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[vivftp]

Sorry zomg, but it looks like you might have be in correct about the North American C6906 units all getting the top tier screens. Here's a little writeup I did:



FINALLY got my hands on a Z1 today! Went to the Sony Store and they had live demo models. I also went to Bell and Telus stores, the Bell store only had dummy units, and Telus store didn't even have the Z1 around.

The phone feels amazing in the hand. They had a dummy Z next to it, and even though it's slightly thicker the Z1 feels thinner and more comfortable. It was extremely snappy and no signs of micro lags of course. Speaker performance was pretty decent in the relatively loud store. I wasn't floored by it, but it should be more than sufficient for my uses. I did confirm that it was the C6906 that they had BTW.

Screen was amazing head on. I did notice the viewing angles washed out relatively quickly. I did a quick online search and would say the pics on this page are probably the closest to what I saw:

http://www.androidauthority.com/xpe...tra-display-comparison-viewing-angles-277660/

They did have a live Z Ultra beside it, and the results of my quick test mirror that page quite accurately. The Ultra did get a bit darker when viewing at an angle, but maintained the overall clarity of the image and colours were still accurate. The Z1 began to wash out at maybe 20 degrees and colours began to suffer a bit. For example in that sample video on Sony phone these days, when you get to the part with the canyon if you tilted the phone a bit the reds in the canyon walls would quickly disappear. Funny enough I did a small comparison with the Z1 and my Xperia x10a and the viewing angles are actually pretty similar.

Now I'm not going to bitch about the viewing angles and it won't really affect my decision to buy the phone. If it's on par with my x10a I won't mind too much because I know what to expect and can live with that just fine. Based on everything I've seen online I'm guessing these phones (they had 2 of them, both had the same quality screen) are bottom of the barrel in terms of overall Z1 screen quality. Very interested to see more phones from different batches and see if I can notice any differences.



Anyways, overall very impressed with the phone. Waiting for Rogers to get them in their stores as I'm very curious to see if their units have the same quality screen as the Sony Store Z1. I'd still very gladly take the Z1 I saw, but if I have to shop around or wait a bit to get the even better screen then why not. Do we know the percentage of "meh" screens to top tier screens?

 

[shinshoryuken]

I think the Tmo version is a c6906, just branded

Better to get the Bell version. Has no branding, unless you are planning to get it on contract (though I'm not sure how it works with T-Mobile now). Not just that but Bell will have the mainline update stream (same as Europe and Asia) while T-Mobile will have US specific updates modified by SMC USA as per the instructions of T-Mobile. Essentially updates on T-Mobile will be much slower.

How about the roger version?

 

[DBT85]

My 4G sim finally fucking arrived from EE. At last!

They really cocked up my initial deal.

I wanted 24 months, on EE, unlimited mins, unlimited texts and 1.5gb of data for £36 a month.

I GOT an 18 month deal on T-Mobile, 300 mins, 300 texts, 500mb of data for £36 a month.

Now I'm finally on EE its still an 18 month deal, but with unlimited mins, unlimited texts and 1.5GB of data for £36 a month.

Being contracted in for 6 months less isn't so bad I suppose.

Anyone seen a case to put it in for running?

 

[LeeRoyBrown]

My missus got a purple Z1 yesterday, loves the shit out of it.

....That's all I got.

Happy days.

 

[catmincer]

Purple is best colour. I have a purple Z

 

[roflwaffles]

Hi guys,

I've been eyeing the Xperia Z1 since August and I'm relatively new with mobile tech lingo so I was wondering: if I'm under T-Mobile, is there any benefit in waiting for T-Mobile to release their 4G LTE variant of the Xperia Z1 as opposed to getting the Xperia Z1 HSPA+ that got released this week? I am a bit clueless as to the difference between HSPA+ and 4G LTE other than that they are different types of networks.

Is 4G LTE faster/more reliable? I desperately want to upgrade from my iPhone4 but I can't find an approximation for T-Mobile's release of the Xperia Z1.

 

[DrFunk]

Hi guys,

I've been eyeing the Xperia Z1 since August and I'm relatively new with mobile tech lingo so I was wondering: if I'm under T-Mobile, is there any benefit in waiting for T-Mobile to release their 4G LTE variant of the Xperia Z1 as opposed to getting the Xperia Z1 HSPA+ that got released this week? I am a bit clueless as to the difference between HSPA+ and 4G LTE other than that they are different types of networks.

Is 4G LTE faster/more reliable? I desperately want to upgrade from my iPhone4 but I can't find an approximation for T-Mobile's release of the Xperia Z1.

If you're under Tmo, just get the Euro Z1. It supports Tmo's LTE bands, and is probably cheaper than the HSPA+ version. The Euro version is C6903.

4G LTE is faster, but as to it being more reliable depends on the carrier.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Does anyone know if there's any way to get one of these things to work on the Verizon network? Are any of the models out there compatible?

 

[roflwaffles]

If you're under Tmo, just get the Euro Z1. It supports Tmo's LTE bands, and is probably cheaper than the HSPA+ version. The Euro version is C6903.

4G LTE is faster, but as to it being more reliable depends on the carrier.

The thing is I can actually acquire the USA Sony Store variant one for considerably cheaper than it would cost me to buy an imported C6903 model, of which I can only find for $699+ online.

 

[tino]

If you're under Tmo, just get the Euro Z1. It supports Tmo's LTE bands, and is probably cheaper than the HSPA+ version. The Euro version is C6903.

4G LTE is faster, but as to it being more reliable depends on the carrier.

If you are running European rom, it actually doesn't use the TMo LTE band. At least thats the case with the Xperia Z.

I wouldn't bother to get the TMobile branded Z1 though, if you are on TMo specific firmware, tethering is disable. So you still need to flash a different rom to get tethering.

 

[vivftp]

Dangit, Rogers stores, Bell stores and Telus stores don't have live Z1 units to play around with. I suppose I could find another Sony Store, but it's a fair bit of a journey. Really hoping to test one at a Rogers store to see how the display is.

In the end if all else fails I'll still be happy to take a Z1 like I saw at the Sony Store as per my post above, but I wouldn't mind getting one where the colour doesn't shift off-axis by 20+ degrees.

It's funny, but I was playing with my relatively ancient Sony Tablet S and was checking its viewing angles. That thing is damned near perfect, even better than the Z Ultra I'd say. It's not the best display for daylight visibility and whatnot though, so maybe there were tradeoffs to that particular screen tech.

Anyways, will probably end up getting the purple version from Rogers. Was hoping for white, but they won't get it. I wonder how long it'll take Sony to come out with a power case for the Z1. Even with the case I think the Z1 will barely be any thicker than my existing phone, so I definately wouldn't mind it. Plus the added protection from potential drops would give me a LOT of peace of mind.

 

[samven582]

z1 coming out for att

https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/391816006798036992/photo/1

 

[zerodayPopbot]

Purple Z1 get. Loving it so far. It's super quick, and the triluminous display is really impressive, especially when watching 1080p stuff.

 

[JimiNutz]

Got a Z1 yest as an early Birthday present, last phone was a Limia 920...I don't like it

It's really stupid things like:

Just tried to connect it to my car via Bluetooth. My old Limia just paired up effortlessly but my car is asking me for some sort of authorisation code for the Z1...where do I get that?

How do I adjust the vibration when I receive a text? At the moment I can barely feel it vibrate and I'm not noticing when I receive messages.

Also, if my screen is locked is there any way for me to tell I have received a text? If I received a text on my old phone and the screen was locked it would light up but with the Z1 nothing happens. I've been into settings and turned on a light that is supposed to flash when a message is received but it is barely visible.

I hope these are just teething problems because it's a beautiful phone. Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Cloud]

I really want one but the screen problem has stopped me from taking the final step. Goddammit Sony why did you fuck up like that?

 

[Mario007]

I really want one but the screen problem has stopped me from taking the final step. Goddammit Sony why did you fuck up like that?

You're probably safe to get one with a good screen now.

 

[JimiNutz]

Ok been using the phone for just over a day now and getting used to it and enjoying it.

How long is average battery life? It's 2pm here and started using my fully charged phone at 7am today. Usage has been moderate (mixture of 3 hours basic Internet browsing and texting) and battery is now at 42% does that sound about right?

 

[SKINNER!]

Mine lasts about 2 days without using Stamina mode but that was after a couple of charges.

 

[jonnyp]

Ok been using the phone for just over a day now and getting used to it and enjoying it.

How long is average battery life? It's 2pm here and started using my fully charged phone at 7am today. Usage has been moderate (mixture of 3 hours basic Internet browsing and texting) and battery is now at 42% does that sound about right?

Sounds about right

 

[Caramello]

Ok been using the phone for just over a day now and getting used to it and enjoying it.

How long is average battery life? It's 2pm here and started using my fully charged phone at 7am today. Usage has been moderate (mixture of 3 hours basic Internet browsing and texting) and battery is now at 42% does that sound about right?

Battery life is really good for me. Make sure you have stamina mode activated. Just as an example I watched Total Recall which is 2.5 hours long on just over half brightness and it drained 21% battery. 7AM - 2PM and draining just over half the battery seems right if you're using it a lot and not out and about.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Sorry zomg, but it looks like you might have be in correct about the North American C6906 units all getting the top tier screens. Here's a little writeup I did:



FINALLY got my hands on a Z1 today! Went to the Sony Store and they had live demo models. I also went to Bell and Telus stores, the Bell store only had dummy units, and Telus store didn't even have the Z1 around.

The phone feels amazing in the hand. They had a dummy Z next to it, and even though it's slightly thicker the Z1 feels thinner and more comfortable. It was extremely snappy and no signs of micro lags of course. Speaker performance was pretty decent in the relatively loud store. I wasn't floored by it, but it should be more than sufficient for my uses. I did confirm that it was the C6906 that they had BTW.

Screen was amazing head on. I did notice the viewing angles washed out relatively quickly. I did a quick online search and would say the pics on this page are probably the closest to what I saw:

http://www.androidauthority.com/xpe...tra-display-comparison-viewing-angles-277660/

They did have a live Z Ultra beside it, and the results of my quick test mirror that page quite accurately. The Ultra did get a bit darker when viewing at an angle, but maintained the overall clarity of the image and colours were still accurate. The Z1 began to wash out at maybe 20 degrees and colours began to suffer a bit. For example in that sample video on Sony phone these days, when you get to the part with the canyon if you tilted the phone a bit the reds in the canyon walls would quickly disappear. Funny enough I did a small comparison with the Z1 and my Xperia x10a and the viewing angles are actually pretty similar.

Now I'm not going to bitch about the viewing angles and it won't really affect my decision to buy the phone. If it's on par with my x10a I won't mind too much because I know what to expect and can live with that just fine. Based on everything I've seen online I'm guessing these phones (they had 2 of them, both had the same quality screen) are bottom of the barrel in terms of overall Z1 screen quality. Very interested to see more phones from different batches and see if I can notice any differences.



Anyways, overall very impressed with the phone. Waiting for Rogers to get them in their stores as I'm very curious to see if their units have the same quality screen as the Sony Store Z1. I'd still very gladly take the Z1 I saw, but if I have to shop around or wait a bit to get the even better screen then why not. Do we know the percentage of "meh" screens to top tier screens?

Hmm, that's odd. My source is very sure that the C6906 version is built separately and wouldn't get any of the older panels. It could be that the demonstration model is a C6903 with C6906 software overlaid to get them into stores faster.

On a different note. I just had a preview of 4.3.1 for the Z1! It's very, very smooth and it brings some nice UI touches. It also comes with another camera software update, the compression ratio right now from RAW -> JPEG is around 80%, this will be lowered to around 60% which will mean fewer compression artifacts and a generally smoother appearance, especially at ISO50-400, the downside is that it doubles the size of the JPEGs. Eventually they want to have selectable quality like you get in proper camera, normal, fine, super fine which should be 80%, 60% and 50% compression. No word on RAW output, but after Nokia's move my source said Sony are looking at adding it for the Z1, Z, ZL and ZR. Finally, they are also looking to add an aperture priority mode with selectable aperture and exposure values, that would only be for the Z1 though. The source said by the end of January, the Z1 will be better than most digital compacts, and better than pretty much every other Android phone, and it should be competitive with the 1020, though the 808 is still out of reach.

Also, got some news for next year's flagship camera module, it retains the 20MP, f2.0 but the sensor size may increase from 1/2.3" to 1/2.0" (30% increase in area) but it is very early in development so they may stick with an updated version of the 1/2.3" sensor with better light gathering characteristics (a full silicon respin of the current sensor, essentially).

 

[Nightengale]

Got myself a Z1.

Overall, it's an great phone, but definitely falls very short of excellence of a few places.

Design : love the design language, but definitely a little bulky and wide for its screen size. Furthermore, I'm kinda disappointed they color the aluminium bands into one solid colour like the Z Ultra. I loved the pure black, monolith design of the Z/Z Ultra where it was pure black with only one silver button. Thickness is fine, but Z Ultra thinness would've been god-tier.

Screen : Yup, got the bad lottery. Still a good screen, but it doesn't look as good compared to LG G2 or HTC One.

Camera : Great, but not as good as it could've been. Kinda disappointed with the software offerings atm, hope they add more.

Battery : Great, but Samsung somehow makes their Note last longer despite similar battery size.

I'd would say it's an great phone that scores 8/10 in every category.

When the Z Ultra was released, I'd be hoping the next Z would practically be Z Ultra Mini, but unfortunately it's still slightly inferior to the Z Ultra. The next Z needs to literally be a shrunken down Z Ultra + better screen/bezel ratio.

 

[JimiNutz]

Thanks for the responses.
Stamina mode is on and I have also lowered the screen brightness a lot.

I'm now at 21% but what has surprised me is how quickly the battery drains even when my phone is just sitting in my pocket without use.

It may be that my battery has only actually been charged once...just gone down to 18% while typing this...

 

[SKINNER!]

Do you have the percentage displayed? I initially did and then just turned it off and stuck to the battery level meter as I felt I was spending most of my time looking at that percentage steadily decline instead of enjoying the phone.

Btw, has anyone tried hooking up their PS3 controller to the phone without rooting? I'm tempted to try this instead of buying a Moga controller but just curious to know if it works really well.

 

[SRG01]

I've seen some teardown photos of the "dual" antenna design in the Z1. Can anyone comment on the reception of this phone relative to their previous phones?

 

[GameAddict411]

I've seen some teardown photos of the "dual" antenna design in the Z1. Can anyone comment on the reception of this phone relative to their previous phones?

the reception was always excellent on my xperia z, i am pretty sure that the Z1 will not have a problem in that regard.

 

[SRG01]

the reception was always excellent on my xperia z, i am pretty sure that the Z1 will not have a problem in that regard.

Thanks. I'm always wary about buying new phones since I got burned with the Nexus 4...

 

[JimiNutz]

Do you have the percentage displayed? I initially did and then just turned it off and stuck to the battery level meter as I felt I was spending most of my time looking at that percentage steadily decline instead of enjoying the phone.

Btw, has anyone tried hooking up their PS3 controller to the phone without rooting? I'm tempted to try this instead of buying a Moga controller but just curious to know if it works really well.

Yeah got the percentage displayed, 13% now.
If the phone only lasts a day that's ok, I'm used to that from my Lumia 920.

Just wanted to check whether battery is normal or whether I need to be concerned.

 

[VanMardigan]

The source said by the end of January, the Z1 will be better than most digital compacts, and better than pretty much every other Android phone, and it should be competitive with the 1020, though the 808 is still out of reach.

lol, oh you. This phone is not and will not be comparable to the 1020 via a magical firmware update. Its getting pathetic now. Maybe next year!

 

[zomgbbqftw]

lol, oh you. This phone is not and will not be comparable to the 1020 via a magical firmware update. Its getting pathetic now. Maybe next year!

Got ready for the Microsoft branding crash in Europe yet?

 

[VanMardigan]

Got ready for the Microsoft branding crash in Europe yet?

Why would I care? Stop lying to people. Its not a better camera than the 1020, it won't ever be, and even if Windows Phone is cancelled and they never sell another phone, the 1020 will still have a better camera than the Z1.

 

[Zapages]

z1 coming out for att

https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/391816006798036992/photo/1

when is this occurring?!!! Please be now!!

 

[Schrade]

Yeah got the percentage displayed, 13% now.
If the phone only lasts a day that's ok, I'm used to that from my Lumia 920.

Just wanted to check whether battery is normal or whether I need to be concerned.

If I remember correctly, people say that the Sony battery use seems heavier for the first couple of days/weeks(?) and then it gets dramatically better. Something about conditioning the batteries? I dunno..

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Why would I care? Stop lying to people. Its not a better camera than the 1020, it won't ever be, and even if Windows Phone is cancelled and they never sell another phone, the 1020 will still have a better camera than the Z1.

Please show me where I said it would be better? I'm very interested to see such a quote...

 

[Corleth the Fey]

Do you have the percentage displayed? I initially did and then just turned it off and stuck to the battery level meter as I felt I was spending most of my time looking at that percentage steadily decline instead of enjoying the phone.

Btw, has anyone tried hooking up their PS3 controller to the phone without rooting? I'm tempted to try this instead of buying a Moga controller but just curious to know if it works really well.

I bought a cheap (less than £3) USB to mini adapter lead. One of the ones that allow you to then connect a USB stick for example.

Plugged the Ds3 controller into that using the charge cable. In the phone settings there's a option to connect a controller. Start that. The phone then recognises the Ds3 and syncs to it. You can from then on use it wirelessly via Bluetooth, until you sync it to another device. No rooting required.

You will have to resync it back to the PS3 to use it there again though. It's a good idea to use a second controller for this.

 

[vivftp]

Hmm, that's odd. My source is very sure that the C6906 version is built separately and wouldn't get any of the older panels. It could be that the demonstration model is a C6903 with C6906 software overlaid to get them into stores faster.

Yeah, very curious about this. I've now been to a total of 2 Sony Stores and a Costco to see live demo units and they all have screens with similar characteristics to what I described above. I'm waiting for a Rogers store to get a live unit so I can check out their batch.

My friends are planning to get me the Z1 for a birthday gift at the end of November, so I'm hopeful even if Rogers does have phones with poorer screens right now, that it might change in the next month or so.


BTW, amazed at how the camera performance has increased so far with the last couple of updates. Can you confirm zomg if the update you talked about in September is one of the ones that just came out, or is that yet to be released?

In a way I am actually glad I didn't get the phone when it was first released globally due to these various growing pains. I'd much rather my first experience with my own new phone be much better optimized. It is a shame Sony couldn't have these sort of optimizations ready for launch as the Z1 was reviewed on earlier firmware, and it's so much better now. At least sites like GSM Arena are acknowledging the increased camera performance and hopefully will re-do their tests.

 

[zephervack]

So torn between this phone and the note 3, someone help me.

 

[crazy monkey]

So torn between this phone and the note 3, someone help me.

note 3.

 

[Mario007]

So torn between this phone and the note 3, someone help me.

Depends what you are looking for. If you're looking for an overall amazing smartphone then definitely Xperia Z1. If you are looking for a good smartphone that doubles well as a note-taking pad then Note 3. If you just want a phone with huge-as screen where you can jot down some notes the Xperia Z Ultra.

 

[tino]

So torn between this phone and the note 3, someone help me.

DxOmark gives the Z1 only 1 point higher score in camera than S4, just so you know. I wouldn't be surprised if Note 3 ties with Z1's score.

 

[JimiNutz]

Are there any good wireless speaker dock things for this phone?

I want something so that I can be lying in bed and select the songs from my phone and then it plays out of the speakers without the phone needing to be physically connected.

I'm looking for something that is of decent quality but not extortionate (around $350). Something made by Sony to match the phone would be good but not necessary.

 

[vivftp]

Are there any good wireless speaker dock things for this phone?

I want something so that I can be lying in bed and select the songs from my phone and then it plays out of the speakers without the phone needing to be physically connected.

I'm looking for something that is of decent quality but not extortionate (around $350). Something made by Sony to match the phone would be good but not necessary.

They make a wide variety of portable bluetooth speakers. Here's one that I have:

http://store.sony.ca/premium-blueto...00/cat-31-catid-All-iPod-Clocks-Speaker-Docks

You might have to check what's available in your country though. Most of their units seem to have iPhone dock connectors, but they might have some with bluetooth that provide even better audio than the one I linked above.


I'm a bit sad that my Music Unlimited subscription is expiring November 20th, which is probably around when I'm getting the Z1. I took advantage of that special last year where you got a 1 year sub for about 12 dollars. It's a nice enough service, but I don't think I'd pay full price for it. Hope they have another special soon.


BTW, any of the insiders want to speculate on what time period next year we can expect
the next flagship from Sony? I'd say expecting a new flagship at CES or MWC would seem too soon, but then again that's pretty much what happened to the Xperia T last year. Is there any possibility of the next flagship coming so relatively soon?

 

[catmincer]

Well Z1 appears to really be a Z+. Same screens in some devices, better CPU/GPU yeah but nothing really amazing that screams "buy me" over Z. I wouldn't be surprised if there is another device announced in January.

 

[vivftp]

Nah, the Z1 is a pretty big step up from the Z overall. Even at its worst the screen is superior. Ergonomics are better despite the larger size, speakers are better, better waterproofing, no micro lags during use, dedicated camera button, better camera performance with apparently even more to come.

I am happy with the Z1, and am willing to go for it. It's just if there is another flagship just 2 months away I would rather wait. Well historically we get leaked new flagship details maybe a month prior to launch. I hope we hear something soon if there is something coming before I pull the trigger.

 

[JimiNutz]

Got my first screen scratches
Stupidly stuffed my phone in my pocket in a rush and had keys in there!

The scratches appear to only be on the plastic coating rather than deep scratches on the actual glass... They're really annoying though as they are squiggly lines that look like smudges - smudges that never come out!!

I don't suppose there is any way to fix this?

 

[SKINNER!]

Wooo! New system update arrived. Currently installing as I type this.

 

[DBT85]

Got my first screen scratches
Stupidly stuffed my phone in my pocket in a rush and had keys in there!

The scratches appear to only be on the plastic coating rather than deep scratches on the actual glass... They're really annoying though as they are squiggly lines that look like smudges - smudges that never come out!!

I don't suppose there is any way to fix this?

Yeah, you take the protector off and void the warranty. I've not taken mine off yet, but I have on my Xperia Tablet Z. Bloody stupid idea putting plastic on top of the glass.

 

[longdi]

Do the latest XZ1 come with the rumored real-IPS screen?

Or is there even any truth that Sony will use real-IPS panels once their remaining JDI "IPShite" batch runs out?

 

[Sid]

I want this phone with slimmer bezels,a great front facing loudspeaker and an IPS screen like the one on HTC One,these are the only things stopping me from selling my iP5 for this.

 

[Arondight]

Just picked the Z1 this Friday and honestly, I've never been so amazed by the design and engineering that went into this phone. Been fiddling around with the flaps, edges and keep running my fingers down the edges and corners. Still surprised in how small the power button is and always kind of imagined it'll be bigger. Still disappointed I got the panel with bad viewing angles but after using the phone, it's not so bad considering I barely use it on an angle but considering I'm buying Sony products in future, Sony better not cheap out like this again.

In comparison with my brother's S4, feels much nicer, much more solid and the UI is much more cleaner though it's clearly a little heavier.

Been using the camera and I'm pretty happy with the quality. The night photos needs improvements though and the bokeh sometimes doesn't work as intended or rarely blurs at times. Any settings or tips to recommend?

Phone itself for some reason kind of runs hotter than I expected and while I haven't used the battery passed 50 percent, from what I've used, it really needs a big improvement and Sony needs to put the battery to good use.

For the apps, I kind of wish for Walkman, instead of having generic photos when opening has actual flicks through the cover art kind of like the movies app. Wondering if you can delete the smart playlists since I really have no need for it.
For albums, I like using it but like playlists, there's no way of disabling or removing it and want a way to delete the useless albums like flickr, facebook, picasa since I don't use it and doesn't look very pleasant.

Also wondering whether there's push notification like IOS or at least a badge or is checking the light flash and notification centre the only way?

Overall, it's pretty much my first android experience and aesthetic wise, i guess it's not very consistent but functionality wise, it's incredible. Just that some things I feel like are overly complicated and a bit of a mess and will take time for me to get used to but so much smoother and stable than IOS7 right now.