Hello there,
After much inquiry, I've become undecided about this phone. I have been looking for a 4.7-5in phone with a good and snappy camera, battery, USA bands, and micro sd support, and the z5 compact seems to fit the bill. However, I keep reading problems about this device mainly concerning its software and camera. I really like the device given all it has to offer but I'm just not inclined to dish out $500+ on a device that has a problematic camera i.e. blurred edges caused by software or hardware, no warranty (here in the USA), over-heating, sony ui, etc. I currently have an LG G4 which absolutely meets my needs but like I said, I'm looking for a smaller phone for traveling and one hand handling.
So my question for those who own the Z5c, is it really THAT bad and will the firmware update fix the purported problems of this device? I'm concerned about the blurry edges being a hardware issue and perhaps Sony is just covering their tracks by saying that an "update" will fix that problem. If you have updated your device, could you post a sample of the fixed camera or at least let us know here?
Really appreciate your time and input!
Coming from the z1 compact and z3 compact, although I loved those phones I did find the camera sub par, and the external speaker volume too low and muffled, the front and back screens were finger print magnets and easily scratched.
But I love the compact series and put my hope and money back into the z5-compact.
Had mine for 2 weeks now (Arctic white) and I love the new design, the no finger print frosted rear glass and the front screen also just doesn't seem to attract finger prints either!, improved and much louder external speakers, the camera has improved dramatically. I have none of the reported issues of blurred edges, slow camera opening etc it's all good. Oh and the fingerprint scanner is awesome!
I love this phone to death it's perfect in my eyes. It will be hard to part with this when it comes time to upgrade to the z6 compact ☺
Woza72 said:
Coming from the z1 compact and z3 compact, although I loved those phones I did find the camera sub par, and the external speaker volume too low and muffled, the front and back screens were finger print magnets and easily scratched.
But I love the compact series and put my hope and money back into the z5-compact.
Had mine for 2 weeks now (Arctic white) and I love the new design, the no finger print frosted rear glass and the front screen also just doesn't seem to attract finger prints either!, improved and much louder external speakers, the camera has improved dramatically. I have none of the reported issues of blurred edges, slow camera opening etc it's all good. Oh and the fingerprint scanner is awesome!
I love this phone to death it's perfect in my eyes. It will be hard to part with this when it comes time to upgrade to the z6 compact ☺
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does the software seem good and fast? No stutters or lag?
Thanks
Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk
Notchr302 said:
Does the software seem good and fast? No stutters or lag?
Thanks
Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There were stutters and lags, but since the last update they all are gone.
Drakorcarnis0 said:
There were stutters and lags, but since the last update they all are gone.
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Click to collapse
I'm so confused because some say there is still lag after the update. Ugh lol
Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk
I am one of those who would say that the lags are gone after the update. And whatever that guy said, I agree wholeheartedly. This phone is a beast. I also come from a Z3 Compact and I am loving the Z5c. Especially the camera
It was a little stuttery straight out of the box but I downloaded Sony PC companion (just googled it) and then downloaded the latest firmware 32.0.A.6.152 (it took a couple of hours, which by all reports is normal) then updated my phone.
Happy to report it is buttery smooth with no stutters or lags all super fast.
Interesting to see that the pre installed photo analyzer app (Sony) which was reportedly causing some lag, had disappeared in the latest firmware.
I hope this has helped you with your decision.
Cheers
Do you still have the blurry edges or has it been fixed?
moist_line said:
Do you still have the blurry edges or has it been fixed?
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Click to collapse
99% sure it's good. You be the judge. Just a quick picture, tried to place items on every edge/corner.
I'm sitting at the park, it's dusk and a little cloudy. No flash, superior auto, 8mp.
I've had the Z5C for a week now and I can't comment too much on certain details because this is my very first Android phone - I am coming straight from a Nokia 808. The phone is compact, slick-looking, seems incredibly fast to me and I am liking the Android experience as a whole, although a few things Symbian had were simpler and more elegant (changing phone profiles, searching for contacts under phone, for instance).
The one issue I have, and that is a big one and it is so big of an issue that I registered today on XDA to ask for help, is the extremely poor photo/camera quality. I cannot understand what is going on here. This is a $600 2015 brand new release phone. Something must be wrong either with the software or hardware on my phone, which sucks since I purchased it for US operation (no warranty). I do not know how to express in words how disappointed I am with the camera. Let's just say that my 2012 Nokia 808 takes photos comparable to my SLR system. I was expecting at least equivalent photo quality from a modern/newer phone.
OldSkewler said:
I've had the Z5C for a week now and I can't comment too much on certain details because this is my very first Android phone - I am coming straight from a Nokia 808. The phone is compact, slick-looking, seems incredibly fast to me and I am liking the Android experience as a whole, although a few things Symbian had were simpler and more elegant (changing phone profiles, searching for contacts under phone, for instance).
The one issue I have, and that is a big one and it is so big of an issue that I registered today on XDA to ask for help, is the extremely poor photo/camera quality. I cannot understand what is going on here. This is a $600 2015 brand new release phone. Something must be wrong either with the software or hardware on my phone, which sucks since I purchased it for US operation (no warranty). I do not know how to express in words how disappointed I am with the camera. Let's just say that my 2012 Nokia 808 takes photos comparable to my SLR system. I was expecting at least equivalent photo quality from a modern/newer phone.
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Click to collapse
What are your thoughts on the quick photo I posted? All standard settings in quite average light? Do you see any of the issues you are experiencing on your phone?
Woza72 said:
What are your thoughts on the quick photo I posted? All standard settings in quite average light? Do you see any of the issues you are experiencing on your phone?
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Click to collapse
For the resolution posted, I dont see any issues. What I see on my photos is some sort of sharpening which causes details to be lost when zooming in. And believe me, I am not even remotely pixel-peeking, just basic cropping for creative purposes.
I'll try to post some sample photos to illustrate what I am facing here.
Cheers,
BB
OldSkewler said:
The one issue I have, and that is a big one and it is so big of an issue that I registered today on XDA to ask for help, is the extremely poor photo/camera quality. I cannot understand what is going on here. This is a $600 2015 brand new release phone. Something must be wrong either with the software or hardware on my phone, which sucks since I purchased it for US operation (no warranty). I do not know how to express in words how disappointed I am with the camera. Let's just say that my 2012 Nokia 808 takes photos comparable to my SLR system. I was expecting at least equivalent photo quality from a modern/newer phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you haven't already, you might want to check the main Xperia Z5 subforum about this issue, specifically this thread where they talk about the camera, and the best settings for particular lighting. It could be you have a defective camera though, and if so, I feel for ya since I also imported my device.
Adrift98 said:
If you haven't already, you might want to check the main Xperia Z5 subforum about this issue, specifically this thread where they talk about the camera, and the best settings for particular lighting. It could be you have a defective camera though, and if so, I feel for ya since I also imported my device.
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Click to collapse
Exactly how my photos look like! Thanks for linking me to this thread, even though what I learned from it is not exactly great news!
OldSkewler said:
Exactly how my photos look like! Thanks for linking me to this thread, even though what I learned from it is not exactly great news!
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Same problem for me. It's a very expansive phone and you have to read pages of forums to understand how to make the most of it.
But still, the camera to me is a complete disaster. The app is cheap, very laggy, menus are terrible and the most improtant part, it takes poor photos.
Oversharpened and zooming in a tiny bit on a 23Mp pictures is just horrible.
The photo shared a few post back in the park is just awful too, sorry bro no offense, but it's not a defective camera it's just what is sold.
When you come from other brands, you are automatically disapointed.
P.S. videos are quite amazing though, especially in 60fps and the management of the edit app of videos is very good too.
I just switched to the nexus 5X, and there are no comparaison. Much much simpler, you don't need to test every little setting to take a good pic and zooming in is incredible, the best.
Yet I really loved the compact shape and overall build quality of the z5 device.
Comments non related to the camera is : the system is quite good as it is very similar to stock android but a little disappointed too by the performance.
I don't speak about lags and everything as it is quite fluid, but it just takes time to open or reload apps compared to my other devices.
I am still keeping the device to see if there will be improvement (there should be a major camera app update this month) but i don't believe in miracles, i don't think that will solve the pictures quality.
If you know how to use it (8mp at SA for darker scenarios, 23mp manual for bright daylight) it's been reviewed in a number of places as the best camera currently on the market. It's interesting to me how polarizing the camera is for people though. People either think it's the second coming, or the antichrist. I imagine that the improvements to the software promised with the Marshmallow update will go a long way to getting a lot of naysayers to give it a second look.
Adrift98 said:
If you know how to use it (8mp at SA for darker scenarios, 23mp manual for bright daylight) it's been reviewed in a number of places as the best camera currently on the market.
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That is a very interesting perspective on the topic; so basically it boils down to misuse by users! And I suspect this is from someone that has never even tried the phone!
Let me propose the exact opposite, and I suspect a portion (if not majority) of people complaining about the imaging performance on these Z5 phones are actually far from amateur photographers and do understand what is achievable and should be expected in terms o quality. There is no way to slice this or put a twist on it, and I don't care about DXO ratings.
OldSkewler said:
That is a very interesting perspective on the topic; so basically it boils down to misuse by users! And I suspect this is from someone that has never even tried the phone!
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Click to collapse
No, it's certainly been by those who've tried the phone. By the looks of it you didn't get too far into that thread I previously recommended, but Timaustin2000 and a few others in that thread really turned the tone around with their investigations on the ability of the camera, and comparison shots. They've even had an influential effect on reviewers. So for instance, it wasn't till TimAustin pointed out to the reviewers at Android Authority that they were crippling the phone by using the 23mp in low light scenarios that they took into consideration the supersampling of the 8mp default settings. From there a number of other reviewers, bloggers, vloggers, and the like took a second look at the camera in the phone and tested appropriately with often very very positive results (many of these reviews and videos are also mentioned in that thread).
Let me propose the exact opposite, and I suspect a portion (if not majority) of people complaining about the imaging performance on these Z5 phones are actually far from amateur photographers and do understand what is achievable and should be expected in terms o quality. There is no way to slice this or put a twist on it, and I don't care about DXO ratings.
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Click to collapse
From the recent reviews that I've been reading and watching, that doesn't appear to be the case, but of course, you're free to come to your own conclusions.
Haven't had much experience with the Z5C camera yet, only had it for a week.
But one thing, it takes so long to open. This is my 1St Android phone, been an ios user for around 4.5 years & the iPhones were just easier to access their camera. Slide up, click camera & it opened. On the Z5C, you press & hold the camera button, feel it vibrate, let it go... & wait.
After a second or so, the screen goes black, then the camera opens, then the screen starts to set itself up.
Just tried then & it was around 4 seconds.
I love the phone so far, but it seems to really struggle with normal usage.
By normal usage, for me, I mean it lags. Playing YouTube videos, it lags, I'm in Oz & we have an online streaming movie/TV service called Stan.... It doesn't work on the Z5.
Switching between tasks can give the phone a heart attack. For example, I was playing Clash Of Clans & some one tried to call me, the box popped down, I clicked answer & nothing happened.
I clicked answer two or three more times, before clicking back to the home screen, the phone call went to message bank while my phone locked up, went black & I had to wait around 30 seconds for it to sort itself out.
Even typing this it lags every now & then.
8 Ball Pool is laggy... If messages pop while playing, it gets even worse.
I do love the phone, I am enjoying Android (I miss a few ios advantages), but I just wish that the phone didn't feel like it was made with enough Ram to run the OS & one app at a time.
Oh... The audio is quiet, it doesn't go as loud as my iPhone 4 did, with my Bose head set & it lacks the same bass, but does sound alright.
The included Sony ear plugs are uncomfortable, have no sound advantages, have annoying different length ear cords & no volume control.
No supplied quick charger.
The back of the phone tends to get quite hot.
Sid3wayz said:
Haven't had much experience with the Z5C camera yet, only had it for a week.
But one thing, it takes so long to open. This is my 1St Android phone, been an ios user for around 4.5 years & the iPhones were just easier to access their camera. Slide up, click camera & it opened. On the Z5C, you press & hold the camera button, feel it vibrate, let it go... & wait.
After a second or so, the screen goes black, then the camera opens, then the screen starts to set itself up.
Just tried then & it was around 4 seconds.
I love the phone so far, but it seems to really struggle with normal usage.
By normal usage, for me, I mean it lags. Playing YouTube videos, it lags, I'm in Oz & we have an online streaming movie/TV service called Stan.... It doesn't work on the Z5.
Switching between tasks can give the phone a heart attack. For example, I was playing Clash Of Clans & some one tried to call me, the box popped down, I clicked answer & nothing happened.
I clicked answer two or three more times, before clicking back to the home screen, the phone call went to message bank while my phone locked up, went black & I had to wait around 30 seconds for it to sort itself out.
Even typing this it lags every now & then.
8 Ball Pool is laggy... If messages pop while playing, it gets even worse.
I do love the phone, I am enjoying Android (I miss a few ios advantages), but I just wish that the phone didn't feel like it was made with enough Ram to run the OS & one app at a time.
Oh... The audio is quiet, it doesn't go as loud as my iPhone 4 did, with my Bose head set & it lacks the same bass, but does sound alright.
The included Sony ear plugs are uncomfortable, have no sound advantages, have annoying different length ear cords & no volume control.
No supplied quick charger.
The back of the phone tends to get quite hot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Previous iPhone only user here too. Have you updated to the latest firmware? My camera takes about 2 seconds to come up pressing the side button since the update. Further improvements are expected with the Marshmallow update.
Also, I have no lag since the latest firmware, but I'm also using the Nova Launcher which you can get for free in the Play Store (not sure if that makes any difference or not).
I also have a problem with the volume, especially from the front speakers. Thought having two speakers instead of one, as I did on my iPhone 2G, 3G, 4S. and 6S would make it louder, but it's not. Still, honestly, I don't find it much quieter than those devices either. the 6S was maybe a tick louder, but not by much. I still want more punch from the front speakers, and I'm hoping that's something I can fix by doing some sort of ROM tweak. If not, I suppose I can live with it, but its the biggest disappointment about the device for me, not because its so much quieter than my iPhone devices, but because it doesn't stand head and shoulders above them.
I don't know about you, but my Sony ear plugs are way way wayyyyy more comfortable than my iPhone headphones. In fact, they're the most comfortable in-ear headphones I've ever worn. The different length on the cords I don't really have much issue with, since I usually drape the longest cord behind my head to my right ear (which is how I'm assuming they're meant to be worn). I will admit that they seem slightly cheap-ish, and I was hoping that where the volume button was (which I DO have on my pair) also had a mic so I could answer in-coming calls, but overall, I think they're pretty okay. Again, they're much more comfortable than the headphones that came with my iPhones. As far as loudness in the headphones is concerned, they're loud enough, but I definitely wouldn't mind if they were louder. I'll probably end up getting some sort of thin amp/dac like the dragonfly or the Aqua to boost the volume. Shame I have to do that, but oh well.
Again, its interesting to me how varied people's reactions are to this device. I'm FAR more happier with this device than I am my previous iPhones. Its not perfect, but it hits so many of the checkboxes for me that its hard to complain.
Edit: Oh, also, I got a quick charger with my device, but I bought the Taiwan version, so maybe that accounts for the difference in headphones and charger.
Lastly, after the initial setup, and especially after the update, my phone doesn't get very hot. Maybe I'm not using the same intensive programs that you are, though. The phone gets a little warm with Candy Crush and Asphalt 8, but my iPhone 6S also got pretty hot just using the camera (which is something my mother noticed when I handed her the phone to see some pictures).
Related
My main needs are:
1. Excellent GPS - Samsungs are universally crap and TomTom/Sygic/CoPilot always had me jumping around roads, forgetting where it was/which way the car was pointing when stuck in a jam etc. I just use TomTom now on my iPhone and whilst I hate iPhones their GPS/GLONASS implementation is excellent. Anyone used TomTom on a Z2? How did it fare? Both in dense urban situations and on highways and both on clear and cloudy days.
2. Loudspeaker - I do like to listen to radio in the shower and whilst I have no intention of ever taking a phone in there with me a good loudspeaker is a must. I heard the Z1 and possibly the Z2 had crappy loudspeakers due to waterproofing. Is this true? I'm not after a ghettoblaster but a good speaker is fairly important.
3. Camera - The iPhone 4S has a good camera. It opens quickly, HDR mode can cope with a moving toddler (my son rarely is still enough for other phones to cope with) and the camera can cope with shots where there is a window in there without just whiteing out the window area (l don't know the technical name for it but it's when the camera doesn't cope with light and darker areas well such as with the HTC One M8).
These are my main criteria and I'd like to know if the Z2 will meet my needs. It will be a big purchase for me and I can't afford to spend and lose money on a phone which doesn't do these functions well.
Everything else on the Z2 looks absolutely fantastic, just like the M8 and a Note 3 I had recently did except the M8 camera was truly awful (what were they thinking with that ultrapixel nonsense) and the Note 3 was terrible at GPS (five years on since the original Samsung Galaxy and the GPS was still like using a phone from 2005 when some phones didn't have true GPS).
I'd really value some honest opinions guys and gals!
Joe
joebongo said:
My main needs are:
1. Excellent GPS - Samsungs are universally crap and TomTom/Sygic/CoPilot always had me jumping around roads, forgetting where it was/which way the car was pointing when stuck in a jam etc. I just use TomTom now on my iPhone and whilst I hate iPhones their GPS/GLONASS implementation is excellent. Anyone used TomTom on a Z2? How did it fare? Both in dense urban situations and on highways and both on clear and cloudy days.
2. Loudspeaker - I do like to listen to radio in the shower and whilst I have no intention of ever taking a phone in there with me a good loudspeaker is a must. I heard the Z1 and possibly the Z2 had crappy loudspeakers due to waterproofing. Is this true? I'm not after a ghettoblaster but a good speaker is fairly important.
3. Camera - The iPhone 4S has a good camera. It opens quickly, HDR mode can cope with a moving toddler (my son rarely is still enough for other phones to cope with) and the camera can cope with shots where there is a window in there without just whiteing out the window area (l don't know the technical name for it but it's when the camera doesn't cope with light and darker areas well such as with the HTC One M8).
These are my main criteria and I'd like to know if the Z2 will meet my needs. It will be a big purchase for me and I can't afford to spend and lose money on a phone which doesn't do these functions well.
Everything else on the Z2 looks absolutely fantastic, just like the M8 and a Note 3 I had recently did except the M8 camera was truly awful (what were they thinking with that ultrapixel nonsense) and the Note 3 was terrible at GPS (five years on since the original Samsung Galaxy and the GPS was still like using a phone from 2005 when some phones didn't have true GPS).
I'd really value some honest opinions guys and gals!
Joe
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Sorry dont really have much use for gps n only got phone this morning so untested
2. Right then, while i wouldnt say the speakers are crap they aren't the loudest, they do sound good tho.... im no audiophile but to me they sounded clear they just didnt go loud enough (altho i wouldnt rule out some form of volume increase app coming along for rooted users at some point) I havent tested the noise cancelling headphones yet but have heard they are very good. On a side note i received a free sont srs btx300 speaker, if you can get one thrown in then its well worth it. Maybe worth noting that altho the low volume may be caused by waterproofing you could keep it closer in the shower so it may not seem that quiet
3. dont know about hdr, ive yet to look at all the camera settings... but there is something called time burst while will 60 shots in 2 seconds, not tested it but read about it, apparently it starts shooting when you open it and it saves the 30 pics from 1 second before pressing shutter and 30 from 1 second after, you then pick the best one(s), should be perfect for capturing a toddler
I have to say I'm pretty disappointed by the speakers, thought they would be a lot louder.
The noise cancelling headphones are brilliant though, very clear, and good amount of bass.
A first I did think the speakers were pretty awful in comparison to the M8 however, once I enabled xLOUD from the Sound Enhancement settings it became very comparable!
As for the photos, I regularly take photos of skateboarding and the Timeshift Burst feature on the Sony phones is brilliant for moving shots. Like the other guy said, it constantly buffers the first 30 images while the app is open and then takes another 30 after you press the shutter, you'll always get a handful of great shots at the perfect moment!
As for GPS, I don't drive, but my phone is used as the sat nav whenever I'm in a friends car. I've only ever used Google Maps but I have to say it works flawlessly. Always accurate and very easy to use.
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
The speakers are just fine. Only the m8 beats it for loudness and quality. It's louder than the m7 which was all the rage last year so can't see what the problem is. The speakers on the z2 get the job done and pretty well too especially while watching videos and gaming.
As for the camera, it's to put it simply, only bettered perhaps by the lumia 1020. It takes the most amazing 8mp shots with so much detail it's hard to accept they're actually 8mp snaps. Colour reproduction is frightfully accurate with excellent dynamic range. Crank up the resolution and things noticeably degrade in quality in every respect mostly focusing. The shots are still to notch but just not as good as the truly incredible 8mp snaps.
Never had any problems with gps on any Sony device but the z2's seems better than that on the z. The weather app picks up my location exactly while that on the z was more general.
Sent from my D6503 using xda app-developers app
joebongo said:
My main needs are:
1. Excellent GPS - Samsungs are universally crap and TomTom/Sygic/CoPilot always had me jumping around roads, forgetting where it was/which way the car was pointing when stuck in a jam etc. I just use TomTom now on my iPhone and whilst I hate iPhones their GPS/GLONASS implementation is excellent. Anyone used TomTom on a Z2? How did it fare? Both in dense urban situations and on highways and both on clear and cloudy days.
Joe
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since when do samsungs's GPS's suck?!
All the notes, S s, and even some of the budget phones I handled NAILED GPS co-ordinates/Google maps etc!
I travel..off-road too...and heavily rely on GPS.
How have you arrived at such a conclusion or your just a hater?
In regards to Sammy gps, I had galaxy s 1 2 & 3, and found the gps took a long time to lock on to satellites but when they did they were very accurate.
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app
How is the Z2's volume when the phone is in your pocket? Just asking cause I work in a loud environment, also, how does the antenna perform when in a building ( like in the middle of a warehouse or basement of shopping centre or department store)? Thanks for the info guys :good:
Pre- ordered on 8/3 and still waiting lol....
The samsungs I've had (the first galaxy and a note 3) were terrible with gps and had me in fields or parallel roads and generally were unusable. Maybe I just had two duff units but looking on the web there were also many people having gps accuracy issues for driving on both models.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
cyneverdie said:
Since when do samsungs's GPS's suck?!
All the notes, S s, and even some of the budget phones I handled NAILED GPS co-ordinates/Google maps etc!
I travel..off-road too...and heavily rely on GPS.
How have you arrived at such a conclusion or your just a hater?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One of my friends got his Note 3 a couple months ago (he's a long time iPhone user) and we were headed out to meet someone. We were using the GPS on his Note, and for some reason the damned thing was off by a 1-2 intersections! I whipped out my Xperia Z Ultra, and it was spot on for our location.
Dunno what was going on with his Note 3, but damn it sucked. He mentioned that he had run into similar problems with it in the past, so it wasn't a one-off thing either.
vivftp said:
One of my friends got his Note 3 a couple months ago (he's a long time iPhone user) and we were headed out to meet someone. We were using the GPS on his Note, and for some reason the damned thing was off by a 1-2 intersections! I whipped out my Xperia Z Ultra, and it was spot on for our location.
Dunno what was going on with his Note 3, but damn it sucked. He mentioned that he had run into similar problems with it in the past, so it wasn't a one-off thing either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm...never heard that before. The Note 3 rocks!
I assure you that his phone has some serious issues....it should be pin sharp accuracy.
Dying for a Z ultra 2 btw....
With a damn flash/torch!
Does the videos get recorded in mono or stereo? What's the fps while recording in 720p?
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using Tapatalk 2
joebongo said:
The samsungs I've had (the first galaxy and a note 3) were terrible with gps and had me in fields or parallel roads and generally were unusable. Maybe I just had two duff units but looking on the web there were also many people having gps accuracy issues for driving on both models.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Remember that map apps use an algorithm where it assumes you are continuing on the road it's telling you to go on, assuming that any deviation between the position from the GPS and the real location is due to drift. So it might not be as bad as you think.
I've also had regular problems with my note 3 gps. So sketchy and unreliable. Anyway here's hoping the z2's is better. Hope this thing hurries up and releases in the states!
Hello,
I'm currently an owner of an S3 . I've been wanting to upgrade for some time now and I just can't decide what to buy.
I love the M8, but the camera is so awful that I am just not ready to pay a flagship-phone price for a phone like that. (my old s3 beats m8's camera (!!) )
I loved the G3 too , but reading in the GSMaren's review how bad its battery is (aside from 3G talk time , it really isn't that different than my ancient S3 in terms of its battery life which is just ridiculous! )
The Z2 has a boring and an outdated UI which is just a shame for a 2014 phone.
But , its battery ,camera, overall performance are superb. At least compared to its rivals. (Though it seems that the screen is rather dim and dark compared to the S5 and M8).
But my main concern , is that Video shooting and overheating issue.
I don't need to record videos in 4K. But as far as I understand the the overheating issue occurs even when shooting an 1080p video, and that's a problem.
Does 1080p shooting cause the overheating and camera app shut down for everyone?
If you really think the UI is "boring and outdated" (really?!) it is easily remedied with any launcher of your choice..
Regarding the overheating issue, I have been recording 12 minute 4K videos (it shut down by itself) and 30 minute 1080p videos (I stopped recording, I could have gone longer the phone was warm but not hot at that point) without any issues.
That being said, based on what everyone on here has been saying my experience is not the same as most.
At the end of the day mate, it's a mobile phone. You don't have much to lose picking this over one of the other flagships.
Have you seen the phone in person and used it? I read a lot of reviews complaining about the brightness but when I got it I was quite surprised I could use it in daylight with no issues. As for the UI you can alway use a launcher or themer to change the look of the phone, as for the 4K video recording it seems to be an issue across all companies I think it's probably being an issue of the hardware not being at that level yet. I am hoping that there will be a software fix for the overheating issues. I'm not sure if you are in the US but there are sellers who are Amazon verified once in a while that will let you do no hassle returns if you dont like it. I was really impressed with the phone but ended up returning it because it was a bit too big for my tastes but I am planning on buying it again when the prices go down. Good Luck!
jawang26 said:
Have you seen the phone in person and used it? I read a lot of reviews complaining about the brightness but when I got it I was quite surprised I could use it in daylight with no issues. As for the UI you can alway use a launcher or themer to change the look of the phone, as for the 4K video recording it seems to be an issue across all companies I think it's probably being an issue of the hardware not being at that level yet. I am hoping that there will be a software fix for the overheating issues. I'm not sure if you are in the US but there are sellers who are Amazon verified once in a while that will let you do no hassle returns if you dont like it. I was really impressed with the phone but ended up returning it because it was a bit too big for my tastes but I am planning on buying it again when the prices go down. Good Luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One thing for sure when the price reduces the phone will NOT reduce in size
Ryland
Somnium1 said:
The Z2 has a boring and an outdated UI which is just a shame for a 2014 phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would have to disagree with you here. The Z2 has a beautiful elegant UI IMO, one of the best Android "skins" aside from stock Android on the flagship devices. I've owned the One M8, Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 3, and this is my favorite device by far.
I had...well,still have a z2 (its in for repair, after three days of light use the back panel cracked).
I did want to like it, but a few things missing from it that I missed from previously having Samsungs. Yes the ui is cleaner,closer to stock android but the the features of Touchwiz for me, make android better.
Like the swipe left to call/right to text.... Vibrate when there is an unread text, scheduled text messages, block numbers etc.
Ok, apps can be installed to mimic most of these but arnt as fluid as the built in features of Touchwiz.
Also had issues with the volume of notifications and screen brightness in the sun.
Great looking phone tbh, but have a play properly with a demo unit before committing.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk (how ironic is that eh)
Somnium1 said:
Does 1080p shooting cause the overheating and camera app shut down for everyone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is the ambient temperature where you will be shooting ?
---------- Post added at 05:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:52 AM ----------
ProdigalFather said:
Regarding the overheating issue, I have been recording 12 minute 4K videos (it shut down by itself) and 30 minute 1080p videos (I stopped recording, I could have gone longer the phone was warm but not hot at that point) without any issues.
That being said, based on what everyone on here has been saying my experience is not the same as most.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It isn't from what i can see and i'm trying to figure it out.
Go on then. Tell us what was the ambient temperature when you recorded those vids ? particularly that half hour long 1080p one.
Ryland Johnson said:
One thing for sure when the price reduces the phone will NOT reduce in size
Ryland
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I know, I got a Z1 Compact as primary would like a Z2 eventually for those times I want a bigger screen
jawang26 said:
Yeah I know, I got a Z1 Compact as primary would like a Z2 eventually for those times I want a bigger screen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get the Z2 tablet.
irishrally said:
Get the Z2 tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha I have an iPad already (don't judge!) like having a different eco system...We'll see hopefully I can hold out of the Z3 or Sony releases something similar in the 4.7 - 5 range.
As of now the Z2 is the best phone I've used compared to the S5 and the HTC One M8 but everyone has different preferences and tastes
I wrote a FULL REVIEW of the Xperia Z2 here - http://bit.ly/1kPjBJP
Read it and i'm pretty sure you will make up your mind easier.
One Twelve said:
What is the ambient temperature where you will be shooting ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ambient temp is around 30-40C (Sometimes more). Summers are hot here.
And I still can't understand.. the overheating issue occurs in 1080p videos too?? Or just for some..?
If it's only with 4K I can live with that, but 1080p... sucks.
It's weird that no serious mobile reviews mention that.(Engadget,GSMarena,etc.)
One Twelve said:
It isn't from what i can see and i'm trying to figure it out.
Go on then. Tell us what was the ambient temperature when you recorded those vids ? particularly that half hour long 1080p one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Around 11-13C for both.
Any Middle east user out there? How is the heat problem with z2 as ambient is around 45+ C
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
I'm reading answers here and it's very annoying to see some of them...
Most of us choose one brand and stick to it, why?
Just because we found something on that brand that cannot be found on others.
To compare touchwiz and Sony UI is... Hmm...let's say odd..
Why to compare?
I like Sony UI and I'm using Xperia devices, for years.
I don't like touchwiz so I don't use it.
Sony UI isn't outdated, dev brought UI on XS and older devices back in 2012/2013 but it wasn't meant to be for those devices.
Sony UI (new UI) was built for Honami, for Z1 and that's not old guys...
I thought I won't buy Z2, I own Z1 and Z2 now and I can't tell which one is Z2 from distance...so, yeah, there's not much new when you look device while it's off.
But...
When you take Z2 in your hands, when you feel it, when you see that fantastic IPS screen - you'll see the difference.
While I'm talking about screen I'll say just a few things about heating, not overheating.
If you watch 4K video or shoot one, play heavy games - it'll be hot, quite hot but there'll be no apps crashing or device freezing - that's the difference between heating and overheating.
That's perfectly normal and I'm sure next update will reduce that a bit...
Also, screen is a bit dark and you'll have trouble to watch video outside on bright sun.
You won't see problems in menus and other apps but video is hard to watch...
That's minus, at least for me...
But that's something next firmware releases could fix without any problems.
Even custom kernels could fix something like that...
If you can wait, wait for next Xperia device, it'll be better, that's for sure.
But comparing this device with Z/ZL/ZR/Z1 I can say this is not just a better device, Z2 is something new from Sony...
Believe me, I'm using Z1 at the same time and comparing them all the time - Z2 is really, really something else...
Is it better then competitions flagships?
For me it is but if you like Sony and their ideas it'll be best for you as well...
Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 11:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:55 AM ----------
Somnium1 said:
Ambient temp is around 30-40C (Sometimes more). Summers are hot here.
And I still can't understand.. the overheating issue occurs in 1080p videos too?? Or just for some..?
If it's only with 4K I can live with that, but 1080p... sucks.
It's weird that no serious mobile reviews mention that.(Engadget,GSMarena,etc.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait for a new update and we'll confirm if that heating is fixed.
55 has that problem and I think next one has it to (I think it's 402 or 420, I'm not sure) so next firmware update could fix that problem.
Wait for that and you'll know...
BTW, I just tried to shoot 1080 / 60fps video.
I recorded 3.20mins and played it, so it's almost 7 mins of 1080p videos and no heating at all.
Device is just a bit warmer (top back) but that's nothing.
It's not hot at all....
Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk
I have the M8 and Z2. The screen on the Z2 is brighter than my M8.
Sent from my C6806_GPe using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
jawang26 said:
Yeah I know, I got a Z1 Compact as primary would like a Z2 eventually for those times I want a bigger screen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A suggestion. If you have the Z1 compact as your mobile phone and desire on times a larger viewing area I would skip the Z2 and go for the Xperia Z Ultra. Prices are incredibly low now and its one hell of a viewing experience. I own the Ultra and Z2 and think the Ultra is certainly better quality in terms of materials used and construction methods. Nothing wrong with the Z2 but I was some what surprised when I received it last week. I used to own the Xperia Z and that was, despite many negative comments, a very good phone. I am unsure if the jump in size from the compact to the Z2 would be worth the financial outlay. Now the Ultra has a far greater viewing area and its less than half the price of the new Z2.
Again, just some food for thought. Your choice will be right for you I am sure of that. Good luck with what ever you purchase.
Ryland
Why I like the Xperia Z2 over other competitors (Galaxy S5, One M8, G3). Below are just my personal opinion and observations. I have used my Z2 for 3 weeks now. This is my first noob review so please bear with me.
Camera
I was disappointed when I first heard that Sony limited its Superior Auto mode to 8MP only, I admit Im one of the people who believes more megapixel the better, but I was wrong. Even at 8MP, Z2 captures amazing shots, HDR is not as great as Galaxy S5s HDR shots, but as a whole camera, its better. Color accuracy is near perfect as I have compared through reviews. 4K video, although it heats up the phone quickly, I dont often use them. 1080p video recording is great, with a choice of 30fps or 60fps, sound is loud. Shots are fast and focus is 90% hit. Dont mind about HTC One M8's "Ultrapixel", they shoot awful shots.
Battery
3200mah Z2 vs 3200mah G3? G3 with QHD screen undoubtly will eat up more battery that Z2's FHD screen. Galaxy S5's 2800mAh and HTC One 2600 will normally never last longer than Z2. Rocking the phone for 24 hrs is a piece of cake. Dont forget Sony's Stamina mode that saves up a significant amount of juice.
Screen display
Although many people have been complaining about Z2's screen a bit dim. In my opinion its not too dim or too bright that I have to squint to see what im looking at. In my observation, Z2's brightness bursts from 75% and above. Previous flagships use TFT LCD and that was a big deal breaker for me. I could have got the Z1 if the screen was IPS. Texts and icons are sharper and brighter. Images are more vivid and accurate. Coming from Galaxy S4, I am used to those AMOLED displays, downside is that its not as sharp as IPS LCD, plus X-Reality does the job well done to movies and pictures (sharper and more vivid). As for HTC One M8, screen is comparable to IPS, but gives a bluish tint as I have read. Imagine yellows with blueish/colder colors.
Stereo Speakers/Sound
HTC is undoubtly the champ. But we are pinning Z2's dual front facing stereo speakers at 2nd, ahead of Galaxy S5 or G3 with one speaker. Sound is a bit soft/low even at 50%. You wont even notice a significant change from 1%-50% volume. Volume bursts from 50% and above. Thats just my opinion. Theres a little bit of trick with Z2's speakers to sound great or at least better. Watching movies or listening to music in landscape greatly improves the audio experience. Its probably because sound is distributed well to your left and right ear.
Noise-cancelling headphones
Its my first ever high-end earphones ever had. I was amazed how it cancels out 98% of background noise. And its 0 outside noise when im playing music. I couldnt even hear my friend shout at me. Bass is good, im not a boomboom person but I think its better than my GS4 generic headphones, or my Sony MDR ZX100. Definitely a steal.
Design/Build Quality
Coming from GS4, im loving my premium Z2. The glass and metal finish it has over Samsung's plastic, and horrible GS5 design, GS3 was good though. M8s design is good too, but that camera and battery . G3 is a bit big for me, and the back buttons are something that needs to get used to. Although heavy (Z2), Im getting used to it. Im using Spigen Ultra Fit case for increased grip and protection. I believe its a must for cases because the sides of the Z2 is kinda slippery. And I dont wanna scratch the back glass, lol.
User Interface and features
I find Z2 a wee bit lacking of features, like Touchwiz S-Beam. Palm tap to mute, especially calls and alarm and Smart Stay. Nevermind smart scroll and Air view stuff, they are hardly useful. The Sony UI feels light, not much bloated than Samsung. And it doesnt lag!! Unlike Samsung. Generally speaking. The UI is simple and snappy, though personally I feel its getting old/outdated. Needs to freshen up the icons and apps. With the new Quick Settings tab under notification, its a big improvement from older android versions with only limited and un-editable quick settings
Conclusion:
Coming from Galaxy S4, I am not disappointed that I ditched GS4 for Xperia Z2. With the screen improved from TFT LCD to IPS LCD, with 2 front facing stereo speakers, with the much improved camera than the previous Z1, the premium noise cancelling earphones, a premium phone made with glass and aluminum, water-proof, and ofcourse the massive 3200mAh battery. You cant go wrong buying the Xperia Z2.
Upon writing this lousy review back from a fresh shower, I just dropped my Z2 (with case ofcourse, 2nd time) from shoulder height to the floor tiles, and survived. Not a single scratch or crack.
I came from the SIII and certainly don't regret it. My main concern was the size. Whilst I have got used to it, it definitely is not pocket sized. In fact, ignoring weight and thickness it is the same size as my first ever mobile, the Ericsson Hotline EH97! Ok, the screen is a bit larger
On the plus side, the biggest improvement is the battery. I always struggled to get one day out of the SIII but get a day and a half comfortably now.
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Free mobile app
Somnium1 said:
Ambient temp is around 30-40C (Sometimes more). Summers are hot here.
And I still can't understand.. the overheating issue occurs in 1080p videos too?? Or just for some..?
If it's only with 4K I can live with that, but 1080p... sucks.
It's weird that no serious mobile reviews mention that.(Engadget,GSMarena,etc.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How long do you want to shoot 1080p ? Also if you don't use stabilisation then it will last longer. But this may not always be an option you want.
Not a problem for those that shoot at half the temperature.
The thread on undervolting looks promising. There apparently is a difference with .420, maybe they will lower it further in future updates.
---------- Post added at 04:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:00 AM ----------
funky0308 said:
While I'm talking about screen I'll say just a few things about heating, not overheating.
If you watch 4K video or shoot one, play heavy games - it'll be hot, quite hot but there'll be no apps crashing or device freezing - that's the difference between heating and overheating.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like a fair way to draw a distinction
People tend to use it in a relative way though, this other device does not get so hot so Z2 gets hotter than them therefore it overheats.
I read a lot of reviews and opinions here about the Z5C that are from people that were or still are using a Sony device. The Z5C is usually compared in terms of the Z3C or even the Z1C. Those comparisons are good if you own those devices, but I have no prior contact with Sony. My current device is a Moto G (1st Gen).
So I'd like to know what people who had no prior contact, or at least not in the past years, with Sony say about the phone. How does it feel and how much "crap" is on a Sony phone compared to a Nexus or Motorola phone? How good/bad are the Sony-Apps ? What "oddities" do Sony phones have?
Thanks for your opinions.
I came from a Moto G (2nd Gen) to the Z5C which is my first Sony phone. So a similar path to what you are considering. It comes with way more "crap" on in than the Motorola did. Where my Moto G (2nd Gen) might have had 5 Motorola utilities, the Z5C has maybe 30. Many of them are app/tools that seemingly connect you into the Sony Sphere. PlayStation stuff, Dinosaur images pop up in the camera you can stamp on your photos and super cheesy Japanese schoolgirl emoticons for your text input.
If you like the clean native Google apps such as Gmail, Calendar, Photos messaging and so on you will find yourself having to disable the Sony versions.
One oddity my Z3C has is that is is fussy about which micro USB cable will charge it. So if like me you have a collection of micro USB cables and chargers from previous phone they may not all work. I guess this may be due to tighter tolerances required water proofing the charge port. Not a biggy but worth knowing.
I find the Xperia Keyboard gesture input (aka Swype input) to be a PITA. Miss rate is too high and deleting errors is tedious. Shame becuase it works very well on other phones.
Small size is great. Can easily slip it in a front trouser pocket.
BUT I have yet to feel "vibrate on for calls" when it is my pocket. When someone does call when Z5C in pocket when I am doing somehting noisey like mowing a lawn, I dont feel the vinration alert, it seemingly wakes the phone and thereafter movement leads to random screen presses. So when I eventually retrieve it form my pocket an hour later the screen is still on and it is in some weird screen such as the camera or emerg dialer. Perhpas I am missing something here though. Oh and definitely don't buy it for the camera if you are expecting a point and shoot with a high % of great shots.
That's my thoughts.
Coming from a nexus 5, I love this phone! Never charge it from the mains only from my car every day(1 hour commute each way) and it keeps going strong! Pretty quick and feels good.
Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk
Coming from Samsung S3
This Z5 is very bad...unstable sw, no optimization, really slow...bleah! I think i will never buy again a sony device. Oh...customer care is bad too.
Camera is slow and poor quality, GPS is very inaccurate, BT disconnet and reconnect every 15 secs (i think the problem is trhow but i can't disable it...)
So...i'm not a satisfied user..
Thank you all for your replies.
logger said:
I came from a Moto G (2nd Gen) to the Z5C which is my first Sony phone. So a similar path to what you are considering. It comes with way more "crap" on in than the Motorola did. Where my Moto G (2nd Gen) might have had 5 Motorola utilities, the Z5C has maybe 30. Many of them are app/tools that seemingly connect you into the Sony Sphere. PlayStation stuff, Dinosaur images pop up in the camera you can stamp on your photos and super cheesy Japanese schoolgirl emoticons for your text input.
If you like the clean native Google apps such as Gmail, Calendar, Photos messaging and so on you will find yourself having to disable the Sony versions.
One oddity my Z3C has is that is is fussy about which micro USB cable will charge it. So if like me you have a collection of micro USB cables and chargers from previous phone they may not all work. I guess this may be due to tighter tolerances required water proofing the charge port. Not a biggy but worth knowing.
I find the Xperia Keyboard gesture input (aka Swype input) to be a PITA. Miss rate is too high and deleting errors is tedious. Shame becuase it works very well on other phones.
Small size is great. Can easily slip it in a front trouser pocket.
BUT I have yet to feel "vibrate on for calls" when it is my pocket. When someone does call when Z5C in pocket when I am doing somehting noisey like mowing a lawn, I dont feel the vinration alert, it seemingly wakes the phone and thereafter movement leads to random screen presses. So when I eventually retrieve it form my pocket an hour later the screen is still on and it is in some weird screen such as the camera or emerg dialer. Perhpas I am missing something here though. Oh and definitely don't buy it for the camera if you are expecting a point and shoot with a high % of great shots.
That's my thoughts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually never use the original cables since I have set up a "charging station". Which cables does the Z5C not accept? Is there a pattern?
And I'm not buying this for the camera, I have a DSLR for that
Tuonorosso said:
Coming from Samsung S3
This Z5 is very bad...unstable sw, no optimization, really slow...bleah! I think i will never buy again a sony device. Oh...customer care is bad too.
Camera is slow and poor quality, GPS is very inaccurate, BT disconnet and reconnect every 15 secs (i think the problem is trhow but i can't disable it...)
So...i'm not a satisfied user..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have the newest firmware ? AFAIK a few things should have been fixed with the latest update. What experience do you have with the customer care ?
ricostuart said:
Coming from a nexus 5, I love this phone! Never charge it from the mains only from my car every day(1 hour commute each way) and it keeps going strong! Pretty quick and feels good.
Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How was the Z5C in terms of "snappiness" compared to the Nexus ?
nazgoul said:
Do you have the newest firmware ? AFAIK a few things should have been fixed with the latest update. What experience do you have with the customer care ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, last fw: 32.0.A.6.152
Customer care have reset the phone 4 times. Each trial did not resolve the problem. In the end they told me to bring it to service but they had no idea of the repair time and they not given me any temporary phone.
My phone has only one month and i need it for work...i can't stay weeks without it. For a 600$ phone i think this is unacceptable.
At this time i have the same initial problems...
I hope in Marshmallow ...
Coming from Moto G first Gen (falcon)
Coming from Moto G 1st Gen. This is my first Sony Phone.
I am loving the Z5C.
Few things to note that that will give you an idea between the two phones
1. The flash on the moto g is noticeably brighter and warmer. Idc about cameras, but I find I use the flashlight a lot
2. The chip on the Z5C does feel much faster. Not sure how to describe it other than the UI on the Z5C being more "fluid"
3. The chip on the Z5C does get noticeably warm (but not hot) on the back under certain loads. E.g. running long sessions of RDP or installing lots of apps in quick succession or recording 4K video. Under normal use like browsing the web or watching youtube it does not get warm.
4. The camera is way better than the Moto G
5. The hardware feels really solid. It feels dense. I like it
6. The battery life is significantly better. At my usage, the Moto G will die at about 8pm or 9pm (taking off the charge at 7am). I have yet to kill the Z5C in a single day in my normal use
(my normal use usually has a few hours of music, and at least 4 hours of screen time)
7. The stereo speakers are much nicer, but the stereo effect is small, and they aren't not as loud as the moto g's single speaker
8. The max brightness of the Z5C's screen is about the same as the one on the Moto G. The min brightness is on the Z5C is lower though.
9 The physical dimensions of the Z5C is smaller in width and height. The Z5C does feel thicker because of its more boxy shape though
In terms of bloatware, there is quite a bit. I have a lot of apps disabled from settings or hidden (I use Apex)
There are some features that sony added that are nice though.
1. Built in screen recording
2. "Small Apps" - a bit like floating widgets
3. Nice audio optimizations that make my music experience nicer
4. Being able to customize the quick settings in the notification center
5. Battery percentage in the status bar (this is important to me )
6. The screen colours can be calibrated to your liking
Other things to consider
- The fingerprint sensor is pretty bad, but that could be just my fingers.
- The phone is really slippery compared to the Moto G. A case is highly recommended.
- Stamina mode - I havent tested if this has a positive effect on battery life, but i'm letting the placebo effect take place
- The microsd slot is nice for future proofing, although given that I had a 8GB moto g, and the Z5C comes with 32GB, Im not going to need a microsd in the near future.
- Water proofing
- Of the 32GB, about 10GB is taken up by the android system, and thus we cannot use for our own stuff
- I found the volume button placement on the Z5C wierd until I got used to it in less than a week. Unless you actively need access to it all the time, its not annoying
- I find that everything on screen is too large for my liking, so I have my DPI set to 280, the same as what I had on my Moto G
In response to some of the things said above:
- Bluetooth works fine for me. It has never lost connection to my Microsoft Band when I needed them to be connected
- I've used my Z5C with 3 different usb cables, none of them have a problem.
- Camera does launch slow if Photo Analyser Service is not disabled. The camera launches quite fast now (but admittedly not as fast as say an iPhone 6s)
- The GPS locks quicker than the Moto G, and has yet to be inaccurate for me.
I am really looking forward to Marshmallow
I hope that answers your questions. Sorry for long response lol
I have both nexus 6p and z5 compact. Previously had nexus 6.
I went for the z5c as it had wifi calling, and is a pretty small but powerful phone.
Notables, z5c is under-clocked, could be because heat dissipation on small device yielded unsatisfactory result, could be another one of those battery optimisation things.
It also seems to be on a conservative or power save profile, making it slow to start, but if you launch a game it gets into gear.
It was stuttering even with the OTAs of which i had received two, just a few days ago, even with factory resets it did not go away.
I used the sony PC companion to do a full firmware flash, not an incremental OTA and it became pretty smooth and slick to use again with all 0.5 speed animations and about 20 apps installed. I also disabled all of the original media apps and extra Sony stuff and use my own, poweramp and mxplayer is all i really need.
Pretty good experience to use now. Too bad about it using some sort of powersave profile even with stamina disabled. Good thing i have an nexus 6p to play with too.
you5urf said:
I used the sony PC companion to do a full firmware flash, not an incremental OTA and it became pretty smooth and slick to use again with all 0.5 speed animations and about 20 apps installed. I also disabled all of the original media apps and extra Sony stuff and use my own, poweramp and mxplayer is all i really need.
Pretty good experience to use now. Too bad about it using some sort of powersave profile even with stamina disabled. Good thing i have an nexus 6p to play with too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you know how to disable throw?
Coming from the N5:
Disadvantages:
- Much less free RAM (N5X also has this issue, I think it's related to Android 64 bits).
- Much lower photo quality
Advantages:
- 200% or much more battery life.
- overall quality
- vídeo quality
Sent from my E5823
I am coming from the HTC One M7 which can be considered an old phone now I guess.
Good:
-Battery life finally gets me over the day and sometimes into the second.
-Better camera, but by far not great.
-Better display brightness
Bad:
-Sonys Android design looks like a toy. It lacks the beautiful HTC Sense look and features.
-Even with the latest firmware and fresh format its doesnt feel any fast than the old HTC One. Sense had a nicer flow overall.
-In general, switching between apps is not faster, once in the app, the processor surely shows its power. Antutu gave me 31k on HTC One and 62k on Z5C, so technically twice as fast.
-Having the phone in the front pockets of your jeans just looks stupid with the hard edges. The HTC one with its beautiful round design was basically invisible in your pocket.
The HTC One was far from perfect and had its issues, but my heart is still with that phone and I dont beleive I am gonna buy another Sony phone. I wanted a small powerful phone, but its not easy to like this phone I am afraid.
eivissa said:
I am coming from the HTC One M7 which can be considered an old phone now I guess.
Good:
-Battery life finally gets me over the day and sometimes into the second.
-Better camera, but by far not great.
-Better display brightness
Bad:
-Sonys Android design looks like a toy. It lacks the beautiful HTC Sense look and features.
-Even with the latest firmware and fresh format its doesnt feel any fast than the old HTC One. Sense had a nicer flow overall.
-In general, switching between apps is not faster, once in the app, the processor surely shows its power. Antutu gave me 31k on HTC One and 62k on Z5C, so technically twice as fast.
-Having the phone in the front pockets of your jeans just looks stupid with the hard edges. The HTC one with its beautiful round design was basically invisible in your pocket.
The HTC One was far from perfect and had its issues, but my heart is still with that phone and I dont beleive I am gonna buy another Sony phone. I wanted a small powerful phone, but its not easy to like this phone I am afraid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm also coming from a HTC ONE M7 and I'm feeling exactly as you. I have had the phone for 5 days now and I'm seriously considering to sell it and keep using my M7 since I'm seeing the same things than you see.
I have great expectations for this phone but now that I have it, I'm a little bit disappointed...I don't know if it's cause I'm so use to my old phone or cause my old phone is sooo good that I don't see anything new or improved on the z5c...maybe expect for the waterproofing things.
I'll give it another week to see If I can fall in love with it...maybe when the custom roms start showing up I'll start to see the advantages of changing.
I've been used some HTC and got a Z1c and S6. Guys plz give sometime to this phone, my S6 also took a couple of months to improve before got satisfy result. I believe Android 6.0 will give a new life to this phone.
I've only experienced Apple's devices so I came over from an iPhone 3G, iPhone 4S and then an iPhone 6S. I absolutely LOVE this sucker. And I must have gotten very lucky because I haven't seen any of the issues that others have.
Pros:
1. Fascinated by the Android OS. There's just so much you can do with it! So much more freeing than Apple's IOS. They both have a few positive and negative quirks, but I'm not really missing IOS that much. I did miss the Safari left/right swipe browser initially, but found out about the Rbrowser app with built in ad-block and the swipe feature, and couldn't be happier.
2. The device is quick. Compared to my iPhone devices haven't experienced nearly as much lag even under load.
3. I love the camera and video. Takes far better pictures and video than any camera I've ever used before, and with the latest update, the menu selection is so easy to use. I think the side button to open the camera app is a genius. I also never experienced the blur issue that a lot of others complained about.
4. The size and look of the device totally compliments me. I find modern phones like the Galaxy S6 and the iPhone 6S way too big and clunky. This device is exactly the right size. Slightly larger than my old 4S, but still comfortable to hold, and type one handed with. I also absolutely love the sharp right angles on the phone. I dig the thickness of the Compact, and I love the bright punky yellow of the case color I selected.
5. The fingerprint scanner is so fun to use. I had one on the 6S that worked maybe slightly better, but that's only because there was more surface area to press, but still having a fingerprint reader makes me feel like a spy a bit.
6. I haven't had any issues with the heat of the phone. It gets warm, but after a month of use, I've never experienced it getting warmer than the 4S or the 6S even while playing graphic intensive games, using the GPS, or recording video. It never gets warm while browsing websites, or doing day to day smartphone things.
7. The device did have a little bit of bloatware, but then, so did Apple's devices. Removing/disabling the bloat was easy to do.
8. So far no unexpected surprises. The alarm works. the phone rings and vibrates as it ought. The apps all open fine. I get all my expected alerts and then some. Messaging works fine. The screen is bright and easy to read and watch. I love the little FM radio app (though I don't use it too much). Haven't had any issues with the GPS. Everything does what it's supposed to do.
Negatives:
1. Coming from devices with only one bottom speaker, I thought that having two front facing stereo speakers would make this device monster loud....it isn't. In fact, it's slightly quieter than the 6S (though louder than the 4S). That said, I do love the stereo effect, and I think having so many audio controls is awesome. I just wish the device was a bit louder. Hopefully when the device becomes rootable I can find a fix for that.
2. The boot up time on this device is pretty slow. From powered off, the 6S starts up in a matter of a couple seconds. It takes like half a minute or longer for the Z5 to start up. Course, this isn't much of an issue most of the time since the device doesn't usually need to be powered off or restarted.
3. The iPhone 6S 3D touch is pretty amazing, and I can see them doing some cool things with it over time. There was nothing about it that was super amazing while I had it. No apps to really take too much of an advantage of it yet, but I can see that it'll be awesome to have some time down the road.
4. The voicemail was a bit odd to set up. I'm used to Apple's easy voicemail integration that just works out of the box. For this device I had to download and setup a "visual voicemail" system that I'm not used to, and that I found a bit annoying.
My first Android phone was a Sony xperia mini. Was worse than Motorola Milestone (gsm droid) that replaced it. I since moved onto Samsung original Galaxy S and then Galaxy Nexus. Then the original Moto X dev edition which is the same size as this Z5C. I love the form factor. Ever since the Nexus 6 which I have one of those, Moto is obsessed with phone size. The Nexus 6 was named Shamu for a reason. I am hoping the just under 5" phones are not s dying breed because this device is the perfect size for me. I also like the subtle tweaks Sony does with their ROM compared to vanilla stock. Its also a fast device and I like the build quality compared to the Samsung devices I have owned. Those are my thoughts anyway.
... the price! Those phones can't possibly be twice as good as the Axon 7 to justify such a price. I for one can't wait to see what the Axon 8 will look like. My wish list:
A screen a little bit bigger.
(Having used a 6.4" Z Ultra for a long time, I find the AX7's display rather limiting. And the trend is towards bigger displays anyway, as the S8 and S8+ demonstrate.)
Illuminated hardware keys.
(For ****'s sake how hard can that be?)
A camera a little bit better.
(A flash on the front camera and a dedicated camera button - like on Sony's phones - would not be bad ideas either).
Keep the speakers and sound quality!
(Absolutely don't mess with that, ZTE, it's absolutely perfect as is.)
Waterproof.
(I know speakers are hard to waterproof but the rest of the phone shouldn't die if it gets dropped in water.)
A bigger battery!!
(The battery is never big enough.)
That's about it! The rest of the AX7 is pretty close to perfection.
The only thing I agree with is the camera although the one in the Axon 7 is okay.
Illuminated buttons I don't like. I always kept them disabled on the Note 4.
What I'd improve is the vibration motor, which sucks and makes the phone feel cheap every single time I type a letter... It's too strong and makes an annoying audible sound.
Way overpriced.
How is this related to forum?
ГАСООП said:
How is this related to forum?
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It's not, but also not forbidden.
Should be moved to general I think.
On topic now:
Seems like the actual improvements in the smartphone industry have decreased over the years, and so, most companies do whatever they brainstormed at the labs, and call it revolutionary and try to reinvent the wheel, year after year.
I don't like the S8, I personally think it's pointless.
Not to mention the fact that it's overpriced as hell.
Negligible differences over the S7.
Nothing major going for it really.
aLexzkter said:
Illuminated buttons I don't like. I always kept them disabled on the Note 4.
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To each their own. If the illumination can be turned on and off, then everybody's happy.
I probably wouldn't consider touching the new Samsung devices with a ten foot pole.
As for the Axon 8, I agree with you about needing illuminated hardware keys, a (much) better set of cameras with their own dedicated flashes, the same or better audio quality, and waterproofing (because why not). I would also like an updated SOC, a screen with better viewing angles, and less proprietary crap going on. It kills me that this phone is handicapped on custom ROMs because ZTE wanted to use their own stuff rather than going with standard APIs (e.g. camera software).
Oh, don't get me wrong, the S8 looks like a nice (and gorgeous) device. Samsung always seems to do hardware right. Bixby might be good, but I generally assume most people I'll replace it with Google's offerings.
For $750? Fat chance. No way is a phone worth that. Hell, a person could spend just a bit more than the price on the Plus' tag to get any number of great computer components, the greatest laptop of the year, or something else actually worth close to one grand. I don't understand how these expensive phones continue to sell.
I also couldn't willingly choose a phone without official support for an unlocked bootloader.
Here's to hoping the next best thing comes along and actually fulfills the requirements of that title.
aLexzkter said:
The only thing I agree with is the camera although the one in the Axon 7 is okay.
Illuminated buttons I don't like. I always kept them disabled on the Note 4.
What I'd improve is the vibration motor, which sucks and makes the phone feel cheap every single time I type a letter... It's too strong and makes an annoying audible sound.
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You can turn down the vibrate in Gboard settings it doesn't suck it's too powerful
gtshiftin6 said:
You can turn down the vibrate in Gboard settings it doesn't suck it's too powerful
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I turned it all the way down and it's still way too powerful. And it makes a high-pitched sound like the phone is not well constructed.
PiArc said:
I would also like an updated SOC, a screen with better viewing angles, and less proprietary crap going on. It kills me that this phone is handicapped on custom ROMs because ZTE wanted to use their own stuff rather than going with standard APIs (e.g. camera software).
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You don't know what you're talking about. The camera software can be used on LineageOS, first phone I have that can do that (LG G2 and Galaxy Note 4 couldn't)
Better viewing angles? It has the same display as the Galaxy S7, an amazing AMOLED screen, which have the best viewing angles possible. And this is not even a TV anyway so it's not a crucial thing.
I've never felt like the viewing angle needs improvement. But a few times while using the phone outside in broad sunshine I found myself wishing for more brightness.
aLexzkter said:
You don't know what you're talking about. The camera software can be used on LineageOS, first phone I have that can do that (LG G2 and Galaxy Note 4 couldn't)
Better viewing angles? It has the same display as the Galaxy S7, an amazing AMOLED screen, which have the best viewing angles possible. And this is not even a TV anyway so it's not a crucial thing.
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By no means am I saying the device is a bad phone or anything. In fact, this honestly is probably my favorite device ever.
Still, I would greatly appreciate DNG support, which the device would have if ZTE had used Google's camera API 2. Unfortunately --as far as I know-- raw photos are only supported through the ZTE's own camera in manual mode. That bugs me. I don't like being forced to use things I wouldn't otherwise in order to get the experience I want.
If you use Lineage you know the camera is not the sole or even the most apparent place in which ZTE's awkward implementation of software and drivers has caused trouble for development. I only chose it as my example because it affects me the most, but issues such as the one any non-stock based ROM has with audio distortion are only present because ZTE either didn't stick to standards or chose to complicate their drivers and stuff.
Customizability is Android's core selling point for me, so being unable to use whatever I want exactly as I want it detracts from a device's appeal. I should be able to use whichever camera app I want with DNG support. I should be able to listen to good quality music in a non-stock ROM. ZTE made it harder for developers to give users those options than they should have.
As for the SOC and the screen, I'm just adding stuff to a wish list for an updated phone. Again, by no means are either the screen or the chip poor. Quite the contrary, they were perfect last year. However, there's no point in the 8 having anything other than the best of this year's silicon if it is to be marketed as another flagship killer. There are people who would choose not to buy the phone just because the number 835 looks greater than 820. The Axon 8 deserves just as much consideration as every phone that comes out, and not choosing to upgrade the SOC would unfortunately place it at a disadvantage (despite the fact that the 820 is a magnificent beast in it's own right).
The viewing angle thing is literally the world's slightest grievance. I spend a lot of time reading on my phone because I haven't got a dedicated e-reader anymore. If I'm lying on my stomach with the display pointed a bit away from my face there is a very slight blue tinge. It is extremely minor and no worse than what I've seen on any phone (much better than many). Just, moving forward I'd rather see the screen further refined rather than changed to something bigger or with a higher resolution or something else unnecessarily showy just for the hell of it (as will likely have to be the case for marketing purposes).
Sure a phone isn't a TV, but they're being used increasingly for media consumption and the like (hence the push for fancier aspect ratios and all that this year). There's no reason to leave a display that will be used for media consumption with an inaccuracy due to narrow viewing angles that will widen a bit by simply using a more recently manufactured screen.
On another note, I wish the 2.5D glass were just flattened so that tempered glass screen protectors could be properly compatible. I tried to get my nephew to upgrade to an Axon 7 rather than an iPhone and the only thing that kept him back was his bad luck breaking devices and the tendency to slap on a tempered glass protector that emerged from the same. That basically completes the list of what would make this phone perfect for me, if not necessarily for other people.
None of that is to say the device is bad. With some very slight refinement, the Axon 8 should once again be a serious contender for the best phone of the year.
Are there any owners of the G5 SE here who would be able to share impressions/thoughts on the phone, specifically battery life and also general performance.
There are plenty of video reviews on YouTube but they all seem to be non-English, which makes things a little hard to understand. I've found a few foreign language reviews which I have run through Google Translate but none seem to have any 'scientific' battery life impressions and figures.
G5 SE is on Amazon UK for £288 and specs wise its probably better than anything else under £300. But lack of English reviews makes it a bit of an unknown quantity.
Thanks for any help.
I have it for 4 months now (silver color), i would definitively suggest it. The only major drawback is a little weak battery, with medium usage you can go from morning till evening without recharging it. I like how sleek and super slim its designed. It feels nice in hand, i cant say its finishing metal or not. I didn't have any major heating issues. G5 se is a real boss between all major brands.
Thanks for those impressions. The battery is what most concerns me the most, at the moment I have a Galaxy Note 5 which barely makes it through the day, and that's with power saver mode permanently on so I'm running the phone at 70% of what its capable of. :/
I use 2G network and my battery two days without recharging.
I've had mine since December, and it's been pretty good. Only a few niggles, which I will highlight after the positives:
Positives
1) The image quality from the camera is REALLY good; very sharp in some cases. On a par with the Note 4, which I previously owned, but with more natural colours. The widescreen mode is also very handy and cab make for some stunning photos, if a bit low in resolution. Just a shame the focusing performance isn't better (see below).
2) The OS itself is fine; Nougat has really helped it out in terms of split-screen for all apps. This means you can free up a home button for another task.
3) It feels really nice to hold and isn't too big
4) It can take a drop or two without waving a white flag - take note, Samsung: your screens suck.
5) Double-tap to unlock!
6) Fingerprint sensor is second nature once you get used to it, and you wonder why it isn't in the same place on other phones
7) Screen is very nice for watching movies on, especially for an LCD, but does suffer a bit in strong sunlight; a bit too reflective at times
8) Sound on the B & O plugin is lovely, but standard sound still very competent (especially speaker)
Niggles
1) Battery life isn't that great, but probably par for most android phones nowadays; morning to early evening before needing a top-up, which, thanks to the fast-charging, it does pretty quickly.
2) The USB socket on the standard plugin is already starting to feel flaky; not quite holding the cable in place, so can come out. This is rectified by using the B & O play plugin, but this has it's own issue.
3) The B & O play plugin sounds great, but doesn't sit flush with the phone when connected. The USB port also craps out when transferring files to the PC, whereas the standard plugin doesn't.
4) System process used to crash on startup; turned out to only happen when SD-Card connected. Doesn't happen now Nougat update has been applied
5) Camera autofocus is crap in bright sunlight or busy areas; the laser component isn't as efficient as it is made out to be, which can mean lots of missed shots
Hope that helps!
2pintsofinsulin said:
I've had mine since December, and it's been pretty good. Only a few niggles, which I will highlight after the positives:
*snip*
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Thanks, very thorough impressions. :good:
Bit worrying to hear about the battery, but I suspected as much.
The G5 and SE model are both solid phones, I just don't know why LG cheaped out on a 2800mah battery, especially paired with that QHD screen.