[Q] Is it for me? - Xperia Z Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Basically, I own a GS3 right now and was thinking of upgrading to an Xperia Z. I realize that a GS4 or HTC One would be more of a proper upgrade but those are out of reach for me financially here.
I mostly use my phone for video playback(movies and such), browsing and the camera. I also use it to a lesser extent for music or gaming(angry birds type of stuff). So the screen and camera upgrade fit in the bill pretty well. I'm sure the extra 1GB of ram wouldn't hurt either. In the end the phone is also drop dead gorgeous and the waterproof/dustproof thing sounds very attractive as well.
However, after doing some research the Xperia Z seems to have a poor battery life when it comes to video playback and camera. Especially compared to the GS3 the differences seem so huge that it just doesn't make any sense. So I've started to wonder whether this upgrade would actually be worth it.
I don't mind charging my phone daily but the estimated 5h40m video playback and camera battery usage seem pretty poor. I was wondering whether any improvements have been made in this department since the initial tests carried out by GSMArena? I can already get about 6-7h in terms of video playback and less than 5h of browsing on my GS3. Would the Z be able to at least match that now or even do slightly better in terms of browsing? Will the upcoming 4.2 upgrade hopefully extend the battery life a bit as well? So, help me out here! :laugh:

No need 4u to upgrade. For those purposes that you do...just stick with the S3 :thumbup:
Sent from my C6603

nubnux said:
Basically, I own a GS3 right now and was thinking of upgrading to an Xperia Z. I realize that a GS4 or HTC One would be more of a proper upgrade but those are out of reach for me financially here.
I mostly use my phone for video playback(movies and such), browsing and the camera. I also use it to a lesser extent for music or gaming(angry birds type of stuff). So the screen and camera upgrade fit in the bill pretty well. I'm sure the extra 1GB of ram wouldn't hurt either. In the end the phone is also drop dead gorgeous and the waterproof/dustproof thing sounds very attractive as well.
However, after doing some research the Xperia Z seems to have a poor battery life when it comes to video playback and camera. Especially compared to the GS3 the differences seem so huge that it just doesn't make any sense. So I've started to wonder whether this upgrade would actually be worth it.
I don't mind charging my phone daily but the estimated 5h40m video playback and camera battery usage seem pretty poor. I was wondering whether any improvements have been made in this department since the initial tests carried out by GSMArena? I can already get about 6-7h in terms of video playback and less than 5h of browsing on my GS3. Would the Z be able to at least match that now or even do slightly better in terms of browsing? Will the upcoming 4.2 upgrade hopefully extend the battery life a bit as well? So, help me out here! :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With your phone usage, i don't think you need to change XZ from SGS3. Just that SGS3 is not a 4G phone the browsing speed may be lower but the battery usage is more. SGS3 also allow you to change battery so it can be useful.. Just that i dont like Samsung "cheap plastic" feel thats why i choose XZ.

Thanks for the answers!
But what I was wondering about the most was whether there have been improvements regarding the battery life ever since those tests were carried out. I have been told that there have been firmware upgrades that have improved the battery usage when it comes to multimedia and such. Is there any truth to this or does the battery still drain in 5 hours when it comes to video playback/camera usage etc.?

i am pretty much in the same boat as you...i also had a GS3 & i couldnt upgrade because of financial reasons as well....i got the xperia z after selling of the galaxy & yes...its a pretty darn good update for me...the screen, when you view it dead on, especially with the new update that fixes contrast issues, is EPIC! the performance is miles ahead of the s3, so is the camera. I also watch movies on my phone but i music & gaming are equally important to me. The latest upgrades do improve battery life slightly & you can help it along as well using stamina mode but i am afraid its still not that great... i can make the phone go a day maybe before hitting 15% by playing heavy games like real racing 3 & listening to music & watching some episodes of initial d

Related

Is OB a good option?

Hi OB users, I have been very tempted to buy this phone but I have a few questions that hopefully you can help me answer and decide whether or not it is a good decision to go ahead and buy it.
1.-I've heard battery life sucks, is this true? will it improve significantly if GB is ever released by LG (or maybe ICS will be the immediate update instead)?
2.-LG announced ICS will be released for OB, but I have also seen that LG has let down users many times with upgrades (e.g. GB), so do you still trust LG for keeping your HW up to date in terms of SW?
3.-If you could chose, would you chose again the OB or you would pass?
4.-Have you found HW limitations that have a direct impact over Android performance(amount of RAM, being only single core where the trend is to go dual or even quad)?
5.-Any last thoughts you could give me about your experience with this phone
Thanks in advance to everyone who took the time of reading my post, hopefully you can help me make the best decision.
Answers :
1 - battery life is normal, as any other 4" 1500mah phone, no better,no worse.
2 - Yes i trust about the release, but not the release "date".
3 - For single core, i will choose OB, my next pass is Galaxy Note at moment D), may be different when i actually changing from OB to any other device; but will wait for 3-4 months, OB meets all my need so far.
4 - 1080p video gives jerks, but 720p video runs very smoothly on OB. Haven't experienced much h/w limitations so far. [ i mean look at market, mobiles like Galaxy Y, Ace; Optimus One/Net; Defy etc occupy more than 70% of android phones, so a single core 1ghz 512mb RAM is not bad at all.. ]
5 - Display brightness and colour contrast is by far the best in whole era of smartphones, except LG PRADA 3 releasing this christmas.
It is a good option, as you may know is not the best out there, but it is a good one.
Everyone knows that smartphones are hungryphones, so it's almost the same issue to all devices. I do moderate use of it [2~3 hours calling, 2~3 hours music/gaming, about 1hour of wifi] daily and charge it every 2 days, so it's fine for me.
At the moment there is no single game that I tested and fail. Asphalt HD 6, PES 12, Fieldunners HD, GunBros [and playing online], Minigore, World of Goo, AngryBirds [all of them] and so on...
Display is a higher pro, 12pm at summer and sunniest day of the year still clearly see that display.
I'm not and android knower or anything, but in my opinion the only thing bad is SW updates or should I say no updates at all, but hey we have cm7 in good shape now and getting better
1. For me I find that the battery life of my OB can be quite erratic. Meaning sometimes it could last for 2days without charging, and sometimes the battery will just be depleted overnight (which is quite scary if you're using it as an alarm)
^Without me installing any new apps.
2. They promised, so they would have to get ICS out by hook or by crook or it will be very very bad publicity.
3&4. This I'm not too sure about myself. What I look for in a phone is it being slim and light, and a good camera. The OB is one of the thinnest phones at an affordable price. Maybe I would have gotten the Galaxy S2 or Droid Razr. So far I haven't seen it lag in heavy games like NOVA.
5. The screen is very good, colour accuracy is better than those AMOLED displays every other phone is using imo. the whites on the screen are realllllly white.
1.) Battery life definitely does not suck, it will last for 24 hours with Wi-Fi on, 3G off, 3-4 audio calls, 2 hour gaming, 3-4-5 browsing, Facebook, Messenger, Foursquare, Latitude open non stop, 30min-1h of navigation, 2-3 hours of music on the headphones, screen light on optimized (based on the light sensor ).
I know that some people wish that their Android's battery will last a week or so, but it's not 2001 anymore and these phones are not the 3310s anymore, so, IMHO, 24 hours is great, considering everything you're doing with it in that interval.
2.) Now that I've finally rooted it, I really don;t care. Yes, LG has been really delayed with the GB update, and that could possibly mean that it will delay the ICS release a lot, but that's what we have XDA for, right ?
3.) I would definitely choose the OB again. In my humble opinion it is the best price/performance ratio out there. Big screen, powerful single-core processor, enough ram to handle almost anything you throw @ it, the PowerVR GPU is a great video chipset, third best after MALI and Tegra on the market right now, all in all it's a great phone, and yes, there's always going to be a newer, better phone released, but for its price, the OB does it all.
4.)I kind of already answered that, I'll fill in additional details: There are almost no lags within the UI, the default LG Launcher is sometimes a bit laggy for half a second or so, but its just the launcher, not the phone. After replacing it with Launcher Pro for example, it performs beautifully. My Core i5 Desktop PC doesn't cycle through Windows that smooth :O The 720p playback is brilliant, no lag or other problems at all.
5.) Any last thoughts ? My personal conclusion after owning it and a SGSII for over 2 months now is this: it does 85-90% of what the SGSII does at almost half the price. Definitely a bargain !
Wish you luck with your new phone, regardless of what that will be.
Yes and no
It's like a good car with a bad driver on it... (Hardware and software) I suggest you to find a good car with a good driver Xpreia Neo V can be a good alternative...
if you want high end stuff I suggest you to wait panasonic's come back nearly april (will be presented at CES 2012)
there is also the "free thinking festival" about the OB
Thanks to everyone who read my post and dedicated some time to answer back. OB seems like a really good phone to me now, so hopefully, within the first 2 months of 2012 I might put my hands in one of those (or even sooner if I find it at a good price). Thanks again guys, you are much better than the people on the Acer tab A500 forum that I frequently check. Looking forward for more opinions
in a nutshell, if u want a brilliant 4 inch of screen estate, decent CPU nd a capable GPU,a sleek sexy and awesome looker, vivid camera and the best FRONT FACING cam,a great gesture controllable UI, go for op. Black. The software is no prob.
I had a tok wid MIUI and they confirmed immediate support for the device.also, the official GB will be available by jan latest.
If u want to hear glitches of this phone, am sorry to disappoint you....root nd delete the LG BLOATWRE,u wl hv 1day with heavy use.
I was watching this review on youtube and the guy mentions 2 issues:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1BbO5TI7Fg
1.-The phone overheats and becomes unbearable to hold
2.-Signal strenght decreases while holding it (similar to iPhone 4)
Could you guys share your experience in these 2 areas? I am thinking this guy might have received a faulty unit, but I just want to confirm. Thanks again guys.
sensei22 said:
I was watching this review on youtube and the guy mentions 2 issues:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1BbO5TI7Fg
1.-The phone overheats and becomes unbearable to hold
2.-Signal strenght decreases while holding it (similar to iPhone 4)
Could you guys share your experience in these 2 areas? I am thinking this guy might have received a faulty unit, but I just want to confirm. Thanks again guys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone may overheat when you use it while it is charging or if you're playing heavy games. My OB haven't heated up to a point thats unbearable to hold. Usually the camera area heats up. I believe that all slim phones heat up just like my friend's S2.
When it comes to signal, it's almost at par with nokia phones. With my Giorgio Armani phone, I can't even send sms inside my room, but with my OB, I can recieve and send sms anytime.
Had no such problems until now. Only heated once, but I was heavily multi-tasking atm, cooled down 2-3 minutes later. Regarding the signal, I had trouble with my old Sony Ericsson w960i and with my newer BB 8520 Curve inside this house, but the signal, even on 3G, on the OB is pure brilliancy !
Tips:
for browser use opera mobile for smooth hardware accelerated browsing.
for launcher use launcherpro. Its the smoothest launcher out there.
With all the above and CM7 the effect is my P970 is more responsive than my iphone4. Definitely worth the buy. Other good option with much tempting price is samsung galaxy W.
In my opinion its the BEST VFM out there...i m very satisfied with it!
3.-i would pass.
4.-hw is somewhat limited. gpu is weakest in competition. but games' generally working ok.
5.- sound quailty sucks. buy yourself a mp3 player with ob.
HW-wise the phone is unusable as a car navgiation. The GPS is incredibely inaccurate (50-100m difference is not a problem).
I never experienced overheating (yes, if you push it it's warm but not too much)
SW-wise the original firmware is quite buggy - there are problems with contacts associations, it happened that my phone stopped recieving SMS. There is no stable alternative, nor there is GB upgrade.
If I was considering buying the phone again, I would go for Nexus S, which costs nearly the same money, has larger community support, there is official ICS port and I can actually use it in my car.

Anandtech Full Review

It doesn't look like anyone has posted the full review yet, so here you go.
Anandtech Review
Turns out the issue with performance was actually due to new drivers, which allow for the full suite of benchmarks to be run. As a result, the CPU gets throttled after all that torture testing.
The new benchmarks, done without running the full suite, are posted in the review.
OMG. The battery life IS atrocious. Lol.
Yeah the battery really is bad. Its the most concerning issue right now for me as I debate whether or not to pull the trigger on this. My biggest concern is the cellular talk time and the wifi hotspot time. Those things can't really be blamed on the cpu thermal throttling issues as neither are CPU intensive tasks. Would a software update really even have the potential to fix those particular benchmarks?
EDIT: Unless the radio drivers are just really poor? That might explain the bad benchmarks on web browsing too since data would be in use the entire time for those benchmarks as well. Maybe then there is hope for a software improvement to battery life? I really hate buying things based on what they might be able to do in the future vs what I know they can do now
TheSopranos16 said:
Yeah the battery really is bad. Its the most concerning issue right now for me as I debate whether or not to pull the trigger on this. My biggest concern is the cellular talk time and the wifi hotspot time. Those things can't really be blamed on the cpu thermal throttling issues as neither are CPU intensive tasks. Would a software update really even have the potential to fix those particular benchmarks?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not if you want to fry your internals. Lol.
I'm guessing that the heat cannot dissipate effectively because of the screen on the front which is emanating heat, and the damn wireless inductive charging pad which is, in my mind, like a blanket. And I'm not even sure how effective glass is at displacing heat when couple with plastic.
But actually, cellular talk does release heat. Have you not noticed your phone getting hot when talking for extended periods of time? I believe the radio chip gets hot, maybe not necessarily the CPU. Regardless of where the heat is coming from, however, the sensors may still pick up on it. *shrugs*.
I'd advise you to wait 3 ~ 4 weeks if you can. Don't waste your time being the early adopter and wasting time dealing with early-release issues.
PoisonWolf said:
I'd advise you to wait 3 ~ 4 weeks if you can. Don't waste your time being the early adopter and wasting time dealing with early-release issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, every bad for a good we say where I'm from.
Looks like a whole bunch of us are gonna wait for exactly that.
On the review, keep in mind that we're not sure what version of the software all those test units use. Probably an unfinished version..
It hasn't really come together for me...
- No 32GB or Micro SD
- Poor battery life still, the update hasn't fixed it
- Poor benchmark results
I wanted to buy cause I thought it would be a bargain powerhouse but in the end it is obvious why the thing is so cheap. I'll just wait for my upgrade in April and get the GS4 if that is any good but until then my GS2 is doing just fine.
Seems fine.. compared to the Galaxy Nexus, which I regularly get 2 days at at time out of, the battery rates about the same, so no worries for me.
well, iv been "forced" to wait now, i was trying to order earlier today in the UK, but maybe it was a good thing i didnt get it yet
Well the "battery" test involves using chrome so...chrome sucks lot of power
not realy a good battery test imho
hippieschuh said:
Well the "battery" test involves using chrome so...chrome sucks lot of power
not realy a good battery test imho
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. Chrome really isn't ready for prime time in my experience. Even on my Nexus 7, I use dolphin and its much smoother and faster than Chrome.
So even if we throw out the browser tests because of Chrome, why the low talk times compared to other phones with smaller batteries?
My take away is:
Software - Great
Design - Great
Performance - Good, could get better with kernels
Camera - Par
Battery Life - Par
More realistic than the sky high expectations set by everyone for a $350 off-contract phone.
Venekor said:
It hasn't really come together for me...
- No 32GB or Micro SD
- Poor battery life still, the update hasn't fixed it
- Poor benchmark results
I wanted to buy cause I thought it would be a bargain powerhouse but in the end it is obvious why the thing is so cheap. I'll just wait for my upgrade in April and get the GS4 if that is any good but until then my GS2 is doing just fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry but benchmarks mean sweet FA. My GNex is faster in actual usage than my One X although the One X is 3 times faster in Quadrant. Battery life is completely subject to usage - I don't believe their graphs as my One X is pitiful compared to my Nexus. Whereas me Nexus would be at 80%+ at this time of day my One X is currently sitting at 62% as I type with the same minimal work day usage
Really wanted this phone, but there are a number of areas that mean quite a lot to me to be honest, it hasn't really delivered:-
1. Battery life - no getting away from it, its poor. Marginally better than the GNex but no so much you would notice, despite a bigger battery.
2. Camera quality - Yes again, its better (not difficult), but somehow, it just isn't as good as it could be. Slightly slow shutter speed, average quality.
3. Audio quality - We haven't yet seen the full score with that, but again, the consensus seems to be "average"
4. Storage capacity - even less than the GNex (8/16 vs 16/32). We don't all have access to 4G internet and no limits to store all of our files in the cloud.
Now, yes I appreciate this is really nit-picking but I'm not really unhappy with the performance of my GNex, and it will still get the update. It is not slow, or choppy, and as such, with the values of the GNex how they stand, I'm reluctant to fork out £150 to upgrade to a phone, which no doubt is an upgrade, but not one you'll notice very easily.
As it stands, I'm thinking that vanilla android alone is not enough to make it a worthwhile swap over something like an HTC One X+, despite the price difference. OK the N4 has a faster CPU and more RAM, but I'm not much of games player, but it has a better screen, camera, sound quality and more storage. Or a Galaxy Note which is just as fast, much better battery life, bigger screen, expandable, better camera etc.
I can see why this phone is cheaper than the competition TBH. I am a big fan of Vanilla Android, but there can be no denying it plays second fiddle on *most* specs (all but RAM, CPU and , possibly screen).
BUT, I'll probably still get one, LOL.
EddyOS said:
I'm sorry but benchmarks mean sweet FA. My GNex is faster in actual usage than my One X although the One X is 3 times faster in Quadrant. Battery life is completely subject to usage - I don't believe their graphs as my One X is pitiful compared to my Nexus. Whereas me Nexus would be at 80%+ at this time of day my One X is currently sitting at 62% as I type with the same minimal work day usage
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeh one thing that puzzles me is they have the LTE One X topping the charts for most of the battery tests alongside the iPhone. However, wasn't the One X knocked for only having a 1800 mAH battery and poor battery life? Or was that only for the Tegra One X?
Thoughtful said:
Yeh one thing that puzzles me is they have the LTE One X topping the charts for most of the battery tests alongside the iPhone. However, wasn't the One X knocked for only having a 1800 mAH battery and poor battery life? Or was that only for the Tegra One X?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tegra
Thoughtful said:
Yeh one thing that puzzles me is they have the LTE One X topping the charts for most of the battery tests alongside the iPhone. However, wasn't the One X knocked for only having a 1800 mAH battery and poor battery life? Or was that only for the Tegra One X?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I should really qualify my last statement with I'm currently running the JB test build from HTC (as I'm a member of Elevate) so it's not on the final build but even on ICS it was poor compared to my Nexus. I can't see me having any issues with the N4 as I don't game/listen to music on my phone - it's purely a communication tool so email/FB/Twitter/SMSs/calls is the order of the day for me
Benchmarking wise the Nexus 4 is a joke. People were talking about this miraculous ota that will make it better but nothing happened. The camera isn't among the best and battery life sucks. Jeez, iPhone 5 with LTE is way better than the 3G Nexus 4. We can hate on Apple as much as we want but sometimes they get the job done way better than android makers/vendors.
I wanted this phone so bad but now I can wait to see what happens.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
The sad part is tests rarely reflect reality, people get poor battery life on the iPhone 5 despite the controlled tests suggesting it should have excellent battery life, moral of the story is YMMV, its not as cut and dry as raw data correlating to reproducible performance. The benchmarks aren't great so there is one criteria left and that is how it performs in real world usage cause I'm not going to benchmarking like a maniac as it serves no benefit, as I actually want to use my phone. I'd say it passes that criteria well from numerous reviews. Camera quality (video) is reportedly improved though have to wait for Anandtech to update the review and upload new videos. I'll be getting mine in December wanna wait for some cases and then pull the trigger on the purchase
crazyalaa said:
Benchmarking wise the Nexus 4 is a joke. People were talking about this miraculous ota that will make it better but nothing happened. The camera isn't among the best and battery life sucks. Jeez, iPhone 5 with LTE is way better than the 3G Nexus 4. We can hate on Apple as much as we want but sometimes they get the job done way better than android makers/vendors.
I wanted this phone so bad but now I can wait to see what happens.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Benchmarking wise benchmarking doesn't have to do with anything. Jesus.....
I'm assuming all these reports of poor battery life include Google Now being enabled. I know its a key feature on JB(4.1/4.2) but I use it on CM10 now and its a HUGE battery drainer. When i turn it off, my battery life is markedly better. I'm assuming if you turn it off with the N4 you'll see better battery life.

Would you recommend this phone to a new buyer?

Hi all,
a thread like this has *not* appeared in the 'similar' threads section so here goes...
What do you like about this phone, what do you not like?
I bought a cool phone a few months ago which is brilliant for many things but fails terribly in two areas: the battery which dies 1-2 times per day (are you laughing? ) and it lags terribly on ICS because of the very heavy skin and low RAM unable to manage it.
I'm attracted to this phone because:
- huge battery, not only big but online reviewers that I trust like GSM Arena tested it extensively and the battery performs brilliantly
- good-sized screen, which looks like the trend for 2013 but in a compact size (edge to edge)
- rugged screen and back
- specs will allow it to be updated to future Android versions comfortably I'd say
- I'm attracted to AMOLED, anything without a battery-killing backlight is the way forward for me
I would recommend this phone without any hesitation.
Definitely yes!
Here is my small review: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=36396900&postcount=13
As long as you dont expect a gaming platform its the best phone with that size, browsing, smoothness and app starts are as good of an experience as iphone5, nexus4 and alle the other so called high end phones.
Browsing is especially nice since we still have the outstanding stock ics browser.
You have to take care though or u will get scratches as easily as the iphone5, every metal can scratch the "colour" of the aluminum.
The cam is average at quality, outstanding at speed (beats dem iphone5 and in comparison to a ip4 its really noticable) and of course theres a button.
Thanks gents (and ladies?). This is really good news. I've been considering this one with the Samsung GS3 Mini but this one trumps that one in a few places. It's great to see that the thread isn't overloaded with manufacturer problems - my current phone has threads for that.
Yeah, my hopes for this one are straight-forward enough I guess, mostly that it will last more than one day so I stop missing calls and alarms, not laggy, and in good shape for future updates (I see Jelly Bean is imminent for this one?). I have a 32GB SD that I'll probably upgrade to a 64GB perhaps Class 10 for music. That's it really. Music is OK on the phone? No major problems? :victory:
If you consider use the stock earphone, yes, it has a very nice sound. I cant say the same for the speakers.
You can take outstanding pictured with no noise, if you know what you're doing. It just have an accentuated noise of very low light situations.
For games, you can play many of them, even N.O.V.A 3. Also with most apps rebuilding their structures to x86, you won't have problems with incompatibility. RAZR i also can handle emulation, such as N64 and PSX (played CB3).
Due to the medfield processor, you won't suffer from had to plug to the charger all the time. The 2000mAh battery can hold all day and its possible to keep 2 or 3 days without charge.
Of course I do recommend it.
Power and beauty :good:
The screen is not perfect, but for videos is pretty damn good. My battery lasts one day of moderate use with all ON (except bluetooth). I don't have had any lag, and I play a lot of games. Internet browsing is superb in Chrome. The flaws could be a decent but not awesome camera, no flash (still a need), and some apps (a few) doesn't work with x86 processor.
aberst said:
Of course I do recommend it.
Power and beauty :good:
The screen is not perfect, but for videos is pretty damn good. My battery lasts one day of moderate use with all ON (except bluetooth). I don't have had any lag, and I play a lot of games. Internet browsing is superb in Chrome. The flaws could be a decent but not awesome camera, no flash (still a need), and some apps (a few) doesn't work with x86 processor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
search in the forum, if you have root, you can have flash in opera mobile, or stock browser, (maybe firefox x86 too, not sure)
sky.0165 said:
If you consider use the stock earphone, yes, it has a very nice sound. I cant say the same for the speakers.
You can take outstanding pictured with no noise, if you know what you're doing. It just have an accentuated noise of very low light situations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't say that! The stock earphone is, like every stock one, a very basic one, its quality is not good! I however understand that if you don't listen to music that much or simply never tried some good ones, you can be satisfied with them...
About the camera, "oustanding pictures"? no way... correct pictures, that's all! This is a phone, not a real camera.
Ok for the noise
amazing device!
absolutely yes!
I wouldn't recommend a phone with an OS from the prehistoric times no matter the hardware.
sky.0165 said:
If you consider use the stock earphone, yes, it has a very nice sound. I cant say the same for the speakers.
You can take outstanding pictured with no noise, if you know what you're doing. It just have an accentuated noise of very low light situations.
For games, you can play many of them, even N.O.V.A 3. Also with most apps rebuilding their structures to x86, you won't have problems with incompatibility. RAZR i also can handle emulation, such as N64 and PSX (played CB3).
Due to the medfield processor, you won't suffer from had to plug to the charger all the time. The 2000mAh battery can hold all day and its possible to keep 2 or 3 days without charge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes yes...but have you ever tested those 2 or 3 days?
Are they intended in stand-by mode?
mattlgroff said:
I wouldn't recommend a phone with an OS from the prehistoric times no matter the hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know it can be frustating, we are still waiting for Jelly Bean, but, this is a really good phone.
And I'm confident, I'm sure the Jelly bean update is coming
AW: Would you recommend this phone to a new buyer?
mattlgroff said:
I wouldn't recommend a phone with an OS from the prehistoric times no matter the hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As a dev and tech freak I may agree, as a user that has n4 with 4.2 and the I I disagree since there is really no difference.
mattlgroff said:
I wouldn't recommend a phone with an OS from the prehistoric times no matter the hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I take that to mean you've already given up on the i?
I have just got one after being a HTC user for 8 years!! gulp! HTC *were* cool but now seem too mainstream. Motorola as a brand is like and old dinosaur, but they seem to have kicked ass with the razr I. It has an almost "military spec" build: metal, glass torx cap heads on view. I love it. Also the weight and feel and huge screen for compact size.
Things I still don;t like or get after a few days:
- my data connection seems unstable, slow and generally poor (I *could* have a problem with my SIM as it trimmed it myself from a full size)
- the screen DOES SCRATCH as easily as any or my old HTC regular screens. The corning gorilla tough class thing is 90% marketing BS
- the charge plug in the side makes the phone clumsy to use when plugged in
I have got my hands dirty with this too (see sig) with no problems - just need to decide what and how retail rom to use to remove the carrier crap I have now.
Any more comments on the audio quality? I hear that the speaker is not great, but I'd need it more with earphones. I have a good music player on my phone with it has bad battery, it makes the audio on my iPod sound awful, no joke. I use typically 320mps songs or lossless if I can help it.
I'm very happy with the sound on this phone. With headphones music sounds great and without headphones the sound is more than adequate for most people.
Also the volume on this phone (with or without headphones) is much louder than any phone I've ever owned.
NEVER had (all right, since my first gen Iphone) a smartphone going TWO days of heavy use w/o charging! For me this is an unbelievable Razr i experience.
bmszabo said:
NEVER had (all right, since my first gen Iphone) a smartphone going TWO days of heavy use w/o charging! For me this is an unbelievable Razr i experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mmm show me a screenshot, because 2 days of heavy use, no offense, but I'm a but sceptical...

[Q] Should I buy Z3-C and Common Issues

Hi, I am looking to switch my phone from LG G2 to something different.
I am looking at Z3 Compact along with some other alternatives and would like to know common issues (both software and hardware level) in this Z3-C before making decision.
Also adding my primary usage:
- Net surfing
- Watching Videos
- Good battery life (LG G2 was awesome in this criteria)
Please share your experience with Z3-C and should I get it or instead save some money and get the Z1-C?
Thank for your valuable response.
Well if you're gonna ask in the Z3C forum you're gonna get alot of bias
But my first impressions are really good so far. Surfing is a very smooth and amazing experience overall. I personally dislike Chrome so I'm using UC browser HD. But, and that's the thing: No matter what app you use everything is silky smooth! With my SGS3 I was very limited with browsers because ~70% where just a laggy mess. Z3C handles everything with ease. So browsing will only be limited by the app you chose, the processing power, the display - the hardware side is very capable.
That also goes for watching videos, the display is very good in my opinion. I had to get used to it after using an Amoled for 2 1/2 years but you can even tune the white balance yourself in the display settings so you decide how you like your whites. Of course I wouldn't wanna watch a full movie on it or something - the screensize is a little on the small size for that. But obviously that's why we are buying the Z3C Power in a smaller size.
Battery life: Amazing. I used the extended battery with the SGS3 which made the device heavy and very thick (~1cm) and it got me through 2 days with about 4-5h screen use. I'm running my Z3C on its second cycle now and I'm on the evening of the second day with 19% left and an amazing 6h 40min screen time. And that's while heavily using it - setting up apps, testing games and emulators with BT controllers, making quite some photos/videos, some phone calls etc. I'd say you should easily get through 2 full days.
I don't know alot about the Z1C but I'd get the Z3C for the double tap to wake alone
in_core said:
Hi, I am looking to switch my phone from LG G2 to something different.
I am looking at Z3 Compact along with some other alternatives and would like to know common issues (both software and hardware level) in this Z3-C before making decision.
Also adding my primary usage:
- Net surfing
- Watching Videos
- Good battery life (LG G2 was awesome in this criteria)
Please share your experience with Z3-C and should I get it or instead save some money and get the Z1-C?
Thank for your valuable response.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I preordered my Z3C last week especially because all reviews highlighted the best in class battery life, camera and usability (size).
Reading the first reviews of peeps here on xda I read about the display that is easy to scratch, the edges that come off when you drop the device, the volume of the speakers that is too low, etc.. I don't know if people here are a bunch of whiners or if the phone really is that sensitive.. Probably people exaggerate but I'll find out soon myself since I should get it this week (I have no regrets whatsoever, I still want the phone)
clouds5 said:
Well if you're gonna ask in the Z3C forum you're gonna get alot of bias
But my first impressions are really good so far. Surfing is a very smooth and amazing experience overall. I personally dislike Chrome so I'm using UC browser HD. But, and that's the thing: No matter what app you use everything is silky smooth! With my SGS3 I was very limited with browsers because ~70% where just a laggy mess. Z3C handles everything with ease. So browsing will only be limited by the app you chose, the processing power, the display - the hardware side is very capable.
That also goes for watching videos, the display is very good in my opinion. I had to get used to it after using an Amoled for 2 1/2 years but you can even tune the white balance yourself in the display settings so you decide how you like your whites. Of course I wouldn't wanna watch a full movie on it or something - the screensize is a little on the small size for that. But obviously that's why we are buying the Z3C Power in a smaller size.
Battery life: Amazing. I used the extended battery with the SGS3 which made the device heavy and very thick (~1cm) and it got me through 2 days with about 4-5h screen use. I'm running my Z3C on its second cycle now and I'm on the evening of the second day with 19% left and an amazing 6h 40min screen time. And that's while heavily using it - setting up apps, testing games and emulators with BT controllers, making quite some photos/videos, some phone calls etc. I'd say you should easily get through 2 full days.
I don't know alot about the Z1C but I'd get the Z3C for the double tap to wake alone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your valuable input.
The thing is I wont get warranty in my country. GEnerally I have seen Sony to be unreliable in term of hardware (always shows up issues in mid-long term period) and also they are very slow with os updates and does not even give updates after some time, where as htc nd sammy gives fast updates nd supports for 2 yrs.
I did like the phone's specs nd all. The size is perfect for me as well.
in_core said:
Thanks for your valuable input.
The thing is I wont get warranty in my country. GEnerally I have seen Sony to be unreliable in term of hardware (always shows up issues in mid-long term period) and also they are very slow with os updates and does not even give updates after some time, where as htc nd sammy gives fast updates nd supports for 2 yrs.
I did like the phone's specs nd all. The size is perfect for me as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They've gotten faster with the updates. And I'm guessing it will further improve in the future since they are not going to release so many low-/mid-end phones anymore, if any.
---------- Post added at 11:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:41 PM ----------
Despite a handful of reports of cracked glass and chipped bezels, this phone is still the #1 candidate on my list. When I buy one, I'll probably get one of those crystal-clear hard-cases for it. Doesn't hide the sexiness of the phone.

[Q] Whether it is worth to buy xperia z in 2015

Hi to all.
I'm planing to by another phone. Budget is limited so there is not to much to pick.
Xperia seems good option because of big screen, LTE connectivity, premium design, important to me a very good camera and at the end is a flagship, but an old one, and that is my only concern.
So, my question is, should i by some newer(new) budget mid ranger or should give a try to Xperia Z? What is your experience with XZ?
Thanks
Ive had mine for a year now and do not intend to replace it any time soon. It runs all the current apps and games!
If your budget is tight, then get a Moto G, or OnePlus One or Nexus 5. Plenty of well specced devices around.
xperia u20i said:
Hi to all.
I'm planing to by another phone. Budget is limited so there is not to much to pick.
Xperia seems good option because of big screen, LTE connectivity, premium design, important to me a very good camera and at the end is a flagship, but an old one, and that is my only concern.
So, my question is, should i by some newer(new) budget mid ranger or should give a try to Xperia Z? What is your experience with XZ?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought mine 1 year and a half ago, and I can't be happier.
It's an excellent phone, great processor, ram, camera, water proof, design, development ( I had Lollipop from 1st day like a Nexus ), fullhd, 5"...
No need to spend 500€ to get a "rocket" smartphone.
Sent from my Xperia Z using XDA Free mobile app
Thanks guys for the reply, for now is tight.
I would like to hear more opinions of owners.
What about screen on time? Now when is for example more then one year old? I don't play heavy games, mostly surfing, taking pictures, little facebook, and a lot texting and calling. And flashing roms of course
For me everything over 3 hours is good.
U can get maximum of 4.5 hours if u r not a gamer ( my experience with games 4 hour screen on time).. May b u will get around 5 hours screen on time if u play with some tweaks..
I bought my XZ this last year in November and I couldn't be happier. Ok, screen on time is not the best out there but, at least for me, it's enough. SOT performance goes between 3-4,5 h, which IMHO I think isn't bad. You could also underclock/undervolt it in case you want to expand its autonomy a bit else.
It depends on the price you are getting at, I would say go for z1 if the price difference is minimal. I've used both, choose the one in your budget
dont buy a Sony phone, they about to go out of business lol
I suggest no.
Xperia Z has following cons:
- Back glas went off due to bad glue.
- CPU throtthling while gaming due to thermal problems, games start to stutter. Device is getting hot while gaming. On 4.4.4 it a little bit better.
- Wifi and Bluettooth disconnects. Search for forums with this problem. You will hate that problem when you decide to get a Smartband. There i no fix for that.
- Weak Battery. I heavily modified my stock rom with tweaks for longer lasting battery, i reduced wakelocks, etc, but still only 1,5 days only with normal use (i dont use LTE). It loses too much battery on standby.
G1_enthusiast said:
dont buy a Sony phone, they about to go out of business lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you came here from the HTC forum, proud of that you succeeded in unlocking the achievement? I find this behaviour a tiny bit bizarre, wondering what are you trying to prove? I mean, if you worship HTC, please remain in your little temple there. There's plenty of terrorist everywhere and nobody needs another one to come, terrorise Xperia or potential Xperia users.
Back on topic:
If you like Sony, just get another Xperia. They're not going out of business anytime soon as if anyone bothered to read, they're exploring (highly unlikely though) to start a jv or selling the business to another company. Of course if that happens, which have a remote chance, you're probably still be receiving smartphone support in the new business arrangement.
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Free mobile app
jayp57 said:
I suggest no.
Xperia Z has following cons:
- Back glas went off due to bad glue.
- CPU throtthling while gaming due to thermal problems, games start to stutter. Device is getting hot while gaming. On 4.4.4 it a little bit better.
- Wifi and Bluettooth disconnects. Search for forums with this problem. You will hate that problem when you decide to get a Smartband. There i no fix for that.
- Weak Battery. I heavily modified my stock rom with tweaks for longer lasting battery, i reduced wakelocks, etc, but still only 1,5 days only with normal use (i dont use LTE). It loses too much battery on standby.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- Back glass just fine, over 1.5 years old
- Name one device that doesn't throttle (and doesn't stutter while throttled)
- Wifi and Bluetooth fine as long as you don't use a smartband
- Battery life is average, not really bad but nothing special either, standy is great with the right kernel
Thats my Xperience, no major problems so far.
But really better deals for the money out there.
I guess it depends on the price..
But in today's terms the XZ really isn't great. Like others have said, newer mid-range phones have overtaken the XZ.
Battery life has always been the only major drawback for me using the XZ. In this day and age you should be able to use your phone as much as you like, not holding off reading emails / replying to tweets otherwise it'll die before you get home
You're lucky to get 4 hours screen on time, it's not exactly efficient in standby mode either.
the amount of money you are going to spent just get One Plus One or if you are on budget cost wait till you got abit more money to get a better device
Well, it's a wonderful phone, the main issue with it is the battery
As others said if your gaming is at minimum (1 hour Max a day) you can actually get it to work 8 hours, even more if no gaming and used the stamina mode
Other than that, it's easy to root at all times and relatively easy to flash and customize.
And it will be officially update to lollipop.
I say if z1 is in your range get it only for the battery issue.. If not the XZ is great
Z is a great device.. But u can also buy 1+1 since it has Z2 specs and a better front cam.. It lacks Water resistance like XZ though and the multimedia features won't be like a SONY.. So choose ur needs first and then select the one suitable.. Although i haven't experienced any of the issues which are mentioned in the thread yet.. I hope i won't too.. But still my XZ can beat the s**t outta One M7 & all their desire phones, any iPhone, any S**tsung.. If you are a rough handler of the phone, i suggest u to buy XZ coz its built better and 1+1 seems kinda delicate compared to Sony..
G1_enthusiast said:
dont buy a Sony phone, they about to go out of business lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Weren't you the one telling me I don't know what I'm talking about because of spelling mistakes?
G1_enthusiast has quoted you on xda-developers!
I'll believe you once you learn how to spell and put in some correct punctuation.
lol what company hire this moron? he cant even finished a sentence correctly.
I most probably will take XZ if i get good offer. But also maybe wait for month or two to see what will came out.
I also considering to buy SGS4 but i prefer Sony over Samsung. Only reason to take S4 will be the battery life. But like i said before i can live with 3+ hours of sot. Currently i'm using LG O4X which have vary bad sot. 2:30 is max that i can get. And all kind of problems with RIL, it's really "demanding" device, thanks to developers i still using him, but i think not for long.
Thanks
Azurren said:
I guess it depends on the price..
But in today's terms the XZ really isn't great. Like others have said, newer mid-range phones have overtaken the XZ.
Battery life has always been the only major drawback for me using the XZ. In this day and age you should be able to use your phone as much as you like, not holding off reading emails / replying to tweets otherwise it'll die before you get home
You're lucky to get 4 hours screen on time, it's not exactly efficient in standby mode either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you spell out some of those mid-range phones that are better than the XZ? my GF wants a new phone, and i cant seem to find a device thats as thin as the Z, has a fullHD 5" screen and 2gigs RAM and a 5.0 update for similar money...
this really isnt a sarcastic question. I just want to know what are those mid-range devices with these specs, so i can buy her a better phone and save some cash?
btw with heavy usage my Z never died on me until i came home(which means the whole day). im sorry if you use battery hogging apps that dont let your device sleep when you turn off the screen...
@Tommy-Geenexus
Do you really suggest that old spec phone to buy someone, with known not solved software problems on top of serious casing and thermal design flaws?
There are better options on the market. For that money you can have a LG G2 or a Galaxy S4 or a Honor 6 or One+ One.

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