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Should i switch from Xperia Z to Xperia Z1?

So i have an Xperia Z, and i'm thinking of upgrading to a Z1, but i don't know if it's a worthwhile investment.
I am more or less satisfied with my Z, camera is a miss in some more difficult situations, but other than that it does what i want it do.
Bassically i want to know 3 things;
1) Does the S800 make much of a difference in real usage compared to S4 Pro?
I have very high end games on my Z, like MW4, Riptide 2, Asphalt 8, and in my opinion they are as good as they can get, but maybe i am wrong.
2) How good is the screen?
3) How good is the camera, in your honest opinion? The more in-depth answer, the better!
I know i could read reviews, but they are running older software, so i think image quality might have changed over time.
Thank you for your answers, in advance.

Warmo said:
1) Does the S800 make much of a difference in real usage compared to S4 Pro?
I have very high end games on my Z, like MW4, Riptide 2, Asphalt 8, and in my opinion they are as good as they can get, but maybe i am wrong.
2) How good is the screen?
3) How good is the camera, in your honest opinion? The more in-depth answer, the better!
I know i could read reviews, but they are running older software, so i think image quality might have changed over time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love my Z1 but in my honest opinion, I would probably not upgrade yet unless you are a diehard Sony fan or definitely can't wait for next September or so. But I'll try to answer your questions best I can:
1) It makes enough of a difference to show in games but doesn't really show huge improvements in normal usage. If your Z can play the games you have without hickups, then those games aren't a reason to upgrade to S800. This of course may or may not be different for future and upcoming games but for now both chips can play those games just fine. If you are thinking of upgrading, I would probably not list this as #1 reason unless you want a more future-proof device (and more are coming out during and after Q1).
2) The screen is a bit of hit and miss. It seems Sony is using at least two if not more types of panels and some of them are better than others. If you get a good one, the screen is excellent and very enjoyable. However the lower-graded panels seem to have a variety of issues from yellow hue and bad viewing angles to even problems with the actual touchscreen. The only way to avoid these issues is to read about them and then try to examine the unit you are going to purchase at a shop. I would personally not recommend getting the Z1 online for this reason. I also had to get my touchscreen fixed because of touch issues but after repairing it under warranty it works perfectly and I am not suffering from the yellow hue issue.
3) The camera is good but the software is lacking. To be more precise the automatic setting that the camera starts with (called Superior Auto or SA) is extremely hit or miss and in many cases produces sub-par pictures. This will be an issue if you want to quickly take the device out and snap pictures without touching settings. The pros on the other hand are that the manual settings are versatile and by using manual you can take as good or better pictures than any other cameraphone on the market right now not counting the new high end Lumia's with their pureview technology. There is hope that the camera software can be improved with future updates but this is what the current situation is like. As for my own experience, I'm still getting used to the manual settings and am not yet entirely satisfied with my pictures. I'm getting the hang of it though and they are showing some small improvement - my biggest challenge is low light (100% of the time in winter for me) and noise/grain.
As of now if I was you I would wait. There are new models coming out from Samsung and later from HTC and possibly other manufacturers and the rumors are quite promising. There is some inconsistency with the Z1s that are sold and you really need to be able to examine your unit prior to purchase unless you rely on getting lucky. Also it's likely that later on in Q3 or Q4 Sony will announce the successor to the Z1 which will probably be a bigger leap from the Xperia Z that you have right now. This is just my opinion and I hope it helps.
OFFTOPIC: Also don't be surprised if your thread goes PUFF as the mods don't allow comparison threads and I'm not sure will they count this as one.

1) It's definitely faster. But with 4.3, Z is already fast enough IMO.
2) I actually prefer Z's screen. Z1's has got slightly better viewing angle but Z's colours are better IMO. And Z has got white balance settings, Z1 doesn't.
3) I don't see that much difference between the two, to be honest. But Z1 can create much better bokeh. And when it's set to 20 MP, a slightly blurry photos may still look good when uploaded on web at lower resolution (e.g. Facebook's 2048x1536 pixels). Apart from that, they seem to produce similar looking photos, esp in terms of colour tones, contrast, noise levels, etc.
All in all, I don't think you should upgrade now. It's already a bit late for you to do that. Better wait for the 2014 flagship (Z1's successor).

I've owned the Z and I had a love/hate relationship with it for the following reasons:
-Battery : It sucked. No really, I've tried and tried to make it last at least a day and never succeeded. Yes, I'm a heavy user, but when I switched to the G2 I never ran out of juice with the same use.
-Screen: The screen on the Z1, no matter what these people are saying, is MUCH better than the Z. Not just in terms of viewing angles and washed out colors (which obviously have improved remarkably), also in terms of brightness and color reproduction.
-Lag: The S800 is a beast, after using the G2 I knew for a fact that any phone I buy next would absolutely have to have it. In real world use, its snappy as hell and even under the most intense 3D gaming and heavy multitasking it never skips a beat.
-Camera: the camera on the Z1 has improved after the latest update, and for me, the rule of thumb is quite simple. Use Superior Auto for night shots and Manual 20 MP the rest of the time and you won't need much tweaking to create some absolutely brilliant photos. The Z no matter what I tried It wouldn't hold a candle to the Z1.
This is my opinion having used both phones and a G2 - the upgrade is welllll worth it.

I'd definitely wait for 2014 flagships

few reason why I didnt get the Z and got the Z1
1. Z covered headphone jacks... really annoying to take out the flaps everytime you want to listen
2. battery life sucks
3. mediocre camera... (I expect sony to revolutionize smartphone camera at every flagship, same with that they did on Xperia S, first 12 mp camera)
which all the above was resolved at Z1...
---------- Post added at 09:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:54 AM ----------
2 things:
1. if you are a person who has the cash power to upgrade your handset every year? then do it.
2. if you are a person who upgrades rarely and have to buy the absolute value for money handset every time (every only 2-3 years)... then don't do it, wait for the successor by end of the year.

Ask yourself, do you really need a new phone? Does your Xperia Z not perform as you like?

I would strongly recommend that you wait for few days until the CES (tech conference) ends. for the past few years sony has revealed new flagship during this conference (they might or might not do this year because the Z1 was released not to long ago). But you should wait and see if they release anything interesting for you.
regarding your question, The Z1 is an upgraded Z in almost every aspect including screen, battery, camera, chipset... etc and is more future proof because it has newer chipset and because it was released later so it will be supported for longer. However, if you are satisfied with your Z, I suggest that you wait for 2014 H2 flagships (not even the one that might be released in H1) which will be using chipset based on ARMv8 architecture because this will be a big step forward in the mobile industry. Chipset is the most important part of the phone because better chipset means better performance, gaming experience, camera, overall experience ...etc

thank you for opinions. I decided not to do the upgrade from the Z to the Z1, and i will wait to see what 2014 will bring.
i admit that the camera was really the singular compelling reason for me to switch, my Z does good pictures, except ones w/ bad light. but i can live with that.
hopefully the new flagships won't be as big as the reports are predicting. the Z is right at the edge of my comfort zone in terms of size, and i have big hands mind you.

Which one to replace Nexus 5? (Z1 vs G2)

I love the pure Google experience but internal memory and battery capacity of Nexus 5 is just killing me. I would go for G2, but I heard it struggles with poor internal memory performance. Can anyone confirm it with KK onboard? My N5 is .84 rw. Which one has better community support? I would probably flash cm/omni. And Im considering 16GB Z1 vs 32GB G2. I like the feeling of N5, and that's why Im a bit scared of Z1 huge frame, but stable and fully functional pure Google is the most important for me.

mnickkk said:
I love the pure Google experience but internal memory and battery capacity of Nexus 5 is just killing me. I would go for G2, but I heard it struggles with poor internal memory performance. Can anyone confirm it with KK onboard? My N5 is .84 rw. Which one has better community support? I would probably flash cm/omni. And Im considering 16GB Z1 vs 32GB G2. I like the feeling of N5, and that's why Im a bit scared of Z1 huge frame, but stable and fully functional pure Google is the most important for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you care about horrible viewing angles? I mean horrible.

As long as they are not worse than in my TFT desktop monitor, I'm fine with that. Are they worse than in Xperia S? Cause those are almost unacceptable.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

I came from Experia Z and truly don't go for a Z model, screen is horrible, camera is horrible "noise!", battery more horrible than N5. Don't do it!. Today I bought a additional battery for my N5 which easy to replace..
Verstuurd vanaf mijn Nexus 5 met Tapatalk

Wait for the Z2
Sent from my C6906 using Tapatalk

mnickkk said:
As long as they are not worse than in my TFT desktop monitor, I'm fine with that. Are they worse than in Xperia S? Cause those are almost unacceptable.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They're worse. The Z2 fixed that though. It also has a much better camera algorithm. The z1 is full of noise.
Sent from my C6916 using Tapatalk

Wait for the Z2
Sent from my Xperia Z1

I think Z1 is great
Sent from my N986 using xda premium

The only horrible thing is the community, that writes crap about this nice device every time ...
I can tell you (with many hours of testing Z1, G2, S4, etc. that the Z1 is by far the best device out of the top devices at the moment... for sure you will have to know, what you are doing (and seemingly no one here does) ... i'm a photograph and have to say that the camera is brilliant (for a mobile camera) ... you just have to choose manual iso and such things, cause the automatic is (as always at EVERY camera) not the best for all situations ... e.g. if you shoot pics at night, the automatic mode gains the iso to maximum ... this will for sure make you able to shoot pictures that look like at evenig, not at night, but will gain the noise to a max ... if you choose wisely (e.g ISO 400) at night shots and hold the camera still you will get good pictures ...
i may upload a few examples today or tomorrow ..
the display: Yes, it is not such a good viewing angle as on new IPS-Panels or something ... BUT ... do you want everyone in a train e.g. be able to look and read everything on your display? Me not ... It's important to have enough angle to watch videos or look at photos (espacially for me) without getting wrong colors or something ... and THAT is what the Z1 does ...not more, but not less ...
so why is the z1 better than evey other mobile available?!
- it's water resistant (and yes, i testet it half an hour fully under water) ...
- its aluminium frame with saphire glass on both sides (yes it is) gives it a nice finish (im sure you can even let it fall on a stone without braking it, but not tested - it just falls periodically from my table on the carpet - ca 1m - and is still alive )
- the dev community is good
- the battery life is the longest for those cpus and displays
- the camera is awsome
- the display (triluminos) is brilliant with true colors, good contrast, etc ...
- sony delivers good support
- the sound that comes out of this mobile (even with just the headset in the package) is amazingly brilliant - with good earphones it's for sure the best i ever heard (sony has much experience cause of the walkman devices and such things ...)
- it comes out of the box with very cool features such as the stamina mode (wich works brilliant - no need for any other battery apps or task killers) or the ability to bind an DualShock-Controller to the mobile for gaming e.g. ... and much more ...
so enough said .. haters will allways hate ... but i will never give my z1 away ... it's the best phone i ever head in my hands (and i've had more then enough) ...mybe the z2 will be the replacement for the z1 in a while ... but at the moment there is nothing better available ...
EHHHM .. just to be clear ... im reporting about the standard german nonbranded C6903 .. i heard that some other countrys and models may have other display panels and may be worse than the "normal" device ... don't know, what is exactly true about this .. i can only tell you something about German unbranded C6903 which is mine and the mobile of 2 friends of me .. all working without problems ...

I sign this

mnickkk said:
I love the pure Google experience but internal memory and battery capacity of Nexus 5 is just killing me. I would go for G2, but I heard it struggles with poor internal memory performance. Can anyone confirm it with KK onboard? My N5 is .84 rw. Which one has better community support? I would probably flash cm/omni. And Im considering 16GB Z1 vs 32GB G2. I like the feeling of N5, and that's why Im a bit scared of Z1 huge frame, but stable and fully functional pure Google is the most important for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the Z1, but the only reason I went for it instead of the G2 is because I need more than 32GB storage and I care about the materials / build quality of a product a lot. I guess if those things are important to you, go for the Z1, otherwise the G2 is probably better than the Z1 in every way really (especially the display and the size of phone to size of screen ratio. Z1 has HUGE bezels)

DJ_Synergy said:
The only horrible thing is the community, that writes crap about this nice device every time ...
I can tell you (with many hours of testing Z1, G2, S4, etc. that the Z1 is by far the best device out of the top devices at the moment... for sure you will have to know, what you are doing (and seemingly no one here does) ... i'm a photograph and have to say that the camera is brilliant (for a mobile camera) ... you just have to choose manual iso and such things, cause the automatic is (as always at EVERY camera) not the best for all situations ... e.g. if you shoot pics at night, the automatic mode gains the iso to maximum ... this will for sure make you able to shoot pictures that look like at evenig, not at night, but will gain the noise to a max ... if you choose wisely (e.g ISO 400) at night shots and hold the camera still you will get good pictures ...
i may upload a few examples today or tomorrow ..
the display: Yes, it is not such a good viewing angle as on new IPS-Panels or something ... BUT ... do you want everyone in a train e.g. be able to look and read everything on your display? Me not ... It's important to have enough angle to watch videos or look at photos (espacially for me) without getting wrong colors or something ... and THAT is what the Z1 does ...not more, but not less ...
so why is the z1 better than evey other mobile available?!
- it's water resistant (and yes, i testet it half an hour fully under water) ...
- its aluminium frame with saphire glass on both sides (yes it is) gives it a nice finish (im sure you can even let it fall on a stone without braking it, but not tested - it just falls periodically from my table on the carpet - ca 1m - and is still alive )
- the dev community is good
- the battery life is the longest for those cpus and displays
- the camera is awsome
- the display (triluminos) is brilliant with true colors, good contrast, etc ...
- sony delivers good support
- the sound that comes out of this mobile (even with just the headset in the package) is amazingly brilliant - with good earphones it's for sure the best i ever heard (sony has much experience cause of the walkman devices and such things ...)
- it comes out of the box with very cool features such as the stamina mode (wich works brilliant - no need for any other battery apps or task killers) or the ability to bind an DualShock-Controller to the mobile for gaming e.g. ... and much more ...
so enough said .. haters will allways hate ... but i will never give my z1 away ... it's the best phone i ever head in my hands (and i've had more then enough) ...mybe the z2 will be the replacement for the z1 in a while ... but at the moment there is nothing better available ...
EHHHM .. just to be clear ... im reporting about the standard german nonbranded C6903 .. i heard that some other countrys and models may have other display panels and may be worse than the "normal" device ... don't know, what is exactly true about this .. i can only tell you something about German unbranded C6903 which is mine and the mobile of 2 friends of me .. all working without problems ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I do not think there is anything more to say :good:

Why everyone is complaining about Z1?
I have a Z1 and i LOVE IT!
Ok, my first impression wasnt the best (touch issues), but i replace it and now its perfect!
My battery can hold for 2 days with wifi and 4g the entire time, twitter, facebook, email, linkedin, everything connected and i play on my free times. TWO DAYS!
I dont have any problem with the angle because i dont use my phone looking from the sides (who do this?) when i use it the screen is in front of me, so not a problem.
Its water resistent, do you need more? (oh, but i dont live inside a pool bla bla bla, neither me, but is something to consider on a top end phone).
Performance is unbelievable! Im using stock ROM from Sony and is fast, stable, beautiful.
The camera is noisy? Yes, but ONLY on AUTO mode, change to MANUAL and do some basic camera ajustments, you will see a new camera, very clear photos even at night.
Internal storage 16gb, yes, this is crap, but i have 12 games installed and more 2gb of music without a SD Card, so all depends on your use.
So if you want a perfect phone, buy the Z1 or the brand new Z2, both of the phones are incredible!

I also agree.
I sold a Galaxy S4 and caught a Z1 and do not regret it.
I Make excellent pictures in Manual mode (the best camera on a smartphone).
Viewing angles never bothered me, so I usually look at the screen from the front.
Quality construction and water resistance = Perfect!
Excellent battery life.
G2 / N5 = plastic phones, no sdcard slot, no real good cameras, no water resistant, no great battery life.
Conclusion: Today, Z1 is the best option. If you can wait, buy a Z2 or HTC One 2 (M8). These will be better than Z1. :laugh:

I would say the technical best devices are the HTC One or the Xperia Z series. If you compare the Z, Z1 and Z2 the differences are minimal. Because of that you can decide by the amount of money you want to spend for a mobile phone. I am sure after the Z2 reaches the market, the prices for Z and Z1 will be lowered.

marciozh said:
I also agree.
I sold a Galaxy S4 and caught a Z1 and do not regret it.
I Make excellent pictures in Manual mode (the best camera on a smartphone).
Viewing angles never bothered me, so I usually look at the screen from the front.
Quality construction and water resistance = Perfect!
Excellent battery life.
G2 / N5 = plastic phones, no sdcard slot, no real good cameras, no water resistant, no great battery life.
Conclusion: Today, Z1 is the best option. If you can wait, buy a Z2 or HTC One 2 (M8). These will be better than Z1. :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
G2 has great battery life. probably on par or even better than Z1.

DJ_Synergy said:
so why is the z1 better than evey other mobile available?!
- it's water resistant (and yes, i testet it half an hour fully under water) ...
- its aluminium frame with saphire glass on both sides (yes it is) gives it a nice finish (im sure you can even let it fall on a stone without braking it, but not tested - it just falls periodically from my table on the carpet - ca 1m - and is still alive )
- the dev community is good
- the battery life is the longest for those cpus and displays
- the camera is awsome
- the display (triluminos) is brilliant with true colors, good contrast, etc ...
- sony delivers good support
- the sound that comes out of this mobile (even with just the headset in the package) is amazingly brilliant - with good earphones it's for sure the best i ever heard (sony has much experience cause of the walkman devices and such things ...)
- it comes out of the box with very cool features such as the stamina mode (wich works brilliant - no need for any other battery apps or task killers) or the ability to bind an DualShock-Controller to the mobile for gaming e.g. ... and much more ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
few things i'd like to reply on:
first a few things that are not quite right:
display:
the triluminos display may seem brilliant, but is has it downsides. for those who are in this stuff, this video is pretty nice. well aside from that, it just has to look good right? wich it, in my opinion, does.
sound:
well yeah, with headphones it's definitly something, but without? ouch...
screen:
it's dragontail glass not saphire glass (source)
positive:
camera:
the camera is excellent IF you know how to use it. The G2 does decent pictures without questions, but they are heavily post processed. It may not be visible for the normal user, but if you're in that photo stuff the z1 should do better.
take a look at this page for further information.
but this should all be in vain, because those are stock roms, who really knows how the perform on custom roms?
battery:
it's huge. i came from Xperia S what lasted about 10 Hours with my usage. The Z1 easily gets over 2 Days with wifi, gps, mobile allways on. Additionally i receive quite a few push messages.
edit:
i love my Z1

owned both (Z1 & G2) and I would definitely recommend the G2

Both are good phones...and I was in the exact same position choosing between the G2 and Z1. Yes the Z1 can have images with noise but I've managed to get a good technique with all the tips from XDA members...people are always complementing my Z1 camera
Ultimately it's down to what you want;
mnickkk said:
I love the pure Google experience but internal memory and battery capacity of Nexus 5 is just killing me. I would go for G2, but I heard it struggles with poor internal memory performance. Can anyone confirm it with KK onboard? My N5 is .84 rw. Which one has better community support? I would probably flash cm/omni. And Im considering 16GB Z1 vs 32GB G2. I like the feeling of N5, and that's why Im a bit scared of Z1 huge frame, but stable and fully functional pure Google is the most important for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So if you want custom roms the G2 is hands down the winner compared to the Z1 with a permanently locked bootloader (i.e. not unlockable). However if you can get a unlockable Z1 it's about even. If not the stock Z1 is still really good and very close to pure google experience once you root and clean things up with titanium backup.
If I could choose again I would probably go for the G2 since I prefer messing around with custom roms (although I would miss the solid premium feel the Z1 has...so maybe I'd try harder to source an unlockable Z1 :silly: ).

I was hesitating about the same thing, G2 vs Z1. I was almost sold for the G2, it was pretty nice at test (swipe gestures and tap screen are very user-friendly).
But finally I got my Z1 form my carrier, thinking that if it was not good for me I could sell it at a big price and buy a G2 instead. I never went this way. Testing a Z1 and owning a Z1 are 2 different worlds, this phone has just blown my mind.
Also had an accident with Coca and my phone held out for 30 minutes without any problem, I just washed it under a shower, cleaned it with my shirt. Way to go!
And I'm a music addict. Just check the two topics I've opened lately. All about sound. The Z1 is by far the best out there with Qualcomm DAC, implementation is perfect. Zero noise, zero distortion, power, lively music, responsive EQ, it is worth the experience.
I will definitely not trade my Z1 for a LG G2. Though the last one is an amazing phone and I recommend it, if you have money to chose either the Z1 or the G2, Z1 is the way to go. I don't know the Z2. If it does eveythign the same way or better than the Z1, it's a WIN-WIN situation.
Ah, I run stock ROM, haven't looked after root yet, nor bootloader stuff etc.

[Q] G3 vs Z3C? Opinions

Hey there, I'm planning to give back my g3 to amazon spend 20€ more and get the z3c...
I know this is the z3c forum so I will get more positive reviews about it.
Some extra info: I keep using my nexus 7 2013 for reading and video, with the G3 I didn't use the nexus 7 2013 at all these days so if I keep the G3 I think I will sell the tablet.
G3 foto gets really good with XCam from xdabebb although you can't modify so many values as the z3c manual mode 20 megapixel...
Battery: G3 can give me 5 hours SOT MAX in a day of use, if I forget to charge it It wont get through the second day.
The best thing I like about the LG G3 are the thin bezels and the fact of a 5.5 inch into so small sizes + the screen for multimedia purposes can substitute tablet use.
The worst thing about the LG G3 is the size for 1 hand is nearly impossible and dangerous (phone can easily fall), and the battery + the camera is only good with xdabbeb camera XCam and now with lollipop LG has removed many functionalities about the hardware of the camara that can be accesed
Sorry for the long post
TL.DR: Why should I get Z3 Compact over G3, provide some links in your answers (even I've searched in google quite a lot and not many people compare these 2 due to different screen sizes)

I come from the LG G2 (1 year) -> Amazon Firephone (3 months)-> z3 compact (3 months so far) . However I help my friend to buy a LG G3 and use if for a couple of days. Technically, the LG G3 is mostly identical to the LG G2 (slightly bigger in screen and size, same camera, battery capacity, design and internals (S801 is just an overclocked s800)) However, when the G2 has very good battery life, the G3 is just average. G3 has better camera focus time thanks to laser sensor, but the image quality is mostly the same (they uses the same Sony sensor) The reason I switch to the Z3 compact is G3 is mostly the same as G2 and I need to upgrade my smartphone, as my father love to use the G2, and he's still using. And I advise 4 of my friends to buy sony devices. Our group now have 1 z3, 4 z3 compacts.
The reason for buying z3 compact is:
+ water proof: trust me, my s4 died for just drop into the water for 3 seconds. This z3c has several times accidentally into the water and she lives well. Plus one time listening to music under the heavy rain for more than 1 hour.
+ battery: The best battery life device for more than 10 smartphones I've used in my life. My habit is charge the phone over-night and I have to plug it in normally at 40-50%, 30% on the intensive day and even 70% on the easy one.
+ speakers: It has 2 stereo speakers towards your ears. Most of the other smartphone including LG and has speaker grill at the bottom (one ear in landscape mode) or in the back ?? after using phones with front-facing speakers, you will never go back. And my daddy love my mother's Moto G 2014 just because of those speakers haha.
The reason to not buy the z3 compact is:
-screen size: Depends. Yeah it's very efficiently designed since it has 4.6 inches screen and much smaller than the 4.7 inches galaxy alpha and Iphone 6. However, 4.6 can be considered too small for some. You can buy the z3 in this case, keep in mind that the bigger Z3 doesn't have the as good screen-size ratio as the z3 compact
-camera: IMX 220 is the very good camera (proven in other devices. However, I don't know why Sony can introduce the very bad camera software. It's hard to use, it's complicated, it re-focus when you hit the button even when you already focused just before. Plus, the camera software stays the same without any major updates for nearly 2 years since the z1 and z1 compact. It's a joke when Sony keeps updating theirs other apps like Walkman (now music), Gallery, launcher, themes, major android updates. And don't get me wrong, z3c camera is really good, it just cannot cope with the potential of the sensor itself, and ironically they are the maker of the sensor ha ha. And please not to forget the 2MP front facing camera is just average (with f 2.8 and bad quality) if you are the selfie person.
In conclusion, I'm very satisfied with the z3 compact and will stick with it for a long time.

robocopvn said:
G3 has better camera focus time thanks to laser sensor, but the image quality is mostly the same (they uses the same Sony sensor)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello thanks for your post it was very usefull for me, I also owned the G2 for a while and I must say, from what I remember, the camera noise is much lower in the G3 under low light conditions. The main reason I want to get the z3c is due to the camera (in manual mode you can get impressive pictures & auto mode is improving from what I've read) and the battery. The biggest con I see with the z3c is non-removable battery. When the battery life ends it will mean you have to throw it away or take it to the service center and pay a big amount of money to get a new one.

EDIT: Damn, didn't read you already have a G3, curse my lack of reading skills.
I don't know much about the Z3C as I haven't had much contact with it besides playing with it at some store, but I suppose I can tell you a little bit about my G3
Pros:
+Screen size and resolution - it's just perfect for watching vids, playing games and browsing stuff in your bed. Everything you see is incredibly sharp due to the horrendous resolution. I can definetely say there is a difference between my dad's Z1 (it's FullHD, while Z3C is just HD so the difference is even bigger) and my G3 in terms of clarity of the display. You can literally read ant's-****-sized text.
+Camera - it produces really nice shots, in good surroundings it can give birth to magnificent images you will be proud of. And having the laser focus makes you feel like a James Bond... sometimes
+Performance - yes, the QHD sometimes makes the CPU a bit sweaty, but overall there is little to be desired. You may be disappointed if you expect your phone to switch to landscape mode in a blink, but for a simple user it is absolutely ok.
+Pretty and slim design - not as flamboyant as your favourite drag queen, but I really like the way it looks. Altough it is more like a matter of taste.
+Physical buttons placement - it may seem weird at first, but you will like it.
+Durability - I squeezed it many times in my pocket by sitting or kneeling abruptly, yet nothing happened and after six months my device still looks great. Also, the screen is really scratch resistant, there is no need to purchase any screen protector.
+Great standby time - it will live a looooooong life if you just leave it idle.
+Mod-friendly - easy to root, easy to flash, you can restore it no problem if you screw something up (no fear of permanently damaging the camera like in Z3C's case)
+Removable battery - you will love it if your phone gets stuck for some reason. Just pull the battery and all the bad dreams are gone!
Not-pros:
-Overheating - yep, sometimes it gets hotter than girls in your browser history. Hovewer, it occurs only if you push the phone to the limit.
-Need of tinkering - I mean, LG screwed up the software a little bit so you may want to get rid of some of the annoyances like screen oversharpening (it was so annoying that I've decided to root the device just to repair this one goddamn thing, I couldn't stand my mom's face oversharpened), heating, battery life, etc.
-Battery life - not as good as Z3C's, expect it to have 4-5h SOT and be battery hungry at the end of the day if you use it a lot. There are no perks like Stamina mode, though it can be dealt with through rooting or simply buying a bigger battery.
-Plastic - it doesn't feel as premium as the Z3, it emits some creaky sounds if squeezed, the back of the phone can get scratched if you place it on a harsh surface.
-Dimmed screen - not useless in a direct sunlight, but you will have a hard time reading the text on it.
-Not waterproof - unfortunately it's not as resilient as your ex-friend's head, you shouldn't try to flush it down the toilet.
-No stereo speakers - not like it is really needed on a mobile phone imo, but still.
So the way I see it... if you like small screens, perfect performance, topnotch battery life and water resistance, go for Z3C. But if these things aren't that crucial for you, then you won't be disappointed with LG's flagship child... oh wait, isn't G4 out already? Too lazy to check it, but this can only result in one thing - price drop.

Krastinov said:
So the way I see it... if you like small screens, perfect performance, topnotch battery life and water resistance, go for Z3C. But if these things aren't that crucial for you, then you won't be disappointed with LG's flagship child... oh wait, isn't G4 out already? Too lazy to check it, but this can only result in one thing - price drop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your opinion, I've been using the G3 for 1 week or so and I got exactly that, 4-5 hours SOT and at the end of the day you had to charge it. The worse part of the G3 in my opinion it is that it was too big and this made even worse the fragile/slipery feeling.
The camera are great in both smartphones, but just today I saw one which was even more amazing, the Microsoft Lumia 640 XL. I had it a while and besides 5.7 inch it felt very solid and comfortable. Now I'm between going full retard and buy the 640 XL for 200€ or the z3 compact for 350€. Both are the best in battery performance and camera (although 640XL goes a bit higher on both due to wp). But z3 compact being so smal and so good camera and battery...

sanogueralorenzo said:
The worse part of the G3 in my opinion it is that it was too big and this made even worse the fragile/slipery feeling.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe it's just me and my sticky hands, but I haven't had any problems holding it. Never experienced any OMG-GONNA-DROP-IT scenarios (just being overly careful after shattering my last Samsung...). Moreover, I heard that the Z3C is more prone to being dropped due to the glass on the back... yet I'm not sure, the one I played with had some anti-theft gizmos attached to its back, so I couldn't compare :d.
sanogueralorenzo said:
The camera are great in both smartphones, but just today I saw one which was even more amazing, the Microsoft Lumia 640 XL. I had it a while and besides 5.7 inch it felt very solid and comfortable. Now I'm between going full retard and buy the 640 XL for 200€ or the z3 compact for 350€. Both are the best in battery performance and camera (although 640XL goes a bit higher on both due to wp). But z3 compact being so smal and so good camera and battery...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, Lumias are great photo-taking devices, but you would have to settle for Windows Phone, which is... well, let's say that not everybody likes it. But it's your call, as an Android fanboy I would, of course, choose the Xperia, even though it's photo capabilities may be a bit behind Lumias.

Buying xperia z?

Hey guys I'm about to buy a refurbished Xperia Z from Amazon, but I'd like you guys to give me some advice. Do you recommend me? My main concerns are battery, display(they say blacks are grayish), camera and sound. I come from a galaxy s3 and lumia 640 XL(maybe someone has/had one of these smartphones and could give me some thoughts). I suppose the performance is great. I also noticed the device has some pretty good community and development(which the s3 lacks a bit)-which is also very important to me... am I right? Also, how does AOSP-based lollipop(may I dare and also say marshmallow ) run on it? Sorry guys for too many questions and also sorry for my english.
Best regards!!

What can I say...
FIRST- if you're buying it for $100 or less maybe it is till a good deal, otherwise maybe it is better to see at other low-to-mid-range
SECOND- yes, the performance is good, even better with lollipop, screen looks better now (maybe sonybravia got better, maybe because lollipop has more white in it and the white is being displayed better), but anyway you have to UNDERCLOCK it in order to get a decent battery life
THIRD- battery life is very disappointing, you HAVE to underclock it and root it and greenify it to get any good battery life, unless you can charge it every 12 hours
FOURTH - the device is getting older and so the interest in this device (im talking about support from devs)
FIFTH - the phone gets hot, like really really hot when you're using it playing games (unless you underclock it), and since the back cover is only a adhesive line, when it gets hotter with the help off the Nfc antenna (which is set to push against the backcover) the backcover gets up and looses its waterproofness
SIX- the flaps - the damn flaps- they're everywhere - and you need to open them every-time you charge the phone, put on the headphones, remove the sim, remove the microSD, and they tend to get loose with time especially the one of the charger since you need to charge it frequently
NOW... that I told you about it downsides, its not a bad phone nowdays, it has a big and very beautiful display, connectivity is like the best i've ever tried, performance is pretty good (cpu + gpu ), camera performs really well - especially in macro, dev support for now is good.
Overall for someone who has it I think it can take another one or two years, but I personally would not buy it unless I find it for cheap or cannot buy a used phone. Personally I would look into a HTC M8 or a LG G3, maybe even used.
You decide

aaronkatrini said:
What can I say...
FIRST- if you're buying it for $100 or less maybe it is till a good deal, otherwise maybe it is better to see at other low-to-mid-range
SECOND- yes, the performance is good, even better with lollipop, screen looks better now (maybe sonybravia got better, maybe because lollipop has more white in it and the white is being displayed better), but anyway you have to UNDERCLOCK it in order to get a decent battery life
THIRD- battery life is very disappointing, you HAVE to underclock it and root it and greenify it to get any good battery life, unless you can charge it every 12 hours
FOURTH - the device is getting older and so the interest in this device (im talking about support from devs)
FIFTH - the phone gets hot, like really really hot when you're using it playing games (unless you underclock it), and since the back cover is only a adhesive line, when it gets hotter with the help off the Nfc antenna (which is set to push against the backcover) the backcover gets up and looses its waterproofness
SIX- the flaps - the damn flaps- they're everywhere - and you need to open them every-time you charge the phone, put on the headphones, remove the sim, remove the microSD, and they tend to get loose with time especially the one of the charger since you need to charge it frequently
NOW... that I told you about it downsides, its not a bad phone nowdays, it has a big and very beautiful display, connectivity is like the best i've ever tried, performance is pretty good (cpu + gpu ), camera performs really well - especially in macro, dev support for now is good.
Overall for someone who has it I think it can take another one or two years, but I personally would not buy it unless I find it for cheap or cannot buy a used phone. Personally I would look into a HTC M8 or a LG G3, maybe even used.
You decide
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much for your elaborated answer You really made me think about it.
FIRST- it costs me about $160(in a very good condition) and I really can't pay any more than this for a smartphone. It's actually a pretty good deal for what it normally costs in my country. If you/somebody could recommend me a better phone for this price point(taking into consideration the development community)...
SECOND- good to know.
THIRD- well I have to say it sounds dissapointing. Underclocking...doesn't sound that good to me... although I'd have no problem using greenify. 12 hours with 4g on? What's the usage?(heavy...moderate...)
FOURTH- this is the first thing I look when looking for an android device. If it doesn't allow custom ROMs and doesn't have a decent community behind then I don't buy it.
FIFTH- the "gettin really hot" thing sounds also really dissapointin. I'm not a heavy gamer but I do like to play graphic-intensive games from time to time. So is it really that annoing? About the waterproofness... really not important to me.
SIX- pretty annoing huh? Especially the headphones thing. What if you cut them out? You think there'd be any inconvenience on doing this aside from loosing the waterproof thing(and design of course)?
Well... so yeah some bad news for me here. But I can't find a decent phone wich also has community behind for this price. And another which makes me go for it are the 2GB of RAM.
So I wait for some other answers too guys
Also read my first post's EDIT.

Buying today XZ is stupid... seriously.
When I bought my XZ price of Z1compact was almost the same and it still is, its 20$-30$ difference for most of time(New XZ cost about 180$ z1c 200$)
And for that price you can buy WAY better phones, starting from Galaxy S4 to LG G series. And you want to stick to Sony you can get even z1 or used z2
As far as I love this phone I would not recommend it to anyone, battery is below average, camera is worst than my old Arc S, and those cover flaps are pain in the A##
This is best example of phone that look good, but those small bugs in everyday usage make it annoying to use...
And yes I still use it :] Because after using new phones... I found out that most of them are the same: average battery, and looots of small bugs that make them annoying after some time. So I decide to change phones once per 3-4 years...

Info
For that price NO! Performance with LP is good, camera not so good even with LP. Didnt have issues with overheating, connectivity is good. Screen and colors looks pretty nice for me.

MultiPDev said:
Thank you so much for your elaborated answer You really made me think about it.
FIRST- it costs me about $160(in a very good condition) and I really can't pay any more than this for a smartphone. It's actually a pretty good deal for what it normally costs in my country. If you/somebody could recommend me a better phone for this price point(taking into consideration the development community)...
SECOND- good to know.
THIRD- well I have to say it sounds dissapointing. Underclocking...doesn't sound that good to me... although I'd have no problem using greenify. 12 hours with 4g on? What's the usage?(heavy...moderate...)
FOURTH- this is the first thing I look when looking for an android device. If it doesn't allow custom ROMs and doesn't have a decent community behind then I don't buy it.
FIFTH- the "gettin really hot" thing sounds also really dissapointin. I'm not a heavy gamer but I do like to play graphic-intensive games from time to time. So is it really that annoing? About the waterproofness... really not important to me.
SIX- pretty annoing huh? Especially the headphones thing. What if you cut them out? You think there'd be any inconvenience on doing this aside from loosing the waterproof thing(and design of course)?
Well... so yeah some bad news for me here. But I can't find a decent phone wich also has community behind for this price. And another which makes me go for it are the 2GB of RAM.
So I wait for some other answers too guys
Also read my first post's EDIT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well,
ONE - if you want a phone with good Dev community support and with that budget you'll have to take a look at ex-flagship devices, like HTC One M7 (this one remains IMHO one of the best devices ever), LG G2(very good camera from what I've been told, and powerful cpu), Samsung Galaxy S4(well because it is a Samsung and everybody has one so many developers...)
THREE - Underclock means you lower the frequency of the Cpu (example. it goes from 1.5 Ghz quad-core to 1.1 Ghz quad-core), I like more uncerclock than greenify, and underclocking at 1.1 Ghz in my opinion gives the best performance/battery life/heat ratio. Usage is normal, 1 hour browsing; 1 hour listening to songs (in 3g, even when 4g is available I disable it); 1 hour 9gag and gets at evening with 30-35%...
FOUR - many custom roms for now, and quality is really good, im using currently the 5.1.1 modified and runs pretty good.
FIVE- when you underclock (which I recommend!) you give your device better battery life but also it heats less. If you don't mind the waterproofness then it's better because I wouldn't call Waterproof a really thin bezel of adhesive (They're crazy !!!)
SIX- yeah, they're annoying but anyway you can live with that, and design is really good and would be a shame if you removed them.
So my list woud be;
1.Htc One m7
2.Lg g2
3.Samsung S4 or Xperia Z
(and btw where do you live? maybe i can see smth for you)

icrunchbanger said:
For that price NO! Performance with LP is good, camera not so good even with LP. Didnt have issues with overheating, connectivity is good. Screen and colors looks pretty nice for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well it seems the camera is not that good as I thought. Do you think moto g 2/3 has better camera? Although they only have 1GB or RAM.

MultiPDev said:
Well it seems the camera is not that good as I thought. Do you think moto g 2/3 has better camera? Although they only have 1GB or RAM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As an XZ owner i would definitely recommend you to go with Moto G2/3. Beside better camera there will be MM support for both the 2gen and 3gen Moto, while not for XZ.

aaronkatrini said:
Well,
ONE - if you want a phone with good Dev community support and with that budget you'll have to take a look at ex-flagship devices, like HTC One M7 (this one remains IMHO one of the best devices ever), LG G2(very good camera from what I've been told, and powerful cpu), Samsung Galaxy S4(well because it is a Samsung and everybody has one so many developers...)
THREE - Underclock means you lower the frequency of the Cpu (example. it goes from 1.5 Ghz quad-core to 1.1 Ghz quad-core), I like more uncerclock than greenify, and underclocking at 1.1 Ghz in my opinion gives the best performance/battery life/heat ratio. Usage is normal, 1 hour browsing; 1 hour listening to songs (in 3g, even when 4g is available I disable it); 1 hour 9gag and gets at evening with 30-35%...
FOUR - many custom roms for now, and quality is really good, im using currently the 5.1.1 modified and runs pretty good.
FIVE- when you underclock (which I recommend!) you give your device better battery life but also it heats less. If you don't mind the waterproofness then it's better because I wouldn't call Waterproof a really thin bezel of adhesive (They're crazy !!!)
SIX- yeah, they're annoying but anyway you can live with that, and design is really good and would be a shame if you removed them.
So my list woud be;
1.Htc One m7
2.Lg g2
3.Samsung S4 or Xperia Z
(and btw where do you live? maybe i can see smth for you)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems the decision is getting harder and harder, although I already bought it because I don't wanna loose the deal. It's not available anymore at this price after buying it. I'm waiting for it to arrive in about two days I'll test it and if it doesn't satisfy me I'll return it.
ONE - Those devices are about $50 more expensive.
THREE - Maybe underclock could do the job, but will it still run smooth at lets say 1.2ghz? Anyway I think for the usage you described the battery doesn't sound that bad.
FOUR - Yeah, I'm looking at the hacking section and I'm stunned
FIVE - well, I'll happily underclock it if it doesn't affect performance too much. Maybe setting to the normal clock when gaming. And for the waterproofness thing... I'm shocked Anyway... I don't mind.
SIX - I guess...
From those devices you mentioned the only one I can afford is the Xperia Z. I really can't pay more than that for a device.
So, do you think I should buy a low end device from this or last year like the moto g 2014? I'm scared of the 1GB of RAM.
I live in Spain and price is a bit high here in Europe. I can buy from Amazon.es/fr/de/it... but I think I only have two options: buy a low-end device with no support from community or an exflagship device with support like the Xperia Z. I also think having 2GB of RAM is important right? I can't spend more than 150€/$160... ad I guess I'm asking too much from a device for this price. I really appreciate your help.

icrunchbanger said:
As an XZ owner i would definitely recommend you to go with Moto G2/3. Beside better camera there will be MM support for both the 2gen and 3gen Moto, while not for XZ.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't 1GB of RAM too low nowadays?

Akinaro said:
Buying today XZ is stupid... seriously.
When I bought my XZ price of Z1compact was almost the same and it still is, its 20$-30$ difference for most of time(New XZ cost about 180$ z1c 200$)
And for that price you can buy WAY better phones, starting from Galaxy S4 to LG G series. And you want to stick to Sony you can get even z1 or used z2
As far as I love this phone I would not recommend it to anyone, battery is below average, camera is worst than my old Arc S, and those cover flaps are pain in the A##
This is best example of phone that look good, but those small bugs in everyday usage make it annoying to use...
And yes I still use it :] Because after using new phones... I found out that most of them are the same: average battery, and looots of small bugs that make them annoying after some time. So I decide to change phones once per 3-4 years...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately I can't afford those devices. I barely can afford the Xperia Z because I found a good deal.

MultiPDev said:
Isn't 1GB of RAM too low nowadays?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It all depends of usage but i wouldn't worry about it so much. Motorola comes with almost pure Android.

icrunchbanger said:
It all depends of usage but i wouldn't worry about it so much. Motorola comes with almost pure Android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I'm considering the moto g 2.

MultiPDev said:
Thanks, I'm considering the moto g 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Moto G (2nd generation) doesn't stand a chance to Xperia Z!
XZ has better specs, better screen, better CPU, more Ram, more internal memory ecc.
Yes, the Moto G (2nd generation) is being updated to Marshmallow but really with all the support from the Dev's we can still get unofficial AOSP Marshmallow Roms.
PS.: one more thing, I currently live in Italy and in big cities it is really easy to find used phones from people that sell them at a local website. I've been checking the prices for some time because I wanted to get a better phone and phones like the LG G3 go as low as 200 euro. Htc One M7 can be found for 150 euro in really good condition, one thing is that you don't have warranty, only if they give you the bill of the phone, then it is as you had bought it(be careful though not giving you a printed bill from the internet.) if you can live with that, that would get you a really good phone with low money.

aaronkatrini said:
Moto G (2nd generation) doesn't stand a chance to Xperia Z!
XZ has better specs, better screen, better CPU, more Ram, more internal memory ecc.
Yes, the Moto G (2nd generation) is being updated to Marshmallow but really with all the support from the Dev's we can still get unofficial AOSP Marshmallow Roms.
PS.: one more thing, I currently live in Italy and in big cities it is really easy to find used phones from people that sell them at a local website. I've been checking the prices for some time because I wanted to get a better phone and phones like the LG G3 go as low as 200 euro. Htc One M7 can be found for 150 euro in really good condition, one thing is that you don't have warranty, only if they give you the bill of the phone, then it is as you had bought it(be careful though not giving you a printed bill from the internet.) if you can live with that, that would get you a really good phone with low money.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, XZ specs are really impressive for me, but the problems mentioned worry me. The screen seems a bit poor to me from what I read. Maybe the Moto G has a better screen and battery(camera also? I doubt it). Anyway... the XZ is on its way and I can't wait to test it!!!
The biggest problem I have with buying a used phone from people is, aside from the warranty- which is also important, the fact that I can't return it if it doesn't satisfy me. Thank God for Amazon!! lol :victory:
Hey what about speakers sound?

Yeah amazon has its benefits.
Sound speakers? Hah! That tiny little thing that barely makes a sound? ?

aaronkatrini said:
Yeah amazon has its benefits.
Sound speakers? Hah! That tiny little thing that barely makes a sound? ��
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Disappointing. It seems the device has lots of flaws.

MultiPDev said:
Unfortunately I can't afford those devices. I barely can afford the Xperia Z because I found a good deal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In that case welcome to the club

icrunchbanger said:
In that case welcome to the club
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks buddy I hope I stay here for long

aaronkatrini said:
What can I say...
FIRST- if you're buying it for $100 or less maybe it is till a good deal, otherwise maybe it is better to see at other low-to-mid-range
SECOND- yes, the performance is good, even better with lollipop, screen looks better now (maybe sonybravia got better, maybe because lollipop has more white in it and the white is being displayed better), but anyway you have to UNDERCLOCK it in order to get a decent battery life
THIRD- battery life is very disappointing, you HAVE to underclock it and root it and greenify it to get any good battery life, unless you can charge it every 12 hours
FOURTH - the device is getting older and so the interest in this device (im talking about support from devs)
FIFTH - the phone gets hot, like really really hot when you're using it playing games (unless you underclock it), and since the back cover is only a adhesive line, when it gets hotter with the help off the Nfc antenna (which is set to push against the backcover) the backcover gets up and looses its waterproofness
SIX- the flaps - the damn flaps- they're everywhere - and you need to open them every-time you charge the phone, put on the headphones, remove the sim, remove the microSD, and they tend to get loose with time especially the one of the charger since you need to charge it frequently
NOW... that I told you about it downsides, its not a bad phone nowdays, it has a big and very beautiful display, connectivity is like the best i've ever tried, performance is pretty good (cpu + gpu ), camera performs really well - especially in macro, dev support for now is good.
Overall for someone who has it I think it can take another one or two years, but I personally would not buy it unless I find it for cheap or cannot buy a used phone. Personally I would look into a HTC M8 or a LG G3, maybe even used.
You decide
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
in my country a NEW xperia z costs around 280-300 euro, i think people still prefer it

Is the Z3 camera as good as they say?

I am looking for an excellent camera. The Xperia Z3 sounds good. I do see the Z5 has a little better resolution, but I do need to root and fix up the software to run Xposed, so Z3 sounds better.
Is the Z3 camera actually excellent?

Xperia series of camera are good in my oppinion, a lot better compared to iPhones due to the number of features added.
However i suggest not getting a Z3 Compact (Or any xperia compact) as they are quite dodgy (hardware problems all the time)
But in conclusion the Z3 camera is good, but if you wanted 20MP in superior auto you need to root and install xposed anyway.

interestor said:
I am looking for an excellent camera. The Xperia Z3 sounds good. I do see the Z5 has a little better resolution, but I do need to root and fix up the software to run Xposed, so Z3 sounds better.
Is the Z3 camera actually excellent?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can tell you one thing for sure excellent it is not. on the contrary, far from that, average at best I'd say. The stock camera app is very slow compare to other flagship smartphones which were available at the time of the release of the z3. The auto focus is also pretty slow and quite bad. Moreover, the front-facing camera is also average, but I haven't seen any smartphone excel at that area. In addition, I don't really know if its a factor to you or not, but the flash is by far THE WORST flash I have ever seen a smartphone to be equipped with - a single LED flash which can with very little power to it.
The only positive thing I can say about it, that if you go manual in the stock app you can get some very good shots with it, but I doubt anyone does that with a smartphone on a daily basis.
Don't get me wrong, its a decent phone for it's price. However, the sole reason I sticked to Sony is because they are the only company to release a below 5" flagship speced smartphone in 2014.

nzzane said:
Xperia series of camera are good in my oppinion, a lot better compared to iPhones due to the number of features added.
However i suggest not getting a Z3 Compact (Or any xperia compact) as they are quite dodgy (hardware problems all the time)
But in conclusion the Z3 camera is good, but if you wanted 20MP in superior auto you need to root and install xposed anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn! I am leaning toward getting one mainly because of small size (and lanyard mount and button). What are the common problems with the compact?
What, an xposed module lets you run the camera at higher performance? What's its name? what's it do?

Sydrox said:
I can tell you one thing for sure excellent it is not. on the contrary, far from that, average at best I'd say. The stock camera app is very slow compare to other flagship smartphones which were available at the time of the release of the z3. The auto focus is also pretty slow and quite bad. Moreover, the front-facing camera is also average, but I haven't seen any smartphone excel at that area. In addition, I don't really know if its a factor to you or not, but the flash is by far THE WORST flash I have ever seen a smartphone to be equipped with - a single LED flash which can with very little power to it.
The only positive thing I can say about it, that if you go manual in the stock app you can get some very good shots with it, but I doubt anyone does that with a smartphone on a daily basis.
Don't get me wrong, its a decent phone for it's price. However, the sole reason I sticked to Sony is because they are the only company to release a flagship speced smartphone in 2014.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. Yeah, I have read about lag, and focus hunting. Good to mention the flash.
I am interested in the manual controls, but also shooting from the hip.
Now that it is a coupla years old, price is getting better, making me think about redefining excellent.

interestor said:
Damn! I am leaning toward getting one mainly because of small size (and lanyard mount and button). What are the common problems with the compact?
What, an xposed module lets you run the camera at higher performance? What's its name? what's it do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Commonly they will have water proofing failures, or bad batteries, but some people are lucky and get away with no problems.
Yeah i believe its called 20MP xperia or something similar and there is also this modded camera which adds many funtions to camera like more ISO options, exposure, shutter speed etc.

I have one z3c and the camera it's ok much better than most of phones. I have xposed as well and camera fx, i don't have troubles yet so far so good.

Nope, it's pretty bad and certainly a big disappointment.
In good light and with a bit of luck it can take great pictures, but most of the time it's just frustrating (mainly because you know that it is capable when it feels like it). In poor light or with the flash it's just a terrible smudgy mess, my old Galaxy S3 is considerably better. After 6 months I got sick of it and bought a Galaxy S5 which blows it away all the time.

In all reality though, if you wanted to take good photos, use a proper camera, phone cameras are only point and shoot, and are pretty crap compared to what a good camera can do