Sony Xperia Z1 Review

Main features: 2.2 GHz processor Quad-core Snapdragon 800; 2 GB RAM; 20.7 MP camera; 5 inch screen Full HD; 3000mhA battery; 16 GB onboard storage; microSD slot

Manufacturer: Sony

Sony launched the Xperia Z last year. After years of playing second fiddle to Apple, Samsung, HTC and Nokia, and finally produced a flagship smartphone that could compete with the best. Stylish and good-looking, with a solid camera and full HD screen also had a USP – you could easily dunk in water. Z's successor is the Sony Xperia Z1, codename Honami, and, on first impression, at least, is the phone that was supposed to be the Sony Xperia Z.

See also: best Android phones round-up

Sony decided to use a frame-aluminium machined to merge together the front and rear glass panels. Is a bold design statement and one that exudes quality. It's a bit reminiscent of the iPhone 4 's design but Sony has managed to craft the chassis and the antenna, using a single piece of metal as opposed to the sections together. Not only is an impressive engineering achievement, it also helps provide strength and rigidity to the Xperia Z1.

This is a solid piece of kit.

Machined aluminum frame makes the Xperia Z1 solid feel

the Xperia Z wasn't exactly a small phone but the Xperia Z1 is even bigger. Where the likes of Samsung, Apple and HTC tries to keep their flagship phones as possible finishes, Sony has increased the size of the Z1, while keeping the same screen size.

Keep the phone and the weight difference and feel from its predecessor is dramatic. Where the Xperia Z was all sharp ridges and plastic corners Xperia Z1 is everything well balanced, soft, curvy metal. Yes, it's bigger, but the Xperia Z1 is a much more comfortable to hold and use for long periods of time.
Xperia Z1 (left) next to Xperia Z (right)

A narrow band of plastic joins the frame for glass panels at the front and rear. The design makes it less de Garang as the iPhone 5 or a HTC, especially as the lunette between the screen and the frame are on the big side. On the other hand the Xperia Z1 is overly plastic roads Samsung Galaxy S4 and feels much more solid than that tussocks of iPhone 5.

The right hand of the phone has a SIM slot at the top, the power button and the volume rocker just below and a dedicated camera button. On the other hand you get microSD card slot and microUSB socket as a wireless charging point.

All sides are covered with flaps that help to maintain the water resistance of Xperia Z1. It is not too much of a problem for microSD and SIM slot, but could be a bit of a pain fiddling with it whenever you want to charge the phone, which makes charging points out a useful feature. The charging dock is sold separately at around £ 40, however.

The 3.5 mm headphone jack sits on the top edge of the Xperia Z1. Sony has managed to keep this bare socket still water resistant, making it easier to add and remove the headphones without having to worry about the water making its way to your phone. Is a nice touch and one that will appeal to people who love listening to music in the bathroom or on the beach, but is worried about water damage.

Is there a speaker grille at the bottom of the phone, while one of the corners has a hole drilled through it to add a wrist strap.

Flip the Z1 and you will find the logos of Sony Xperia and tastefully subtle peeping from behind the glass, while the camera and LED flash are on the top left, but more on the camera later.

Sony has kept faith with the 5-inch screen and full HD 1080 resolution, but added its Triluminos technology and X-reality TV to broaden the palette of colors red meaning skin tones Look richer and more accurate.

If we cut through the jargon what we have is actually a screen looks sharp and accurate color reproduction. Viewing angles remain though. Just like the Z before it, the Xperia Z1 has a plastic screen protector covers the screen glass. Quite why Sony insists owners should have this we're not sure, but we'd like to leave Sony owners decide if they want to cover that gorgeous screen or not. The screen protector screen blurs a bit and makes it feel less silky controls than on competing phones.

Purple and white versions of Xperia Z1

We will let you know when we test the complete device if the screen is better than the Super AMOLED screen on the Galaxy S4, but in a few hours that we spent with the Z1 we felt that wasn't quite on par with the flagship of Samsung.

Xperia Z1 has the same processor as the huge Xperia Z Ultra – a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon running at 800 a stonking 2.2 GHz with 330 Adreno graphics.

It is currently the fastest smartphone processor and when we tested the Z Ultra we managed to get an impressive 11,896 in ice storm extreme 3D Mark, a benchmarking tests that measure processor performance. That is almost twice as fast as the Galaxy S4.

The 800 Snapdragon is paired with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory, although this can be expanded using microSD card up to 64 GB. Only about 12 GB of internal memory is available for use, though.

In practice the Xperia Z1 felt very snappy running Android 4.2.2. Opening apps and scroll the menu was slick and open camera app quickly and was extremely responsive. Sony Z1 is planning to upgrade to 4.3 Android, but this is unlikely to happen before the release.

the Xperia Z1 even larger battery pack to any phone in its class-3000mAh battery to be exact. That is a complete most 400mAh battery Samsung Galaxy S4 – one of current-gen 5-inch smartphone with the greatest strength. If the increases efficiency touted for the Snapdragon processor is accurate that 800 Xperia Z1 can even last more than a couple of days on a single charge.

Read to find out why the camera of Xperia Z1 is one of the more impressive yet seen on a smartphone.

View the original article here