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Dear XDA fellows,
I currently have a Galaxy S2 but scratched its screen last Saturday.
I am thinking of buying a new phone with a low budget (less than 400€) and the Xperia Z seems to be a good phone. It looks resistant, has good specs, a big screen, big battery and is waterproof. But in order to make up my mind I need your opinion as long lime users.
Can you please tell me what you think of that device ?
Especially :
- Batter life
- Any major issue
- Resistance to scratches, drops...
- Possibility of easily flashing custom roms / kernels
- Anything I need to know about the phone
Thanks in advance for your help
Cheers
Battery life is far succeeded by Snapdragon 800 devices. The S4 Pro is getting old and doesn't have anywhere near as good the power management. Scratches are not a problem, mine is pristine after over a year, custom ROMs and stuff are easy to get. The headphone jack needs a flap, whereas the Z1/Compact and Z2 are uncovered. The bezels are quite large and the camera processing needs work (Cybershot add-ons by the community are here though). I'd go for the Z1 Compact, performance will be much better with the (still very high quality) 720p screen and much better processor. The camera is the same as in the Z1 (and Z2 if I'm not mistaken). The Z1C also fixed issues regarding the screen viewing angles (I've never noticed any issues with my Z, and have compared it side by side to a Z1).
mastawindu said:
Especially :
- Batter life
- Any major issue
- Resistance to scratches, drops...
- Possibility of easily flashing custom roms / kernels
- Anything I need to know about the phone
Thanks in advance for your help
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Xperia Z experience:
- Been using it for 13 months now
- Never used a case
- Screen protectors on both front and back from day one
- Dropped the phone: twice
Now to answer your questions:
- Battery life: satisfactory. It's on par with most smartphones really. 1 day of intensive use and 2 days of slight use. Surprisingly, after over a year, I didn't notice a drop of battery life.
- Major issues: poor viewing angles, you will get used to it, but it's a bit annoying sometimes.
- Resistance to scratches: if you're going to use screen protectors - nothing to worry about. If you're not going to use a screen protector - you're going to pretty much f... your phone as there a shatterproof film on it, and that gets scratched easily. So just stick the bundled protector on the front and the back and you're ready to go and safe for months. Drops ? Surprisingly resistant. After first drop it suffered a small dent on the side as it hit metal chair support directly. Decond drop - facet front on concrete - nothing happened apart from me having to replace the screen protector. The frame around the phone is ridiculously hard to scratch.
- Custom roms: very easy, full cyanogenmod support - remember that you will lose Bravia engine forever once you onlock the bootloader.
- Anything you need to know: not much really. It's a very good device with some minor flaws and a less then perfect screen. The speaker is not very loud, maybe that. Oh, and KitKat is coming in May.
Would I recommend the phone after using if for almost 14 months ? When I bought it, Sony asked a hefty £549 for it. And for that price, I would say no, at least not now of course. But for ~£300 - as it sells now - I would definitely recommend it if you don't really need the "latest and greatest". It's a good phone with some flaws, but in general a good value for your money.
Would I choose Z over Z1 Compact ? Yes, definitely, because of 5" screen - and this is up to you what size you prefer. Can't go wrong with any of them.
iDroid8 said:
Battery life is far succeeded by Snapdragon 800 devices. The S4 Pro is getting old and doesn't have anywhere near as good the power management. Scratches are not a problem, mine is pristine after over a year, custom ROMs and stuff are easy to get. The headphone jack needs a flap, whereas the Z1/Compact and Z2 are uncovered. The bezels are quite large and the camera processing needs work (Cybershot add-ons by the community are here though). I'd go for the Z1 Compact, performance will be much better with the (still very high quality) 720p screen and much better processor. The camera is the same as in the Z1 (and Z2 if I'm not mistaken). The Z1C also fixed issues regarding the screen viewing angles (I've never noticed any issues with my Z, and have compared it side by side to a Z1).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong. The Z has a good battery life, the bezels are far from beeing big and it's smooth and has a great build quality.
Also S800 has worse battery life due to the much higher clocks, i'm speaking of experience.
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Ofc what above user has said is true.. Z1 is a flop because of the viewing angles and bad battery life than actual h/w capability.. Due to more power consumption by the s/w.. XZ is far better in terms of power management and build quality than XZ1.. Hence XZ2 is here.. But still doubtful as if it would be a hit or another Z1 itself.. But one should also know that Z has been built well, first of its kind.. Waterproof works very well, but u should be very careful with the flaps and the rubber inside.. And also not a hiccup in the UI, no lags at all.. Battery life is good enough.. Use some battery saving techniques.. And Camera is quite awesome if u use the perfect settings manually although Superior Auto works better only with daylight.. It brings a lot of awesome features if u really like photography.. Camera 2 is one app which made me remove all photo editing apps on my phone.. I love music quality and Movies app supports all video formats which helps a lot.. Display is crisp and with 441ppi and Auto Brightness u can easily be able to use the phone under bright sunlight with not much of a problem.. Also the device has a lot of support from different communities and SONY actually does care for XZ more than XZ1(This is a fact provided by one of SONY devs whom i know).. Hence nothing to worry.. U will not regret buying a XZ.. Just a suggestion, be gentle with flaps.. They arent very friendly..
tOrNadO™ said:
And also not a hiccup in the UI, no lags at all.. Battery life is good enough.. Use some battery saving techniques... And camera is quite awesome... I love music quality and Movies app supports all video formats which helps a lot..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's plenty of "lags" in the UI, opening the app draw and closing an ago to get to the homescreen gets regular slowdown. The camera is grainy, nowhere near as good as any competitors. Music quality depends on the files you play, the Walkman app can't suddenly make some crappy, turn-of-the-century downloaded MP3s sound good quality. The movie app definitely doesn't support all formats, that's a lie.
iDroid8 said:
There's plenty of "lags" in the UI, opening the app draw and closing an ago to get to the homescreen gets regular slowdown. The camera is grainy, nowhere near as good as any competitors. Music quality depends on the files you play, the Walkman app can't suddenly make some crappy, turn-of-the-century downloaded MP3s sound good quality. The movie app definitely doesn't support all formats, that's a lie.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No lags here [emoji15]
Gesendet von meinem C6603 mit Tapatalk
iDroid8 said:
There's plenty of "lags" in the UI, opening the app draw and closing an ago to get to the homescreen gets regular slowdown. The camera is grainy, nowhere near as good as any competitors. Music quality depends on the files you play, the Walkman app can't suddenly make some crappy, turn-of-the-century downloaded MP3s sound good quality. The movie app definitely doesn't support all formats, that's a lie.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No lags here too! For me it is smooth and stable.
Gesendet von meinem C6603 mit Tapatalk
iDroid8 said:
There's plenty of "lags" in the UI, opening the app draw and closing an ago to get to the homescreen gets regular slowdown. The camera is grainy, nowhere near as good as any competitors. Music quality depends on the files you play, the Walkman app can't suddenly make some crappy, turn-of-the-century downloaded MP3s sound good quality. The movie app definitely doesn't support all formats, that's a lie.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You must have somehow messed up your ROM.. But here, as well as the other couple of users never experienced any lag.. Not a hiccup as i say again.. And my Walkman plays all audio formats except for WMA and WAV which are utter poor quality formats hence i don't care.. And also Movies app doesn't play only one format WMV which i also don't care, but till date i have downloaded more than 500 movies atleast.. None of them gave me the problem of Not playing.. All videos play on my device with Movies app itself.. And most importantly, when copying from PC i don't select to convert and copy.. I just copy..
tOrNadO™ said:
You must have somehow messed up your ROM.. But here, as well as the other couple of users never experienced any lag.. Not a hiccup as i say again.. And my Walkman plays all audio formats except for WMA and WAV which are utter poor quality formats hence i don't care.. And also Movies app doesn't play only one format WMV which i also don't care, but till date i have downloaded more than 500 movies atleast.. None of them gave me the problem of Not playing.. All videos play on my device with Movies app itself.. And most importantly, when copying from PC i don't select to convert and copy.. I just copy..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you watched loads of movies and claimed that it will play every format? Come on, get it together.
I bought mine 2 weeks ago for 308 Euros, brand new. I must say the build quality is excellent. Battery is very good.Display is perfect, also outside.
I am coming from an LG Optimus 2x.which served me for over 2 years without any problems. But the XZ is a complete new experience. I am so happy i went for this one.
iDroid8 said:
So you watched loads of movies and claimed that it will play every format? Come on, get it together.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wt i meant was i never converted any videos.. And it played AVI,MKV,FLV,MP4,etc without probs.. Peace.. :angel:
Bought it !
Hi guys,
Following your good feedback I bought the Xperia Z and I have to say it is an excellent phone. Sony definitely made a milestone with this device, IMHO it surpasses Samsung in terms of quality (hardware and software) and premium feel.
Thanks to everyone who took time to give me some advises in this thread.:good:
tOrNadO™ said:
XZ is far better in terms of power management and build quality than XZ1..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Z is better than Z1 in build quality? Give me a break man. Z1 is far better in build quality, believe me (I had Z1). Aluminium frame and better glass give a much better feeling of quality and premium look than the Xperia Z (polycarbonate plastics and "plastic" glass).
I dunno about the the build quality but the z has a clean design like a smooth car now they throw some chrome on it and call it z1 and it became ugly again..... It's not always progress.
my name is Luxor, and i'm a flashoholic.
OMC-LUXOR said:
I dunno about the the build quality but the z has a clean design like a smooth car now they throw some chrome on it and call it z1 and it became ugly again..... It's not always progress.
my name is Luxor, and i'm a flashoholic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Theres no chrome on Z1, only brushed aluminium. And Z1 is one of the best looking phones in Xperia line out there. Did you even try to hold Z1 and compare it with Z?
neoxx3m said:
Theres no chrome on Z1, only brushed aluminium. And Z1 is one of the best looking phones in Xperia line out there. Did you even try to hold Z1 and compare it with Z?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is figure of speech, yes I owned one to for 3 months and it is a wonderful phone but still I think the z is smoother and cleaner. You can get mad that I do not agree with you.... Some people like flashy things and some don't. I don't.
my name is Luxor, and i'm a flashoholic.
OMC-LUXOR said:
It is figure of speech, yes I owned one to for 3 months and it is a wonderful phone but still I think the z is smoother and cleaner. You can get mad that I do not agree with you.... Some people like flashy things and some don't. I don't.
my name is Luxor, and i'm a flashoholic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not mad, everyone has their own opinion.
neoxx3m said:
Z is better than Z1 in build quality? Give me a break man. Z1 is far better in build quality, believe me (I had Z1). Aluminium frame and better glass give a much better feeling of quality and premium look than the Xperia Z (polycarbonate plastics and "plastic" glass).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Plastic glass, my friend.. Less prone to get broken.. I have seen more defective Z1's with broken glass due to heating.. Z's internal design is better.. Z1's internal motherboard circuit has GPU next to CPU and hence heats more.. Z's Camera is next to CPU, hence Z heats more when Camera is ON.. Sony's design in motherboard has to get better..
tOrNadO™ said:
Plastic glass, my friend.. Less prone to get broken.. I have seen more defective Z1's with broken glass due to heating.. Z's internal design is better.. Z1's internal motherboard circuit has GPU next to CPU and hence heats more.. Z's Camera is next to CPU, hence Z heats more when Camera is ON.. Sony's design in motherboard has to get better..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Heating on Z and Z1 during heavy gaming is almost the same, and that is good because Z1 CPU clocks on higher freq. and I never had problem with overheating. I worked in official Sony repair center so you don't need to explain me difference between motherboard design on Z and Z1.
Sent from my C6603 using XDA Free mobile app
Hi,
So ive tried all the websites like gsmarena etc but i wanted a view user opinions as well.
How is the camera? Is it better than HTC E8, HTC M7 and Samsung Galaxy S4?
Are there any phones better than this in the same price range?
Any issues i should know about?
Finally, should i buy this phone? Its more or less the max i can afford atm.
Any help would be appreciated thanks
AliHB said:
Hi,
So ive tried all the websites like gsmarena etc but i wanted a view user opinions as well.
How is the camera? Is it better than HTC E8, HTC M7 and Samsung Galaxy S4?
Are there any phones better than this in the same price range?
Any issues i should know about?
Finally, should i buy this phone? Its more or less the max i can afford atm.
Any help would be appreciated thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it seems that you're looking at mid-high range phones.
imo, z1 screen isn't as good as its competitors, like you can notice the screen getting washed out with only a slight change in your viewing angle.
Camera is... so-so, video recording is amazing on the galaxy s5. Photos are decent I guess.
Build quality is amazing though and looks sexy. Also waterproof is a big bonus.
Software wise it's probably better than the S4, I hate Touchwiz before the S5 (laggy)
Battery life is quite average
Lol. Mid high range.
Sent from my C6903 using XDA Free mobile app
tomascus said:
it seems that you're looking at mid-high range phones.
imo, z1 screen isn't as good as its competitors, like you can notice the screen getting washed out with only a slight change in your viewing angle.
Camera is... so-so, video recording is amazing on the galaxy s5. Photos are decent I guess.
Build quality is amazing though and looks sexy. Also waterproof is a big bonus.
Software wise it's probably better than the S4, I hate Touchwiz before the S5 (laggy)
Battery life is quite average
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see. Thank you. Any recommendations, if not Z1?
YES!
I would recommend to buy Z1
Camera is really good. Much more better than Galaxy S4, S5, HTC M8, iPhone 5 and 5S
I have compared these models myself and Z1 is the best
tomascus said:
imo, z1 screen isn't as good as its competitors, like you can notice the screen getting washed out with only a slight change in your viewing angle
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is because display colors are calibrated irregularly
Xperia Z1 has one of the best displays
Go to settings > display > white balance and change colors to
Red 5
Green 5
Blue 117
Jedidiah-Morse said:
YES!
I would recommend to buy Z1
Camera is really good. Much more better than Galaxy S4, S5, GTC M8, iPhone 5 and 5S
I have compared these models myself and Z1 is the best
It is because display colors are calibrated irregularly
Xperia Z1 has one of the best displays
Go to settings > display > white balance and change colors to
Red 5
Green 5
Blue 117
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I agree with regard to color reproduction, but there's nothing that can be done to fix a bad viewing angles other than getting a better screen.
@OP, I would rather get the z1c or Z3c for its battery life and compact-ness if it's in your price range
I recently got one over my Nexus 4 and can definitly recommend it.
What I don't like:
- The screen has a little border, especially top/bottom. But that is in all phones, the speaker/mic and front camera need some space.
- The stock screen protector. While it adds an extra layer of protection it also easily scratches. Warranty seems to be ok when replacing it, but you better get that confirmed.
- Some crappy preinstalled apps. But then again, that is even worse with other phones.
- The "big" internal speaker is a little quiet when listening to music because it needs to be waterproof.
What I like:
- Good prices and basically still the same hardware as in the newest phones released just recently.
- Battery life. At least comparing to a Galaxy S4 I can easily beat it with Stamina Mode. No comparison to Nexus 4.
- Design. It looks and feels very high quality.
- Waterproof. No need to say more.
- Officially unlockable bootloader. No need for hacks, just get a code from the Sony website and it's unlocked.
- Best of all: Only slightly modified Android. No crazy stuff that makes it complicated or laggy, and it looks pretty neat.
I appreciate your help guys, thanks a million
Put it this way...
Dropped my Z1 while the flip case was OPEN... from the top of a scaffold. About 12 feet in the air.
Scratched one of the port covers but it didn`t break. Works perfectly. Very high quality.
My wife also dropped hers down stairs about a week ago. Not a scratch. Not in a case.
These phones are built to last (excluding the port covers... the seals come loose after a while)
Buy it lad!
Hi folks, I liked my HTC One M7, I've been using it for 1 year but recently it has to go to to repair because the camera went purple-tint and vibration motor is dead. Based on my experience local technicians has notoriously sloppy work, so I don't expect this phone will be running trouble-free until my biannual upgrade cycle. So I want to sell my One for a new phone while it still has considerable resale value.
I don't think I liked the bigger-is-better screen hip (One is my biggest phone so far), Being able to operate phone with one hand is definite must for me. So HTC One M8 and Nexus 6 should be out of picture. After a bit of research among the crowd of mini-edition of flagships I think Z3 Compact would be a good candidate.
I used Xperia Pro in the past and I liked Sony build quality mostly.
So HTC One former user, what do you miss when upgrading to Z3 Compact?
I have already thinking about a few downsides:
1. (1080p 4.7 in vs 4.6in 720p), also reportedly Z3C compact has issue with collor accuracy and viewing angle
2. Metal vs plastic -- boy I love my One metallic feel and look, but I guess tempered glass and polycarbonate plastic are classy in its own right?
3. IR Blaster - absolute gem for the lazy me. AC, TV, Stereo with One phone to rule them all (pun intended)
4. Speaker - Both has front firing stereo speakers, but it appears One gain the upper hand?
And of course a few niceties:
1. Waterproof.
2. Smaller footprint with essentially same size of screen.
3. Better processor
So what do you think folks? or should I wait for Z4C which basically will come to my country in mid 2015 (back to bi annual cycle)?
Honestly if you don't need the waterproofness then you are just as good staying with the M7 (all though the camera on the Z3C is better)...
I had the M7 for a year too and in everyday use the M7 is matching the ZC3. I like the size of the Sony better though and you will not miss the full HD screen should you choose to do the change anyways...
Put it in respective for you. I had the m8 and was unlocked and s off. Speakers where giving trouble due to work conditions with dust. Changed to the z3 compact and thought I'd miss having root and customs roms. But I'm not I love the size and feel of the phone. And I'm getting 2 days use of the phone which never happened with any android I have. I'm a heavy user though.
Cell reception and WiFi is better than the m8 as well and both are unlocked from factory
WhizzWr said:
Hi folks, I liked my HTC One M7, I've been using it for 1 year but recently it has to go to to repair because the camera went purple-tint and vibration motor is dead. Based on my experience local technicians has notoriously sloppy work, so I don't expect this phone will be running trouble-free until my biannual upgrade cycle. So I want to sell my One for a new phone while it still has considerable resale value.
I don't think I liked the bigger-is-better screen hip (One is my biggest phone so far), Being able to operate phone with one hand is definite must for me. So HTC One M8 and Nexus 6 should be out of picture. After a bit of research among the crowd of mini-edition of flagships I think Z3 Compact would be a good candidate.
I used Xperia Pro in the past and I liked Sony build quality mostly.
So HTC One former user, what do you miss when upgrading to Z3 Compact?
I have already thinking about a few downsides:
1. (1080p 4.7 in vs 4.6in 720p), also reportedly Z3C compact has issue with collor accuracy and viewing angle
2. Metal vs plastic -- boy I love my One metallic feel and look, but I guess tempered glass and polycarbonate plastic are classy in its own right?
3. IR Blaster - absolute gem for the lazy me. AC, TV, Stereo with One phone to rule them all (pun intended)
4. Speaker - Both has front firing stereo speakers, but it appears One gain the upper hand?
And of course a few niceties:
1. Waterproof.
2. Smaller footprint with essentially same size of screen.
3. Better processor
So what do you think folks? or should I wait for Z4C which basically will come to my country in mid 2015 (back to bi annual cycle)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi mate,
i "upgraded" from M7 to the Z3C. here some infos:
1) i personall find the diplay quality and resolution great with the z3c, i have no complains about the angle or colours, it looks perfect for me.
2) the z3c feels very quality, the "plastic" at the sides looks good and fits perfect with the glass front/back. if its too slippy for you, just buy a cheap rubber case.
3) i didnt need it, as i use a app via wlan for my receiver from the provider
4) the speakers from the M7 are definitely better, the speaker from z3c cant get be that good, as they more turned inside for waterproof. its its loud enough. you have an build in equilizer (the m7 just a switch for Beats Audio), with z3c you have multiple surround modes, sudio modes, effects, bass boost, profiles etc.
The Z3C seems to be more fluend in the user interface, buts that personally. i bought it because of his size.
Only buy it if the size of the M7 doesnt fit to you and keep it mind that the M7 has plenty ROMs and Kernels, but the Z3C has near nothing and you risk lose of DRM keys if you unlock Bootloader.
I would flash the Google Play [email protected]
So its not an "upgrade" its more a "switch"
Z3c is the phone that never gives you anything to think/worry about. It's just there, always ready (up to 3 days use for me) never too big to hold, never too small to read. It never annoys you with unlock lag or stutter while using it, even the camera with its dedicated button feels just good...
With my previous phones I always tried to tinker around and improve this and that. With my z3c I never had that urge. It works just the way I expect it to. If I haven't made myself clear enough: I love it.
I agree with all of them here.
Though i would not consider it a necessary upgrade as you already have a nicely running, fast phone.
In your place i would wait at least for the announcement of the new Z generation. If there is a Z4 Compact, i would take a look at the specs and see if it fits your needs. Maybe it gets a metal frame again? Maybe it will get an IR blaster?
I dont think Sony will make their compact series much bigger.Maybe thinner and lighter?
Also the waterproofness will probably stay as it is heavily advertised as such.
I own the Z3C, my roommate the M7, so ill talk about it a bit.
I cannot handle the One with one hand. So in handling and feeling the Z3C wins by far. Just using one hand and being able to do anything is just plain awesome.
720p is enough for this screen size and will consume less battery. you cant have it all . Compared to the M7 I only notice the slightly bigger screen.
The screen is bright and sharp, i dont know why anybody really cares about color accuracy on a smart phone. Hell im not doing photoshop with it. Viewing angles are okay, not the best but again , most of the time you are the sole consumer of its content. I dont find myself looking at videos with another person often enough that this may in any way pose a problem or annoy me. Only funny thing i noted is that the screen turns black when i hold my phone in landscape mode and look at it with polarized sun glasses. Funny, must have to do something with the screens technology.
Battery life is very good, like twice the One (though i dont know how his phone is configured, if at all).
Speakers are totally fine but again you have to question what you really need them for. Calls? sometimes. Gaming? Jeah but who REALLY listens to the (mostly annoying) sound when immersed in some heavy gaming. Music? Hell no, I would start to hate my own music, but ppl are different. But in the end you are right the One delivers better especially at higher volume levels.
Phone fells well made and classy, no downside to metal except the One fells more sturdy, the Z3C a bit more need-a-case-fragile. I wont do the real testing though .
As the announcement will happen in the foreseeable future, I would at least wait until you get your phone back from the repair . In my country HTC gives away new phones pretty quick under warranty repair, so maybe youll get a new one. This again could give you a nice resell value.Though i dont know if your repair is under warranty or not.
In the end if I were you i would stay with the M7 a bit and see what the future brings. The resell value of your M7 will drop but so will the price for the Z3C. The ONLY reason i see for you to switch to the Z3C is really the footprint/size and only then when it really, really annoys you. I would never go back and consider myself having found the perfect size in a smartphone with the Z3C.
Foxhunter123 said:
Honestly if you don't need the waterproofness then you are just as good staying with the M7 (all though the camera on the Z3C is better)...
I had the M7 for a year too and in everyday use the M7 is matching the ZC3. I like the size of the Sony better though and you will not miss the full HD screen should you choose to do the change anyways...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fair enough, I would take your advice if only my HTC One weren't going to repair.
snwman said:
Put it in respective for you. I had the m8 and was unlocked and s off. Speakers where giving trouble due to work conditions with dust. Changed to the z3 compact and thought I'd miss having root and customs roms. But I'm not I love the size and feel of the phone. And I'm getting 2 days use of the phone which never happened with any android I have. I'm a heavy user though.
Cell reception and WiFi is better than the m8 as well and both are unlocked from factory
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool, I had trouble getting a consistent signal with my One on certain sport, whereas my old Xperia pro is doing just fine. Battery would be a plus
darkarvan said:
Hi mate,
i "upgraded" from M7 to the Z3C. here some infos:
1) i personall find the diplay quality and resolution great with the z3c, i have no complains about the angle or colours, it looks perfect for me.
2) the z3c feels very quality, the "plastic" at the sides looks good and fits perfect with the glass front/back. if its too slippy for you, just buy a cheap rubber case.
3) i didnt need it, as i use a app via wlan for my receiver from the provider
4) the speakers from the M7 are definitely better, the speaker from z3c cant get be that good, as they more turned inside for waterproof. its its loud enough. you have an build in equilizer (the m7 just a switch for Beats Audio), @z3c you have multiple surround modes, sudio modes, effects, bass boost, profiles etc.
The Z3C seems to be more fluend in the user interface, buts that personally. i bought it because of his size.
Only buy it if the size of the M7 doesnt fit to you and keep it mind that the M7 has plenty ROMs and Kernels, but the Z3C has near nothing and you risk lose of DRM keys if you unlock Bootloader.
I would flash the Google Play [email protected]
So its not an "upgrade" its more a "switch"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, when I say "upgrade" it means switch to a more recent phone; built it OEM equalizer sure is nice, I have been fan of Sony's customization since the Mega Bass Era.
2mal16 said:
I agree with all of them here.
Though i would not consider it a necessary upgrade as you already have a nicely running, fast phone.
In your place i would wait at least for the announcement of the new Z generation. If there is a Z4 Compact, i would take a look at the specs and see if it fits your needs. Maybe it gets a metal frame again? Maybe it will get an IR blaster?
I dont think Sony will make their compact series much bigger.Maybe thinner and lighter?
Also the waterproofness will probably stay as it is heavily advertised as such.
I own the Z3C, my roommate the M7, so ill talk about it a bit.
I cannot handle the One with one hand. So in handling and feeling the Z3C wins by far. Just using one hand and being able to do anything is just plain awesome.
720p is enough for this screen size and will consume less battery. you cant have it all . Compared to the M7 I only notice the slightly bigger screen.
The screen is bright and sharp, i dont know why anybody really cares about color accuracy on a smart phone. Hell im not doing photoshop with it. Viewing angles are okay, not the best but again , most of the time you are the sole consumer of its content. I dont find myself looking at videos with another person often enough that this may in any way pose a problem or annoy me. Only funny thing i noted is that the screen turns black when i hold my phone in landscape mode and look at it with polarized sun glasses. Funny, must have to do something with the screens technology.
Battery life is very good, like twice the One (though i dont know how his phone is configured, if at all).
Speakers are totally fine but again you have to question what you really need them for. Calls? sometimes. Gaming? Jeah but who REALLY listens to the (mostly annoying) sound when immersed in some heavy gaming. Music? Hell no, I would start to hate my own music, but ppl are different. But in the end you are right the One delivers better especially at higher volume levels.
Phone fells well made and classy, no downside to metal except the One fells more sturdy, the Z3C a bit more need-a-case-fragile. I wont do the real testing though .
As the announcement will happen in the foreseeable future, I would at least wait until you get your phone back from the repair . In my country HTC gives away new phones pretty quick under warranty repair, so maybe youll get a new one. This again could give you a nice resell value.Though i dont know if your repair is under warranty or not.
In the end if I were you i would stay with the M7 a bit and see what the future brings. The resell value of your M7 will drop but so will the price for the Z3C. The ONLY reason i see for you to switch to the Z3C is really the footprint/size and only then when it really, really annoys you. I would never go back and consider myself having found the perfect size in a smartphone with the Z3C.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah the problem is in my country there is no such thing as "new replacement" (we have weak to non existent consumer protection law). Everything is going to be repaired if possible, even 1 weeks old item. My repair is still covered under warranty, but the problem is loca technician works are sloppy, this is not isolated to HTC, I have experienced this kind of service with various official brand-name repair shop (laptop, tv, phone). In fact my HTC one is returned with a faulty volume button, just yesterday. (I kinda have predicted something like this would happen). So I have to return it back for re-repair.
I hope you get the idea, say if If I wait for Z4 compact I'm honestly afraid if my One decided to act up again in the future (which is likely thanks to imperfect repair job). The repair cost would diminish the resale value! So better be safe than worry, get a new phone, be it lower spec but I have peace in mind.
I can't agree more with using a phone one handedly and doing another things with the other hand. That said I can handle One with one hand just fine.
It isn't terribly nice coming from a good screen to less than good screen, IMO. Regarding speakers in some emulated console game such as Pokemon and Zelda, music and FX are awesome elements.. so nice speaker is nice
--
Everyone, thanks for the input.. more or less I get the picture of the pros and cons. Anything else I should know before I bite the bullet?
I think you are good to go. I also think you wont notice the "downgrade"as regards certain aspects as screen and speakers except in described scenarios. Ignoring the Ir blaster issue of course. Get Nova launcher to get rid of the Sony ui, get a tempered glass Front screen protector a magnetic charger (the "annoying " flap opening for charging was not discussed) and a micro sdcard if you need it and you will be fine. And ensure your phone is water proof with the pressure Sensor Test right when you get your new phone. At least that's what I would do.
Would be Nice to hear your impressions afterwards (since I think you already made up your mind about the switch )
no regrets (almost...)
The M7's display is still one of the best. I definitely notice a difference, but the Z3c's is sharp enough that I dont miss the extra pixels. The Sony's DPI is better than my Nexus 7 (2013), which is more than fine for me.
Metal v. Plastic, meh, I prefer that the Z3c doesn't have the sharp edges of the M7. The Sony feels MUCH more comfortable in-hand. As for durability, just don't drop it and you'll be fine
I do miss the IR blaster, but I only used it occasionally. Besides, I have a Harmony, so I'm ok with the loss. You might not be though!
The Sony's speakers are really good, even great, but the M7's are in a different class. On my Sony, the speakers are close to if not as loud as my M7, but the M7 is definitely clearer, with more bass. However, I rarely listen through the speakers. In most situations there are others around me, plus earphones are just so much better anyway, so not a big deal for me.
For me, the SD slot of the Z3c outweighs the better speakers and screen on the M7. 16 gigs is enough for my music and apps. I use a 64 gig card for videos/photos. Feels great! I know the M8 has an SD slot too, but it's just too big for me.
Another big thing for me is the waterproof rating. With kids, being able to take pictures anytime, anywhere is a huge benefit. Now, I can do it with my phone instead of having to carry a waterproof camera.
The only regret I have after making the switch, is that the M7's flashlight app is better, with the 3 brightness levels. Seriously. That's it. For everything else, I'm loving my Z3c!
Hi,
I'm looking for a new device, as my Note 1 looks like it's about to join the big charger in the sky.
I know the basics - large screen, good battery & processor, meh resolution etc. Judging form the specs and reviews I've read, it looks like a good fit for me.
What I'd like to know is if you'd recommend buying it for long term use (I'm not one to change phones every year), and if there are issues with the phone you think I should know about.
It's a great phablet. Fast, comfortable and bug free. Battery seems to last forerver. Feels solid yet slippery in the hand, and close to impossible to use one handed. You won't feel the difference made by the 720p resolution after a few hours. Color reproduction is great and the screen is sharp and bright.
Coming from the note 2, i see only 3 downsides In the flex.
1. The camera. Real slow to focus indoors, produces lots of noise in dark areas... Sometimes i cant determine where the focus point is. Perfect daylight and closeups though.
2. Lack of development. This phone is locked down tight, so if you love to flash like me, it's a disappointment.
3. No cases, no glass screen protectors. Almost. You can still find them around ebay and amazon, but not as much stuff a samsung would have.
On the bottom line this is a great mid-high range phone, and for the right price, and the right mind it will do.
rotem07773 said:
It's a great phablet. Fast, comfortable and bug free. Battery seems to last forerver. Feels solid yet slippery in the hand, and close to impossible to use one handed. You won't feel the difference made by the 720p resolution after a few hours. Color reproduction is great and the screen is sharp and bright.
Coming from the note 2, i see only 3 downsides In the flex.
1. The camera. Real slow to focus indoors, produces lots of noise in dark areas... Sometimes i cant determine where the focus point is. Perfect daylight and closeups though.
2. Lack of development. This phone is locked down tight, so if you love to flash like me, it's a disappointment.
3. No cases, no glass screen protectors. Almost. You can still find them around ebay and amazon, but not as much stuff a samsung would have.
On the bottom line this is a great mid-high range phone, and for the right price, and the right mind it will do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are a lot of cases and screen protectors:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref...ds="lg+g+flex"+-2+case&ie=UTF8&qid=1426858854
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...:2335752011,k:"lg+g+flex"+-2+screen+protector
grayson73 said:
There are a lot of cases and screen protectors:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref...ds="lg+g+flex"+-2+case&ie=UTF8&qid=1426858854
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...:2335752011,k:"lg+g+flex"+-2+screen+protector
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have a glass protector? (made of glass)
rotem07773 said:
Do you have a glass protector? (made of glass)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't want one, but this one looks pretty good:
http://www.amazon.com/BodyGuardz-Pure-Glass-Screen-Protection/dp/B00IZL5S2G/
This one sold 1204 units:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Premium-Rea...-Screen-Protector-for-LG-G-FLEX-/301293819206
This one sold 89 units:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Premium-HD-...-Screen-Protector-for-LG-G-FLEX-/131417940013
rotem07773 said:
Coming from the note 2, i see only 3 downsides In the flex.
1. The camera. Real slow to focus indoors, produces lots of noise in dark areas... Sometimes i cant determine where the focus point is. Perfect daylight and closeups though.
2. Lack of development. This phone is locked down tight, so if you love to flash like me, it's a disappointment.
3. No cases, no glass screen protectors. Almost. You can still find them around ebay and amazon, but not as much stuff a samsung would have.
On the bottom line this is a great mid-high range phone, and for the right price, and the right mind it will do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!
I don't really care about the camera. The lack of development is a bummer. Might have been a deal breaker for me if it wasn't for Xposed.
Oh, one more thing - some users had an issue with ghosting or after images on the screen. Anyone had this problem? How widespread is it?
dude1001 said:
Thanks!
I don't really care about the camera. The lack of development is a bummer. Might have been a deal breaker for me if it wasn't for Xposed.
Oh, one more thing - some users had an issue with ghosting or after images on the screen. Anyone had this problem? How widespread is it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It really is a matter of luck... Some of the phones were bad from factory.. You have something like that, you'll get it replaced with your warrenty.
If you want to keep it long term and lack of updates (and also latest apps) will bug you then I suggest Nexus 6 over it. My dad has this phone and I have the nexus, dont get me wrong g flex is a nice phone but starting to fall back in technology and will likely not get updates for 2+ years
Anyone regret getting it?
Auga said:
Anyone regret getting it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only thing I dont like is that the USB C port cutout is too sharp. When I hold it with my finger, it seem to cut it at times
No regrets at all. Just AOSP rom would be a lot better, which should arrive soon.
The device has a piss-poor camera. Guess that's the only thing I regret. Its so bad that some phones almost 2years old takes better photos.
This is because of the very small Omnivision sensors used on this device.
But I knew about this even before I bought the device and since I don't take a lot of photos on my phone, it doesn't bother me much.
The fact that the device is very fragile and doesn't have any premium cases available also bugs me a bit. I really wish there were some decent looking protective cases for this phone.
satishp said:
The device has a piss-poor camera. Guess that's the only thing I regret. Its so bad that some phones almost 2years old takes better photos.
This is because of the very small Omnivision sensors used on this device.
But I knew about this even before I bought the device and since I don't take a lot of photos on my phone, it doesn't bother me much.
The fact that the device is very fragile and doesn't have any premium cases available also bugs me a bit. I really wish there were some decent looking protective cases for this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try the Pelosi case.
It's a slim TPU case with a sandstone finish & available in several colors.
It's available on eBay & several other on line retail sites
Sent from my T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 4 using XDA Labs
KOLIOSIS said:
Try the Pelosi case.
It's a slim TPU case with a sandstone finish & available in several colors.
It's available on eBay & several other on line retail sites
Sent from my T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 4 using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've seen the Pelosi case online. The product images looked like the case didn't offer much in terms of protection, especially around the screen. Also the material seemed to be very light, possibly to keep the case slim. The case looks good and I was tempted to buy. I didn't because of these reasons.
But if you have the case and its good, please post photos in my thread. Link
I created that thread as there are very few good cases available for this device and if everyone could post photos of what case and screen protector they had on the device, it would help other buyers too.
satishp said:
The device has a piss-poor camera. Guess that's the only thing I regret. Its so bad that some phones almost 2years old takes better photos.
This is because of the very small Omnivision sensors used on this device.
But I knew about this even before I bought the device and since I don't take a lot of photos on my phone, it doesn't bother me much.
The fact that the device is very fragile and doesn't have any premium cases available also bugs me a bit. I really wish there were some decent looking protective cases for this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are 3 armor cases available on amazon finally. One looks bulletproof lol. I have shared a link on the tough case thread.
nikhil.mehta said:
There are 3 armor cases available on amazon finally. One looks bulletproof lol. I have shared a link on the tough case thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the Love Mei Powerful case! I saw it a few days back on ebay. Mine is on the way from China. Did you get it too?
It should arrive next week. Have you ordered this too?
The case is a bit large though.
Please post pictures of your current setup on this thread and also if you happen to receive the Love Mei case before me.
Check out the case I am currently using. I have added photos here. Also available on ebay.
Auga said:
Anyone regret getting it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did, until I got the unlock approval. I immediately flashed the xiaomi.eu rom and (most) of my gripes were dealt with; being android auto not working and horrible background battery drain. I still hate the home screen icon backgrounds, the fact it wont rotate, and the stock dpi... but other than that I am happy, for now.
My only complaint is that the screen is too small for my liking. I've had several larger phones in the past and I really miss the extra screen real estate. It almost seems like the screen is too skinny and long. So webpages are still small but long.
omniphil said:
My only complaint is that the screen is too small for my liking. I've had several larger phones in the past and I really miss the extra screen real estate. It almost seems like the screen is too skinny and long. So webpages are still small but long.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try 320dpi. I'm lovin it! 320 was the stock dpi on the Xperia Z Ultra I had a few years back. And it works great on the Mix too. I feel 320 should have been the default DPI on the Mix.
satishp said:
Try 320dpi. I'm lovin it! 320 was the stock dpi on the Xperia Z Ultra I had a few years back. And it works great on the Mix too. I feel 320 should have been the default DPI on the Mix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought a dpi that low would break things on this device? Like the icons get screwed up or something?
I had a Z ultra too, loved it.
omniphil said:
I thought a dpi that low would break things on this device? Like the icons get screwed up or something?
I had a Z ultra too, loved it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No issues mate! I'm on the EU ROM and I don't see any issues at 320. This should have been the stock DPI. I can confirm that everything works fine. No issues with icon or any UI elements. Stock apps and all the other usual apps work great as well. All good! You'll be able to see more info on the screen and I bet you'll love 320!
I was waiting for something like the Z Ultra to show up. And finally it did! If you had the Z Ultra, you may remember that camera wasn't Sony's priority. It was all about the experience. And Xiaomi has made that experience even better! The mix is just perfect!
satishp said:
No issues mate! I'm on the EU ROM and I don't see any issues at 320. This should have been the stock DPI. I can confirm that everything works fine. No issues with icon or any UI elements. Stock apps and all the other usual apps work great as well. All good! You'll be able to see more info on the screen and I bet you'll love 320!
I was waiting for something like the Z Ultra to show up. And finally it did! If you had the Z Ultra, you may remember that camera wasn't Sony's priority. It was all about the experience. And Xiaomi has made that experience even better! The mix is just perfect!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just tried 320DPI, oh man, I love it!!! It even fixed my News360 app that I love but would only show me 2 articles per screen on this phone and now shows 6!
The only downside is that top status bar with the clock and battery and such is pretty small. But that's certainly a good compromise as the reset of the phone looks normal now, all I did was bump the UI font size up from small to medium and it all looks great.
All of the icons appear to be working fine, but I use Nova Launcher, so maybe that why.
320 DPI is pretty much a standard DPI for android, and so I expect alot of apps are tuned for that DPI.
Thanks for the great suggestion! The phone looks like a normal phone now....
Received mine today. I thought I could get by without a case but no way. It's slippery! Luckily a case came with it.
satishp said:
The device has a piss-poor camera. Guess that's the only thing I regret. Its so bad that some phones almost 2years old takes better photos.
This is because of the very small Omnivision sensors used on this device.
But I knew about this even before I bought the device and since I don't take a lot of photos on my phone, it doesn't bother me much.
The fact that the device is very fragile and doesn't have any premium cases available also bugs me a bit. I really wish there were some decent looking protective cases for this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are, just use eBay or AliExpress.
About the camera you can take better pictures with another camera app or just learn to hold still and focus correctly xD I can take n decent photos.
It was easier in my s7 edge but even so I knew from the beginning this camera was inferior.
Here you have some photos taken by the default camera app and being steady.
I would say it's the same type of quality of my old LG g3 if you learn how to use it ?
jonas_lobo said:
There are, just use eBay or AliExpress.
About the camera you can take better pictures with another camera app or just learn to hold still and focus correctly xD I can take n decent photos.
It was easier in my s7 edge but even so I knew from the beginning this camera was inferior.
Here you have some photos taken by the default camera app and being steady.
I would say it's the same type of quality of my old LG g3 if you learn how to use it ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those are some good clicks mate! Like I said, camera was not a priority for me when I bought this device. I usually don't use my phone cameras a lot and only for some occasional snaps.. I knew that this device had an inferior camera compared to the competition.
Most people usually depend on their phone's camera for random clicks like when your drunk friend is doing something funny at a party or when it appears as if your dog is smiling. Random events like these, when you may not have your dedicated camera at hand. That's when your phone's camera is handy. And for casual spur of the moment clicks like these, this phone's camera is quite unreliable. In most cases those moments you intended to capture would end up as a blurry or noisy mess.
Like you said, if you put enough effort, you may be able to get a few good shots like you just shared. But that was not my point as it defeats the purpose of a phone's camera.
jonas_lobo said:
I would say it's the same type of quality of my old LG g3 if you learn how to use it ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Jeez, nothing wrong with those at all.
I agree as well. Took a few shots and pics look fine. From all the reviews, I was expecting worse.
Best phone I've ever owned.
iPhone 4 -> iPhone 5 -> HTC One -> Samsung S5 LTE-A -> Note 7 (pretty nice) -> Xiaomi Mi Mix.
This thing is a MONSTER. Fast as hell, best battery I've ever seen (better than the Note 7), humongous display, sexy as build quality, tons of RAM, tons of fast memory, fast charging, etc. I'm surprised this exists.