It is August 3 2013 and this phone has been out for a little while now. I am looking for a new phone because I need to switch carriers. I currently have a Galaxy Note 2 and I absolutely love it. I see that Sony announced they will update it to 4.3. The screen is only 0.5" smaller then my Note 2. The Sony has a higher resolution though. The battery life doesn't seem to be a problem for most of you (I checked the battery thread). Do all of you who currently own the Sony absolutely love the phone? Do you wish you tried a different phone? I love the look of the phone.
I am stuck between the Galaxy S4, HTC one, and this ZL. The S4 seems to have a ton of bloatware that I will never use but since the Google edition was announced, I might be able to flash a stock version of android on it once they figure out the battery drain issue. Same goes for the HTC one. I love the Sony for no apparent reason. It looks like a decent phone on paper and I remember reading about how Sony is really making an effort to help out developers. They also seem to keep updating this phone (4.2.2 and 4.3).
I need to decide soon so I appreciate any responses!
Edit** was this phone really just released 4 months ago? For some reason I thought it was older.
It's your decision of course and nobody here can really make that decision for you... it's a very subjective topic and you will get 100 different "answers".
However, I'll give you my highly subjective and personal opinion... for what it's worth.
I have both the Z and ZL, a GS3 and have had an HTC One. The GS3 is a reliable and usable phone that is easy to mod. It does everything well, except the screen is really unreadable outside. The 2 particular key points for me on phones, other than the ability to function reliably as a phone, are a good notification LED and a decent FM radio. The Radio is quite passable on the GS3. I bought an HTC One to replace the GS3 and was both impressed by some aspects and seriously disappointed by others. The notification LED is a joke and the FM radio was chronically insensitive to the point of being worthless. Plus the speaker grilles didn't fit correctly. It lasted a week and then got returned.
The GS4 doesn't have an FM radio... pathetic discrimination
Anyway, on to Sony...
The Z was bought in lieu of the H1. I've always liked Sony and SE phones, they are designed in Scandinavia and it shows, certainly in the electronic design and qualification. I also bought the ZL whilst on a business trip in Germany a week or two later. Both phones are great, but I prefer the ZL - because it is physically smaller (thicker but nicer to hold), has a better screen (higher brightness and contrast plus better viewing angles), no flaps to mess about with, the Sony logo is on the phone not the ASF (gives you more options) and has a slightly better notification LED. The FM radio is fantastic on both, although for some reason the Z is more sensitive, by about 10% I reckon. I also prefer the easy access SIM and SD card slots. The loudspeaker on the ZL is not restricted by waterproofing and is thus a fair bit louder...
So for me, the ZL is my phone of choice. It does everything I need and well. Sony are quick with updates and there are no obvious bugs. The UI is rather less "Noddy" than TW and less intrusive than Sense. The call quality is excellent too, in case you need to use it as a phone!!!
So it's down to what is important to you...
That was a awesome post very informative of different phones. I just got a zl to replace my broken HTC one xl and I love it I'm a big Sony fan they make solid products and I've never had a issue and when I have Sony has been quick to respond. It's a good choice
Sent from my Xperia Arc using xda app-developers app
It's honestly a great phone and highly underrated. Maybe it is a very polarizing phone, in that some hate it while others absolutely love it.
Well it's down to what your needs are.
For custom roms development support go for either Htc one or S4.
For sound Htc one.
For screen brilliance HTC One or possibly S4. Zl screen looks washed out and very poor viewing angles.
Camera. ZL or S4.
Memory Zl or S4.
Smoothness UI Htc one.
Design HTC one.
Speed HTC One or S4.
Notification light ZL or S4.
Premium build HTC One.
For me it has to be HTC One.
riz157 said:
Well it's down to what your needs are.
For custom roms development support go for either Htc one or S4.
For sound Htc one.
For screen brilliance HTC One or possibly S4. Zl screen looks washed out and very poor viewing angles.
Camera. ZL or S4.
Memory Zl or S4.
Smoothness UI Htc one.
Design HTC one.
Speed HTC One or S4.
Notification light ZL or S4.
Premium build HTC One.
For me it has to be HTC One.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Had someone offer me a HTC One + $50 the other day. I just don't see the appeal.
Which HTC One has...
4G (LTE)?
notification toggles?
support to microSD card, including SDXC (I still believe Sony will really fix it )?
Sony design?
Sony UI and Sony exclusive widgets?
full integration with Sony products (PS3, Bravia, Muteki, Music Unlimited...)?
movie player with BE2?
a full 5" screen almost to the edge of the bevel of the phone?
a 2013 main camera (against the 2009-compatible 4 Mpx from HTC one?)
Andre Verissimo said:
Which HTC One has...
4G (LTE)?
notification toggles?
support to microSD card, including SDXC (I still believe Sony will really fix it )?
Sony design?
Sony UI and Sony exclusive widgets?
full integration with Sony products (PS3, Bravia, Muteki, Music Unlimited...)?
movie player with BE2?
a full 5" screen almost to the edge of the bevel of the phone?
a 2013 main camera (against the 2009-compatible 4 Mpx from HTC one?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The One has LTE and notification toggles. To the OP. I switch phones A LOT so I've had all the big boys and I have to say the ZL is a really nice phone. The One is definitely a good competitor though. As for the S4 that has been my least favorite as it feels so cheap and i hate the home button. It all depends on personal preference but as for me I'll probably keep this for the next 2 months and then get the Moto X.
I think the answer depends on your timetable and perspective:
On 8/7, the LG G2 is going to be announed, which will be the first American-carrier snapdragon 800 phone. A month later, Samsung is expected to announce the Note 3 and a Galaxy S4 advanced. By the late fall, there should even be a Nexus 5.
Battery may not be a problem for us... but we don't have notes. We have small phones with giant screens and have (relatively) low standards like a phone lasting 12 hours on a charge rather than the Note's 2 day/no charge norm.
--
I like the ZL (bought 3 months ago). It has met my needs pretty well. I find that it's easier to make a mistake flashing mods and have bootloops needing reflashes... compared to my Samsung experience. I dislike its bluetooth stack... as I have to disable wifi for it to facilitate phone calls in my car. I have a slight feeling of it being the stepchild of the Sony family, as the developer of the only kernel stopped supporting the phone (he never owned it) and the custom roms are not as numerous as the Xperia Z. I had an AT&T LG Optimus G (same processor, smaller screen, wider body) directly before it and the SGS3 before that. I don't wish I had the HTC One.
I have checked almost every review available on the internet and they all wish the device had better screen and camera.
The screen has poor viewing angles and camera is gainy in low light and looses focus even in bright light.
Well I don't want to base my idea totally on reviews, since they compare it with the best.
Will you guys recommend if the Screen and camera quality are at par with a high end phone, so that I can consider buying it?
ajhavery said:
I have checked almost every review available on the internet and they all wish the device had better screen and camera.
The screen has poor viewing angles and camera is gainy in low light and looses focus even in bright light.
Well I don't want to base my idea totally on reviews, since they compare it with the best.
Will you guys recommend if the Screen and camera quality are at par with a high end phone, so that I can consider buying it?
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Click to collapse
Trust me, screen quality is much much better after the Update. Camera vise its really improved. If i am at a party with friends its like they want me to click pics from my ZL and day light pics are just great.
Compression Issue has been fixed in HDR. So its less noisy in low light condition with HDR.(Really Improved)
close up i would prefer my ZL.
But macros are not that great.
New update increased screen responsiveness. Frankly speaking Its getting better in every update.
But Beware, in Some phones there seems to some sort of Microphone bug which i am facing right now.(software May be as it works in everything else like recording)
Happy with Sony Xperia ZL Using from Past 5 Months.
Price has also been reduced. so its a best buy as of now.
IMO,if you need phone that trending (more dev support),go for HTC One or S4,since it also have Google Edition
but here few advantage of ZL to me:
-compact size 5' screen: -it slightly thicker than z,but more compact,it have thin bezel (fit into my pocket)
-omnibalance design: -slightly curve on the back,which support better grip,not need for cover since it make from plactic (still look premium)
-don't have to worry to put with key in pocket (still you should at least use screen protector to prevent direct scratch)
-camera : hv 13mp back n 2mp front,can recorded full hd video,have hdr,and hv dedicated shutter key with 2 press mechanism
image captured viewed beautiful on the phone with bravia engine 2 on
-notification light: at bottom,look really premium to me
-hv expandable storage (compare to HTC One)
-hv ir blaster: can control tv (compare to xperia z)
-speaker: average to me (htc one better i think) but it still able to make me up in the morning (i'm a heavy sleeper xD )
the earphone include is good enough (but can't compare it with high end earphone)
-sony software that does matter : walkman,album,movie,etc- support BE2,xloud,clearphase equalizer,which make music better
disadvantage:
-highly under rated (less dev support,however most dev in xperia z do port to zl,we still hv CM,PAC support )
-camera apps takes some times to launch (about 1-2 sec)
-screen does hv limited viewing angles but still visible in bright sunlight (with the help of UI itself that mainly white/grey colour)
Last word: xperia ZL does not hv the hype of other phone such as HTC One or S4 but it does hv enough power to run almost any apps in the play store,moreover with gr8 support from sony,i believe you could stay in stock firmware for quite sometimes,i used to unlock my bootloader and use custom rom for a week (to do this make sure you read all FAQ first if you not used to sony devices) but i'm back to stock and i'm happy with what sony offer to me
---------- Post added at 10:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:39 AM ----------
ajhavery said:
I have checked almost every review available on the internet and they all wish the device had better screen and camera.
The screen has poor viewing angles and camera is gainy in low light and looses focus even in bright light.
Well I don't want to base my idea totally on reviews, since they compare it with the best.
Will you guys recommend if the Screen and camera quality are at par with a high end phone, so that I can consider buying it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i suggest you bring ur current phone and compare it with zl at retail shop,i u satisfied then grab it,if not choose others,review is useful but sometimes the company hv push updates to the phone to fix/improve the problem appear,while review stay the same,for example we recently received updates that improve touch sensitivity,ram management,camera low-light performance,etc,the latest firmware changelog can be view here
Ya I wasn't really looking for a specific yes or no. I was looking for things like: are you happy with it? Things you like about it and things you dislike. Did you find out anything after you bought it that you wish you knew before you bought it?
I really wish I could wait for the Note 3 but I need the phone basically this week. I am not a heavy user so I am pretty sure the smaller battery in this phone will be fine. My current Note 2 is amazing though. I understand that there will always be a better phone that is out or coming out soon. The Sony zl is free at Rogers right now so if I hate it that much I can sell it and get a nexus 4 or something. I don't really care about custom roms that much anymore. I used to care more because my first android phone was an LG G2x and they never updated it so I had to rely on custom roms for upgrades. As long as Sony will update it for another year or 2 ill be happy.
htc one vs sony zl
After many reviews online, I could not decide between One and ZL, so I bought both on eBay for my personal evaluation but will sell the other one later. HTC One is very good phone, high contrast screen, hi-powered speakers and responsive touch (very good if you want to watch YouTube). But, my choice is Sony ZL. There are much talks on the internet about washed screen on ZL. Do not believe it and I tell you why. For some reasons Sony designers chose to use the theme with dark grey background and white letters which is easier for eyes for long time but losing on sensation of hi-contrast. However, if you can choose a dark theme, it will change the game. Also, latest updates for ZL tend toward black background. Really, do you think that Sony, that makes TVs, laptops and professional monitors can not make phone screens? The speakers of One is better but that does not apply for the speaker when you make a phone call, which is sensational for ZL with xLoud and noise canceling enhancements. Overall the ZL looks and feels much more modern with very thin bezel while the One feels like an upgrade from old one. I thought BraviaEngine is there for commercial reasons but its really good when you watch movies and videos.
ZL is a awesome device. Its that developers don't do anything currently. There is a dev kamarush who said if he get the device he will do the kernels. But he didn't have money AFAIK. Some1 should come and help the community. Looks like we gotta donate a device to a very well know xda member: suggestion - tonyp, slim_rick, pulser_q2 etc etc
Sent from my C6503 using Tapatalk 4
Never really understood the issues people are having with the screen. All the reviews made it out to look like it was the most horrible screen on a phone to date. That is simply not the case. Having came from a galaxy note 1 I can honestly say the screen is on par with it. The viewing angle issue is a joke and should be experienced first hand and not from some reviewer with his head stuck up his ass. Thank god I got this phone despite what the reviews said. I'd have missed out on a great device.
Sent from my C6503
Agree that the screen (as stated in my post above) is not at all bad. Better than the XZ
Sent from my C6503 using xda premium
devilsshadow said:
Never really understood the issues people are having with the screen. All the reviews made it out to look like it was the most horrible screen on a phone to date. That is simply not the case. Having came from a galaxy note 1 I can honestly say the screen is on par with it. The viewing angle issue is a joke and should be experienced first hand and not from some reviewer with his head stuck up his ass. Thank god I got this phone despite what the reviews said. I'd have missed out on a great device.
Sent from my C6503
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Click to collapse
I agree 100% ! I just love it.
The viewing angle is indeed deficient but I dont care. Its still bright and colorful. The FM radio and the loads of media formats it can play built in, are a great plus for me Really enjoyable device. Cant wait for an aokp 4.3 custom rom
unoo said:
Ya I wasn't really looking for a specific yes or no. I was looking for things like: are you happy with it? Things you like about it and things you dislike. Did you find out anything after you bought it that you wish you knew before you bought it?
I really wish I could wait for the Note 3 but I need the phone basically this week. I am not a heavy user so I am pretty sure the smaller battery in this phone will be fine. My current Note 2 is amazing though. I understand that there will always be a better phone that is out or coming out soon. The Sony zl is free at Rogers right now so if I hate it that much I can sell it and get a nexus 4 or something. I don't really care about custom roms that much anymore. I used to care more because my first android phone was an LG G2x and they never updated it so I had to rely on custom roms for upgrades. As long as Sony will update it for another year or 2 ill be happy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i would not sure if there will be update for 2 years,you said u used note 2,so r u using the s-pen heavily,i hv a friend that like to sketch cartoon with his note 2,and i think that phone really suitable for him,if you one of them,you should wait for note 3,if not,i suggest you give zl a shot,nexus 4 also a good phone but i choose zl instead of nexus 4 when i buy it because i want to hv expandable storage n i also use fm radio quite frequently,i use zl since early 3 april until today and so far i'm happy with it.what i like mainly the phone shape,different from other and the only thing i dislike is the camera takes some times to load as i mention earlier,hope sony will fix it later on
ihsan123 said:
i would not sure if there will be update for 2 years,you said u used note 2,so r u using the s-pen heavily,i hv a friend that like to sketch cartoon with his note 2,and i think that phone really suitable for him,if you one of them,you should wait for note 3,if not,i suggest you give zl a shot,nexus 4 also a good phone but i choose zl instead of nexus 4 when i buy it because i want to hv expandable storage n i also use fm radio quite frequently,i use zl since early 3 april until today and so far i'm happy with it.what i like mainly the phone shape,different from other and the only thing i dislike is the camera takes some times to load as i mention earlier,hope sony will fix it later on
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Click to collapse
I never use the sPen. I don't care about the speakers either because I never use external speakers in a phone. I never heard anything bad about the screen but I make the assumption that sony makes TV's so that can make a decent cell phone screen haha. The more I think about it, I just want a properly functioning phone. If Sony updates it then that is great but as long as it is smooth and everything works then ill be happy. It is going to be my phone for the next 3 years so it needs to last!
Related
I get my shiny new 6502 today and I am sooo excited I am coming from a Note II.
Reasons I switched:
Love the fact that it is a 5" screen but compact, tired of lugging around such a huge phone but love a bigger screen.
Love the clean UI, almost Nexus 4'ish.
Love that it's not all glass like the Z because I use my phones naked so less chance of damage there.
Love the fact that I bought a factory unlocked phone and that I am actually going to finally give T Mobile a try (coming from AT&T), will save $70 a month.
Love the fact that my phone will be different than the other 90% of the population because its not an iPhone or Samsung.
Love the fact that paired up with my shiny new black Pebble watch, this will be a sick combo!
Love 13MP camera so i can zoom into everything. (use phone a lot for engineering work and take pictures of things for notes)
Also love the fact that I bought an HTC One (still waiting for it) and will probably use both as my daily driver (I get bored really quick haha)
Concerns:
I hope that the camera is good and if not that we can either tweak the software for the original camera app, or get a custom camera app that will work better.
I hope the display doesn't wash out as bad as everyone says (or that I don't actually use the screen from a different angle, because I have never thought of it)
Hope the external speaker is at least decent enough that if I watch youtube videos I can hear them ok.
Hope I can tweak the heck out of the phone.
Hope I can get the camera app to launch faster. (might just have to keep it loaded in memory before I know I am going to use it, but what happens when you need it quickly...)
Just some of my thoughts for now as I day dream of my new phone today.
Come on mail lady, please be swift today!
If you have any thoughts on any of these things, or your own reasons you switched or concerns, I would love to hear them.
I will post back on here as soon as I get the phone in my hands (my precious will be with me soon) haha
Guess what I just got in my hands! My little precious!!!
Congratulations! I find that my zl battery got so much better after about 5 days, also I find it gets less warm these days. I have action launcher, lmt launcher and the phone is great. I find the camera launches pretty fast using the shutter key.
Absolutely love the screen and the feel of this device! Cannot believe how small this is with a 5" screen, amazing. Excellent build quality, screams elegant.
10x faster than my Note 2.
Will continue to download all my apps and get it fully customized and write more later on it.
1st impressions; love it!
Hardcore73 said:
Absolutely love the screen and the feel of this device! Cannot believe how small this is with a 5" screen, amazing. Excellent build quality, screams elegant.
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I agree! Every single time I pick up the phone, it just sits so well in the hand. I wanna touch it over and over again. I even run my hands over it gently when its lying in front of me with that gorgeous back
Hardcore73 said:
Absolutely love the screen and the feel of this device! Cannot believe how small this is with a 5" screen, amazing. Excellent build quality, screams elegant.
10x faster than my Note 2.
Will continue to download all my apps and get it fully customized and write more later on it.
1st impressions; love it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
awesome...seriously that faster over note 2? haha
If you live in a major city. Try T-Mobile, they are upgrading their network at the moment to 4g/LTE. Although LTE is not ready to be turned on. I'm working on the NYC metro market.
Sent from my Inspire 4G using xda app-developers app
6502 does not have LTE
After using this phone for a full day I am so in love with it. I really was unsure and thought it would just get me by until the HTC showed up.
This might actually become my new daily driver.
Been messing with camera app all day. It is hit or miss.
Everything about the phone is great. I can also go a whole day with moderate use.
only downfall of this phone is the camera software. Pictures are hit or miss.
I have to say i'm very disappointed.
Not comparable to the HTC ONE or the Galaxy S4. Maybe new design but we didn't even get flagship. Sorry Sony.
GodKingKnight said:
Not comparable to the HTC ONE or the Galaxy S4. Maybe new design but we didn't even get flagship. Sorry Sony.
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Wtf is we didn't even get flagship? That's a reason the zl can't beat one or s4? Wow the people on this forum does not fail to amaze me with their stupidity every single day.
Sent from my LT29i using Tapatalk 2
This phone is a flag ship. Sony may be behind on processor and screen but the difference against the competition in real world use is not visible. If you read all the blogs and believe everything you read you may believe this phone is inferior. Actually the ZL holds its own. Just sold my htc one for it. Horses for courses.
Sent from my C6502 using xda premium
GodKingKnight said:
Not comparable to the HTC ONE or the Galaxy S4. Maybe new design but we didn't even get flagship. Sorry Sony.
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I prefer ZL over the two phones u mentioned. Overall ZL seems well rounded device & better suited to my use. Of course, ZL is a flagship (along with Z). I'd have answered objectively if only your post were so!
switching from nexus 4
I just ordered a 6502 today, should be here tuesday or wednesday.
I'm switching from a nexus 4. Yes I know but I have always liked Sony:laugh:
glovesave said:
I just ordered a 6502 today, should be here tuesday or wednesday.
I'm switching from a nexus 4. Yes I know but I have always liked Sony:laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will keep picking it up, just feels so good in the hand. Sony has come along way from the days of x10
Sent from my C6502 using Tapatalk 2
Hey, I liked the x10!!!
ronj1986 said:
Hey, I liked the x10!!!
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Click to collapse
software was so blotted and the built quality was alright..
Great phone!
I'm also waiting for my HTC One in the mail. My carrier was offering a ridiculous deal for the ZL so I went for it, and will make my decision when it comes. The ZL is awesome for many unique reasons and could very well become my DD
Elegant design - great feel in the hand!
Can use one handed because of compact design and small bezel
Display is gorgeous. Yeah we know about the poor viewing angles...but we mainly look at our phones straight on...right?
Sexy and visible LED notification light (HTC take note)
Power button has perfect placement. It's just accessible no matter how you pick up the phone (again take note HTC)
Expandable storage
Dedicated camera button
Clean and unbloated Android experience. Super fast ui response!
IR blaster works great with other devices
Great sound with headphones
No point in outlining negatives here. Either way you slice it this is a fantastic phone....enjoy it!
got it....love my 6502
It came today, haven't had time to play too much with it so still setting it up.
So far I am loving it.
Don't have to enable data to receive pictures in my texts (that always annoyed me on the Nexus 4). Also I am torn between all the updates vs giving even more info to Google. I picked the Sony route for a bit.
Love the 5 inch size, with the screen taking most of the front it is just right it seems
Went with the unlocked 6502, won't pay $200 extra for LTE (I'm on WIFI all the time anyways)
Just picked up an Xperia Zl (C6506) and using it on Bell Mobility Canada. I currently use a Note II (came from a Note I prior, and an iPhone 4S before that). After just a few hours here are my thoughts (I'll update this later as I get to try battery power and reception a bit more).
I will be using this for a week or two for sure, and I'll either give this to my wife and grab a Galaxy S4, or I will keep this and get an Xperia ZL for the wife too. I'll decide when the S4 comes out, but so far I could happily live with this device.
Obviously, the points below are incomplete. I'll update over the next few weeks:
Screen:
- Nice and sharp. Boy was I more worried than I should have been about the 'terrible' viewing angles. I am picky about the display too, so I was worried I would not like it. Display is fine (yes, colours washed out a bit on an angle but its really not a big deal).
- Screen size is great! If the Note's screen size has you spoiled, the Xperia is a good device to move to if you want a smaller 'pocket' footprint.
Build quality/Size:
- Feels great in the hand. The plastic feels better quality than the Note II or S3s. Does not feel cheap.
- Wife who has iPhone 4S loves it too (she has very small hands, unlike the big ones I have). She says it "does not feel dainty like the iPhone". I asked her if she would be happy with it and she said she will use this no prob, and she hates big phones.
- Feels great in the pocket (but I did not mind the Note II in my jeans so that that into account).
Performance:
- snappy scrolling and app launching. Comparable to the Note II (in my eyes).
- Took my 64GB microSD card no problems. It was formatted by my Note II (not sure of the file format) and the ZL took the card and reads all the data already on it without an issue or need to reformat.
Conclusion (after 3 hours of use):
- Nothing to worry about as far as screen size and screen quality if you are a Note II user.
There's already a thread regarding this in the Q&A section as many of us (ZL owners) have/had note2. I've done my comparison of the two here. Anyway thanks for sharing your views!
Dpk1 said:
There's already a thread regarding this in the Q&A section as many of us (ZL owners) have/had note2. I've done my comparison of the two here. Anyway thanks for sharing your views!
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Click to collapse
Haha awesome. I did not look too closely at the Indian ZL thread. Looks like your experiences are close to what I am seeing (the model numbers of the Note II and ZL differ mostly in just the available modems correct?)
chriskwarren said:
Haha awesome. I did not look too closely at the Indian ZL thread. Looks like your experiences are close to what I am seeing (the model numbers of the Note II and ZL differ mostly in just the available modems correct?)
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Yeah, I guess. Lol, we do share quite similar thoughts !
came from note 2 here as well. loving the phone!
Sent from my C6502 using xda premium
hyelton said:
came from note 2 here as well. loving the phone!
Sent from my C6502 using xda premium
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So actually whats the Difference you found in Xperia Zl vs Galaxy Note II ?
Why you choose Zl, instead of getting S4?
All people having complain about viewing angle, I also want to go for Xperia Zl but now by people reviews I really disappointed to go for it, but I love Xperia Zl
If you're another victim of the viewing angle plot, get your self a s4 and end convo now. What is the matter with people and viewing angles? **** is a useless extra that Samsung fan boys dug out their ass to justify the flat looking icons their Ui looks. And even so, who looks into their screens from an angle? Rreally? Common people.
Sent from my LT29i using Tapatalk 2
Lusterboi said:
If you're another victim of the viewing angle plot, get your self a s4 and end convo now. What is the matter with people and viewing angles? **** is a useless extra that Samsung fan boys dug out their ass to justify the flat looking icons their Ui looks. And even so, who looks into their screens from an angle? Rreally? Common people.
Sent from my LT29i using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
No Brother you are wrong I'm not victim of Bloody viewing angles, but I'm just try to asking actually How the screen of Xperia Zl is looking ???
Because I love the Simplicity of Sony UI & also compact design,
One-thing more is ntt-docomo Xperia is using looking better than normal Xperia line, do you know about it?
jhony.liver said:
No Brother you are wrong I'm not victim of Bloody viewing angles, but I'm just try to asking actually How the screen of Xperia Zl is looking ???
Because I love the Simplicity of Sony UI & also compact design,
One-thing more is ntt-docomo Xperia is using looking better than normal Xperia line, do you know about it?
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Click to collapse
Compared to other flagship, screen is good. Nothing spectacular, but nothing to keep nagging about either. You see so many complaining about it, because there is very little wrong with the ZL. The best thing to do, if you are on the fence, would be to compare them once the S4 is out. The screen looks insanely sharp on their new ads.
As for the NTT DOCOMO version, remember that its bootloader will be locked. Whether its unlockable or not, you will need to check.
I think you need to decide if you want
Soft buttons or Sammy style buttons
Dedicated camera button or not
Touch whiz or Sony styling
Lcd or amoled
Removable battery or not
When you have decided you have made your decision.
The rest just doesn't matter.
Processor - you won't know the difference
Camera - both good
Battery life - comparable
Good luck.
Sent from my C6502 using xda premium
Week 2 after trading Note 2 for X ZL
I was in the same boat as you. Actually, I loved my Note 2 I used the hell out of it, the screen size was enough that I almost completely abandoned my Nexus 7, it just fit the gap between Tablet and phone so close that I hardly ever felt myself needing to switch to the Nexus 7.
Not to mention the battery was awesome and I don't remember ever having a day where I didn't get a full day of heavy use out of it. It was my favorite gadget ever so, as you can imagine, I was a bit reluctant to give it up easily. I actually had no real intention of selling my note 2 but I've had it for a while and it started to show it's age.
I was in a mobile shop the other day and I saw a ZL there. It was used 2 days and almost $200 dollars off the new price. In the end it cost me a grand total of $50 and heavily used, year old Note 2 as a trade in. Pretty damn good deal if you ask me. The phone was in mint condition. I had some experience with the Xperia Z which a friend bought and I really, really liked it. At first I was kind of sad that the Z was not available but I couldn't pass it up at that good of a deal. Now having used it for a couple weeks, I like the ZL much, much better than the Z
So, two weeks in and I am super happy. I love the ZL completely. I was a worried I wouldn't like it as much because the screen a little smalled but the nearly invisible bezel on the ZL and the build quality made it all worth it. ( I would love to see a 5.5" screen on the next version of it )
All in all I don't regret my decision at all and I don't think I will be giving it up anytime soon ( that is maybe until the note 3 is released, or the fabled Xphone from Motorola ) until then I will love and enjoy my ZL.
I do have a few minor issues with the ZL. First and foremost it seems to get a bit warm pretty quickly, I'm not exactly sure why this is but I never had any heat issues with any of my previous phones ( samsungs and nokias mostly )
People mention the viewing angles, and I honestly can't understand why this is an issue. With A TV I could understand because you sometimes have to sit at weird angles., but on a mobile I don't understand why anyone would want ( or would be able to ) use their phone at any angle that would cause any problems. In my experience the ZL has an awesome screen, althoughI did notice a single dead pixel which kinda makes me sad but you can't really notice it.
My other issues are simply, I can't find any aftermarket stuff for it in my area. There are no cases or anything to speak of so I am super paranoid about dropping it.
And finally, there is a lack of custom roms out there for the ZL. This is more because I'm a Rom addict and not smart enough to bake my own ;D
I rooted it and unlocked the boot-loader out of the box I would love to put PAC Rom on it at some point.
Again, it took my 64GB SD card with no problems.
The battery life is not as good as the Note 2 but it is very, very good. I make it through a whole day, with heavy use no problem.
In closing, if you are on the fence about trading in your Note 2, don't be. It's a worthy upgrade.
chriskwarren said:
Just picked up an Xperia Zl (C6506) and using it on Bell Mobility Canada. I currently use a Note II (came from a Note I prior, and an iPhone 4S before that). After just a few hours here are my thoughts (I'll update this later as I get to try battery power and reception a bit more).
I will be using this for a week or two for sure, and I'll either give this to my wife and grab a Galaxy S4, or I will keep this and get an Xperia ZL for the wife too. I'll decide when the S4 comes out, but so far I could happily live with this device.
Obviously, the points below are incomplete. I'll update over the next few weeks:
Screen:
- Nice and sharp. Boy was I more worried than I should have been about the 'terrible' viewing angles. I am picky about the display too, so I was worried I would not like it. Display is fine (yes, colours washed out a bit on an angle but its really not a big deal).
- Screen size is great! If the Note's screen size has you spoiled, the Xperia is a good device to move to if you want a smaller 'pocket' footprint.
Build quality/Size:
- Feels great in the hand. The plastic feels better quality than the Note II or S3s. Does not feel cheap.
- Wife who has iPhone 4S loves it too (she has very small hands, unlike the big ones I have). She says it "does not feel dainty like the iPhone". I asked her if she would be happy with it and she said she will use this no prob, and she hates big phones.
- Feels great in the pocket (but I did not mind the Note II in my jeans so that that into account).
Performance:
- snappy scrolling and app launching. Comparable to the Note II (in my eyes).
- Took my 64GB microSD card no problems. It was formatted by my Note II (not sure of the file format) and the ZL took the card and reads all the data already on it without an issue or need to reformat.
Conclusion (after 3 hours of use):
- Nothing to worry about as far as screen size and screen quality if you are a Note II user.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you're a flash a holic and you made a new account and this is your first post?
thx bro for the review btw. this is good to hear as I am also considering Sony Xperia ZL, but strictly for the ROMs (because I thought development for Sony was better, vs Samsung's AT&T Note 2 ROMs which I found a bit lacking even after one year).
I'm currently on GSM Galaxy Nexus which has a boat load of ROMs to flash.
I might wait a year to see how the development shapes up. I will get the ZL that comes with LTE support so I'm reading around for a while.
abuayyoub said:
I was in the same boat as you. Actually, I loved my Note 2 I used the hell out of it, the screen size was enough that I almost completely abandoned my Nexus 7, it just fit the gap between Tablet and phone so close that I hardly ever felt myself needing to switch to the Nexus 7.
Not to mention the battery was awesome and I don't remember ever having a day where I didn't get a full day of heavy use out of it. It was my favorite gadget ever so, as you can imagine, I was a bit reluctant to give it up easily. I actually had no real intention of selling my note 2 but I've had it for a while and it started to show it's age.
I was in a mobile shop the other day and I saw a ZL there. It was used 2 days and almost $200 dollars off the new price. In the end it cost me a grand total of $50 and heavily used, year old Note 2 as a trade in. Pretty damn good deal if you ask me. The phone was in mint condition. I had some experience with the Xperia Z which a friend bought and I really, really liked it. At first I was kind of sad that the Z was not available but I couldn't pass it up at that good of a deal. Now having used it for a couple weeks, I like the ZL much, much better than the Z
So, two weeks in and I am super happy. I love the ZL completely. I was a worried I wouldn't like it as much because the screen a little smalled but the nearly invisible bezel on the ZL and the build quality made it all worth it. ( I would love to see a 5.5" screen on the next version of it )
All in all I don't regret my decision at all and I don't think I will be giving it up anytime soon ( that is maybe until the note 3 is released, or the fabled Xphone from Motorola ) until then I will love and enjoy my ZL.
I do have a few minor issues with the ZL. First and foremost it seems to get a bit warm pretty quickly, I'm not exactly sure why this is but I never had any heat issues with any of my previous phones ( samsungs and nokias mostly )
People mention the viewing angles, and I honestly can't understand why this is an issue. With A TV I could understand because you sometimes have to sit at weird angles., but on a mobile I don't understand why anyone would want ( or would be able to ) use their phone at any angle that would cause any problems. In my experience the ZL has an awesome screen, althoughI did notice a single dead pixel which kinda makes me sad but you can't really notice it.
My other issues are simply, I can't find any aftermarket stuff for it in my area. There are no cases or anything to speak of so I am super paranoid about dropping it.
And finally, there is a lack of custom roms out there for the ZL. This is more because I'm a Rom addict and not smart enough to bake my own ;D
I rooted it and unlocked the boot-loader out of the box I would love to put PAC Rom on it at some point.
Again, it took my 64GB SD card with no problems.
The battery life is not as good as the Note 2 but it is very, very good. I make it through a whole day, with heavy use no problem.
In closing, if you are on the fence about trading in your Note 2, don't be. It's a worthy upgrade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow. I'm impressed with the reviews from Note users.
At this point the lack of Roms that's stopping me. I had the XS and used the KA roms and see he is developing for the the ZL which is good.
never stock always tweaked
I had a ZL for 10 days, loved the build quality & size. I would have kept it, but the locked bootloader convinced me that it wasn't worth keeping it. I did find battery life is longer on the Note2. I am hanging on to my Note2 for now.
me too came from note 2.. the phone is pretty badA$$.
I'm surprised I'm not the only Note 2 user looking at this phone... I wonder what it is about it that attracts the Note 2 userbase??
Question for those who have switched regarding the screen, how are the blacks? I know they aren't AMOLED black, but are they still pretty dark?
arthurbrownleeiv said:
I'm surprised I'm not the only Note 2 user looking at this phone... I wonder what it is about it that attracts the Note 2 userbase??
Question for those who have switched regarding the screen, how are the blacks? I know they aren't AMOLED black, but are they still pretty dark?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They're ok, about average for a TFT screen. Nothing compares to AMOLED when it comes to blacks.
Not a note 2 owner
I was torn between Xperia ZL and note 2, because here in my country, they are sold for almost exactly the same price.
With much thinking and reading, I have decided to go for the ZL mainly because of: Compactness, and a brighter future ahead in terms of development support (as I see it).
Getting it next week. Sooo excited
JRBT24 said:
I was torn between Xperia ZL and note 2, because here in my country, they are sold for almost exactly the same price.
With much thinking and reading, I have decided to go for the ZL mainly because of: Compactness, and a brighter future ahead in terms of development support (as I see it).
Getting it next week. Sooo excited
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup its a great phone but don't bother to sell your note 2 ...
Sent from my SM-G900F using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I'm interested to know how likely ZL owners are to buy another Sony phone in the future, based on their experience with the phone.
Consider build quality, frequency of firmware updates, reliability of software, etc.
Best
Worst
Best
Would buy another...
I'm satisfied with the ZL. My only complaint is about the poor viewing angles, but despite that, I'd surely buy another Sony.
Enviado de meu C6503 usando o Tapatalk 2
With good cam and better screen, definitely yes!
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app
Coming from a SGN and seeing my wife's SG3, I would buy Sony again. It has less bloatware and better build than Samsung. Very happy with the phone.
galaxy s4 vs xperia zl
I got 2 phones here gt i9500 and xperia zl. I thought my exynos octa core phne wil b blazing fast compared to Xperia zl but it is slower lag and have many bugs.
ryude said:
I'm interested to know how likely ZL owners are to buy another Sony phone in the future, based on their experience with the phone.
Consider build quality, frequency of firmware updates, reliability of software, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes any time,looking forward for ZR
Sent from my C6506 using xda app-developers app
Absolutely yes!
It has a good build quality, feels like a phone and not like a piece of plastic. It looks and feels very elegant and not like a toy. Except facebook there is very few bloatware, and the UI is simple, but smooth.
Frequency of updates is ok for me, because there are no major bugs in the software. I'm coming from LG Optimus 2x, believe me, LG sucks compared to sony. The software has lots of bugs and there are no updates. Without the great support of the xda community I would have sould my 2x way earlier.
But I am still waiting for 4.2, not because I am missing something, but because sony promised to deliver it soon after launch...
So at the moment I definitley would buy another sony.
Im having good experiences with my ZL.. although compared to the SGNote2 has a better wifi range, smooth UI and louder speaker.. But its also have much more bloatware that eat rams a lot.. my friends SGNote2 stock rooted tweakes has only 330MB/++ free ram compared to my ZL.. has 1.2GB/++ free ram now.. With stock untouched..
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app
I think Sony has earned a lot of respect with the Z/ZL. Sure it has it's faults, but what phone doesn't? I was curious to see if I was the only one who has been "converted". As long as Sony keeps making good phones I will buy them.
The ZL is my first Sony phone, I'd happily buy another. I feel like Sony's finally on the right path, they've gone from completely reworking the Android UI to a very minimalistic change or two, not like Samsung and HTC who still feel they need to re-write the OS.
Also, I liked how easy it was to flash a stock generic rom, got rid of the Bell bloatware the 2nd day i had it.
I had only Ericsson phones, then Sony Ericsson ones (in between one Nokia) and now first Sony i.e. Xperia ZL, and was very happy with all of them I still remember my first GA628 from late'90 ... Neither one did not need servicing. Very durable phones:good:
sarobi said:
I had only Ericsson phones, then Sony Ericsson ones (in between one Nokia) and now first Sony i.e. Xperia ZL, and was very happy with all of them I still remember my first GA628 from late'90 ... Neither one did not need servicing. Very durable phones:good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, I feel so old I actually remember those phones
I certinaly would, but I wish the earpiece was louder. I can't hear anything!
Funk2641 said:
I certinaly would, but I wish the earpiece was louder. I can't hear anything!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know now that you said something, I learned that call volume isn't just controlled when in the call but also the ringer volume. It could be a bug, but I notice significantly higher call volume when my ringer is turned all the way up.
Yes. Been with Sony Ericsson/Sony since "K" series.
Sent from my C6506 using xda premium
This is my first Sony phone. So far very happy with the phone best since hd2. Build quality way better than Samsung. Not sure about how frequently Sony releases firmware upgrades.
I would. This is my first sony android phone (first Sony since the t68i).
I came from the LGOG E970 which I replaced mostly because I wanted AWS Bands. My timing meant I was choosing between this, HTC and Samsung. I decided for a variety of reasons to give the ZL a shot. I bought a white 6502 (Cincinnatti Bell) which I unlocked. This allowed me to get the phone for a great price (130 more than where I sold the LG OG).
Here are my reasons:
Compared to my 4.7" OG, the ZL has a bigger screen, and is the same size to smaller in every dimension but thickness. Having used a blockly phone, I decided I'd rather have the back's curve and thickness. I hated the glass back on the OG so having a comfortable back
The HTC is too metally to feel comfortable. It is also too tall for a 4.7" phone. I also use a 64gb microSD
The SGS4 seems fine. I had the SGS3. If I had gotten the SGS4, I would have replaced the battery cover with a non-oem cover.
The ZL met my desire to at least match every spec my old phone had. I don't know if I'll keep this phone past the Snapdragon 800s/Tegra 4s but frankly, I probably wouldn't keep a snapdragon 600 once the 800 is released.
Since getting the phone, it has been fine. I put on the custom .253 rom, did not unlock the bootloader and have taken the onscreen buttons to 25px. It took a week for the battery life to normalize (for the first week, the phone battery was awful... then it seemed to normalize to an acceptable level). The phone/calendar apps seem good. I used album and walkman on my old phone so there was no learning curve to sony's superior apps (Ironically, my Google Music unlimited membership has cost walkman it's default status). It holds a bluetooth connection with my car better than the last 5 phones I've had. Now what has been the surprise is the camera. I was at my wife's birthday party (nighttime restaurant visit with family) and randomly gave the phone to take a picture on superior auto with her iphone 5. All of a sudden, I realized this is an amazing camera/app combination for both no-flash night and short range flash photography.
Things I love: Screen, small size, camera, not seeing 50 of these everyday.
Things I wish it had... 180 degree rotation (the charger port location makes me want to use the phone upside down on my desk), adjustable vibration levels (would like to use touch vibrations but softer). LG's setting to tone down the processor for battery life.
Things that annoy me: I can't get the noise suppression/speaker enhancement settings to stick after reboot. I don't know whether unlocking my bootloader is worth it (custom Kernels). I think sony's launcher is slow and use Nova's instead (I'd used stock launchers on every phone I'd owned)
The ZL is great fopr my needs, though the call quality is the worst I've ever heard. I've tried other phones in the shops, everyone is better :/
Yes I would buy other one! great phone great design! few little things here and there but love it!
Sent from my C6503 using xda premium
I am just curious to see how everyone feels about their ZL, or experience with Sony as a whole.
For me it's been a mixed bag. Overall, this is by LONG and FAR the most headache-free phone I've ever owned. Period. It's got all the features that I need and it works as it should when needed. I would not trade it for any other Android phone out there, especially a Samsung or HTC. With that all said, I can't help myself being sucked in by all the Nexus 5 rumors. Coming from a Galaxy Nexus, I should have naturally grabbed the Nexus 4, but lack of AT&T-compatible LTE kept me away. Now, with rumored specs coming out by the day, I must say that I am highly tempted by the prospect of owning a Nexus 5.
So what hasn't Sony done to possibly lose me as a customer? Here is the list:
Camera
I doubt I'm alone here to admit that I got had [major time] by Sony's PR when it came to the camera. Simply put, the camera is pure rubbish. I use my work provided iPhone 5c to take pics instead. Sad.
Hardware
Speaking strictly of the paint around the edge, could sony have made it less durable? The slightest bump flakes it off.
Update
I love the fact that there is an update every month to address an issue or two. The bad part, every update either reintroduces an old issue or introduces a new one. Come on.
Wireless Charging
Instead of focusing their efforts on waterproofing, I would love to see Sony bring us wireless charging. Chances of me using wireless charging, every hour of every day. Chances of me diving into a pool with my phone, next to none.
AOSP
If you're going to claim that you support the open community and such, don't release AOSP binaries that do not work. That defeats the whole purpose. I don't mind Sony's stock ROMs, but I like the fact that AOSP gets me the latest and greatest.
Speakers
iPhone had it right. HTC One got it right. Nexus 5 rumored to have gotten it right. Why did Sony put the speaker on the back of the phone is beyond me. It renders it useless when in it's natural position.
So, does this mean I don't adore my Xperia ZL? No, far from it. Does it mean I might consider an alternative device that gives me the above, maybe. Is the Nexus 5 looking better and better? Yeah!
The ZL was the phone I kept the longest in years...
Moving to a Z1. Just receive from Clove. Not waiting for the US ones.
ZL will stay as a back up.
Sendt fra XPERIA ZL 6506
Even if I had €1000000 I would probably still stick with ZL until Sony comes with a ZL1.
Z1f looks nice thought but I don't wanna go back to 4.3". I just want a ZL with new hardware and waterproof.
But... I don't have €1000000 so I will have my ZL for at least another 1.5 years if all goes well
I love my ZL but today I've saw the Note 3 and damn it's a nice phone.. Thinking about moving forward...
Sent from my ZL [email protected]
Sticking around with zl, however fully dependant on nexus 5 features and pricing.
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app
Luv my zl, but kinda bored with it. Thinking of z ultra, or maybe im dreaming..
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app
I'll be replacing my ZL with the Note 5 or 6, it wholly depends on when it dies on me.
coming from galaxy s4...lovin my ZL:victory:
Based on leaks from the official Google Play store, the 16GB is sure to be $349. Guessing the 32GB is $399. The phone looks sick good though. Like I said, love my ZL, but wireless charging and stock Android might win me over with that price.
coolrevi said:
Sticking around with zl, however fully dependant on nexus 5 features and pricing.
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are the pictures really that bad on the ZL cause that would be of the only thing's that I don't like about the phone that and the fact they don't use guerrilla glass looking to leave my Xperia T for a ZL I'm not liking any other phone at the moment.
Sent from my LT30p using xda app-developers app
spielnicht said:
Based on leaks from the official Google Play store, the 16GB is sure to be $349. Guessing the 32GB is $399. The phone looks sick good though. Like I said, love my ZL, but wireless charging and stock Android might win me over with that price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From Xperia t to zl I don see it as upgrade. If you are willing to buy I would rather suggest z1 which is a good buy in many term
Sent from my C6502 using xda app-developers app
I'll keep mine till its dead, I was thinking about the Z1 but its way to big, if they do a new more powerful 5" with the same overall size as the ZL I would consider it in 2 years... interested to see if the camera gets any more improvements in the ZL, I like the quality, but not as picky as some..... video recording is good too.... Battery life could use a little more help though
Hoping for the Z1 camera App on the ZL in the 4.3 update, hopefully before Christmas...... Personally I think superior auto sucks, no image stabilizer, normal mode with my own settings works great.
4.4 may never come but that's ok, as long as 4.3 gets minor tweaking updates here and there.
So do you guys think the ZL is a good phone for a beginner?
The Z1 looks bulky indeed and LG G2 will be sold in my country (Brazil) only in 16GB option (no SD slot? WTF LG?)
I don´t have plans to play powerful games on it (just angry birds or something like when I'm waiting for something). I want a bigger screen to my GPS aps, listen music via Bluethoot (via car stereo) and watch video (High def videos on SD card, youtube, vimeo etc)
My dad has an Xperia T and based on some comparison shots, the images don't differ much. In other words, they both...suck. If I was to pick a single disappointment with the ZL, it would be the camera.
I know where you are coming from not liking any other phone out there. I am not an SG4 or HTC One fan. I'd consider the Z1, but Sony really dropped the ball by not including an AT&T/T-Mobile LTE friendly chip. So it's not even a consideration for me
Definitely wait until the Nexus 5 comes out. Looks very promising, both in specs and design.
Torres77an said:
Are the pictures really that bad on the ZL cause that would be of the only thing's that I don't like about the phone that and the fact they don't use guerrilla glass looking to leave my Xperia T for a ZL I'm not liking any other phone at the moment.
Sent from my LT30p using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thinking of upgrading from a xperia ion....zl is the maximum that i can afford..nd i kinda love the white one
Is there anything else apart from the camera that i should look into before buying?
no nexus in my country else would've waited for nexus 5 :/
I've take the same picture with an iPhone 5 and with my Xperia T and then again the same picture with a Galaxy s3 we compared them at work and my other to co-workers had to agree that the Xperia T photo looked the best though mind you Bravia was enabled yes there's room for improvement on Sony's camera phones but even with the Bravia engine turned off the photos are not that far behind the rest of the mobile devices out there but what it does lack is consistency that the others have now with the z1 having better hardware and software the problem with the camera is almost gone it just seems to over expose photos at times so does the LG G2 though it's clearly not as good in the comparison that I've seen between it and the Z1
Sent from my LT30p using xda app-developers app
Torres77an said:
I've take the same picture with an iPhone 5 and with my Xperia T and then again the same picture with a Galaxy s3 we compared them at work and my other to co-workers had to agree that the Xperia T photo looked the best though mind you Bravia was enabled yes there's room for improvement on Sony's camera phones but even with the Bravia engine turned off the photos are not that far behind the rest of the mobile devices out there but what it does lack is consistency that the others have now with the z1 having better hardware and software the problem with the camera is almost gone it just seems to over expose photos at times so does the LG G2 though it's clearly not as good in the comparison that I've seen between it and the Z1
Sent from my LT30p using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not how you compare photos, you put them on the same computer and then compare them on the PC. That way the different displays and image rendering software of each phone won't interfere.
my photos look basically the same after they have been uploaded to my pc
Dead Metal said:
That's not how you compare photos, you put them on the same computer and then compare them on the PC. That way the different displays and image rendering software of each phone won't interfere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've also seen comparisons with the iPhone 5 and the Xperia T on the internet and the iPhone's aren't that much better better but not by much but definitely more consistent I think the Xperia software may need some work with it's poor autofocus half of the photos do turn out like crap.
Torres77an said:
I've also seen comparisons with the iPhone 5 and the Xperia T on the internet and the iPhone's aren't that much better better but not by much but definitely more consistent I think the Xperia software may need some work with it's poor autofocus half of the photos do turn out like crap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, they do need to give that a work over, but someone pointed be in the direction of Camera FV-5, which is brilliant. The best camera app I've ever used, only downside is it does not have an auto-mode, and sometimes it does not save the pictures, especially when you use the hardware camera button.
Hope that gets fixed soon.
That's exactly what I did Took a pic of the same object, dropped them in Lightroom side-by-side, the ZL was slightly better (very slightly), but neither anything to brag out.
Dead Metal said:
That's not how you compare photos, you put them on the same computer and then compare them on the PC. That way the different displays and image rendering software of each phone won't interfere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So just wondering how everybody feels here, after your experience with the XZL, will you buy another Xperia device?
I myself am conflicted. I loved this device when I bought it, the way it's built and the hardware were awesome. Plus I love the screen.
But I actually feel like this was a bad investment now. Sony takes ages to make software updates, and then takes ages to actually really roll those out (seriously 2 months between starting it and it getting to me?).
The customer service is pretty awful, and on top of that the expensive laptop I bought from them last year is no-longer supported an I need to fiddle about with it now to install drivers.
So on the one hand I really like the hardware they make, but on the other hand I feel like I'm not getting any value from it past the first 6 months of its shelf life. And that's simply not something I want to experience when I pay the kind of money the stuff costs.
How about you?
I love sony and their products..
Their build quality is awesome, not crappy plastic like samsung.,
Lovely ui
But I hate the way they update us..
Sony makes good hardware and good software but every manufacturer needs a lot of time.
But I will not invest in one more Sony because there is one better investment. An unbeatable one:
Project ARA
Gesendet von meinem Xperia ZL mit Tapatalk
Build quality? Crappy screen for flagship phones! Bad viewing angles (xperia z, xperia z1 and my ZL). Even mid range Moto G had better screen. Thank God! now they fixed it in xperia z2. Severe heating issues in xperia z2 that force closes after 2 mins while recording 4k videos. Only good things are looks. Flagship phones for every 6 months. That's insane. Sony releases n number of phones. Instead they should concentrate on few phones.
Yeah absolutely
I will buy XZ2...
Well not now, maybe couple years later xD
Probably not. Their phones are getting too big for my liking. Sucks though, as i love the camera and walkman apps.
Honestly the XZL is a nice phone, but owning one kind of feels like I've signed up for something that's nearly unsupported in the dev community... *shrug*...
It feels like we're constantly waiting for an update to actually push out... (eg .230 and now .233)
For me this is a perfect phone.
I don't care about viewing angles, when I look at my phone I look at it straight ahead and not from the side. In fact, I would prefer even worse viewing angles so when I'm using my phone in the train or bus my neighbour isn't able to see what I'm doing...
Updates are ok! I once had a lg phone, it took them two years to get android 4.0 running... And 2.3 was full of bugs, didn't get any bugfix release.
This phone has a great hardware and a very cool UI. No need for me to run any custom rom. Rooting is very easy, so the social media crap can be deleted (in fact facebook as a system app is the only negative point so far).
Short answer: yes, I will certainly buy Sony again. And again I will not get it through my provider, I will buy it in store to get an unlockable bootloader.
I will switch back to Samsung or go with a Nexus the next time. The CM support is just crap for my xperia zl and many other xperia device.
The XZL is my third xperia. After this, I'm going with nexus. I've been so disappointed in so many ways.
Xperia X8, X10Mini Pro, X10, Arc S, PLAY, Pro, Mini Pro, Live With Walkman, P and Xperia ZL..
this is my tenth xperia's phone, probably i would get Samsung Galaxy K Zoom after this.. it has 20.7MP with XENON Flash..
I really miss a phone with XENON flash.. last phone i owned with xenon is lumia 1020, before that is SE Satio..
My question, why sony didn't want to include Xenon flash to it's Xperia?
Sent from my C6502 using Tapatalk? What is Tapatalk?
The XZL is my second xperia and i like sony, the UI is one of the best i see in an android phone, the walkman app is amazing, i dont have any plans of change it anytime soon, but i will probably buy another xperia, or a nexus..
Love my ZL but I won't buy another unless they produce another the same size. All the newer stuff have giant bezels and make the device way to big. Also don't like the glass backs.
I think whatever I buy next will be a Google play edition...
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You know the main things that made me move towards the XZL over other phones were:
Camera
Walkman
IR blaster
The other specs were covered by other phones, but since I had this I noticed that while the camera is really nice, I bought a much better one from the store. Walkman seemed cool and all, but Poweramp which I still had from before was superior in pretty much every way. And Samsung is now putting IR blasters on everything they make.
And others use Sony's camera sensors as well. So the only way Sony could really persuade me to stay with them is if they made my experience with this phone so good, that I stay out of solidarity.
But so far they have done their level best to alienate me, slow as hell updates, which when they finally arrive are so buggy that they feel unfinished, and terrible customer service.
This entire time I feel like I have an unfinished product in my pocket or hand, it never feels complete or well finished. Which is not cool if you spent this kind of money in one go.
So really, I could just buy a Samsung and continue using the apps I bought and have a better experience than this.
If the next Xperia got a camera like Lumia1020 (manual focus/xenon), surely i'll cancel my order for Samsung K Zoom and go for another Xperia..that would my eleventh Xperia phone ?
i'm a die hard fan of sony product, even home theatre and tv at my home is sony branded..
even my car audio system also is sony branded.. ?
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Absolutely not - unfortunately, as it turns out, the Xperia Support is probably the most terrible you can get. I made a post on it in their forums, but I doubt it'll lead anywhere. If you're curious: http://talk.sonymobile.com/t5/Xperia-Z-ZL-ZR/Horrible-Support-Xperia-ZL/m-p/751775#U751775
Yes.
This is my second xperia (X10 was the first). The only thing with this phone I still not getting used to is the front camera. I love the size and if Sony releases another handset like this, I would give it a try.
Meister_Li said:
Absolutely not - unfortunately, as it turns out, the Xperia Support is probably the most terrible you can get. I made a post on it in their forums, but I doubt it'll lead anywhere. If you're curious: http://talk.sonymobile.com/t5/Xperia-Z-ZL-ZR/Horrible-Support-Xperia-ZL/m-p/751775#U751775
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh damn, this made me lose all my trust to Sony.. well f**k you sony for terrible customer care..
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Personally I don't care much for the Sony software, I'm using PA 4.4 and I'm quite happy with it, and any other phone I get will probably end up being the same.
What it really depends on is if they make a phone with everything I want in terms of hardware, currently what comes closest is the Oppo Find 7, if that was 5" it'd be perfect, but alas there's the trend to make phones bigger...
I'm pretty happy with my ZL so I'll probably end up waiting another year at least before getting a new phone.