A big, full-HD screen, 13-Meg camera
and durability make the Xperia Z our new number one smartphone
Xperia Z is a real big leap forward: a
high, wide and handsome smartphone with a full-HD screen, quad-core processor,
and water and dust resistant body.
It’s not as oversized as a five-inch
display might suggest and, being just 7.9mm deep, it’s still a comfortable
hold. The shatterproof glass back is a great addition to the bargain.
Xperia
Z Review - The Sony DryPhone
The screen is very high-resolution and
really quite spectacular. The iPhone’s Retina Display manages 326 pixels per
inch; Sony’s Reality Display has 443ppi. As a result, the text on emails and
eBooks is super-sharp and easier on the eye, while video looks crisp and
detailed – although the fact that most online video is of a lower resolution
means you won’t always see the full benefit of those pixels.
Killer feature: 13 megapixels of quality
The camera is great too – see box, left and
you can even take photographs in the shower because this phone is
water-resistant. More usefully, this means you can text in the rain. The only
problem here is that the sealed ports are fiddly to prize open, but it’s still
a price worth paying. With a 1.5GHz quad-core that never seems to slow down,
plus all Sony’s multimedia services, this is a great mix of power, design and
features.
The
camera is great too – see box, left and you can even take photographs in the
shower because this phone is water-resistant.
This is Sony’s best camera phone, not just
because the pixel count is high 13-Meg but because the interface is highly
accessible without being over-simplified. Set it to Superior Auto and it does
the heavy lifting, switching between portrait, macro and so on automatically.
You can also geo-tag photos easily. Then there’s the extra features like Sweep
Panorama where you pan the phone in a smooth motion for easy widescreen vistas,
and Smile Shutter that takes photos automatically when it sees your subject cheering
up. HDR has been extended to videos as well. With minimal shutter lag and also
excellent 1080p video this is right in the top tier of smartphone cameras.
Details
1. Water-resistant: This phone can lie under a meter of water for half
an hour. It can stand the rain against its window…
2. Screen: Sony’s used knowhow from its Bravia TVs to make this display
shine. It’s colorful but not over-saturated
3. Stamina: The Stamina setting boosts battery life by turning off
Wi-Fi and data whenever the screen is off
Sony
Xperia Z: points of interest
The Verdict
Love: Smashing, full-HD display. Superior
camera. Water-resistant. All-round performance
Hate: It’ll be too big for some users. The
water-resistant connectors are fiddly
T3 Says: Stunning. Sony’s best smartphone
yet, and the best Android phone you can buy
Rating: 5/5
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Specifications
·
Processor/RAM: 1.5GHz quad-core/2GB
·
OS: Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2
·
Display: 5 inches, 1920x1080 pixels, 443ppi
·
Storage: 16GB + microSD
·
Cameras: 13-meg, 1080p at 30fps/2-meg, 1080p
·
Connectivity: 100Mbps 4G, 42Mbps HSDPA, N
Wi-Fi, DLNA, Bluetooth 4 with A2DP, A-GPS, NFC, HDMI via MHL, 3.5mm audio
·
Size/weight: 139 x 71 x 7.9mm/146g
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