Develop Bugs

[Q] Z or SP for S?

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

[Q] Xperia Arc Replacement

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)

[Q] Based on your experience with the ZL, would you buy another Sony phone?

I'm interested to know how likely ZL owners are to buy another Sony phone in the future, based on their experience with the phone.
Consider build quality, frequency of firmware updates, reliability of software, etc.

Best
Worst
Best
Would buy another...

I'm satisfied with the ZL. My only complaint is about the poor viewing angles, but despite that, I'd surely buy another Sony.
Enviado de meu C6503 usando o Tapatalk 2

With good cam and better screen, definitely yes!
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app

Coming from a SGN and seeing my wife's SG3, I would buy Sony again. It has less bloatware and better build than Samsung. Very happy with the phone.

galaxy s4 vs xperia zl
I got 2 phones here gt i9500 and xperia zl. I thought my exynos octa core phne wil b blazing fast compared to Xperia zl but it is slower lag and have many bugs.

ryude said:
I'm interested to know how likely ZL owners are to buy another Sony phone in the future, based on their experience with the phone.
Consider build quality, frequency of firmware updates, reliability of software, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes any time,looking forward for ZR
Sent from my C6506 using xda app-developers app

Absolutely yes!
It has a good build quality, feels like a phone and not like a piece of plastic. It looks and feels very elegant and not like a toy. Except facebook there is very few bloatware, and the UI is simple, but smooth.
Frequency of updates is ok for me, because there are no major bugs in the software. I'm coming from LG Optimus 2x, believe me, LG sucks compared to sony. The software has lots of bugs and there are no updates. Without the great support of the xda community I would have sould my 2x way earlier.
But I am still waiting for 4.2, not because I am missing something, but because sony promised to deliver it soon after launch...
So at the moment I definitley would buy another sony.

Im having good experiences with my ZL.. although compared to the SGNote2 has a better wifi range, smooth UI and louder speaker.. But its also have much more bloatware that eat rams a lot.. my friends SGNote2 stock rooted tweakes has only 330MB/++ free ram compared to my ZL.. has 1.2GB/++ free ram now.. With stock untouched..
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app

I think Sony has earned a lot of respect with the Z/ZL. Sure it has it's faults, but what phone doesn't? I was curious to see if I was the only one who has been "converted". As long as Sony keeps making good phones I will buy them.

The ZL is my first Sony phone, I'd happily buy another. I feel like Sony's finally on the right path, they've gone from completely reworking the Android UI to a very minimalistic change or two, not like Samsung and HTC who still feel they need to re-write the OS.
Also, I liked how easy it was to flash a stock generic rom, got rid of the Bell bloatware the 2nd day i had it.

I had only Ericsson phones, then Sony Ericsson ones (in between one Nokia) and now first Sony i.e. Xperia ZL, and was very happy with all of them I still remember my first GA628 from late'90 ... Neither one did not need servicing. Very durable phones:good:

sarobi said:
I had only Ericsson phones, then Sony Ericsson ones (in between one Nokia) and now first Sony i.e. Xperia ZL, and was very happy with all of them I still remember my first GA628 from late'90 ... Neither one did not need servicing. Very durable phones:good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, I feel so old I actually remember those phones

I certinaly would, but I wish the earpiece was louder. I can't hear anything!

Funk2641 said:
I certinaly would, but I wish the earpiece was louder. I can't hear anything!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know now that you said something, I learned that call volume isn't just controlled when in the call but also the ringer volume. It could be a bug, but I notice significantly higher call volume when my ringer is turned all the way up.

Yes. Been with Sony Ericsson/Sony since "K" series.
Sent from my C6506 using xda premium

This is my first Sony phone. So far very happy with the phone best since hd2. Build quality way better than Samsung. Not sure about how frequently Sony releases firmware upgrades.

I would. This is my first sony android phone (first Sony since the t68i).
I came from the LGOG E970 which I replaced mostly because I wanted AWS Bands. My timing meant I was choosing between this, HTC and Samsung. I decided for a variety of reasons to give the ZL a shot. I bought a white 6502 (Cincinnatti Bell) which I unlocked. This allowed me to get the phone for a great price (130 more than where I sold the LG OG).
Here are my reasons:
Compared to my 4.7" OG, the ZL has a bigger screen, and is the same size to smaller in every dimension but thickness. Having used a blockly phone, I decided I'd rather have the back's curve and thickness. I hated the glass back on the OG so having a comfortable back
The HTC is too metally to feel comfortable. It is also too tall for a 4.7" phone. I also use a 64gb microSD
The SGS4 seems fine. I had the SGS3. If I had gotten the SGS4, I would have replaced the battery cover with a non-oem cover.
The ZL met my desire to at least match every spec my old phone had. I don't know if I'll keep this phone past the Snapdragon 800s/Tegra 4s but frankly, I probably wouldn't keep a snapdragon 600 once the 800 is released.
Since getting the phone, it has been fine. I put on the custom .253 rom, did not unlock the bootloader and have taken the onscreen buttons to 25px. It took a week for the battery life to normalize (for the first week, the phone battery was awful... then it seemed to normalize to an acceptable level). The phone/calendar apps seem good. I used album and walkman on my old phone so there was no learning curve to sony's superior apps (Ironically, my Google Music unlimited membership has cost walkman it's default status). It holds a bluetooth connection with my car better than the last 5 phones I've had. Now what has been the surprise is the camera. I was at my wife's birthday party (nighttime restaurant visit with family) and randomly gave the phone to take a picture on superior auto with her iphone 5. All of a sudden, I realized this is an amazing camera/app combination for both no-flash night and short range flash photography.
Things I love: Screen, small size, camera, not seeing 50 of these everyday.
Things I wish it had... 180 degree rotation (the charger port location makes me want to use the phone upside down on my desk), adjustable vibration levels (would like to use touch vibrations but softer). LG's setting to tone down the processor for battery life.
Things that annoy me: I can't get the noise suppression/speaker enhancement settings to stick after reboot. I don't know whether unlocking my bootloader is worth it (custom Kernels). I think sony's launcher is slow and use Nova's instead (I'd used stock launchers on every phone I'd owned)

The ZL is great fopr my needs, though the call quality is the worst I've ever heard. I've tried other phones in the shops, everyone is better :/

Yes I would buy other one! great phone great design! few little things here and there but love it!
Sent from my C6503 using xda premium

Should I get this phone?

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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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!

Sticking Around or Moving On?

I am just curious to see how everyone feels about their ZL, or experience with Sony as a whole.
For me it's been a mixed bag. Overall, this is by LONG and FAR the most headache-free phone I've ever owned. Period. It's got all the features that I need and it works as it should when needed. I would not trade it for any other Android phone out there, especially a Samsung or HTC. With that all said, I can't help myself being sucked in by all the Nexus 5 rumors. Coming from a Galaxy Nexus, I should have naturally grabbed the Nexus 4, but lack of AT&T-compatible LTE kept me away. Now, with rumored specs coming out by the day, I must say that I am highly tempted by the prospect of owning a Nexus 5.
So what hasn't Sony done to possibly lose me as a customer? Here is the list:
Camera
I doubt I'm alone here to admit that I got had [major time] by Sony's PR when it came to the camera. Simply put, the camera is pure rubbish. I use my work provided iPhone 5c to take pics instead. Sad.
Hardware
Speaking strictly of the paint around the edge, could sony have made it less durable? The slightest bump flakes it off.
Update
I love the fact that there is an update every month to address an issue or two. The bad part, every update either reintroduces an old issue or introduces a new one. Come on.
Wireless Charging
Instead of focusing their efforts on waterproofing, I would love to see Sony bring us wireless charging. Chances of me using wireless charging, every hour of every day. Chances of me diving into a pool with my phone, next to none.
AOSP
If you're going to claim that you support the open community and such, don't release AOSP binaries that do not work. That defeats the whole purpose. I don't mind Sony's stock ROMs, but I like the fact that AOSP gets me the latest and greatest.
Speakers
iPhone had it right. HTC One got it right. Nexus 5 rumored to have gotten it right. Why did Sony put the speaker on the back of the phone is beyond me. It renders it useless when in it's natural position.
So, does this mean I don't adore my Xperia ZL? No, far from it. Does it mean I might consider an alternative device that gives me the above, maybe. Is the Nexus 5 looking better and better? Yeah!

The ZL was the phone I kept the longest in years...
Moving to a Z1. Just receive from Clove. Not waiting for the US ones.
ZL will stay as a back up.
Sendt fra XPERIA ZL 6506

Even if I had €1000000 I would probably still stick with ZL until Sony comes with a ZL1.
Z1f looks nice thought but I don't wanna go back to 4.3". I just want a ZL with new hardware and waterproof.
But... I don't have €1000000 so I will have my ZL for at least another 1.5 years if all goes well

I love my ZL but today I've saw the Note 3 and damn it's a nice phone.. Thinking about moving forward...
Sent from my ZL [email protected]

Sticking around with zl, however fully dependant on nexus 5 features and pricing.
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app

Luv my zl, but kinda bored with it. Thinking of z ultra, or maybe im dreaming..
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app

I'll be replacing my ZL with the Note 5 or 6, it wholly depends on when it dies on me.

coming from galaxy s4...lovin my ZL:victory:

Based on leaks from the official Google Play store, the 16GB is sure to be $349. Guessing the 32GB is $399. The phone looks sick good though. Like I said, love my ZL, but wireless charging and stock Android might win me over with that price.
coolrevi said:
Sticking around with zl, however fully dependant on nexus 5 features and pricing.
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Are the pictures really that bad on the ZL cause that would be of the only thing's that I don't like about the phone that and the fact they don't use guerrilla glass looking to leave my Xperia T for a ZL I'm not liking any other phone at the moment.
Sent from my LT30p using xda app-developers app

spielnicht said:
Based on leaks from the official Google Play store, the 16GB is sure to be $349. Guessing the 32GB is $399. The phone looks sick good though. Like I said, love my ZL, but wireless charging and stock Android might win me over with that price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From Xperia t to zl I don see it as upgrade. If you are willing to buy I would rather suggest z1 which is a good buy in many term
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app

I'll keep mine till its dead, I was thinking about the Z1 but its way to big, if they do a new more powerful 5" with the same overall size as the ZL I would consider it in 2 years... interested to see if the camera gets any more improvements in the ZL, I like the quality, but not as picky as some..... video recording is good too.... Battery life could use a little more help though
Hoping for the Z1 camera App on the ZL in the 4.3 update, hopefully before Christmas...... Personally I think superior auto sucks, no image stabilizer, normal mode with my own settings works great.
4.4 may never come but that's ok, as long as 4.3 gets minor tweaking updates here and there.

So do you guys think the ZL is a good phone for a beginner?
The Z1 looks bulky indeed and LG G2 will be sold in my country (Brazil) only in 16GB option (no SD slot? WTF LG?)
I don´t have plans to play powerful games on it (just angry birds or something like when I'm waiting for something). I want a bigger screen to my GPS aps, listen music via Bluethoot (via car stereo) and watch video (High def videos on SD card, youtube, vimeo etc)

My dad has an Xperia T and based on some comparison shots, the images don't differ much. In other words, they both...suck. If I was to pick a single disappointment with the ZL, it would be the camera.
I know where you are coming from not liking any other phone out there. I am not an SG4 or HTC One fan. I'd consider the Z1, but Sony really dropped the ball by not including an AT&T/T-Mobile LTE friendly chip. So it's not even a consideration for me
Definitely wait until the Nexus 5 comes out. Looks very promising, both in specs and design.
Torres77an said:
Are the pictures really that bad on the ZL cause that would be of the only thing's that I don't like about the phone that and the fact they don't use guerrilla glass looking to leave my Xperia T for a ZL I'm not liking any other phone at the moment.
Sent from my LT30p using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

thinking of upgrading from a xperia ion....zl is the maximum that i can afford..nd i kinda love the white one
Is there anything else apart from the camera that i should look into before buying?
no nexus in my country else would've waited for nexus 5 :/

I've take the same picture with an iPhone 5 and with my Xperia T and then again the same picture with a Galaxy s3 we compared them at work and my other to co-workers had to agree that the Xperia T photo looked the best though mind you Bravia was enabled yes there's room for improvement on Sony's camera phones but even with the Bravia engine turned off the photos are not that far behind the rest of the mobile devices out there but what it does lack is consistency that the others have now with the z1 having better hardware and software the problem with the camera is almost gone it just seems to over expose photos at times so does the LG G2 though it's clearly not as good in the comparison that I've seen between it and the Z1
Sent from my LT30p using xda app-developers app

Torres77an said:
I've take the same picture with an iPhone 5 and with my Xperia T and then again the same picture with a Galaxy s3 we compared them at work and my other to co-workers had to agree that the Xperia T photo looked the best though mind you Bravia was enabled yes there's room for improvement on Sony's camera phones but even with the Bravia engine turned off the photos are not that far behind the rest of the mobile devices out there but what it does lack is consistency that the others have now with the z1 having better hardware and software the problem with the camera is almost gone it just seems to over expose photos at times so does the LG G2 though it's clearly not as good in the comparison that I've seen between it and the Z1
Sent from my LT30p using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not how you compare photos, you put them on the same computer and then compare them on the PC. That way the different displays and image rendering software of each phone won't interfere.

my photos look basically the same after they have been uploaded to my pc
Dead Metal said:
That's not how you compare photos, you put them on the same computer and then compare them on the PC. That way the different displays and image rendering software of each phone won't interfere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've also seen comparisons with the iPhone 5 and the Xperia T on the internet and the iPhone's aren't that much better better but not by much but definitely more consistent I think the Xperia software may need some work with it's poor autofocus half of the photos do turn out like crap.

Torres77an said:
I've also seen comparisons with the iPhone 5 and the Xperia T on the internet and the iPhone's aren't that much better better but not by much but definitely more consistent I think the Xperia software may need some work with it's poor autofocus half of the photos do turn out like crap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, they do need to give that a work over, but someone pointed be in the direction of Camera FV-5, which is brilliant. The best camera app I've ever used, only downside is it does not have an auto-mode, and sometimes it does not save the pictures, especially when you use the hardware camera button.
Hope that gets fixed soon.

That's exactly what I did Took a pic of the same object, dropped them in Lightroom side-by-side, the ZL was slightly better (very slightly), but neither anything to brag out.
Dead Metal said:
That's not how you compare photos, you put them on the same computer and then compare them on the PC. That way the different displays and image rendering software of each phone won't interfere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse