Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.
Design
Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.
| Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 74 mm (millimeters) 7.4 cm (centimeters) 0.24 ft (feet) 2.91 in (inches) |
| Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 144 mm (millimeters) 14.4 cm (centimeters) 0.47 ft (feet) 5.67 in (inches) |
| Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement. | 8.5 mm (millimeters) 0.85 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (feet) 0.33 in (inches) |
| Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement. | 170 g (grams) 0.37 lbs 6 oz (ounces) |
| Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. | 90.58 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 5.5in³ (cubic inches) |
| Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale. | Black White |
| Certification Information about the standards to which this device is certified. | IP55 IP58 |
SIM card
The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.
Mobile networks
A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.
| GSM GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analogue mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often called a 2G mobile network. It is improved by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services), and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies. | GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz |
| UMTS UMTS is an abbreviation for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on the GSM standard and belongs to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is providing greater speed and spectral efficiency thanks to W-CDMA technology. | UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1700/2100 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz |
| LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as a fourth generation (4G) technology. It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA to increase the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent technology development is called LTE Advanced. | LTE 850 MHz LTE 900 MHz LTE 1700/2100 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 1900 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz LTE 700 MHz |
Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds
Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.
Operating system
An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.
SoC (System on Chip)
A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.
| SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components, such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation. | Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 |
| Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. Nanometers measure half the distance between elements in the processor. | 28 nm (nanometers) |
| Processor (CPU) The primary function of a mobile device's processor (CPU) is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications. | Krait 400 |
| Processor size The size (in bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of the registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance compared to 32-bit processors, which in turn are more powerful than 16-bit processors. | 32 bit |
| Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute. | ARMv7 |
| Level 0 cache (L0) Some processors have L0 (level 0) cache, which is faster to access than L1, L2, L3, etc. The advantage of having such memory is not only higher performance, but also reduced power consumption. | 4 kB + 4 kB (kilobytes) |
| Level 1 cache (L1) Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small in size and works much faster than both system memory and other cache levels. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2. | 16 kB + 16 kB (kilobytes) |
| Level 2 cache (L2) L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1 cache, but in return it has a higher capacity, allowing it to cache more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for it in the L3 cache (if available) or in RAM memory. | 2048 kB (kilobytes) 2 MB (megabytes) |
| Number of processor cores The processor core executes software instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to be executed in parallel. | 4 |
| CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 2200 MHz (megahertz) |
| Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is most often used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, etc. | Qualcomm Adreno 330 |
| Number of GPU cores Like a CPU, a GPU is made up of several working parts called cores. They handle graphics calculations for various applications. | 4 |
| GPU clock speed Running speed is the clock speed of the GPU, measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 450 MHz (megahertz) |
| Amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted. | 2 GB (gigabytes) |
| Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device. | LPDDR3 |
| Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels mean higher data rates. | Dual channel |
| RAM frequency The frequency of RAM determines its operating speed, more specifically, the speed of reading/writing data. | 800 MHz (megahertz) |
Built-in memory
Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.
Memory cards
Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.
Screen
The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.
| Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the quality of the information image directly depends. | TFT |
| Diagonal For mobile devices, screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches. | 5 in (inches) 127 mm (millimeters) 12.7 cm (centimeters) |
| Width Approximate screen width | 2.45 in (inches) 62.26 mm (millimeters) 6.23 cm (centimeters) |
| Height Approximate screen height | 4.36 in (inches) 110.69 mm (millimeters) 11.07 cm (centimeters) |
| Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side | 1.778:1 16:9 |
| Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means clearer image detail. | 1080 x 1920 pixels |
| Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be displayed on the screen with clearer detail. | 441 ppi (pixels per inch) 173 ppcm (pixels per centimeter) |
| Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display. | 24 bit 16777216 flowers |
| Screen area Approximate percentage of screen area occupied by the screen on the front of the device. | 64.89% (percent) |
| Other characteristics Information about other screen features and characteristics. | Capacitive Multi-touch Scratch resistance |
| Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 Triluminos display for mobile X-Reality display |
Sensors
Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.
Main camera
The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the body and is used for taking photos and videos.
| Sensor model Information about the manufacturer and model of the photo sensor used in the device's camera. | Sony Exmor RS |
| Sensor type Digital cameras use photo sensors to take photographs. The sensor, as well as optics, are one of the main factors in the quality of the camera in a mobile device. | CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) |
| Sensor size Information about the dimensions of the photosensor used in the device. Typically, cameras with larger sensors and lower pixel densities offer higher image quality despite the lower resolution. | 6.17 x 4.55 mm (millimeters) 0.3 in (inches) |
| Pixel size The smaller pixel size of the photosensor allows more pixels per unit area, thereby increasing resolution. On the other hand, a smaller pixel size can have a negative impact on image quality at high ISO levels. | 1.176 µm (micrometers) 0.001176 mm (millimeters) |
| Crop factor The crop factor is the ratio between the dimensions of the full-frame sensor (36 x 24 mm, equivalent to a frame of standard 35 mm film) and the dimensions of the device's photosensor. The indicated number represents the ratio of the diagonals of the full-frame sensor (43.3 mm) and the photosensor of a particular device. | 5.64 |
| ISO (light sensitivity) ISO indicators determine the level of light sensitivity of the photosensor. A lower value means weaker light sensitivity and vice versa - higher values mean higher light sensitivity, i.e. better ability of the sensor to work in low light conditions. | 50 - 6400 |
| Diaphragm Aperture (f-number) is the size of the aperture opening that controls the amount of light reaching the photosensor. A lower f-number means the aperture opening is larger. | f/2 |
| Focal length Focal length is the distance in millimeters from the photosensor to the optical center of the lens. The equivalent focal length is also indicated, providing the same field of view with a full frame camera. | 4.79 mm (millimeters) 27.02 mm (millimeters) *(35 mm / full frame) |
| Flash type The most common types of flashes in mobile device cameras are LED and xenon flashes. LED flashes produce softer light and, unlike brighter xenon flashes, are also used for video shooting. | LED |
| Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of mobile device cameras is their resolution, which shows the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in the image. | 5248 x 3936 pixels 20.66 MP (megapixels) |
| Video resolution Information about the maximum supported resolution when shooting video with the device. | 1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels) |
| Video - frame rate/frames per second. Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the device when shooting video at the maximum resolution. Some of the main standard video shooting and playback speeds are 24p, 25p, 30p, 60p. | 30fps (frames per second) |
| Characteristics Information about other software and hardware features related to the main camera and improving its functionality. | Autofocus Continuous shooting Digital zoom Digital image stabilization Geographical tags Panoramic photography HDR shooting Touch Focus Face recognition |
Additional camera
Additional cameras are usually mounted above the device screen and are used mainly for video conversations, gesture recognition, etc.
Audio
Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.
Radio
The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.
Location determination
Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.
WiFi
Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.
| Version There are several versions of Bluetooth, with each subsequent one improving communication speed, coverage, and making devices easier to discover and connect. Information about the Bluetooth version of the device. | 4.0 |
| Characteristics Bluetooth uses different profiles and protocols that provide faster data transfer, energy savings, improved device discovery, etc. Some of these profiles and protocols that the device supports are shown here. | A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) AVRCP (Audio/Visual Remote Control Profile) GATT (Generic Attribute Profile) HDP (Health Device Profile) HFP (Hands-Free Profile) HID (Human Interface Profile) MAP (Message Access Profile) OPP (Object Push Profile) PAN (Personal Area Networking Profile) PBAP/PAB (Phone Book Access Profile) SPP (Serial Port Protocol) DID |
USB
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.
HDMI
HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a digital audio/video interface that replaces older analog audio/video standards.
Headphone jack
This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Connecting devices
Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.
Browser
A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.
| Browser Information about some of the main characteristics and standards supported by the device's browser. | HTML HTML5 |
Audio file formats/codecs
Mobile devices support different audio file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital audio data.
Video file formats/codecs
Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.
Battery
Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.
| Capacity A battery's capacity indicates the maximum charge it can hold, measured in milliamp-hours. | 3000 mAh (milliamp-hours) |
| Type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries being the most commonly used batteries in mobile devices. | Li-Ion (Lithium-ion) |
| 2G talk time 2G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 2G network. | 14 h (hours) 840 min (minutes) 0.6 days |
| 2G latency 2G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 2G network. | 880 h (hours) 52800 min (minutes) 36.7 days |
| 3G talk time 3G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network. | 15 h (hours) 900 min (minutes) 0.6 days |
| 3G latency 3G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 3G network. | 850 h (hours) 51000 min (minutes) 35.4 days |
| Characteristics Information about some additional characteristics of the device's battery. | Fixed |
TRILUMINOS display
Xperia Z1 is powered by the latest Sony BRAVIA® technologies optimized for mobile devices for an amazing viewing experience. The large 5-inch TRILUMINOS™ display with Full HD and X-Reality for mobile features 1920 x 1080 progressive scan resolution for amazingly clear photos with no edges. Combined with a pixel density of 441 ppi, this gives your camera phone images incredible clarity and superb brightness. And thanks to its Full HD display, this smartphone can bring any photo to life.
World's fastest smartphone processor
We've paired the latest Sony software with the new, ultra-powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor. This advanced quad-core processor is 75% faster than the S4 Pro processor, delivering maximum power and speed with incredible battery life - run multiple apps at once, search the web. with minimal loading time and stream videos without lag. The Snapdragon 800 processor is asynchronous, meaning its cores run independently of each other. This way, you get exactly the power you need at the moment without draining your battery unnecessarily.
Significantly extend battery life
Smartphones consume quite a lot of energy even when not in active use. All the apps on your smartphone can run in the background, draining your energy. STAMINA mode prevents wasted energy. It recognizes when you're not using the display and automatically turns off unnecessary features while keeping notifications that matter to you. As soon as you press the power button, everything is activated and working again.
Receive only important notifications
In STAMINA mode, Wi-Fi and data transfer stops working, but you can still receive incoming calls, text messages and alerts. And since everyone's needs are different, you can easily customize the apps you want to receive notifications from even in standby mode. Turn Facebook notifications on or off? The choice is yours.
Very soon, the flagship smartphone Sony Xperia Z1 will receive a sequel. Now is the time to remember this device and talk about its strengths and weaknesses.
Contents of delivery
A few words about the delivery package. Many modern Xperias have nothing but a power supply and a cable. The company explains this by saving money. They say that the user will be able to buy everything he wants for himself. But, it seems to me, many people bought smartphones precisely because of all sorts of interesting things - naturally, this is not the main reason, but one of them. And it was very pleasant to find the cradle in the box with the Acro S, to see a high-quality headset included with the Xperia Z. In fact, I still use it with all the company’s devices. In my opinion, it’s not worth saving here, especially since Xperia is already quite expensive compared to other Android smartphones. And I want to immediately use a normal headset, and not look for it in stores (and also pay one and a half to two thousand). This is my opinion, what do you think?
Design, construction
Films. Here's what I don't like most about the modern Xperia. It would seem that the frame is made of metal, tempered glass on the front and back, an interesting design, so why additional protection? There is no answer to this question, and the Z1, like other devices, is covered in films on all sides. I used the device extensively, and you can see in the photos what this resulted in - a lot of scratches. Once you peel off the films, all the Sony inscriptions and the Xperia logo will disappear. Will they change my films at the service center? According to rumors, they will not change it - or only assembled with parts. I don’t know how long this will continue. It would be better if there were scratches on the body, but the question is, will they appear on such material at all? Maybe the company can’t put logos on such material?
In any case, the appearance of the Sony Xperia Z1 is good. And sometimes this is what makes you forgive everything else - and sometimes this is what makes people once again buy an Xperia instead of a Galaxy. Black rectangle - panels are mounted on a metal chassis, double anodizing is applied at the ends, the front part is black, the side edges are gray. As you can see, nothing happened to them. Aluminum power button, magnetic charging connector on the side, I highly recommend that owners buy a branded cradle, it makes life a lot easier. Just at first you need to get used to it in order to install it correctly. But then it can be used with Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, and with Z Ultra, and with other smartphones. Above the display is the front camera lens; microUSB connectors, a slot for microSD memory cards, and a SIM card tray are hidden under the caps at the ends. At the bottom there is a groove for attaching a strap, under the perforation there is a speaker. I wouldn't call it loud; sometimes you can't hear the call signal in your pocket. On top is an open 3.5 mm jack (CTIA, the same wiring as the iPhone), I believe that Sony will soon abandon plugs altogether. By the way, this device spent a lot of time at sea, it did not affect the work in any way, the main thing is not to forget to close the plugs, and not to insert headphones into the jack immediately after swimming. The Z1 has seen sand, falls, and being roughly carried in a backpack next to the keys. In Malaysia, the smartphone has seen a lot of things, but, as you can see, it works quite normally, although it has somewhat lost its presentation. However, for me this is one of those devices that I don’t want to give or let anyone use.
Other body colors seem more interesting to me: white, purple, I especially advise you to look at the white Z1 live, black is boring in comparison. Dimensions are 144 x 74 x 8.5 mm, weight - 170 g. A microSIM is used, in my case it is MegaFon with LTE support, it works great - I have been using MegaFon for a long time for all “second” devices (I like the roaming tariffs of this operator).
A few words about management. On the right side there is a power button, a volume rocker, and a camera button. All are quite convenient, I won’t find fault with the location; the power off button falls just under your thumb when you hold the device in your right hand. There is a small indicator light above the Sony logo; it lights up blue, yellow, red or green depending on what is happening with the device.
Protection
There is probably no need to repeat this again, but the device can withstand immersion in water (for a short time and shallowly). In promotional photographs we see cheerful people taking pictures underwater and filming videos. The fact is that this is quite difficult to implement in practice. Under water, the device has difficulty recognizing keystrokes, and this also applies to those moments when there are drops on the display. False positives start to appear and it is impossible to go to the gallery to see what was captured. The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact has support for wet finger control, the Z1 does not, and therefore we will leave all these pictures to the conscience of the Sony advertising department - by and large, they are just fake.
On the other hand, if you suddenly want to wash your smartphone in the sink, then doing so will not be difficult. For all fans of extreme sports, this is also a godsend; falling into the snow or water is not particularly scary. But the body here is not very protected from impacts, so it’s not worth throwing the Z1 onto concrete.
I would like to draw your attention to one more point: periodically, when you open the plugs, a warning appears on the display that they must be closed if you immerse the Z1 in water. Fool proof, but a completely reasonable defense.
Display
A lot has already been said about the display of the Sony Xperia Z1, and you can find many reviews online. From a technical point of view, everything is very simple here, TFT, 5 inches, resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels. From the point of view of sensations - no, viewing angles after the iPhone 5S seem to be none, after looking at the screens of HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4, I want to insert one into the Z1. In fact, this is very strange, because Sony has (had) excellent displays, but here something is not the best. And that's putting it mildly. The problem with fading is especially noticeable when using the menu and a number of simple applications. When watching videos or playing games, the picture seems normal. Well, or you just don't pay attention. The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact has an order of magnitude better screen; it is unclear why IPS was not installed here. Well, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra has the best image among Xperia, I haven’t seen a better one yet (we’re talking only about Xperia).
Accordingly, before purchasing, I highly recommend that you evaluate the smartphone yourself in a store - will you be able to use the device with such a display? And I especially recommend comparing it with HTC One. And don’t get angry at journalists praising Sony displays; the difference between prototypes and commercial samples is sometimes huge. And there is also a difference between models for different countries, let’s remember the Sony Xperia Z for Europe and for Japan. Just different screens. With the Z1, it seems that everything is different and the screens are the same, but the display will not be good for everyone - I highly recommend evaluating it yourself in the store before purchasing.
Comparison with Sony Xperia Z1 Compact
Performance
The Qualcomm MSM8974 platform is used, a quad-core 2.2 GHz processor, an Adreno 330 adapter, 2 GB of RAM. During games, the back of the device gets very hot, in normal mode this is not very noticeable - although some programs make the device noticeably warmer. The Android 4.2.2 operating system is used, the additions include redrawn icons for the player and some other programs, custom wallpaper, a menu on the locked screen and unlock animation, and there are a number of other minor changes. A bunch of different programs of varying degrees of usefulness, here TrackID (Shazam works better), and Xperia Lounge, and Xperia Privilege, and “Sketch”, and Social live - all this reminds us of the times of VAIO, you buy a Sony smartphone and think how much space will be freed up, if you take it and remove all these wonderful programs.
The main thing is not to put the radio away. Although you won't succeed. And the radio here is done well!
I have no complaints about the performance; Plants vs Zombie 2 would load quickly, but here it loads quickly. And I also don’t want to observe the brakes, and I didn’t notice any. You can see the benchmark results in the screenshots, Antutu shows 35279, as far as I can understand, this is very good!
Wireless interfaces
A few words about Bluetooth, profile 4.0 is used here, the aptX codec is supported, with headsets that support the same profile, you can get better sound quality than via cable (I tried it, it’s true). It also supports the ANT+ profile to work with a range of sports and specialty accessories.
And with Wi-Fi it’s also interesting, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac is ideal for working with Apple’s new generation network equipment. Wi-Fi Direct is supported, operating in 2.4/5 GHz frequencies. I mainly used it with the updated AirPort Express, I have nothing to complain about.
On the back there is an NFC area, this is a new toy for Sony, there are many accessories that support the technology, you can quickly connect speakers, headsets, and so on.
On the plus side, LTE is supported, everything works great with MegaFon.
Memory
Once you take the device out of the box, you have about 11 GB of memory for your own data, and the microSD card slot can accommodate a card with a capacity of up to 64 GB.
Camera
Camera 20.7 MP (Exmor RS), 8x digital zoom, autofocus, support for a bunch of different modes, face detection, red-eye removal, quick launch when you press the shoot button (camera action is customizable). The AR effect mode is of particular interest; it is something like augmented reality, when various effects are superimposed on the image in the viewfinder.
I present here photographs taken mainly in the best auto-adjustment mode or in manual mode - I set the resolution to 8 MP to get frames with an aspect ratio of 16:9 that were not cropped at the edges; if you select 20.7 MP, then the ratio is 4:3. Moreover, the default resolution is 8 MP, 16:9. In the photo you can see how dependent the Z1 camera is on lighting conditions; getting a good shot was very easy in Shanghai or Malaysia, but in the Moscow region and Moscow this is not an easy task. I have accumulated about two gigabytes of photos taken on the Z1, the most amazing thing is that even on the MBP 15 Retina screen, the resulting material is quite pleasant to look at. I have only one complaint about the camera: you need to fine-tune the drivers right away, and not along the way. I’ll also say right away about the comparison with the Z1, despite the magic numbers of 20.7, the iPhone 5S often behaves better than the Z1. And in general, you need some preparation to get the most out of your smartphone camera - play with the settings in manual mode, explore additional presets, and not jerk the body while pressing the button. It’s better not to use it at all, shoot by pressing a button on the display.
Well, if you are switching to the Z1 from an iPhone 5/5S (although I can hardly imagine this) and look at the pictures on a computer monitor, then don’t be surprised by the noise.
In general, compared to Z, the pictures here are better, but Sony programmers and engineers have a lot of work to do - all that remains is to implement everything that is said on the official website. For example, they show test images created by different photographers, here is a shot by Tadahiko Hisatomi.
I have no idea how this was done on the Z1. Or how about this passage, also from the official website: “The Xperia Z1 smartphone provides better overall image quality compared to other popular smartphones.” I simply don’t have time, but the gadget couldn’t stand comparisons in different modes with the Samsung Galaxy S4 or iPhone 5S. And it’s just a matter of software, and it’s just a matter of shooting in poor lighting conditions.
Overall, this is a good camera (if you know how to use it), but you simply can’t call it great or the best among others. And don’t believe it if someone tries to prove otherwise to you.
I won’t dwell on the many functions of the device here - TimeShift, panorama and others are interesting, but not used too often. If you need a complete overview of all the functions of the Z1 camera, write to me by email, maybe I’ll find time to describe it in detail. Or I’ll tell you about it in the Z1 Compact review. In the meantime, look at the photos, fortunately there are a lot of them here and you can appreciate the smartphone’s camera.
By the way, there are photos of blanks for the Z1 body, you can evaluate the process.
Speaker
Separately about the speaker. Something always prevents Sony engineers from bringing the device to fruition. Here too, the device is large in size, at the bottom there is a beautiful perforation for the speaker, but the speaker itself is quieter than that of the iPhone 5S. And the call melody is heard worse. Moreover, there is also a quiet speaker, and you will immediately notice this if you have used Samsung before. On the street you have to literally press the device into your ear, you want to turn up the volume, but there’s nowhere to add it. If this point is critical for you, I highly recommend inserting your SIM card into the Z1 before purchasing and talking on your own. If speaker volume is important (for example, you like to listen to music on your smartphone in the shower), listen to the tracks originally loaded into the player. Yes, not very loud. That's what we're talking about.
The sound quality with the EX-300 headset included with the Sony Xperia Z is very good, especially if you play with the settings. The downside is that the volume is not enough, I don’t know why Sony decided to take such care of our ears. The smartphone supports FLAC and AVI playback, this is also a big plus.
Working hours
The stated operating time is a little surprising; on the official website it is indicated in minutes. For example, 830 minutes of talk time for GSM, or 880 minutes of talk time for UMTS. In video playback mode, the Z1 lasts 400 minutes. And how can we understand this? It is clear that you can divide by sixty and get hours, but this practice is surprising. A 3000 mAh battery is installed. The microUSB connector is used for charging; at home, I most often charge the Z1 using the PS4 - in standby mode, the console supplies power to the USB ports, so you can easily tidy up the batteries of the joystick, smartphones and tablets.
In fact, the Z1 works like any modern smartphone. If you drive to the fullest, then by the end of the day you have to look for a plug or USB port. If only calls and SMS, you can count on a day and a half of work. In the USA, the Z1 once lasted two days, although there was only about twenty minutes of conversation, checking email, and a couple of hours of browsing.
That is, nothing surprising awaits you - if you used another smartphone with Android, everything is familiar. But the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact lasts noticeably longer with the same characteristics (except for the display).
By the way, the proprietary Stamina mode, which prohibits programs from running in the background, sometimes cannot cope with utilities - an error appears. For example, this applies to Facebook.
conclusions
In retail the device costs about 25,000 rubles, we are talking about “white” devices. But there are also a number of offers online where the price is five thousand less, apparently these are gray devices. Although the model offered is the same, C6903. What the difference is, I won’t undertake to say, just as I won’t recommend where exactly to buy, decide for yourself. First, let's talk about the advantages:
- Interesting design and materials, three body colors
- Not bad operating time for a smartphone with such performance
- The camera can be described as both pros and cons - for normal shooting you will need both experience and practice, but it is quite possible to get interesting shots
- Supports LTE, Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
- Unlike the iPhone, the smartphone “supports” the network well, and you notice this already on the first day of use
- Water protection
- Everything is ok with performance
- microSD card slot
- Convenient magnetic connector for charging and synchronization - if you don’t want the plugs to come loose, buy a docking station right away
Now about the cons:
- Speaker volume is insufficient
- The camera here does not live up to all the advertising hype around it, and you shouldn’t expect miracles from it
- Display viewing angles are poor
- Low vibration, almost unnoticeable in your jacket pocket
- The plugs are frankly annoying, especially if you often connect the device to a microUSB cable (well, why not). The Z1 removed the 3.5 mm jack plug, already a big step forward
- Still, it’s worth thinking about the configuration of flagship devices - everyone is accustomed to expecting miracles out of the box from Sony
Should I buy or not? The pros and cons are in front of you. As one of my friends said, who decided to switch to Android from iOS (applies only to a smartphone), he bought the Z1 only because of the design and only because of the good memory of past Sony devices. Something disappointed him, something pleased me, and, in fact, me too. I would like there to be no obvious shortcomings, first of all, this is the display. I would like an optimized camera right away, without modifications and updates in the process. There are simply no ideal devices on the market now, everyone is strong in their own way - but if you are looking for a beautiful smartphone with Android on board, if you value design, then there is nowhere to look, it’s either HTC or Sony.
Now we just have to wait for Sony’s presentation at MWC (very soon), and then we’ll see how the Z1, the company’s extremely interesting but imperfect smartphone, changes.
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Sergey Kuzmin ()
Sony Xperia Z1 - Attention to detail
07.08.2015
As an epigraph to this review, you can take the following anecdote: “I really miss those times when you could pour water on a person without worrying about the smartphone in his pocket!” Yes, you understood everything correctly, we will talk about the waterproof flagship from Sony, released in the second half of 2013 - Xperia Z1.
Introduction
I got this cool gadget at the beginning of 2014. It was purchased at the FotoSklad store at a fairly humane price for that time of about 20,000 rubles (the official price set by the company was kept at 30 thousand rubles).
According to all marketing laws, the gadget should be “outdated” by the beginning of 2015, but due to the weakening of the national currency (hopefully temporary), and, as a result, the increase in prices for all new flagships, it is becoming relevant again. Find out why in this review.
Equipment
Getting to know the device begins, as always, with the packaging. The device comes in a rectangular box (by the way, similar in shape to the hero of this review), which is quite informative. The smartphone itself is drawn on the front, with “Sony - make, believe” written in the upper left corner. In the lower left corner is the Xperia Z1. At the bottom of the box is the upper part of the smartphone in different colors, lower down are the main features of the flagship, and even lower is text in small font.
The box is made of thick cardboard, with bright drawings. Yes, making packaging from recycled materials, as many manufacturers do, is environmentally friendly, but, in my opinion, the box should be just like that - high-quality, beautiful, even eye-catching. Yes, it will also serve, in particular, for storing complete accessories.
There is nothing particularly interesting inside the box. In stock - headphones with attachments for them (I managed to find out that headphones are not supplied with all batches, consider me lucky), a USB cable, some pieces of paper not in Russian, and a charger block. The equipment is sparse, minimally necessary. Instructions - both in English and in Russian - are not particularly useful for a Russian person ☺. That's why I didn't particularly regret that the papers were in English.
Previously, when there weren’t so many gadgets in my house that regularly asked to be charged, the type of charger included in the kit didn’t cause me any particular problems (the USB connector is on the side). But now I have a very specific requirement - the cable connector must be on top. Recently, many manufacturers have begun to do this (including Apple), but Sony has not changed their approach (either in, or in, the charger has not changed at all). I hope they fix this flaw in the new flagship.
Appearance
The flagship fell into my hands for the first time. And it was very interesting to compare the sensations of a hi-end smartphone with a budget smartphone teXet X-basic. The first thing that catches your eye is the design in the Omni Balance style, implying the symmetry of the device, rectangular shapes, smooth front surface and back cover (if you can call the back surface of a non-separable smartphone that way). The ergonomics of this design do not suffer much, but the grip is definitely less comfortable than that of the X-basic. A person with a larger hand than me (the majority of such people) will, I think, be more comfortable using the device with one hand than me.
Everything about the complete film is sad. She managed to get scratched in the first week of careful handling. At the same time, the device was not in the same pocket with the keys, did not fall anywhere, and did not show any signs of willfulness prompting us to test its strength. As a result, I removed the film, especially since it collects a lot of dust, and underneath there is tempered glass, which is not so easy to damage.
The build is simply superb; Even with some effort, it is impossible to make the device produce sounds similar to the ungreased means of transportation of peasants ☺.
The most interesting thing is that between the protective glass and the frame bordering the screen, there is a gap into which you can insert a sheet of thin paper if desired. This, of course, is not such a big minus, but still, the impression spoils a little. This is despite the fact that even Keneksi Wind (we look carefully at its price) does not have this.
Now about the thickness. In mid-2015, a thickness of around 7-9 mm is not considered a record; moreover, such devices are even called “a little thick”! But my subjective emotions from the thickness remain unchanged - it is very thin even with a cover. And personally, I absolutely do not understand the direction of movement of smartphones - a further decrease in thickness. Believe me, it is absolutely not necessary. The only thing is that it would be a good idea to take a smart dystrophic, add a couple of millimeters to its thickness by using a very large battery - and at the end you will get a wonderful thing that, regardless of the usage scenario, will not be “hungry” for a couple of days after the last “feeding”.
An undoubted advantage of the device is the ability to choose not only classic white and black colors, but also bright purple.
It is protected from moisture and dust - for people who sometimes drop their smartphones into water. So, unfortunately, my faithful teXet X-basic died. And it was Sony that set a new trend among devices (which won the favor of Georgy Kiselyov) - moisture resistance.
It is made of metal and glass, which means it should appeal to a wide range of people. The rear glass surface has a pleasant feel, but the most important thing is that it is quite heavy (170 g), which I always liked. But for me design is of secondary importance. Yes, this is the most beautiful smartphone ever created (or rather, the entire Z line, which looks almost the same)! Yes, it is made of premium materials! Yes, he is different from the huge number of Chinese on Android! But... Personally, what’s more important to me is that the device has a great camera, just an incomparable shell that caused about the same delight as my first Android smartphone. Well, okay, we'll figure it out as we go through the review.
Now we can talk about the controls.
On the right are three mechanical buttons, including a separate shooting key, which the Sony Xperia Z lacked. Judging by the positioning of the device, it will be useful for shooting underwater. After all, a capacitive screen will not respond to touches in such conditions. The button is convenient, pressed clearly and clearly. If you hold the smartphone with both hands, the index finger immediately rests on the key.
At the top there is a connector for the SIM, which slides in on a sled. To remove these very sleds, you just need to pick them up with your fingernail; there are no paper clips, like in the iPhone. It would be better if the slot could be opened using a paperclip-key, it would be more “civilized”. But this is a minor problem; people rarely take out their SIM cards.
The location for the power key is well thought out, it is located exactly where you would like it to be, regardless of which hand the user is holding the smartphone with. Special thanks to the designers. Given the size of the case, this is almost the only option for placing the button so that it is convenient. It is this key, or rather its design, that is one of the distinctive features of Sony smartphones. The silver paint has not peeled off after almost a year and a half of use, which is good. Just below is a convenient volume rocker. It’s quite interesting that thanks to this arrangement you can easily take a screenshot with one hand (however, sometimes the volume changes). To do this, just press your thumb against the left side of the smartphone and press the keys with the rest. But it’s unlikely that the company placed the buttons according to this logic. Although, who knows...
On the left are the connectors for the memory card and for charging. They are covered with plugs that can be easily removed, but, apparently, they seal the case well. Below them is a connector for connecting to a docking station, with which you can charge your smartphone. Also, this optional accessory can serve as a “tripod” when shooting.
There is a speaker at the bottom end. More details about it will be discussed in the “Sound” section. There is also a certain hole, which, as I understand it, serves to attach the strap.
On top of the device is a 3.5 mm headphone jack, not covered by a plug. The company says that you can immerse the phone in water without damaging the connector. But they add that it would be better not to listen to music for a couple of hours afterwards.
On the back is the camera and flash in the upper left corner, and the Sony logo in the center. I would like to comment on the location of the camera. When shooting in horizontal orientation (mostly for video), your finger covers the camera. This may sound (and actually read) strange, but in budget smartphones like Keneksi Wind it is located much more conveniently.
Front part. Above the screen there is a front camera and sensors, but below it... Nothing! And with such a wide frame at the bottom! It would be possible to place touch buttons there. Not only Sony suffers from this, but also HTC with its flagship line (namely, the logo under the screen). But recently, at the instigation of the Chinese, a new trend has emerged - reducing the frame. This is what I welcome (I expect and hope that the above-mentioned companies will correspond to this trend).
There is an LED somewhere inside the earpiece. It does not signal missed events, but when charging it glows red (less than 15%), yellow (from 15 to 90%) and green (from 90%). It's a small thing, but very nice. And convenient.
Also, the same LED blinks blue, signaling missed events.
I also bought a lovely red case for the hero of this review, which, by the way, is very convenient. It turns the hero of this review into a Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro ☺. But there is no need to break it, either completely (see story) or partially.
It perfectly protects from any falls and troubles (unlike the case for teXet TM-9750HD, which does not protect anything and also comes apart at the seams). What you can’t take away from flagships is the abundance of accessories, both high-quality and, unfortunately, not so good.
But, as I found out, many cases for the Sony Xperia Z1 have a drawback - they do not allow you to insert headphones into the 3.5 mm jack. The fastening simply interferes. Generally speaking, the cases are not to blame, it was the designers who made such an unfortunate arrangement. But, when you suddenly decide to buy a case, take headphones to the store and try to plug them into the jack. You won't regret it, I assure you.
Hmm... I didn't find a hole for a hard reset. And since the cover of the smartphone is non-removable, the absence of the above hole can, in the worst case, send you to a service center.
In total, for appearance and equipment - 9 points.
Shell
This is the first time I've seen the Xperia Home and I like it. Really like. Before this smartphone, I didn’t have devices with shells from the manufacturer. And this element personally delights me. Moreover, the company has clearly worked to improve the speed of work. No lag, even when scrolling through long lists like a news feed.
The launcher (a specialized program that allows you to radically change the design of the desktop, interface, images of various shortcuts, etc. compared to the operating system, the interface of which is also a kind of launcher), like everything else, compared to stock Android, has been greatly changed by the manufacturer . I like these changes. The principle of adding widgets has been changed (these are tiles that can show any information on the desktop, they are somewhat similar to application shortcuts, but shortcuts are just links, and widgets are in some way mini-applications), more attractive icons. I will not shake the keyboard on this topic once again, look at the screenshots and you will understand everything yourself.
When you turn on the device, the first most necessary settings appear. If you are unable to do this, the store assistant will set up the device. But it seems to me that it is much more interesting to experience everything yourself. Well, okay, let's get back to our sheep.
Lock screen, from it you can launch the camera, and with the update to Android 5.0, also a phone application, simply by swiping your finger from the icon of the desired application to the center of the screen. If you don’t swipe your finger, but simply press the display, the inscription: “To unlock, swipe your finger across the screen” jumps in a funny way. With the new Android, notifications began to appear on the lock screen, which is good. On the other hand, there used to be widgets, but now they are not. There is no ideal in the world, in general.
The Xperia Home shell does not change the design of Android much (with version 5.0 the differences are generally minimal), but it adds a large number of functions. And application shortcuts can be removed not only by standard dragging from the menu, but also through a special editing table; “mini-applications” have been added (their value on a 5-inch screen is quite questionable, but on large tablets this will certainly be in demand); There is a search for applications in the main menu and the ability to sort them as the user wishes. These are the advantages.
As a minus, we can highlight the fact that the number of desktops is limited to 7 ☹. Even in the budget Keneksi Wind there are 9 of them. And in many third-party launchers the number is not limited at all.
Notification menu. Not much changed compared to stock Android, only the design is adjusted to the appearance of the rest of the shell elements. By pulling the top of the screen down with two fingers, we will see the quick settings. And you can choose which ones will be displayed on this screen.
With the update to Android 5.0, a switch panel appeared here, it is very convenient. Its design hasn't changed at all compared to stock Android, and that's good. She is very graceful.
The device has the Update Center application. It is used to update the system and proprietary applications that are not available on Google Play and are built into the firmware. Naturally, it is possible to update the Android version over the air. And it's very convenient. Now this function is available on most devices. But it is not, for example, on Keneksi Wind. And, in order to update the firmware, you will have to go to a service center (while the device is under warranty, and then you can do it yourself).
As for updates, it turns out that not everything is so simple here either. In the update to Android 5.0, you couldn’t just connect and download it over the air. I had to connect to the computer. And then the torment began. First of all, it simply made a sound. That's all. No "connected... choose what to do" menu, nothing like that. And who would have guessed that you need to go to the “about phone” menu, turn on the “for developers” section, and in this section check the “USB debugging” box! If it weren’t for the experience of previous firmware (on teXet TM-9750HD, from a completely different tablet, and even here everything was much easier than with Sony), I would never have thought of it. Okay, connected. The next, far from obvious step - in the “USB connections” you need to check “install special software”, and after installation, uncheck this box, otherwise it will prompt you to install every time. After installation everything went easier, but I was “somewhat surprised” by the phrase: "When connecting the USB cable to the computer(as if I’ll be connecting it for a minute straight ☺) hold down the volume down key".
All the suffering was not in vain. The new Android is really very beautiful and smooth. But why such torment for an ordinary user when installing it is a mystery. Sony, listen up and don't do this again.
Now I would like to point out an interesting feature that is not available in regular Android. If we make a long swipe (from one edge of the screen to the other) from one desktop, then we immediately get to another desktop, but not adjacent, but located across the same desktop as the original one. A small thing, but just incredibly convenient!
I would also like to talk about the “simple home screen”. This setting turns the device's shell into a kind of Windows Phone. There are, of course, no tiles, but the application display logic, the settings themselves, the font size - all this is very reminiscent of the Microsoft operating system. But if it’s just the logic of the system, then here it’s probably done for the convenience of the older generation.
Everything is quite similar to standard Android, but everything is done very smoothly, beautifully, clearly and elegantly. As for the similarity with the “pure” OS from Google, many companies, especially Chinese ones, like to change the system beyond recognition, in particular, removing the main application menu. I like Sony's approach much better, because you only need to put the most frequently used applications on the desktop, and let the rest not get in the way, being in the main menu.
For the shell - 9.5 points.
Built-in Applications
Their quantity and necessity are characterized by four words: “for all occasions.” There is everything - from a video player to notes, from a mobile office to a flashlight.
I’ll look at a few of the most valuable and interesting ones.
MyXperia (locks the device if it is lost). Its value is not particularly high, because almost all antiviruses, including free ones, have a similar function. But it is useful for people who are used to using everything out of the box. As I have seen, there are many such people.
Voice recording (recorder). Minimalistic beautiful design. The functions are all the most necessary. Exactly - you can listen to everything you recorded in the application itself; in the settings - select the recording file format and recording duration. As a minus, it can be noted that this application has not yet been translated into Russian. But there are not many words there, you can even use a dictionary, it will take a little time.
There is a fly in the ointment here. The fact is that when recording sound through this recorder, the result is simply an incredibly quiet recording with a lot of noise. Moreover, if you use the camera for this purpose, simply placing the device on its “back,” the sound is quite clear and with much less noise.
I do not recommend listening to the audio recording if you have neighbors with a hammer drill ☺. Seriously, make the volume on your speakers/headphones very loud, otherwise it’s simply impossible to hear anything.
Mini version of the flagship. It does not differ from its “big brother” in exactly anything except the diagonal of the screen and, accordingly, the dimensions. The choice between these two devices is only in what dimensions are acceptable to the user. All. Even the price differs by only 600 rubles down.
But here we need to dwell in more detail. Firstly, a smartphone is cheaper by an average of five thousand. A lot of. This can be the deciding factor when choosing between these two devices. However, now I will try to compare the review hero with Nexus as accurately as possible. Firstly, the Nexus has a "pure" Android installed, without shells. Secondly, long-term support from Google and constant updates to a newer version. Sony, in my opinion, has a better shell than standard Android. It's more customizable, with prettier icons and animations, and offers a variety of native apps that are more functional than Google's solutions. 1-0 in favor of Sony.
The power is comparable, because The processor model in both smartphones is the same.
Okay, we're done with the shells. Now about design and ergonomics. Here it’s up to everyone to choose which design they like best. I won’t take up readers’ time with long stories about the pros and cons of each design, I’ll just say that I like the Sony Xperia Z1 better. 2-0 in favor of Sony.
The battery of the LG device is smaller than that of the Sony flagship. Significantly less. In addition, the hero of this review has a really useful proprietary Stamina mode at his disposal, which extends the operating time without recharging. This means that the device will also last less. 3-0 in favor of Sony.
The capabilities of photomodules are approximately equal; in different conditions, one device wins, then the other.
Sony's case materials are more “elite”; the smartphone looks very expensive. 4-0 in favor of Sony.
The cost is comparable.
The case materials are also quite similar.
Now, of course, there are a huge number of middle-class devices with similar hardware characteristics. But the trouble is that if you need water resistance, a metal-glass case and a device from an A-brand, then there is absolutely nothing to choose from.
Also, there are a huge number of Chinese devices offering the same characteristics for a lower price, for example, from Xiaomi or Meizu. But when choosing a smartphone, one of the criteria is that the device must be from an A-brand; other options were not considered.
I hope that you, dear readers, have a fairly complete picture of the situation with the flagship competitors of the hero of this review.
P.S. By now, several generations of flagships have already changed. And comparing this device with all the newer ones is a thankless task. The prices are too different. If you want a 2015 flagship, put 30-60 thousand rubles on the counter. If you don’t have such an amount at your disposal, then you need to choose from older devices that have not changed much in price and, therefore, are becoming more relevant.
With this, I declare comparisons a finished topic.
Glitches and the like
One time there was something. But it disappeared after 10 seconds.
Over the long period of use, there were several more errors, and sometimes they simply did not allow anything to be done. For example, the message: “An error occurred in the Google Play services application.” Clicked OK, after 2 seconds the same thing. This is what prompted me to update the firmware; all its other improvements except Material Design were a pleasant surprise for me.
One day the smartphone behaved as if I pressed the power key and did not release it, i.e. The shutdown menu opens, I click "cancel", and this menu appears again. I was able to get rid of it only by rebooting my smartphone.
Already with an update in the SMS application, sometimes the field for entering a message simply disappears. He’s gone, and that’s it. I left the dialogue several times and entered it again - it worked.
TeXet TM-9750HD. The Sony screen is somehow velvety and very pleasant.
But there are also negative impressions, such as irritation at the annoying “Google Play applications” error.
Of course, it’s very difficult to remember everything, but the main points were written above.
3D overview
In conclusion, I would like to present the reader with a 3D review of this smartphone:
[May not work in all browsers. - Approx. ed.]
There can be no clear answer to this question for any smartphone. Everywhere has its pros and cons. I will list the advantages in a short list:
1. Shell - it is smooth and beautiful, with many functions.
2. A powerful processor that copes well with all tasks.
3. A bright screen that displays black colors well and does not become too “blinding” in bright sunlight.
4. Long operating time on a single charge, Stamina mode.
5. Convenient music player with TrackID feature and high-quality sound in good headphones, as well as the presence of FM radio.
6. Excellent telephone performance.
7. Elegant design and high-quality case materials (metal and glass).
8. Long time support from the manufacturer - updates have been released for a year and a half.
9. Durability of the phone itself: while using it since the spring of 2014, there is not a single scratch or abrasion on the body.
Now about the cons. They are also there:
1. Lack of anti-reflective and oleophobic coating on the screen or their very low quality and not too pure display of white color on the screen.
2. The gap between the glass and the frame, poor factory film, as well as the poor design of the included charger and the lack of a button to control music playback in the included headphones.
3. Great difficulties with a wired connection to a computer, as well as updating firmware via USB.
4. A certain number of glitches and failures.
5. No USB-OTG.
6. Roughness in the chamber.
As you can see, all the disadvantages starting from 3 are software ones, which means there is hope that they will be corrected with subsequent firmware.
If you have any questions about the device, you can ask them in the comments.
P.S. Everything I said in the review is relevant for firmware on Android 4.4 (unless otherwise stated).
One of the manufacturers of such convenient and smart devices is Sony, and they recently showed off their new flagship. This smartphone first came into our hands in mid-September at CEE 2013, and a week ago it reached our office. One of the coolest features of Sony's flagships is water resistance. Add to this a 21 megapixel camera and an interesting design - and the result is an excellent competitive representative of the best of the best category. Today we will figure out whether Sony coped with this task well. Let's look at the Sony Xperia Z1.
First impression
As soon as the Z1 came into my hands, I involuntarily began to compare it with the previous model. Externally, the previous model looked a little more interesting: the new one lost the glare of glass inserts, the side edges became visually larger, but the characteristic features remained. Still the same big power button, waterproof covers, a lot of glass... Sony fans should appreciate this. The branded contact connector on the left side spoils the impression, but over time I stopped paying attention to it. Although a plug would be very useful. There is nothing new in the kit: pieces of paper, a charger with a removable USB-to-Micro USB cable, and a vacuum headset with replaceable rubber tips.
The first acquaintance with the device leaves a positive feeling. The glass on both sides is very tactile, although it will only be clean for the first few seconds after you carry out the ritual of removing the factory films. By the way, about films: like the previous model, the Z1 out of the box already has protective films glued on, which are practically invisible. They protect the device from the user. On the one hand, you really want to take them off, they are very soiled. But on the other hand, they will protect the glass from minor scratches, and there is a lot of glass here.
Design, buttons...
As I said, I liked the design of the previous model better. That's not to say the Z1 doesn't look good. The glass looks very beautiful on both sides, only it “magnetizes” any speck of dust, and over time you don’t even think about wiping off fingerprints, because in a couple of seconds they will come back again. But if you are an esthete from level 57, you will probably carry a large soft rag with you. And when you remove all traces of dust and hands from your smartphone, you will have time to enjoy all the lines of this device. With its very immodest dimensions (144.4 x 73.9 x 8.5 mm), it does not lie comfortably in one hand. There is always a fear of dropping the device, and involuntarily the second hand insures the device. But the wide frames at the top and bottom will make it very convenient to hold the Z1 in horizontal orientation without covering the display with your fingers.
There are three color variations of the case: black, white and purple. Our black one looks, subjectively, more expensive and more attractive. Although fingerprints are practically invisible on white. Unlike the previous model, the new flagship has changed the color of the plastic from black to gray (in our black model), and the glass inserts have turned into matte black plastic. Because of this, the plugs began to stand out more, since their outline on the gray was more noticeable. On the left side there is a Micro SD connector, Micro USB and a proprietary dock, on the right there is a tray for a Micro SIM card, a power button, a volume rocker and a two-position camera button. At the bottom is the speaker and microphone grille, at the top is the headset jack, and right in the lower right corner is the old-school “eye” for a string. This will be useful for active users, especially when shooting underwater.
On the back are the Sony and Xperia logos, a large camera window in a silver ring, a flash and a microphone for video. On the front there is a 5-inch display, a speaker slot, a Sony logo and a front camera. The lighting and proximity indicators are perfectly hidden in the black model. The earpiece speaker is not the loudest, its sound is relatively flat, the main speaker is quite loud, but does not hesitate to wheeze. The glass is hugged both front and back by a black frame. It collects glare quite nicely, which adds a pleasant impression to the design of the device. Another cool thing about the case is the indicator light hidden in the earpiece.
The main advantage of the Sony Xperia Z1 over the flagship solutions of competitors is the water resistance of the case. You can safely take it to the pool, for example, to record videos and take photos right under water. You can bathe your smartphone only in fresh water; at a depth of up to 1.5 meters it will last up to 30 minutes. Naturally, before the experiment it is better to check how tightly all the plugs are closed. Be prepared for the fact that the display will not respond to touches under water; in fact, this is what a physical camera button is for. Personally, it was very unusual for me to conduct such experiments and immerse my smartphone under water. After the first experiments, it immediately comes to mind to take your smartphone with you into the shower and read Twitter, for example. It is worth noting that diving is still dangerous, and when the water procedures are completed, it is better to thoroughly wipe and blow out the device.
Display
Speaking about the display, let's start with the good. This is a larger TFT display with a diagonal of 5 inches. It featured a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, with a pixel density of 441 (440.58 to be exact) ppi. Personally, I don’t see individual pixels on it, I doubt that anyone else will. The display is made with proprietary developments from Sony - Triluminos Display and Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2. In practice, the picture is beautiful and juicy. The display is readable in the sun. Even demanding users will like the color rendition. In a word, everything would be fine, but it still has disadvantages.
A smartphone at this price with a display should have EVERYTHING OK, but here the engineers missed the mark. Its weak point is the viewing angles. No matter which way you look at it, the picture becomes too light. Even if the smartphone is on the table and you are sitting next to it, with the display turned on, you will not notice the time. And this became a great disappointment for me. Of course, I don’t often look at a smartphone from this angle, but such situations do happen. The main inconvenience will be trying to show a photo / video / something else from the display to someone sitting next to you. More than one person will only be comfortable watching a video that involves invading each other's personal space. Later I noticed that dark wallpapers solve such problems a little, but light interface elements will still be difficult to see when viewed from an angle, and this is worth taking into account.
Cameras, photos and videos
Today, a smartphone should have two cameras: for good photos and for video communication. You can also turn on the paranoid mode and assume that this is increasingly needed for the intelligence services, but let this remain a joke. Anyway, I'll start with the front camera. 2 megapixels are quite capable of helping well in communicating with distant relatives. In addition, it is enough for self-portraits and video recording in 1080 p at 30 frames per second. If you need it, of course. The picture can be noisy under certain conditions, but the standard noise canceler will try to cope with this.
Another distinctive feature of the Z1 is the main camera. This is 20.7 megapixels - the highest resolution in an Android smartphone today. In addition, there are proprietary gadgets Exmor RS (for mobile), Sony G Lens, and Bionz intelligent photo processing technology. There's also HDR, panoramas, face detection... In practice, the photos look good, but compared to competitors' solutions, the Xperia Z1 loses. Mistakes in colors, inconvenient settings, noise reduction sometimes makes the picture blurry. But its strengths include low-light shooting and video stabilization. Moreover, in video stabilization, the Z1 is one of the best cameras that can now be found in a smartphone. And the Timeshift Burst mode will come in handy for those who like to take pictures of active scenes.
Hardware, software and battery
The Z1 may be seriously inferior to its competitors in some ways, but not in hardware. In terms of performance, this smartphone feels confident in any situation. This confidence is provided by the quad-core Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 (Krait 400), operating at a frequency of 2.2 GHz, 2 GB of RAM and the Adreno 330 graphics accelerator. The built-in storage is enough for 16 GB, of which slightly less than 12 GB is available to the user, and unlike many other flagships, this one supports Micro SD cards up to 64GB. All this works as expected quickly, there is enough power for all occasions. There are no slowdowns or jerks in games, the graphics are also excellent. But in demanding applications and when the camera is used for a long time, the top of the smartphone gets noticeably warm. And it heats up from both sides, and not just from the back. In other situations, I did not observe excessive heating.
All this ensures pleasant operation of Android 4.2.2 with a proprietary interface from Sony. I did not find any global changes (compared to previous models). The appearance of the operating system is quite clear and convenient enough for daily use. And in addition to performance, the smartphone has also increased its autonomy. The larger body (compared to the Xperia Z) houses a battery with a capacity of 3000 mAh. With Stamina's proprietary energy-saving mode enabled, the smartphone survives an active work day, which includes games, navigation, calls, browsing and other user activities. I didn’t limit myself in the backlight level, didn’t turn off Wi-Fi (as some people do when leaving home/office) and didn’t try to save battery on anything, and the smartphone held up fine.
Technical specifications Sony Xperia Z1
- Dimensions: 144.4 x 73.9 x 8.5 mm.
- Weight: 169 g
- Operating system: Android 4.2.2 JB.
- Processor: Quad-core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974), 2.2 GHz
- Graphics: Adreno 330.
- Display: TFT, 5’’, 1920 × 1080 pixels, 441 ppi
- Memory: 16 GB flash expandable (Micro SD up to 64 GB).
- RAM: 2 GB.
- Camera: main - 20.7 MP, video recording in 1080p, front - 2 MP.
- Wireless technologies: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC.
- Interface connectors: 3.5 mm headphone jack, Micro USB.
- Battery: Li-lon battery 3000 mAh.
Conclusions and personal impressions
I have always liked Sony smartphones, but, unfortunately, their “sides” come out. In the case of the Xperia Z1, there is enough performance and autonomy, there are cool underwater capabilities and dust protection. But the beautiful picture of the display is ruined by small viewing angles; the large body is inconvenient to use and bends a little. The camera is good, it has very strong points in video stabilization and high-speed shooting, but in general comparison it loses to its competitors. The design of the smartphone is also cool, but it attracts dust and small lint.
Personally, I was pleased with the use of the Sony Xperia Z1, but still its disadvantages often interfere with everyday life. Its cost on the Ukrainian market is now $750. When choosing a new smartphone in the top-end category, I would not pay attention to the Xperia Z1, because for the same money you can buy a more convenient device that will not be inferior in performance and autonomy. But don’t forget that this is one of the few smartphones that you can safely drown in the pool and take with you to the bathroom. And given the fact that we all know people who have drowned their smartphone at least once in their lives, the Sony Xperia Z1 will definitely find its buyer.
