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Xperia Z compared to HTC One

Okay first off, I hate to start one of these threads, since it's basically an opinionated question. The GS4 is a no go for me, really don't like physical buttons. Currently looking for a gsm replacement on tmobile for my Galaxy Nexus. The only thing holding me back from getting the Xperia Z is the lack of a huge development community (and possibly reports of poor screen performance). Just curious if anyone who's used these devices could weigh in with their experience. I'd prefer to hear first hand accounts than continue to read expert reviews.
Thanks everyone!
Also, mods if this kind of post isn't allowed on xda anymore, my apologies, please remove it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta

crimson12 said:
Okay first off, I hate to start one of these threads, since it's basically an opinionated question. The GS4 is a no go for me, really don't like physical buttons. Currently looking for a gsm replacement on tmobile for my Galaxy Nexus. The only thing holding me back from getting the Xperia Z is the lack of a huge development community (and possibly reports of poor screen performance). Just curious if anyone who's used these devices could weigh in with their experience. I'd prefer to hear first hand accounts than continue to read expert reviews.
Thanks everyone!
Also, mods if this kind of post isn't allowed on xda anymore, my apologies, please remove it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went from a Galaxy Nexus to a Nexus 4, then had the same decision as you.
In terms of screen, the HTC One's has better viewing angles, no doubt about it, so does the Nexus 4 and Galaxy Nexus. In actual usage, on the latest firmware that improves blacks, it doesn't really matter that much. When actually looking at images, I compared the screens side by side and the Xperia Z seems to have a sharpness or vibrancy that the HTC One's doesnt. I really think the reviews overcook the view angle issue, it nearly put me off.
If you're used to the on screen buttons of AOSP, then I think the HTC one would be really irritating. That was a major factor for me, the quick swipe up from the middle launch of google now is also retained on the Xperia Z.
I found the HTC One difficult to hold, the edges seemed really sharp and hard, and the phone was quite slippery. At the same time the Xperia Z is also quite uncomfortable, but it doesn't feel like it is going to slide out of your hand. The power button placement is also much better on the Xperia Z.
The speaker is definitely much better on the HTC One, that said, the Nexus 4 is much better than the Galaxy Nexus, and the Xperia Z's speaker sounds better than the Nexus 4. So the Xperia Z isn't bad. I hold my phone with my left hand so it doesn't block the speaker, but if you hold your phone with your right hand and play music, then you will muffle the speaker.
I'm sure the HTC One is slightly faster due to newer processor but I don't think this matters that much, both will be fast.
I disliked sense 5 coming from AOSP, hated not being able to remove blink feed (find it really frustrating even though you can move it to a different home screen). The Sony customisations are actually an improvement on AOSP, things which frustrate me are fixed and also there are some other nice additions like location based wifi, bravia engine, wifi syncing with media go. The Sony Gallery called Albums is much much better than AOSP, the Walkman app is really good as is the Movies app. I never used built in apps before but I do here, I haven't installed MX Player.
The better camera in good light is undoubtedly the Xperia Z. I'm an amateur photographer (although street photographer so not much of a pixel peeper) and I'm impressed with the Xperia Z. Again the Nexus 4 is a step up from the Galaxy Nexus and the Xperia Z is much better. I haven't taken many pictures low light but I won't argue that the HTC One will provide better photos, the HTC also takes better videos and has Zoe which is cool (was one of the reasons the HTC One was attractive to me). Front camera is better on the Xperia Z than either the Galaxy Nexus or Nexus 4, the HTC One's is wider than the Z's if that matters to you.
The battery life I've been seeing has been pretty good, eg, if you're playing an mp4 film, I was seeing about 25% drop for 2 hours of watching the film. It's much better than the Nexus 4 which is a bit better than the Galaxy Nexus. Apparently the HTC One has a better battery life, I've never tested it though.
The Xperia Z has Micro SD slot which is great for music and films, I missed that owning the recent Nexus phones.
The last major point is the Xperia Z is water resistant, which is priceless, not because I want to take it under water but because it's nice having a life proof phone that you don't have to worry touching when you have wet hands or worried that rain will get into etc. It's a relaxing phone to own.
I only got the phone last weekend, the HTC One was the same price and I'm very happy with the phone and that I made the right choice for me.

Well thanks for that really in depth review. The more I think about it, the more I really want the Xperia. The water resistance factor hit me today while missing several calls walking through a downpour. I'm sure no matter what I end up getting, it will still be a step up from the gnex (which isn't actually in need of replacing, I'd just like something new). Hopefully T-Mobile releases the phone soon as the leaks suggest. I think I'd rather pay monthly for it than fork over the 500+ now. Thanks again
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta

crimson12 said:
Well thanks for that really in depth review. The more I think about it, the more I really want the Xperia. The water resistance factor hit me today while missing several calls walking through a downpour. I'm sure no matter what I end up getting, it will still be a step up from the gnex (which isn't actually in need of replacing, I'd just like something new). Hopefully T-Mobile releases the phone soon as the leaks suggest. I think I'd rather pay monthly for it than fork over the 500+ now. Thanks again
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta
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The best you could do is to actually go to a shop and play with those two phones for some time and then decide.
Sent from my C6603

crimson12 said:
Okay first off, I hate to start one of these threads, since it's basically an opinionated question. The GS4 is a no go for me, really don't like physical buttons. Currently looking for a gsm replacement on tmobile for my Galaxy Nexus. The only thing holding me back from getting the Xperia Z is the lack of a huge development community (and possibly reports of poor screen performance). Just curious if anyone who's used these devices could weigh in with their experience. I'd prefer to hear first hand accounts than continue to read expert reviews.
Thanks everyone!
Also, mods if this kind of post isn't allowed on xda anymore, my apologies, please remove it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta
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Click to collapse
I expect the development community that it will continue to develop and grow larger with more mods.
This is one good things about the Z.
The screen on my Xperia Z is completely fine and I don't notice any problems with it

crimson12 said:
...The only thing holding me back from getting the Xperia Z is the lack of a huge development community...
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Click to collapse
Agree completely with uberlaggydarwin.
Fact is, compared to most (non-Nexus perhaps) phones. Much more actual development gets done such as actual "fixes" for problems and not just hacky workarounds. We still have a way to go towards complete AOSP, theres one or two driver blobs still required for example, and a few minor bugs. But with (almost) every day that passes there are new platform-specific patches submitted to the CyanogenMod device repo on github and if I'm reading them correctly we have already, or will very soon, have a blob-less driver powering WiFi.
I must say, coming from a non-Nexus device it is a relief to see this much actual development and not just WinZip-wielding 10yr olds mashing together ROMs with 10,000 unnecessary hacks that make them laggy and/or unstable.
...a little torn on the screen though. As everyone is saying it is beautiful to look at from the front and probably (from this angle) the best mobile screen I have used, but again, as mentioned, the viewing angles are sub-optimal.

Too add my egg to the basket... I too am coming from a Gnex, which i loved. Been owning the XZ for roughly 3 months now. The screen angle thingy is definitely exaggerated. The colours and the viewing angles will take some getting used to, coming from an amoled screen, but the sharpness and clarity definitely make the transition much more pleasant.
The camera is undoubtedly much much better then on the Gnex, which was my only gripe with it. As to the HTC, I would wager the XZ one better for my taste, but thats only based on reviews, no hands on :/
The battery life has been stable enough for me, for my use... they both lasted about 2 days, Gnex maybe a bit better, HTC again cannot comment.
As far as the build quality... there have been some issues if u read the forms and from my case - the flap on the charging port doesn't wanna stay closed anymore In this case I would say HTC is better. It also prefers on your design preferences.
For me, leaving my Gnex behind for the XZ was actually not that hard of a step. U will have to get used to less development as compared to the nexus devices but that doesn't mean there isn't any. Free xperia team are awesome and CM is coming along nicely and with it a whole bunch of other roms, from PAC, PA, AOKP and independent AOSP projects, so no fear there
In any case, ull get a wonderfull new phone, whichever u choose and I hope u enjoy it!

I guess in terms of development, I definitely prefer actual dev work over tons of roms that are almost the same. Out of curiosity, any soft key mods yet? I have mine set to RECENTS HOME BACK and having been like this for almost 2 years I'd rather not have to relearn default (honestly minor issue I'm just being picky).
I would love to go to the store and compare them as someone has said, but I can't find anywhere local that sells the Xperia Z.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Even since the update the screen on the z has been great and really great to see in bright sunlight how I noticed today using it in sunlight yeah Germany didn't had the best weather as of late lol anyway I also don't think the viewing angle are a huge deal. I still see just fine what is on the display and actually Sony here in Berlin told me that the viewing angle is extra made a little darker so not everyone just can look and see stuff that easy on the screen if u don't want them too. Even so I think the viewing angle o's fine. Never had any issues seeing anything. Battery has been great as long as not being used with mobile data. All phones seem to get sucked dry in no time using Mobile data. At home with WiFi I can easily get 2 days.
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app

Any idea what kind of battery life you guys get with mobile data enabled? I currently get about 16 hours with 2.5ish hours of screen on time with my gnex.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta

With my Gnex I get about the same as you. 2,5-3 hours of screen on time per day on auto-brightness. With my Xperia Z I can get 4-5 hours of screen time per day, depending on brightness (0%) and usage. With auto-brightness I get like 3 hours per day. But with light usage I can easily make it trough 2 days with my Z. My Gnex never lasts that long, even when I almost don't use it.

crimson12 said:
Any idea what kind of battery life you guys get with mobile data enabled? I currently get about 16 hours with 2.5ish hours of screen on time with my gnex.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta
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http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=42716310&postcount=1196
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium

crimson12 said:
Okay first off, I hate to start one of these threads, since it's basically an opinionated question. The GS4 is a no go for me, really don't like physical buttons. Currently looking for a gsm replacement on tmobile for my Galaxy Nexus. The only thing holding me back from getting the Xperia Z is the lack of a huge development community (and possibly reports of poor screen performance). Just curious if anyone who's used these devices could weigh in with their experience. I'd prefer to hear first hand accounts than continue to read expert reviews.
Thanks everyone!
Also, mods if this kind of post isn't allowed on xda anymore, my apologies, please remove it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
XZ and HTC one is neck and neck for me, I dont like sense one bit, havent touch the device but i had prior HTC devices and I can tell ya sense really suck other wise i think the HTC one won in every aspect. if you looking to go CM10.1 then i would go HTC one if you looking to stay stock i would choose XZ.
P.S I dont like the physical key either damn samsung for starting that in the S3

I am kind of new to android, and just got my Z. But one thing i can say is: Phoning while showering is so chilled.

Why haven't I thought of this?! You're a genius mate, gonna do that tonight! Lols
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app

Battery life on data is not that good actually. Well I would say when listening music. Somehow the mediaserver always comes with on and even after turning off music it still drains the battery. Just a reboot fixes that. Listen barely to music on the phone anymore.
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app

dante501 said:
Battery life on data is not that good actually. Well I would say when listening music. Somehow the mediaserver always comes with on and even after turning off music it still drains the battery. Just a reboot fixes that. Listen barely to music on the phone anymore.
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app
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That's really unfortunate. I primarily use Spotify on my phone for several hours a day.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta

I'm having a blast with my Xperia Z.
Lots of fantastic ROMS in development...
Never noticed anything with regards to "viewing angles" i'm one of these freaks that tends to look at my phone head on.
With my own custom setup and settings i'm getting a full days use out of my phone.
I'm getting a whole day's battery life with heavy usage. Internet, Web, Whatsapp, Youtube, Camera etc.
Some people submerse their phones and have no problem, but i'm happy jsut treating my phone as resistant not proof.
I can reply to text messages in the bath with wet hands etc.
Build quality is fantastic. The best out at the minute i feel. Feels like a slab of glass! :fingers-crossed:
If you get one, buy a dock straight away, saves wear and tear on your charging ports.flaps.

I did that right away with my XZ when i bought it dock to charge,back n front glas protection this baby is amazing especially the White one my friend asked me to traid it for his Htc One,guess what,nop i said
Sent from my C6603

Still make sense to get one?

Hey all,
I recently picked up a Note 3 but I'm really unhappy with Samsung's interface and layout of it's hardware buttons and so I'm think of returning it and getting something else. The HTC One has always been appealing but I was a not fan of it's lack of external storage and small battery. I recently found out about the Butterfly S and it seems to address of the issues that I had with the One. I'm a big fan of HTC's interface and so I'm wondering if still makes sense to buy a Snapdragon 600 device now the SD800 devices are on the market. I know specs aren't everything as I have gone back to my Nexus 4 and even tho that device is way lower spec'd than the Note 3 it performs a whole lot better. I'm not a big phone gamer and I mainly use my device to surf the web, read twitter, watch videos and read comics. Mainly I want to know how smooth is the interface(is it as good the Nexus 4) and how good is the battery life? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Datafiend said:
Hey all,
I recently picked up a Note 3 but I'm really unhappy with Samsung's interface and layout of it's hardware buttons and so I'm think of returning it and getting something else. The HTC One has always been appealing but I was a not fan of it's lack of external storage and small battery. I recently found out about the Butterfly S and it seems to address of the issues that I had with the One. I'm a big fan of HTC's interface and so I'm wondering if still makes sense to buy a Snapdragon 600 device now the SD800 devices are on the market. I know specs aren't everything as I have gone back to my Nexus 4 and even tho that device is way lower spec'd than the Note 3 it performs a whole lot better. I'm not a big phone gamer and I mainly use my device to surf the web, read twitter, watch videos and read comics. Mainly I want to know how smooth is the interface(is it as good the Nexus 4) and how good is the battery life? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My opinion is, by all means, go for it. The Butterfly S is a phone I'm genuinely happy with. The interface is really smooth (I only noticed a lag about two times in the whole time I've been using it) and the battery is fantastic, also refer to this thread. (My experience is that it lasts two days of medium usage and I still have about 30% left at the end of the second day.)
Anyway, it's up to you. If you like to buy a new phone every few months when a new phone is hyped up, it may be too late. Myself, I'm not comfortable shelling out hundreds of euros every month on a new phone just because it's newer and has better specs, I tend to buy a gadget (phone, laptop) and then use it for two or three years, until it gets really cumbersome. For me, the Butterfly S was almost certainly the best option at the time when I bought it.
So, all in all, if you like to switch to a new plaything often, it's probably late for you. If you intend to stick to your phone, you can't go wrong with this one.

i fully agree with koniiiik, there are just a few phones like the Butterfly S, unless you want an even bigger screen of course.
LG G2 - looks nice, snapdragon 800 and all, but i dont trust LG because of previous experience (lack of updates, had to return one phone SEVEN times for them to fix it).
Samsung Galaxy S4 - doesnt have the stamina of the Butterfly S and i prefer the Super LCD 3 screen of the Butterfly S.
Sony Xperia Z1 - very nice build quality, great screen and camera, also has the Snapdragon 800, i didnt want to wait for this phone though.
a friend of mine got one so have been able to try it, what i really dont like is how it feels in the hand, the Butterfly S feels more natural, even though its thicker.
actually, the thinness of the Z1 makes it harder to pick the phone up from the table, the BS is way easier to pick up.
and last, the Z1 is waterproof, thats nice, but also means all ports are closed with small covers, means you have to pry open the usb port to charge it, unless you buy a cradle.
LG Optimus G Pro - see G2
and none of them have the front stereo speeakers, a feature i think all phones should have

Thanks for the feedback guys. I think I'm going to jump on board.

the only reason not to buy this is the price, its quite a bit more expensive than the Z1 or S4
and ofcourse you'll have to import it if you don't live in Asia, so you probably will have to pay import tax

JarlSX said:
the only reason not to buy this is the price, its quite a bit more expensive than the Z1 or S4
and ofcourse you'll have to import it if you don't live in Asia, so you probably will have to pay import tax
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Click to collapse
Yeah the price is a bit high but I currently have no interest in anything that Samsung is pushing and the Z1 I heard has poor battery life and screen view angles.

i'm amazed the angles of the Z1 screen are so poor, with all the know-how Sony has put into it
and i really dont like how it feels in the hand, it doesnt feel natural, like the BS
the Z1 is only 3,5mm wider but you can really feel the difference

JarlSX said:
i'm amazed the angles of the Z1 screen are so poor, with all the know-how Sony has put into it
and i really dont like how it feels in the hand, it doesnt feel natural, like the BS
the Z1 is only 3,5mm wider but you can really feel the difference
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Click to collapse
Yeah the angles on the Z1 have been a big disappointment and you would think Sony of all companies would get the screen right.

I came from an Xperia Z. Horrid phone. I was just giving Sony a shot and I realize that they're exactly where they were 3 years ago. The only things that they can do are bump up the hardware, put flaps over all the ports and submerge their devices inside water tanks for show. Otherwise, they've got nothing else going for them.
My answer is yes. Get this device. You won't regret it.
Sent from my HTC Butterfly s using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

I was a BlackBerry user for the past few years and using HTC Butterfly S was perhaps the best choice mobile device I had made... enjoying it, not just because it is Android but rather of its GUI, Sense 5, battery life, expandable storage and bigger screen. Go get this device... unless like what many others said, you just want to swtich device as and when better specs come.

I also think this is the best phone ever this is a complete device i no longer have to look for a device until the next year or more. How i know this is a great device? Lol i have flashed roms but i am now back to stock and rooted and enjoying it so that should tell u something it is a monster out of the box

i dont feel the need for a different rom either, the only thing it really needed was Nova Launcher, home screens on Sense aren't customizable enough, now its perfect

JarlSX said:
i dont feel the need for a different rom either, the only thing it really needed was Nova Launcher, home screens on Sense aren't customizable enough, now its perfect
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What customization were u looking for?
Sent from my HTC Butterfly s using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

I wanted to relocate BlinkFeed, sadly you can't have BlinkFeed on any other homescreen besides Sense. Then again, i have BlinkFeed as a shortcut, but i don't really use it, so now i don't mind that didnt work out.
But i also didn't like the app drawer and more importantly, the number of icons per screen. Now i can have 4x5 icons per screen, that is something you should be able to set in any homescreen, maybe Sense 5.5 will have this...

JarlSX said:
I wanted to relocate BlinkFeed, sadly you can't have BlinkFeed on any other homescreen besides Sense. Then again, i have BlinkFeed as a shortcut, but i don't really use it, so now i don't mind that didnt work out.
But i also didn't like the app drawer and more importantly, the number of icons per screen. Now i can have 4x5 icons per screen, that is something you should be able to set in any homescreen, maybe Sense 5.5 will have this...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
U can set it to that
Sent from my HTC Butterfly s using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

nope, you can set the grid size for the app launcher, but not the number of icons per screen

I got my phone today and I really happy with it so far. The only that notice is that I'm getting some odd static feedback when using headphones. Is this happening for anyone else? If so how did you fix it? I have tried 3 different headphones and all are the same.
Edit:
After inspecting the jack I notice that a tiny bit of the plastic inside the jack is broken. I'm hoping Negri will be able to repair or replace it.

Datafiend said:
I got my phone today and I really happy with it so far. The only that notice is that I'm getting some odd static feedback when using headphones. Is this happening for anyone else? If so how did you fix it? I have tried 3 different headphones and all are the same.
Edit:
After inspecting the jack I notice that a tiny bit of the plastic inside the jack is broken. I'm hoping Negri will be able to repair or replace it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:what:
Sent from my HTC Butterfly s using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Datafiend said:
I got my phone today and I really happy with it so far. The only that notice is that I'm getting some odd static feedback when using headphones. Is this happening for anyone else? If so how did you fix it? I have tried 3 different headphones and all are the same.
Edit:
After inspecting the jack I notice that a tiny bit of the plastic inside the jack is broken. I'm hoping Negri will be able to repair or replace it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Were all headphones you tried in-ear? With in-ear headphones you may get some hiss and CPU noise, and possibly crackling with bass at highest volumes (not everyone has this problem but I have it =/). If you use high impedance over-ear headphones the hiss is almost inaudible..
The first time you use a headphone (especially one with mic input - 3 black bands on the plug) on the Butterfly s you might get some static if you spin the headphone plug, but it will go away.
To answer the question of this thread, I still think it makes sense to get one. HTC's last high-end phone with 3 buttons, future phones will only have 2 buttons and a lot of people don't like that. Unfortunately I am not sure how well HTC will be supporting updates but considering it is mostly an Asia-only product I will likely be updated faster. I really hope to see Kit-Kat on it at the least...

Yeah it has pretty much gone away. Like you said I still get static when I twist the plug in the jack. I guess I'm going to need to pick up a mic free headset. It still blows tho. I have never had this on any other phone. Other than that, this phone is fantastic.
Sent from my HTC Butterfly s using xda app-developers app

[Q] Would You Recommand the Z1?

Hello guys,what's up?
Im new to the forum,and i would really appreciate it if you help me make up my mind about buying the Z1,I've been reading about it and its features,watching videos and everything but still can't make up my mind as I have never met someone who has been using it and though I don't know how it works in real life.Is it really worth it?What kind of troubles can I face while using it? and the most important question,do you guys think that it's better than the Samsung Galaxy s4? in what way?
You have no idea how much i need your help guys,I ll be so greatful !
Peace

In my opinion it is a very good phone, it has amazing performance, good battery life, beatiful and structured ui, with good light the camera performs well (whit less light only in manuall mode), in my opinion beatiful design and in case of brightness and witheness the Display is fantastic, also the viewing angles are good but not perfect
Another aspect is that Sony has a good relationship with the dev. comunity (I Think) !!!
A littlebit annoying is the sensitive screen in case of scratches, but it is not that bad with some screen protectors xD
All in all it is a good phone with much better software than the sgs 4 ,in my opinion, also the metal frame feels very nice in comparrison to sgs 4´s platic and fake metal Frame More over it is water resistant (Very nice Feature)
All in all I can recommend it to you

Lakerma said:
In my opinion it is a very good phone, it has amazing performance, good battery life, beatiful and structured ui, with good light the camera performs well (whit less light only in manuall mode), in my opinion beatiful design and in case of brightness and witheness the Display is fantastic, also the viewing angles are good but not perfect
Another aspect is that Sony has a good relationship with the dev. comunity (I Think) !!!
A littlebit annoying is the sensitive screen in case of scratches, but it is not that bad with some screen protectors xD
All in all it is a good phone with much better software than the sgs 4 ,in my opinion, also the metal frame feels very nice in comparrison to sgs 4´s platic and fake metal Frame More over it is water resistant (Very nice Feature)
All in all I can recommend it to you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much for your reply,I agree with what you said,but do you think that what Sony offers can top some of the exclusive features of the sgs4?such as the air gesture,air view,eye control and the built in barometre and thermometre? Honnestly that s what standing in my way to get the z1,thinking that i ll miss all these exclisivities from the s4 not to mention that the s4 is rated to be a lot more reparable than Sony!

I can unserstand what you are saying, but I think these features aren´t necessary !!! I know a lot people using sgs 4 and simply nobody is using most of Samsungs special features !! In addition most of them aren´t working fine so you won´t be able to use the correctly xD oreover all those fetures are using battery so you are loosing a lot of (truly it is changable) !!!
Hopfully I could help you and don´t forget to hit the ´´Thanks´´ button

Lakerma said:
I can unserstand what you are saying, but I think these features aren´t necessary !!! I know a lot people using sgs 4 and simply nobody is using most of Samsungs special features !! In addition most of them aren´t working fine so you won´t be able to use the correctly xD oreover all those fetures are using battery so you are loosing a lot of (truly it is changable) !!!
Hopfully I could help you and don´t forget to hit the ´´Thanks´´ button
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah,you've been so helpful thank's a lot,and because of that i'll annoy you more with my questions XD , tell me plz about the battery,if one day it gets ruined after a long while of excessive use,how can that be fixed?

MakaMika said:
Hello guys,what's up?
Im new to the forum,and i would really appreciate it if you help me make up my mind about buying the Z1,I've been reading about it and its features,watching videos and everything but still can't make up my mind as I have never met someone who has been using it and though I don't know how it works in real life.Is it really worth it?What kind of troubles can I face while using it? and the most important question,do you guys think that it's better than the Samsung Galaxy s4? in what way?
You have no idea how much i need your help guys,I ll be so greatful !
Peace
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The S4 isn't a bad phone but compared to the Z1, the S4 has a slower Snapdragon 600 processor and GPU, smaller battery, poor build quality (plastic back and frame)
All depends on your Budget though,

I've had Samsung phones for over 3 years now, let me tell you that most of the Samsung features are just gimmicks. You wont even use %75 of those things in your cell, unless you want to show off in front of your Iphone friends

MakaMika said:
Yeah,you've been so helpful thank's a lot,and because of that i'll annoy you more with my questions XD , tell me plz about the battery,if one day it gets ruined after a long while of excessive use,how can that be fixed?[/QUO)
I think, but i´am not sure, you will get two years of battery warranty by Sony, but only phones with bulit in battery like the z1 !!! And I heard that modern batteries will loose only 15 % of their capacity after a bit more than 1000 times of complet charging xD
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Click to collapse

raziel123 said:
The S4 isn't a bad phone but compared to the Z1, the S4 has a slower Snapdragon 600 processor and GPU, smaller battery, poor build quality (plastic back and frame)
All depends on your Budget though,
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Click to collapse
I wouldn't say that the S4 is "poor build quality" just because it's made out of plastic. It's a less desirable material, but it's still selling well.
If you're getting a phone now, it would be foolish to get an S4 when its replacement is just around the corner. I wouldn't choose this phone unless you don't care about keeping up with the latest and greatest.
I would personally be stuck between the Z1, Nexus 5, and the Note 3.
Everyone knows that the Nexus 5 is the best bang for the buck. It's not a fancy phone, but it has some top-line specs at a low price point which makes this compelling to everyone.
The Note 3 is actually not much bigger physically against the Z1, but the screen size is a good .5 inches larger. You might not use the stylus as much as you think you would, but 3rd party development as well as accessory availability is much higher than any of the 3.
The Z1's selling point is the camera and body. Megapixels mean nothing, but it's got one of the best specs. Aluminum and glass body for the iPhone-like feel.
Sent from my C6906 using xda app-developers app

I prefer the Sony Xperia Z1
MakaMika said:
Hello guys,what's up?
Im new to the forum,and i would really appreciate it if you help me make up my mind about buying the Z1,I've been reading about it and its features,watching videos and everything but still can't make up my mind as I have never met someone who has been using it and though I don't know how it works in real life.Is it really worth it?What kind of troubles can I face while using it? and the most important question,do you guys think that it's better than the Samsung G
alaxy s4? in what way?
You have no idea how much i need your help guys,I ll be so greatful !
Peace
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The battery of Xperia Z1 is so nice. I watched video with maximum voice.And I turned on the flashlight then take photos. The capacity of the z1 battery reduced slowly. The color of the photo taken by S4 is bright. But S4 was burning hot after playing games.

At the moment, the Z1 is right up there, just make sure you get a phone that is bootloader unlockable if you plan to in the future, i didn't like an idiot.
other alternatives are the note 3, LG N5 and the LG G2, all good phones and you most likely won't regret any purchases, I went with the Z1 as it's the right size for me, has a crazy camera and it's water proof, the pace of the phone is superb and it's build quality is top notch.
The choice is always yours tho m8 and it doesn't really matter what other people say, it's down to what you think in the end.
Looking back now, if i could have done it again, i might have given the note 3 another look, maybe even a glare
Forget the S4, it wasn't up to much when it came out, overheating issues, random reboots and a lot of phones simply just dying, at the time the HTC One for me anyway was the logical choice, still my favorite phone, albeit with a slightly slower processor, i'd even got as far to say that the One holds it's own with the newer batch, only problem is that when newer phones come out the One might feel dated in terms of performance.

You see I found them at almost the same price!

ruinkhan said:
I've had Samsung phones for over 3 years now, let me tell you that most of the Samsung features are just gimmicks. You wont even use %75 of those things in your cell, unless you want to show off in front of your Iphone friends
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I heard that these features won t be fully used and You confirmed that to me!too bad my friends are all android users,nothing to brag about
Sent from my GT-I9003 using xda app-developers app

Lakerma said:
MakaMika said:
Yeah,you've been so helpful thank's a lot,and because of that i'll annoy you more with my questions XD , tell me plz about the battery,if one day it gets ruined after a long while of excessive use,how can that be fixed?[/QUO)
I think, but i´am not sure, you will get two years of battery warranty by Sony, but only phones with bulit in battery like the z1 !!! And I heard that modern batteries will loose only 15 % of their capacity after a bit more than 1000 times of complet charging xD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow that's great!I guess it would be a legit choice after all!!thanks a lot man
Sent from my GT-I9003 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Lakerma said:
MakaMika said:
Yeah,you've been so helpful thank's a lot,and because of that i'll annoy you more with my questions XD , tell me plz about the battery,if one day it gets ruined after a long while of excessive use,how can that be fixed?[/QUO)
I think, but i´am not sure, you will get two years of battery warranty by Sony, but only phones with bulit in battery like the z1 !!! And I heard that modern batteries will loose only 15 % of their capacity after a bit more than 1000 times of complet charging xD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah you re right,but the s5 wont be here until March maybe and would be a little expencive at the begining.
I dont quite get what you mean by saying megapixels mean nothing,do you mean that the quality of the photos taken by z1 isn't that big of a deal?
Sent from my GT-I9003 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

LotoTutu said:
The battery of Xperia Z1 is so nice. I watched video with maximum voice.And I turned on the flashlight then take photos. The capacity of the z1 battery reduced slowly. The color of the photo taken by S4 is bright. But S4 was burning hot after playing games.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This sounds awesome! And yes,I ve had the overheating problem with my samsung phones,it gets annoying sometimes especially when it turns itself off because of it X-(
Sent from my GT-I9003 using xda app-developers app

dladz said:
At the moment, the Z1 is right up there, just make sure you get a phone that is bootloader unlockable if you plan to in the future, i didn't like an idiot.
other alternatives are the note 3, LG N5 and the LG G2, all good phones and you most likely won't regret any purchases, I went with the Z1 as it's the right size for me, has a crazy camera and it's water proof, the pace of the phone is superb and it's build quality is top notch.
The choice is always yours tho m8 and it doesn't really matter what other people say, it's down to what you think in the end.
Looking back now, if i could have done it again, i might have given the note 3 another look, maybe even a glare
Forget the S4, it wasn't up to much when it came out, overheating issues, random reboots and a lot of phones simply just dying, at the time the HTC One for me anyway was the logical choice, still my favorite phone, albeit with a slightly slower processor, i'd even got as far to say that the One holds it's own with the newer batch, only problem is that when newer phones come out the One might feel dated in terms of performance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Umm,Im not so sure what "bootloader unlockable" means,is it about the ability to change roms and roots and stuff? (not much into this ) but it'd be so nice of you if you explain it more.The guy at the phone store did mention something about having to unlock the phone before he could sell it,is that it?
I appreciate your help dude!

Is any off-contract (full price) Z1 bootloader-unlockable? I assume the locked-down ones are carrier-subsidized...

I would have recommended the Z1 untill Sonys half-arsed 4.3 release ballsed-up the bluetooth stack making the phone useless in my car as I cannot use it now on hands-free................................

MakaMika said:
Umm,Im not so sure what "bootloader unlockable" means,is it about the ability to change roms and roots and stuff? (not much into this ) but it'd be so nice of you if you explain it more.The guy at the phone store did mention something about having to unlock the phone before he could sell it,is that it?
I appreciate your help dude!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The guy at the store shouldn't really have to do anything with the phone to sell it, especially unlocking it. ?
Unlocking the bootloader gives you a bit more freedom to do what you want with the phone, so if you were to root it (BL unlock isn't required for root) and then you wanted to install a rom like Paranoid android or Cyanogen mod or any rom that requires a custom kernel then you will need to have the ability to unlock the handset, I personally can't unlock mine cos I stupidly went with a provider directly, also bare in mind that the bootloader unlock or not isn't anything to do with the sim being locked, they're not related.
If you have no plans to unlock the bootloader then i'm sure you'll love the Z1, i've had literally no problems with mine, everything is fast and stable (bar the odd random reboot which happens once a week if that) i'm still running 4.2 and it suits me quite well, I am rooted and I have exactly the right amount of mods installed that I would want from any other phone, also the pace of the phone is blistering so i don't really have a need to install custom kernels anyway and the CM based rom's are good but I never really stick with them for very long anyway, so not a deal breaker for me.
Just so you know, unlocking the bootloader will most likely void your warranty so be aware before you commit, rooting is reversible and won't touch your warranty, unless you send it to them rooted, just flash an FTF to revert back to normal.
---------- Post added at 05:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:32 PM ----------
nalab1 said:
I would have recommended the Z1 untill Sonys half-arsed 4.3 release ballsed-up the bluetooth stack making the phone useless in my car as I cannot use it now on hands-free................................
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
4.4 will be in the post m8, and it'll address the BT issues i imagine.
---------- Post added at 05:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:49 PM ----------
Ghengis042 said:
Is any off-contract (full price) Z1 bootloader-unlockable? I assume the locked-down ones are carrier-subsidized...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not all carriers disallow the unlock.

[Q] Pros and cons?

Hello Z1 users...
I've been recently searching about this phone as I am about to buy it...
I still can't gather all the pros and cons of the phone so I can make a conclusion
whether should or should I not buy it...
I've been reading reviews but my experience says that user comments are better than reviews...
I would really love if you could type some pros and cons of this phone.
Thank you very much

Depends on which Z1 you will have as each Xperia Z1 could have individual problems. Some people including me report about heat issues that are still not solved even after the update. Just make sure that you get a problem free unit :laugh:

UltraWelfare said:
Hello Z1 users...
I've been recently searching about this phone as I am about to buy it...
I still can't gather all the pros and cons of the phone so I can make a conclusion
whether should or should I not buy it...
I've been reading reviews but my experience says that user comments are better than reviews...
I would really love if you could type some pros and cons of this phone.
Thank you very much
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as GSM arena is concerned the user reviews are better than the critics, personally i've found the Z1 to be a rock solid phone and a good performer, being water proof and having a beast of a camera aren't bad additions either.
Only thing i would be concerned with buying the phone now is that there are newer phones which if given the choice i would prefer to go for, the Z2 if you wanted to go with Sony, the Z3 isn't far from being released, the LG G3, HTC M8, Galaxy S5, all have superior hardware compared to the Z1, difference isn't as big as lets say coming from an Xperia T to the Z1 but it's a difference i wouldn't ignore if i was going to commit to spending a few hundred pounds on a phone.
That being said I'm sure you'll like the Z1, rooting is easy,reverting to stock is easy, the rom's are good (not as much choice as Samsung and HTC but there are some great dev's here)
If i were you I would go to a store and have a try at it, see some of the offerings in the flesh and make your mind up that way, there are also a lot of similar threads on this forum about whether or not the Z1 is a good phone too so have a search too.

I can't make sure that I will get a free-problem unit but I hope for it .
If you could address some issues of the phone and some features of it I would be glad to hear'em

dladz said:
As far as GSM arena is concerned the user reviews are better than the critics, personally i've found the Z1 to be a rock solid phone and a good performer, being water proof and having a beast of a camera aren't bad additions either.
Only thing i would be concerned with buying the phone now is that there are newer phones which if given the choice i would prefer to go for, the Z2 if you wanted to go with Sony, the Z3 isn't far from being released, the LG G3, HTC M8, Galaxy S5, all have superior hardware compared to the Z1, difference isn't as big as lets say coming from an Xperia T to the Z1 but it's a difference i wouldn't ignore if i was going to commit to spending a few hundred pounds on a phone.
That being said I'm sure you'll like the Z1, rooting is easy,reverting to stock is easy, the rom's are good (not as much choice as Samsung and HTC but there are some great dev's here)
If i were you I would go to a store and have a try at it, see some of the offerings in the flesh and make your mind up that way, there are also a lot of similar threads on this forum about whether or not the Z1 is a good phone too so have a search too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have some restrictions with buying phones and the price in my country is fairly good...
I am 90% more on the Xperia Z1 but first I want some user reviews.
I had Xperia SP and it died before some days and before I bought it I read awesome reviews
But after buying it and seeing user reviews I saw a not-that-good phone :/...
Thank you very much

UltraWelfare said:
I have some restrictions with buying phones and the price in my country is fairly good...
I am 90% more on the Xperia Z1 but first I want some user reviews.
I had Xperia SP and it died before some days and before I bought it I read awesome reviews
But after buying it and seeing user reviews I saw a not-that-good phone :/...
Thank you very much
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry m8, i've not got any time to write a review, if you can be specific then i can try to answer some questions, there are tonnes of reviews for this phone on XDA.

dladz said:
Sorry m8, i've not got any time to write a review, if you can be specific then i can try to answer some questions, there are tonnes of reviews for this phone on XDA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wasn't asking for a big review...I was asking to write something like [Battery life is fairly OK, Performance is the best] or something like that...
Small comments on each part of the phone (Performance, battery, bugs etc.)...

Issues i've had are, the vibration has gone a bit rattley on my handset (disabled vibration on touch to fix) the odd random reboot, nothing to write home about, and the camera can appear a little grainy at times.
Like i said it's a great phone.

dladz said:
Issues i've had are, the vibration has gone a bit rattley on my handset (disabled vibration on touch to fix) the odd random reboot, nothing to write home about, and the camera can appear a little grainy at times.
Like i said it's a great phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much ...I don't care a lot about the camera but again thank you sir.

I did have a Z1 but the phone gave the now infamous touch screen issue.
Just type in Google, "Z1 touch screen issue" and read what people have experienced
Even a complete replacement of the display and touch screen didn't fix it.
The phone is great, but the screen is the most important thing on the phone and what use is it if it doesn't work like it should?
You can try and get one, but that issue is a serious one!
Get one at your own risk. I'm getting a One M8.

D395267 said:
I did have a Z1 but the phone gave the now infamous touch screen issue.
Just type in Google, "Z1 touch screen issue" and read what people have experienced
Even a complete replacement of the display and touch screen didn't fix it.
The phone is great, but the screen is the most important thing on the phone and what use is it if it doesn't work like it should?
You can try and get one, but that issue is a serious one!
Get one at your own risk. I'm getting a One M8.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I saw the specific issue but it might be due to a contact with a magnet or something like that.
Also all the videos are outdated and before the kitkat update...I think SONY fixed it on 4.4 update.

The screen and the speakers are the biggest drawbacks.
Speakers are terrible and the screen washes out very badly even if you tilt it just slightly.

UltraWelfare said:
Thank you very much ...I don't care a lot about the camera but again thank you sir.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No probs m8
---------- Post added at 08:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:58 AM ----------
D395267 said:
I did have a Z1 but the phone gave the now infamous touch screen issue.
Just type in Google, "Z1 touch screen issue" and read what people have experienced
Even a complete replacement of the display and touch screen didn't fix it.
The phone is great, but the screen is the most important thing on the phone and what use is it if it doesn't work like it should?
You can try and get one, but that issue is a serious one!
Get one at your own risk. I'm getting a One M8.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually completely forgot about the touchscreen issue, I did have that but it appears to have completely gone away now, updates seem to have helped me. I know some people weren't as lucky as me.
M8 is a good phone by the way, think a bit too much time has passed for me to be getting one though, think i might sit this contract out, something i've never done before.

The Z1 is a beautiful phone. Its large, its fast and its durable. I wouldnt trade it for any other phone including a Samsung. The only issue is that it heats up on demanding ups, but thats what you get when you enclosed a modern beast in a tight environment with no modern-day ventilation (not possible on smartphones anyway).
The differences with the Z2 are minimal, certainly not justifying the premium.
Anyway the current hardware is way ahead of the current software's recommended specifications.

dladz said:
No probs m8
---------- Post added at 08:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:58 AM ----------
Actually completely forgot about the touchscreen issue, I did have that but it appears to have completely gone away now, updates seem to have helped me. I know some people weren't as lucky as me.
M8 is a good phone by the way, think a bit too much time has passed for me to be getting one though, think i might sit this contract out, something i've never done before.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So there might be a chance of getting a phone with the touchscreen issue?
I might have to rethink this then :/

UltraWelfare said:
So there might be a chance of getting a phone with the touchscreen issue?
I might have to rethink this then :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's chance m8, but then you take that chance with any phone you buy, if it's brand new, just test it in the shop and if it's present it'll show it's ugly head, problem occurs when you make a persistent connection with the screen and that connection is broke and then restarted, imagine a perfect line down the screen, you don't break contact but the line it split in parts due to this issue.
I myself have had two, the first one i killed by flashing a TA partition, literally dead phone but that didn't have the touchscreen issue, the 2nd one has had it but it went away.
All phones have their problems m8.

Even if the product you buy proves to be defective, you take it back and have it replaced. Pardon me but we all are grown ups with at least average IQ, right?

in my opinion, the z1 is a very solid phone. might be outdated with the z2 and the now rumored z3, but still a very good performer.
Battery = excellent. I love the battery on this phone. With regular usage, I get to 2. 5 days to 3.5 days with about 5 - 6 hrs screen on time. Haven't had a problem with the battery.
Processor = not the latest but still very capable of performing tasks that newer processors can.
Screen = honestly, people say its horrible, but it isn't like that. It is actually pretty good. I don't care about viewing angles. Its an advantage for me, it keeps the people with naughty eyes from seeing the things I am doing clearly
Speaker = could have been better. It is decent but can never outperform devices of its price range before.
Camera = awesome. just amazing. sometimes can give you grainy pictures indoors, but it is capable of getting some awesome pictures.
Perks = well, being water proof or water resistant is enjoyable. not a gimick for me. I use it. wash my phone weekly. lol. also the feel in hand is very satisfactory. the cold aluminum plus the weight of the device is good.

My personal feelings on the handset...
The Pros
It is a well rounded and well made handset that sits nicely in the hand
The camera is amazing if you can work out how to use it properly
Magnetic docking that actually works means you don't have to mess around with wires
Sony Support is pretty good
It is very fast (ignore the 'outdated' processor as it works fine)
Sony's little tweaks to Android on the handset mean it doesn't really need rooting at all
SD card support (something not all flagships offer)
Easy to root
Battery is pretty good if Stamina mode is on and the Snapdragon app is installed
The screen is simply stunning (never had a touchscreen issue or noticed it washout)
Charges reasonably quickly
It's resilient, I've dropped my second handset a fair few times and nothing is wrong yet (cracked screen on my first one)
The cons
The handset gets HOT...
The flaps eventually wear out and fall off
It reboots randomly, when it doesn't it tends to warrant a reboot anyway as it becomes laggy
Heavy use such as gaming absolutely rinses the battery
WiFi is sensitive, it doesn't always connect properly

Kirkymole said:
My personal feelings on the handset...
The Pros
It is a well rounded and well made handset that sits nicely in the hand
The camera is amazing if you can work out how to use it properly
Magnetic docking that actually works means you don't have to mess around with wires
Sony Support is pretty good
It is very fast (ignore the 'outdated' processor as it works fine)
Sony's little tweaks to Android on the handset mean it doesn't really need rooting at all
SD card support (something not all flagships offer)
Easy to root
Battery is pretty good if Stamina mode is on and the Snapdragon app is installed
The screen is simply stunning (never had a touchscreen issue or noticed it washout)
Charges reasonably quickly
It's resilient, I've dropped my second handset a fair few times and nothing is wrong yet (cracked screen on my first one)
The cons
The handset gets HOT...
The flaps eventually wear out and fall off
It reboots randomly, when it doesn't it tends to warrant a reboot anyway as it becomes laggy
Heavy use such as gaming absolutely rinses the battery
WiFi is sensitive, it doesn't always connect properly
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much..
I won't use it for heavy gaming and my previous phone had problems with CPU overheat so I'm OK with it ...
Random reboots can be fixed by clearing the cache I think ...

Pull the trigger on this one?

Hi all. I currently have a Samsung Galaxy S3 and I'm thinking about buying the Xperia Z3 Compact. Everything about the phone seems great, but with Sony's bi-annual update cycle, I'm not sure what to do. Is it worth it to wait another 3 or so months for a yet unannounced Z4 compact? Or pull the trigger on this?
Thank you.

I don't think z4 will have great improvements.. I have a z3 compact and its great..

There is no official word about a z4 compact

Go for it man! I doubt you'll ever be half satisfied with this. I've had this since December and i'm only loving it more and more
Sent from my D5833 using XDA Free mobile app

Z4 Compact? Z2 Compact has never been released, IMVHO the next compact phone will be Z5C

Dsteppa said:
There is no official word about a z4 compact
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I know. Just trying to think ahead, but at the rate technology is moving, there's no way to keep up. Thank you very much all. I'll make the purchase. Like I said, I've only seen great things about this device.

Bzow said:
Yeah, I know. Just trying to think ahead, but at the rate technology is moving, there's no way to keep up. Thank you very much all. I'll make the purchase. Like I said, I've only seen great things about this device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The difference between the Z1 and Z3 compact are pretty minimal tbh

Dsteppa said:
There is no official word about a z4 compact
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea so far there're only rumors and i'm quite happy with the Z3 compact. i think you should go for the Z3 compact if you really like it.
Dsteppa said:
The difference between the Z1 and Z3 compact are pretty minimal tbh
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have owned both of the devices. my old Z1 compact was stolen 4 months ago (damn the thief). so i've been using the Z3 compact for 4 months.
honestly the performance does have some difference. you can clearly feel the Z3 compact is more smooth. but if you are not super sensitive then both devices are good.
another thing is the Z1 compact has the metal frame around. it feels much sturdy and real. while Z3 compact has it changed to plastic. it still looks good. but feels a bit differently. however, the Z3 compact has the glass back cover. even though it doesn't feel much difference comparing to the Z1 compact... i can't tell the back cover of Z1 compact is actually plastic.
so all in all.. from Z1c to Z3c it's for sure a progress. but not too much.

vikingsail said:
yea so far there're only rumors and i'm quite happy with the Z3 compact. i think you should go for the Z3 compact if you really like it.
i have owned both of the devices. my old Z1 compact was stolen 4 months ago (damn the thief). so i've been using the Z3 compact for 4 months.
honestly the performance does have some difference. you can clearly feel the Z3 compact is more smooth. but if you are not super sensitive then both devices are good.
another thing is the Z1 compact has the metal frame around. it feels much sturdy and real. while Z3 compact has it changed to plastic. it still looks good. but feels a bit differently. however, the Z3 compact has the glass back cover. even though it doesn't feel much difference comparing to the Z1 compact... i can't tell the back cover of Z1 compact is actually plastic.
so all in all.. from Z1c to Z3c it's for sure a progress. but not too much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The display is MUCH better on z3c. My brother has a z1c and the colours on z3c are far better
Sent from my D5833 using XDA Free mobile app

Furthermore there are different return policies in different countries. Means you can return it in a certain period of time if you dont like it depending on your country and your retail selling policy.
The phone may not shine in every area but it definitely has its strong sides as regards battery, raw power, size , the ability to withstand water and the easy upgradeable storage space with a micro sd. The dedicated camera button i also find a nice addition.
Downsides are the reported awful customer service (also dependant on your reseller, so read the return policies carefully) , the non replaceable battery and the somehow fragile feeling this phone gives. But this can be solved with a case or the choice of a good protection plan. The camera is as good as expected, not outstanding but not terribly bad either. If i want to shoot good photos I would not use a smartphone anyway. Also if you are a heavy multimedia consumer you might want to check out bigger phones. At last the inbuilt flashlight is pretty weak. So if you want to use your phone as a flashlight you might want to look another way also .
The Iphone 5s is really the only contester worth comparing it to, but i would choose android over ios always. If you dont care about this and need the same one handed usability (this ofc also depends on your hand size )then the 5s might be worth a look.
Now with root available with locked BL i would always recommend this phone no matter what. When it runs it runs fast, reliable and efficient and will get you through a day of heavy or 3 days of light/moderate usage. Which is the main and most important point for me.
I own the phone for 4 months now and never ran into a problem which could not be solved. I would not buy a different one.

Went from Galaxy S3 to Z3 Compact. Couldn't have asked for anything better really

Well i took the plunge and bought the Orange Z3 compact, even after reading some of these threads on some of the faults. I have come from a HTC M8, and i must say, this Z3, is one of the best phones i have ever had, the size of the phone is perfect for me, i never liked big phones, they seemed a bit silly for me.
I am still on stock, i haven't rooted the Z3, but i did root all my previous phones, and in all honestly rooting this phone is the last thing on my mind, it is brilliant as it is, lighting fast, and there is more customization, than any previous phone i have had.
And NO i am not a Sony Fanboy, neither am i being paid by Sony, These are my thoughts, i am so glad i did buy this phone, only thing i miss is a decent weather widget.
So all in all , best thing to do is check the phone out for yourself, then only you can make your decision, never let any one make the decision for you.

Can only confirm the above posts - also coming from a S3. I can promise you - even if you don't root the Z3 right away you will not turn on your S3 anymore. The Z3 outperforms the S3 by a landslide and (in my opinion) even the current, bigger and more expensive "flagships" from other companies by some degree.
My only "mistake" was not looking here before buying it, it was an impulse buy mainly because of the form factor and pure specs (SD card a big one, too). Was a bit annoyed because of not being able to root, actually with the Z3 it was the longest time I spent with an unrooted device ever. But: the positives outweighed the negatives and in the end root is finally available, making this device even better than it is with stock firmware. I'm also happy the constant chase for "the best" custom ROM is finally over, can't imagine how I could ever bare the hassle I had with previous phones/tablets. Stock is just fine and the Z3 does what it is supposed to.
As for the other problems mentioned in these forums:
- front/back glass breaking sponteanously: I use a tempered glass screen protector for the display, nothing for the back. the phone sits in a no name TPU case, I only had to put some work to the slot for the magnetic charger. No cracks whatsoever (yet) - and I'm known to be a magnet for disaster...
- flash LED: compared to your S3 you will probably think: "hey, is this thing really on ??"
It really is weak, but then again - if you need a reliable light, get a Maglite with some batteries to spare. This is a phone. In most cases I use a simple app that simply turns the screen on white at full brightness, that's more than enough for my taste.
- being slippery/attracting dirt: yes. Especially the black one if you intend to use it without a case. It's my first phone that rests constantly in a case, otherwise I would be pushing my luck... I would try to get the white or red one if you can't stand smudges when using it without a case.
- speaker quality: well, look at the size... it ain't good, but not too bad either.
- camera: as mentioned before, not brilliant, but not crap too (even with unlocked BL). It's ok for snapshots mostly.
Biggest pros as mentioned: performance, battery life and (after rooting) full use of the SD card combined with small size and a all in all great display. Being "waterproof" is an added bonus - though I would never take it to the shower or otherwise test this - I just hope it survives the occasional heavy rainstorms I get caught in from time to time when out with the dogs.
I did not regret buying it without contract for the full price.
---------- Post added at 06:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:34 PM ----------
Schumi 01 said:
i am so glad i did buy this phone, only thing i miss is a decent weather widget.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, OT :
there are millions of weather apps/widgets out there, I always come back to:
- Arcus Weather
- Weather Timeline
- Weather Pro
Currently I'm using weather pro as this is (at least for me for my region of Germany) the most precise one and I got some play store credit for my chromecast so I gave it a try for a year of pro usage. Not disappointed so far !
The other two are pretty solid, too.

Howlbeck said:
Well, OT :
there are millions of weather apps/widgets out there, I always come back to:
- Arcus Weather
- Weather Timeline
- Weather Pro
Currently I'm using weather pro as this is (at least for me for my region of Germany) the most precise one and I got some play store credit for my chromecast so I gave it a try for a year of pro usage. Not disappointed so far !
The other two are pretty solid, too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks will check them out. :good:

Rumors Z4C, it was from a reliable place. Don't remember now, but well see in MWC next month
4.7" screen
3GB ram
Sexier then Z3C, which is sexier then Z1C
Open USB and Jack, still IP68 rated
Qualcomm 810 cat. 9
Quad or Octa core, don't remember.
Sent from my Xperia Z3C using XDA Free mobile app

shafiq01 said:
3GB ram
Sexier then Z3C, which is sexier then Z1C
Open USB and Jack, still IP68 rated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, that would be an improvement. 3 gigs ?
Never understood why the Z3c can be waterproof whilst relying on flaps when the jack is open... ?

shafiq01 said:
Rumors Z4C, it was from a reliable place. Don't remember now, but well see in MWC next month
4.7" screen
3GB ram
Sexier then Z3C, which is sexier then Z1C
Open USB and Jack, still IP68 rated
Qualcomm 810 cat. 9
Quad or Octa core, don't remember.
Sent from my Xperia Z3C using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be honest, I don't think there'll be a Z4C for quite a while as from what I've heard Sony is planning to change their release schedule, to one highend phone per year. Mainly because that is what certain customers want and that Sonys budget ain't that good right now. Developing a new phone costs a ton of money.
Also, please tell me what that source is as this sounds like fake and unjustified rumors.

Just dropped in for some Thread Cleaning.
Folks, if you don't like a post somebody else has made, and, feel it may violate XDA rules, then just "Report Post" instead of replying to it, and creating multiple posts back and forth that a Mod will have to come in and clean.
Simple enough?
Nothing else to see here.....

Sptz said:
Went from Galaxy S3 to Z3 Compact. Couldn't have asked for anything better really
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here [emoji106]
Sendt fra min D5803 med Tapatalk

GethPrime said:
To be honest, I don't think there'll be a Z4C for quite a while as from what I've heard Sony is planning to change their release schedule, to one highend phone per year. Mainly because that is what certain customers want and that Sonys budget ain't that good right now. Developing a new phone costs a ton of money.
Also, please tell me what that source is as this sounds like fake and unjustified rumors.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If these rumors are true, then maybe they will launch their last compact model, before retiring.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspence/2015/02/18/sonys-smartphone-surrender-abandoning-the-xperia/
Sent from my Xperia Z3C using XDA Free mobile app
---------- Post added at 10:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:16 PM ----------
shafiq01 said:
If these rumors are true, then maybe they will launch their last compact model, before retiring.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspence/2015/02/18/sonys-smartphone-surrender-abandoning-the-xperia/
Sent from my Xperia Z3C using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And the before mentioned rumor, I think it could be reliable, gsmarena.com usually hit spot on. Maybe its not true??
http://m.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_z4_gets_certified_by_japanese_wireless_authority-news-10798.php
Sent from my Xperia Z3C using XDA Free mobile app