The XPERIA Z1 camera certainly deserves the closest attention. Its features are impressive - a large 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS sensor with a resolution of 20.7 megapixels, Bionz for mobile intelligent image processing, Sony G Lens for ultra-clear images. Rejecting unnecessary modesty, the manufacturer declared this camera the best in the Android segment. Let's see if this is really the case.
The first plus is the camera interface. It is as concise as possible and does not require getting used to at all; absolutely anyone can figure out the screen menu in a couple of minutes. The main camera screen will help you adjust the flash, change the camera to the front and back, select the shooting mode and change, if necessary, the shooting settings.
Interestingly implemented burst mode. In its settings, you can choose not only ON / OFF, but also the speed. At the highest, for example, others may think that you have at least an imitation of a Kalashnikov assault rifle in your hands. Not without a fly in the ointment. Those who want to immediately turn on the treasured 20 megapixels and run to shoot in automatic mode will be disappointed - high resolution can only be connected in manual mode M, and even then only with an aspect ratio of 4:3. In other cases, if you please, shoot with a resolution of 8 MP, pout at the desperately digital zoom and poor sharpness.
With the sharpness of the camera, however, not everything is in order at any resolution. Perhaps the camera's autofocus can be called its main disappointment. It seems to be aiming quickly and correctly, but as soon as you press the shoot button, the focus square, as if blind, begins to fumble around the screen and only after that takes a picture. At the same time, there are no guarantees that a sharp frame will turn out.
Maybe things are better with video? We look.
What a sadness, and here the trick continues to misbehave, as if someone invisible inside is playing around with the manual adjustment ring. The error is definitely software, so I want to believe that it will be fixed in the next updates. The front camera is equipped with a two-megapixel sensor and fulfills its modest role of an additional camera with dignity, as it should be with an auxiliary camera in a flagship smartphone.
Shooting modes
A cursory glance at the XPERIA Z1's shooting modes menu may seem like there are not enough of them somehow. However, do not rush to conclusions, in some modes there are also expanded submenus.
Traditionally, increased attention has been paid to the automatic mode, which here is called Superior Auto or the best auto-tuning mode. The camera itself adjusts to the surrounding conditions for shooting, selects the necessary scene, confidently measures the exposure and almost confidently - the white balance. This mode could be called ideal if it is possible to shoot at a resolution of 20.7 MPix, but here an inexperienced user was left with no luck. And very in vain! Considering that the automatic mode is set in the camera by default and is used in most cases.
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 50, F2, 1/640s
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 50, F2, 1/2000 s
The richest choice of camera settings is presented in manual mode M. No, do not think that here you will be able to adjust the shutter speed or aperture yourself, but adjust the exposure plus or minus, select white balance, ISO (up to 6400 units!), Set up continuous shooting, method metering or focus type is very possible. Managing the settings is as simple as the camera interface in general, so for the convenience of using a smartphone, you can put a well-deserved “excellent”.
When using the M mode, an additional menu Scn (Scene) appears in the main interface window, in which you can select a preset for certain shooting conditions. We must pay tribute, the choice of scenes in the XPERIA Z1 is great: this is portrait shooting with skin smoothing, shooting night landscapes, HDR, shooting animals, food, movement ... After such an abundance, claims to the number of preset shooting modes disappear by themselves.
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 640, F2, 1/64 s
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 100, F2, 1/125 s
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 400, F2, 1/25 s
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 125, F2, 1/32s
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 400, F2, 1/32s
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 320, F2, 1/32s
Fans of additional image processing also did not go unnoticed. In the “Graphic Effect” mode, you can choose from 9 different filters. For example, it is possible to use the thumbnail shooting mode, which is now only lazy. However, you can play around with this digital tilt-shift imitation indefinitely.
In software solutions for a compact camera, it is difficult to resist the use of any innovations. Sony also decided to get creative by presenting some interesting solutions. One of the most interesting is the Timeshift Burst mode. When used in dynamic scenes, the camera instantly shoots a series of more than 60 shots, from which it is proposed to choose the best one. Selecting a picture would be as convenient as possible, if not for very small preview icons, on which, for example, it is very difficult to see blurs.
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 100, F2, 1/32s
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 100, F2, 1/32s
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 100, F2, 1/32s
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 100, F2, 1/32s
Another fun gadget application is the AR Effect mode, with which you can fill the photo with animated effects. I turned on the scene with the Jurassic Park - and a tyrannosaurus rex with palm trees was added to the frame. I turned on the disco scene - and the camera “hands out” wigs with glasses to everyone around. We are sure that this option will be great entertainment for children.
The Info-Eye mode has become a great addition to a smartphone. Imagine that you are photographing an object, and your smartphone, acting as Wikipedia, gives you all the background information about it. In Russia, unfortunately, so far this application does not work in the best way, recognizing only the Red Square in Moscow. But there are enough places and interesting objects in the vastness of our country, so we desperately appeal to the developers not to delay software updates of this really interesting application.
Not without “socializing”: the Social Live mode allows you to quickly share photos with friends on Facebook and immediately display their comments on the screen. It is difficult to call this development unique, at present, almost any smartphone is capable of making instant “sharing” of photos on the social network, so it’s even strange that Sony’s official press release focused on this seemingly mandatory mode.
Shooting in daylight
On a bright sunny day, the Z1 allows you to take great bright photos. The camera conveys the color of the sky in an interesting way, very saturated and sometimes with a slight greenish “Fujivian” tint.
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 50, F2, 1/1000 s
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 50, F2, 1/125 s
When using the zoom, be careful - a strong increase significantly spoils the picture, making it flabby and faded. Digital zooms are still far from optical.
I welcome all regular users and just guests on the site www.dns-shop.ru.
Today I got the flagship of the company "SONY" smartphone "SONY XPERIA Z" for review.
This is the company's first quad-core smartphone with a "Full HD" screen. The device is just starting to appear on sale, and this is the most anticipated new product from the company. In my personal opinion, after "SonyEricsson" ceased to exist, "SONY" benefited from it. Original devices began to appear in the mobile communications sector, and various new products come out in large quantities, and this is good, since there is something to choose from. Personally, I have already ordered this novelty. With similar characteristics, and even with protection from moisture and dust, there are no worthy smartphones on the market. Today we will consider what this flagship of the company represents and, of course, we will test it in the aquatic environment!
Technical characteristics of the device.
General characteristics:
Standard - GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, LTE (2.6 GHz, 800, 850, 1800, 2100 MHz).
Type - smartphone / communicator.
Operating system - Android 4.1.2.
Case type - classical, monoblock.
The design is waterproof.
SIM card type - microSIM.
Number of SIM cards - 1.
Weight - 146 g.
Dimensions - (WxHxT) 71x139x7.9 mm.
Screen:
Screen type - color TFT, 16.78 million colors, touch.
Touch screen type - multi-touch, 10 touches, capacitive.
Protective screen coating - is, the company's own development.
Diagonal - 5 inches.
The image size is 1080x1920. FullHD.
The number of pixels per inch - (PPI) 441.
Automatic screen rotation - yes.
Russification - is.
Calls:
Type of melodies - polyphonic, MP3-melodies.
Vibrating alert - yes.
Multimedia features:
Camera - 13.10 million pixels, built-in flash.
Camera features - autofocus, digital Zoom 16x.
Recognition - faces, smiles.
Video recording is available.
Max. video resolution is 1920x1080. 30fps
Geo Tagging - yes.
Front camera - 2.2 million pixels.
Audio - MP3, AAC, FM radio.
Headphone jack - 3.5 mm.
Video output - HDMI, MHL.
Connection:
Interfaces - USB, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0.
USB charging - yes.
Satellite navigation - GPS/GLONASS.
A-GPS system - yes.
Internet access - WAP, GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, email POP/SMTP, email IMAP4, HTML.
The modem is.
Synchronization with the computer - is.
DLNA support - yes.
Memory and processor:
Processor - Qualcomm APQ8064
Processor frequency - 1500 MHz.
The number of processor cores is 4.
Video processor - Adreno 320.
Built-in memory - 16 GB.
The amount of RAM is 2 GB.
Support for microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC memory cards.
Messages:
Additional SMS functions - text input with a dictionary.
MMS - yes.
Nutrition:
Battery capacity - 2330 mAh.
Battery type - Li-ion.
Other features:
Profile A2DP - yes.
Sensors - illumination, proximity, gyroscope, compass.
Notebook and organizer.
Search in the book - is.
Organizer, alarm clock, calculator, task planner.
Additional Information:
Features - waterproof (IPX5/7 standard), dustproof (IP5X standard).
The announcement date is (yy-m-d) 2013-01-08.
As you can see, all the characteristics are just on top, which actually befits a flagship.
Support for "LTE" mode, water and dust protection, great! Smartphone has it all! Even the most fastidious person will not remain indifferent.
Packing, equipment.
Package. A small-looking box in black and white does not reveal anything that the flagship is located inside. In size, it is about two times smaller than the packaging of "SONY SOLA". The packaging contains brief technical information and a serial number. That's actually all the nuances.
Equipment. Opening the box, we immediately see a smartphone packed in a film. In the second compartment below it are:
1. Charger.
2. USB cable.
3. Headphones.
4. A set of earbuds of various sizes.
5. 2GB memory card (inserted into smartphone).
6. Various documentation.
The set is pretty standard. The memory card was put purely for informational purposes. In official Russian deliveries, there will be a docking station in the color of the smartphone case. Nice bonus.
Appearance, design.
First of all, when a smartphone falls into the hands, it is not clear where it has the front and where the back is, everything sparkles and glitters. The thickness is only 7.9 mm. This is not a record, of course, but still the smartphone is thin. It looks just fine in the hand, I would even say expensive and prestigious, it doesn’t slip and it doesn’t feel like a “shovel” at all. The edges are not very rounded, the edges are thin and straight.
We can say, such a flat black brick. The advantage of black is that the smartphone looks like a single unit. Also available in white and purple.
By the way, the white color looks very gentle and beautiful, for women the most suitable option. The purple color, it seems to me, is more suitable for young people, but the black version is for men, thus they pleased everyone in the company. Very good and correct approach. Summing up the review of appearance, I want to say that this is one of the most beautiful smartphones on the market. "SONY" clearly tried on the design. I conducted a survey at work among employees and all 10 people admitted that the appearance of a smartphone causes only positive emotions. Naturally, it is a pity to hide such beauty in a case. By the way, protective films are already pasted on the front and back sides by the factory method, which is very commendable.
Compared to "Samsung Galaxy SIII"
As you can see, smartphones have the same width. The only thing is that "SONY EXPERIA Z" is about 3-4mm. longer.
Materials. This is how flagships should actually be made! Glass, glass everywhere. The front and back are covered with protective mineral glass, developed by SONY. I will say more, the glass is also on the side faces. There is plastic, but not much of it. This is the so-called "Soft-Touch" plastic. On the side faces, it separates the glass inserts of the front and back of the smartphone. There was a place and a small metal part. Actually, this is a button made of polished aluminum, on the right side of which is the function of unlocking and turning off the smartphone. The button is easy to use for both right-handers and left-handers. In a word, the design uses exactly those materials that should correspond to the flagship.
Build quality. It's on top. There's just nothing to complain about. I will say more, this is a reference workmanship. To the touch, everything is monolithic and very durable. There are no backlashes, squeaks and other manufacturing defects, no matter how you twist and squeeze the smartphone.
Functional connectors on the device body:
1. On the upper end on the right side there is a 3.5mm headphone jack.
2. On the right side there is a slot for a microSIM card, a button to turn on and lock the smartphone, a volume key and a second speaker. By the way, it’s very good that the speaker was moved to the side panel, given that the smartphone is absolutely flat and now it will not be closed when the smartphone is on the table.
3. At the bottom, or rather on the lower right corner, there is a hole for attaching the strap. You don’t often see such a solution, especially among flagships.
4. On the left side in the upper part there is a connector for charging and a USB cable, a slot for installing a memory card and contacts for charging in the docking station.
5. On the front side are: front camera, main speaker, status indicator, auto brightness sensor, at the bottom of the screen the main microphone. Touch control buttons are located on the screen itself.
6. On the back of the smartphone are located: the main camera, flash, second microphone, NFC chip.
Naturally, all connectors are closed with plugs. Do not forget to close them when you are going to redeem your smartphone.
functional elements.
The smartphone is running Android OS 4.1.2. It has already been announced that an update to 4.2 will be available very soon. Considering that technically the device is quite strong and promising, at least an update to 5.0 will be released.
A shell called "TimeScape" is installed. The main menu is built according to the 4x5 formula for three desktops with applications.
If earlier widgets could be selected from the main menu, now you need to hold your finger on the screen on the main desktop, a small menu will appear and you can already choose what to put in it: widgets, applications, background or themes. Convenient solution.
Screen. 5 inches with FullHD resolution, that is, 1920x1080 pixels. This is already the third smartphone on the market that comes with this type of screen. The first was "Sharp SH-930W", the second is our hero "SONY XPERIA Z" and the third is the recently announced "HTC ONE". Let's take a closer look at what this screen represents. First of all, I compared the screen with "Galaxy SIII". Many argue that it is impossible to see the difference between 720p and 1080p, but in my case the difference was still noticeable. The notorious "PenTile" on "Galaxy SIII" is still present, while "SONY XPERIA Z" is not. The colors are natural and natural, there is no acidity like on "SuperAmoled" screens. Black is black, white is white. This is facilitated by the absence of an air gap between the screen and the protective coating. In the sun, the screen showed itself from a very good side. Even in strong sunlight, the information on the screen is quite legible. A very large margin of brightness. In the screen settings, you can activate the "Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2" function to improve the picture quality. To be honest, I didn't notice a difference. Multi-touch supports 10 simultaneous touches and this is more than enough.
The pixel density is 443 per inch, but this is not a record. The recently announced "HTC ONE" has 468 pixels per inch, and today it is the leader in this parameter. But is everything perfect? The screen from "SONY" uses a "VA" matrix, in fact, this is the catch. With a deviation of about 45 degrees, the colors become more faded, lose their saturation. This is the only drawback of the screen, otherwise the screen is excellent and of high quality. Of course, there are disputes, are "FullHD" screens really needed in smartphones?! Cameras have long been shooting in the notorious "FullHD" and the captured video is better to watch on this type of screen. And most importantly: now it makes sense to view "FullHD" materials on the screen of a mobile device, with which I actually congratulate everyone, wait!
Screen quality comparisons. On the left is "Samsung Galaxy S3", on the right is "SONY XPERIA Z"
Camera. The main camera is 13MP, the race for pixels is still ongoing. The maximum resolution of pictures is 4128 × 3096 pixels, if you take pictures in normal mode at 13MP. If you set the so-called "superauto mode" in the settings, then the maximum resolution of images is 12 megapixels at a frame resolution of 3920 × 2940 pixels. I advise you to use the "super auto" mode, since the camera determines the shooting modes very well in it: macro, landscape, sports, mountains, portrait, etc. The camera is also equipped with a proprietary sensor "Exmor R". It is possible to conduct high-speed shooting in three modes: high speed, medium, low. At high speed, the camera takes 1000 pictures per minute or until the memory in the phone or on the memory card is full. Photos in this mode are obtained only with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels.
High speed shooting:
The camera settings themselves are very extensive. There is autofocus on the mark on the screen. You can take a photo exactly in focus on the screen. You point to a point on the display and the camera takes a picture. The "record" button is located next to the "take a picture" button and you do not need to switch to different modes separately. During video recording, you can immediately take photos, a very convenient feature. The "HDR" mode is now also available when shooting video. I really liked the camera's work, the pictures are taken just instantly. And the very quality of the pictures is on top, good sharpness and detail in the frame, natural color reproduction. Personally, according to my impressions, the camera in "SONY XPERIA Z" the best on the market right now.
Main camera settings:
Photo examples:
Panorama:
Macro:
Night:
HDR mode:
Without HDR:
Front camera 2MP. It shoots in "FullHD" format, has the "HDR" function. Do you need such indicators for a camera, the main purpose of which is video calls and work in "SKYPE"? I think yes, we do! Because the quality of the video plays an important role. It's always nice when video calls have excellent picture quality. In "SKYPE" itself, everything works just fine, there are no problems.
Front camera settings:
Video recording. By tradition, video recording on the main camera is carried out in the "FullHD" format at 30 frames per second. The quality is excellent, no brakes, everything is sharp, without artifacts and other problems and is quite suitable for a home archive. It's safe to say that recording in "FullHD" format on a smartphone camera is not just empty words.
Video example:
Separately, I want to say about the tray for the SIM card. It is also covered with a cap. To remove it, you do not need any paper clips, as in smartphones from Apple. It is enough to open the cover, turn the smartphone over, rub it a little, the tray will pop out by itself. Don't lose your tray! Without it, the phone will turn into a useless thing. It would be logical to install a SIM card using a memory card as an example, we snap it in and that's it.
Unlocking the smartphone in the form of blinds is made in an original and beautiful way.
There is a status sensor that informs about incoming calls, SMS or signals the battery level.
NFC. This technology is also present in the smartphone and is used to transfer various information or files over short distances. In the future, this technology will be used as a credit card for making payments.
smart connect. Allows you to display all the information on TV screens equipped with a Wi-Fi module or quickly connect to various devices: tablets, audio headsets, etc.
Protection against water and dust. The smartphone has IP55 and IP57 protection. This means that you can submerge your smartphone in water up to a depth of about 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. Nothing will happen to him. The device is resistant to water jets. Nothing will happen to him in the rain. Bath lovers will also be pleased. How many times have we dropped a smartphone into water when we put it on the edge of a sink or bathtub. Now this moment is no longer relevant. I could not miss this item from the review and thoroughly bathed the test sample. After water procedures, everything works fine, without problems. Plus, dust protection is added to this. You can not worry when using your smartphone in dusty conditions.
Water procedures:
In work, testing.
Processor - Qualcomm APQ8064 (certainly not a top-end processor for 2013, but it is more than enough for all tasks, this is the flagship of 2012). Video accelerator - Adreno 320, 2 GB of RAM. Needless to say, this bundle is very powerful and is great for modern heavy 3D games, there is still a reserve for the future. All tested games go, even I will say "fly" on a smartphone. In games there is no hint of brakes or lags. More than suitable for the role of a "gaming" smartphone. I consider this filling mandatory for screens with a resolution of "FullHD". Navigating through the menus is amazingly fast, scrolling through everything as smoothly as possible. All applications run quickly and without problems, after all, 2GB of RAM make themselves felt. On all touches, the reaction is instant, excellent sensor work. The perfect job for this.
Synthetic test charts:
As you can see, the "NanaMark 2" test is irrelevant, everything rests on 60fps.
A visual demonstration for what in smartphones 2GB. random access memory:
Sound. I'm used to loud speakers and the sound seemed not loud enough to me, although this is my personal assessment, someone else may have a different opinion. The quality of the sound itself is just on top. This is the first smartphone I have for testing, where such a chic sound, both from the speakers and during a call.
The interlocutor is heard as if he is right in front of you, no distortion or interference.
Headphones deserve special praise. Although I'm not a music lover, I appreciated the sound quality. The sound in the headphones is also excellent, clearly traceable to the heritage of "Walkman". Fans of high-quality sound will obviously be pleased.
WiFi. I searched for my home network for a long time, but after the first time everything worked fine. Good and high quality signal, no complaints.
GPS. Installed a full-fledged GPS module. Cold start pretty quickly passed in 5 minutes. The signal quality is excellent, the positioning is excellent, the "GPS / GLONASS" connection makes itself felt. Perfect for the role of a navigator.
Pleased with the quality of the mobile network. The signal is good and stable. During testing did not reveal any problems.
Out of the box, the smartphone works great with all video formats. All codecs are already installed, installation of additional software is not required.
There is support for microSDXC memory cards. Recently, for some reason, it has become fashionable not to add support for memory cards to flagships. In this aspect, the smartphone from "SONY" compares favorably with other competitors.
USB host. A small surprise awaits those who like to connect additional peripherals. The smartphone supports this feature.
P.S. Maybe I did not fully cover all the features of this smartphone, there was little time for a deeper acquaintance. Some may think that everything is very good and there are no problems at all. This is true, we have a very high quality and finished product. Each time the smartphone presents new details.
Battery life.
The battery in the smartphone is non-removable, which is actually due to protection from moisture. The density of the battery is 2330 mAh, it is made using Li-ion technology. Let's see how long it lasts in various testing modes.
1. Work in the "just phone" mode - 115 hours.
2. Playing an MP3 file in headphones, the maximum volume is 51 hours.
3. Playing FullHD video clip, brightness and sound for a maximum of 5 hours.
4. Work in 3D applications - 4 hours.
5. Work in a mixed cycle: calls, games, Internet, video, music - 9 hours.
As you can see, quite a good battery life. You can select various power saving methods in the power settings.
Conclusions.
What happened in the end? As a result, we have an almost perfect smartphone. If the viewing angles of the display were different and the sound from the speakers is louder, I could say with confidence that at the moment this is the best thing on the market. But, as you know, it is impossible in principle to create an ideal product. There will always be people who don't like something. In any case, "SONY" turned out to be just an excellent and high-quality product. We have a fashionable in 2013 "FullHD" screen, full protection against moisture and dust, high-quality sound, powerful stuffing. An excellent camera, which is quite suitable for the role of a "soap dish" for home use. The price at the start of sales is 29,990 rubles, which is quite adequate. For such a price, it is impossible to find something more original now. After a week of use, the smartphone left only positive emotions. If you are looking for a device, as they say "all in one", then I strongly recommend to buy .....
It is difficult to single out any smartphones from competitors in this price group. Maybe "iPhone 5" but they are so different that it is not appropriate to compare them. The new flagship from "HTC" under the modest name "ONE" has not yet gone on sale, and until that moment we can say with confidence that now "SONY XPERIA Z" is the best offer on the market!
Pros:
1. Perfect build quality and materials.
2. Smart camera.
3. Great sound.
4. Design on top.
5. Powerful stuffing.
Minuses:
1. Viewing angles of the screen.
2. Volume could be louder.
I express my gratitude to the company "SONY", as well as "Sony Expert" (Alexey Kolesnikov) for providing a sample smartphone for review. Special thanks to "DNS" and "fooroogelm" (Alexander Kholyanov) for including this review into the "supernovae" program.
| Super auto mode Optimize your settings for any shooting situation. |
|
| Manually Adjust camera settings manually. |
|
| sound photo Take photos with background noise. |
|
| AR effect Take photos or videos with virtual scenes and characters. |
|
|
artistic effect
Apply effects to photos and videos. |
|
| Info-eye™ Get more information about what is displayed in the camera's viewfinder. |
|
| timeshift burst Choose the best photo from a series of shots. |
|
|
panoramic view
Take wide-angle and panoramic photos. |
For more information on how to improve the quality of your photos, . |
Best autotune
In Auto Best Mode, the camera detects the shooting conditions and automatically adjusts settings for optimal photo quality.
Manual mode
Use manual mode if you want to manually adjust camera settings for taking photos and videos.
AR effects
You can apply AR (Augmented Reality) effects to photos or video clips to make them more fun. This option allows you to add a 3D background to your photos or videos while using the camera. Simply select the desired background and adjust its position in the viewfinder.
creative effect
You can apply different effects to photos and videos. For example, you can add a Nostalgia effect to make photos look old, or a Sketch effect to make an image look fun.
Sweep Panorama
You can shoot wide-angle and panoramic photos in the vertical or horizontal direction with a simple tap-and-swipe motion.
Taking a Panoramic Photo
Info-eye™
The Info-eye™ application searches for information about surrounding objects using the camera's viewfinder. For example, you can take a picture of a point of interest and get information about it right on the screen of your device. You can also take a picture of a book or a QR code and instantly get information about these objects.
Scanning a barcode or QR code with Info-eye™
Burst shooting
The camera takes a series of 61 photos over a period of 2 seconds - one second before and after pressing the capture key. Thus, you can choose the best shot from a series of photos.
Using continuous shooting
You can download free and paid camera apps from the Google Play™ website and other resources. Before downloading, make sure you have a working internet connection, preferably Wi-Fi®, to minimize data charges.
Quick launch
Use the Quick Launch options to turn on the camera when the screen is locked.
Geotagging
Add a tag to the photo with detailed information about the location where it was taken.
Touch shooting
Determine the focus area, and then touch the camera screen with your finger. The picture is taken as soon as the finger leaves the screen.
Sound
Choose between turning the shutter sound on or off.
Data storage
Data can be stored on a removable SD card or on the device's internal storage.
Crown of Creation is Sony's best smartphone, but still not perfect
Sony Mobile, a division of the Japanese corporation responsible for the production of mobile devices, last year with enviable constancy set the tone for the market in terms of the production of dust and moisture-resistant smartphones. The idea is certainly a good one, and the sown seeds began, as a result, to sprout in the fields of other vendors. This year, two of the largest manufacturers at once - HTC and Huawei - also decided to finally provide their top models HTC Butterfly/Huawei D2 with protection against dirt and water, which is good news. And it doesn’t matter at all whether the potential buyer is a fan of mountain river rafting or a simple layman who goes on a picnic with his family - a complex electronic device that we constantly twist in our hands always has a chance of being suddenly forgotten on the porch in the rain or being accidentally dropped in puddle Surely every owner of a mobile phone at least once in his life dropped his phone into the water. And it's a pity that not all smartphones are protected from such surprises by default - although this seems to be taken for granted. After all, a mobile phone is, first of all, a complex electronic device for use outside the home, and manufacturers should have thought about its moisture resistance, it would seem, in the very first place.
As for waterproof Sony smartphones, their list is constantly updated. Last summer, we wrote about the Sony Xperia go, a dust and moisture-resistant mid-range smartphone, which, nevertheless, turned out to be extremely interesting in terms of its technical characteristics and price. A little later, we met another rugged smartphone from the company - Sony Xperia acro S, which turned out to be a very good, but not very attractive smartphone with a rustic appearance. This was immediately corrected by the handsome Sony Xperia V, a top-end smartphone that immediately appealed to a wide audience with its sophisticated appearance. And this despite the fact that officially it still corresponded to the IP57 protection class. But at that moment, no one could even imagine that next year its beauty would be eclipsed by the new “miracle” of Sony Mobile, and again waterproof. At this point, I would like to state the fact that the Japanese company managed to prove to the whole world that protection from dust and moisture is not a rare phenomenon that is typical only for special equipment, but quite a normal and useful characteristic that could have long been listed in lists of characteristics of most mobile devices in the world, if their manufacturers so desired. As Sony showed us, the moisture-proof properties of the devices do not affect the price so much, and, most importantly, they do not coarsen their appearance at all. And the hero of today's review is the clearest proof of this. The new Sony Xperia Z smartphone is so beautiful and refined in its appearance that no one would even think of calling this smartphone an “SUV”. And he, meanwhile, like his predecessors, fully meets the requirements of IP55 and IP57 standards, that is, it is both waterproof and protected from dust and dirt.
But this is not the only extraordinary property of the new smartphone. Sony Xperia Z is one of the first, along with the already released Sharp SH930W and HTC Butterfly, sets another new trend that all self-respecting manufacturers will pick up this season: the presence of a Full HD screen. We already tested the first of the Full HD novelties, Sharp SH930W, last year, and we have to admit that the hardware of this smartphone turned out to be unable to sufficiently ensure the functioning of the device with such a high resolution screen. The smartphone turned out to be frankly slow, and working with its slow interface caused persistent irritation. It turned out to be all the more pleasant that the Sony Xperia Z with its Full HD screen, not only does not slow down, but on the contrary, provides such a fast and smooth operation of the interface and all applications that iPhone users will find something to envy here. True, the quality of the Sony Xperia Z screen itself did not seem to us as ideal as the representatives of the company describe it, but otherwise the smartphone turned out to be almost without flaws. So let's get down to the description. For clarity, we have included in the comparison table with the characteristics both the previous waterproof model Sony Xperia V and the two “competitors” we have already tested before. Sharp SH930W got into this plate only because of its merits as the first mass-produced Full HD-smartphone that entered our market. Otherwise, this smartphone cannot be compared with today's test subjects either in the power of the filling, or, moreover, in the beauty of the external appearance. But as for the second model, LG Optimus G, this critically acclaimed smartphone is perfect as a competitor for the Sony Xperia Z. True, it does not have a Full HD screen or dust and moisture protection, but in all other respects this most powerful smartphone quite competitive. Both devices are top performers for their respective platforms, and both are very attractive in appearance. In addition, both models enter the Russian market at approximately the same time, so the comparison will be in place. Unfortunately, we have not yet received from representatives of the Taiwanese HTC their new HTC Butterfly smartphone, although it would also be suitable for comparison, since it has not weak hardware characteristics and a Full HD screen. Well, let's do without it for now.
| Sony Xperia Z | Sony Xperia V | Sharp SH930W | LG Optimus G | |
| Screen | 5″, IPS? | 4.3″, VA? | 5″, S-CGS (VA) | 4.7" IPS Plus |
| Permission | 1920×1080, 440ppi | 1280×720, 342 ppi | 1920×1080, 440ppi | 1280×768, 317 ppi |
| SoC | Qualcomm MSM8960 @1.5GHz (2 cores, ARMv7 Krait) | Qualcomm MSM8260A @1.5GHz (2 cores, ARMv7 Krait) | Qualcomm APQ8064 @1.5GHz (4 cores, ARMv7 Krait) | |
| RAM | 2 GB | 1 GB | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Flash memory | 16 GB | 8 GB | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| Memory card support | microSD | microSD | No | No |
| Operating system | Google Android 4.1 | Google Android 4.0 | Google Android 4.1 | Google Android 4.1 |
| SIM format* | Micro SIM | Micro SIM | Micro SIM | Micro SIM |
| Battery | non-removable, 2330 mAh | removable, 1700 mAh | removable, 2100 mAh | non-removable, 2100 mAh |
| cameras | rear (13 MP; video - 1080p), front (2 MP) | rear (12 MP; video - 1080p), front (0.3 MP) | rear (8 MP; video - 1080p), front (2 MP) | rear (13 MP; video - 1080p), front (1.3 MP) |
| Dimensions | 139×71×7.9mm, 146g | 129×65×10.7mm, 120g | 139×72×9.1mm, 156g | 132×69×8.5mm, 145g |
* The most common SIM card formats are described in a separate article.
Sony Xperia Z key features
- SoC Qualcomm APQ8064, 1.5 GHz, 4 cores
- GPU Adreno 320
- Operating system Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
- Touchscreen display IPS(?), 5″, 1920×1080
- Random access memory (RAM) 2 GB, internal memory 16 GB
- microSD card slot up to 32 GB
- Communication GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
- Communication 3G UMTS HSPA+ 850, 900, 2100 MHz
- LTE Band I, III, V, VII, VIII, XX (2600/800 FDD are used on the territory of the Russian Federation)
- HSPA+ 21 Mbps
- Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
- Support DLNA, MHL, OTG, Media Go, MTP
- WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n
- GPS/Glonass
- 13 MP Exmor RS camera with HDR video support
- 2 MP Exmor R camera (front)
- Li-ion battery 2330 mAh
- Dimensions 139×71×7.9 mm
- Weight 146 g
About security
In accordance with IP55 and IP57 standards, the corresponding device is protected against low-pressure water jets from all directions in accordance with IP 55 and/or can be submerged in fresh water for up to 30 minutes in accordance with IP 57. This IP55/IP57 rating, according to the International Protection Classification System, is described as follows: “The first digit of the IP rating (5) indicates that the device is protected against dust. The second number indicates how well the device is protected from moisture or liquid ingress. The IPx5 rating means that the phone will continue to function when subjected to a stream of water at a pressure of 30 kN/m² in all directions with a head of up to 12.5 liters per minute, which is supplied through nozzles with an internal diameter of 6.30 mm, located at a distance of about 3 m away from the device for at least 3 minutes. The IPx7 rating means that the phone will continue to operate and be protected from water when submerged in fresh water to a depth of 1 meter or less for no more than 30 minutes. And since the second digits 5 and 7 in this marking quite clearly exclude the presence of the number 6, which is related to the use of the device in sea waves, then, accordingly, we conclude that the Sony Xperia Z can withstand water jets from any direction and short-term immersion in depth up to 1 m, but afraid of sea water. This is quite logical, given that salt tans and corrodes the rubber gaskets that cover the body of the plugs.
In a frosty winter, we didn’t want to check moisture protection in natural conditions somewhere on a picturesque pond, so we just dipped the smartphone into a container of water and recorded this process in a photo. It probably makes no sense to scrupulously record the bathing of each next protected Sony smartphone on video: soon there will be so many of them that this feature will turn from a fashion trend into the norm. The test subject withstood the test for immersion in water as expected successfully, like all previous waterproof models from Sony. High-quality plugs with rubber gaskets are absolutely impervious to water. It’s great that you don’t often have to loosen these plugs here - especially the one that covers the Micro-USB connector: Sony came up with an additional accessory for the Xperia Z in the form of a docking station. Being in it, the smartphone will be charged through the metal contacts on the side, and the constant need to open the cover will disappear. By the way, it is worth noting that the Sony Xperia Z model compares favorably with the fact that it already has such a cradle in the kit - unlike the Sony Xperia V, for which the docking station will have to be purchased separately. Cradles from different devices, unfortunately, are not interchangeable, and do not fit each other.
Equipment
A little about the packaging: the smartphone comes with in-ear headphones (MH-EX300AP), which are interesting in all respects and naturally come with a set of additional ear pads. Also included is a charger (1.5 A) and a USB cable for charging and connecting to a computer.
In addition to this, the Russian equipment of the Sony Xperia Z will also be replenished with a charging dock, which is not designed to perform any other tasks other than the actual charging. This is a plastic, simple-looking stand, called the “charging module” in the settings.
When you connect to it for the first time, the smartphone launches the proprietary Smart Connect application. This application can, when launched, activate a list of pre-programmed functions, such as turning on an alarm clock for the night and the like.
Appearance and usability
When you first pick up the Sony Xperia Z, you are imbued with its extraordinary beauty to the core. Few people are able to remain indifferent to its unusual design. The fact is that all its surfaces, including all four side faces, are finished with panels of durable protective glass. According to rumors, this is Gorilla Glass, but officially Sony does not comment on this moment. But they willingly talk about the new design, which even received its own name in the bowels of the company. According to Sony, "The Xperia Z is constructed with high-end materials and introduces for the first time the new OmniBalance design concept with slightly rounded edges and smooth reflective surfaces on all sides."
Although the body of the phone is made almost entirely of glass, the Sony Xperia Z does not slip at all in the hands. This is achieved due to the rough, matte surfaces of the sidewalls, which form a single contour into which all these glass plates are inserted. Looks incredibly stylish and very expensive. There are no compromises here: not a gram of plastic, no creaking, crunching or backlash, ugly valves, protruding parts or ridiculous colors - everything is only of the highest standard. Perhaps one of the few Android devices that looks no less worthy than the iPhone.
The smartphone is quite thin and at the same time wide, which, it would seem, should cause discomfort when held in the palm of your hand. However, due to the rounded edges and corners, as well as their matte surface, the phone is quite comfortable to hold with one hand. The stiffness and coldness of the glass is leveled by this frosted contour, which prevents the device from slipping out of your fingers. Although the smartphone is certainly very large. And even though the bezels around the huge 5-inch screen are very thin, the phone is still huge, even for a man's hand. However, many modern hands have already become accustomed to such shovels - not the first time.
Not only the sides, but also the top and bottom parts of the front panel around the screen are quite thin. In the above photo, the effect is not so noticeable, because virtual control keys have appeared on the screen at the moment. However, when they are removed, when watching a movie, for example, there is a feeling that you are holding only one screen in your hands. It is curious that symmetry can be traced here in the whole appearance. And even on the front panel, as you can see in the illustration, the upper cutout in the glass for the speaker grille is identical to the lower cutout for the microphone. A rare case when the microphone hole at the bottom is represented not by a simple hole, but by a whole figured lattice.
From the back, everything looks just as stylish: a solid glass panel, a neat camera window flush with the level of the panel, some silvery inscriptions at the bottom. Laconic, expensive, stylish. There are not even holes for the sound output of the speaker - they were moved to the side face, so that the sound of the table surface will not overlap under any circumstances.
As for the rest of the elements, they are all located on the edges of the device, and most of them are covered with waterproof plugs with rubber gaskets. The outer covers of the plugs are made of the same material as the entire body, so they are difficult to even find at first. Not all of them have icons on them: for example, the most important one, which hides the Micro-USB connector, is also the most intuitively difficult to find. It is located at the very top of the left side. All plugs are attached to the case with rubber tags, so it is impossible to lose them. The plugs open and close easily, the fixation is clear, and each has a barely noticeable stop for the nail. Here, on the left, there are two noticeable metal contacts that serve to dock with the contacts of the charging module. Next to them - a miracle! - a slot for a microSD memory card. This is a huge plus for the Sony Xperia Z, since many will want to watch videos on this device, and they take up a lot of space even at 720p.
The fact that the back cover is non-removable here also determines the peculiarity of the structure of the SIM card slot. In this case, the slot is located on the right side, also under a cover, and is equipped with a primitive tray for inserting cards into it. This sled tray is very simple, made of plastic, but unlike the iPhone sled, for example, it can be easily removed and put back in with just your own fingernail. No paper clips or special keys are required here, which is great.
By the way, the pretty holes in the lower right corner of the case are nothing more than a hook for attaching a cord to a hand or a keychain baubles. An elegant solution.
The last curious element is a silvery metal round plaque right in the middle of the right side. This is the power and lock button. It looks at least strange, it sparkles with metal right on top of the glass, visually it does not really fit into the finished image. It works only to call up the menu and lock - by long pressing, unfortunately, the device cannot be overloaded with its help. Why Sony does not add this function to the power button is not clear. By the way, a thin volume rocker can be seen right next to it, to which there are exactly the same claims. Almost all major manufacturers have already added to this button the function of releasing the shutter while shooting with the camera. But only not the Sony developers: they stubbornly continue to confer on this key the honor of controlling the little-needed digital zoom! It's time to change, comrades. After all, controlling the shooting by touching the screen is not so convenient. Especially in the cold, and even when you have gloves on, and oh how you don’t want to take them off.
On this, in principle, we can finish the description of the appearance of the Sony Xperia Z smartphone. Of course, a thing of this kind and quality is no longer just a phone. This, like the iPhone, is already partly an element of prestige. A very expensive element, I must admit.
By the way, in terms of choosing the color of the novelty, there is also one surprise: in addition to black and white, a purple version of the Sony Xperia Z will also go on sale. In principle, even a black device is not completely black, in the light its glass side panels are cast blue. And this unusual, rare, purple color is just gorgeous. Honestly, this is the color I would choose for myself from three possible ones.
Screen
The Sony Xperia Z screen is weird. That is, even with a Full HD resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels, he could not amaze with his beauty. Obviously, this is all because of the viewing angles - they are so small that with any, even a slight deviation from the normal, the screen instantly turns gray and fades. Perhaps this is its main drawback. However, a very significant drawback! The rest of the display of the Sony Xperia Z is good: graininess is not visible, the dot density is high, the colors are calm, the responsiveness is on top. Surprisingly, everything here scrolls so quickly, the screen is so responsive that it's hard to believe what a hard brake a five-inch Full HD display can be for a smartphone's hardware system. You don't have to look far for an example: the ill-fated Sharp SH930W is a clear proof that not every system can handle a Full HD display at all, and you need to think carefully before putting them together in one device. Here, the hardware effortlessly copes with such a high resolution, I have never encountered a single sticking or delay. The speed of the interface, flipping desktops and screens, opening applications, launching video, turning on the camera - everything happens instantly and does not cause any inconvenience.
In numbers, the physical parameters of the Sony Xperia Z screen are as follows: the screen dimensions are 62 × 110 mm, the diagonal is 127 mm (5 inches), the resolution is Full HD 1080p (1920 × 1080 pixels), the PPI pixel density is more than 440 dpi, which is the maximum indicator for the screens of modern smartphones. Brightness is adjusted both manually and automatically, based on the operation of the light sensor. Naturally, there is also a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear - everything is standard. Multi-touch technology allows you to simultaneously process up to ten touches.
 |
 |
Sony representatives themselves in official sources call the Sony Xperia Z display “Reality Display with Mobile Bravia Engine 2”, thus not forgetting to emphasize the presence of the Mobile Bravia Engine technology used in the smartphone. However, this name has no direct relation to the matrix itself: this technology is software, and it works only when viewing photos and video images in media players and photo galleries. That is, by software, any photo and video images are improved in terms of sharpness, contrast and color saturation. Well, the number 2 in the title is, rather, a purely marketing ploy: for an ordinary person, the difference when using the first or second version of the Mobile Bravia Engine is almost imperceptible. As for the physical properties of the display, it is not always known for certain which technology is used to produce the screen of a particular Sony smartphone model. The company representatives themselves, answering this question, tactfully but firmly avoid this topic, mentioning only that screen suppliers in different deliveries may be different, and, consequently, screen production technologies may also differ slightly. Yes, all of these screens are manufactured using technologies developed by Sony, but the manufacturing factories themselves are owned by several different manufacturing companies.
A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" sections Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the Sony Xperia Z screen.
The screen of the smartphone is covered with a glass plate, on which a plastic mirror-smooth protective film (hardly removable) is pasted by the factory, relatively resistant to scratches, but still less hard than inorganic glass (small scratches have already appeared on the new test specimen). There is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating on the outer surface of the screen (or this is a property of the protective film itself), so fingerprints are removed more easily and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass. The antiglare properties of the screen are weak.
With manual brightness control, its maximum value was 380 cd/m², the minimum was 18 cd/m². As a result, at maximum brightness in bright daylight, the smartphone can be used without any inconvenience (the main thing is that something very bright is not reflected on the screen), and the minimum brightness will allow you to comfortably work with this mobile device even in complete darkness. There is an automatic brightness control according to the light sensor (apparently, it is located in the upper right corner). The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness control. If it is set to 100%, then in complete darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to a minimum of 64 cd / m² (normal), in an artificially lit office, it sets it to 110 cd / m² (acceptable), in a very bright environment it increases to 360 cd / m² (it was possible up to the maximum value). If the brightness control is set to 50% with automatic brightness control turned on, then under the conditions given above, the values \u200b\u200bof 42, 75 and 230 cd / m² are obtained, respectively, and if it is set to 0, then 18, 30 and 95 cd / m². In automatic mode, when the ambient light conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. At low brightness, there is no backlight modulation at all, so there is no backlight flicker.
In the technical specifications, the manufacturer modestly indicates that a TFT-type matrix is used, without specifying its specific type. By external signs - in terms of viewing angles, in the behavior of the black field and the change in colors when viewed from an angle - a matrix or IPS is used, or something very similar, since * VA changes the shades themselves when deviated (for example, red becomes orange, etc. .d.), that is, the actual color shift occurs, but in this case there is none (or rather, it is very small, which is typical for IPS). In general, if we talk specifically about the inversion of shades and color shift when the gaze deviates from the perpendicular to the screen (but not about the brightness and saturation of colors), then the screen of this smartphone is characterized by large viewing angles, at which these shortcomings are not observed. At the same time, even with not very large deviations from the perpendicular to the screen in any direction, all colors noticeably lighten up, the image becomes whitish and lacks contrast. The black field with this illumination remains close to neutral gray, with a strictly perpendicular view, the uniformity of the black field is very good. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 15 ms (6.6 ms on + 8.4 ms off). The transition between halftones 25% and 75% (according to the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 34 ms. The contrast is not very high - 690:1. The gamma curve constructed from 32 points did not reveal a blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows, and the exponent of the approximating power function is 2.06, which is lower than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve does not deviate very much from the power law :
The color gamut is slightly wider than sRGB:
Apparently, the components are well separated, and the spectra confirm this:
Note that the color saturation is moderate, visually the colors are slightly brighter, but not yet so oversaturated that color images seem distorted. On the part of the gray scale that matters (dark areas can be ignored, since the color balance is not of great importance there, and the measurement error at low brightness is large), the ΔE indicator is not very large (less than 10) and the color temperature is not much higher than the standard 6500 K , however, both parameters have a relatively large range of variation, which can adversely affect the perception of grayscale images:
Due to too high reflectivity, low black stability when viewed diagonally, not very high contrast ratio and significant gray tone unevenness, the screen cannot claim the title of the best screen of a compact mobile device, but in general, from a consumer point of view, the screen is not so bad - bright, with rich colors and adequately working automatic adjustment of the brightness of the backlight.
Additionally, the richness of colors increases (in some programs) when the Mobile Bravia Engine 2 function is enabled. Obviously, no screen photograph can convey without distortion what the human eye sees, however, we will take the liberty of demonstrating at least the principle of operation of this functions. This is what our camera took when displaying a test image on the Sony Xperia Z screen with the Mobile Bravia Engine 2 turned off:
And here's what happens when enabled:
The image in both cases was displayed in a regular photo viewer. You can see that Mobile Bravia Engine 2 has increased contrast, color saturation and clarity. Does this make the image better? Rather worse, but the result apparently depends on the quality of the original image. If it is initially good, then this processing is unlikely to improve it, and if it is bad, then such an automatic correction may only benefit it.
Image output to an external receiver
Additionally, the MHL interface was tested. To test it, we used the LG IPS237L monitor, which supports direct MHL connection using a passive Micro-USB to HDMI adapter cable. In this case, the output via MHL is carried out in a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels at a frequency of 30 frames / s. By default, when connected via MHL, the TV launcher shell program is automatically launched with icons for several applications that most need a large screen. Regardless of the actual orientation of the smartphone, the display of the image on the screens of the smartphone and the monitor is carried out only in landscape orientation. The actual resolution is equal to the screen resolution of the smartphone - 1920×1080 pixels. The sound is output via MHL (in this case, the sounds were heard through the headphones connected to the monitor, since there are no speakers in the monitor itself) and has a good quality. At the same time, at least multimedia sounds are not output through the loudspeaker of the smartphone itself, and the volume is not adjusted using the buttons on the smartphone case, but the sound is turned off at the minimum position of the volume slider. The smartphone connected via MHL is charging.
Video output by means of a regular player deserves a special description. To begin with, using a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see "Methodology for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)"), we checked how the video is displayed on the screen of the smartphone itself. Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped to determine the nature of the output frames of video files with different parameters: resolution (1280 × 720 (720p) and 1920 × 1080 (1080p) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps) varied. from). The results of this test (the block titled "Screen") and subsequent ones are summarized in the table:
| File | Uniformity | Passes |
| Screen | ||
| watch-1920x1080-60p.mp4 | not reproduced | |
| watch-1920x1080-50p.mp4 | not reproduced | |
| watch-1920x1080-30p.mp4 | medium | No |
| watch-1920x1080-25p.mp4 | medium | No |
| watch-1920x1080-24p.mp4 | Okay | No |
| watch-1280x720-60p.mp4 | Okay | few |
| watch-1280x720-50p.mp4 | Okay | No |
| watch-1280x720-30p.mp4 | medium | No |
| watch-1280x720-25p.mp4 | Okay | No |
| watch-1280x720-24p.mp4 | Okay | No |
| MHL (monitor) | ||
| watch-1920x1080-60p.mp4 | not reproduced | |
| watch-1920x1080-50p.mp4 | not reproduced | |
| watch-1920x1080-30p.mp4 | Great | No |
| watch-1920x1080-25p.mp4 | Okay | No |
| watch-1920x1080-24p.mp4 | Okay | No |
| watch-1280x720-60p.mp4 | poorly | many |
| watch-1280x720-50p.mp4 | poorly | many |
| watch-1280x720-30p.mp4 | Great | No |
| watch-1280x720-25p.mp4 | Okay | No |
| watch-1280x720-24p.mp4 | Okay | No |
| MHL (adapter) | ||
| watch-1920x1080-60p.mp4 | not reproduced | |
| watch-1920x1080-50p.mp4 | not reproduced | |
| watch-1920x1080-30p.mp4 | poorly | few |
| watch-1920x1080-25p.mp4 | Okay | No |
| watch-1920x1080-24p.mp4 | Okay | No |
| watch-1280x720-60p.mp4 | poorly | many |
| watch-1280x720-50p.mp4 | Okay | few |
| watch-1280x720-30p.mp4 | Okay | No |
| watch-1280x720-25p.mp4 | Okay | No |
| watch-1280x720-24p.mp4 | Okay | No |
Note: if both columns "Uniformity" and "Gap" are set to "green", this means that when watching movies, most likely, either artifacts caused by uneven interleaving and dropping frames will not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect viewing comfort. "Red" marks indicate possible problems associated with the playback of the corresponding files.
It turns out that none of the files are played perfectly on the smartphone screen: the intervals between frames alternate unevenly, in one case some frames are skipped, and 1080p files with 50 and 60 fps are not actually played. However, apart from these two cases, it is quite difficult to visually notice artifacts. For example, here is a photo of the screen of this smartphone, obtained when playing a 720p video file at 24 fps:
It can be seen that all frames are shown and they are interleaved at intervals of 2-3 (this is the most correct way to show 24 frames with an actual screen refresh at 60 Hz), but this is an example of an ideal output, in the other two shots of this video file, the interleaving is lower.
On a monitor connected via MHL, when playing video with a regular player, an exact copy of the smartphone screen is displayed. When playing video files with Full HD resolution (1920 × 1080 pixels), the image of the video file itself is displayed on the monitor screen one-on-one, exactly along the border of the screen in true Full HD resolution. But if you reduce the value of the setting responsible for scaling the image output, then the picture on the monitor screen decreases slightly, and a black frame appears around its perimeter - accordingly, the maximum clarity of the video on the monitor also decreases slightly.
The brightness range displayed on the monitor is slightly different from the original one: in the shadows, there is a blockage of 14 shades, and in the highlights - by 16, while on the smartphone screen in the highlights and shadows all gradations of shades are displayed (for video in the range of 16-235).
The test results are shown in the table above in the "MHL (monitor)" block. It can be seen that only files with a frequency of 30 fps are ideally reproduced, which corresponds to the output mode on the monitor - 1080p at 30 fps. 1080p files at 50 and 60 fps are not actually played, all other types of files are at least played back with uneven frame intervals. For example, here are photos of the ideal output option:
However, the same remark that we made when discussing the display of the smartphone itself is true here: on fragments of real films (except for video files with 50 and 60 fps), artifacts may not be seen.
Additionally, video output (with a standard player) via MHL using an MHL adapter (model VCOM CG615) was tested. When using this adapter, the monitor output was 720p at 60 fps, which determined the maximum actual image resolution. With the exception of resolution and frame rate, everything else - the nature of the interface output, recharging, sound output and gray scale - did not differ from a direct connection via MHL. The test results are shown in the table above in the "MHL (adapter)" section. It can be seen that 1080p files with 50 and 60 fps are not actually played, all other types of files are at least played with uneven alternation of intervals between frames. For example, here is a photo of the output of a 1080p video file with 24 fps:
The upper scale with rectangles shows that the ideal alternation of 2-3 places is violated. However, the frame rate is twice as high as when connected directly to the monitor, so it is likely that playing games using the adapter will be more comfortable.
In general, despite the discovered “features”, the MHL connection can be used for games, watching movies, web browsing and other activities that benefit from a multiple increase in the physical size of the screen.
Note that this smartphone has several more functions related to joint work with the TV, for example, controlling the smartphone from the TV remote control
and the function of "duplicating" the screen, implemented using NFC technology. Apparently, these functions only work in conjunction with Sony Bravia TVs (and even then not with all models), so we didn’t have the opportunity to test or at least check their performance.
Sound
The sound of both speakers Sony Xperia Z seemed to us not loud enough. In terms of other parameters, everything is not bad: the sound is clear, even in the entire volume range, besides, it is not deprived of low frequencies, and the speaker hole is placed on its side, so the sound does not overlap when lying down. But all the time I want to add volume, but there is nowhere. And this is even taking into account the fact that the sound of the external speaker is additionally processed using proprietary xLoud technology. This technology, developed by Sony, is used to increase the volume of the main speaker without introducing (if possible) distortion into the sound. On the other hand, the interlocutor's speech is easily recognized, the auditory speaker clearly conveys all the intonations and timbre of the voice, so there are no complaints here. Well, to listen to music, it is definitely better to connect headphones.
 |
 |
The standard audio player, traditionally called Walkman, is rich in settings and additional software sound enhancements, such as a built-in equalizer with ten preset values to choose from (you can set your own), ClearBass, Clear Phase, xLoud or virtual surround sound technologies. Management of most settings is available if the ClearAudio + function is turned off, otherwise all settings are left to the machine. By the way, the visualization of Sony players is excellent - everything is very beautifully drawn, there are many tabs, settings, improvements, it is not only convenient to use, but also aesthetically pleasing. Here you can edit tags and work with covers.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
FM-radio is present in the smartphone, but traditionally works only when headphones are connected, which act as an external antenna. Lots of radio settings. There is a voice recorder in the standard software package of Sony Xperia Z, but it is not called in the usual way. You can find it not in the list of installed applications, but in the so-called menu of small applications, which can be called up at any time by pressing the rightmost screen button. If you start the recorder during a telephone conversation, it will record both parties, which is sometimes useful. The voice of the interlocutor, however, is heard worse than yours, but it is quite possible to make out the words. Recorded conversations are saved in notes, you should look for them there.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Camera
Sony Xperia Z is equipped, like most modern smartphones, with two digital camera modules. The front camera, which is used for video calls and self-portraits, is brought here to a resolution of 2 megapixels and is also equipped with a proprietary Exmor R sensor. By the way, both cameras on the front and rear panels of the Sony Xperia Z are equipped with HDR technology for photography. The front camera shoots with the highest possible Full HD resolution (1920 × 1080), examples of pictures are in front of you. The quality is not bad in principle, you can even recognize text from paper if you wish. True, it is unlikely that anyone will need this function in relation to shooting on the front camera of a smartphone - it is still intended primarily for capturing oneself against the background of sights (and, of course, for video calls).
 |
 |
The main, rear 13-megapixel camera is even more unusual here. The developers say that the Sony Xperia Z is the first to use the new Exmor RS sensor, based on BSI backlight technology. Most of all, the developers praise here the HDR (High Dynamic Range) technology, which is used to create photos in a brightly lit place. An HDR camera takes multiple shots of the same image at different shutter speeds and then overlays them to create the best quality photo. But the most amazing thing is that the HDR technology in the Xperia Z smartphone can also be used when recording videos.
By default, the camera works in the so-called super-auto mode (iauto), and the maximum resolution that can be set is 12 megapixels with an aspect ratio of 4:3, then the photos are 3920 × 2940 in size. The maximum resolution of the camera shots is 13 megapixels, but it can be achieved only if you switch the shooting mode to normal on your own. Then the resulting photos will have a size of 4128 × 3096, that is, in terms of the same 13 megapixels. In this regard, everything is organized in exactly the same way as in the Sony Xperia V. We tried to shoot with both options for maximum settings, examples of shots are in front of you. Honestly, there is not much difference, both modes (superauto and normal) produce photographs of comparable quality. In principle, the automatic mode is designed to reduce the amount of noise, and it sometimes succeeds. One has only to take into account that some features, such as manual focusing on certain objects by touching the screen, become available only when the auto mode is turned off.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Thanks to the built-in auto focus function, nearby objects, as well as text from a paper or monitor screen, can be captured on the camera.
The camera can shoot video in Full HD resolution 1080p, the quality is excellent, it may well come down for home household shooting. Below are a few videos shot at maximum settings at 30 frames per second. Clips are saved in MP4 (video is MPEG-4 AVC ( [email protected]), audio - AAC LC, 128 Kbps, 48 kHz, 2 channels) and have a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels (16:9). For visual comparison, we shot two clips in the same conditions, made using HDR technology and without it.
- Movie #1 (83.5 MB, 1920×1080, no HDR)
- Clip #2 (45.3 MB, 1920×1080, HDR)
The camera control settings are quite standard, most of them are familiar from other Android smartphones: there is the possibility of geotagging, adding graphic effects, enabling smile detection, panoramic shooting, and, of course, software enhancement using HDR technology (High dynamic range). There is image stabilization, the shutter sound can be turned off.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
A separate hardware key on the side of the device for taking pictures, as in the case of the Sony Xperia V, was not provided here, and this is not quite usual for a Japanese company. This moment would not be so unpleasant if the shutter could be released using the volume key - this is now often implemented in smartphones from other companies, but not from Sony. At Sony, this key is responsible for the old-fashioned digital zoom, which most people do not use. On the positive side, you can note the ability to take a photo while recording a video, this feature is already becoming familiar to most new smartphones.
Software
Sony Xperia Z is currently running on the Google Android software platform version 4.1.2. As usual, on top of the standard OS interface, the company installed its own shell, which has already become a classic for modern Sony phones. The shell significantly changes the interface and adds several native applications. The desktop consists of five horizontally scrolling screens and a fixed panel of five icons at the bottom. The application menu also has several horizontal screens with a matrix of 4 × 5 icons, but the management of these icons is moved to the top - a convenient menu appears there for selecting, redistributing, deleting and sorting them in various ways. You can even organize your order of software icons, which is handy. It also became possible to create folders, both on desktops and inside the application menu - this feature may be useful to someone.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The drop-down notification bar is informative, but you can't set up a list of key features for quick access. More options for quick selection and transition to the most important switches of the main functions offers a very convenient widget, already pre-installed on one of the main screens. Through it, you can quickly get to the settings for the brightness and sound volume, as well as turn on or off all the main interfaces.
 |
 |
 |
 |
The set of pre-installed programs in Sony smartphones does not change too noticeably from handset to handset. Several online services such as TrackID, Movies, PlayNow offer to choose, buy and immediately launch music, movies and games; Timescape collects information about the social activity of friends. There is a pre-installed file manager, there was even a QR code scanner. I really like that Sony always pre-installs an extremely useful program for a full backup and restore of both settings and other data. We saw almost the same set of applications in the previous model - Sony Xperia V. Let me remind you once again that the proprietary Smart Connect program, which is used to launch certain profiles (operation modes), is launched when the smartphone is placed in the docking station, but autorun can be turned off. There is no full-fledged version of OfficeSuite Pro, which allowed not only viewing, but also editing files in popular Word, Excel and PowerPoint formats. Now the buyer gets only a stripped-down version of OfficeSuite, which only allows you to view files of these formats.
 |
 |
About an interesting innovation - the ability to launch "small applications" from the menu of the last opened applications - I have already mentioned above. In this menu, you can get quick access to the voice recorder, calculator, stopwatch and notes, and you can also add other applications there yourself, of which there are more and more in the Google Play Store.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Telephone part and communications
Sony Xperia Z not only works in modern 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks, but also has support for fourth generation networks (LTE) in bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20. Traditionally, this feature is marked as “This feature is not available in all regions." For a domestic user, band 7 is of interest, on which Yota and Megafon operate. Thus, Sony Xperia Z is one of the few devices that officially supports Russian 4G networks, which can be a significant competitive advantage for some categories of users. On the other hand, one must understand that compatibility alone is not enough. The real effect of increasing the speed of data access depends on many external factors, including the quality of reception, the workload of the cell and operator channels. However, it should be noted that over the months that have passed since the first testing, the situation has improved: new devices appear, coverage improves, and speed and quality remain at a high level.
The radio part of the tested smartphone Sony Xperia Z is stable, there were no spontaneous signal losses and drops out from the network of the telecom operator. The screen is huge, the drawing of keys, numbers and letters of dialing and a virtual keyboard for typing SMS messages is very convenient. In addition, the Sony Xperia Z virtual keyboard has several options for keyboard layouts, as well as visual skins for them. So everyone can choose the most convenient and attractive arrangement of the keys from the options presented to suit their taste. It is also possible to enter text using sliding gestures from letter to letter.
 |
 |
There were no freezes or spontaneous reboots / shutdowns during testing. Although it is worth noting that if this happens, then restarting this particular device will be problematic: you can’t remove the battery, you can’t restart it by long pressing the power button - it doesn’t react to a long press, unfortunately. When brought to the ear, the screen is blocked by the proximity sensor. The ambient light sensor controls the brightness level of the screen automatically. The LED indicator in the upper right corner of the screen is very convenient: it glows red while charging, flashes green when incoming events, and white when prompting you to switch to power-saving mode.
 |
 |
The device is equipped with most modern network interfaces and wireless controllers: Bluetooth version 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n with support for both frequency bands (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), NFC, there is support for DLNA, MHL and OTG . It is possible to communicate directly with other devices via Wi-Fi Direct, as well as organizing a Wi-Fi access point. To ensure fast wireless data transmission in mobile networks, the smartphone supports the HSPA + standard.
 |
 |
The Sony Xperia Z easily mounts and recognizes any USB flash drive when connected via the Micro-USB connector. At least the 32 GB flash drive experiment was successful. The phone effortlessly reproduced all file formats familiar to it directly from a flash drive - played video, music, opened various documents.
The Sony Xperia Z has support for NFC, a short-range wireless high-frequency communication technology that allows you to exchange data between devices located at a distance of about 10 centimeters. This technology is aimed primarily at use in mobile phones and payment terminals, and in some countries it is already being used with might and main for contactless payments, fare payment in public transport or even personal identification. In our country, NFC has not yet become widespread, but even now the user of a smartphone that supports this technology can try it out in action. It is enough to download and install the Yandex.Metro application, which, when presented to the phone, is able to show the terms of its use and the number of remaining trips. Another application is offered by the domestic mobile operator MTS, which has organized NFC support for contactless payments. The Mobile Wallet package includes a special MTS SIM card with MasterCard PayPass technology, linked to an MTS Money bank card. In addition, an NFC antenna is included with the kit, which must be able to be placed in the SIM card slot. That is, for such contactless payments, in any case, just a smartphone is not enough - you also need to get and insert a new special SIM card into it, as well as open an appropriate account with MTS Bank. But in the case of an NFC-enabled phone, you don’t have to install an antenna either - and this is not so simple, and in the iPhone, where the SIM card is pushed into the case through a slot, it simply cannot be installed.
Sony has organized advanced NFC support in its smartphones by setting up the production of NFC accessories and equipping its smartphones with software to work with these accessories. These are the so-called SmartTags. Such programmed sensor tags are hung or pasted anywhere in the house or car and serve to control the smartphone when brought to them. To exchange information between devices, NFC is used to communicate over short distances. When a smartphone is brought to such a label, a certain mode or profile is activated with the use of a set of functions that are needed at the moment, turning on navigation while driving a car, for example. True, in the configuration of the Sony Xperia Z, such marks, unfortunately, were not found.
A-GPS technology provides assistance in determining the location of the GPS module, with its help orientation on the ground is carried out almost instantly. The phone also claims support for the Russian Glonass service. If you turn off all wireless communication modules, then a cold start with a search for satellites and location will take 1.5 minutes. As in any normal smartphone running on the Android system, the Google Maps mapping service is preinstalled here (only in China, most Google services are blocked), but you can, of course, install any other one - Yandex.Maps, for example.
Performance
The hardware platform of the Sony Xperia Z is based on the powerful SoC Qualcomm APQ8064 (Snapdragon S4 Pro), with a Krait (ARMv7) quad-core CPU running at 1.5 GHz. It is supported in graphics processing by a powerful modern Adreno 320 chip. The device has 2 GB of RAM. The storage available to the user to upload their own files here is just under 11 GB. Nominally, the system memory in the smartphone is 16 GB, but the remaining amount is used only for the system and pre-installed programs. When a smartphone is connected to a computer, both storages are mounted as independent removable drives - provided, of course, that a memory card is inserted into its slot. Supports microSD memory cards up to 32 GB.
We compared the hardware performance of the novelty in various popular tests with the performance of other top modern smartphones we tested earlier. The Sony Xperia Z topped the charts with very strong performance scores, even when compared to the most powerful quad-core smartphones to date such as the Google Nexus 4, LG Optimus G, HTC One X+ and Samsung Galaxy Note II. Details below.
 |
 |
The test subject proved to be no less effective when testing processor performance and using the GeekBench 2.3.5 multiplatform test. In addition to CPU performance, this benchmark also measures the speed of working with RAM.
In the Epic Citadel gaming test, in 1794×1080, High Performance mode, the test subject delivered an excellent result of 57.2 fps.
In the harder Epic Citadel, High Quality mode, the Sony Xperia Z showed an equally outstanding result of 54.7 fps - screenshots of both screens are in front of you.
To test the "omnivorous" when playing video (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Web. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern versions using processor cores alone. Also, do not expect everything from a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it.
| Format | container, video, sound | MX Video Player | Regular video player |
| DVDRip | AVI, XviD 720×400 2200 Kbps, MP3+AC3 | plays normally | plays normally |
| Web-DL SD | AVI, XviD 720×400 1400 Kbps, MP3+AC3 | plays normally | plays normally |
| Web-DL HD | MKV, H.264 1280x720 3000Kbps, AC3 | ||
| BDRip 720p | MKV, H.264 1280x720 4000Kbps, AC3 | Video plays fine, sound is software only¹ | Video plays fine, no sound¹ |
| BDRip 1080p | MKV, H.264 1920x1080 8000Kbps, AC3 | Video plays fine, sound is software only¹ | Video plays fine, no sound¹ |
¹ sound in MX Video Player only played after switching to software decoding; The regular player does not have such a setting.
Battery life
The capacity of the lithium-ion battery installed in the Sony Xperia Z is 2330 mAh. The battery is non-removable, so you can’t remove it yourself and replace it with a new one.
To save energy, the Sony Xperia Z has a new battery mode - Stamina. It provides better battery management and extends the phone's standby time. If this mode is enabled on your phone, then when the screen turns off, the phone automatically closes unused applications that use a lot of power and starts them only when the screen turns back on. Wi-Fi by location also serves to save money: in this mode, the smartphone activates the wireless module only when it recognizes the presence of a familiar network, and does not keep it on all the time.
 |
 |
The smartphone did not set records for such an indicator as the duration of offline use - everything is within the usual limits: one day of hard work or less.
Continuous reading in the FBReader program at a brightness level of 50% lasted 9.5 hours, which is a very good result for a smartphone with such a large screen. Video from YouTube in high quality (HQ) through the home Wi-Fi network, the device played for almost six hours. It should also be taken into account that the mentioned energy-saving modes are not enabled in the device by default, and were not activated during the tests either. With them, these results can be even higher. A full charge of the Sony Xperia Z takes 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Prices
The average retail price of the device in rubles in Moscow at the time of reading the article can be found by moving the mouse to the price tag.
Outcome
The new Sony Xperia Z smartphone is the undisputed leader, the company's flagship smartphone at the beginning of 2013 - and at the same time the most powerful and technically advanced mobile device ever created by a Japanese company. The phone has absorbed most of the previously developed technical and software finds, and simply has such an advanced hardware that it allows you to put it among the most notable top mobile devices of the opening season. “With Xperia Z, we have used over half a century of experience in television, photography, music, film and gaming to create a truly outstanding smartphone that provides a positive user experience,” said Kuni Suzuki, President and CEO of the Xperia Z. CEO of Sony Mobile Communications. As for the price, it is still going through the roof. 30 thousand rubles is a lot, even for such an advanced device as the Sony Xperia Z. However, the main competitor, HTC Butterfly, was recently released to our market at exactly the same price, and this trend is not at all encouraging. Smartphones are similar in terms of screen parameters and hardware stuffing, but the plastic glossy case of HTC Butterfly, of course, cannot be compared in beauty and elegance with the appearance of today's novelty. Although the screen quality of the HTC Butterfly, perhaps, came out more interesting. Another Full HD-smartphone in our market - Sharp SH930W - although it is the owner of a display similar in specifications, however, in other respects, Sony Xperia Z cannot compete. And another interesting competitor - LG Optimus G - is very good both in terms of the performance of its hardware platform and externally, however, in terms of screen parameters, it falls short of today's test subject. And yet I would like even such a wonderful smartphone in many respects as the Sony Xperia Z to “slow down” the price a little. Then it would be much more interesting to consider it as an acquisition in our market. In principle, Xperia Z can already be bought from Europe with delivery for 200 euros cheaper, so perhaps our price will drop, but this will happen a little later.
The famous Sony Xperia Z looks at us invitingly from many city billboards. The most secure and most controversial of the flagship solutions of 2013 is in our lab today.
But I’ll immediately put the emphasis on the brevity of the review: we have already visited Sony Xperia ZL, the technical twin of Sony Xperia Z with the difference only in appearance and case security, as well as battery capacity (the latter is insignificant). In addition, a comparative review of the shooting quality of cameras of the current generation of flagships was recently released. We refer those interested to this review, as well as to the Sony Xperia ZL review. In this text, the focus will be on the case and its water resistance.
Specifications Sony Xperia Z
| Sony Xperia Z | |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Google Android 4.1.2 |
| Display | TFT, 5 inches, 1920x1080 pixels (Full HD), 441 ppi, Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2, 10-finger multi-touch |
| CPU | Qualcomm S4 Pro APQ8064 1.5 GHz, 4 cores, Adreno 320 accelerator |
| RAM | 2 GB |
| Flash memory | 16 GB + microSD card slot |
| Camera | 13 MP, autofocus, 1080p video recording, LED flash, HDR mode, LED-light, front camera for video calls (2 MP) |
| Wireless technologies | Wi-Fi a/ac/b/g/n (2.4/5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.0, GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900, HSPA+ 850/900/1900/2100, Wi-Fi Direct, NFC , LTE |
| Interfaces | micro-USB, headphone output 3.5 mm |
| GPS | Yes |
| Battery | 2330 mAh |
| Dimensions and weight | 139x71x8 millimeters, 146 grams |
Appearance and ergonomics
Unlike corrugated plastic and a certain roundness of the Sony Xperia ZL, the body of the protected flagship Xperia Z is a strict, elegant “brick” made of glass. In our case, the rear of the smartphone is white, which is good: fingerprints are much more visible on a dark surface.
Here they can also be found, but they are not so conspicuous. The length and width of the smartphone are typical for a five-inch smartphone: 139x71 millimeters, which is slightly larger than the "most compact" Xperia ZL. But the flagship, thanks to the design, is thinner than its counterpart (7.9 mm), and with a weight of 146 grams it is also lighter.
Thus, the smartphone is quite large (see comparison with the iPhone 4s in the pictures), therefore, it is more convenient to use it for owners with impressive palms. Although my intuition tells me that only a few fragile girls will disdain to accept such a device as a gift.
The device is symmetrical and beautiful in its expensive minimalism. While all the main connectors are covered with plugs, only the power and volume buttons stand out on the case.
A 3.5mm audio jack is hidden on the top end under a cover.
On the left in the upper part there are microUSB connectors for power and connection to a PC, as well as a slot for a microSD memory card.
On the right, under a barely noticeable stub, after a few seconds of searching, it was still found, you can shove the SIM card. Behind you can see the peephole of a 13-megapixel camera.
The case is one-piece, non-separable. So the battery can not be changed on its own, alas. The build quality is good (how could it be otherwise!), although it seems that crushing the case is not so difficult, if there were strength and desire to do it.
Camera
The 13 megapixel camera is no different from that of the Sony Xperia ZL. I will only mention an incomprehensible glitch: when you open the camera with a slight movement to the side from the lock screen and try to change the settings, the camera sometimes crashes. For details, I refer to the review of the Sony Xperia ZL and the comparative review of the flagships. Although, if you are too lazy to climb the links, a few pictures can be seen below.
Test of strength
The device is protected from water and dust according to IP55 and IP57 standards. That is, in theory, you can not only safely walk in the rain with it, but also swim in the pool. We conducted a number of underwater experiments, including: listening to music, filming and calling from the underwater kingdom. Music and movies went under water without any problems, although it was impossible to control the parameters there. However, as soon as the smartphone was removed from the tank, everything fell into place.
It was the same with the call: the signal was on, but it was not possible to answer underwater. However, this is not necessary. I suspect you, like me, don't know too many people who can carry on casual conversations while being fully immersed. As for underwater shooting, we did it twice.
And I must say that the first time everything was just fine, the underwater objects were clearly distinguished. But on the second dive, the camera of the amphibious smartphone suddenly fogged up. I don’t know what it was connected with, all the plugs were in place, the device did not sink deep and not for long, but nevertheless. Moisture evaporated from under the glass only after a few hours (at least 6). Yes, the camera records video with quite decent sound, but for ethical reasons we do not show it to you in full.
The fragment was taken when the smartphone was first immersed in the tank, before the camera glass fogged up
Battery life
In fact, the smartphone lasted about the same as the Sony Xperia ZL, that is, a working day with a heavy load and a day and a half with a light load with Stamina turned on, turning off Wi-Fi (as well as controlling network applications) after deactivating the display. The Antutu battery test also showed a slightly lower result (528 points for the Z versus 581 for the ZL).
In the dry matter
All other information about the Sony Xperia Z can be found in the Xperia ZL review: the system and hardware in these two smartphones are absolutely identical. Here it remains only to add that the smartphone turned out to be interesting due to its water resistance. The fogging of the camera during the experiment was somewhat frustrating, but it may be in a particular sample. If you have a need for this particular feature, and you are planning to buy a flagship, but at the same time are ready to turn a blind eye to a mediocre screen and camera, the Xperia Z may be for you. Moreover, its price has already fallen somewhat compared to the unthinkably high starting price. If you're a fan of Sony's style but don't need a rugged case, you can save some money and get the Xperia ZL. Of the advantages over the older brother, I note the compactness and the presence of an infrared port for remote control of equipment. However, the younger smartphone, for my taste, does not look as elegant and presentable as the Z. Among the competitors is the famous Samsung Galaxy S4, and it has a lot of advantages over the Xperia Z: an excellent screen, a good camera, a slightly more affordable price. Well, someone will like HTC One with an interesting design, high-quality screen and very good sound.
4 reasons to buy Sony Xperia Z
- Waterproof body, underwater shooting capability
- Excellent design and body materials
- High performance
- Good sound, high volume
4 reasons not to buy the Sony Xperia Z
- Weak, as for a flagship, screen
- Mediocre camera
- Non-removable battery
- Lack of a hardware key to call the camera
