Powerful, but a battery-hog
Sony seems to have finally got the balance
right between tweaking Android and making it easy to dive into its media
portals. That’s before we even mention its stellar performance, thanks to the
quad-core Qualcomm chip running the show.
Day-to-day use is as snappy and lags free
as we’ve come to expect from the Nexus 4 and Galaxy S3 and for power, it’s up
there with the pumped-up Galaxy Note 2.
As long as brightness is left on automatic
mode, the Z should last the day without recharging – helped out in part by
switching on the clever Stamina mode. This turns off all data when the screen
is off – which means waking up in the morning to the same battery percentage
you saw before bed. Otherwise, the Z’s beefy battery drains just as quickly as
any other big-screened flagship, which could be a letdown.
As
long as brightness is left on automatic mode, the Z should last the day without
recharging – helped out in part by switching on the clever Stamina mode
The Sony is also 4G Ready, which means you,
means you already have a future-proof phone that can support speeds up to five
times faster than 3G. You might find that battery takes a hit with a 4G SIM –
so it’s a choice between a phone that lasts the day and faster downloads…
Of course, a smartphone needs a camera, and
the Z’s 13.1-megapixel snapper does a decent job. With intuitive controls
borrowed from Sony’s Cyber-shot cameras, the Xperia Z matches the best of
2012’s smartphone cams rather than building on them. It takes fine shots
outdoors and in good light, but even though the Superior Auto mode is quick to
adjust, it’s not the best at getting rid of noise in low light. Full HD video
shot with the rear camera is smooth, though, and there’s a high dynamic range
option for stills and video.
The 1080p screen is the stand-out spec
here. There’s much to love about the display – and if it’s an eye-popping
picture you want, the Xperia Z rivals the Samsung
The
1080p screen is the stand-out spec here
What’s NFC tech?
Near field communication (NFC) hasn’t so
much stormed onto the smartphone scene as crawled its way slowly to the top of
most flagship and midrange spec lists over the past few years. The tech
standard means two NFC enabled phones or devices can send and receive data by
touching or coming within a few centimeters of each other.
The Xperia Z can handle all the usual NFC
tricks: from pairing to specific headphones or speakers, paying for your
Starbucks coffee and altering your phone’s settings by touching Smart Tags.
With the Z, Sony has also introduced one-touch sharing of photos, videos and
music by tapping the handset to the remote of some of its new Bravia TVs.
Galaxy S3 in that respect. Leaner and
meaner than previous Sony handsets, it’s in the details that the Xperia Z
really shines: a 16GB device with expandable storage to make room for all those
HD downloads a waterproof chassis and a Stamina mode that means your
smartphone’s standby is your new faithful friend.
Rating: 5/5
For: Solid build; attractive design;
excellent picture; quick in use; detailed, punchy sound
Against: Poor viewing angles; feel is up to
personal taste; blacks could be richer
Verdict: A smartphone triumph for Sony and
a real rival for the Google Nexus 4
The competition…
·
Apple iPhone 5 64GB: 5/5
·
Google Nexus 4 16GB: 5/5
The Sony Xperia Z has some new 1080p
bedmates in the form of the Huawei Ascend D2 and the HTC One, and we’re
expecting a Full HD phone from Samsung too. But it’s not all about pixels. The
iPhone 5 offers a stunning picture, great audio and a huge selection of quality
apps, – although you’ll still be paying a premium. On the other hand, the
superb value of the Nexus 4 is very tempting, spoiled only by the lack of 4G
and expandable storage.
Apple iPhone 5
Apple
iPhone 5
·
Screen size: 4in
·
Resolution: 640 x 1136 (326ppi)
·
Processor Apple: A6
·
Storage: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB
·
Battery: 1440mAh
·
Operating system: iOS6
·
Weight: 112g
·
4G Ready: Yes
Google Nexus 4
Google
Nexus 4
·
Screen size: 4.7in
·
Resolution: 768 x 1280 (318ppi)
·
Processor Apple: 1.5GHz quad-core
·
Storage: 8GB, 16GB
·
Battery: 2100mAh
·
Operating system: Android 4.1
·
Weight: 139g
·
4G Ready: No
Sony Xperia Z
Sony
Xperia Z
·
Screen size: 5in
·
Resolution: 1080 x 1920 (443ppi)
·
Processor Apple: 1.5GHz quad-core
·
Storage: 16GB (with micro SD expansion)
·
Battery: 2370mAh
·
Operating system: Android 4.1
·
Weight: 146g
·
4G Ready: Yes
