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< Esato Forum Index > Sony Ericsson / Sony > Android > Sony Xperia Z1 Bookmark topic

Chill out guys, it is just a phone!

So I have been to the Japan Premiere at the Ginza store yesterday.
I did not spend hours so my feedback is not a complete review.
Warning: the following text contains criticism that may not be appropriate for some viewers.
I added a few pics at the bottom.

Look & Feel:
It looks very good and premium. The metal frame helps make it feel solid.
However, I am not a fan of the glass-like back, a real fingerprint magnet.
In that space I prefer the full metal-like back of the current Fujitsu - I hope they keep it unchanged for the Z1 competitor.

Size (and bezel!):
The size is not too big, and the top and bottom bezels are just what I need to hold it in landscape.
However, I felt it is too thin for me to comfortably hold it when using the shutter button.
While I understand that Sony build phones for the majority, this really makes the shutter button much less useful for me, and I unconsciously ended-up using the screen button when playing around...

Screen:
Vibrant and good viewing angles, nothing to complain about.
The colors seem more natural than on Xperia A, but I would have a hard time give more details as I am far from being knowledgeable in that space.

Camera - general:
I found the images good, although I could not test much.
The top left position of the lens and sensor, combined with the thinness makes it less easy to use.
The design on the Fujitsu is better IMO, with a camera closer to the center, and I touch it less with my fingers.
The best would be what Maiarandam leaked before, which may be the Z2...
I also found that the options in manual mode are limited, no shutter speed or aperture.
The Augmented reality thing are gimmicks, you play with it a couple of times, but are you going to bring dinosaurs everywhere?

Pixel Binning:
I found that the Sony Japan staff knowledge about the product was very poor, with all due respect.
For instance, I showed them that their own website claims that there is pixel binning, and asked how it can be activated, or if it comes by default under certain options. Nobody knew, the apparently most technical one said that all pixels are not used for pictures, but some of them used to measure exposure, etc... LOL!
I told them that this is not what pixel binning means, and they went to make a few phone calls. Final answer: this is not Sony mobile Japan website, but the international website, so even if this is the same camera they do not know about what is written there... Brilliant!
Out of options, I asked if they think it is a mistake of the marketing department, and they said this is very possible...

Stabilisation:
By playing around with the camera app, I found that there is a stabilization option that can be activated for still pictures, even when shooting at 20.7MP. (can be seen in my third picture below).
Activating it did not change anything to the picture quality, maybe because the shutter speed was fast enough, no easy way to tell.
The problem is that the Sony staff had no idea what the option was doing, if it is hardware, software, or corresponds to the steady-shot used in video.
Just nothing.

Bionz for mobile & jpeg engine updates:
Of course did not ask about the timing of future updates, but a general question.
If Sony updates the jpeg engine, is it pushed by Sony directly to consumers or do I have to wait for Docomo to push it?
The answer was clear enough: "Based on the past experience, this is pushed by the mobile network operator to the consumer".
For those who do not know, Docomo has a reputation of being slow in that space.
This is not good, because then you may prefer to wait for the Z2 if you are a docomo (future) client wanting to go for Sony.

QX100 Accessory:
Just a few tests here.
The main point is that I found the pairing process to take too much time.
This may be due to the fact that there were many Z1 and QX around, so setting the right wifi takes more time?
Secondly, I did not find it very comfortable to hold, so I do not think I will purchase it, the RX1R is more expensive but you get a flash and a less clunky experience.

Conclusion:
As I am most likely buying a phone this year, my choice are going to be between iphone 5s, Xperia Z1 SO-01F, Fujitsu F-01F and Sharp SH-01F.
- Iphone will surely be the smoothest internet experience, as I find IOS generally smoother than Android, in particular when I install firefox (for the add blocker option). However I want a 5" screen, so I think I will switch to Android.
- Sony main attractiveness for me was the shutter button + good camera. However, Z1 thinness makes it less important to me, and Camera position makes me touch the lens every time. Adding the bionz refinement being embargoed by Docomo makes me wonder if I should not wait for Z2 if I really want a Sony.
- Fujitsu design look less good than Sony, but they have higher specs. Current model is 5.2" screen, 64GB, fingerprint sensor, waterproof, Sony image sensor (don't know for lens) in a more center placement, combined with metal "unibody style" back. I will wait and see what the Z1 competitor has, (reportedly is on same snapdragon 800) but if it has a shutter key, it could be a winner (for me!).
- Sharp current model already has a IGZO screen, but the body is cheap plastic. Latios said previous models are laggy, I will see what the new model with snapdragon 800 does.

Finally a few pictures:

This is what the Sony building looks like currently, pretty cool no?


This one is for Ramu :


The still shot stabilization option can be seen here:
(手ぶれ補正 - the 4th from the top)


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Posted: 2013-09-15 04:34:00
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It seems to me that here in southeast asia different reviewers got different screen panels too as they have different opinions about the display. This is so confusing because in this video the z ultra definitely has the upper hand when it comes to screen quality yet gsmarena is stating that z1 has better screen!


Also from what I have researched so far, most z1 screens show washed-out display at extreme viewing angles

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Posted: 2013-09-15 04:54:52
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http://www.unbox.ph/gadget/so[....]-seriously-outdone-themselves/

highlights:







the guy here runs a podcast show and is quite knowledgeable. he got his unit from malaysia.









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Posted: 2013-09-15 04:59:53
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sony just released the source files for the Z1!

wow! it hasn't even been launched in every region yet.. not even 2 weeks after announcement and they've released sources for developers to play with. That is really commendable, I think.

This is one of the reasons I LOVE sony. They used to be all about proprietary/in house stuff. But these days, especially with their phones, they are so open. It's awesome and while I'm not a developer myself (anymore), I think it shows how much they care about their userbase.
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Posted: 2013-09-15 05:13:38
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@miromiromi
Those pictures really show how vivid colours are being produced by its display.

Can't wait until I get my hands on my phone.
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Posted: 2013-09-15 05:17:25
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@McKinley.. i'm so envious..
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Posted: 2013-09-15 05:19:08
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@Shotokan: Thanks for going down to Sony Ginza. Hope you enjoyed your visit there. I will be patiently waiting for the reveal of the new Docomo lineup soon. Early October will be a good approximation date.
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Posted: 2013-09-15 05:36:35
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I love the conclusion from that review haha

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Posted: 2013-09-15 05:37:06
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Haha thanks Shotokan81

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Posted: 2013-09-15 05:59:56
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Looks like a mini bravia triluminos TV (KDLxxW905) IQ wise to me if my eyes are serving me right.

@Shotokan81 nice review, I can see you didn't use your lumix to take the pics did you?

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Posted: 2013-09-15 06:00:44
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