Sony's latest offering: Xperia Z3

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aarcam

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 11, 2009
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Sony's latest is out, the new Xperia Z3.

Looks like an evolution of the Z2, but good looking specs. I think this has a good combination of screen size, resolution, battery size and expandable memory.

LIST OF GOODIES
20.7 megapixel camera with auto focus
8x digital zoom
ISO 12800 maximum
Image stabilizer

5.2" Full HD display (1920x1080 pixels)

Snapdragon 2.5 GHz Qualcomm Quad-core
Adreno 330 GPU
3100 mAh battery

3GB RAM
Up to 16GB flash memory*****
Up to 128GB microSD™ (card slot, SDXC supported)

Waterproof and dust tight

All in a fairly tidy 5.75 x 2.83 x 0.28 in package.

They may be losing money in the mobile phone department, but they still make a decent phone. Not sure what the price is yet, but knowing Sony, it will be expensive. Interested to see how the camera performs. Having a great shooter with expandable memory is a nice combo.
 
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Neither the Z1 or Z2 were "waterproof" my friend owned 2 of them and they both eneded up getting moisture damage. Only thing I am interested in is the Playstation streaming.
 
^ it's more "water resistant" than "water proof" - i.e. with flaps properly put in, you can use it in the rain without problems... that's about it

The Playstation streaming will probably be ported to other devices.... wait and see
http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/0...y-feature-for-all-rooted-android-4-0-devices/

dxomark likes teh z3 camera

http://www.dxomark.com/Mobiles/Sony-Xperia-Z3-New-Sony-flagship-Smartphone-tested
http://connect.dpreview.com/post/9735822205/dxomark-mobile-report-sony-xperia-z3
 
I really wish they put the Snapdragon 805 inside it. All they did was overclock the 801...
 
I bought a Z1 compact this weekend and mine was not "waterproof" enough to survive a brief dunk in a glass of water. Other than that issue, I love the phone, and the Sony store I purchased it from swapped it out for a new one.
 
Xperia Z line looks good in design and specs but what's holding them back from selling a lot is availability. Hopefully that's changing with rumors of Tmobile, AT&T and Verizon selling them.
 
mi7chy said:
Xperia Z line looks good in design and specs but what's holding them back from selling a lot is availability. Hopefully that's changing with rumors of Tmobile, AT&T and Verizon selling them.
Click to expand...

Its sells like crazy overseas
 
I want this phone..... but im not to hopeful with the verizon (Z3v) rumors though :(
 
JaiWebb said:
Where's the Ultra version...
Click to expand...

based on their Z -> Z Ultra changes, not sure I want an Ultra
(bigger screen, thinner, but gimped camera and flash)

I would like the same scale-up as the Z3->Z3c scale down (same camera, processor, ram,... etc)
 
Sony is hemorrhaging money and one of the culprits is their mobile department. I expect a decent cut back in this department soon.

Z3 looks cool but them actually getting their phones in the US is what kept me from buying one as I wanted the original Z1.
 
One of the reviews I read absolutely slammed them on the screen, saying it had very inaccurate colors. Maybe PhoneArena, can't remember. That kind of turned me off. I was interested before.
 
mls1995 said:
I agree, what's the deal? Have to get the Note to get the 805 I guess.
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Because the 805 is overkill for a 1080p screen? 801 is going to be more then enough for 1080p and save you on power consumption.
 
Trimlock said:
Because the 805 is overkill for a 1080p screen? 801 is going to be more then enough for 1080p and save you on power consumption.
Click to expand...

This is [H]ard forum. If I ask for moar power the right answer is never "you don't need it"
 
this model lineup is the topnotcher in device turnaround,
it barely six months from the release date of the Xperia Z2 and now a Z3 is launching?
(GSMArena release dates based)
I for one know how to hold on to a device heck I even skipped the nexus 5 coming from a Gnexus, and a Nexus 4.
 
paperwastage said:
^ it's more "water resistant" than "water proof" - i.e. with flaps properly put in, you can use it in the rain without problems... that's about it

The Playstation streaming will probably be ported to other devices.... wait and see
http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/0...y-feature-for-all-rooted-android-4-0-devices/

dxomark likes teh z3 camera

http://www.dxomark.com/Mobiles/Sony-Xperia-Z3-New-Sony-flagship-Smartphone-tested
http://connect.dpreview.com/post/9735822205/dxomark-mobile-report-sony-xperia-z3
Click to expand...

Which is dumb considering they have videos/pictures underwater on their site. And they market it by having it sit in a fishtank at Best Buy.
 
jcagara08 said:
this model lineup is the topnotcher in device turnaround,
it barely six months from the release date of the Xperia Z2 and now a Z3 is launching?
(GSMArena release dates based)
I for one know how to hold on to a device heck I even skipped the nexus 5 coming from a Gnexus, and a Nexus 4.
Click to expand...

Sony has moved to a 6 month release cycle

NickJames said:
Which is dumb considering they have videos/pictures underwater on their site. And they market it by having it sit in a fishtank at Best Buy.
Click to expand...

Its completely waterproof if you close the flaps properly. I used It in water many times and submerged it for minutes.
 
How are the flaps? I had an HTC dual with a little rubber flap on the charging port (was not water proof and I swore never again...) Ended up cutting it off it was so annoying, but something like this on the Sony has to stay, so how is it on a day to day basis?

The water resistance is nice. I dont think i would ever fully submerge though. Although, I have never lost a phone to water damage, the extra protection is piece of mind.

Also, how has Sony been with updates? I know they use to be very slow, but seem to have picked up the pace as of late. Looks like the phone ships with 4.4 (not 4.4.4?) But would only purchase knowing that 5.0 would be around the corner.

I thought the discussion on the 801 vs 805 was interesting. I would like to know if it was really about power savings (and how that could be quantified) or just using a cheaper part. It seems like with the screen at 1080 and battery size that the batter usage decision was intentional.
 
aarcam said:
How are the flaps? I had an HTC dual with a little rubber flap on the charging port (was not water proof and I swore never again...) Ended up cutting it off it was so annoying, but something like this on the Sony has to stay, so how is it on a day to day basis?

The water resistance is nice. I dont think i would ever fully submerge though. Although, I have never lost a phone to water damage, the extra protection is piece of mind.

Also, how has Sony been with updates? I know they use to be very slow, but seem to have picked up the pace as of late. Looks like the phone ships with 4.4 (not 4.4.4?) But would only purchase knowing that 5.0 would be around the corner.

I thought the discussion on the 801 vs 805 was interesting. I would like to know if it was really about power savings (and how that could be quantified) or just using a cheaper part. It seems like with the screen at 1080 and battery size that the batter usage decision was intentional.
Click to expand...

The flaps work as intended but I also purchased a magnetic charging cable so I wouldn't wear out the flaps.

Sony isn't the best with updates, they just released 4.4 back in March I believe

I wanted the 805 for better processing power and I believe it even allows for better power savings. The 801 was already in the Z2 so the Z3 isn't that much of an upgrade to me
 
Mine wasn't. I carefully checked all 3 flaps before testing to make sure there was no debris blocking the seals and then I made sure they were securely closed. Water still managed to get inside and under the camera lens after a 20 second dunk in a glass of water.

Despite the obvious water droplets under the camera lens, the water indicator tabs under the flaps were still white, indicating no water had gotten in through the flaps. I have no doubt that that some phones are completely waterproof, but if you search online (I did) there are numerous complaints of water getting in despite the flaps being closed properly. I suspect some of the phones (mine included) were not manufactured to spec.

Domini said:
Its completely waterproof if you close the flaps properly. I used It in water many times and submerged it for minutes.
Click to expand...

TMCM said:
it's water proof if you close the ports correctly.
Click to expand...

At any rate, I still love my new phone despite the "waterproofing" issue, but I don't think I'll take another chance with water. :p
 
The D6603 looks like the version to get if one is wanting to go with a BYOD pre-paid provider.
 
Domini said:
The flaps work as intended but I also purchased a magnetic charging cable so I wouldn't wear out the flaps.

*snip
Click to expand...

I had to look those up. Familiar with Qi wireless as my N4 has it, but didn't know about these. Seems to be a decent compromise. Much better than futzing with flaps. Thanks for the input.

Shame about their update history. And they wonder why their phones dont do so well....

Just need to see the price.
 
Ozymandias said:
The Z3 and the Z3 Compact are crushing the battery life charts. If Android L doesn't help that much with battery life, I'm considering getting a Z3C to replace my Nexus 5.
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Looks like they take quite a bit to recharge though. No idea why but sony can't seem to figure out how to develop a charger/battery that doesn't take ages to recharge(compared to the competition that is). That said, I wish Sony were more popular in the US. Their phones are way more interesting than a lot of the other Android phones.
 
xIronCrossx said:
Looks like they take quite a bit to recharge though. No idea why but sony can't seem to figure out how to develop a charger/battery that doesn't take ages to recharge(compared to the competition that is). That said, I wish Sony were more popular in the US. Their phones are way more interesting than a lot of the other Android phones.
Click to expand...

Most people charge over night, so that's not as big of a deal. I'd rather have a longer screen on time than quick charging. Hauling around a charger just to make it through the day is a pain.
 
Domini said:
Sony has moved to a 6 month release cycle



Its completely waterproof if you close the flaps properly. I used It in water many times and submerged it for minutes.
Click to expand...

Search Z1 or Z2 waterproof, many stories by professional reviewers of the phone leaking. Yeah it may save the phone if you drop it in the sink or toilet for a few seconds but don't expect to take it into the pool and take pictures underwater. 5 minutes in and the phone has condensation, 10 minutes and it dies.
 
Ozymandias said:
Most people charge over night, so that's not as big of a deal. I'd rather have a longer screen on time than quick charging. Hauling around a charger just to make it through the day is a pain.
Click to expand...

Faster charging usually impacts battery life. I would prefer dual mode where if you're in a bind you can use fast charging and normal charging for the rest of the time.
 
NickJames said:
Search Z1 or Z2 waterproof, many stories by professional reviewers of the phone leaking. Yeah it may save the phone if you drop it in the sink or toilet for a few seconds but don't expect to take it into the pool and take pictures underwater. 5 minutes in and the phone has condensation, 10 minutes and it dies.
Click to expand...

That can be due to the pool chemicals, I used mine in a pool for maybe 30 seconds and washed it off after swimming. But in regular tap water its fine
 
xIronCrossx said:
Looks like they take quite a bit to recharge though. No idea why but sony can't seem to figure out how to develop a charger/battery that doesn't take ages to recharge(compared to the competition that is). That said, I wish Sony were more popular in the US. Their phones are way more interesting than a lot of the other Android phones.
Click to expand...

They are popular, its just that they never ship them or get them on any of the major carriers.
 
Domini said:
Sony has moved to a 6 month release cycle

Its completely waterproof if you close the flaps properly. I used It in water many times and submerged it for minutes.
Click to expand...

if a 6 month product release cycle would go mainstream that means consumers (US all) will be doomed! Manufacturer Firmware updates may be as short as 3 months only to let noobies buy the newer stuff, I guess XDA and ROM flashing will grow more.
waterproof? BAH lets get a gopro for that with a case! ;)
 
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