch and has a bit of heft to it as well, making it feel as premium as it gets. Much more so than the Xperia S, that feels, after having held the Xperia Z1 for a couple of days, very plastic-y. One week prior to writing this I would've said that the Xperia S feels good in the hand, but once you've held the best, there's just no going back.
The processor is just extremely snappy, not much more to say of it. The Xperia S annoyed me with lag occurring more often than not, and if I were to upgrade, it would definitely be a major step upward, hence not going for the Xperia Z (which is probably still snappier than the Xperia S but I don't have experience with it). I wanted to test the Z1's processor but I couldn't find anything graphically intense and fun enough to do. So the Z1 is essentially more than powerful enough
Where the Xperia S had a pretty loose back, the Z1 is as sturdy as it gets with the aluminum frame sandwiched between the glass. If you're coming from the Xperia S, you probably won't mind the flaps. They're a tiny bit harder to open but that's obviously due to the waterproof rubbers (which seem a little too thin for my comfort but hey, Sony tested the device to be waterproof so I'll take that for granted).
I'll have to test the headphone jack some more but so far the quality seems on par with the Xperia S, if not better. I'm not the craziest audiophile out there, but I do believe there's a bit more bass outputting from the Z1's jack. Another thing worth mentioning about the build: the camera button is more comfortable to press and is a little better positioned, and the power button is perfectly in line with my thumb on the side (I hated the top mounted power button on the Xperia S - trying to press it while having it on a table has sent the device flying multiple times). The speaker on the bottom (which isn't the entire grill, just the most right part about one-fifth of the actual grille in size) is less loud as the Xperia S' internal speaker, but the quality to me sounds similar. Again, it's not as horrible as reviewers may have you think, but then again, they always get to review the best devices out there and this is just a mediocre speaker that gets the job done. Finally, the screen is really a joy to look at once you've set the white balance correctly, and the Full HD resolution does make it look better than 720p on the Xperia S. Colours pop more but the screen of the Xperia S seems to have a little more contrast. So yes, the display is indeed another upgrade to the Xperia S from what I can tell.
All in all, what are things you need to consider when you're in the market for a new Sony phone?
- Will the Xperia Z2 / Sirius have anything that *I* really wish I had, that makes me want to wait and get it instead of the Z1?
- Is the Xperia Z1 worth the money, since it's still priced very high?
- Do I want a 5" display on my phone, or is the display size of the Xperia S just fine (refer to the Z1 Compact then)?
- Are the downsides mentioned above not too important?
- How do *I* value waterproofing of a smartphone (I personally value it high, because I lost one phone to a river and it makes life so much easier carelessly taking pictures in the rain or playing music in the shower)
I hope this is of any use to you, looking to upgrade your phone. If this helped you make up your mind, don't hesitate to click a specific button under my XDA name
If you have any questions considering the two devices, please let me know - I'll answer them ASAP! :fingers-crossed:
EDIT:
I've created a video comparison between the Xperia S and Xperia Z1, because I often look things up on YouTube myself
Check it out below:
Sony Xperia S vs. Xperia Z1 - Should you upgrade? <- link to the video
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Now, for the camera comparison of the Xperia S and the Xperia Z1...
Disclaimer: the images were shot with Auto Mode on the Xperia S and Superior Auto Mode on the Z1. I basically compared them as point-and-shoot cameras.
Who would've thought the difference between the Xperia S and Z1 was this big? (zoomed in, that is)
Xperia S:
Screenshot_2014-02-21-16-16-19 by HurrHurrHerman, on Flickr
Xperia Z1:
Screenshot_2014-02-21-16-16-22 by HurrHurrHerman, on Flickr
Or let's try one without zooming:
Xperia S:
DSC_0019 by HurrHurrHerman, on Flickr
Xperia Z1:
DSC_0143 by HurrHurrHerman, on Flickr
I'm trying not to be biased, but the Xperia S suffers from much more lens flare than the Xperia Z1 for example I initially held the Z1 on the right next to the S, but after viewing the lens flare on the S I decided to swap the two, the Z1 now being right. Did it make a difference? Nope. Still the same lens flare on the S, still none on the Z1. When you're shooting in daylight, the Z1's camera really is amazing!
Once you take away the sun however, the Xperia Z1 is no longer amazing but just 'good' at best (I don't have examples just yet).
P.S. the full images of the first crop:
Xperia S:
DSC_0022 by HurrHurrHerman, on Flickr
Xperia Z1:
DSC_0146 by HurrHurrHerman, on Flickr
The Xperia Z1 also has the advantage of having a wide-angle lens, as you can see in the pictures above.
If you want to see more, let me know. I'm here to help and answer any questions!
Good point,talking about the camera,does Z1 have 16:9 resolution higher than 8MP?
RodrigoOgasawara said:
Good point,talking about the camera,does Z1 have 16:9 resolution higher than 8MP?
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As of yet, nope. But I expect the update to 4.4 to add a 15 megapixel option. Still, megapixels really don't matter as the 8 megapixel shots seem more detailed in daylight than the Xperia S'.
dam U, my XS just reached the end of contract. I trying persuade myself not to give in to temptation and buy such an expensive phone right away.
I am considering between Z1 or Z1 compact. Waiting for WMC to see if there is any phone to push the price of Z1 down.
Hermantje said:
As of yet, nope. But I expect the update to 4.4 to add a 15 megapixel option. Still, megapixels really don't matter as the 8 megapixel shots seem more detailed in daylight than the Xperia S'.
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Click to collapse
I agree with that,but its a bit frustating thing to have a 20mp camera that don't shoot at full resolution,but the quality of the photos looks really good.
Another question,about image compression,pictures take with Z1 are less compressed than XS?I mean,with the Superior Auto mode.
sinple said:
dam U, my XS just reached the end of contract. I trying persuade myself not to give in to temptation and buy such an expensive phone right away.
I am considering between Z1 or Z1 compact. Waiting for WMC to see if there is any phone to push the price of Z1 down.
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If you don't have the cash, don't bother. The Xperia S is still a good phone. Not everyone needs the best high-end device out there, it's just that I love smartphones so much that I oblige myself to get at least a high-end phone (since I consider the Xperia S to be a darn good midrange device, just not high-end anymore).
RodrigoOgasawara said:
I agree with that,but its a bit frustating thing to have a 20mp camera that don't shoot at full resolution,but the quality of the photos looks really good.
Another question,about image compression,pictures take with Z1 are less compressed than XS?I mean,with the Superior Auto mode.
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The Superior Auto mode makes great images in daylight, but once the sunlight is partially gone or you're trying to take pictures with artificial light, the sharpness drops and you get to see this odd Z1 specific 'oversharpening lining' when fully zoomed in. Once you're out of the light, I really recommend using the Manual Mode, because setting the ISO manually makes a huge difference. So if you can live with that, the Z1's camera is as good as it gets (ISO-50 images in darker environments look detailed - Night Mode is even better!).
One other thing I have noticed, is that the Z1 has barely any chromatic (colour) noise - if you can see noise in pictures, it's going to be these 'sharpened lines' that I don't know how else to explain. I really hated how often the coloured noise occurred in pictures taken with the Xperia S, it really ruined the images for me.
Hi there, I liked reading your review as I have had the Xperia S for around a year now on 3 PAYG but Ive been ever so tempted to get either the Z1 or Z1C on contract, but now that ive seen rumours/videos of the suspected 'Z2' which looks pretty darn awesome, do you think its best I get a Z1 or wait for the new release? I mean the Xperia S is a great phone I could cope with it a little more, although stock jellybean 4.1.2 which is what im running has quite a few bugs, also lately my device has been 'overheating' after updating a fair amount of apps which is a sad thing so i guess its nearlly the end for my XS, sad times haha
Sent from my Sony Xperia S LT26i using XDA app-developers app
LevsOG said:
Hi there, I liked reading your review as I have had the Xperia S for around a year now on 3 PAYG but Ive been ever so tempted to get either the Z1 or Z1C on contract, but now that ive seen rumours/videos of the suspected 'Z2' which looks pretty darn awesome, do you think its best I get a Z1 or wait for the new release? I mean the Xperia S is a great phone I could cope with it a little more, although stock jellybean 4.1.2 which is what im running has quite a few bugs, also lately my device has been 'overheating' after updating a fair amount of apps which is a sad thing so i guess its nearlly the end for my XS, sad times haha
Sent from my Sony Xperia S LT26i using XDA app-developers app
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I was just too eager to get the Z1 that I couldn't wait one other week for the Z2. But as for the leaks, the Z2 does look like a more perfect device, but it's probably going to be about €150 (or a similar amount of dollars) more expensive, and I didn't think the Z1 would get much cheaper instantly.
So if you can wait, do so. It's always better - prices can only drop. I just really wanted the Z1 and I wasn't planning on paying that much more for a Z2 that's a little closer to perfection.
To summarize, here's what the Z2 is probably going to improve:
- IPS display, so no more viewing angle complaints
- Android 4.4 (but I presume all software tweaks will be made available for the Z1 as well, either through Sony or else through the amazing XDA developers we got)
- Stereo speakers
Other than that, the Z2 seems to be similar to the Z1. So for the price, I'd go (and I actually went) for the Z1. But it's all up to you, and wait if you can because phones are only getting cheaper!
thinking to upgrade too
but i didnt chose yet ,, Z1 or Z1s or Z1 compact !!! i think the almost the same no ?
sparxx4 said:
thinking to upgrade too
but i didnt chose yet ,, Z1 or Z1s or Z1 compact !!! i think the almost the same no ?
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I'm not sure what the Z1s is supposed to be, but it's either a specific variant of the Z1 or Z1 Compact.
Either way, if you're in doubt between these two and you have an Xperia S, just think about the size. Are you longing for something bigger?
One thing I have to mention: although I love the size of the Z1, it's just not as practical to use in one hand as my old Xperia S. Keep that in mind.
And have fun choosing your next phone
sparxx4 said:
thinking to upgrade too
but i didnt chose yet ,, Z1 or Z1s or Z1 compact !!! i think the almost the same no ?
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Z1s is only for T mobile in USA and it has a slightly better camera and 32GB storage
please read this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2600577
as for me I'll until Z2 is released in my region :good:
Update: I added a YouTube video of the comparison to the original post!
If you'd like to see more of a comparison, ask & subscribe I'd say :angel:
still better S
Still better s because it cheaper Maybe i'll buy z1 when sony will release z2 and z1 went cheaper.
misqowiec said:
Still better s because it cheaper Maybe i'll buy z1 when sony will release z2 and z1 went cheaper.
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Very true that the Xperia S is cheaper now. I can't even sell mine because I'm asking too much apparently :silly:
But make no mistake: the Z1 feels much more of an upgrade than reviews may make it seem.
I purchased the Z1 because the price had already dropped to just above €400, as opposed to the Z2 which is around €550 or even €600 now.
In case of the Z1 vs Z2, I'd go (and I have gone) for the Z1, just for its pricetag.
Genneraly i'm thinking about z1 compact becasue classic z1 is too big for me
misqowiec said:
Genneraly i'm thinking about z1 compact becasue classic z1 is too big for me
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Except for the size there's barely any difference between the two, so I'm hoping my guide will still be useful :3
Hermantje said:
- IPS display, so no more viewing angle complaints
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Isn't it good to have bad viewing angles because of privacy issues? Also it is not a tv so i don't get why people care about viewing angles.
Sent from my HTC One X using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
FaiselW said:
Isn't it good to have bad viewing angles because of privacy issues? Also it is not a tv so i don't get why people care about viewing angles.
Sent from my HTC One X using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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It's all personal preference, but people usually prefer being able to view the display perfectly when it's on the table. It's actually more common than you might think, that you're not looking directly at the display. I'd say, if you're really into privacy, you won't dislike the absent viewing angles. Otherwise the display just looks better overall, when you can even look at it from an angle without contrast loss. The issue I often have is that I can't read text due to lowered contrast when my phone's on the table, for example hooked up to my radio, like it is at this moment. It's more difficult to change songs because the text on the display is not always readable.
FaiselW said:
Isn't it good to have bad viewing angles because of privacy issues? Also it is not a tv so i don't get why people care about viewing angles.
Sent from my HTC One X using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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What privacy issues? Are you concerned someone can read your texts over your shoulder? You'll probably notice when someone's breathing down your neck then, because even with a 5 inch screen, the screen is still small enough to require the phone to still be in an arm's distance from your face to read properly. For everything else like photos and videos, you are aware that you've already shared all of your life with Google, Facebook, etc anyway?
For me, one of the downsides of the Xperia S is how grey all the colours are when you look at it if it's lying down on a table. You can't properly show photos to other people or you need to hand them your phone.
Saying that bad viewing angles are good for privacy is just one of those excuses to avoid criticizing Sony. Sony never made those viewing angles so bad by design, it's not a feature, so the viewing angles should just be as good as possible. If it were a feature, it should be optional because not all of us wear tinfoil hats. If you want bad viewing angles because you're actually concerned about your privacy (and you don't want to tell that creep breathing in your neck to shove off) there are filters you can apply as a screen protector or a case to get even worse viewing angles. I know that Siemens employees need to put a similar filter on their laptops if they're using it in public to avoid leaking company secrets.
About the Xperia Z1/Z2, they're too big for me. I'm considering the Z1 compact but after 2 years of Sony, about half of which with AOSP based ROMs, I've decided I don't like OEM skins and the limitations they pose. So next phone will probably be a Nexus (it's a bit smaller but only just though..) or a Motorola if they release the successor of the Moto X in Belgium at all. I would be tempted to get an Xperia Z1 compact if there were a Google Play Edition.