Sony Xperia Z, we tried it.
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Although the CES has not left us many Android devices in quantity, it has left us a few quite curious. Especially in smartphones where the script of last year is repeated: Sony begins by sharing to position itself against the future launches of the competition. The Xperia Z.
Our colleague Txaumes had the opportunity to test it in Las Vegas and now we bring you our impressions after messing around with a little more calm, which we don’t have at fairs. Made this introduction, let’s talk about the new Sony titan.
Possibly Sony’s most stylish smartphone to date
If we look back, more specifically to 2011, and remember terminals such as the HTC Desire HD or the Samsung Galaxy SII, there was a feeling that was repeated for many: how big are they. If with the 3.7 inches of the Nexus One we have more than enough.
In just two years the trend of the screens has changed completely and now the four with something seem normal to us. This year it seems that the bar will be closer to five. They look great, they are, but the secret is in that when we take it that feeling disappears.
The Sony Xperia Z, despite having a five-inch screen, makes us quickly forget that it makes any 2011 smartphone look like a tadpole. The first contact is perfect. It falls well and all points on the screen are well reached.
The Japanese have put a lot of thought into the design of the phone. It is sober, discreet but very elegant. Of course, many subjective evaluations come into play here, but Sony has achieved a very high level compared to previous models and, of course, the competition.
The same glass has been used on the back and front, which Sony has dubbed OmniBalance. Create a device that looks more like a monolith than a smartphone where you can distinguish the back and the front with the naked eye. Design issues, but very well carried out.
Crystal. What is the problem with this material? slip. To solve this, Sony relies on the chassis of the frame, the Skeleton Frame. A solution similar to the rubber that covers the sides of the Nexus 4 but more subtle. A good grip with a very careful detail.
During the contact, those responsible for Sony spoke to us about the importance of the Xperia Active in the manufacture of its flagship. Apart from the specter of planned obsolescence caused by hardware, they want the smartphone to last us and endure everything.
After seeing how they beat him, we saw that at pour sand or water on itimmersing it, the Xperia Z continued as if such. Perfect for those who are a bit handy or simply want to clean their mobile in a different way. Finally, another positive point.
To make all this possible, tickets are sealed. That is to say: connectors, audio jack and of course the battery. At the quality level, the doors are well designed if we compare them with other manufacturers that bet on them. Of course, we will see how long the open audio holds when we use headphones.
At the design level I have to say that Sony has done a great job. The only drawback I see is the fact that it has been decided dispense with a dedicated camera button. I don’t understand how, having one of the best cameras for smartphones, they decide to take away its prominence in that way. Yes, there is the touch screen but the comfort of a physical button is appreciated.
The five-inch screen introduces a new evolution of Bravia technology and it shows us a balanced range of colors and without, at first glance, deviations such as AMOLED does. An almost complete viewing angle, quite bright, although it will have to be tested thoroughly to see what it is capable of.
The Full HD resolution is something that is especially noticeable in the texts, although if you see the image just above these lines you will see that the pixels of the screen are barely visible up close. Subtle but willing to make a difference, another aspect that will have to be seen calmly in the analysis.
Sony will keep the Exmor RS exclusive on camera…for now
With a little delay, Sony is finally betting on quad-core processors. At the moment we can say little about the performance since device software was not final. We will have to wait a bit but what we have seen we like.
The camera is another aspect that has not been able to shine in this first contact. The conditions weren’t the best for in-depth testing, but we liked the little we could see. Very fast, with autofocus and a kind of scene mode, it promises to give a lot of play.
It also has nine real-time photo filters. Some are quite curious, such as the one that allows us to select a color of the finger and mark it as dominant so that the rest of the image is seen in black and white.
In any case, at the moment the opinions with the camera and the processor are with reservations: they look good but until we can prove their full potential in the analysis it is too soon to draw conclusions. We liked it, but we want to see more.
At the software level we have Android Jelly Bean and above it the one capable of customization that bears the hallmarks that have been creating the Xperia brand. Although I understand the need for manufacturers to differentiate themselves, it is a software layer that does not convince me.
It has very good details in the menus, the backgrounds that come by default show the best of the screen, but there are other aspects such as the icons that do not convince me. In any case, removing the interface has two aspects that I quite liked.
On the one hand The galery. The way in which it organizes the photographs we have is exceptional, all very well displayed and with small details such as the fact of bringing together several burst images within the same image so that once we enter we can see the entire collection. Instead of having several at once within the same group.
Another aspect that caught my attention was stamina mode. The idea is to optimize battery consumption to last up to two and a half days. How is this achieved? Turning off all connections when the mobile is idle.
Obviously the figure is hypothetical and everything will depend on the use we make. Of course, the interesting thing about this function is in the fact that we can configure exceptions so that they remain connected in the background: push email and whatsapp, that those of twitter for example do not jump…
Sony Xperia Z, conclusions after testing it
Last year Sony tried to gain a foothold in the high range but despite differentiating itself with the camera it was not enough to fight against other big men. This year they have armed themselves well both outside and inside to give war.
What we saw at CES was not a mirage, the Sony Xperia Z wants to be one of the greats. It is true that the competition has not yet shown its weapons. Yes, Huawei and ZTE have presented high-end. Also last year at the Mobile World Congress, but they did not reach the stores.
There is still a lot to see but Sony has done its homework and has put its batteries in, taking good care of all the details. Now we only have to analyze it thoroughly to see if it really is one of the reference smartphones for 2013. If you follow the track, write down this date: on February 25 is put up for sale.
