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Sony unveils Xperia Z Ultra (6.4'', 1080p, Snapdragon 800)

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Spy

Member
After looking at this phone more and more I'm pretty sure I'm going to get it. I'm hopeful there will be some sort of compatibility with the PS4.
 
Yeah... after seeing it held by a hand 6.4" is just too big for a phone. My Note II feels like the perfect big size for me. Big enough to avoid typos, watch movies and still be held like a phone.
 

Wubby

Member
I so want. But I think I'll wait to see what's in store with the i1.

I was sitting on the train today and the girl next to me whipped out a purple Xperia Z. The girl next to her was using a Note. My 4S's screen was just pitiful compared to those two. And the 5 is no better. My wife has an iphone 5 and I don't like it. If it's only going to be a 5S this year I think I'm done with Apple and their puny screens. And softbank. Can't wait to ditch softbank.
 

Akira

Member
French video:

http://youtu.be/b7Ck-XLhL8A

Z Ultra

+ Thin, sexy design
+ Triluminos screen
+ Awesome specs
- Huge footprint
- Camera is probably average

Honami

+ Triluminos screen
+ Awesome specs
+ Looks like it will have a God-tier camera
- Probably not as sexy as Z Ultra
- A fat phone

Hmm... Is anyone else surprised by the Z Ultra? I never thought I'd ever consider a phablet.
 

Fezan

Member
French video:

http://youtu.be/b7Ck-XLhL8A

Z Ultra

+ Thin, sexy design
+ Triluminos screen
+ Awesome specs
- Huge footprint
- Camera is probably average

Honami

+ Triluminos screen
+ Awesome specs
+ Looks like it will have a God-tier camera
- Probably not as sexy as Z Ultra
- A fat phone

Hmm... Is anyone else surprised by the Z Ultra? I never thought I'd ever consider a phablet.

how does he know about honami ?
 

vivftp

Member
It is a shame they didn't make a Z Ultra with all the perks of Honami like the camera. I would have likely gone for that, but I REALLY want Honamis camera. I do understand why they left all that out, of course. A device this thin is VERY appealing.

My current plan is to get Honami and the next tablet version as I'm all but certain it'll have a triluminos display and likely have the same stylus input method used on the Z Ultra. Not to mention that magnetic charging connector is pretty damned nifty.


EDIT
how does he know about honami ?

I don't think the video refers to Honami as it's an official Sony channel. I think Akira is just making some assumptions based on what we've heard of Honami.
 

Skel1ingt0n

I can't *believe* these lazy developers keep making file sizes so damn large. Btw, how does technology work?
It really does look pretty dang nice.
 

Fezan

Member
It is a shame they didn't make a Z Ultra with all the perks of Honami like the camera. I would have likely gone for that, but I REALLY want Honamis camera. I do understand why they left all that out, of course. A device this thin is VERY appealing.

My current plan is to get Honami and the next tablet version as I'm all but certain it'll have a triluminos display and likely have the same stylus input method used on the Z Ultra. Not to mention that magnetic charging connector is pretty damned nifty.

Slimness of the phone is may be the reason they are not putting honami camera. Just look at Nokia EOS its not only thich but also has a hump. but they could have put 13mp sensor and a tiny flash. No flash is very deal breaker specially for such a high end device
 

Zaptruder

Banned
French video:

http://youtu.be/b7Ck-XLhL8A

Z Ultra

+ Thin, sexy design
+ Triluminos screen
+ Awesome specs
- Huge footprint
- Camera is probably average

Honami

+ Triluminos screen
+ Awesome specs
+ Looks like it will have a God-tier camera
- Probably not as sexy as Z Ultra
- A fat phone

Hmm... Is anyone else surprised by the Z Ultra? I never thought I'd ever consider a phablet.

Did you post the wrong video? This one mentions nothing about Honami...
 

vivftp

Member
Yeah, leaving the flash out is a bit odd. I wonder if anyone will ever ask Sony why they chose to leave it out and get an answer.
 

Akira

Member
Did you post the wrong video? This one mentions nothing about Honami...

Sorry, I just wanted to share that Z Ultra video and forgot to say those pluses and cons are my own and kinda unrelated to the video. It's based on rumors on Honami rumors, what we've seen of the Z Ultra, and my own internal struggles on my next smartphone purchase.
 

vivftp

Member
To add to what Akira has posted, Honami is rumored to have some other advantages over Z Ultra.

-Shock resistance
-Add-on lens support
-Possibly an IR blaster
-Larger and likely better speakers using Sonys magnetic fluid tech
 

Fezan

Member
To add to what Akira has posted, Honami is rumored to have some other advantages over Z Ultra.

-Shock resistance
-Add-on lens support
-Possibly an IR blaster
-Larger and likely better speakers using Sonys magnetic fluid tech
the last one is just wishlist it was denied at esato forums.
Also i think Sony is late with honami now that Nokia EOS is announced.

regarding ZU the reason for no flash is thinness
 

vivftp

Member
the last one is just wishlist it was denied at esato forums.
Also i think Sony is late with honami now that Nokia EOS is announced.

regarding ZU the reason for no flash is thinness

When was that denied on esato? The last word was that Honami would have dual speakers on the bottom.

As for being late, meh not really. Less than 2 months between the announcements of the two phones probably won't make a monsterous difference IMO. Not to mention other than the camera, Honami seems to poop all over the Lumia 1020 in terms of hardware specs and extras like elemental resistance. The cameras might be pretty close, but we'll have to wait for direct comparisons to say for certain.
 

jey_16

Banned
I only hope Sony changes the design for the honami compared to the Z, it looked nice but it just felt like a block in the hand which is why I didn't buy it. The ZL was much better but no 4G support here in Australia
 

Fezan

Member
When was that denied on esato? The last word was that Honami would have dual speakers on the bottom.

As for being late, meh not really. Less than 2 months between the announcements of the two phones probably won't make a monsterous difference IMO. Not to mention other than the camera, Honami seems to poop all over the Lumia 1020 in terms of hardware specs and extras like elemental resistance. The cameras might be pretty close, but we'll have to wait for direct comparisons to say for certain.

Dual speakers were confirmed but not magnetic fluid tech. it was denied on easto i visit there every day so don't know exactly when.
It will make difference in the eyes of tech sites. specially when most major site like verge and Engadget seems anti sony

I only hope Sony changes the design for the honami compared to the Z, it looked nice but it just felt like a block in the hand which is why I didn't buy it. The ZL was much better but no 4G support here in Australia

Bad luck for u Honami have similar deign to Z according to rumors
 

vivftp

Member
Dual speakers were confirmed but not magnetic fluid tech. it was denied on easto i visit there every day so don't know exactly when.
It will make difference in the eyes of tech sites. specially when most major site like verge and Engadget seems anti sony

Well there is the chance it won't use magnetic fluid tech, but either way Honamis speakers will likely be quite a step up from what's found on the Z and Z Ultra.

As for the tech sites... well we'll see. They do seem to sometimes have it in for Sony, like with the Verge complaining about the Tablet Zs screen having a yellow tint, when no one else has complained about that and also complaining about not actually being able to use it underwater or while streams of water are pouring on the screen.
 

Noshino

Member
the last one is just wishlist it was denied at esato forums.
Also i think Sony is late with honami now that Nokia EOS is announced.

regarding ZU the reason for no flash is thinness

the 1020 looks awful though

shame really



but then again, it looks sooo much better than the s4 zoom, what was samsung thinking.....
 

vivftp

Member
Honami should look much more mainstream than the Lumia 1020 based on what I've been reading. It'll be quite interesting if Sony manage to fit it into a sub-10mm frame with no camera hump considering it's got the same size sensor as the 1020.

Really hoping Honami has the same stylus tech as the Z Ultra as I'd love to be able to pull out a pen or my keys and use it as a stylus when I want more precision and no fingerprints on my screen.
 

Roo

Member
Still sexy as fuck like the Z.
ultravs2013-06-25-01.24.45mat800.jpg

I really love the uniform black.
As in.. you can't see the gray screen rectangle with the black borders
It is all black now.

I think one of newest Sony's phones was made like this but I can't remember which one.
Hope they keep that trend for their future smartphones. Can't wait to change my Xperia P
:)
 

EvetS

Member
I really love the uniform black.
As in.. you can't see the gray screen rectangle with the black borders
It is all black now.

I think one of newest Sony's phones was made like this but I can't remember which one.
Hope they keep that trend for their future smartphones. Can't wait to change my Xperia P
:)

Isn't that just the back?
 

Akira

Member
The Z Ultra is now out in certain Asian countries, China and Indonesia I believe. I wonder how it's doing in China as big phablets are so popular there. One interesting thing is that the Z Ultra is the first smartphone on the market with the Snapdragon 800, correct me if I'm wrong.

Here's a good hands-on review:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ltXlKog9bo
 

No Love

Banned
I think I'll get one of these. Absolutely gorgeous design, the CPU/GPU kick ass, and dat screen size. Wonder how the battery life is, though. Comparable/better than Note II?
 

Akira

Member
Well from initial impressions, battery life sounds quite good. Its battery capacity is 3030mAh though, compared to the Note 2's 3200mAh.

I just noticed from that hands-on that the Z Ultra comes with the old Xperia UI. Not even the Xperia Z 2012 UI, but with the 2011 UI. Reading some impressions from XDA, it seems that the new 2013 UI will come with an update soon that will also come with X-Reality.
 

CrisKre

Member
My main concern for this is also battery life. I don't want to go back to crappy bsttery life after the note II
 

KillGore

Member
I didn't even know this phone existed. Just saw the ad (in the first page of this thread) and noticed the bluetooth handset? So it's like holding a phone? That's pretty weird but smart for larger phones. I hate bluetooths and I like holding on to something while I talk (unless it's on a car, of course). So this is a good idea (for me). Now phones can reach that size and we still have an optional accessory that still feels like holding a small phone.
 

antispin

Member
My main concern for this is also battery life. I don't want to go back to crappy bsttery life after the note II

So far it's tracking similar to Note 2 for me. Day one impressions: excellent screen, thin, sexy, crappy speakers, decent daylight performance for camera, poor low-light, inoffensive UI. Miss some TouchWiz features though, calling from the lockscreen, for example. The screen is unbelievable though. Much better than the Note 2 and the iPad 3. Two devices that I use a lot. Or used, in the case of the Note 2.

Blazing fast too!
 

Lucario

Member
Not really though. I mean they're fine if you always carry a bag with you or are wearing something with big pockets like a coat. I can understand people wanting an Android device in the 3.5"-4.0" range with top-of-the-line specs.

The S4 fits in skinny jeans. Fuck, I've seen dudes smaller than me pull Note 2s out of their pockets.

I don't think I'll ever understand the people who think modern phones are too big. If they didn't fit in pockets, yeah, they would be. Otherwise, it doesn't matter.

A 6.4 inch phone, though? I think you'd have to wear baggy jeans or cargo pants. That just doesn't look comfortable.... but I don't think that's the point. Powerusers who want to watch movies on airplanes without carrying around a tablet or laptop would want it.
 

mltplkxr

Member

Thanks for posting this. They're saying it's the same size as a passport and that's a bit of a stretch. But I'm sold on the notebook (as in paper Moleskine) and travelling idea . I like to carry a sort of oversize wallet when I travel, about the size of a map when folded. I put all my stuff in there: directions, tickets, notes, etc. So I'd love to have a tablet to replace all that.

The headset idea is brilliant too. Keep the tablet in you back pack and take out the head set from your pocket to answer the phone. Talking on the phone is a habit in decline that's being replaced by texting though, so I'm curious to see how that aspect will be received by the public.

I'm currently looking for a new tablet so I'm very tempted. From the PR language though, it's obvious Sony is aiming for the high-end and luxury market so it won't be cheap.
 

Skel1ingt0n

I can't *believe* these lazy developers keep making file sizes so damn large. Btw, how does technology work?
What's the best way to import one of these to the US? I've never imported a phone; but it looks like it would work fine with AT&T if I just popped in the SIM from my iPhone.
 

Friggz

Member
What's the best way to import one of these to the US? I've never imported a phone; but it looks like it would work fine with AT&T if I just popped in the SIM from my iPhone.

from everything ive read it should be coming state side in early september. unless thats changed in the last month.

As far as the actual phone goes, im a little upset at the lack of stereo speakers, no LED flash, and 8MP camera. Surely that has to be something that they include or modify in the next revision of the phone correct?
 

davepoobond

you can't put a price on sparks
i bet if we knew in the 90s that phones wouldnt be getting smaller, but astronomically bigger, we'd be laughing.
 

Sky Chief

Member
from everything ive read it should be coming state side in early september. unless thats changed in the last month.

As far as the actual phone goes, im a little upset at the lack of stereo speakers, no LED flash, and 8MP camera. Surely that has to be something that they include or modify in the next revision of the phone correct?

This would definitely be my next phone if the camera was a little better and had a flash. As is I am still very interested but will wait to see the GN3.
 

Fezan

Member
So far it's tracking similar to Note 2 for me. Day one impressions: excellent screen, thin, sexy, crappy speakers, decent daylight performance for camera, poor low-light, inoffensive UI. Miss some TouchWiz features though, calling from the lockscreen, for example. The screen is unbelievable though. Much better than the Note 2 and the iPad 3. Two devices that I use a lot. Or used, in the case of the Note 2.

Blazing fast too!

How are screen viewing angles ? Screen better than or comparable to HTC one or S4.?
Also how does graphite pencil work on screen ? With lag or without Lag ?
 

Windam

Scaley member
Will this or the Honami ever come out in Canada? I'm getting kind of tired of my Note i717 and its poor compatibility with JB roms (stupid random reboots). Telus should get some Sony love. :(
 

Fezan

Member
Will this or the Honami ever come out in Canada? I'm getting kind of tired of my Note i717 and its poor compatibility with JB roms (stupid random reboots). Telus should get some Sony love. :(

Don't know about honami but X ZL came to Canada with rest of the world right ? if yes then Honami chances are better
 
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