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TRILUMINOS display
The Xperia Z1 is built on the foundation the latest technologies Sony BRAVIA® optimized for mobile devices, which guarantees an amazing viewing experience. The large 5-inch Full HD TRILUMINOS™ display with X-Reality for mobile technology has a 1920 x 1080 progressive scan resolution for amazingly clear photos without jagged edges. Combined with a pixel density of 441 ppi, this gives your camera phone images incredible clarity and superb brightness. And with a Full HD display, this smartphone brings any shot to life.
World's fastest smartphone processor
We have combined the latest software Sony with the new, ultra-powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor. This state-of-the-art quad-core processor is 75% faster than the S4 Pro processor and delivers maximum power and speed with incredible battery life - run multiple apps at the same time, search the web with minimal load times, and watch videos in streaming mode without delay. The Snapdragon 800 processor is asynchronous, meaning its cores run independently of each other. So you get exactly the power you need at the moment, without draining your battery unnecessarily.
Significantly extend battery life
Smartphones consume quite a lot of energy, even when not actively used. All the apps on your smartphone can run in the background, draining your battery. STAMINA mode prevents wasted energy. It recognizes when you're not using the display and automatically turns off unnecessary features while keeping the notifications that matter to you. As soon as you press the power button, everything is activated and working again.
Receive only important notifications
In STAMINA mode, Wi-Fi and data transmission stop working, but you can receive incoming calls, text messages and alerts. And since everyone's needs are different, you can easily customize the apps you want to receive notifications from, even when you're idle. Turn Facebook notifications on or off? The choice is yours.
"Work on the bugs", completed by five with a plus
At the recently held IFA 2013 exhibition of home appliances and electronics in Berlin, Sony Mobile, as expected, presented its updated flagship smartphone, which was included in a series of top-end mobile devices of the company, united under the common name Sony Xperia Z. The novelty was named Xperia Z1, which makes it clear who exactly is replacing this device. At the beginning of the year, the Japanese gave the world a top-end smartphone Xperia Z, which instantly became widely known due to its intricate design. “The Xperia Z is built using high-quality materials and for the first time introduces the new OmniBalance design concept with slightly rounded edges and smooth reflective surfaces on all sides,” the developers described their “glass” brainchild. Today, glass has been replaced by metal.
That's right: the new "zetka" side faces are now not mirrored at all, but matte metal, and not flat, but convex and rounded - we encountered this design quite recently when we met our neighbor in the line - the Xperia Z Ultra model. Thus, less than a year later, the “mirror” brothers, the Sony Xperia Z smartphone and the Xperia Tablet Z tablet, were replaced by the “metal” Xperia Z Ultra tablet and the hero of today's review, the Xperia Z1.
By the way, the last two novelties are related not only by a very close design, but also by the same hardware platform: the heart of both is the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoC with 4 cores operating at a frequency of more than 2 GHz. Therefore, it is quite expected that the new flagship of the Japanese showed such high performance that anyone could envy her powerful smartphone modernity, including the Korean Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Taiwanese HTC One.
Key Features of Sony Xperia Z1 (C6903)
- SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974), 2.2 GHz, 4 Krait 400 cores
- GPU Adreno 330
- Operating system Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
- Touchscreen TFT Triluminos, 5.0″, 1920×1080, 440 ppi
- Random access memory (RAM) 2 GB, internal memory 16 GB
- Support microSD cards(up to 64 GB, SDXC support)
- GSM communication GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
- Communication 3G UMTS HSDPA 850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz
- Communication 4G (LTE) Band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 17, 20 (2600/800 FDD are used on the territory of the Russian Federation)
- Bluetooth 4.0
- Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 + 5 GHz), hotspot WiFi access, WiFi Direct
- DLNA, NFC, MHL, OTG
- GPS/Glonass
- Dust / moisture protection (standards IP55 / IP58)
- Camera 20.7 MP "Exmor RS for mobile", autofocus
- Camera 2 MP (front)
- Battery 3000 mAh
- Dimensions 144.4×73.9×8.5mm
- Weight 170 g
| Sony Xperia Z1 | Sony Xperia Z | Sony Xperia Z Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S4 | HTC One | Lenovo K900 | |
| Screen | 5″ ASV? | 5″ ASV? | 6.44" IPS | 4.99″ S-AMOLED | 4.7″ S-LCD3 (IPS) | 5.5″, AH-IPS |
| Permission | 1920×1080, 440ppi | 1920×1080, 440ppi | 1920×1080, 342 ppi | 1920×1080, 441ppi | 1920×1080, 469ppi | 1920×1080, 400ppi |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro @1.5GHz (4 cores, ARMv7 Krait) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 @2.2GHz (4 cores, Krait 400) | Samsung Exynos 5410 @1.8GHz (8 cores) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 @1.7GHz (4 cores, Krait 300) | Intel Atom Z2580 @2 GHz (2 cores/4 threads, x86) | |
| GPU | Adreno 330 | Adreno 320 | Adreno 330 | PowerVR SGX544MP3 | Adreno 320 | PowerVR SGX 544MP2 |
| RAM | 2 GB | 2 GB | 2 GB | 2 GB | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Flash memory | 16 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB | 16/32/64 GB | 16/32/64 GB | 16 GB |
| Memory card support | microSD | microSD | microSD | microSD | No | No |
| Operating system | Google Android 4.2 | Google Android 4.1 | Google Android 4.2 | Google Android 4.2 | Google Android 4.1 | Google Android 4.2 |
| Battery | non-removable, 3000 mAh | non-removable, 2330 mAh | non-removable, 3000 mAh | removable, 2600 mAh | non-removable, 2300 mAh | non-removable, 2500 mAh |
| cameras | rear (20.7 MP; video - 1080p), front (2 MP) | rear (8 MP; video - 1080p), front (2 MP) | rear (13 MP; video - 1080p), front (2 MP) | rear (4 MP; video - 1080p), front (2 MP) | rear (13 MP; video - 1080p), front (2 MP) | |
| Dimensions | 144×74×8.5mm, 170g | 139×71×7.9mm, 146g | 179×92×6.5mm, 212g | 137×70×7.9mm, 130g | 137×68×9.3mm, 143g | 157×78×6.9mm, 162g |
| Price* (Y.Market) | T-10491965 | T-8555716 | T-10411024 | T-9383775 | T-10492194 | T-9293646 |
| Sony Xperia Z1 offers | L-10491965-10 | |||||
*price shown is for 16GB storage and LTE configuration where possible
Appearance and usability
In principle, readers who follow what is happening in the mobile device market understand perfectly well what is at stake when it comes to the unusual design of the original smartphone Xperia Z. There, according to the OmniBalance design concept, flat panels were soldered on all sides into a frame made of rough to the touch composite material, which really had mirror properties, although some of them were not made of glass (we are talking about side faces). Approximately the same image was recreated in the appearance of the new Xperia Z1 and Z Ultra, only now all this is completely molded from real metal, and, of course, it does not have mirror properties. That is, there is, as it were, both a frame and flat panels, but all this is cut out by milling from a single piece of aluminum. This metal rim, by the way, also plays the role of an antenna. The stages of the processing of this metal part, including, by the way, double anodizing of aluminum, were clearly demonstrated during the presentation at a separate stand.
The presentation, by the way, took place not on the territory of the IFA exhibition itself, but in a huge trade and exhibition complex built by the Japanese in the very center of Berlin, and which received the sonorous, although not very modest name "Sony Center". This complex is marked on all tourist maps, and any Berlin taxi driver will take you there without any navigator. This is a very prominent and popular place of entertainment in the capital of Germany, besides, it is quite beautiful. This is how it looks from the height of the floor where the presentation of the novelty took place.
The photos were taken on the camera of the test Xperia Z1, you can see the originals by clicking on the thumbnails below.
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Speaking about the design of the new Sony Xperia Z1, I would like to note that the smartphone, like its fellow Xperia Z Ultra, began to look more advantageous due to its sidewalls, cast with a matte metallic sheen. The view turned out to be more serious, monumental, and the convex rough rim became much more pleasant to the touch. This is all a matter of taste, of course, however, objectively, non-staining matte side faces are much more practical than mirrored glass ones. Here, now, the prints are not visible, and the body does not slip so much in the fingers. There are, of course, branded glass panels in front and behind, but there's nothing to be done, beauty requires sacrifice. Precisely the same front and rear panels made of tempered glass, clad in a matte metal rim, won the hearts of adherents at one time. Apple iPhone(we are talking about the 4th generation of the smartphone).
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The smartphone turned out to be very large: in terms of its dimensions, it can rightfully be called a “shovel”, as it is now customary to call the owners of a large diagonal. Here, the diagonal of the screen is as much as five inches, while the frames around the screen are not to say that they are thin: they are quite noticeable on the sides, and from the bottom, in general, they left almost two centimeters of empty space under the screen. And this despite the fact that all the buttons here are virtual, and they are located on the display itself in the form of software icons, which also, in turn, eat up a lot of usable area near the screen itself. In any case, we have already seen thinner frames (for the same ZTE Nubia Z5, for example), but here you can’t really call the case elegant - the smartphone is very large. In addition, it is also very weighty: as much as 170 grams is the mass of this glass and metal structure.
Pictured: Sony Xperia Z1 versus Sony's 10-inch tablet Xperia Tablet Z
The case is monolithic: there are no removable parts here, the glass front and back panels are integral with the metal side frame. The corresponding method of installing cards follows from this structure: a SIM card and a memory card are inserted into slot-like side slots on both side faces. As expected, the microSD card slot is equipped with a spring-loaded grip mechanism that pushes the card out when pressed again; The SIM card slides into its slot on a flimsy plastic tray just like other modern Sony models. All manipulations are carried out with the help of your own nails - you don’t have to use any key clips here.
The slots are covered from the outside with protective caps, outwardly made to match the rest of the metal rim - they are well camouflaged, they do not catch the eye. Covers perform not only decorative, but also protective functions: the Xperia Z1 model, like its predecessors, also has official certification for compliance with IP55 and IP58 dust and moisture protection standards.
There are a lot of covers here, as many as three pieces, but they do not close all the connectors now: according to new fashion trends, and thanks to technological progress that does not stand still, the audio output is now not closed by anything from water - the hole gapes with emptiness, however, water will now not be able to inflict internal no damage to contacts.
There are a few more noteworthy details on the side faces of the device. First, it is on the lower side face, and not on back panel, the speaker grill has now been removed, which cannot but rejoice. A large grille covers almost the entire lower end, so it is almost impossible to block the sound here.
Secondly, here on the side there is an open contact group for connecting to the docking station connector - such an element is found in many of Sony's latest mobile creations, and this is also great, because it saves the nerves of owners who do not want to open and close the Micro-lid every day. USB connector. True, often such a stand has to be purchased separately - the docking station is most often not included in the device package. In addition, for each model they are different, so there is no interchangeability here and never will be.
And thirdly, it is worth noting the separately dedicated hardware camera control key available here: a good help for those who like to shoot underwater, because there it is impossible to shoot by touching the screen with your fingers. A noticeable round metal plate of the power button, located above the volume key, has already become the hallmark of the latest generation of Japanese mobile devices.
As for the front and rear panels, as mentioned above, they are made of glass, but on top they are traditionally covered with a protective film pasted at the factory. This film is not supposed to be removed: at least, you can lose the front Sony logo if you decide to take such a step. The rear surface is not particularly remarkable, in addition, in fact, its glassy essence. Here, in the corner, only the camera windows and flash modestly hid - everything else, including the speaker grille, moved from here to the side faces.
On the front panel is still more familiar: a window front camera and the eyes of the sensors are hidden under the glass in the upper part above the screen, but the bottom is completely empty. It’s strange, by the way, that that nice elongated event light indicator that we saw in previous models of the Xperia Z series was not embedded here. Either it was not a serial sample that was in our hands, or it was intended by the developers, but this is where the indicator light hid in the area of \u200b\u200bthe acoustic speaker grille, and not at all in the lower part. The indicator does not shine at all brightly, but on the contrary, it emits a deaf, barely noticeable orange light, and it all looks rather strange.
And in conclusion, I would like to note, as usual, the choice of color options for the body color of the Sony Xperia Z1. There are no revelations here: like its predecessors, the body of the novelty is presented in three colors: black, white and purple. It is curious that the metal side faces here are painted in the general color of the case, that is, if the case is purple, then the edges are also purple. By the way, at the presentation, one of the speakers separately noted that the purple version of the previous Xperia Z really liked the users, so he was given a start in life in the future. About such an unusual choice of color, the speaker said that this color was chosen not at all from the ceiling. According to experts, there is a psychological reason here: this color is, as it were, “balanced”, that is, it is obtained by “mixing” exciting red and cold blue hues.
About security
According to the requirements of IP55 and IP58 standards, Sony Xperia Z1 is protected from moisture and dust. When all ports and covers are securely closed, this smartphone is IP55-rated against low-pressure water jets from all directions and/or can be submerged in 1.5 meters of fresh water for up to 30 minutes, according to IP58 rating.
Our testing confirmed that the smartphone is not only impermeable to water, but also perfectly controlled with wet fingers - as long as the screen is not completely submerged in water. Plus, due to the presence of a dedicated hardware camera control key, a smartphone can be used as a camera for shooting underwater.
Equipment
The Sony Xperia Z1 smartphone is delivered to the store shelves in a fairly simple-looking package made of thin unvarnished cardboard with several compartments inside. The initial set is not rich: powerful Charger(1.5 A), connecting cable and some waste paper. By the way, this smartphone, like other top Sony predecessors, supports the so-called “fast” charging, when literally in half an hour spent at the outlet, the phone charges so much that it can then hold out for an hour in talk mode.
But for the extra money, the new model offers so many accessories that they even had a separate booklet dedicated to them. In addition to the standard docking station, bluetooth headset, portable power supply, wireless speaker and even a tripod, there are also a few more interesting little things. For example, for a smartphone, you can purchase an additional plastic case with ingenious fasteners for an even more unusual detail - a camera. This device is a stand-alone (not connected to the lenses of the smartphone itself) camera, which, nevertheless, can work in conjunction with the software of the device, connecting to it via wireless network. A curious device obviously requires separate testing, but it has not yet fallen into our hands. This is how it all looks live in a complete assembly: a hard plastic cover is put on the back of the smartphone itself, and a camera is already attached to it, in turn.
Screen
The Sony Xperia Z1 features an HD display branded as Triluminos. In numbers, the physical parameters of the smartphone screen are as follows: dimensions - 61 × 110 mm, diagonal - 127 mm (5 inches), resolution - Full HD 1080p (1920 × 1080 pixels), pixel density is 440 ppi.
The brightness of the display has both manual and automatic adjustment, the latter based on the operation of the light sensor. Multi-touch technology allows you to simultaneously process up to ten touches, which is confirmed by tests. There is also a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. The picture is further processed using a software image enhancement technology called Sony X-Reality. A similar X-Reality Pro technology is now used in modern TVs from a Japanese company. In the production of the display itself, OptiContrast technology was also used, which eliminates the air gap between the glasses.
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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 about the screen.
The screen of the smartphone is covered with a glass plate, on which a plastic mirror-smooth protective film is glued by the factory, which is relatively resistant to scratches, but still less hard than inorganic glass. As a result, after some time of operation, the screen is necessarily covered with scratches. However, with some diligence, this film can be separated and replaced with a new, compatible one. The factory-made protective film has quite pronounced oleophobic (grease-repellent) properties, so fingerprints are removed more easily, and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass. Judging by the decrease in the brightness of the reflected objects, the anti-glare filter is present and its efficiency is high. At the same time, ghosting (apparently, mainly due to the film) of these objects is weakly expressed, which indicates the absence of an air gap between the outer glass and the LCD matrix.
With manual brightness control, its maximum value was 460 cd/m², the minimum was 34 cd/m². As a result, at maximum brightness in bright daylight, the smartphone can be used without any inconvenience, and the minimum brightness will allow you to comfortably work with this mobile device even in complete darkness. There is an automatic brightness control by light sensor (it is located to the left of the logo on the front panel), the operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider. If it is set to 100%, then in complete darkness, the automatic brightness adjustment function reduces the brightness to 97 cd / m² (not excessively bright, but it could be lower), in an office lit by artificial light, the brightness rises to 245 cd / m² (acceptable) , in a very bright environment is set to 460 cd/m² (which is the maximum, which is to be expected). If the brightness slider is set to 50%, the values are: 61, 170 and 460 cd/m²; at 0% - 19, 76 and 460 cd / m². In general, the operation of the automatic brightness adjustment function does not cause any complaints, everything is perfect. At low brightness, there is no significant backlight modulation (up to 100 kHz inclusive), so there is no screen flicker.
AT technical specifications Sony, like many other manufacturers, indicates that a TFT-type matrix is used, without specifying its specific type. Perhaps in this smartphone installed matrix type ASV. This is how the screen pixels look when outputting white and shades of gray in order of decreasing lightness of the hue:
| 100% |  |
| 75% |  |
| 50% |  |
| 25% |  |
It can be seen that as the brightness of the hue decreases, the dark spot at the center of each subpixel increases, suggesting that the LCD is rotated towards the center of the subpixel, and not in a horizontal plane, as in the case of IPS, or in a vertical plane, as in the case of *VA. By all external signs, the screen of this smartphone is very similar to the screen of Sony Xperia Z. Recall that the results of a detailed face-to-face comparison of the Sony Xperia Z screen with the screens of three other top-end smartphones are given in a separate article.
The screen has good viewing angles, at least without significant color shift. However, when the gaze deviates from the perpendicular to the screen, the colors noticeably lighten up, the picture becomes whitish, and at very large deviation angles, the lightest shades are inverted. The black field, when deviated diagonally, is also strongly highlighted, but 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 10 ms (5.5 ms on + 4.5 ms off). The transition between gray tones of 25% and 75% (according to the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 24 ms. The contrast is not very high - about 600:1. 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 1.90, which is lower than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve slightly deviates from the power dependence:
The color gamut is slightly wider than sRGB. Note that the color saturation is moderate, visually the colors are slightly brighter, but not yet so oversaturated that color images seem distorted.
Apparently, the components are well separated, and the spectra confirm this:
The color balance is not ideal, since the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (delta E) is not very large, but the color temperature and delta E change noticeably from hue to hue on the gray scale, which negatively affects the visual assessment of color balance. (The dark areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since the color balance does not matter much there, and the measurement error of color characteristics at low brightness is large.)
The screen is bright, with adequately working automatic brightness adjustment, the colors are juicy, but the picture is strongly brightened when the gaze deviates from the perpendicular to the screen. However, whether this drawback will have a great impact on consumer properties depends, rather, on the characteristics of the subjective perception of the consumer himself.
Sound
Soundwise, the smartphone is exactly the same as its rugged predecessors, the Xperia Z and Z Ultra. Both speakers sound not too loud, especially the external one. Obviously, the general specific internal arrangement, organized in order to protect against moisture ingress, affects. The speaker is additionally covered with a special protective membrane that does not allow water to pass through, so the sound of such devices is more deaf and quiet. No particular distortions are observed in the auditory dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor, intonations and timbre are well recognizable, but it still sounds muffled. The grille of the external speaker is not located at the back, but on the side - it is embedded directly into the bottom end. Accordingly, the sound will not be blocked by the surface when the phone is on the table.
In terms of software, the Sony Xperia Z1 sound subsystem is equipped in the same way as any other modern Sony smartphone. The regular audio player, traditionally called Walkman, is rich in settings and additional software sound enhancements, such as a built-in equalizer with a lot of preset values (you can set your own), Clear Phase technologies, xLoud or virtual surround sound. Management of most settings is available if the complex ClearAudio + function is turned off, otherwise all settings are left to the machine. By the way, when the ClearAudio+ comprehensive package of improvements is activated, the sound of the external speaker becomes noticeably louder, but it still lacks the volume and clarity that, say, the HTC One speakers have.
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Camera
Sony Xperia Z1 is equipped, like most modern smartphones, with two digital camera modules. The front camera here is equipped with a 2-megapixel module, shoots with a resolution of 1920 × 1080, the quality of the resulting photos can be judged by the test shot below.
The main, rear 20.7-megapixel camera is equipped with a G-series lens with a focal length of 27 mm and an aperture of F / 2.0. The camera uses a 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS for mobile sensor and a Bionz for mobile processor.
By default, the cameras of all Sony devices work as standard in the so-called super auto mode (iauto) with a wide aspect ratio. Image resolution in automatic mode the Sony Xperia Z1 camera cannot be changed, it is only one here and is approximately 8 megapixels (3840 × 2160). Examples of photos taken in automatic mode “out of the box”, with comments on quality, are below.
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Sharpness is excellent on all plans, but only in the center. The sharpness drops towards the edges. |
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The noise in the shadows is moderate. The exposure is well chosen. Sharpness is still excellent and still only in the center. |
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The camera performs well in low light. Perhaps the picture is almost perfect, if we talk about the center of the frame. |
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A good demonstration of shooting in low light and a demonstration of the possibilities of high resolution. |
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Sometimes the camera manages to pull even such pictures to the level of good compact cameras. |
The maximum resolution that the Sony Xperia Z1 camera can shoot at can be achieved by switching the mode from automatic to manual. Then the pictures will be obtained with a size of 5248 × 3936, which in terms of the same 20.7 megapixels. An example of such a snapshot can be viewed by clicking on the thumbnail below.
In the lab, we decided to test the camera at full resolution.
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In laboratory light, the camera copes very well, but noise reduction is already beginning to show itself. |
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With a slight deterioration in lighting, the situation almost does not change. |
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One of the manufacturers of such convenient and smart devices is Sony, and they recently showed their new flagship. For the first time this smartphone came into our hands in mid-September at CEE 2013, and a week ago it reached our office. One of the coolest features of Sony's flagships is water resistance. Add to that a 21 megapixel camera and an interesting design, and the result is a great competitive entry into the best of the best category. Today we will understand whether Sony did a good job with this task. We look at the Sony Xperia Z1.
First impression
As soon as the Z1 got into my hands, I involuntarily began to compare it with the previous model. Outwardly, the previous model looked a little more interesting: the glare glass inserts disappeared in the new one, the side edges became visually larger, but the characteristic features remained. Still the same big power button, waterproof end caps, lots of glass… Sony fans should appreciate it. The branded pin connector on the left side spoils the impression, but over time I stopped paying attention to it. Although a stub would be very handy. There is nothing new in the kit: pieces of paper, charging with a detachable USB-to-Micro USB cable and a vacuum headset with interchangeable rubber tips.
The first acquaintance with the device leaves a positive feeling. The glass on both sides is very pleasant to the touch, although it will only be clean for the first few seconds after you perform the ritual of removing the factory films. By the way, about films: like the previous model, Z1 already has protective films pasted out of the box, which are almost invisible. They protect the device from the user. On the one hand, I really want to take them off, they are very easily soiled. But on the other hand, they will protect the glass from minor scratches, and there is a lot of glass here.
Design, buttons...
As I said, I liked the design of the previous model more. This does not mean that the Z1 looks bad. Glass on both sides looks very beautiful, only it “magnetizes” any mote to itself, and over time, even the thought does not appear to wipe fingerprints, because in a couple of seconds they will return again. But if you are a level 57 esthete, you will probably carry a large soft cloth with you. And when you remove all traces of dust and hands from your smartphone, you will have time to enjoy all the lines of this device. With its very immodest dimensions (144.4 x 73.9 x 8.5 mm), it does not lie comfortably in one hand. All the time there is a fear of dropping the device, and involuntarily the second hand insures the device. But the wide bezels at the top and bottom make it very convenient to hold the Z1 in landscape orientation without covering the display with your fingers.
There are three color variations of the case: black, white and purple. Our black looks, subjectively, more expensive and more attractive. Although white prints are almost invisible. Unlike the previous model, the new flagship has changed the color of the plastic from black to gray (in our black model), and the glass inserts have turned into matte black plastic. Because of this, the stubs have become more prominent, as their outline on gray is more noticeable. On the left side there is a Micro SD slot, Micro USB and a proprietary dock, on the right side there is a tray for a Micro Sim card, a power button, a volume rocker and a two-position camera button. Below is a speaker and microphone grill, on top is a headset jack, and right in the lower right corner is an old-school “eye” for a string. For active users, this will be useful, especially when shooting underwater.
On the back, there are Sony, Xperia logos, a large camera window in a silver ring, a flash and a microphone for video. On the front is a 5-inch display, earpiece slot, Sony logo and front camera. The lighting and proximity indicators are perfectly hidden in the black model. The speaker is not the loudest, its sound is relatively flat, the main speaker is quite loud, but does not hesitate to wheeze. Glass and front and rear “hugs” a black frame. It collects glare quite nicely, which adds to the pleasant impressions of the design of the device. Another cool point on the body is the indicator light hidden in the earpiece.
The main advantage of the Sony Xperia Z1 over the flagship solutions of competitors is the water resistance of the case. You can safely take it to the pool, for example, to record videos and take pictures right under water. You can bathe your smartphone only in fresh water, at a depth of up to 1.5 meters it will last up to 30 minutes. Naturally, before the experiment, it is better to check how tightly all the plugs are closed. Be prepared for the fact that the display will not respond to touches underwater, in fact, this is what the physical camera button is for. Personally, it was very unusual for me to conduct such experiments and immerse the smartphone under water. After the first experiments, it immediately comes to mind to take a smartphone with you to the shower and read Twitter, for example. It is worth noting that diving is still dangerous, and when water procedures are completed, it is better to thoroughly wipe and blow the device.
Display
Speaking of the display, let's start with the good. This is a larger TFT display with a diagonal of 5 inches. A resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels was placed on it, while the pixel density was 441 (440.58, to be exact) ppi. Personally, I don’t see individual pixels on it, I doubt that someone else will see it. The display is made with proprietary developments from Sony - Triluminos Display and Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2. In practice, the picture is beautiful and juicy. In the sun, the display is readable. Color reproduction will appeal even to demanding users. In a word, everything would be fine, but it still has disadvantages.
A smartphone for such a price with a display should have EVERYTHING OK, but then the engineers missed. Its weak point is the viewing angles. Whichever side you look at, the picture becomes too light. Even if the smartphone is on the table, and you are sitting nearby, turning on the display, you will not consider the time. And that was a big disappointment for me. Of course, I don’t often look at a smartphone from such an angle, but such situations do happen. The main inconvenience will be an attempt to show a photo / video / something else from the display to someone sitting nearby. More than one person will comfortably watch a video just invading each other's privacy. Later, I noticed that dark wallpapers solve such problems a bit, but light interface elements will still be hard to see when viewed from an angle, and this is worth considering.
Cameras, photo and video
Today, a smartphone should have two cameras: for good photos and for video communication. You can also turn on the paranoid mode and assume that this is more and more necessary for the special services, but let this remain a joke. Whatever it was, I'll start with the front camera. 2 megapixels are quite capable of helping well in communicating with distant relatives. In addition, it is enough for self-portraits and video recording in 1080p at 30 frames per second. If you need it, of course. The picture can be noisy under certain conditions, but the regular noise reduction will try to cope with this.
Another distinguishing feature in the Z1, Sony highlights the main camera. This is 20.7 megapixels - the highest resolution in an Android smartphone today. In addition, there are proprietary Exmor RS (for mobile) gadgets, Sony G Lens lenses, Bionz intelligent photo processing technology. HDR, panoramas, face detection… In practice, the photos look good, but compared to the solutions of competitors, the Xperia Z1 loses. Misses in colors, inconvenient settings, noise reduction sometimes makes the picture blurry. But the strengths can be called shooting in poor lighting and video stabilization. Moreover, in video stabilization, Z1 is one of best cameras, which can now be found in a smartphone. And the Timeshift Burst mode will come in handy for those who like to take pictures of active scenes.
Hardware, software and battery
Let the Z1 be seriously inferior to competitors in some ways, but not in pieces of iron. In terms of performance, this smartphone feels confident in all situations. Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 (Krait 400) quad-core 2.2 GHz, 2 GB provides this confidence. random access memory and the Adreno 330 graphics accelerator. The built-in storage is enough for 16 GB, of which a little less than 12 GB is available to the user, and unlike many other flagships, this one supports Micro SD memory cards up to 64 GB. All this works as expected quickly, there is enough power for all occasions. There are no slowdowns or jerks in games, the graphics are also on top. But in demanding applications and when the camera is on for a long time, the top of the smartphone noticeably heats up. And it is heated from two sides, and not just from behind. In other situations, I did not observe excessive heating.
All this ensures a pleasant work of Android 4.2.2 with a proprietary interface from Sony. I did not find any global changes (compared to previous models). The appearance of the operating system is quite understandable and convenient enough for daily use. And besides performance, the smartphone also added autonomy. The grown body (compared to the Xperia Z) has placed a battery with a capacity of 3000 mAh. With Stamina's signature power-saving mode turned on, the smartphone gets through an active work day that includes games, navigation, calls, browsing, and other user bullying. I did not limit myself in the backlight level, did not turn off Wi-Fi (as some do when leaving home / office) and did not try to save battery on something, and the smartphone held up fine.
Specifications Sony Xperia Z1
- Dimensions: 144.4 x 73.9 x 8.5 mm.
- Weight: 169 g.
- Operating system: Android 4.2.2 JB.
- Processor: Quad-core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974), 2.2 GHz
- Graphics: Adreno 330.
- Display: TFT, 5'', 1920 × 1080 pixels, 441 ppi
- Memory: 16 GB flash, expandable (Micro SD up to 64 GB).
- RAM: 2 GB.
- Camera: main - 20.7 MP, video recording in 1080p, front - 2 MP.
- Wireless technologies: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC.
- Interface connectors: 3.5 mm headphone jack, Micro USB.
- Battery: Li-lon battery 3000 mAh.
Conclusions and personal impressions
I have always liked Sony smartphones, but, unfortunately, their “sides” come out. In the case of the Xperia Z1, there is enough performance and autonomy, there are cool underwater capabilities and dust protection. But beautiful picture the display is screwed up by small viewing angles, the large body is inconvenient to use and bends a little. The camera is good, it has some strong points in video stabilization and high-speed shooting, but in general comparison it loses to competitors. The design of the smartphone is also cool, but dust and small lint are attracted to it.
Personally, I was pleased with the use of the Sony Xperia Z1, but still its disadvantages often interfere in everyday life. Its cost in the Ukrainian market is now $750. When choosing a new smartphone in the top-end category, I would not pay attention to the Xperia Z1, because for this money you can buy a more convenient device that will not be inferior in performance and autonomy. But do not forget that this is one of the few smartphones that you can safely drown in the pool and take with you to the bathroom. And given the fact that we all know people who have drowned their smartphone at least once in their lives, the Sony Xperia Z1 will definitely find its buyer.
Sony continues to delight fans of the brand with devices with an attractive design in a secure case, while not forgetting to equip them with the latest technology. One of these devices is the Sony Xperia Z1, assembled in a dust- and waterproof case with a 5-inch Full HD display, a 20.7 MP camera, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 hardware platform, a 3000 mAh battery and running on an operating room. Android system 4.3.
Contents of delivery
The smartphone comes in a small cardboard box on the front of which shows the device inside, and on the opposite side - three possible body colors and main technical specifications.
Included with the smartphone you will find in-ear headphones with additional ear pads, a 2A AC adapter, a USB cable and related documentation.
Design and ergonomics
The design of the smartphone resembles its predecessor, the Sony Xperia Z. On the front and back sides there is mineral glass, on which, as usual, films are glued, so you can only feel all the charms of glass only visually or by peeling off those same films. The frame is cast from a single piece of aluminum, which gives the body strength. All connectors, with the exception of 3.5 mm, are covered with aluminum plugs. They are needed so that dust and moisture do not get inside, which, in turn, provides the case with protection corresponding to the IP55 / 58 standard. At the top of the front panel there are: the name of the manufacturer, above it there is a slot for the earpiece with an event indicator inscribed in it, to the right of it is the camera lens, to the left - the proximity sensor and the light sensor. In the off state, the borders of the display are almost invisible. There is nothing below the display. The control keys are placed on the screen.
The aluminum frame houses the mechanical controls and connectors. On the left side is a slot for memory cards, USB and an uncovered connector for connecting to a docking station. On the opposite side is a microSIM slot, a protruding round metal power/lock key, a dual volume rocker, a two-position camera button, and a strap eyelet. It is convenient to work with the keys, the only drawback is that the power and volume keys are too close. The camera button has a soft stroke, but you need to apply a certain amount of force to fully press it, which eliminates accidental pressing. It takes one to two seconds to launch the camera when the screen is locked.
At the ends of the case, you can see a speaker, a microphone (on the bottom), and a headphone jack (on the top).
The back side without protruding elements, with a small recess in the camera area. There is a flash under the lens, to the right of it are the characteristics of the matrix. A little closer to the center of the case, you can see the NFC icon indicating the location of the module, in the center - the name of the manufacturer, and at the bottom - the inscription XPERIA. At the very top, on the opposite side of the speaker, is the second microphone.
The case of the smartphone is not disassembled. The build quality is high, the device gives the impression of an expensive thing. All controls and connectors are conveniently located and do their job well.
Operating system and shell
The smartphone runs on the operating system Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) and has its own shell - Xperia UX. The shell from Sony is very responsive, the animation is smooth. During the time spent in the company with Z1, we have never encountered a slowdown in the interface. It affects both the powerful hardware stuffing and the high-quality shell.
The lock screen has standard features. You can add widgets to it, go to the camera, control panel or desktop. There are no quick launch shortcuts from the lock screen.
The desktop contains up to 7 windows, on which widgets and shortcuts can be located. To edit the number of windows or add any elements to them, as well as change the background or theme, use the pinch gesture or hold on the free space of the desktop.
Folders are created by dragging shortcuts on top of each other, including folders can be created in the bottom panel, where there is a shortcut to go to the list of installed applications. You can use the circles at the top of the screen to quickly navigate between windows. The application list also supports quick transition between windows, and clicking on the leftmost icon or swiping to this window displays an additional menu that includes search, various sorting options and shortcuts to launch Google Play or Sony Select. In our opinion, such a solution not only has a pleasant appearance, but also the most functional. The only thing missing from the Xperia UX is the ability to hide apps.
Among installed programs- Wisepilot, OfficeSuite, Pixlr Express, Evernote, File Commander, Opera Mini and McAfee Security. Not a bad set, given that for some of them, users of other smartphones will have to pay a tidy sum. The notification panel contains not only notifications, but also icons for managing smartphone functions. This list is configured in the "Personalization" menu. Here you can change the background screensaver and theme. In general, the settings menu in the Xperia UX shell looks the same as in most Android smartphones, only the icons have their own design.
Were not forgotten by the manufacturer and mini-applications. They got the name mini because they do not work on the whole screen, but only on part of it, while the user can adjust their size and location. There is something similar in the Optimus UI shell from LG, only the degree of transparency of applications is also regulated there. But Xperia UX the number of mini-applications is not limited to pre-installed, and can be supplemented with new ones from the store - Google Apps play. From there, you can download the application to watch the video.
Hardware platform
The Sony Xperia Z1 received a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 hardware platform, with four Krait 400 processor cores running at 2.15 GHz, an Adreno 330 video core, as well as 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal memory, a memory card slot and support for USB drives.
The smartphone supports all popular video codecs, but cannot play AC3 audio tracks. 4K video plays without hesitation. The player can work in the background, and if necessary, as we already wrote, in a separate window. The volume of the sound in the speaker is medium, its level can be slightly increased by turning on the xLOUD function. Also in the settings you can adjust the sound for yourself. In general, there are no complaints about the sound quality and the capabilities of the player, most users will be satisfied.
Video file playback
| Codec\Name | UltraHD4K.mp4 | Neudergimie.mkv | GranTurismo.mp4 | Spartacus.mkv | ParallelUniverse.avi |
| Video | MPEG4 Video (H264) 3840×2160 29.92fps, 19.4Mbps | MPEG4 Video (H264) 1920×816 23.98fps, 10.1Mbit/s | MPEG4 Video (H264) 1920×1080 60fps, 19.7Mbit/s, 20Mbit/s | MPEG4 Video (H264) 1280×720 29.97fps, 1.8Mbps | MPEG4 Video (H264) 1280×536 24.00fps 2.8Mbps |
| Audio | AAC 44100Hz stereo 124kbps | MPEG Audio Layer 3 44100Hz stereo | AAC 48000Hz stereo 48kbps | Dolby AC3 44100Hz stereo | MPEG Audio Layer 3 44100Hz stereo 256kbps |
Capabilities music player The Walkman is even wider and the sound quality and volume are above average.
The performance of the Sony Xperia Z1 in benchmarks is at the level of analogues, that is, the user can count on comfortable work with any applications and games available today.
The speed of searching for satellites is just under 30 seconds with a cold start and about 5 seconds with a re-determination. The data transfer rate in the Wi-Fi network is high, the smartphone supports the AC standard.
The speaker volume is enough for most situations, including when communicating in noisy places. During testing, we did not encounter communication problems. The autonomy of the novelty is at a good level, in some ways it is better than other models on the Snapdragon 800, in some ways it is worse. The smartphone is powered by a 3000 mAh battery and has several modes to save battery. Average time Sony's work Xperia Z1 was two days. In Antutu Tester, the smartphone scored 500 points, lasting 2 hours and 47 minutes. In GFXBench - 1360 points or 208 minutes.
| Operating time indicators | |||||
| Mode\Device | Sony Xperia Z1 | LG Nexus 5 (ART) | LG G2 | Nokia Lumia 1520 | Xiaomi Mi-3 (Tegra4) |
| Music | 1% | 2% | 4% | 3% | 1% |
| Reading | 15% | 17% | 11% | — | 13% |
| Navigation | 21% | 33% | 18% | 25% | 22% |
| Watching HD video | 13% | 28% | 15% | — | 17% |
| Watch HD video from Youtube | 18% | 39% | 27% | 26% | 30% |
| Antutu Tester (points) | 500 | 373 | 419 | — | 589 |
| GFXBench (minutes) | 208 | 146 | 209 | — | — |
| GFXBench (points) | 1360 (24 fps) | 1364 (24 fps) | 1294 (23 fps) | — | — |
The % value displays how much the battery is discharged in 2 hours of testing. In mode reading all wireless communications are turned off, including data transmission in the mobile network, and the display brightness is set to 50%. When listening music automatic data synchronization, data transfer worked. Headphone volume at 12 out of 15 possible levels (for WP-smartphones, 24 out of 30). All music files in MP3 format, bitrate 320 Kbps. Navigation includes route planning in the Google Navigation app (for WP-smartphones – Nokia HERE). The brightness is set to 50%, all communication communication modules are disabled. The first value is obtained during standard operation, the second - during shutdown automatic synchronization, the latter - when switching from automatic network type selection to forced operation in a 2G network. When playing video data transfer is active in the mobile network, the display brightness is set to 50%, the sound volume in the headphones is at level 12 out of a possible 15. Video file format MKV, resolution 1024x432 pixels, frame rate 24. Video playback from Youtube accompanied not only by work in WiFi networks, but also active data transfer. Display brightness set to 50%, headphone volume set to 12 out of 15 possible levels (for WP smartphones, 24 out of 30).
Display
The smartphone received a 5-inch TFT-matrix with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and Triluminos technology. The manufacturer does not indicate what type of matrix is used in the device, judging by the subpixels, this is MVA. The display brightness is adjustable from 30 cd/m2 to 397 cd/m2. Automatic adjustment works correctly and quickly.
The color gamut of the display is slightly wider than the sRGB value, the color temperature is close to 6500 K, but the gamma curve values are poor, which indicates strongly overexposed midtones. But the most serious drawback of the matrix lies in the modest viewing angles. Sony is the only manufacturer that continues to equip expensive smartphones with such mediocre matrices.
cameras
The Sony Xperia Z1 is the company's first smartphone to feature a 20.7-megapixel primary camera module. The resolution of the front camera is 2 megapixels. The launch and shooting speed is one of the highest among modern devices. The camera instantly focuses on objects. In the settings there are many special shooting modes and the ability to download additional ones. AT manual mode the user can choose a resolution, including a maximum of 20 megapixels (the maximum resolution is available only in the "Manual" mode), ISO, and enable software image stabilization.
The video settings are a little more modest, but also very wide. The maximum video resolution is 1920x1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. The quality of photos and videos is average, the main problem with pictures is blurry edges of frames, while videos are spoiled by problems with sound.
Examples of camera operation on Android firmware 4.2
Examples of camera operation on Android 4.3 firmware
Video review of the smartphone Sony Xperia Z1
Results
The Sony Xperia Z1 smartphone is a device with good autonomy, high-quality case, a smooth interface with a lot of personalization options, but a far from the best display and a very average camera.
Liked
+ Build Quality
+ Hardware platform
+ Enclosure with IP58 degree of protection
+ Smooth interface with extensive personalization options
+ Autonomy
+ Performance
Did not like
- Low viewing angles of the display
- Camera operation
 |
Sony Xperia Z1 C6902 (Black) |
| Type of | Smartphone |
| Standard | GSM 850/900/1800/1900, UMTS 850/900/1700/1900/2100 |
| GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA | |
| SIM card type | Micro SIM |
| Number of supported SIM cards | 1 |
| Operating system | Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) |
| Type of shell | monoblock |
| Keyboard type | screen input |
| Dimensions, mm | 144.4×73.9×8.5 |
| Weight, g | 169 |
| Protection against dust and moisture | IP58 |
| Accumulator battery | Li-Ion, 3000 mAh |
| conversation - up to 13h50m / 15h (2G / 3G), standby - up to 880 / 850h (2G / 3G), audio - up to 110h | |
| Diagonal, inches | 5 |
| Permission | 1920×1080 |
| Matrix type | TFT |
| PPI | 441 |
| Brightness sensor | + |
| Touch screen (type) | touch (capacitive) |
| Other | |
| CPU | |
| Kernel type | Krait 400 |
| Number of Cores | 4 |
| Frequency, GHz | 2,3 |
| RAM, MB | 2048 |
| Built-in memory, GB | 16 |
| Expansion slot | microSD (up to 64 GB) |
| Main camera, MP | 20,7 |
| autofocus | + |
| Video filming | 1920x1080 pixels, 30 ks |
| Flash | LED |
| Front camera, MP | 2 |
| Other | |
| WiFi | |
| Bluetooth | 4.0 (A2DP) |
| GPS | + |
| IrDA | — |
| NFC | + |
| interface connector | USB 2.0 (micro USB, MHL) |
| Audio jack | 3.5mm |
| MP3 player | + |
| FM radio | + |
| More |
Pros: Build Quality, Hardware Platform, IP58 Enclosure, Smooth UI with High Customization Options, Autonomy, Performance
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Sony Xperia Z1 - Attention to detail
07.08.2015
As an epigraph to this review, we can take the following anecdote: "I really miss those times when you could pour water on a person without worrying about the smartphone in his pocket!". Yes, you understood everything correctly, we are talking about the waterproof flagship from Sony, released in the second half of 2013 - Xperia Z1.
Introduction
This cool gadget came to me in early 2014. It was bought in the FotoSklad store at a price that was quite humane for that time, about 20,000 rubles (the official price set by the company was 30,000 rubles).
According to all marketing laws, the gadget should be "obsolete" by the beginning of 2015, but due to the depreciation of the national currency (I hope, temporary), and, as a result, the increase in prices for all new flagships, it becomes relevant again. Why - learn from this review.
Equipment
Acquaintance with the device begins, as always, with the packaging. The device comes in a rectangular box (by the way, similar in shape to the hero of this review), quite informative. The smartphone itself is drawn on the front, and "Sony - make, believe" is written in the upper left corner. In the lower left corner - Xperia Z1. At the bottom of the box, the upper part of the smartphone is drawn in different colors, lower - the main chips of the flagship, even lower - the text in small print.
The box is made of thick cardboard, with bright pictures. Yes, making packaging from recycled materials, as many manufacturers do, is environmentally friendly, but, in my opinion, a box should be just that - high-quality, beautiful, even eye-catching. Yes, it will also serve, in particular, for storing complete accessories.
There is nothing particularly interesting inside the box. In stock - headphones with nozzles for them (it was possible to find out that the headphones are not supplied with all batches, consider me lucky), a USB cable, some pieces of paper not in Russian, and a charger unit. Options are poor, the minimum required. Instructions - both in English and in Russian, are of no particular use to a Russian person ☺ . Therefore, I did not particularly regret that the papers were in English.
Previously, when there were not so many gadgets in my house that regularly asked for charging, the type of charger included in the kit did not cause me any special problems (the USB connector is on the side). But now I have a very specific requirement - the cable connector must be on top. Recently, many manufacturers have begun to do this (including Apple), but Sony has not changed the approach (what in, what in, the charger has not changed at all). I hope they will fix this defect in the new flagship.
Appearance
For the first time, a flagship fell into my hands. And it was very interesting to compare the sensations of a hi-end smartphone device with a state employee teXet X-basic. The first thing that catches your eye is the Omni Balance design, which implies the symmetry of the device, rectangular shapes, smooth front surface and back cover (if you can call the back surface of a non-separable smartphone that way). The ergonomics of this design is not that much affected, but the grip is definitely less comfortable than that of the X-basic. A person with a larger hand size than mine (the majority of such people) will, I think, be more comfortable using the device with one hand than I am.
About the complete film - everything is sad. She managed to get scratched in the first week of careful handling. At the same time, the device was not in one pocket with the keys, did not fall anywhere, and did not show signs of self-will that prompted to check its strength. As a result, I removed the film, especially since it collects a lot of dust, and under it is tempered glass, which is not so easy to damage.
The assembly is just great; even with some effort, it is impossible to make the apparatus make sounds like unoiled peasant vehicles ☺ .
The most interesting thing between protective glass and a frame that borders the screen, there is a slot into which, if desired, you can insert a sheet of thin paper. This, of course, is not such a big minus, but, nevertheless, the impression deteriorates a little. This is despite the fact that even in Keneksi Wind (we carefully look at its price) there is no such thing.
Now about the thickness. In the middle of 2015, the thickness in the region of 7-9 mm is not considered a record, moreover, such devices are even called "a little bit thick"! But my subjective emotions from the thickness remain unchanged - it is very thin even with a case. And personally, the direction of smartphone movement is completely incomprehensible to me - a further decrease in thickness. Trust me, it's absolutely unnecessary. The only thing is that it would be a good idea to take a smart dystrophic, add a couple of millimeters to its thickness by using a very large battery - and get a wonderful thing as a result, which, regardless of the use case, will not be "hungry" for a couple of days after the last "feeding".
An undoubted advantage of the device is the ability to choose not only classic white and black colors, but also bright purple.
It is protected from moisture and dust - for people who sometimes drop their smartphones into the water. So, unfortunately, my faithful teXet X-basic died. And it was Sony that set a new trend among devices (which won the favor of Georgy Kiselyov) - moisture protection.
It is made of metal and glass, which means it should appeal to a wide range of people. Pleasant sensations from the rear glass surface, but most importantly - quite a lot of weight (170 g), I always liked it. But for me, design is secondary. Yes, this is the most beautiful smartphone ever created (or rather, the entire Z line, which almost looks the same)! Yes, it is made of premium materials! Yes, it is different from that huge number of Chinese on Android! But... Personally, it is more important for me that the device has a cool camera, just an incomparable shell, which caused about the same delight as my first Android smartphone. Well, okay, we'll deal with everything in the course of the review.
Now we can talk about the controls.
On the right are three mechanical buttons, including a separate key for shooting, which the Sony Xperia Z lacked. Judging by the positioning of the device, it is useful for shooting underwater. After all, the capacitive screen will not respond to touch in such conditions. The button is comfortable, it is pressed clearly and distinctly. If you hold the smartphone with both hands, then the index finger immediately rests on the key.
Above - a connector for sim, which enters on a sled. To remove these very sleds, it is enough to pick them up with your fingernail, there are no paper clips, as in the iPhone. It would be better if the slot was opened with a paper clip, it would be more "civilized". But this is a small problem, infrequently people still take out their SIM cards.
The place for the power button is well thought out, it is located exactly where you would like it to be, regardless of which hand the user holds the smartphone with. Special thanks to the designers. With such a size of the case, this is almost the only option for the location of the button so that it is convenient. It is this key, or rather, its design, that is one of the distinguishing features of Sony smartphones. Silver paint for almost a year and a half of use has not peeled off, which is good. A little lower is a handy volume rocker. It's quite interesting that it is thanks to this arrangement that you can easily take a screenshot with one hand (although sometimes you get a change in volume). To do this, it is enough to rest your thumb on the left side of the smartphone, and hold down the keys with the rest. But it is unlikely that the company had buttons according to this logic. Although how do you know...
On the left are slots for a memory card and for charging. They are covered with plugs that can be removed quite easily, but, apparently, they seal the case well. Under them is a connector for connecting to a docking station with which you can charge your smartphone. Also, this optional accessory can be used as a "tripod" when shooting.
At the bottom is a speaker. More about it will be discussed in the "Sound" section. There is also a hole, which, as I understand it, serves to attach the strap.
On top of the device is a 3.5 mm headphone jack not covered by a plug. The company says that you can immerse the phone in water, the connector will not deteriorate. But they add that it would be better not to listen to music for a couple of hours later.
Behind - in the upper left corner of the camera and flash, in the center - the Sony logo. I would like to comment on the location of the camera. When shooting in landscape orientation (mostly for video), the finger covers the camera. It may sound (and actually read) strange, but in budget smartphones like Keneksi Wind, it is much more convenient.
Front part. Above the screen is the front camera and sensors, but below it ... Nothing! And with such a wide frame at the bottom! It was already possible to place touch buttons there. Not only Sony suffers from this, but also HTC with its flagship line (namely, the logo under the screen). But recently, at the suggestion of the Chinese, a new trend has emerged - reducing the scope. This is what I welcome (I expect and hope that the above-mentioned companies will follow this trend).
Somewhere inside the earpiece is an LED. It does not signal missed events, but when charging, it glows red (less than 15%), yellow (from 15 to 90%) and green (from 90%). A trifle, but very nice. And convenient.
Also, the same LED flashes blue, signaling missed events.
I also bought a lovely red case for the hero of this review, which, by the way, is very comfortable. It turns the hero of this review into Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro ☺. But it is not necessary to break it, either completely (see the story) or partially.
It perfectly protects against any falls and troubles (unlike the case for teXet TM-9750HD, which does not protect anything and, moreover, has come apart at the seams). That's what you can't take away from flagships - it's an abundance of accessories, both high-quality and, unfortunately, not very good.
But, as I found out, many cases for the Sony Xperia Z1 have a drawback - they do not allow you to insert headphones into the 3.5 mm jack. Banal interferes with the mount. Generally speaking, the covers are not to blame, it's the designers who made such an unfortunate arrangement. But, when you suddenly decide to buy a case, take the headphones to the store and try to plug them into the connector. You won't regret it, I assure you.
Hmm ... I did not find holes for hard reset. And since the cover of the smartphone is non-removable, the absence of the above hole can, in the worst case, be sent to a service center.
Together for appearance and equipment - 9 points.
shell
First time I see Xperia Home and I love it. Very like. Before this smartphone, I did not have devices with shells from the manufacturer. And this element inspires me personally. Moreover, the company has clearly worked to improve the speed of work. No lag, even when scrolling through long lists like news feeds.
Launcher (a specialized program that allows you to radically change the desktop design, interface, images of various shortcuts, and the like compared to operating system, whose interface is also a kind of launcher), like everything else, compared to stock Android, has been greatly changed by the manufacturer. I like these changes. The principle of adding widgets has been changed (these are tiles that can show any information on the desktop, they are somewhat similar to application shortcuts, but shortcuts are just links, and widgets are mini-applications in some way), nicer icons. I will not once again shake the keyboard on this topic, see the screenshots and you will understand everything yourself.
When you turn on the device, the first most necessary settings appear. If you are unable to do this, the seller in the store will set up the device. But it seems to me that it is much more interesting to experience everything yourself. Well, okay, back to our sheep.
The lock screen, from which you can launch the camera, and with the update to Android 5.0 - also a phone application, simply by swiping from the icon of the desired application to the center of the screen. If you do not swipe, but simply press the display, then the inscription: "To unlock, slide your finger across the screen" jumps in a funny way. With the new Android, notifications are now displayed on the lock screen, which is good. On the other hand, there used to be widgets, but now they are not. There is no ideal in the world, in general.
The Xperia Home shell does not change the design of Android much (with version 5.0, the differences are generally minimal), but it adds a large number of functions. And application shortcuts can be taken out not only by standard drag and drop from the menu, but also through a special editing table; "mini-applications" were added (their value on a 5-inch screen is rather doubtful, but on large tablets it will certainly be in demand); there is a search for applications in the main menu and the ability to sort them the way the user wants. These are pluses.
As a minus, we can highlight the fact that the number of desktops is limited to 7 ☹ . Even the budget Keneksi Wind has 9 of them. And in many third-party launchers, the number is not limited at all.
Notification menu. Not much changed compared to stock Android, only the design is adjusted to the appearance of the rest of the shell elements. By dragging the top of the screen down with two fingers, we will see the quick settings. And you can choose which ones will be displayed on this screen.
With the update to Android 5.0, a switch panel has appeared here, it is very convenient. Its design hasn't changed from stock Android at all, which is a good thing. She is very graceful.
The device has an Update Center application. It serves to update the system and branded applications that are not available on Google Play and are embedded in the firmware. Naturally, it is possible to update the Android version "over the air". And it's very convenient. Now this feature is available on most devices. But it is not, for example, on Keneksi Wind. And, in order to update the firmware, you will have to go to the service center (while the device is under warranty, and then you can do it yourself).
As for updates - here, it turns out, not everything is so simple either. In the update to Android 5.0, you couldn't just connect and download it over the air. I had to connect to a computer. And then the suffering began. First, he just made a sound. And that's it. No "connected... select what to do" menu, nothing like that. And who would have guessed that you need to go to the "about phone" menu, turn on the "for developers" section, check the "USB debugging" box in this section! If it were not for the experience of previous firmware (on teXet TM-9750HD, from a completely different tablet, and even here everything was much easier than with Sony), I would never have thought of it. Okay, connected. The next, far from obvious step - in "USB connections" it should be checked to "install special software", and after installation uncheck this box, otherwise it will prompt you to install it every time. After installation, everything went easier, but I was "somewhat surprised" by the phrase: "While connecting USB cable to the computer(as if I'm going to connect it for a minute in a row ☺) hold down the volume down key".
All the suffering was not in vain. New Android really very beautiful and smooth. But why such torment when installing it to an ordinary user is a mystery. Sony, listen, and don't do this again.
Now I would like to note an interesting bun, which is not in regular Android. If we make a long swipe (from one edge of the screen to the other) from one desktop, then we immediately get to another desktop, but not adjacent, but located through one with the original one. A trifle, but just incredibly comfortable!
I would also like to talk about the "simple start screen". This setting turns the shell of the device into a kind of Windows phone. There, of course, there are no tiles, but the application display logic, the settings themselves, the font size - all this strongly resembles the operating system from Microsoft. But if there is just such a logic of the system, then here it is done, probably, for the convenience of the older generation.
Everything is quite similar to standard Android, but everything is done very smoothly, beautifully, clearly and gracefully. As for the similarity with the "clean" OS from Google - many companies, especially Chinese ones, like to change the system beyond recognition, in particular, removing the main application menu. I like Sony's approach much more, because only the most frequently used applications should be placed on the desktop, and the rest should not interfere while being in the main menu.
For the shell - 9.5 points.
Embedded Applications
Their number and necessity are characterized by four words: "for all occasions." There is everything - from a video player to notes, from a mobile office to a flashlight.
I will analyze a few of the most valuable and interesting.
MyXperia (locks the device if it is lost). Its value is not particularly high, because almost all antiviruses, including free ones, have a similar function. But it is useful for people who are used to using everything out of the box. As I have seen, there are many such people.
Voice recording (recorder). Minimalistic beautiful design. The functions are all the most necessary. Exactly - you can listen to everything that you recorded in the application itself; in the settings - select the recording file format and recording duration. As a minus, it can be noted that this application has not yet been translated into Russian. But there are few words, you can even use a dictionary, it will take a little time.
Here lies a fly in the ointment. The fact is that when recording sound through this voice recorder, you get just an incredibly quiet recording with a lot of noise. Moreover, if you use the camera for this purpose, simply by placing the device on the "back", the sound is quite clear and with much less noise.
I do not advise you to listen to the audio recording if there are neighbors with a perforator ☺ . Seriously, make the sound in the speakers / headphones very loud, otherwise it is simply impossible to hear something.
Mini version of the flagship. It does not differ from the "big brother" in exactly anything, except for the diagonal of the screen and, accordingly, the dimensions. The choice between these two devices is only in what dimensions are acceptable to the user. Everything. Even the price differs by only 600 rubles down.
But here you need to stop in more detail. Firstly, a smartphone is cheaper by an average of five thousand. A lot of. This can be decisive when choosing between these two devices. However, now I will try to compare the review hero with the Nexus as accurately as possible. First, the Nexus comes with "clean" Android without skins. Secondly, long-term Google support and constant updates to more new version. Sony, in my opinion, the shell is better than the standard Android. It's more customizable, with prettier icons and animations, and more feature rich native apps than Google's. 1-0 in favor of Sony.
The power is comparable, because The processor model in both smartphones is the same.
Okay, let's go with the shells. Now about design and ergonomics. There is already a choice for everyone - which design he likes best. I won't take up readers' time with long stories about the pros and cons of each design, I'll just say that I like the Sony Xperia Z1 more. 2-0 in favor of Sony.
The LG device has a smaller battery than Sony's flagship. Significantly less. In addition, the hero of this review has a really useful branded Stamina mode at his disposal, which extends the battery life. This means that the device will also live less. 3-0 in favor of Sony.
The capabilities of photomodules are approximately equal, in different conditions one device wins, then another.
Housing materials from Sony are more "elite", the smartphone looks very expensive. 4-0 in favor of Sony.
The cost is comparable.
The body materials are also quite similar.
Now, of course, there are a huge number of middle-class devices with similar iron characteristics. But the trouble is, if you're looking for water resistance, a metal/glass case, and an A-brand phone, there's not much to choose from.
Also, there are a huge number of Chinese devices that offer the same characteristics at a lower price, for example, from Xiaomi or Meizu. But when choosing a smartphone, one of the criteria is that the device must be from an A-brand, other options were not considered.
I hope you, dear readers, have a fairly complete picture of the situation with the flagship competitors of the hero of this review.
P.S. To date, several generations of flagships have already changed. And to compare this device with all the newer ones is a thankless task. Too different price. If you want the flagship of 2015, put 30-60 thousand rubles on the counter. If there is no such amount at your disposal, then you need to choose from older devices that have not changed much in price, and, therefore, become more relevant.
On this comparison I declare a finished topic.
Glitches and the like
Once there was something. But it disappeared after 10 seconds.
For a long time, there were several more errors, and sometimes they simply did not allow to do anything. For example, the inscription: "An error occurred in the Google Play Services application." Pressed OK, after 2 seconds the same thing. It was this that prompted me to update the firmware, all its other improvements except Material Design were a pleasant surprise for me.
Once the smartphone behaved as if I pressed the power button and did not release it, i.e. the shutdown menu opens, I press "cancel", and this menu appears again. I was able to get off only by rebooting the smartphone.
Already with the update in the SMS application, sometimes the field for entering a message simply disappears. There is none, and that's it. Several times I left the dialogue and went into it again - it worked.
TeXetTM-9750HD. The Sony screen is kind of velvet and very pleasant.
But there are also negative impressions, such as annoyance at the annoying "Google Play apps" bug.
Of course, it is very difficult to remember everything, but the main thing was written above.
3D view
In conclusion, I would like to present the reader with a 3D review of this smartphone:
[May not work in all browsers. - Approx. ed.]
There can be no single answer to this question for any smartphone. Everywhere has its pros and cons. Here is a short list of the pros:
1. Shell - it is smooth and beautiful, with many features.
2. A powerful processor that does a great job with all tasks.
3. A bright screen that displays blacks well and doesn't "blind" too much in bright sunlight.
4. For a long time work from a single charge, Stamina mode.
5. A convenient music player with a TrackID chip and high-quality sound in good headphones, as well as the presence of an FM radio.
6. Remarkable performance of telephone functions.
7. Graceful design and high-quality body materials (metal and glass).
8. Long-term manufacturer support - updates have been released for a year and a half.
9. The durability of the phone itself: during the use of it since the spring of 2014, there is not a single scratch or abrasion on the case.
Now about the cons. They also exist:
1. Lack of anti-reflective and oleophobic coatings on the screen or their very low quality and not too clean display of white color on the screen.
2. The gap between the glass and the frame, a bad factory film, as well as the unsuccessful design of the bundled charger and the lack of a button to control music playback in the bundled headphones.
3. Great difficulties with a wired connection to a computer, as well as updating the firmware via USB.
4. A number of glitches and crashes.
5. Lack of USB-OTG.
6. Roughness in the chamber.
As you can see, all the minuses starting from 3 are software, which means there is hope that they will be fixed with subsequent firmware.
If you have any questions about the device, you can ask them in the comments.
P.S. Everything I said in the review is relevant for firmware on Android 4.4 (unless otherwise indicated).
