i'm coming from a captivate, silly me forgot it was in my bathing suit pocket before going swimming in the ocean. Was only in the water for a minute or two before i felt it in my pocket, anyways the whole thing was corroded inside = no chance.
I worked out a deal with my provider to get a new phone, so I'm wondering if i should get the xperia arc or the nexus S which is a slight variation from my captivate. Phone choice is limited, so no other suggestions pls.
what you think?
Between the two, I'd go for the arc.
I used a Nexus S for about a month prior to getting my Arc and there's absolutely non contest - get the Arc.
It's better in every way, even the screen is better.
Step666 said:
I used a Nexus S for about a month prior to getting my Arc and there's absolutely non contest - get the Arc.
It's better in every way, even the screen is better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks thats good to know that you tried both phones. The only thing i could really see as a plus for the nexus s is they would get updates first for upcoming firmware upgrades. I'm aware that sony loafed around for the x10 firmware updates, which has me skeptical about the arc and its future updates. hopefully they will be on the ball this time...
The Arc is as up-to-date as any other non-Nexus handset, as far as I'm aware.
SE have learnt from past mistakes and are providing much better support for the new Xperia handsets than previous models.
There will be an 18 months support cycle for all new phones.
●► Xperia ZL - Pool of thoughts ◄● experiences, problems, ideas
.
Hello there, dear friends and ZL users, fans and haters.
Sadly, there are lots of threads on the ZL forum (and other places on the web) talking about the different hardware failures
our phone has to offer, such as dead batteries, cracking noise on the mic, dead pixles on the camera, flickering displays,
proximity and other sensors not working, LEDs not flashing and phones that just don't want to boot from the very first day.
Personally, I've never had any of those faults even though I consider myself a power user, flashing roms, kernels and mods
on a daily basis, playing around with voltage levels and even taking the whole device apart.
I've got the phone since may last year and it's still running like it should. A few friends of mine also own the ZL and they
didn't experience any hardware problems neither.
So I'm asking myself why there are so many faulty devices out there..
I would love to see some ideas and opinions about the actual hardware and how Xperias could/should develop in the future,
read some stories about your experiences with the phone and the Sony warranty service.
What do you think about the look and feel?
Are things like cameras, buttons and sensors placed in the right corners?
Any thoughts on material and build quality?
Why did you buy it and would you buy it again?
How should a possible ZL successor be for you to buy it?
What functions would you like to see in future Xperias that others already have?
..etc..
There might be some Sony folks out there who actually read xda forums and who knows..
Please also post some infos like device model, the rom you're running, BL and root status and where and when you've bought it.
.
Mine:
- Xperia ZL C6503, bought at a store around the corner (Germany) in may 2013
- running PAC-man rom (2014.01.22 nightly)
- BL is unlocked
- got root access
- voltages back to normal
- hardware problems: none so far. (well, there is one single tiny dead pixel on the display, but its so small I can't really see it)
For me it had to be a phone that can handle LTE traffic and it should have a non-glass back and a dedicated camera button.
Honestly, I don't understand why it is so hard for those companies to attach a camera button to their devices..
Coming from Galaxy S3, I wanted a whole new design (and sony did a good job here!) and a phone without an EFS-partition
that could accidentally be deleted running my phone useless..
So it had to be the ZL, but I had concerns from the beginning as the ZL was released at the same time as the Z and there
was almost no publicity for the ZL on the media. I knew sooner or later Sony might abandon the ZL.
The only thing I really don't like, is the non removable battery (that's a plus for Samsung).
Your turn.
Hmmm...
Mine:
- Xperia ZL C6506, bought via the Bitcoinstore November 2013
- running 0.101 stock
- BL is unlocked
- got root access
- No hardware issues to date.
Basically the ZL was a target of opportunity. My wife was having all sorts of difficulties with her Samsung S2, and I bought this thinking she would like it (one of her biggest complaints was the lack of a camera button...) turns out she liked touchwiz more than she missed the camera button... oh, and the S3 screen's brighter (wider viewing angle, deeper blacks, etc)... so I swapped... and this is a faster phone, I personally like it better than the S3. The viewing angles do bother me if I'm trying to use my phone while it's laying on a table... (if the brightness is lower)... I personally find the images it takes decent. I miss the excess of developers... the ZL seems to have a few developers, but most of those are primarily using another device and therefore aren't as invested in keeping things going on the ZL - and I'm not much of a developer... (don't have the hardware to monkey around for fear of hosing my primary phone).
My Turn:
- Xperia ZL C5606, Won at a launch event March 2013
- Running AOKP 2/8/14 Nightlie, but bounce between AOKP, CM and Omni.
- Using allspark's kernel with double tap to wake (best feature ever!)
- Unlock BL
- Rooted
- Hardware issue: Numerous dead pixels in my camera!!
I actually ended up winning this phone at a launch even in Toronto (Canada) back when I worked for Rogers, Canadas largest (and most criminal) company. Before this i had the LG Optimus G. That was basically the same phone (same processor, ram and GPU setup), but I gotta say it was a nicer phone physically. It also had a MUCH nicer display, even though it was only 720P. But the camera on the Optimus G was GARBAGE!! Anyone ever use the Nexus 4 camera? Ya, its the same one. Also the back of the LG was cracked when i bought it, which that phone had a problem with. But for 100$ it was a steal! I kept the ZL over the G for the camera quality, and expandable storage.
Little did i know that the camera on the ZL would crap out on me too! It workse fine, but i have a BOATLOAD of dead pixels in my lens, you'll see in my pic. Otherwise Im happy with the ZL. I love the screen to bezel ratio also, another reason i kept it. Also, sony developer world is fantastic about releasing source code, so we get support from all the major players like Cyanogenmod, AOKP, P.A.C and OmniRom, all officially, not just ports. The picture included is just a shot of my comp screen with a blank white word doc. I tried to get it out of focus so the dead pixels show up more.
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ZL was great
Mine is as you can see on my signature. ok
Honestly...
ZL is my dream device after i have xperia L, and couple month later, i bought this ZL on januari 2014 with enthusiastic n happy.
until now, so far so good n no hardware fault or error.
I dont like from ZL is two :
1. the non removable battery.
2. placement of the front camera, why "sony" have to put there.
that's my opinion of my ZL.
thanks.
CokeJunkee said:
.
I would love to see some ideas and opinions about the actual hardware and how Xperias could/should develop in the future,
read some stories about your experiences with the phone and the Sony warranty service.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never really dealt with Sony warranty service, but when I went to buy my ZL from a Sony Outlet Store the customer service was pretty awesome. I've since gone back and bought an Xperia Tablet Z (which I sold recently) and an Xperia Z Ultra (to take the place of the XTZ as my tablet).
Why did you buy it and would you buy it again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I originally bought it because I wanted to switch back to Android after a year of Windows Phone use. I ended up deciding to go with Sony because of how awesome they've been as far as working with the open-source development community. I went with the ZL because it supports LTE on T-mobile and because I liked the reviews. Considering that I bought a second one (my first has bootloader unlock allowed: no), I'd say it's true that I'd buy it again.
What do you think about the look and feel?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a fan of it. I'm not really picky about that sort of thing, but it feels good in the hands and so far has been a very pleasant device to use.
Please also post some infos like device model, the rom you're running, BL and root status and where and when you've bought it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Model: C6506
Rom: AOKP Kitkat nightly
BL: Unlocked
Rooted: Yes
My turn, very simple brief
Nothin is bothering me so far. Used it for ova a year. Stock no root. Just minor prob which i can live with :
1 . Not dead pixel but lense problem
tiny little dots. Only when snap picture
(not that obvious)
2. 2secs delay on wake up. ( after the latest update). Ima wait for upcoming updates that maybe can sort it out. ( hopefully )
No other problems or watsoever.
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app
safuan7822 said:
My turn, very simple brief
Nothin is bothering me so far. Used it for ova a year. Stock no root. Just minor prob which i can live with :
1 . Not dead pixel but lense problem
tiny little dots. Only when snap picture
(not that obvious)
2. 2secs delay on wake up. ( after the latest update). Ima wait for upcoming updates that maybe can sort it out. ( hopefully )
No other problems or watsoever.
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Over a year you say?? How did you get your hands on one 2 1/2 months before it was released? lol
Sent from my C6503 using Tapatalk
Dude dont lol me ova nothing. Bought lt it on feb 2013 right before the official product launching.
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app
safuan7822 said:
Dude dont lol me ova nothing. Bought lt it on feb 2013 right before the official product launching.
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude, I will lol who I want when I want "ova" what I want, LOL
I won one of these devices back in March, BEFORE the official launch date.
Mine came DIRECTLY from Sony.
And they said they couldn't ship it until the Official launch day of April 1st.
Im not calling you a liar, I just wanna see a receipt
I unfortunately have some problems with the camera - namely a black dot that appears in all images I take with it like this one:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/mlrswlsy3jnfw12/DSC_0015.JPG
I contacted Sony about it, awaiting an answer now to see if it's covered by the warranty.
I am also using the stock rom and I am rooted - Additionally, the Compass seems to mostly not work.
Meister_Li said:
I unfortunately have some problems with the camera - namely a black dot that appears in all images I take with it like this one:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/mlrswlsy3jnfw12/DSC_0015.JPG
I contacted Sony about it, awaiting an answer now to see if it's covered by the warranty.
I am also using the stock rom and I am rooted - Additionally, the Compass seems to mostly not work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Consider yourself lucky!
I have 8 of those bastards in my pictures!!
safuan7822 said:
Dude dont lol me ova nothing. Bought lt it on feb 2013 right before the official product launching.
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude it was officially launched on 6th march in my country. I got it in feb thru a friend. Well let me find the receipt as ive send it to sony for warranty purposes.
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app
safuan7822 said:
Dude it was officially launched on 6th march in my country. I got it in feb thru a friend. Well let me find the receipt as ive send it to sony for warranty purposes.
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats sweet.
Those bastards wouldn't send me mine until Apr 1st.
I was at a pre-release event in March, and they had a bunch of demo units, but said they weren't the final product, and that they had some bugs.
Either they were full of crap, or maybe they were 502 units, which don't have the LTE bands needed for my country (Canada).
I never thought to check the build or unit number back then because I didn't think about them releasing different variants.
Wheres the speaker grill located on your unit?
I've seen some pics floating around of pre-release units that have the speaker grill on top of the camera rather than the side. Looks way better.
ATRIXXIRTA said:
Thats sweet.
Those bastards wouldn't send me mine until Apr 1st.
I was at a pre-release event in March, and they had a bunch of demo units, but said they weren't the final product, and that they had some bugs.
Either they were full of crap, or maybe they were 502 units, which don't have the LTE bands needed for my country (Canada).
I never thought to check the build or unit number back then because I didn't think about them releasing different variants.
Wheres the speaker grill located on your unit?
I've seen some pics floating around of pre-release units that have the speaker grill on top of the camera rather than the side. Looks way better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh right,
speaking of that, mine is not an LTE version. They were duin some pre released and some sort of competitions. I wasnt aware of zl untill my sgnote gave up on me. Never had sony in my mind anyway. At the same time saw my friend hes a phone distributor. Sold the unpack zl which im using now. I guess mine is the earlier version or some sort of demo version which i did not aware of. But, its funny tho, that my speaker grill is on the right side of the lense. I guess they shipped out different version for different country for warranty purposes.. Im not too sure
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app
Yours sounds like a normal unit as far as I can tell. Have you seen pics of this pre-release model? It's weird.but I think looks better.
Sent from my C6503 using Tapatalk
Till I chanced on this thread, I never noticed the dead pixels on the camera. Now I can't stop thinking about about them.
Sent from my Galaxy S4 using Tapatalk 4
ATRIXXIRTA said:
Yours sounds like a normal unit as far as I can tell. Have you seen pics of this pre-release model? It's weird.but I think looks better.
Sent from my C6503 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Weird... Never seen this before. Is it with textured back? From what i can see it is flat smooth. But yeh it looks way better. Wher did u get this pics from?
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app
safuan7822 said:
Weird... Never seen this before. Is it with textured back? From what i can see it is flat smooth. But yeh it looks way better. Wher did u get this pics from?
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This thread ---> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2428782
Someone posted in the general forum
Sent from my C6503 using Tapatalk
An interesting thing happened to me recently. The faulty battery problem killed my phone right after I finished installing the .569 update. I won't bore you with the details of the symptoms since it's been covered extensively here. Needless to say, I had to call up Sony for a warranty service repair. Luckily I am running bone stock and had no worries about being covered or not. I sent the phone in to their service center and got my phone back 10 business days later.
They replaced:
Battery
Battery connector
Front assembly
Battery ground
All buttons
Misc. screws
Speaker cover
Mic cover
Misc. adhesives
It's funny because they replaced almost all cosmetic parts except for the back cover and SIM/SD card door.
*** I should warn all users who are thinking about officially unlocking their bootloader or opening up your phone to hold off on doing anything that would void your warranty. You never know what can go wrong with the phone. ***
As for the phone, I think it's one of the best on the market. The 4.3 update made it much smoother and more enjoyable to use. I no longer mess around with custom ROM all the time. I find that stock is best for what I need to phone to do. I need the thing to be rock solid stable; it is a tool to get my work done so I need everything to work. Is it perfect? No. Nothing is, but stock is the most stable. The skin is feature rich enough without being bloated. It is more charming than pure Android.
I had to use my old Galaxy Nexus while the ZL was out for repairs. The difference was so noticeable that I am very happy to be back using the ZL. The Galaxy Nexus would stutter at the most simple tasks if I've been using it heavily. The home screen would blank out and have to redraw constantly. The ZL has been more cooperative when it comes to being able to handle a heavier workload. I recently bought the Xperia Z1S for my brother, and that thing is a beast. It can handle more tasks without slowing down. The speed difference is less noticeable than the Galaxy Nexus to the ZL, but I wouldn't complain if someone bought it for me.
My next phone will be a waterproof one for sure. I like Sony's design language and skin so I think I will stick with them. I don't think I will buy a new phone anytime soon though, but if I were, I would look for something that is similar in dimensions to the ZL with all the features of the waterproof ones.
Z3 is being tested on T-Mobile's network. Might be released next month. Anyone having second thoughts after getting the G3? I had the G2, Flex and now G3. I wanted to wait for something different even though I really like what LG is doing. I didn't even know the Z3 was coming to T-Mobile (if it does).
http://www.talkandroid.com/215210-s...d-on-t-mobiles-network-prior-to-announcement/
Nah I'm good.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Free mobile app
Same here. G3 is purring
blasted by TMO G3
I'm good with the G3. I tried the Z1 back when it came out but returned it because of the battery life. I always felt how do you really know if you like any phone unless you try it. I didn't want to go lower then 5.5" but 5.2" isn't that much smaller. I don't care for the camera on the top right side though. Lol
It's not going to be released next month, it's going to be "introduced" and if does come out for T-Mobile its going to be a few months after its introduction.
Personally I've been a big Sony fan and it's UI since the Xperia Z but the screen technology they use was abysmal. It looked washed out and the viewing angles were poor. Looks like they finally got it right with the Z2 but unfortunately I haven't got a chance to play with it because there's no T-Mobile version of it.
But at this point its going to be hard to go back to a phone that doesn't have the form factor of the G3 with a 5.5" screen. Sony's been known to have rather large phone yet have a small screen. Sony's screen to bezel ratio has always been odd
If you you're like that with cell phones then you'll NEVER be happy. There is ALWAYS something slightly better coming out in a few weeks. Right now the Z3 is coming. But then you pick up the Z3 and realize something is coming out just weeks after the Z3. You've gotta just accept what you have lol.
DigitalChris602 said:
If you you're like that with cell phones then you'll NEVER be happy. There is ALWAYS something slightly better coming out in a few weeks. Right now the Z3 is coming. But then you pick up the Z3 and realize something is coming out just weeks after the Z3. You've gotta just accept what you have lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ummm yea I know all about that bro...I've been a phone junkie since 1999 and had so many phones I've lost track. lol I wanted to wait for something different after having the LG G2/LG Flex but I caved in like I always do and got the G3. I didn't feel like waiting for the Note 4 or maybe even a iPhone 6. I didn't know T-Mobile was even getting the Sony Z3. It's not that I'm not happy with phones it's just obviously I like to switch a lot. Jump helps. Now the people that look over phones with magnifying glasses and pick phones apart, those are the people that don't enjoy phones.
I ended up with the g3 as well, from the flex on tmobile. Had to unfortunately switch to Verizon due to poor coverage with my new job as I travel all day now. I am in the old contracts now, 2 years, so really hoping this holds out. I have come to the conclusion, these phones are topped out and won't see anything crazy different for awhile.
Still have tmobile and the Flex as well, just letting the parents rock it for now.
Wish I got signal with tmobile in the boonies. Everything else is heads and shoulders above the competition. IMO of course.
The Z3 is still playing catch up on the spec department.
This is my temp phone anyway I'm bored of android I'm waiting for the lumia 1525 on tmobile but I have the older jump so I can change when it comes out. I thought about the z3 but they are already developing a z3x rumored to have the snapdragon 810 much much want
Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk
Nope never liked Sony phones. Just never thought it was good.
helikido said:
The Z3 is still playing catch up on the spec department.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not as far as the camera. Specs are kind of over rated. Imo. I like Sony's design because it's different. I'll probably stick with the G3 though.
sweets55 said:
Not as far as the camera. Specs are kind of over rated. Imo. I like Sony's design because it's different. I'll probably stick with the G3 though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought that LG had the most unique dedign since the g2. Its just unoque. Both the Z and G series are.
helikido said:
I thought that LG had the most unique dedign since the g2. Its just unoque. Both the Z and G series are.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like what LG is doing but like I said I've had the G2, Flex and G3 now. I tried a Z1 one for a few weeks and liked it just not the battery life.
sweets55 said:
I like what LG is doing but like I said I've had the G2, Flex and G3 now. I tried a Z1 one for a few weeks and liked it just not the battery life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well the Z1 was a dud. For a fair comparison the Z2 is fair because its in the legue of the g3
helikido said:
Well the Z1 was a dud. For a fair comparison the Z2 is fair because its in the legue of the g3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flex wasn't a popular phone but I liked and wouldn't call it a dud. I know a few people really liked the Z1. Have no idea about the Z2. Have you tried a Sony?
sweets55 said:
Flex wasn't a popular phone but I liked and wouldn't call it a dud. I know a few people really liked the Z1. Have no idea about the Z2. Have you tried a Sony?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No not the flex. The flex was nice. The Z1 is what i meant. And yes but not by much.
helikido said:
No not the flex. The flex was nice. The Z1 is what i meant. And yes but not by much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was making a comparison with the Flex. What some peope think is a dud phone others might not think so. Look at some of the unhappy G3 users. I guess I got lucky getting a good G3.
sweets55 said:
I was making a comparison with the Flex. What some peope think is a dud phone others might not think so. Look at some of the unhappy G3 users. I guess I got lucky getting a good G3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Z1 was a dude though. The horrible battery life and screen where off putting. Now when you say Z2, that phone is great.
Maybe Z1 was a chick. LoL
I'm considering buying an M5. How likely it is that the phone could fail on me? (ie suffer from sudden death?) The model I'd be getting is the E5606. Is that problem model specific or a generalized problem?
Also, how good is the performance? Has its score and overall performance improved with updates? (Like the 5.1 update). Anyone with gaming experience on it (and emulators).
Would you recommend it? (anyways my other options are C5>C4>M4 (money... sigh) so this is likely my best option)
Dude, keep away from this device and save your money. I bought an X5 Compact and M5, around two months ago. X5C suddenly died after OTA update. Sony told motherboard was died and accepted my refund request for it. now, I'm waiting for the payment. M5 had a back camera focus problem and replaced a day after my purchase.. The new M5 now has front camera ticking sound problem. Sony customer care says it's pretty normal but the local Sony store staff says it's not. They also told me that some customers had got replacement for their phones for the same issue. I have compared my M5 with the demo device at the store. The demo devices does not have the same problem! I'll do whatever I can to return it back to Sony and to get a refund for it. I will never buy a Sony phone again!
I have m5 dual
It's really good ?
Sent from my E5633 using Tapatalk 2
Thank you both, so after reading even more (found another thread kinda similar), and considering Sony's/My Company's service center is actually good/decent (My brother had a problem with an M2 and got it changed in no time, hasn't had any problem yet) I guess I'll go for it this week.
xConjo said:
Thank you both, so after reading even more (found another thread kinda similar), and considering Sony's/My Company's service center is actually good/decent (My brother had a problem with an M2 and got it changed in no time, hasn't had any problem yet) I guess I'll go for it this week.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you buy it?
I had problems with my first m5 and i had to replace it. Anyway, for me it's an excelent device. Nothing to complain about it.
jonathangrag said:
Did you buy it?
I had problems with my first m5 and i had to replace it. Anyway, for me it's an excelent device. Nothing to complain about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup. Have it since Wednesday last week (8 days so far) and I have had no problems. It's a white E5606. It really is an excellent device.