Good Day guys,
First and foremost, this is not a SONY hate thread so all Sony watchdogs, give me a break okay?
After being disappointed with the recent turn of events thats been happening with my Xperia S, I am now planning to "upgrade" my hardware after a year of using my phone. I just need something that's less of a headache(good battery life, good performance, etc.)
I know the new Galaxy S4 sounds good specs-wise but honestly, its just too ugly for me. iOS device are out of the question too(EEEWW!)
So far, I still feel that Sony still comes on top with regards to producing gorgeous phones. I know they produce good firmwares too(I bought my misis a Xperia V: Its buttery smooth, good performance, etc.; hence that's what triggered this "envy" inside of me.)
Initially, I thought it was because of Jelly Bean but after upgrading my XS, I noticed that the difference is substantial. (My phone still feels like an ICS device, with just JB themes...if you guys get what I mean) Honestly, I dont blame Sony for not sending their top devs to work on the XS because lets face it, they don't make money from it anymore...and as most of us will agree, money makes the world go round....ANYWAYS....
So far the two contenders are Xperia Z and Xperia SP(XS predecessor? )
Specs wise, I'm more keen on the Z, Also, waterproof is nice(again, my misis has a V...and it probably paid off from what I saw her do to her phones)
But I've seen threads about the XSP out performing Z on benchmark tests...plus it also has an illumination bar! Also, the $200 price difference between the two here in Australia seems a lot.
Now before some of you guys blow-off on me and start posting things like:"Do a search!" or "This is not the right forum!"...
My question is this:
Coming from a Xperia S,... Which would you prefer?
Basically, I am asking opinions from you guys, Xperia S users, with regards to what you think (in terms of feel, size, practicality, etc.)
IMO, 5" screen is a bit of an over-kill if you ask me(especially transitioning from an XS)
Any personal experiences are highly valued.
Thanks in advance...
I had an iPhone 4 sgs2 lg thrill ion as of recent. I LOVED my galaxy s2 I honestly wanted to get it back after I got my ion. I've played with the new HTC one x? So many ones, but the sound was fantastic from the forward facing speakers. I'd also take the iPhone 5 I enjoyed my 4 . The galaxy has an open boot loader with tons of custom roms as well as a mod for inductive (wireless ) charging that I'd love to try when I get my new phone. I'm personally after the sgs4 or iPhone 5
Sent from my LT28at using xda app-developers app
HTC One could be an option if you want to choose another brand.
HTC one or a nexus device. Or you can stay with your Sony device and wait for the next release of a nexus device.
Was actually thinkin about HTC too...
I always hated how HTC phones looked "plastic" and toyish but after seeing the new HTC One, I'm really liking the new look with aluminum body.
Here's a good read:
http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_vs_xperia_z-review-917.php
My sister had a SGS2 also and she loved it. Only thing I didn't like about it was the screen. Resolution and color wasn't that great compared to XS. I got turned off ever since I saw the SGS3 though(call me vain, but that design isn't just me)
Will the next nexus phone still be an LG? I have a really bad experience with them(owned 2 phones, both were crap)
Iphone5...its just too rich for me. Couldn't swallow paying for it (as well as buying all the expensive apps)
How about SG4 Active? I love its design more then SG4 and its water and dust proof.
such rtypte
I would definitely go for the Xperia Z. In terms of specs, it crushes SP. Bigger screen, higher PPI, higher resolution, quad-core processor over dual-core, 2GB of RAM over 1 GB, better camera. Anyway, I think you knew this already. Also being waterproof and dust resistant is a nice and quite handy feature. It is more expensive, of course, but it will make a difference. Getting an SP feels like an update while getting the Z feels like an upgrade. Just think about it, SP is quite similar to S and if you are going to spend money, even if it's more, spend it on something that will make a difference, that will make you feel like you have a new phone or you will end up with a polished version of the S. Now, it's your choice, but I highly recommend you go for the Z.
18lama said:
How about SG4 Active? I love its design more then SG4 and its water and dust proof.
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Hmmm...looks better, but still too curvey for me. :-S
Decent specs though
alex.sg said:
I would definitely go for the Xperia Z. In terms of specs, it crushes SP. Bigger screen, higher PPI, higher resolution, quad-core processor over dual-core, 2GB of RAM over 1 GB, better camera. Anyway, I think you knew this already. Also being waterproof and dust resistant is a nice and quite handy feature. It is more expensive, of course, but it will make a difference. Getting an SP feels like an update while getting the Z feels like an upgrade. Just think about it, SP is quite similar to S and if you are going to spend money, even if it's more, spend them on something that will make a difference, that will make you feel like you have a new phone or you will end up with a polished version of the S. Now, it's your choice, but I highly recommend you go for the Z.
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Yeah, i figured that too...
But now they have the ZR coming out...not to mention the ZL!
Damn you Sony! Why do you make it hard for me to choose!!!
Sent from my LT26i using xda app-developers app
I don't know when they will launch this but it would be Epic to have one.
http://www.gsmarena.com/asus_padfone_infinity-5328.php
http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/21/asus-padfone-infinity-review/
If it was for me, I will buy Xperia Z.
The best looking (IMO), waterproof, bigger screen than XS, best scpecs.
If the GS4 was not all made of plastic, the choice would have been more complicated
I would say go for HTC One. Better specs than XZ, boomsound, lighter UI(atleast lighter than sense 4), faster updates than XZ,good support for custom roms,etc..
Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 4 Beta
bobby8921 said:
If it was for me, I will buy Xperia Z.
The best looking (IMO), waterproof, bigger screen than XS, best scpecs.
If the GS4 was not all made of plastic, the choice would have been more complicated
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Click to collapse
Okay, went to Optus(Mobile provider here in Australia) earlier today to check out the phones.
I inspected 3 phones in total: HTC One, SGS4, and the Xperia Z.
So far, here's my personal verdict on the 3.
Build quality:
SGS4 - Looks sturdy from afar but once held, feel is too "plastiky". My Xperia S feels "tougher" than the SGS4. Somehow, I don't comfortable putting it in my pocket while my 2 year-old bounces around on my lap. The plastic case feels flimsy. It was a bit "squeaky" too.
HTC One - Feels really sturdy. The fact that it is made of one-piece aluminum, I wouldn't be surprised. I think that thing can double as a weapon in bar fights(metaphorically speaking, of course). Actually, Im surprised they did not make it water-proof. They could have just added a few rubber seals here and there and that would be it.
Xperia Z - With both glass front and back, it definitely feels better than the SGS4. It feels "durable" too.The power button was moved to a good location too. Its now a bit accessible, compared to my Xperia S. Its a bit high maintenance though when it comes to keeping it clean. I just held it for a few minutes and it was already coated with smudges.
Looks:
SGS4 - no comment.
HTC One - It looks good in a sense that its very unique for a HTC phone. The look is a bit retro also, which I like.
Xperia Z - Damn, that phone is gorgeous. For some reason, Sony did a very good job in making that phone look elegant and classy. Its decent enough to pull out in a black tie party yet it can still blend in well when going on a hunting trip.
I couldn't really comment on performance since I was not able to turn on both the HTC and Xperia Z since they didn't have demo units for those two.
At the end of the day, I went with the Z. Factoring in the price and features(I just love the waterproof feature), I'd be getting the most out of my money.
Phone will arrive in 5 days(they didn't have white, so I had to pre-order)
After that, its bye-bye Xperia S
Thanks for the help guys!
chefnoob said:
Okay, went to Optus(Mobile provider here in Australia) earlier today to check out the phones.
I inspected 3 phones in total: HTC One, SGS4, and the Xperia Z.
So far, here's my personal verdict on the 3.
Build quality:
SGS4 - Looks sturdy from afar but once held, feel is too "plastiky". My Xperia S feels "tougher" than the SGS4. Somehow, I don't comfortable putting it in my pocket while my 2 year-old bounces around on my lap. The plastic case feels flimsy. It was a bit "squeaky" too.
HTC One - Feels really sturdy. The fact that it is made of one-piece aluminum, I wouldn't be surprised. I think that thing can double as a weapon in bar fights(metaphorically speaking, of course). Actually, Im surprised they did not make it water-proof. They could have just added a few rubber seals here and there and that would be it.
Xperia Z - With both glass front and back, it definitely feels better than the SGS4. It feels "durable" too.The power button was moved to a good location too. Its now a bit accessible, compared to my Xperia S. Its a bit high maintenance though when it comes to keeping it clean. I just held it for a few minutes and it was already coated with smudges.
Looks:
SGS4 - no comment.
HTC One - It looks good in a sense that its very unique for a HTC phone. The look is a bit retro also, which I like.
Xperia Z - Damn, that phone is gorgeous. For some reason, Sony did a very good job in making that phone look elegant and classy. Its decent enough to pull out in a black tie party yet it can still blend in well when going on a hunting trip.
I couldn't really comment on performance since I was not able to turn on both the HTC and Xperia Z since they didn't have demo units for those two.
At the end of the day, I went with the Z. Factoring in the price and features(I just love the waterproof feature), I'd be getting the most out of my money.
Phone will arrive in 5 days(they didn't have white, so I had to pre-order)
After that, its bye-bye Xperia S
Thanks for the help guys!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Remember to case it. It's fragile.
Sent from my LT28h using xda app-developers app
Top phones for me. . .
HTC One - Great hardware, great software, great build quality. The perfect phone
SGS4 - Great hardware, the best software, bad build quality. Although the build quality improved greatly compared to SGS3.
Xperia Z - Hardware trails behind SGS4 & HTC One, great software but bad support, and absolutely amazing build quality, the best build quality I've ever seen.
Nexus 4 - Probably outdated hardware but still great, direct Google software support, great build quality. Better wait for the next generation this coming months.
I was almost won over by HTC One...The thing that prevented me from getting is was actually the camera. 4MP?!? For a 2013 phone, thats a bit weak.
get Xperia ZL and join our community..
Hehehe
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app
i wish the z had US lte bands
chefnoob said:
Good Day guys,
Now before some of you guys blow-off on me and start posting things like:"Do a search!" or "This is not the right forum!"...
My question is.....
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Click to collapse
Sorry but This is NOT the correct forum for a question of any kind.
Read XDA rule
15. Keep posts/threads on-topic
Whilst a minor amount of off-topic posting may be overlooked, the general rule is your posts / threads must be relevant to the Forum / thread in which you are posting.
General Forums - For news and announcements relating to your device.
Q&A Forums - For all question threads / posts. If there is no Q&A forum use the device General Forum
Accessories subforum - For posts related to accessories relevant to the phone model
Development Forums (ones with the word development in the title) - For developers to post release threads e.g. ROMs and Kernels including modifications to Kernels, Bootloaders, ROMs, etc.
Themes and Apps Forums - For themers to post Themes and App. announcements & discussions including modifications made to Apps and Themes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also "Which is best?" thread are not allowed.
YES, you have to do your own research.
If you need more information about something, use that something's thread. Or use an existing discussion thread. SEARCH
And just for the record you also violated this XDA rule
1. Search before posting.
Use one of our search functions before posting, whether you have a question or something new to share, it's very likely someone already asked that question or shared that news.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
threads moved & closed
Related
I get my shiny new 6502 today and I am sooo excited I am coming from a Note II.
Reasons I switched:
Love the fact that it is a 5" screen but compact, tired of lugging around such a huge phone but love a bigger screen.
Love the clean UI, almost Nexus 4'ish.
Love that it's not all glass like the Z because I use my phones naked so less chance of damage there.
Love the fact that I bought a factory unlocked phone and that I am actually going to finally give T Mobile a try (coming from AT&T), will save $70 a month.
Love the fact that my phone will be different than the other 90% of the population because its not an iPhone or Samsung.
Love the fact that paired up with my shiny new black Pebble watch, this will be a sick combo!
Love 13MP camera so i can zoom into everything. (use phone a lot for engineering work and take pictures of things for notes)
Also love the fact that I bought an HTC One (still waiting for it) and will probably use both as my daily driver (I get bored really quick haha)
Concerns:
I hope that the camera is good and if not that we can either tweak the software for the original camera app, or get a custom camera app that will work better.
I hope the display doesn't wash out as bad as everyone says (or that I don't actually use the screen from a different angle, because I have never thought of it)
Hope the external speaker is at least decent enough that if I watch youtube videos I can hear them ok.
Hope I can tweak the heck out of the phone.
Hope I can get the camera app to launch faster. (might just have to keep it loaded in memory before I know I am going to use it, but what happens when you need it quickly...)
Just some of my thoughts for now as I day dream of my new phone today.
Come on mail lady, please be swift today!
If you have any thoughts on any of these things, or your own reasons you switched or concerns, I would love to hear them.
I will post back on here as soon as I get the phone in my hands (my precious will be with me soon) haha
Guess what I just got in my hands! My little precious!!!
Congratulations! I find that my zl battery got so much better after about 5 days, also I find it gets less warm these days. I have action launcher, lmt launcher and the phone is great. I find the camera launches pretty fast using the shutter key.
Absolutely love the screen and the feel of this device! Cannot believe how small this is with a 5" screen, amazing. Excellent build quality, screams elegant.
10x faster than my Note 2.
Will continue to download all my apps and get it fully customized and write more later on it.
1st impressions; love it!
Hardcore73 said:
Absolutely love the screen and the feel of this device! Cannot believe how small this is with a 5" screen, amazing. Excellent build quality, screams elegant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree! Every single time I pick up the phone, it just sits so well in the hand. I wanna touch it over and over again. I even run my hands over it gently when its lying in front of me with that gorgeous back
Hardcore73 said:
Absolutely love the screen and the feel of this device! Cannot believe how small this is with a 5" screen, amazing. Excellent build quality, screams elegant.
10x faster than my Note 2.
Will continue to download all my apps and get it fully customized and write more later on it.
1st impressions; love it!
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Click to collapse
awesome...seriously that faster over note 2? haha
If you live in a major city. Try T-Mobile, they are upgrading their network at the moment to 4g/LTE. Although LTE is not ready to be turned on. I'm working on the NYC metro market.
Sent from my Inspire 4G using xda app-developers app
6502 does not have LTE
After using this phone for a full day I am so in love with it. I really was unsure and thought it would just get me by until the HTC showed up.
This might actually become my new daily driver.
Been messing with camera app all day. It is hit or miss.
Everything about the phone is great. I can also go a whole day with moderate use.
only downfall of this phone is the camera software. Pictures are hit or miss.
I have to say i'm very disappointed.
Not comparable to the HTC ONE or the Galaxy S4. Maybe new design but we didn't even get flagship. Sorry Sony.
GodKingKnight said:
Not comparable to the HTC ONE or the Galaxy S4. Maybe new design but we didn't even get flagship. Sorry Sony.
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Wtf is we didn't even get flagship? That's a reason the zl can't beat one or s4? Wow the people on this forum does not fail to amaze me with their stupidity every single day.
Sent from my LT29i using Tapatalk 2
This phone is a flag ship. Sony may be behind on processor and screen but the difference against the competition in real world use is not visible. If you read all the blogs and believe everything you read you may believe this phone is inferior. Actually the ZL holds its own. Just sold my htc one for it. Horses for courses.
Sent from my C6502 using xda premium
GodKingKnight said:
Not comparable to the HTC ONE or the Galaxy S4. Maybe new design but we didn't even get flagship. Sorry Sony.
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Click to collapse
I prefer ZL over the two phones u mentioned. Overall ZL seems well rounded device & better suited to my use. Of course, ZL is a flagship (along with Z). I'd have answered objectively if only your post were so!
switching from nexus 4
I just ordered a 6502 today, should be here tuesday or wednesday.
I'm switching from a nexus 4. Yes I know but I have always liked Sony:laugh:
glovesave said:
I just ordered a 6502 today, should be here tuesday or wednesday.
I'm switching from a nexus 4. Yes I know but I have always liked Sony:laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will keep picking it up, just feels so good in the hand. Sony has come along way from the days of x10
Sent from my C6502 using Tapatalk 2
Hey, I liked the x10!!!
ronj1986 said:
Hey, I liked the x10!!!
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software was so blotted and the built quality was alright..
Great phone!
I'm also waiting for my HTC One in the mail. My carrier was offering a ridiculous deal for the ZL so I went for it, and will make my decision when it comes. The ZL is awesome for many unique reasons and could very well become my DD
Elegant design - great feel in the hand!
Can use one handed because of compact design and small bezel
Display is gorgeous. Yeah we know about the poor viewing angles...but we mainly look at our phones straight on...right?
Sexy and visible LED notification light (HTC take note)
Power button has perfect placement. It's just accessible no matter how you pick up the phone (again take note HTC)
Expandable storage
Dedicated camera button
Clean and unbloated Android experience. Super fast ui response!
IR blaster works great with other devices
Great sound with headphones
No point in outlining negatives here. Either way you slice it this is a fantastic phone....enjoy it!
got it....love my 6502
It came today, haven't had time to play too much with it so still setting it up.
So far I am loving it.
Don't have to enable data to receive pictures in my texts (that always annoyed me on the Nexus 4). Also I am torn between all the updates vs giving even more info to Google. I picked the Sony route for a bit.
Love the 5 inch size, with the screen taking most of the front it is just right it seems
Went with the unlocked 6502, won't pay $200 extra for LTE (I'm on WIFI all the time anyways)
Just picked up an Xperia Zl (C6506) and using it on Bell Mobility Canada. I currently use a Note II (came from a Note I prior, and an iPhone 4S before that). After just a few hours here are my thoughts (I'll update this later as I get to try battery power and reception a bit more).
I will be using this for a week or two for sure, and I'll either give this to my wife and grab a Galaxy S4, or I will keep this and get an Xperia ZL for the wife too. I'll decide when the S4 comes out, but so far I could happily live with this device.
Obviously, the points below are incomplete. I'll update over the next few weeks:
Screen:
- Nice and sharp. Boy was I more worried than I should have been about the 'terrible' viewing angles. I am picky about the display too, so I was worried I would not like it. Display is fine (yes, colours washed out a bit on an angle but its really not a big deal).
- Screen size is great! If the Note's screen size has you spoiled, the Xperia is a good device to move to if you want a smaller 'pocket' footprint.
Build quality/Size:
- Feels great in the hand. The plastic feels better quality than the Note II or S3s. Does not feel cheap.
- Wife who has iPhone 4S loves it too (she has very small hands, unlike the big ones I have). She says it "does not feel dainty like the iPhone". I asked her if she would be happy with it and she said she will use this no prob, and she hates big phones.
- Feels great in the pocket (but I did not mind the Note II in my jeans so that that into account).
Performance:
- snappy scrolling and app launching. Comparable to the Note II (in my eyes).
- Took my 64GB microSD card no problems. It was formatted by my Note II (not sure of the file format) and the ZL took the card and reads all the data already on it without an issue or need to reformat.
Conclusion (after 3 hours of use):
- Nothing to worry about as far as screen size and screen quality if you are a Note II user.
There's already a thread regarding this in the Q&A section as many of us (ZL owners) have/had note2. I've done my comparison of the two here. Anyway thanks for sharing your views!
Dpk1 said:
There's already a thread regarding this in the Q&A section as many of us (ZL owners) have/had note2. I've done my comparison of the two here. Anyway thanks for sharing your views!
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Haha awesome. I did not look too closely at the Indian ZL thread. Looks like your experiences are close to what I am seeing (the model numbers of the Note II and ZL differ mostly in just the available modems correct?)
chriskwarren said:
Haha awesome. I did not look too closely at the Indian ZL thread. Looks like your experiences are close to what I am seeing (the model numbers of the Note II and ZL differ mostly in just the available modems correct?)
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Click to collapse
Yeah, I guess. Lol, we do share quite similar thoughts !
came from note 2 here as well. loving the phone!
Sent from my C6502 using xda premium
hyelton said:
came from note 2 here as well. loving the phone!
Sent from my C6502 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So actually whats the Difference you found in Xperia Zl vs Galaxy Note II ?
Why you choose Zl, instead of getting S4?
All people having complain about viewing angle, I also want to go for Xperia Zl but now by people reviews I really disappointed to go for it, but I love Xperia Zl
If you're another victim of the viewing angle plot, get your self a s4 and end convo now. What is the matter with people and viewing angles? **** is a useless extra that Samsung fan boys dug out their ass to justify the flat looking icons their Ui looks. And even so, who looks into their screens from an angle? Rreally? Common people.
Sent from my LT29i using Tapatalk 2
Lusterboi said:
If you're another victim of the viewing angle plot, get your self a s4 and end convo now. What is the matter with people and viewing angles? **** is a useless extra that Samsung fan boys dug out their ass to justify the flat looking icons their Ui looks. And even so, who looks into their screens from an angle? Rreally? Common people.
Sent from my LT29i using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No Brother you are wrong I'm not victim of Bloody viewing angles, but I'm just try to asking actually How the screen of Xperia Zl is looking ???
Because I love the Simplicity of Sony UI & also compact design,
One-thing more is ntt-docomo Xperia is using looking better than normal Xperia line, do you know about it?
jhony.liver said:
No Brother you are wrong I'm not victim of Bloody viewing angles, but I'm just try to asking actually How the screen of Xperia Zl is looking ???
Because I love the Simplicity of Sony UI & also compact design,
One-thing more is ntt-docomo Xperia is using looking better than normal Xperia line, do you know about it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Compared to other flagship, screen is good. Nothing spectacular, but nothing to keep nagging about either. You see so many complaining about it, because there is very little wrong with the ZL. The best thing to do, if you are on the fence, would be to compare them once the S4 is out. The screen looks insanely sharp on their new ads.
As for the NTT DOCOMO version, remember that its bootloader will be locked. Whether its unlockable or not, you will need to check.
I think you need to decide if you want
Soft buttons or Sammy style buttons
Dedicated camera button or not
Touch whiz or Sony styling
Lcd or amoled
Removable battery or not
When you have decided you have made your decision.
The rest just doesn't matter.
Processor - you won't know the difference
Camera - both good
Battery life - comparable
Good luck.
Sent from my C6502 using xda premium
Week 2 after trading Note 2 for X ZL
I was in the same boat as you. Actually, I loved my Note 2 I used the hell out of it, the screen size was enough that I almost completely abandoned my Nexus 7, it just fit the gap between Tablet and phone so close that I hardly ever felt myself needing to switch to the Nexus 7.
Not to mention the battery was awesome and I don't remember ever having a day where I didn't get a full day of heavy use out of it. It was my favorite gadget ever so, as you can imagine, I was a bit reluctant to give it up easily. I actually had no real intention of selling my note 2 but I've had it for a while and it started to show it's age.
I was in a mobile shop the other day and I saw a ZL there. It was used 2 days and almost $200 dollars off the new price. In the end it cost me a grand total of $50 and heavily used, year old Note 2 as a trade in. Pretty damn good deal if you ask me. The phone was in mint condition. I had some experience with the Xperia Z which a friend bought and I really, really liked it. At first I was kind of sad that the Z was not available but I couldn't pass it up at that good of a deal. Now having used it for a couple weeks, I like the ZL much, much better than the Z
So, two weeks in and I am super happy. I love the ZL completely. I was a worried I wouldn't like it as much because the screen a little smalled but the nearly invisible bezel on the ZL and the build quality made it all worth it. ( I would love to see a 5.5" screen on the next version of it )
All in all I don't regret my decision at all and I don't think I will be giving it up anytime soon ( that is maybe until the note 3 is released, or the fabled Xphone from Motorola ) until then I will love and enjoy my ZL.
I do have a few minor issues with the ZL. First and foremost it seems to get a bit warm pretty quickly, I'm not exactly sure why this is but I never had any heat issues with any of my previous phones ( samsungs and nokias mostly )
People mention the viewing angles, and I honestly can't understand why this is an issue. With A TV I could understand because you sometimes have to sit at weird angles., but on a mobile I don't understand why anyone would want ( or would be able to ) use their phone at any angle that would cause any problems. In my experience the ZL has an awesome screen, althoughI did notice a single dead pixel which kinda makes me sad but you can't really notice it.
My other issues are simply, I can't find any aftermarket stuff for it in my area. There are no cases or anything to speak of so I am super paranoid about dropping it.
And finally, there is a lack of custom roms out there for the ZL. This is more because I'm a Rom addict and not smart enough to bake my own ;D
I rooted it and unlocked the boot-loader out of the box I would love to put PAC Rom on it at some point.
Again, it took my 64GB SD card with no problems.
The battery life is not as good as the Note 2 but it is very, very good. I make it through a whole day, with heavy use no problem.
In closing, if you are on the fence about trading in your Note 2, don't be. It's a worthy upgrade.
chriskwarren said:
Just picked up an Xperia Zl (C6506) and using it on Bell Mobility Canada. I currently use a Note II (came from a Note I prior, and an iPhone 4S before that). After just a few hours here are my thoughts (I'll update this later as I get to try battery power and reception a bit more).
I will be using this for a week or two for sure, and I'll either give this to my wife and grab a Galaxy S4, or I will keep this and get an Xperia ZL for the wife too. I'll decide when the S4 comes out, but so far I could happily live with this device.
Obviously, the points below are incomplete. I'll update over the next few weeks:
Screen:
- Nice and sharp. Boy was I more worried than I should have been about the 'terrible' viewing angles. I am picky about the display too, so I was worried I would not like it. Display is fine (yes, colours washed out a bit on an angle but its really not a big deal).
- Screen size is great! If the Note's screen size has you spoiled, the Xperia is a good device to move to if you want a smaller 'pocket' footprint.
Build quality/Size:
- Feels great in the hand. The plastic feels better quality than the Note II or S3s. Does not feel cheap.
- Wife who has iPhone 4S loves it too (she has very small hands, unlike the big ones I have). She says it "does not feel dainty like the iPhone". I asked her if she would be happy with it and she said she will use this no prob, and she hates big phones.
- Feels great in the pocket (but I did not mind the Note II in my jeans so that that into account).
Performance:
- snappy scrolling and app launching. Comparable to the Note II (in my eyes).
- Took my 64GB microSD card no problems. It was formatted by my Note II (not sure of the file format) and the ZL took the card and reads all the data already on it without an issue or need to reformat.
Conclusion (after 3 hours of use):
- Nothing to worry about as far as screen size and screen quality if you are a Note II user.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you're a flash a holic and you made a new account and this is your first post?
thx bro for the review btw. this is good to hear as I am also considering Sony Xperia ZL, but strictly for the ROMs (because I thought development for Sony was better, vs Samsung's AT&T Note 2 ROMs which I found a bit lacking even after one year).
I'm currently on GSM Galaxy Nexus which has a boat load of ROMs to flash.
I might wait a year to see how the development shapes up. I will get the ZL that comes with LTE support so I'm reading around for a while.
abuayyoub said:
I was in the same boat as you. Actually, I loved my Note 2 I used the hell out of it, the screen size was enough that I almost completely abandoned my Nexus 7, it just fit the gap between Tablet and phone so close that I hardly ever felt myself needing to switch to the Nexus 7.
Not to mention the battery was awesome and I don't remember ever having a day where I didn't get a full day of heavy use out of it. It was my favorite gadget ever so, as you can imagine, I was a bit reluctant to give it up easily. I actually had no real intention of selling my note 2 but I've had it for a while and it started to show it's age.
I was in a mobile shop the other day and I saw a ZL there. It was used 2 days and almost $200 dollars off the new price. In the end it cost me a grand total of $50 and heavily used, year old Note 2 as a trade in. Pretty damn good deal if you ask me. The phone was in mint condition. I had some experience with the Xperia Z which a friend bought and I really, really liked it. At first I was kind of sad that the Z was not available but I couldn't pass it up at that good of a deal. Now having used it for a couple weeks, I like the ZL much, much better than the Z
So, two weeks in and I am super happy. I love the ZL completely. I was a worried I wouldn't like it as much because the screen a little smalled but the nearly invisible bezel on the ZL and the build quality made it all worth it. ( I would love to see a 5.5" screen on the next version of it )
All in all I don't regret my decision at all and I don't think I will be giving it up anytime soon ( that is maybe until the note 3 is released, or the fabled Xphone from Motorola ) until then I will love and enjoy my ZL.
I do have a few minor issues with the ZL. First and foremost it seems to get a bit warm pretty quickly, I'm not exactly sure why this is but I never had any heat issues with any of my previous phones ( samsungs and nokias mostly )
People mention the viewing angles, and I honestly can't understand why this is an issue. With A TV I could understand because you sometimes have to sit at weird angles., but on a mobile I don't understand why anyone would want ( or would be able to ) use their phone at any angle that would cause any problems. In my experience the ZL has an awesome screen, althoughI did notice a single dead pixel which kinda makes me sad but you can't really notice it.
My other issues are simply, I can't find any aftermarket stuff for it in my area. There are no cases or anything to speak of so I am super paranoid about dropping it.
And finally, there is a lack of custom roms out there for the ZL. This is more because I'm a Rom addict and not smart enough to bake my own ;D
I rooted it and unlocked the boot-loader out of the box I would love to put PAC Rom on it at some point.
Again, it took my 64GB SD card with no problems.
The battery life is not as good as the Note 2 but it is very, very good. I make it through a whole day, with heavy use no problem.
In closing, if you are on the fence about trading in your Note 2, don't be. It's a worthy upgrade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow. I'm impressed with the reviews from Note users.
At this point the lack of Roms that's stopping me. I had the XS and used the KA roms and see he is developing for the the ZL which is good.
never stock always tweaked
I had a ZL for 10 days, loved the build quality & size. I would have kept it, but the locked bootloader convinced me that it wasn't worth keeping it. I did find battery life is longer on the Note2. I am hanging on to my Note2 for now.
me too came from note 2.. the phone is pretty badA$$.
I'm surprised I'm not the only Note 2 user looking at this phone... I wonder what it is about it that attracts the Note 2 userbase??
Question for those who have switched regarding the screen, how are the blacks? I know they aren't AMOLED black, but are they still pretty dark?
arthurbrownleeiv said:
I'm surprised I'm not the only Note 2 user looking at this phone... I wonder what it is about it that attracts the Note 2 userbase??
Question for those who have switched regarding the screen, how are the blacks? I know they aren't AMOLED black, but are they still pretty dark?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They're ok, about average for a TFT screen. Nothing compares to AMOLED when it comes to blacks.
Not a note 2 owner
I was torn between Xperia ZL and note 2, because here in my country, they are sold for almost exactly the same price.
With much thinking and reading, I have decided to go for the ZL mainly because of: Compactness, and a brighter future ahead in terms of development support (as I see it).
Getting it next week. Sooo excited
JRBT24 said:
I was torn between Xperia ZL and note 2, because here in my country, they are sold for almost exactly the same price.
With much thinking and reading, I have decided to go for the ZL mainly because of: Compactness, and a brighter future ahead in terms of development support (as I see it).
Getting it next week. Sooo excited
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup its a great phone but don't bother to sell your note 2 ...
Sent from my SM-G900F using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Hello guys,
after the long wait for Jelly bean on my Xperia S ive had enough of that phone. It lags a lot in the Homescreen, its slow very often, the walkman random pauses, its sluggish and the support is as good as dead. So now im Thinking of buying a new phone in mid Juli. So my question is: What phone do you think i should get? Ive got my eye on the Z and the SP. I know SP is only a midrange phone, but I completely love the design of it. The Z is more expensive, but probably the better phone. I like Sony a lot, because of the general design and the UI. I wont even start about the support because,... well you know.. And im begging you, no Samsung suggestions )
Radixtrator said:
Hello guys,
after the long wait for Jelly bean on my Xperia S ive had enough of that phone. It lags a lot in the Homescreen, its slow very often, the walkman random pauses, its sluggish and the support is as good as dead. So now im Thinking of buying a new phone in mid Juli. So my question is: What phone do you think i should get? Ive got my eye on the Z and the SP. I know SP is only a midrange phone, but I completely love the design of it. The Z is more expensive, but probably the better phone. I like Sony a lot, because of the general design and the UI. I wont even start about the support because,... well you know.. And im begging you, no Samsung suggestions )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
might as well go all out and buy the Z. Its flagship status pretty much guarantees it will be first in line for updates (at least for this year, cant say anything bout next year). better specs and great design, plus water(Proof/resistant).
Yeah I thought so.. I just hope Sony fixes everything in Jelly Bean..
noo!! i refer you to uy SP i know Z is better in everything than sp but SP is simple and just like the S u can use it with 1 hand and its battery life is incredible than the Z so i refer you to go with SP
Zenx_X said:
noo!! i refer you to uy SP i know Z is better in everything than sp but SP is simple and just like the S u can use it with 1 hand and its battery life is incredible than the Z so i refer you to go with SP
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 me to the xperia sp is my next phone
If you are going to spend your bucks on Xperia Z range phones, I would suggest you to buy the HTC One...
Don't buy the SP, it's a mid - range non flagship phone - - - - - SO FORGET ABOUT LONG TERM SUPPORT(Look how Sony is treating their last year flagship XS, so SP will suck big time in terms of support from Sony)..
Yeah the xperia S is almost dead to Sony, thats the only thing ( except the the bugs) that i really hate about this phone..
Don't think and just go for Z. It has amazing support from Sony and should even have long term support. I think that it even has good developer support on XDA, No need to say anything about the performance. I can easily run any game or app without a single lag on my XZ. There is enough ram to anything that you want. Around 1-1.2 GB free ram is perfect for all user apps. XZ and SP are not comparable. If money doesn't matter to you, just go for a XZ. Believe me, you won't regret it.
Jackmax32 said:
If you are going to spend your bucks on Xperia Z range phones, I would suggest you to buy the HTC One...
Don't buy the SP, it's a mid - range non flagship phone - - - - - SO FORGET ABOUT LONG TERM SUPPORT(Look how Sony is treating their last year flagship XS, so SP will suck big time in terms of support from Sony)..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
If your gonna shell out the money for a Z why on earth wouldnt you get the HTC One? Its definatly better in my opinion.
Sent from no where....
FanDroid09 said:
+1
If your gonna shell out the money for a Z why on earth wouldnt you get the HTC One? Its definatly better in my opinion.
Sent from no where....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
Yeah HTC One is better in my opinion (even though I'm a total Sony fan). It's chipset and display is top-notch. Battery life is also better than Z.
HTC One - over 10 hours of video playback, almost 10 hrs of web browsing and 13 hrs of 3G talk time
Xperia Z - 5 and a half hour of video playback, 6 and a half hour of web browsing, 16 hrs of 3G talk time.
(source: GSMArena's battery tests)
Despite its 4MP Ultrapixel camera...HTC is trying to provide continuous software updates to provide better camera quality and improvements.
Sent from my LT26w Xperia Acro S using xda premium
That was one of the bigger dilemmas i was facing HTC one or z.. I just dont really like the ui htc provides and i simply love all the things sony adds to the roms.. The walkman app for instance. It is by far the best music app
Sent from my LT26i using xda app-developers app
HTC one is a better opinion I think
Sent from my Xperia S using xda premium
Radixtrator said:
I wont even start about the support because,... well you know.. And im begging you, no Samsung suggestions )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait until Sony releases thier next flagship.
Sent from my sunken ship xperia s.
That will take a while i guess...
Sent from my LT26i using xda app-developers app
bluechelsea said:
Wait until Sony releases thier next flagship.
Sent from my sunken ship xperia s.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And when that happens the next flagship rumours will start to pop and someone will say: "Wait for next flagship". You can't wait for the best around the corner, because there will always be one"
Yeah, thats what I was thinking.. Lets just hope the JB for Xperia S really fixes everything
Leaving my own personal rants on Sony's software support out of it; i too am in the same boat currently owning an Ion.
As far as the big Android phones for 2013, this is all i've noticed so far...still have plenty of time to figure it out before my upgrade, and i'm hoping i'm happy enough with JB to just wait it out until next year.
Sony Xperia Z/ZL: by far the absolute best physical design i've seen so far in a phone. 5" screen freaked me out at first, but its barely bigger than my Ion, just much more screen. I haven't held a ZL yet, but the Z is pretty incredible if you haven't seen it in person yet. At the same time, its a big 'who knows' on its support. Going by 2012, it'll get one update late summer...then barely ever get mentioned again...Soon after 18 more phones will be available, and Sony will continue having no realistic way of supporting devices they already sold.
HTC One: Good design overall. Most are reporting its very durable, good for me as i love dropping things that are expensive. Not sure about all that layered UI stuff they're up to yet though. Only bad thing for me would be the lack of SD card support.
Samsung Galaxy S4: By far the most popular choice, creating a community of users that rivals Apple, and the support that comes with it. Too bad, though, it looks like a toy. I wouldn't be surprised if the box included a Sesame Street DVD.
for all the above reasons, i'd be very happy just waiting it out and seeing what 2014 brings. maybe sony will turn it around company wise, maybe not. But i still think the Z is too early in this mess for it not to share the EXACT same fate as last years flagship.
jtr165 said:
Leaving my own personal rants on Sony's software support out of it; i too am in the same boat currently owning an Ion.
As far as the big Android phones for 2013, this is all i've noticed so far...still have plenty of time to figure it out before my upgrade, and i'm hoping i'm happy enough with JB to just wait it out until next year.
Sony Xperia Z/ZL: by far the absolute best physical design i've seen so far in a phone. 5" screen freaked me out at first, but its barely bigger than my Ion, just much more screen. I haven't held a ZL yet, but the Z is pretty incredible if you haven't seen it in person yet. At the same time, its a big 'who knows' on its support. Going by 2012, it'll get one update late summer...then barely ever get mentioned again...Soon after 18 more phones will be available, and Sony will continue having no realistic way of supporting devices they already sold.
HTC One: Good design overall. Most are reporting its very durable, good for me as i love dropping things that are expensive. Not sure about all that layered UI stuff they're up to yet though. Only bad thing for me would be the lack of SD card support.
Samsung Galaxy S4: By far the most popular choice, creating a community of users that rivals Apple, and the support that comes with it. Too bad, though, it looks like a toy. I wouldn't be surprised if the box included a Sesame Street DVD.
for all the above reasons, i'd be very happy just waiting it out and seeing what 2014 brings. maybe sony will turn it around company wise, maybe not. But i still think the Z is too early in this mess for it not to share the EXACT same fate as last years flagship.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Either you live long enough to buy it now,or regret not to buy it later
Sent from my SK17i using xda premium
Jackmax32 said:
If you are going to spend your bucks on Xperia Z range phones, I would suggest you to buy the HTC One...
Don't buy the SP, it's a mid - range non flagship phone - - - - - SO FORGET ABOUT LONG TERM SUPPORT(Look how Sony is treating their last year flagship XS, so SP will suck big time in terms of support from Sony)..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, the midranger like XP are getting JB 1st before XS. Not to mention XS got ICS latter than 2011 devices.
The thing is the cost of XZ or HTC ONE is twice the price of XSP.
Sent from my ME371MG using xda app-developers app
Yes, of course those phones cost twice as much as the XS. But lets face it, the XS has horrible support and an extremley buggy ICS.. Why do you guys think the HTC one is so much better? It probably is a bit better, but id really like to know why. Andthe Z is now already available for 500€ which is a lot less than the HTC
Good day everyone!
For the past two years I've been using Xperia Arc, and it lived a long and exciting life, but not it came the time to move on to something faster. Unfortunately, I am very limited in the amount of money I want to spend on my new phone, but I want to continue the tradition and keep with sony products. That is why I am here asking a question, what would be the best alternative for Xperia arc, which will be both quick and relatively cheap. I've considered Xperia V, Xperia Acro S and Xperia T, but i haven't found much of a difference between them, therefore, i need your help. What is the best Arc-like smartphone currently on the market for the cheap? ( I do apologize if I've wrote the question in the different thread, but I thought that it would be best asking Arc users for their advice)
if you want it with similar specs then get xperia J, it has a JB update and its cheap, plus has an appealing sony look
blakstar said:
if you want it with similar specs then get xperia J, it has a JB update and its cheap, plus has an appealing sony look
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He mentioned about Xperia T or V and you are suggesting J
@ op try posting here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1620179
Sent from my Neo V using xda-developers app
he clearly said "What is the best Arc-like smartphone currently on the market for the cheap?"
so Xperia J would be the best match for his budget
well, yeah, But I ment looking like Arc, not being slow as it is now! That's why Xperia V looks like the best of them all, cz looks like Arc (curvy) and ahve quite enough power.
My T beats the heck out of S3 almost in every benchmark.so T or V but v looks like arc more than T.
Sent from my LT30p using xda premium
Thats what I have been looking for! and V does look like arc, so i guess, it should be v!
Is there any other similar smartphones on the market, similar to v
sorry for misleading you guys before, my English is not Brilliant
HTC has some dual-core alternatives, the One SV or the older One S. Basically any dual-core HTC from 2012 would be lightning fast compared to the Arc.
I'd stay away from LG altogether. Anything below an Optimus G is a junk. They all have horrible build quality.
I don't want to step any toes here but the Galaxy S3 Mini is a hell lot of phone for a very reasonable price. Phone prices depend on the market but in Europe, this phone sells less than the Xperia T (despite the price cuts on the T) and is a better phone (in my opinion).
Recently a friend bought an Acer. Forgot which model it was but it had 720p display in a 4.3 inch screen or something similar. He is pretty happy and I've seen the screen, it looks pretty clear and amazing. And the viewing angles are a million times better than the Arc (well, that's not fair, all Sony phones, the Z included, have terrible viewing angles. So maybe I shouldn't compare).
For that price no.there are some samsungs but they are heck ugly
Sent from my LT30p using xda premium
RecklessTurtle said:
HTC has some dual-core alternatives, the One SV or the older One S. Basically any dual-core HTC from 2012 would be lightning fast compared to the Arc.
I'd stay away from LG altogether. Anything below an Optimus G is a junk. They all have horrible build quality.
I don't want to step any toes here but the Galaxy S3 Mini is a hell lot of phone for a very reasonable price. Phone prices depend on the market but in Europe, this phone sells less than the Xperia T (despite the price cuts on the T) and is a better phone (in my opinion).
Recently a friend bought an Acer. Forgot which model it was but it had 720p display in a 4.3 inch screen or something similar. He is pretty happy and I've seen the screen, it looks pretty clear and amazing. And the viewing angles are a million times better than the Arc (well, that's not fair, all Sony phones, the Z included, have terrible viewing angles. So maybe I shouldn't compare).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am currently living in Dubai, UAE, and prices on smartphones are quite cheap, however, I really dislike samsung design- they look too cheap, and a friend of mine owns S3 mini, says thats it's a great phone, but i dont like it looks. The thing why I like xperias was their UI, simple and usefull, compared to HTC Sense or Samsung UI. Thanks for your help anyways, I think I will have to go and look a bit more for them, or wait couple of month with Arc for now, which is barely living now( boot is slow, back cover broke, screen scratched, Overheating etc...)
NiklarenF1 said:
I am currently living in Dubai, UAE, and prices on smartphones are quite cheap, however, I really dislike samsung design- they look too cheap, and a friend of mine owns S3 mini, says thats it's a great phone, but i dont like it looks. The thing why I like xperias was their UI, simple and usefull, compared to HTC Sense or Samsung UI. Thanks for your help anyways, I think I will have to go and look a bit more for them, or wait couple of month with Arc for now, which is barely living now( boot is slow, back cover broke, screen scratched, Overheating etc...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get a TX I'll be getting one in a couple of days :highfive:
if you want a good looking smartphone then go for HTC One, I know that is not sony, but it will provide you with a whole new experience. It is made out of aluminum so rock-hard. it has probably the best camera on an android smartphone (ultrapixels), and I read everywhere that the wifi range is breath-taking, the wifi range can simply blow our xperias away.
And you can see the rest of the specs HERE (not all info here are true, eg:camera)
Xperia SP (if affordable would be the best choice)
Xperia T
Xperia ion
Xperia L (cheapest of em all btw worth it)
It is August 3 2013 and this phone has been out for a little while now. I am looking for a new phone because I need to switch carriers. I currently have a Galaxy Note 2 and I absolutely love it. I see that Sony announced they will update it to 4.3. The screen is only 0.5" smaller then my Note 2. The Sony has a higher resolution though. The battery life doesn't seem to be a problem for most of you (I checked the battery thread). Do all of you who currently own the Sony absolutely love the phone? Do you wish you tried a different phone? I love the look of the phone.
I am stuck between the Galaxy S4, HTC one, and this ZL. The S4 seems to have a ton of bloatware that I will never use but since the Google edition was announced, I might be able to flash a stock version of android on it once they figure out the battery drain issue. Same goes for the HTC one. I love the Sony for no apparent reason. It looks like a decent phone on paper and I remember reading about how Sony is really making an effort to help out developers. They also seem to keep updating this phone (4.2.2 and 4.3).
I need to decide soon so I appreciate any responses!
Edit** was this phone really just released 4 months ago? For some reason I thought it was older.
It's your decision of course and nobody here can really make that decision for you... it's a very subjective topic and you will get 100 different "answers".
However, I'll give you my highly subjective and personal opinion... for what it's worth.
I have both the Z and ZL, a GS3 and have had an HTC One. The GS3 is a reliable and usable phone that is easy to mod. It does everything well, except the screen is really unreadable outside. The 2 particular key points for me on phones, other than the ability to function reliably as a phone, are a good notification LED and a decent FM radio. The Radio is quite passable on the GS3. I bought an HTC One to replace the GS3 and was both impressed by some aspects and seriously disappointed by others. The notification LED is a joke and the FM radio was chronically insensitive to the point of being worthless. Plus the speaker grilles didn't fit correctly. It lasted a week and then got returned.
The GS4 doesn't have an FM radio... pathetic discrimination
Anyway, on to Sony...
The Z was bought in lieu of the H1. I've always liked Sony and SE phones, they are designed in Scandinavia and it shows, certainly in the electronic design and qualification. I also bought the ZL whilst on a business trip in Germany a week or two later. Both phones are great, but I prefer the ZL - because it is physically smaller (thicker but nicer to hold), has a better screen (higher brightness and contrast plus better viewing angles), no flaps to mess about with, the Sony logo is on the phone not the ASF (gives you more options) and has a slightly better notification LED. The FM radio is fantastic on both, although for some reason the Z is more sensitive, by about 10% I reckon. I also prefer the easy access SIM and SD card slots. The loudspeaker on the ZL is not restricted by waterproofing and is thus a fair bit louder...
So for me, the ZL is my phone of choice. It does everything I need and well. Sony are quick with updates and there are no obvious bugs. The UI is rather less "Noddy" than TW and less intrusive than Sense. The call quality is excellent too, in case you need to use it as a phone!!!
So it's down to what is important to you...
That was a awesome post very informative of different phones. I just got a zl to replace my broken HTC one xl and I love it I'm a big Sony fan they make solid products and I've never had a issue and when I have Sony has been quick to respond. It's a good choice
Sent from my Xperia Arc using xda app-developers app
It's honestly a great phone and highly underrated. Maybe it is a very polarizing phone, in that some hate it while others absolutely love it.
Well it's down to what your needs are.
For custom roms development support go for either Htc one or S4.
For sound Htc one.
For screen brilliance HTC One or possibly S4. Zl screen looks washed out and very poor viewing angles.
Camera. ZL or S4.
Memory Zl or S4.
Smoothness UI Htc one.
Design HTC one.
Speed HTC One or S4.
Notification light ZL or S4.
Premium build HTC One.
For me it has to be HTC One.
riz157 said:
Well it's down to what your needs are.
For custom roms development support go for either Htc one or S4.
For sound Htc one.
For screen brilliance HTC One or possibly S4. Zl screen looks washed out and very poor viewing angles.
Camera. ZL or S4.
Memory Zl or S4.
Smoothness UI Htc one.
Design HTC one.
Speed HTC One or S4.
Notification light ZL or S4.
Premium build HTC One.
For me it has to be HTC One.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Had someone offer me a HTC One + $50 the other day. I just don't see the appeal.
Which HTC One has...
4G (LTE)?
notification toggles?
support to microSD card, including SDXC (I still believe Sony will really fix it )?
Sony design?
Sony UI and Sony exclusive widgets?
full integration with Sony products (PS3, Bravia, Muteki, Music Unlimited...)?
movie player with BE2?
a full 5" screen almost to the edge of the bevel of the phone?
a 2013 main camera (against the 2009-compatible 4 Mpx from HTC one?)
Andre Verissimo said:
Which HTC One has...
4G (LTE)?
notification toggles?
support to microSD card, including SDXC (I still believe Sony will really fix it )?
Sony design?
Sony UI and Sony exclusive widgets?
full integration with Sony products (PS3, Bravia, Muteki, Music Unlimited...)?
movie player with BE2?
a full 5" screen almost to the edge of the bevel of the phone?
a 2013 main camera (against the 2009-compatible 4 Mpx from HTC one?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The One has LTE and notification toggles. To the OP. I switch phones A LOT so I've had all the big boys and I have to say the ZL is a really nice phone. The One is definitely a good competitor though. As for the S4 that has been my least favorite as it feels so cheap and i hate the home button. It all depends on personal preference but as for me I'll probably keep this for the next 2 months and then get the Moto X.
I think the answer depends on your timetable and perspective:
On 8/7, the LG G2 is going to be announed, which will be the first American-carrier snapdragon 800 phone. A month later, Samsung is expected to announce the Note 3 and a Galaxy S4 advanced. By the late fall, there should even be a Nexus 5.
Battery may not be a problem for us... but we don't have notes. We have small phones with giant screens and have (relatively) low standards like a phone lasting 12 hours on a charge rather than the Note's 2 day/no charge norm.
--
I like the ZL (bought 3 months ago). It has met my needs pretty well. I find that it's easier to make a mistake flashing mods and have bootloops needing reflashes... compared to my Samsung experience. I dislike its bluetooth stack... as I have to disable wifi for it to facilitate phone calls in my car. I have a slight feeling of it being the stepchild of the Sony family, as the developer of the only kernel stopped supporting the phone (he never owned it) and the custom roms are not as numerous as the Xperia Z. I had an AT&T LG Optimus G (same processor, smaller screen, wider body) directly before it and the SGS3 before that. I don't wish I had the HTC One.
I have checked almost every review available on the internet and they all wish the device had better screen and camera.
The screen has poor viewing angles and camera is gainy in low light and looses focus even in bright light.
Well I don't want to base my idea totally on reviews, since they compare it with the best.
Will you guys recommend if the Screen and camera quality are at par with a high end phone, so that I can consider buying it?
ajhavery said:
I have checked almost every review available on the internet and they all wish the device had better screen and camera.
The screen has poor viewing angles and camera is gainy in low light and looses focus even in bright light.
Well I don't want to base my idea totally on reviews, since they compare it with the best.
Will you guys recommend if the Screen and camera quality are at par with a high end phone, so that I can consider buying it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Trust me, screen quality is much much better after the Update. Camera vise its really improved. If i am at a party with friends its like they want me to click pics from my ZL and day light pics are just great.
Compression Issue has been fixed in HDR. So its less noisy in low light condition with HDR.(Really Improved)
close up i would prefer my ZL.
But macros are not that great.
New update increased screen responsiveness. Frankly speaking Its getting better in every update.
But Beware, in Some phones there seems to some sort of Microphone bug which i am facing right now.(software May be as it works in everything else like recording)
Happy with Sony Xperia ZL Using from Past 5 Months.
Price has also been reduced. so its a best buy as of now.
IMO,if you need phone that trending (more dev support),go for HTC One or S4,since it also have Google Edition
but here few advantage of ZL to me:
-compact size 5' screen: -it slightly thicker than z,but more compact,it have thin bezel (fit into my pocket)
-omnibalance design: -slightly curve on the back,which support better grip,not need for cover since it make from plactic (still look premium)
-don't have to worry to put with key in pocket (still you should at least use screen protector to prevent direct scratch)
-camera : hv 13mp back n 2mp front,can recorded full hd video,have hdr,and hv dedicated shutter key with 2 press mechanism
image captured viewed beautiful on the phone with bravia engine 2 on
-notification light: at bottom,look really premium to me
-hv expandable storage (compare to HTC One)
-hv ir blaster: can control tv (compare to xperia z)
-speaker: average to me (htc one better i think) but it still able to make me up in the morning (i'm a heavy sleeper xD )
the earphone include is good enough (but can't compare it with high end earphone)
-sony software that does matter : walkman,album,movie,etc- support BE2,xloud,clearphase equalizer,which make music better
disadvantage:
-highly under rated (less dev support,however most dev in xperia z do port to zl,we still hv CM,PAC support )
-camera apps takes some times to launch (about 1-2 sec)
-screen does hv limited viewing angles but still visible in bright sunlight (with the help of UI itself that mainly white/grey colour)
Last word: xperia ZL does not hv the hype of other phone such as HTC One or S4 but it does hv enough power to run almost any apps in the play store,moreover with gr8 support from sony,i believe you could stay in stock firmware for quite sometimes,i used to unlock my bootloader and use custom rom for a week (to do this make sure you read all FAQ first if you not used to sony devices) but i'm back to stock and i'm happy with what sony offer to me
---------- Post added at 10:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:39 AM ----------
ajhavery said:
I have checked almost every review available on the internet and they all wish the device had better screen and camera.
The screen has poor viewing angles and camera is gainy in low light and looses focus even in bright light.
Well I don't want to base my idea totally on reviews, since they compare it with the best.
Will you guys recommend if the Screen and camera quality are at par with a high end phone, so that I can consider buying it?
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i suggest you bring ur current phone and compare it with zl at retail shop,i u satisfied then grab it,if not choose others,review is useful but sometimes the company hv push updates to the phone to fix/improve the problem appear,while review stay the same,for example we recently received updates that improve touch sensitivity,ram management,camera low-light performance,etc,the latest firmware changelog can be view here
Ya I wasn't really looking for a specific yes or no. I was looking for things like: are you happy with it? Things you like about it and things you dislike. Did you find out anything after you bought it that you wish you knew before you bought it?
I really wish I could wait for the Note 3 but I need the phone basically this week. I am not a heavy user so I am pretty sure the smaller battery in this phone will be fine. My current Note 2 is amazing though. I understand that there will always be a better phone that is out or coming out soon. The Sony zl is free at Rogers right now so if I hate it that much I can sell it and get a nexus 4 or something. I don't really care about custom roms that much anymore. I used to care more because my first android phone was an LG G2x and they never updated it so I had to rely on custom roms for upgrades. As long as Sony will update it for another year or 2 ill be happy.
htc one vs sony zl
After many reviews online, I could not decide between One and ZL, so I bought both on eBay for my personal evaluation but will sell the other one later. HTC One is very good phone, high contrast screen, hi-powered speakers and responsive touch (very good if you want to watch YouTube). But, my choice is Sony ZL. There are much talks on the internet about washed screen on ZL. Do not believe it and I tell you why. For some reasons Sony designers chose to use the theme with dark grey background and white letters which is easier for eyes for long time but losing on sensation of hi-contrast. However, if you can choose a dark theme, it will change the game. Also, latest updates for ZL tend toward black background. Really, do you think that Sony, that makes TVs, laptops and professional monitors can not make phone screens? The speakers of One is better but that does not apply for the speaker when you make a phone call, which is sensational for ZL with xLoud and noise canceling enhancements. Overall the ZL looks and feels much more modern with very thin bezel while the One feels like an upgrade from old one. I thought BraviaEngine is there for commercial reasons but its really good when you watch movies and videos.
ZL is a awesome device. Its that developers don't do anything currently. There is a dev kamarush who said if he get the device he will do the kernels. But he didn't have money AFAIK. Some1 should come and help the community. Looks like we gotta donate a device to a very well know xda member: suggestion - tonyp, slim_rick, pulser_q2 etc etc
Sent from my C6503 using Tapatalk 4
Never really understood the issues people are having with the screen. All the reviews made it out to look like it was the most horrible screen on a phone to date. That is simply not the case. Having came from a galaxy note 1 I can honestly say the screen is on par with it. The viewing angle issue is a joke and should be experienced first hand and not from some reviewer with his head stuck up his ass. Thank god I got this phone despite what the reviews said. I'd have missed out on a great device.
Sent from my C6503
Agree that the screen (as stated in my post above) is not at all bad. Better than the XZ
Sent from my C6503 using xda premium
devilsshadow said:
Never really understood the issues people are having with the screen. All the reviews made it out to look like it was the most horrible screen on a phone to date. That is simply not the case. Having came from a galaxy note 1 I can honestly say the screen is on par with it. The viewing angle issue is a joke and should be experienced first hand and not from some reviewer with his head stuck up his ass. Thank god I got this phone despite what the reviews said. I'd have missed out on a great device.
Sent from my C6503
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I agree 100% ! I just love it.
The viewing angle is indeed deficient but I dont care. Its still bright and colorful. The FM radio and the loads of media formats it can play built in, are a great plus for me Really enjoyable device. Cant wait for an aokp 4.3 custom rom
unoo said:
Ya I wasn't really looking for a specific yes or no. I was looking for things like: are you happy with it? Things you like about it and things you dislike. Did you find out anything after you bought it that you wish you knew before you bought it?
I really wish I could wait for the Note 3 but I need the phone basically this week. I am not a heavy user so I am pretty sure the smaller battery in this phone will be fine. My current Note 2 is amazing though. I understand that there will always be a better phone that is out or coming out soon. The Sony zl is free at Rogers right now so if I hate it that much I can sell it and get a nexus 4 or something. I don't really care about custom roms that much anymore. I used to care more because my first android phone was an LG G2x and they never updated it so I had to rely on custom roms for upgrades. As long as Sony will update it for another year or 2 ill be happy.
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i would not sure if there will be update for 2 years,you said u used note 2,so r u using the s-pen heavily,i hv a friend that like to sketch cartoon with his note 2,and i think that phone really suitable for him,if you one of them,you should wait for note 3,if not,i suggest you give zl a shot,nexus 4 also a good phone but i choose zl instead of nexus 4 when i buy it because i want to hv expandable storage n i also use fm radio quite frequently,i use zl since early 3 april until today and so far i'm happy with it.what i like mainly the phone shape,different from other and the only thing i dislike is the camera takes some times to load as i mention earlier,hope sony will fix it later on
ihsan123 said:
i would not sure if there will be update for 2 years,you said u used note 2,so r u using the s-pen heavily,i hv a friend that like to sketch cartoon with his note 2,and i think that phone really suitable for him,if you one of them,you should wait for note 3,if not,i suggest you give zl a shot,nexus 4 also a good phone but i choose zl instead of nexus 4 when i buy it because i want to hv expandable storage n i also use fm radio quite frequently,i use zl since early 3 april until today and so far i'm happy with it.what i like mainly the phone shape,different from other and the only thing i dislike is the camera takes some times to load as i mention earlier,hope sony will fix it later on
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I never use the sPen. I don't care about the speakers either because I never use external speakers in a phone. I never heard anything bad about the screen but I make the assumption that sony makes TV's so that can make a decent cell phone screen haha. The more I think about it, I just want a properly functioning phone. If Sony updates it then that is great but as long as it is smooth and everything works then ill be happy. It is going to be my phone for the next 3 years so it needs to last!