Hi All,
I had been looking to purchase the z5 compact as my next new phone however now that it has been released I'm a little bit disappointed by the features and price, compared to the original z3 compact.
With that in mind I'm thinking of buying a second hand z3 compact. Does anyone have any tips or advice on things to look out for on this phone? Ie. parts which commonly break or wear out?
I've found some sellers who have returns policies or warranties on second hand phones, so i do have an opportunity to physically test the phone, and return if necessary.
Thanks
Check the flaps, the headphone jack, check for blemishes in the fit and finish, do the service tests by dialing *#*#7378423#*#* and going through all the tests. You can test weather or not the phone is waterproof by going go pressure sensor in service tests, open the flaps and slightly squeeze the phone, the values should not change. Now close them and squeeze again, the values should change is the pfone is sealed.
Related
Previously I had made a post about hard bricking the Xperia Z. I have recovered the phone using testmode, but that required opening the back. I live in India, and rounded or parts4repair are asking for quite a lot in terms of shipping cost with tracking. I had purchased a local back cover, but the 2nd mic cover is cloth, the area on top of camera is somehow moving, and the glue is not sticking. Not to mdntion it has no NFC antenna. I have the original back, but need some method of sticking it in a waterproof way with possibility of reopening it in future if necessary. Sony service center said they don't have the glue. What am I supposed to do? Throw the phone away?
you need to source a reasonably priced one of these:
http://www.parts4repair.com/back-cover-adhesive-for-sony-xperia-z-l36h/
I'd buy two or three just in case as they are no good for re-use in my experience.
In addition to making sure that the surfaces are really clean with nothing greasy to ruin the effectiveness of the glue, you need to ensure good pressure around the edges of the back plate directly over where the adhesive is. The Xperia Z repair manual states a pressure of 600 Newtons (adjusted to 490 Newtons if you were to use a press like the one Sony do, to take into account the press itself) for 10 seconds, 600 N is equivalent to about 61 Kilograms-force. Make sure you are not applying the pressure to the fibreglass frame which sits slightly higher than the back plate.
hi, after two years of good service my z1c screen has a crack in it which makes upper part pf my screen unuseable. So i am thinking of buying the z3c but then i read all the reports about (spontaneous) cracks on front and back. I try to get an objective view on this but this is quite difficult. How often is this happening? If i read amazon.com comments most people seem happy. If i read german amazon comments, much mure people complain about broken screens... What do you suggest i do? I was looking at alternatives like htc mini 2 but one of the things i really dont want to give up is the battery capacity! Your opinion?
Regards
Frederik
I was in the same situation 1 month ago. Galaxy alpha was the only compact alternative, but i didnt want to give up my almost 4 years old sgs2 with 16+32 gb storage for fixed 32gb, not to mention battery capacity. So i called a service that replaces the fronts and backs of new phones, and they told me not to buy sony, because they are overhelmed with their handsets. So, i went and got myself a Z3C
I ordered 0.3mm glass for front and 3 different cases for back (using cheap silicon case with screen protection atm) to make it as safe as i can - so far everything is working as it should, and i'm very happy with it
Btw, glass on the back is 13$, front digitizer is 33$, and whole front with display is around 170$ (parts only)
Camera glass (which is plastic actually) is 4$, but its not easy to replace any of these. I also got myself a magnetic cable to minimize the use of flaps for usb port.
Thats about it... I also read many bad reports about spontaneous cracks, but decided to try my luck... As i said before, so far - so good
Hope this helps, sorry for being biased, but i really like it.
You get the gamble of an issue with every phone, but there'd be a call back if there was a wide spread complaint that exceeded a high enough number. That said yeah, there's a fair number of reports but most people are happy - it's unlucky people that aren't for obvious reasons.
I cracked my Xperia Z (C6603) and wondered if it was time to upgrade, or repair it. The repair cost would've been 280$ for a legitimate repair (I don't like buying third-party materials), and buying a new one would've been 350$. Since the Z3C was out and I found the Z too big for my hand anyway (Barely reach notifications when holding it), I figured I'd sell my cracked one (the current eBay est was roughly 100$), and 550$ for the Z3C in my country.
Since the Z3C was pretty much a no brainer if you want quality + hardware (All 'compact' variants don't compare spec wise) so I jumped in, and about 2 months I think now and my phone has been perfect to me besides the Cyanogen I'm using.
Figured the 100$ of selling the Z could effectively 'make up' what I paid for the Z3C... if I'd sold it. Still on my desk.
So maybe you can sell your old, cracked phone and 'save' with a Z3C. If you want compact, honestly there's no better choice if you're looking to upgrade.
If you want to save then you can always just get a repair or sell and rebuy a new Z1C.
If I were you, I'd assume that you'll get a perfect phone that wont ever crack unless you drop it. Weigh the other factors; Save Money or Upgrade.
If you aren't having any performance issues with anything like games, why bother upgrading?
Just like with any device, if something goes wrong, people write about it. I've had zero problems with my device, and I have not started any threads stating so. If the screen does spontaneously crack, you should be able to get it repaired or replaced under warranty, so why avoid it?
This is the best phone you can get under 5 inches. The performance is top notch, the battery life is amazing, the camera is just okay, but its waterproof and isn't bogged down by a heavy skin like Touchwiz. It's not a flawless phone, but none are! Even the fan favorite iPhone has it's issues (too slippery, camera lens that sticks out, large bezel around screen, poor battery life).
Get what works for you and don't look back!
Ok guys, i guess these posts were all i needed. Got mine via amazon yesterday. Took the mandarin red one.
I have read lots of threads and comments on the Internet regarding screen cracking on the z3c but most are dating back to early 2015.
As I am now considering buying a Z3C does anyone know if improvements have been made by Sony to address these issues for the 2016 models?
Thanks for any comments.
Nothing has changed. On the bright side, replacing said-glass is very cheap and easy to do. On the minus-side. Say bye-bye to any form of water-resistance. This long with the Z3C: I've grown to accept this phone won't be water-resistant unless I use a case because the seals and IP-68 rating is only for fresh-water and the rating completely depends on the ability of flap-seals and sealant of the back cover to to do its job. I hope I can convince you to disregard water-resistance factor in your purchase. Notably because Sony won't cover any repairs if the damage is a result of water-damage(personal experience). That way, you can swap back glass covers as you please. They go for like $2.
My z3c screens right top corner today unglued. Lasted for about 8 months since purchase, without case, without any water interference. Still under warranty, sending it for repair.
alpha-niner64 said:
Nothing has changed. On the bright side, replacing said-glass is very cheap and easy to do. On the minus-side. Say bye-bye to any form of water-resistance. This long with the Z3C: I've grown to accept this phone won't be water-resistant unless I use a case because the seals and IP-68 rating is only for fresh-water and the rating completely depends on the ability of flap-seals and sealant of the back cover to to do its job. I hope I can convince you to disregard water-resistance factor in your purchase. Notably because Sony won't cover any repairs if the damage is a result of water-damage(personal experience). That way, you can swap back glass covers as you please. They go for like $2.
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Thanks for the reply, if I understand you correctly replacing the back glass is not a big issue and is cheap, but what about the front screen? I did have a quick search around the net and it looks quite complicated and expensive to replace the front one.
Have you done the front one yourself?
Thanks.
vilx01 said:
My z3c screens right top corner today unglued. Lasted for about 8 months since purchase, without case, without any water interference. Still under warranty, sending it for repair.
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Yep, mine has unglued as well, after 7 months of usage (bought it brand new), I am sending it for repair also. When my warranty expires, I will replace case on my own, because I have black one, and I want black screen + white case
bmg777 said:
Thanks for the reply, if I understand you correctly replacing the back glass is not a big issue and is cheap, but what about the front screen? I did have a quick search around the net and it looks quite complicated and expensive to replace the front one.
Have you done the front one yourself?
Thanks.
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I service my own phones often enough to kind of say that replacing your own front screen is easy to do if you're starting out with this phoneYou take out the front-screen the same way you take apart the back screen.. As long as your motherboard components are in good condition like the USB Port, antenna, SIM/MicroSD slots, and the battery(cause this is glued very well to the motheboard), nearly everything on the Z3 Compact is expendable and easily replaceable.
alpha-niner64 said:
I service my own phones often enough to kind of say that replacing your own front screen is easy to do if you're starting out with this phoneYou take out the front-screen the same way you take apart the back screen.. As long as your motherboard components are in good condition like the USB Port, antenna, SIM/MicroSD slots, and the battery(cause this is glued very well to the motheboard), nearly everything on the Z3 Compact is expendable and easily replaceable.
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I've been using Z3C (15W33) since early september and this phone has really rough life. I mean working in very hard conditions (very cold outside > pretty warm inside the house) and I never really cared about it even when I know there are problems with the glass. Also I have a custom s-line case and that's the only protection... I dropped the phone twice or three times...
but it's still running pretty nice and there are no signs of any damage, the glass is more than OK
My Z3 compact used to be waterproof and I used it several times under water, but it went back for a replacement button a while back and recently I dunked it to take a photo and within hours a dead strip appeared on the touch screen, and when plugging a jack into the headphone port results in the volume control fluctuating and music randomly pausing/starting etc.
There is a tiny, tiny chip on the rear screen which I assumed would mean Sony would reject any warranty claim, but having opened the phone, the chip was so tiny it was still outside/on the adhesive. Inside the phone there is no sign of water ingress, but for good measure its left open and sealed in a bag with large desiccant sachets for 72 hours, no improvement.
So, my dilemma is, if I reclose the phone with the replacement back cover I have from ReplaceBase, will Sony be any the wiser that its been cracked open?
(I could buy the LCD and digitiser for £70 but as the headphone port is a different component, I'm wary that this will not resolve the issues Also looking at 'spares or repair' phones on eBay, it seems plenty of them have replacement screens that have lifted or remain proud of the chassis...perhaps this is just lack of care during the replacement but its put me off...)
Spooky_b329 said:
My Z3 compact used to be waterproof and I used it several times under water, but it went back for a replacement button a while back and recently I dunked it to take a photo and within hours a dead strip appeared on the touch screen, and when plugging a jack into the headphone port results in the volume control fluctuating and music randomly pausing/starting etc.
There is a tiny, tiny chip on the rear screen which I assumed would mean Sony would reject any warranty claim, but having opened the phone, the chip was so tiny it was still outside/on the adhesive. Inside the phone there is no sign of water ingress, but for good measure its left open and sealed in a bag with large desiccant sachets for 72 hours, no improvement.
So, my dilemma is, if I reclose the phone with the replacement back cover I have from ReplaceBase, will Sony be any the wiser that its been cracked open?
(I could buy the LCD and digitiser for £70 but as the headphone port is a different component, I'm wary that this will not resolve the issues Also looking at 'spares or repair' phones on eBay, it seems plenty of them have replacement screens that have lifted or remain proud of the chassis...perhaps this is just lack of care during the replacement but its put me off...)
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I think you could probably have got away with sending it back with the screen chipped, it's just wear and tear, the issue was the waterproof feature had failed.
Now you've opened it I think it seems unlikely that you'll get it into a service centre unnoticed, but you won't know until you try. The obvious thing to do would be to put a genuine Sony back cover on the phone rather than a clone. If the service centre spot it then the worst thing that will happen is that they'll ask you for some horrendous amount of money to fix it, to which you'll decline, then they'll send it back.
It will cost you the postage to find out.
Otherwise there's dozens of how to videos on youtube and support from the threads here
Edit: a genuine Sony screen is expensive, but it comes with the double sided gasket that sticks the screen in place. This is the important part of the kit that makes sure it won't lift out. Sometimes it's worth paying the extra for original parts.
Very late update, tried it, it got repaired free and back very quickly, they even refitted the aftermarket rear cover!!
Sony's may be fragile, but my experience for two returns is very positive! Lesson - don't bother trying to fix it yourself until Sony have taken a look!
Spooky_b329 said:
Very late update, tried it, it got repaired free and back very quickly, they even refitted the aftermarket rear cover!!
Sony's may be fragile, but my experience for two returns is very positive! Lesson - don't bother trying to fix it yourself until Sony have taken a look!
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What country?
bookworth said:
What country?
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Yes, would be helpful to know which country... as I am having a hard time with the UK repair people.
They received my phone on 16th Sept. Week later get notified its delayed due to awaiting part. And yet they keep saying the same story everytime I ask and that it is escalated to know why the delay. 5 days since escalation but their support yet gives the sad response of awaiting part.
It was the UK...in my case the fix was prompt. Got be honest, I'd be getting frustrated at that length of delay...
It went back in June so maybe things have changed
It finally left the repair centre on 10th Oct. Says screen and case replaced. Seems fine. KK or Marshmallow is the decision to make now
This is the worst phone I've had (even worse than my Z1c where after 14months, I dropped <1m height cracking its front glass making it unresponsive and had to be replaced for half the cost I bought the entire phone). I bought the unit from Sony store Plazuela, Iloilo and is now 13 months used. Here are my issues with Z3c:
1) customer service: I'm based in Iloilo and they have no Xperia repair shop here so they have to have it sent to Manila for repairs and will take 1 month! They do have Xperia shop in Cebu though where I not so often travel to.more service issues below
2) microUSB, microSD cover: after 2months of use, the rubber gasket of the cover for microUSB, microSD got loose and eventually detached so I have to get the entire cover replaced in Cebu for 300PHP (I left my receipt in Iloilo). the new cover lasted for 3months until it had the same issue with the first one so now the phone has exposed microUSB and microSD slots.
3) 3.5mm jack: stopped working after 5mo. been settling for expensive bluetooth headphones since then..
4) primary camera: had the back camera glass cover slightly scratched after 5mo thus producing much worse photos than the front camera..
5) unresponsive screen: i've read several similar ongoing issues on this; mine however is only on the top screen (so far), about 5mm width which renders dropdown for notifications impossible along with other app functions. I have to tilt the phone in landscape mode to access some functions. this started after 6mo use.
6) screens detached: also read of this several similar cases. happened after 8mo, glass screens both front and back started to pop out, the adhesives for these seem to have lost their grips. sent it to Xperia Cebu where i was told that its a "physical damage" thus is not covered by warranty and will cost 900PHP. well technically this is a chemical damage where heat may have caused the adhesives lose their functions. of course there would not have been any need for repair in the first place had they used good quality materials..
I love these compact models as there seems to be no similar type, in the Phils. at least, with compact easy one-hand use, water resistant (ip67/8 for sony after fewmonths is a gimmick and will cost you greatly for believing it), good specs (processor, etc), plus the lanyard hole which for me is significantly important. still i've had enough of sony and now saving up for an S7
Is there something you needed help with?