Sony Xperia Z - Specifications. Mobile phone Sony Xperia Z (C6603) Sony Xperia z description

Sony's mobile division has been experiencing a serious crisis for several years now. The company's new flagship, the Xperia Z, was called upon to change this situation. It was well received by the press and experts. On paper, the characteristics of the device are excellent. This includes a Full HD display with a diagonal of 5 inches, a 13-megapixel camera with special photo processing algorithms. And, perhaps, the most important thing is that the smartphone is dust-proof and very beautiful. But is everything so good in reality? We looked for the answer to this question during the Xperia Z user test.

Sony Xperia Z has opened the season of announcements of flagship products in 2013. The presentation of the flagship of the Japanese company took place at CES2013 in January. At this event, Xperia Z became the most talked about device and received many rave reviews.

Among the special merits of the new product were a quad-core processor, a Full HD display with a diagonal of 5 inches, a high-quality camera, and protection from dust and water.

Another interesting point that almost everyone talked about is the stylish design. What is the cost of using tempered glass on the front and back of the device?

Dimensions. Scope of delivery

Sony Xperia Z is a very thin, but very wide smartphone. Excessive length and width do not allow one-handed operation of the device. If we go into numbers, the dimensions of the device are 139x71x7.9 mm, weight - 146 g. The weight did not seem excessive to me. Rather, it gives a feeling of reliability. The large dimensions of the device are concealed by its small thickness. This allows you to wear Xperia Z even in the pockets of tight clothing. However, if you go online, you will have to take the gadget out of your pocket.

The package (our test sample was purchased in Italy) includes:

Sony Xperia Z phone

• USB charger adapter
• Cable for synchronization with computer (microUSB)
• Stereo headset with 3.5 mm mini-jack connector
• Set of pads for headsets of different sizes
• Set of NFC tags
• A set of protective films for the screen and rear surface of the device
• Instructions

In addition to this, the Russian Sony Xperia Z package will also be replenished with a charging dock, which is not intended to perform any other tasks other than charging itself. This is a plastic stand, called a “charging module” in the settings.

Design, construction

The Japanese did a great job on the appearance. Visually, the smartphone is not perceived as bulky as one might judge based on its characteristics. The developers managed to achieve this thanks to a minimalist design. The smartphone uses a minimum of additional elements, and all the outlines of the body are close to rectangular. According to Sony, “Xperia Z is constructed using premium materials and debuts the new OmniBalance design concept with subtly rounded edges and smooth reflective surfaces on all sides.”

The ends of the Sony Xperia Z case are made of metal (with the exception of plugs for various technical connectors), and the front and back panels are covered with tempered glass. It is worth noting that different batches use different types of tempered glass. Somewhere it’s Corning Gorilla Glass, and somewhere else it’s Asahi Dragontrail. I don’t know what was on my test sample, but I can state that the glass firmly protects the display and the back from scratches and abrasions.

By the way, some people on the Internet call the Xperia Z a flattened / 4S. Comparisons with the previous two Apple smartphone models are inevitable due to the angular shapes and glass covering the front and back sides of the device. However, Xperia Z is original and unlike any mobile phone that has come out before.

The devices are available in three colors: white, purple and black. I had a black device at my disposal.

Almost the entire front part of the smartphone is occupied by a large 5-inch touchscreen display. It is about 12.7 cm. Above it is the speaker hole. To the left is a camera for video calls (2 megapixels), and to the right are all kinds of sensors: motion sensor, light sensor, G-sensor. In the upper right corner there is an LED that lights up while charging, and also blinks when receiving SMS, calls or when the battery is low.

On the back there is a 13-megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash. Just below is the NFC chip, branded with a special logo.

On the right side there is a button to turn on, turn off and lock the phone. It is metal, silver, round in shape. Just below you can see the volume key. Even lower is the speaker for external calls. Its volume is below average. I would note a high probability of missing a call if your phone is in your clothes or far from your location. In other cases, the volume is enough. At the same end, behind a protective cap, there is a slot for a microSIM card.

At the top end there is a 3.5 mm headphone output. It is also covered with a plug. A standard microUSB connector for charging and connecting to a computer is located on the left side. There is also a slot for a microSD memory card and contacts for the docking station. But there is no mechanical camera button; the camera application for shooting can only be launched from the menu or lock mode. The Xperia Z's lithium-ion battery is non-removable.

The build quality of the device is excellent. During the test I did not find any external defects. The impressions are extremely positive. The smartphone is assembled at a factory in China.

After my first acquaintance with the Sony Xperia Z, I caught myself thinking that I really liked the appearance of the device. The feeling of touching glass surfaces is not comparable to plastic. In addition, the assembly here is excellent. The controls are properly positioned on the sides. But I absolutely did not like the dimensions.

Ladies and gentlemen who work in manufacturing companies and think that a 5-inch screen is good! You are mistaken! It's really inconvenient and not ergonomic! You can't reach the edge of the screen with one finger. I’m generally silent about “reaching the corners.” In addition, while talking on the phone, it feels like you are pressing a brick to your head. Is this really convenient?

I can say with confidence that I have finally realized that the growth of the diagonal in modern smartphones is a dead-end line of development.

Dust and moisture protection

Sony Xperia Z is a rare smartphone that offers moisture and dust protection at a fairly high level. The smartphone is certified according to standards. The numbers indicate that dust may get inside the case, but will not affect the performance of the device.

It is the torture and moisture resistance that dictates the presence of such a huge number of plugs on the body of the device. It is important to ensure tightness.

As for protection from moisture, the smartphone can survive at a depth of up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. In addition, it can withstand being under running water. Testing the Xperia Z for security in real conditions confirmed that the smartphone is not afraid of liquids. For example, I dipped my smartphone in a glass of mineral water and it didn’t matter!

Screen. Graphics capabilities

The screen is perhaps the most controversial thing about the Xperia Z. Firstly, it is a 5-inch (12.7 cm) diagonal. Of course, it's good that it's big, but because of this the device has excessive dimensions. Secondly, the type of matrix used provides low viewing angles. As soon as you look at the screen even slightly at an angle, the colors on it will begin to fade. But in the normal position the picture and colors are good. I didn’t expect to see such a strange display on a smartphone for 30,000 rubles.

At the same time, I want to praise the resolution, which is 1080x1920 pixels with an excellent pixel density of 440 ppi. Image clarity is excellent. Individual points are difficult to distinguish even under a magnifying glass.

The brightness is adjusted both manually and automatically, based on the operation of the light sensor. Naturally, there is also a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. Multi-touch technology allows you to process up to ten touches simultaneously.

Keyboard and information input

Entering information, as well as writing texts and dialing numbers, occurs using a touch screen.

There are two options for typing text in the Xperia Z: vertical and horizontal QWERTY keyboard, as well as voice typing. In the first version, the buttons are small, but typing text is still convenient.

In horizontal orientation, the buttons are quite large and allow you to type text without any problems. Changing the language occurs by pressing the RU/EN key, only you must first select the main languages ​​in the settings. One of the features I would like to note is the lack of the ability to type punctuation marks with one touch in the Sony interface. Personally, this really annoys me.

Menu. Interface and navigation

Sony Xperia Z runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean operating system. The software can be updated via the Internet. Sony's own shell is installed on top of the operating system. It is much simpler and more understandable than the basic one.

Among the differences there is a difference in unlocking the device with standard Androids. Sony has moved away from the boring “pull the ring” unlocking method. There is also no need to aim at the slider and pull it to the right or left. Now you just need to swipe your finger across the screen from bottom to top or top to bottom - and the phone is ready to use.

The process of desktop personalization has been made convenient and thoughtful. In the main window, the user can select the desired desktop, and using the lower menu, add widgets or application shortcuts, as well as change the background image or the entire design theme. The list of programs can be sorted alphabetically, installation time, frequency of use, or at your own discretion.

In standby mode, the user has access to up to seven desktops.

A long, continuous press on the top of the screen will activate the notification panel. It displays the current date, operator name and other supporting information. The notification panel alerts you to missed voicemails, emails, Gmail, and more. Here you can quickly enable functions such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, sound, auto-rotate.

The menu can be accessed by tapping the "Applications" option at the bottom right of the screen. The menu of the phone under test is presented by default with three screens that can be scrolled through. These are all different applications. Long pressing an application's shortcut will move it to the desktop. To remove a shortcut from the desktop, you need to do the opposite. There is also a “Widgets” tab, from where you can add useful information directly to your smartphone’s desktop.

The set of pre-installed programs in Sony smartphones does not change much from model to model. Several online services, such as TrackID, Movies, PlayNow, offer you to select, buy and immediately launch music, movies and games. Timescape collects information about friends' social activity. There is a pre-installed file manager. There is also a QR code scanner.

The proprietary Smart Connect program, which is used to launch certain profiles (operating modes), starts when the smartphone is installed in the docking station, but autorun can be turned off. There is no full-fledged version of the OfficeSuite Pro office application package, which would allow not only viewing, but also editing files in the popular formats Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Now the buyer receives only a stripped-down version of OfficeSuite, which allows only viewing files of these formats.

Telephone features

First of all, these include “Phone”, “Contacts”, “Messages”. They're all located at the bottom of the Xperia Z's home screen.

The Contacts application stores detailed information about phone numbers and subscribers. A specific record can have two dozen fields, be it last name, first name, patronymic, mobile number, home phone number, email address, date of birth or personal ID, Skype, etc. The search in contacts occurs immediately across all fields of the client, that is, you can dial the number, first name, last name, etc. Each subscriber’s profile can now be linked to his social media accounts.

Drawing keys, numbers and letters for dialing and a virtual keyboard for typing SMS messages is very convenient. During an incoming call, the screen displays a photo and number of the subscriber from the phone book, or, if the subscriber is unknown, a picture of a green man.

Text and multimedia messages are grouped by subscriber. By clicking on a specific contact, you can view the history of correspondence with this person.

Internet and Google services

The standard Chrone browser uses updated Webkit and JavaScript.

The device is fully integrated with Google services such as Gmail, Google+, Google Maps, YouTube and, of course, search. The user just has to provide his Google account information and that’s it.

Working tools include “Calendar”. It allows you to view events by date, time and action. The service is a high-quality planner-organizer, all in one. All events can be divided into groups with corresponding fields. All information is stored on a Google server.

Multimedia capabilities

The app for playing music is called Walkman . Here you can view and listen to audio tracks. The following file formats are supported: MP3, AMR, AAC, AAC+, e-AAC+.. There is sorting by artists, albums, genres, composers.

The standard headset is included in the package. Thanks to the 3.5 mm jack, you can choose any headphones.

The “Video” item displays videos made both by the device’s camera and downloaded from the Internet.

A unique thematic browser for photo and video files is the “Gallery” item. All files are divided into folders: photos and video clips, music.

Camera. Photo and video capabilities

The main camera on the Xperia Z can take pictures of up to 13 megapixels. By default, it works in the so-called super auto mode. The mentioned “super auto mode” actually locks all camera settings; the smartphone independently determines how to take photographs. It turns out quite well. The maximum resolution that can be set is 12 megapixels with an aspect ratio of 4:3. Then the photos are 3920x2940 in size.

The maximum resolution of camera images in manual mode is 13 megapixels, but this can only be achieved if you independently switch the shooting mode to normal. Then the resulting photos will have a size of 4128x3096.

The continuous shooting speed reaches 10 frames per second. The quality is not bad, but in reality it turns out that we are not dealing with photography, but with saving individual frames of a video sequence.

Additional features include automatic smile detection, panorama mode and several filters, some of which change the image beyond recognition.

The camera can shoot video in Full HD resolution 1080p, the quality is excellent, it can be used for home recording.

Photos and videos can be viewed from the Multimedia menu. Photos and videos are displayed as thumbnails, the list opens very quickly, there are no delays even with a large number of photos or images. In the gallery, you can scroll through photos by tilting the phone in one direction or another. All this became possible thanks to the built-in accelerometer.

Memory and speed

The flagship from Sony is built on the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 APQ8064 chipset, which consists of four Krait computing cores operating at frequencies up to 1.5 GHz. The Adreno 320 chip is responsible for the graphics, 2 GB of RAM is enough for everything. The built-in memory is only 16 GB, but there is a slot for a microSD card. In terms of hardware, the Xperia Z is almost identical to the Nexus 4, HTC Butterfly and ASUS PadFone 2.

The new model from Sony represents a comprehensive work on the errors of previous devices. The company tried to create a device that retains all the advantages and successful ideas of its predecessors. But at the same time it eliminates the problems of older devices from the line. The Sony Xperia Z5 (Sony Experia) smartphone turned out to be unusual and is distinguished by its innovations. In the new version, attention was paid to the functions of ergonomics and ease of daily use. According to the manufacturer, the phone should become one with its owner, not only in terms of design, but also in the quality of tactile sensations and software. Let's try to carefully study the review, delve into the detailed description, compare with other models and understand whether these statements are true or not.

Design

We should start this review with the appearance of the smartphone. The new Sony Xperia Z5 (Sony Experia) has retained the traditional concept of OmniBalance designers. The appearance of the smartphone is made in a variation of Sense of Unity. This mobile phone looks truly presentable, luxurious and solid. Strict contours with straight lines emphasize the high cost and sophisticated style of the case. So visually the cost of this model looks higher than its real price.

In the Xperia Z5 series, special emphasis in design was placed on individual details. So the rear window got a matte and foggy look. The original idea allowed not only to refresh the appearance of Sony smartphones, but also to solve one of the key problems. There are practically no traces or fingerprints left on such a surface. Even if they appear, they are easily erased with simple movements.

The back panel conveys excellent tactile sensations. The surface feels rough. When viewed from a distance, frosted glass can easily be confused with plastic or metal. Only touch can convey the quality of a material. It is especially pleasant that it did not greatly affect the final cost of the smartphone.

As a nice innovation in the design, it is worth noting the presence of a built-in fingerprint scanner in the power button on the side panel. This made it possible to emphasize the originality of the style and give a new look to boring functions. The scanner is responsive and uses Qualcomm Sense ID technology. True, its implementation made the lock button more rigid. Pressing requires some effort, so unlocking the screen sometimes does not work the first time.

The new smartphone does not have annoying plugs. The standard package includes a common slot for SD and SIM cards. There is also a modification for sale with a slot for two SIMs - Sony Xperia Z5 Dual. According to the manufacturer, the device has waterproof properties. The smartphone can easily survive a fall into water. This feature was a signature feature in all the company’s stylish models.

Among the shortcomings of the design, we can highlight the protrusions along the perimeter of the frame. They were made in order to prevent the smartphone from sliding on the surface and causing scratches. However, the price of this innovation turned out to be high and cost users the usual comfort: when you take the Xperia Z5 in your hands, the size and edges cause inconvenience, which slightly spoils the experience. A similar thing happens when you work with the display sensor. When you move your finger across the screen, you involuntarily touch these protrusions. Although this design is practical, it takes time to get used to the device. This disadvantage also includes the inconvenient location of the volume keys. The buttons are located significantly lower than usual in other models.

Screen

The display uses a Sony Triluminos touchscreen IPS matrix with Live Color LED & X-Reality technology. Here, of course, one cannot fail to mention the dimensions: the screen diagonal is 5.2 inches. The image is transmitted in FullHD 1920×1080 resolution. The pixel density is 424 ppi.

The Xperia Z5 has built-in ambient light sensors that are responsible for automatically adjusting the brightness of the display. At the same time, the possibility of precise manual adjustment is preserved. The multi-touch sensor is capable of perceiving and processing up to 10 simultaneous touches. When you hold the phone to your ear during a call, the sensors automatically lock the screen. A nice plus is the ability to operate the smartphone with gloves.

In general, the quality of color rendering and brightness of the model is excellent. The shades are rich, the colors are bright, the image is excellent. The anti-glare screen and a wide range of brightness settings will allow you to comfortably use the phone in direct sunlight.

Sound

The Sony Xperia Z5 has deservedly received praise for its stereo sound quality. And no matter how many there are, it will not be enough. The speakers and overall sound of the smartphone deserve applause. The Japanese company was able to realize clear and loud sound with a good bass range. Not a single smartphone from all Sony lines could boast of such properties.

The mobile phone is equipped with S-Force Front Surround sound system and DSEE HX quality enhancement technology. To listen to your favorite music and tracks, there are wide options and as many different options for improving the sound using personal settings and a built-in audio player as a smartphone can have. The entire sound palette is revealed well when you connect headphones to your smartphone.

As for communicating on the phone, the Xperia Z5 is doing great. The interlocutor's voice is recognizable and retains familiar intonation and timbre. Noise-canceling technology protects conversations from wind gusts and outside sounds in open spaces.

Camera

The smartphone uses two digital cameras with resolutions of 23 MP and 5 MP. The developers have placed emphasis on the quality and detail of the resulting photos. The main camera uses the new Sony Exmor RS with a 1/2.3 sensor and a 24mm G Lens. The aperture has an f/2.0 setting. Hybrid autofocus along with LED flash ensures high focusing accuracy and speed.

The front camera uses the same wide-angle 25 mm G Lens and a 5 MP Exmor R module. There is no flash and a fixed focus.

For shooting photos and videos, there is an HDR mode and an electronic SteadyShot image stabilization system with Intelligent Active Mod function. The camera interface has flexible settings, as well as options for recognizing smiles and “soft skin”.

In general, each camera copes well with its responsibilities and demonstrates the good quality of the resulting photos and videos in 4K resolution. The picture is detailed and sharp. In poor lighting, frames lose quality, but remain at an acceptable level. If we compare the Z5 with other smartphones, it outperforms its younger predecessors, but is still inferior to the flagships of other companies. And at the same time it is inferior significantly.

Specifications and performance

The hardware of the smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset. The x64 platform is made using a 20 nm process technology and consists of eight ARM Cortex cores. They reliably cope with assigned tasks and demonstrate good performance. The smartphone's RAM is 3 GB. Flash memory is designed for 32 GB. You can expand the volume up to 200 GB using additional microSD.

The Sony Xperia Z5 (Sony Experia) went on sale with an operating system based on the 5th version of Android LolliPop. The changes affected the interface with a description and the processing of the existing shell. All innovations in the menu and sections are designed to improve style and ease of use. At the moment, a software update to the sixth version of Android Marshmallow is available for the smartphone.

The Adreno 430 video accelerator is responsible for the work in the graphical aspect. AnTuTu tests give top results. When running gaming applications at high graphics settings, the smartphone behaves perfectly. FPS drops and performance drops occur due to gradual heating. This problem is typical for all Snapdragon 810. Heating is more localized in the upper part of the device, where the SoC is located. The temperature of the smartphone reaches 45-47°C. At the same time, the device feels significantly hot and you can only get rid of this feeling with the help of a case.

But despite this drawback, the Xperia Z5 hardware demonstrates excellent performance and a high performance margin. This guarantees owners reliable performance and the ability to run the most demanding applications. This mobile phone will be able to adequately withstand comparison and compete with other representatives of the flagship series, and will also retain the relevance of its technical content for many years to come.

Battery

And finally, we should conclude this review with a description of the battery parameters. Autonomy is ensured by a battery with a capacity 2900 mAh. Its capabilities are enough for standard daily work with an active screen. The smartphone lasts for 40 hours without additional charging. But if you increase the intensity of the load, the battery discharges quite quickly. This is due to the demanding platform, as well as the large FullHD display.

“Crown of Creation” is the best of Sony’s smartphones, but still not ideal

Sony Mobile, a division of the Japanese corporation responsible for the production of mobile devices, last year with enviable consistency set the tone for the market in terms of the production of dust- and moisture-resistant smartphones. This idea is certainly a good one, and the seeds sown eventually began to sprout in the fields of other vendors. This year, two of the largest manufacturers - NTS and Huawei - also finally decided to provide their top models HTC Butterfly/Huawei D2 with protection from dirt and water, which is good news. And it doesn’t matter at all whether the potential buyer is a fan of rafting on mountain rivers or a simple layman going on a picnic with his family - a complex electronic device that we constantly twirl in our hands always has a chance of being suddenly forgotten on the porch in the rain or accidentally dropped in puddle. Surely every mobile phone owner has dropped his phone into water at least once in his life. And it’s a pity that not all smartphones have protection against such surprises by default - although this seems to be taken for granted. After all, a mobile phone is, first of all, a complex electronic device for use outside the home, and it would seem that manufacturers should have thought about its moisture resistance in the very first place.

As for waterproof Sony smartphones, the list is constantly growing. Last summer, we wrote about the Sony Xperia go, a dust- and water-resistant mid-range smartphone, which, nevertheless, turned out to be extremely interesting in terms of the combination of its technical characteristics and price. A little later, we got acquainted with another rugged smartphone from the company - Sony Xperia acro S, which turned out to be a very good, but not very attractive smartphone with a rustic appearance. This was immediately corrected by the handsome Sony Xperia V, a top-end smartphone that immediately appealed to a wide audience for its sophisticated appearance. And this despite the fact that officially it still complied with the IP57 protection class. But at that moment, no one could even imagine that next year its beauty would be eclipsed by the new “miracle” Sony Mobile, and again waterproof. At this point I would like to state the fact that the Japanese company managed to prove to the whole world that protection from dust and moisture is not a rare phenomenon characteristic only of special equipment, but a completely normal and useful characteristic that could have long been included in lists of characteristics of most mobile devices in the world, if their manufacturers wanted it. As Sony showed us, the waterproof properties of the devices do not affect the price that much, and, most importantly, they do not roughen their appearance at all. And the hero of today’s review is the clearest proof of this. The new Sony Xperia Z smartphone is so beautiful and sophisticated in its appearance that no one would even think of calling this smartphone an “SUV”. And it, meanwhile, like its predecessors, fully meets the requirements of the IP55 and IP57 standards, that is, it is both waterproof and protected from dust and dirt.

But this is not the only extraordinary feature of the new smartphone. Sony Xperia Z is one of the first, along with the already released Sharp SH930W and HTC Butterfly, which sets another new trend that will be picked up by all self-respecting manufacturers this season: the presence of a Full HD screen. We already managed to test the first of the Full HD new products, Sharp SH930W, last year, and we must admit that the hardware of this smartphone turned out to be unable to sufficiently ensure the functioning of a device with a screen of such a high resolution. The smartphone turned out to be frankly slow, and working with its slow interface caused persistent irritation. It turned out to be even more pleasant that the Sony Xperia Z with its Full HD screen not only does not slow down, but on the contrary, ensures such fast and smooth operation of the interface and all applications that there is something to envy here for iPhone users. True, the quality of the Sony Xperia Z screen itself did not seem to us as ideal as the company’s representatives describe it, but otherwise the smartphone turned out to be almost without flaws. So, let's start with the description. For clarity, we included in the comparison table with characteristics both the previous waterproof model Sony Xperia V and two “competitors” we had already tested. The Sharp SH930W was included in this list only because of its merits as the first serial Full HD smartphone to enter our market. Otherwise, this smartphone cannot compare with today's testers either in the power of the filling, or, especially, in the beauty of its appearance. But as for the second model, LG Optimus G, this critically acclaimed smartphone is perfect as a competitor to the Sony Xperia Z. True, it does not have a Full HD screen or protection from dust and moisture, but in all other respects this is a powerful smartphone quite competitive. Both devices have the maximum performance of their platforms, and both are quite attractive in their appearance. In addition, both models enter the Russian market at approximately the same time, so the comparison will be very appropriate. Unfortunately, we have not yet received from representatives of the Taiwanese HTC their new smartphone HTC Butterfly, although it would also be suitable for comparison, since it has strong hardware characteristics and a Full HD screen. Well, we'll do without him for now.

* The most common SIM card formats are described in a separate material.

Key features of Sony Xperia Z

• SoC Qualcomm APQ8064, 1.5 GHz, 4 cores
• GPU Adreno 320
• Operating system Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
• Touch display IPS(?), 5″, 1920×1080
• Random access memory (RAM) 2 GB, internal memory 16 GB
• MicroSD card slot up to 32 GB
• Communication GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
• Communication 3G UMTS HSPA+ 850, 900, 2100 MHz
• LTE Band I, III, V, VII, VIII, XX (2600/800 FDD are used in the Russian Federation)
• HSPA+ 21 Mbps
• Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
• Support DLNA, MHL, OTG, Media Go, MTP
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n
• GPS/Glonass
• Exmor RS 13 MP camera with HDR video support
• Exmor R camera, 2 MP (front)
• Lithium-ion battery 2330 mAh
• Dimensions 139×71×7.9 mm
• Weight 146 g

About security

According to the IP55 and IP57 standards, the corresponding device is protected against low pressure water jets from all directions in accordance with the IP 55 standard and/or can be exposed to a depth of 1 meter in fresh water for up to 30 minutes in accordance with the IP 57 standard. This protection class IP55/IP57, in accordance with the International System of Protection Classification, is described as follows: “The first digit of the IP class (5) indicates that the device is protected from dust. The second number shows how well the device is protected from moisture or liquid. IPx5 rating means that the phone will continue to operate when exposed to a water pressure of 30 kN/m² in all directions with a pressure of up to 12.5 liters per minute, which is supplied through nozzles with an internal diameter of 6.30 mm, located at a distance of approx. 3 m from the device for at least 3 minutes. IPx7 rating means that the phone will continue to work and will be protected from water when submerged in fresh water to a depth of no more than 1 meter for no more than 30 minutes. And since the second numbers 5 and 7 in this marking clearly exclude the presence of the number 6, which is related to the use of the device in sea waves, then, accordingly, we conclude that the Sony Xperia Z can withstand water jets from any direction and short-term immersion in depth up to 1 m, but is afraid of sea water. This is quite logical, given that salt tans and corrodes the rubber gaskets of the plugs that close the body.

In the frosty winter, we had no desire to test the moisture protection in natural conditions somewhere on a picturesque pond, so we simply dipped the smartphone in a container of water and recorded this process in a photo. There is probably no point in meticulously recording the bathing of every next protected Sony smartphone: soon there will be so many of them that this function will turn from a fashion trend into the norm. The test subject passed the test for immersion in water, as expected, successfully, like all previous waterproof Sony models. High-quality plugs with rubber gaskets are absolutely impermeable to water. It’s great that you won’t often have to loosen these plugs here - especially the one that covers the Micro-USB connector: Sony has come up with an additional accessory for the Xperia Z in the form of a docking station. While in it, the smartphone will be charged through the metal contacts on the side, and the constant need to open the cap will disappear. By the way, it is worth noting that the Sony Xperia Z model also stands out in that it already comes with such a cradle - unlike the Sony Xperia V, for which you will have to buy a docking station separately. Cradles from different devices, unfortunately, are not interchangeable and do not fit each other.

Equipment

A little about the package: the smartphone comes with in-ear headphones (MH-EX300AP), interesting in all respects, which naturally come with a set of additional ear pads. Also included is a charger (1.5 A) and a USB cable for charging and connecting to a computer.

In addition to this, the Russian Sony Xperia Z package will also be replenished with a charging dock, which is not intended to perform any other tasks other than charging itself. This is a plastic, simple-looking stand, called a “charging module” in the settings.

When you connect to it for the first time, the smartphone launches the proprietary Smart Connect application. This application can, when launched, activate a list of pre-programmed functions, such as turning on an alarm at night and the like.

Appearance and ease of use

When you pick up the Sony Xperia Z for the first time, you are imbued with its extraordinary beauty to the depths of your soul. Few people can remain indifferent to its unusual design. The fact is that all its surfaces, including all four side faces, are finished with panels of durable protective glass. According to rumors, this is Gorilla Glass, but Sony has not officially commented on this point. But they are happy to talk about the new design, which even received its own name within the company. According to Sony, “Xperia Z is constructed using premium materials and debuts the new OmniBalance design concept with subtly rounded edges and smooth reflective surfaces on all sides.”

Although the phone body is made almost entirely of glass, the Sony Xperia Z does not slip at all in your hands. This is achieved due to the rough, matte surfaces of the sidewalls, forming a single contour into which all these glass plates are inserted. It looks incredibly stylish and very expensive. There are no compromises here: not an ounce of plastic, no creaking, crunching or play, ugly latches, protruding parts or ridiculous colors - everything is only of the highest level. Perhaps one of the few Android devices that looks no less worthy than the iPhone.

The smartphone is quite thin and at the same time wide, which, it would seem, should cause discomfort when held in the palm of your hand. However, due to the rounded edges and corners, as well as their matte surface, the phone is quite comfortable to hold with one hand. The hardness and coldness of the glass is offset by this matte contour, which prevents the device from slipping out of your fingers. Although the smartphone is certainly very large. And even though the bezels around the huge 5-inch screen are very thin, the phone is still huge, even for a man’s hand. However, many modern hands have already become accustomed to such shovels - not for the first time.

Not only the sides, but also the top and bottom of the front panel around the screen are quite thin. In the above photo, the effect is not so noticeable, because virtual control keys are currently appearing on the screen below. However, when they are removed, when watching a movie, for example, you get the feeling that you are holding only the screen in your hands. It is curious that symmetry can be seen throughout the entire appearance. And even on the front panel, as can be seen in the illustration, the upper cutout in the glass for the speaker grille is identical to the lower cutout for the microphone. It is a rare case when the hole for the microphone at the bottom is not a simple hole, but a whole figured grille.

From the back, everything looks just as stylish: a solid glass panel, a neat camera window flush with the panel, some silver inscriptions at the bottom. Laconic, expensive, stylish. There are not even holes for speaker sound output here - they were moved to the side edge, so that the sound of the table surface will not overlap under any circumstances.

As for the other elements, they are all located along the edges of the device, and most of them are covered with waterproof plugs with rubber gaskets. The outer caps of the plugs are made of the same material as the entire body, so at first they are difficult to even find. Not all of them have icons: for example, the most important one, hiding the Micro-USB connector, is also the most intuitively difficult to find. It is located at the very top of the left side. All plugs are attached to the body with rubber bands, so it is impossible to lose them. The plugs open and close easily, the fixation is clear, and each one has a barely noticeable stop for the nail. Here, on the left, there are two noticeable metal contacts that are used for docking with the contacts of the charging module. Next to them - oh miracle! — slot for microSD memory card. This is a huge plus for the Sony Xperia Z, since many will want to watch videos on this device, and they take up a lot of space even at 720p resolution.

The fact that the back cover is non-removable also determines the structure of the SIM card slot. In this case, the slot is located on the right side, also under a plug, and is equipped with a primitive tray for installing a card into it. This tray-sled is very simple, made of plastic, however, unlike the iPhone sled for example, it can be easily removed and inserted back using just your own fingernail. No paper clips or special keys are required here, which is great.

By the way, the nice holes in the lower right corner of the case are nothing more than a hook for attaching a lanyard to your hand or a bauble-keychain. An elegant solution.

The last curious element is a silvery metal round plaque right in the middle of the right side. This is the power and lock button. It looks strange to say the least, it sparkles with metal right on top of the glass, and visually doesn’t really fit into the finished image. It only works to call up the menu and lock - long press, unfortunately, it cannot overload the device. Why Sony doesn't add this function to the power button is unclear. By the way, right next to it you can see a thin volume rocker, to which there are exactly the same complaints. Almost all major manufacturers have already added the shutter release function to this button while shooting with the camera. But not Sony developers: they stubbornly continue to entrust this key with the honor of controlling the digital zoom that few people need! It's time to rebuild, comrades. After all, controlling shooting by touching the screen is not so convenient. Especially in the cold, and even when you are wearing gloves, and you really don’t want to take them off.

In principle, this is where we can finish the description of the appearance of the Sony Xperia Z smartphone. Of course, a thing of this type and quality is no longer just a phone. This, like the iPhone, is partly an element of prestige. A very expensive element, I must admit.

By the way, in terms of the choice of color for the new product, there is also one surprise: in addition to black and white, a purple version of the Sony Xperia Z will also be available for sale. In principle, even the black device is not completely black; in the light, its glass side panels cast blue. And this unusual, rare, purple color is simply magnificent. To be honest, this is the color I would choose for myself out of three possible ones.

Screen

The screen of the Sony Xperia Z is strange. That is, even with Full HD resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, it was not able to amaze the imagination with its beauty. Obviously, this is all due to the viewing angles - they are so small that with any, even slight deviation of the view from the normal, the screen instantly turns gray and fades. Perhaps this is its main drawback. However, a very significant drawback! Otherwise, the Sony Xperia Z display is good: no grain is visible, the pixel density is high, the colors are calm, and the responsiveness is excellent. Surprisingly, everything here turns so quickly, the screen is so responsive, that it’s hard to believe how hard a five-inch Full HD display can be for a smartphone’s hardware system. You don’t have to look far for an example: the ill-fated Sharp SH930W is clear proof that not every system is capable of handling a Full HD display, and you need to think carefully before putting them together in one device. Here the hardware effortlessly copes with such a high resolution; I have never encountered a single sticking or delay. The speed of the interface, flipping through desktops and screens, opening applications, launching videos, turning on the camera - everything happens instantly and does not cause any inconvenience.

In numbers, the physical parameters of the Sony Xperia Z screen are as follows: screen dimensions - 62x110 mm, diagonal - 127 mm (5 inches), resolution - Full HD 1080p (1920x1080 pixels), PPI pixel density is more than 440 ppi, which is the maximum indicator for the screens of modern smartphones. The brightness is adjusted both manually and automatically, based on the operation of the light sensor. Naturally, there is also a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear - everything is standard. Multi-touch technology allows you to process up to ten touches simultaneously.

Sony representatives themselves in official sources call the Sony Xperia Z display “Reality Display with Mobile Bravia Engine 2,” thus not forgetting to emphasize the presence of the Mobile Bravia Engine technology used in the smartphone. However, this name has no direct relation to the matrix itself: this technology is software, and it only works when viewing photos and videos in media players and photo galleries. That is, using software, any photo and video images are improved in terms of sharpness, contrast and color saturation. Well, the number 2 in the name is, rather, a purely marketing ploy: for an ordinary person, the difference when using the first or second version of the Mobile Bravia Engine is almost invisible. As for the physical properties of the display, it is not always known for certain what technology is used to produce the screen of a particular Sony smartphone model. The company representatives themselves, answering this question, tactfully but firmly avoid this topic, mentioning only that suppliers of screens in different deliveries may be different, and therefore, screen production technologies may also differ slightly. Yes, all of these screens are manufactured using technologies developed by Sony, but the manufacturing factories themselves are owned by several different manufacturing companies.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion about the Sony Xperia Z screen.

The smartphone screen is covered with a glass plate, onto which a plastic mirror-smooth protective film (hardly removable) is factory-glued, relatively resistant to scratches, but still less hard than inorganic glass (small scratches have already appeared on the new test sample). There is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating on the outer surface of the screen (or this is a property of the protective film itself), so fingerprints are removed more easily and appear at a lower speed than in the case of regular glass. The anti-glare properties of the screen are weakly expressed.

When manually controlling the brightness, its maximum value was 380 cd/m², the minimum was 18 cd/m². As a result, at maximum brightness in bright daylight, you can use the smartphone without any inconvenience (the main thing is that the screen does not reflect anything very bright), and minimum brightness will allow you to comfortably work with this mobile device even in complete darkness. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (apparently it is located in the upper right corner). The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness control. If it is set to 100%, then in complete darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to at least 64 cd/m² (normal), in an artificially lit office it sets it to 110 cd/m² (acceptable), in a very bright environment it increases to 360 cd /m² (it was possible up to the maximum value). If, with automatic brightness adjustment turned on, the brightness control is set to 50%, then under the conditions given above, the values ​​obtained are 42, 75 and 230 cd/m², respectively, and if at 0, then 18, 30 and 95 cd/m². In automatic mode, as external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. At lower brightness, there is no backlight modulation at all, so there is no backlight flickering.

In the technical specifications, the manufacturer modestly indicates that a TFT type matrix is ​​used, without specifying its specific type. In terms of external features - viewing angles, behavior of the black field and changes in colors when viewed at an angle - a matrix or IPS is used, or something very similar, since *VA changes the shades themselves when deviated (for example, red becomes orange, etc. . etc.), that is, there is actually a color shift, but in this case there is none (or rather, it is very small, which is typical for IPS). In general, if we talk specifically about inverting shades and shifting colors when the gaze deviates from perpendicular to the screen (but not about the brightness and saturation of colors), then the screen of this smartphone is characterized by large viewing angles, at which these shortcomings are not observed. At the same time, even with not very large deviations from the perpendicular to the screen in any direction, all colors are noticeably brightened, the image becomes whitish and lacks contrast. The black field with this highlighting remains close to a neutral gray color; when viewed strictly perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is very good. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 15 ms (6.6 ms on + 8.4 ms off). The transition between halftones 25% and 75% (according to the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 34 ms. The contrast is not very high - 690:1. The gamma curve constructed from 32 points did not reveal a blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows, and the index of the approximating power function is 2.06, which is lower than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve does not deviate very much from the power dependence :

Color gamut is slightly wider than sRGB:

Apparently, the components are well separated, and the spectra confirm this:

Note that color saturation is moderate, visually the colors are slightly more vibrant, but not yet so oversaturated that color images appear distorted. On the significant part of the gray scale (dark areas can be ignored, since color balance is not very important there, and the measurement error at low brightness is large), the ΔE indicator is not very high (less than 10) and the color temperature is not much higher than the standard 6500 K , however, both parameters have a relatively large range of variation, which can negatively affect the perception of grayscale images:

Due to too high reflectivity, low black stability when looking diagonally, not very high contrast and significant unevenness of the color tone of shades of gray, the screen cannot claim the title of the best screen for a compact mobile device, but in general, from a consumer point of view, The screen is not so bad - bright, with rich colors and adequate automatic adjustment of the backlight brightness.

Additionally, the richness of colors increases (in some programs) when the Mobile Bravia Engine 2 function is enabled. Obviously, no photograph of the screen can convey without distortion what the human eye sees, but we will take the liberty of using screen photographs as an example to demonstrate at least the principle of operation of this functions. This is what our camera captured when displaying a test image on the Sony Xperia Z screen with the Mobile Bravia Engine 2 function turned off:

And here's what happens when enabled:

In both cases, the image was displayed in the standard photo viewer. You can see that Mobile Bravia Engine 2 has increased contrast, color saturation and clarity. Does this make the image better? Probably worse, but the result apparently depends on the quality of the original image. If it is initially good, then this processing is unlikely to improve it, and if it is bad, then such automatic correction will probably only benefit it.

Outputting images to an external receiver

Additionally, the MHL interface was tested. To test it, we used an LG IPS237L monitor that supports direct MHL connection using a passive adapter cable from Micro-USB to HDMI. In this case, output via MHL is carried out at a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels at a frequency of 30 frames/s. By default, when connected via MHL, the TV launcher shell program is automatically launched with icons of several applications that most need a large screen. Regardless of the actual orientation of the smartphone, the image is displayed on the smartphone and monitor screens only in landscape orientation. The actual resolution is equal to the smartphone screen resolution - 1920x1080 pixels. Sound is output via MHL (in this case, the sounds were heard through headphones connected to the monitor, since there are no speakers in the monitor itself) and is of good quality. At the same time, at least multimedia sounds are not output through the loudspeaker of the smartphone itself, and the volume is not adjusted using the buttons on the smartphone body, but the sound is turned off at the minimum position of the volume slider. The smartphone connected via MHL is charging.

Video output using the standard player deserves a special description. To begin with, using a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Method for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)”), we checked how the video is displayed on the screen of the smartphone itself. Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: the resolution varied (1280 × 720 (720p) and 1920 × 1080 (1080p) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 frames/ With). The results of this test (block entitled “Screen”) and subsequent ones are summarized in the table:

Note: If both the Uniformity and Dropout columns are rated green, this means that when watching movies, there will most likely be no or no amount of artifacts caused by frame spacing or dropouts visible. will not affect viewing comfort. “Red” marks indicate possible problems associated with the playback of the corresponding files.

It turns out that none of the files are played back perfectly on the smartphone screen: the intervals between frames alternate unevenly, in one case some frames are skipped, and 1080p files with 50 and 60 fps are actually not played back. However, except for these two cases, it is quite difficult to visually notice artifacts. As an example, here is a photograph of the screen of this smartphone, obtained when playing a 720p video file at 24 frames per second:

It can be seen that all frames are shown, and they alternate at intervals of 2-3 (this is the most correct way to show 24 frames when the screen is actually refreshed at 60 Hz), but this is an example of ideal output; in the other two pictures of this video file, the alternation uniformity is lower.

On a monitor connected via MHL, when playing video with a standard player, an exact copy of the smartphone screen is displayed. When playing video files with Full HD resolution (1920×1080 pixels) on the monitor screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed one-to-one, exactly along the border of the screen in true Full HD resolution. But if you reduce the value of the setting responsible for scaling the image output, the picture on the monitor screen becomes slightly smaller, and a black frame appears around its perimeter - accordingly, the maximum video clarity on the monitor also decreases slightly.

The brightness range displayed on the monitor slightly does not correspond to the original one: in the shadows the range is 14 shades, and in the highlights - by 16, while on the smartphone screen all gradations of shades are displayed in the highlights and shadows (for video in the range 16-235).

The test results are shown in the table above in the “MHL (monitor)” block. It can be seen that only files with a frequency of 30 fps are ideally reproduced, which corresponds to the monitor output mode - 1080p at 30 fps. 1080p files at 50 and 60 fps are not actually played back, all other file types are at least played back with uneven alternating intervals between frames. As an example, here are photographs of an ideal output option:

However, the same remark that we made when discussing the output on the screen of the smartphone itself is true here: on fragments of real films (except for video files with 50 and 60 fps), artifacts may not be visible.

Additionally, video output (with a standard player) via MHL using an MHL adapter (model VCOM CG615) was tested. When using this adapter, output to the monitor was carried out in 720p mode at 60 fps, which determined the maximum actual image resolution. With the exception of resolution and frame rate, everything else - the nature of the interface output, charging, audio output and gray scale - did not differ from a direct connection via MHL. The test results are shown in the table above in the “MHL (adapter)” block. It can be seen that 1080p files at 50 and 60 fps are not actually played back; all other file types are at least played back with uneven alternating intervals between frames. For example, here is a photograph of the output of a 1080p video file at 24 fps:

The upper scale with rectangles shows that the ideal alternation is violated in 2-3 places. However, the frame rate is twice as high as when directly connected to a monitor, so it will most likely be more comfortable to play games when using the adapter.

In general, despite the discovered “features”, an MHL connection can be used for games, watching movies, displaying web pages and other activities that benefit from a multiple increase in the physical size of the screen.

Note that this smartphone implements several more functions related to working together with a TV, for example, controlling the smartphone from the TV remote control

and a screen mirroring function implemented using NFC technology. Apparently, these functions only work in conjunction with Sony Bravia TVs (and even then not with all models), so we did not have the opportunity to test or at least check their functionality.

Sound

The sound of both speakers of the Sony Xperia Z seemed not loud enough to us. In other respects, everything is not bad: the sound is clear, smooth throughout the entire volume range, and it is not deprived of low frequencies, and the speaker hole is placed on the side, so the sound does not overlap when lying down. But I always want to turn up the volume, but there’s nowhere else to go. And this is even taking into account the fact that the sound of the external speaker is additionally processed using proprietary xLoud technology. This technology, developed by Sony, enhances the volume of the main speaker without introducing (if possible) distortion into the sound. On the other hand, the interlocutor’s speech is easily recognized, the auditory speaker clearly conveys all the intonations and timbre of the voice, so there are no complaints here. Well, to listen to music it’s definitely better to connect headphones.

The standard audio player, traditionally called a Walkman, is rich in settings and additional software sound improvements, such as a built-in equalizer with ten preset values ​​to choose from (you can set your own), ClearBass, Clear Phase, xLoud technologies or virtual surround sound. Control of most settings is available if the ClearAudio+ function is turned off, otherwise all settings are left to the machine. By the way, the visualization of Sony players is excellent - everything is very beautifully drawn, there are many tabs, settings, improvements, it is not only convenient to use, but also aesthetically pleasing. Here you can edit tags and work with covers.

There is an FM radio in the smartphone, but traditionally it only works when you connect headphones that act as an external antenna. There are many radio settings. The Sony Xperia Z has a voice recorder as standard software, but it is not called up in the usual way. You can find it not in the list of installed applications, but in the so-called small applications menu, which can be called up at any time by pressing the rightmost on-screen button. If you start the voice recorder during a telephone conversation, it will record both sides of the conversation, which is sometimes useful. The interlocutor’s voice, however, is heard worse than yours, but it is quite possible to make out the words. Recorded conversations are saved in notes, and you should look for them there.

Camera

Sony Xperia Z is equipped, like most modern smartphones, with two digital camera modules. The front camera, used for video calls and self-portraits, has been brought to a resolution of 2 megapixels and is also equipped with a proprietary Exmor R sensor. By the way, the Sony Xperia Z has both cameras, both on the front and on the rear panel, equipped with HDR technology for photography. The front camera shoots with the highest possible Full HD resolution (1920×1080), examples of pictures are in front of you. The quality is generally not bad, you can even recognize text from paper if you wish. True, it is unlikely that anyone will need this function in relation to shooting specifically with the front camera of a smartphone - it is, after all, intended primarily for capturing your loved one against the backdrop of landmarks (and, of course, for video calls).

The main, rear 13-megapixel camera is even more unusual here. The developers say that the Sony Xperia Z is the first to use the new Exmor RS sensor, based on BSI matrix back-illumination technology. Most of all, the developers praise the HDR (High Dynamic Range) technology here, which is used to create photographs in brightly lit environments. An HDR camera takes multiple shots of the same image at different shutter speeds and then overlays them to create the best quality photo. But the most amazing thing is that the HDR technology in the Xperia Z smartphone can also be used when recording videos.

By default, the camera operates in the so-called super auto mode (iauto), and the maximum resolution that can be set is 12 megapixels with an aspect ratio of 4:3, then the photos are 3920x2940 in size. The maximum resolution of camera images is 13 megapixels, but this can only be achieved if you independently switch the shooting mode to normal. Then the resulting photos will have a size of 4128 × 3096, that is, in terms of those same 13 megapixels. In this regard, everything is organized in exactly the same way as in the Sony Xperia V. We tried shooting with both options of maximum settings, examples of pictures are in front of you. To be honest, you can’t see much of a difference; both modes (super auto and normal) produce photos of comparable quality. In principle, the automatic mode is designed to reduce the amount of noise, and it sometimes succeeds. Just keep in mind that some features, such as manually focusing on certain objects by touching the screen, become available only when auto mode is turned off.

Thanks to the built-in auto focus function, close objects, as well as text from paper or the monitor screen, can be captured on camera.

The camera can shoot video in Full HD resolution 1080p, the quality is excellent, it can be used for home recording. Below are several videos shot at maximum settings at 30 frames per second. Videos are saved in MP4 (video - MPEG-4 AVC ( [email protected]), sound - AAC LC, 128 Kbps, 48 ​​kHz, 2 channels) and have a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels (16:9). For visual comparison, we shot two videos in the same conditions, made with and without HDR technology.

• Video #1 (83.5 MB, 1920×1080, no HDR)
• Video #2 (45.3 MB, 1920×1080, HDR)

The camera control settings are quite standard, most of them are familiar from other Android smartphones: it is possible to link geotags, add graphic effects, enable smile detection, panoramic shooting, and, of course, software enhancement can be used here using HDR technology (High dynamic range). There is image stabilization, and the shutter sound can be turned off.

As in the case of the Sony Xperia V, a separate hardware key on the side of the device for photography was not provided here, and this is not entirely customary for a Japanese company. This moment would not be so unpleasant if the shutter could be released using the volume key - this is now often implemented in smartphones from other companies, but not Sony. At Sony, this key, in the old fashioned way, is responsible for digital zoom, which most people do not use. One of the positive aspects is the ability to take photos while recording video; this function is already becoming familiar to most new smartphones.

Software

Sony Xperia Z currently runs on the Google Android software platform version 4.1.2. As usual, the company installed its own shell on top of the standard OS interface, which has already become classic for modern Sony phones. The shell significantly changes the interface and adds several applications of its own. The desktop consists of five horizontally scrolling screens and a fixed panel of five icons at the bottom. The application menu also has several horizontal screens with a 4x5 matrix of icons, but the management of these icons is moved to the top - a convenient menu appears there for selecting, redistributing, deleting and various sorting. You can even organize your own order of distribution of program icons, which is convenient. It has also become possible to create folders both on desktops and inside the application menu - some may find this feature useful.

The drop-down notification panel is informative, but it doesn't allow you to customize a list of basic functions for quick access. Wider options for quickly selecting and jumping to the most important switches of the main functions are offered by a very convenient widget, already preinstalled on one of the main screens. Through it you can quickly get to the brightness and sound volume settings, as well as turn on or off all the main interfaces.

The set of preinstalled programs in Sony smartphones does not change too noticeably from handset to handset. Several online services, such as TrackID, Movies, PlayNow, offer to select, buy and immediately launch music, movies and games; Timescape collects information about friends' social activity. There is a pre-installed file manager, there is even a QR code scanner. I really like that Sony always pre-installs an extremely useful program for full backup and restoration of both settings and other data. We saw almost the same set of applications in the previous model - Sony Xperia V. Let me remind you once again that the proprietary Smart Connect program, which is used to launch certain profiles (operating modes), starts when the smartphone is installed in the docking station, but autorun can be turned off. A full-fledged version of the OfficeSuite Pro office application suite, which allowed not only viewing, but also editing files in the popular formats Word, Excel and PowerPoint, is not here. Now the buyer receives only a stripped-down version of OfficeSuite, which allows only viewing files of these formats.

I already mentioned an interesting innovation - the ability to launch “small applications” from the menu of recently opened applications. In this menu you can get quick access to the voice recorder, calculator, stopwatch and notes, and you can also add other applications there yourself, which are becoming more and more numerous in the Google Play Store.

Telephone and communications

Sony Xperia Z not only works in modern 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks, but also has support for fourth generation networks (LTE) in the bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20. Traditionally, this characteristic is marked as “This function is not available in all regions." For domestic users, band 7 is of interest, on which the operators Yota and Megafon operate. Thus, Sony Xperia Z is one of the few devices that officially supports Russian 4G networks, which can be a significant competitive advantage for some categories of users. On the other hand, we must understand that compatibility alone is not enough. The real effect of increasing data access speed depends on many external factors, including the quality of reception, cell load and operator channels. However, it should be noted that in the months that have passed since the first testing, the situation has improved: new devices are appearing, coverage is improving, and speed and quality remain at a high level.

The radio part of the tested Sony Xperia Z smartphone is stable; no spontaneous signal losses or dropouts from the telecom operator’s network were noticed. The screen is huge, drawing keys, numbers and letters for dialing and the virtual keyboard for typing SMS messages is very convenient. In addition, the Sony Xperia Z virtual keyboard has several options for keyboard layouts, as well as visual shells for them. So everyone can choose the most convenient and attractive arrangement of keys from the presented options to suit their taste. It is also possible to enter text using sliding gestures from letter to letter.

No freezes or spontaneous reboots/shutdowns were observed during testing. Although it is worth noting that if this happens, then rebooting this particular device will be problematic: you cannot remove the battery, nor can you restart it by long pressing the power key - it does not react to a long press, unfortunately. When you bring it to your ear, the screen is blocked by the proximity sensor. The light sensor controls the screen brightness level automatically. The LED indicator in the upper right corner of the screen is very convenient: it glows red while charging, blinks green when there are incoming events, and white when it suggests switching to energy-saving mode.

The device is equipped with the majority of modern network interfaces and wireless controllers: Bluetooth version 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n with support for both frequency bands (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), NFC, there is support for DLNA, MHL and OTG . It is possible to communicate directly with other devices via Wi-Fi Direct, as well as organize a Wi-Fi access point. To ensure fast wireless data transfer in mobile networks, the smartphone supports the HSPA+ standard.

Sony Xperia Z easily mounts and recognizes any USB flash drive when connected via the Micro-USB connector. At least the experiment with the 32 GB flash drive was successful. The phone effortlessly reproduced all the file formats familiar to it directly from the flash drive - played videos, music, opened various documents.

The Sony Xperia Z has support for NFC, a short-range high-frequency wireless technology that allows data exchange between devices located at a distance of about 10 centimeters. This technology is aimed primarily at use in mobile phones and payment terminals, and in some countries it is already being widely used for contactless payments, paying for public transport, or even personal identification. In our country, NFC has not yet become widespread, but already now the user of a smartphone that supports this technology can try it out in action. All you need to do is download and install the Yandex.Metro application, which, when you hold a travel ticket to your phone, can show the expiration dates and the number of trips remaining. Another application is offered by the domestic cellular operator MTS, which has organized NFC support for making contactless payments. The Mobile Wallet kit includes a special MTS SIM card with MasterCard PayPass technology, linked to an MTS Money bank card. In addition, the kit comes with an NFC antenna, which must be placed in the SIM card slot. That is, for such contactless payments, in any case, just a smartphone is not enough - you also need to obtain and insert a new special SIM card into it, and also open a corresponding account at MTS Bank. But in the case of a phone that supports NFC technology, you won’t also have to install an antenna - but this is not so simple, and in the iPhone, where the SIM card is pushed into the body through a slot, it simply won’t be possible to install it.

Sony has organized advanced support for NFC in its smartphones, setting up the production of NFC accessories and equipping its smartphones with software for working with these accessories. We are talking about so-called SmartTags. Such programmed tags-sensors are hung or pasted in any place in the house or car and serve to control the smartphone when brought to them. To exchange information between devices, short-distance communication technology - NFC - is used. When you bring your smartphone to such a mark, a certain mode or profile is activated, using a set of functions needed at the moment, turning on navigation while driving a car, for example. However, unfortunately, such marks were not found in the Sony Xperia Z package.

The GPS module is assisted in determining the location by A-GPS technology; with its help, orientation on the terrain is carried out almost instantly. The phone also claims to support the Russian Glonass service. If you turn off all wireless communication modules, a cold start with searching for satellites and determining the location will take 1.5 minutes. Like any normal smartphone running on the Android system, the Google Maps mapping service is preinstalled here (only in China most Google services are blocked), but you can, of course, install any other one - Yandex.Maps, for example.

Performance

The Sony Xperia Z hardware platform is based on the powerful Qualcomm APQ8064 SoC (Snapdragon S4 Pro), with a central quad-core Krait processor (ARMv7) operating at 1.5 GHz. It is supported in graphics processing by a powerful modern Adreno 320 chip. The device has as much as 2 GB of RAM. The storage available to the user for uploading their own files is just under 11 GB. Nominally, the system memory in the smartphone is 16 GB, but the remaining volume is used only for the system and pre-installed programs. When you connect your smartphone to your computer, both storage devices are mounted as independent removable drives - provided, of course, that the memory card is inserted into its slot. MicroSD memory cards up to 32 GB are supported.

We compared the hardware performance of the new product in various popular tests with the performance of other top modern smartphones we have previously tested. Sony Xperia Z was at the top of Olympus, demonstrating very high performance results, even in comparison with the most powerful quad-core smartphones of our time, such as Google Nexus 4, LG Optimus G, HTC One X+ and Samsung Galaxy Note II. Details below.

The test subject performed equally well when testing processor performance using the multi-platform test GeekBench 2.3.5. In addition to CPU performance, this benchmark also measures the speed of working with RAM.

In the Epic Citadel gaming test, in 1794x1080, High Performance mode, the test subject produced an excellent result of 57.2 fps.

In the tougher Epic Citadel, High Quality mode, the Sony Xperia Z showed an equally outstanding result of 54.7 fps - screenshots of both screens in front of you.

To test the omnivorous nature of video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Internet. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it.

¹ sound in MX Video Player was played only after switching to software decoding; The standard player does not have this setting

Battery life

The capacity of the lithium-ion battery installed in the Sony Xperia Z is 2330 mAh. The battery is non-removable, so you won’t be able to remove it and replace it with a new one yourself.

To save energy, Sony Xperia Z has a new battery mode - Stamina. It provides better battery management and increases the phone's standby time. If your phone has this mode enabled, when the screen turns off, the phone automatically closes unused applications that use a lot of energy, and launches them only when the screen turns on again. Wi-Fi by location also serves to save money: in this mode, the smartphone activates the wireless module only when it recognizes the presence of a familiar network, rather than keeping it turned on all the time.

The smartphone did not show any records in terms of battery life - everything was within the usual limits: one day of hard work or less.

Continuous reading in the FBReader program at a brightness level of 50% lasted 9.5 hours, which is a very good result for a smartphone with such a large screen. The device played YouTube videos in high quality (HQ) over a home Wi-Fi network for almost six hours. It should also be taken into account that the mentioned energy-saving modes are not enabled by default in the device, and were not used during the tests either. With them, these results can be even higher. The Sony Xperia Z is fully charged in 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Prices

The average retail price of the device in rubles in Moscow at the time of reading the article can be found by moving the mouse to the price tag.

Bottom line

The new Sony Xperia Z smartphone is the undisputed leader, the company's flagship smartphone at the beginning of 2013 - and at the same time the most powerful and technically advanced mobile device ever created by the Japanese company. The phone has incorporated most of the previously developed technical and software discoveries, and simply has such advanced hardware that this allows it to be placed among the most notable top-end mobile devices of the opening season. “With Xperia Z, we've leveraged more than half a century of experience in television, photography, music, film and gaming to create a truly outstanding smartphone that delivers a positive user experience,” said Kuni Suzuki, President and CEO of Xperia Z. CEO of Sony Mobile Communications. As for the price, it is still off the charts. 30 thousand rubles is a lot, even for such an advanced device as the Sony Xperia Z. However, the main competitor - HTC Butterfly - was recently released on our market at exactly the same price, and this trend is not at all encouraging. The smartphones are similar in screen parameters and hardware, but the glossy plastic body of the HTC Butterfly certainly cannot be compared in beauty and elegance with the appearance of today's new product. Although the quality of the screen itself on the HTC Butterfly may have been more interesting. Another Full HD smartphone on our market, the Sharp SH930W, although it has a display with similar specifications, however, in other respects it cannot compete with the Sony Xperia Z. And another interesting competitor - LG Optimus G - is very good both in the performance of its hardware platform and in appearance, but in terms of screen parameters it does not reach today's test subject. And yet I would like even such a wonderful smartphone in many respects as the Sony Xperia Z to “lower” its price a little. Then it would become much more interesting to consider it as an acquisition on our market. In principle, you can already buy Xperia Z from Europe with delivery for 200 euros cheaper, so perhaps the price here will drop, but this will happen a little later.

Xperia Z, which will be a very serious competitor to current and future flagship devices. This is the first major manufacturer to use a 5-inch 1080p screen. In our review we will try to talk about the features of this smartphone.

So, let's start with the appearance of the Sony Xperia Z. It comes in a compact package that contains the smartphone itself, a USB cable, headphones, a network adapter, and a 2 GB microSD memory card (availability will depend on the region of delivery).

The gadget is easily recognizable as a Sony device with its angular design. Glass covers the front and back of the device, blue plastic is used on the sides, and the edges are rubberized. There are several covers that make the device waterproof (IPX57 standard) and dustproof (IP55 standard).

The choice of materials also has negative aspects. This way the glass quickly becomes covered with fingerprints and loses its brightness, but at the same time you can always wipe it.

The build quality is excellent: it seems that no creaks, other sounds or play were detected during operation. Since there is glass on both sides, the smartphone is reliably protected from scratches.

The Xperia Z has a very standard set of functional elements above the screen - a speaker, a front camera, touch sensors and a company logo. Below it are the touch navigation buttons, which are part of the display, and a microphone.

On the right side there are a volume control key, a power/lock button and a slot for a microSIM card, which is covered with a plastic cover. Unfortunately, there is no camera control key here. On the bottom right there is an external speaker.

At the top end, a 3.5 mm audio jack is hidden under a plastic cover.

On the left you can see a microUSB port and a microSD card slot under the covers, and under it a connector for a docking station.

The bottom end of the gadget is completely devoid of functional elements.

Finally, on the back cover you can see a 13-megapixel camera, LED flash and a second microphone, which serves for noise reduction and stereo sound capture.

The dimensions of the device are 139x71x7.9 mm, and the weight is 146 g.

Performance and Software

Sony Xperia Z is based on the Snapdragon APQ8064 S4 Pro chipset with a 4-core Krait processor clocked at 1.5 GHz and an Adreno 320 graphics accelerator. The smartphone also has 2 GB of RAM. In general, the gadget will not disappoint in terms of performance and speed; resource-intensive games and applications simply fly on it.

The device runs Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean OS. Built-in memory – 16 GB (there is a slot for microSD cards).

In the BenchMark Pi test, which reflects single-threaded performance, the device under test takes first place. The same results were demonstrated in the LinPack benchmark, which focuses on multi-threaded performance.

Let's move on to the GLBenchmark 2.5 Egypt test (1080poffscreen), which will allow us to check the graphics capabilities of the device. Sony's new product did not disappoint here either, almost catching up with the Oppo Find 5.

But most games will likely run at native resolution, so we tested Epic Citadel, which uses Unreal Engine 3, which is hugely popular among mobile game makers. So this is a very important test. It was carried out at high quality settings and, surprisingly, the gadget again came out in first place.

We already thought that the smartphone would pass all tests perfectly, but browser tests were not very successful for the Sony Xperia Z.

So in the SunSpider test, the device was at the bottom, ahead of only the Nexus 4 and Oppo Find 5. But in BrowserMark 2, the gadget took second place, behind only the Optimus G, which has a similar chipset, but a lower resolution. The device also came in second in the Vellamo HTML5 test, losing only to the Samsung Galaxy Note II.

So, from the tests, let's move on to the communication capabilities of the Sony Xperia Z. The gadget has Wi-Fi, GPS/A-GPS/GLONASS, Bluetooth 4.0 modules, supports FM radio, 3G and LTE networks.

There is a rich pre-installed software: browser, email client, programs for integration with social networks, navigation applications, audio and video players, etc.

Screen

Sony Xperia Z became the owner of a 5-inch display made using TFT technology using Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2, with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and a color rendition of 16 million shades.

Pixel density – 441 ppi.

You can actually see the advantage over 720p displays with the naked eye, but the difference is not that big.

The new Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 technology will also improve performance when playing videos and viewing images, and work better in bright sunlight.

Below is a specialized sunlight clarity test:

However, the screen is by no means perfect. First of all, the viewing angles are not very large. Of course, a step forward has been made compared to the Sony Xperia T, but a very slight one. So Sony needs to work more carefully in this area to catch up with its competitors.

We also note that the display does not have very good contrast and the colors are not very inspiring. Below is the test.

Camera

Sony Xperia Z is equipped with a 13.1 megapixel camera that allows you to take pictures with a maximum resolution of 4128x3096 pixels. If you use the default improved automatic mode, you will get a photo with a resolution of 3920x2940 pixels.

The difference between the enhanced auto mode and the normal mode with all auto settings is that the device first tries to guess what scene you're trying to capture and adjusts all the image parameters accordingly. This includes color saturation, contrast, and exposure metering mode. In normal auto mode, only exposure is set, but you can experiment with other settings.

Sony Xperia Z offers all kinds of features including facial recognition, Smile Shutter, geotagging, touch capture and HDR mode.

In the improved automatic mode, the smartphone takes good quality photos, although the colors are a little oversaturated in our opinion. The noise level is average, the dynamic range is good, and the contrast is excellent.

In general, we note that the results are quite good, although we did not find any noticeable advantages compared to flagship 8-megapixel models.

Examples of photos:

Xperia Z is capable of shooting video with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. This model also provides the ability to shoot video, which sets it apart from most other smartphones.

The disappointment was that when recording video, the gadget was able to take a photo with a 1-megapixel resolution. So last year's flagships were able to take full-resolution footage when recording video.

This, of course, is a minor minus, since the device does basic things very well. The video has amazing detail. Bitrate hovers around 16Mbps, which is a decent compromise between quality and file size.

Example video:

Battery

The Sony Xperia Z uses a non-removable lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 2330 mAh. One charge should be enough, according to the manufacturer, for 11 hours of talk time (GSM) and up to 14 hours via UMTS networks, up to 550 hours of standby time, up to 40 hours of listening to music and up to 5.5 hours – in video viewing mode.

With an average smartphone load, the battery lasted us about a day.

Price

The price of Sony Xperia Z on the Russian market is 29,990 rubles.

Let's summarize the main disadvantages: low display contrast, non-removable battery, weak speaker.

Sony Xperia Z video review:

Average price:

14,000 ... 26,000 rub.

Characteristics Sony Xperia Z (C6603) phone

• Standard GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, LTE
• LTE bands support 2600, 800, 850, 1800, 2100 MHz
• Type smartphone
• operating system Android 4.2
• Housing type classical
• Design water protection
• SIM card type micro SIM
• Number of SIM cards 1
• Weight 146 g
• Dimensions (WxHxD) 71x139x7.9 mm
• Screen type color TFT, 16.78 million colors, touch
• Touch screen type multi-touch, capacitive
• Diagonal 5 inch
• Image Size 1080x1920
• Pixels per inch (PPI) 441
• Automatic screen rotation There is
• Scratch-resistant glass There is
• Type of ringtones polyphonic, MP3 ringtones
• Vibration alert There is
• Camera 13.10 million pixels, built-in flash
• Camera functions autofocus, digital Zoom 16x
• Recognition faces, smiles
• Recording videos There is
• Max. video resolution 1920x1080
• Geo Tagging There is
• Front camera yes, 2.2 million pixels.
• Audio MP3, AAC, FM radio
• Headphone jack 3.5 mm
• Video output MHL
• Interfaces USB, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0
• USB charging There is
• USB-host There is
• Satellite navigation GPS/GLONASS
• A-GPS system There is
• Internet access WAP, GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, email POP/SMTP, email IMAP4, HTML
• Modem There is
• Synchronization with computer There is
• DLNA support There is
• CPU Qualcomm APQ8064, 1500 MHz
• Number of processor cores 4
• Video processor Adreno 320
• Built-in memory capacity 16 GB
• RAM capacity 2 GB
• Memory card support microSD (TransFlash), up to 32 GB
• Additional SMS features entering text with a dictionary
• MMS There is
• Battery capacity 2330 mAh
• Talk time 11 o'clock
• Waiting time 550 h
• Operating time while listening to music 40 h
• A2DP profile There is
• Sensors illumination, proximity, gyroscope, compass
• Search by book There is
• Organizer alarm clock, calculator, task scheduler
• Equipment phone, docking station, Sony EX-300AP headphones, power supply, USB cable
• Peculiarities waterproof (IP55 and IP57 standard), dustproof (IP5X standard); HDR technology for photo and video shooting; HDMI over MHL
• Announcement date (yyyy) 2013-01-08

Customer Reviews o Sony Xperia Z (C6603) phone

Katkov Vladislav

Use experience: less than a month

Advantages:

1. Powerful, you don't think about performance at all. 2. The battery holds well. 3. Stylish, thin, fits easily into a jeans pocket. 4. The screen is very good, although some people criticize it. Apparently it all depends on the screen supplier. I have a JDC screen (Sharp also happens), the one that is usually supplied to the Asian market. Very contrasty and saturated, there is sufficient brightness reserve. After the latest update (up to 4.2.2.) the screen is even more contrasty and bright. And the screen doesn’t fade as much in the sun as competitors’! Everything remains quite readable. 5. 2 GB of internal memory, there is no need to look at what it is filled with. 6. 16 GB of built-in memory card + the ability to connect an external microSD from 64 GB (after updating)! 7. Waterproof. Yes, it is indeed extremely convenient to wash your phone under running water. Phones have never been in cases, and this is especially not required here. 8. Long forgotten by many companies, the notification light is bright and multi-colored. This is really convenient, you don’t have to turn on the screen to understand if anything is missing. 9. STAMINA mode, quite an interesting solution. Allows you to disable data transfer by applications when the screen is not working and has a list of exceptions. Can significantly save energy. 10. Very good standard headphones. 11. 12 megapixel camera. In 16:9 mode - 9 megapixels. I don’t use my phone for “memory” photos, but still the quality is more than sufficient for social networks and for notes. 12. Convenient power and volume buttons.

Flaws:

1. It may seem big, especially if you’re not used to it. But this is a price to pay for the physical size of the screen. If this is very annoying, it makes sense to look at the XPERIA ZL; despite the same technical stuffing, it has a slightly smaller size. 2. Sound volume in standard headphones. It is relatively weak, although sufficient, and the sound quality is very good. When connecting other tested headphones, the volume is noticeably higher. 3. Inconvenient connection of headphones and charging due to the presence of plugs. Again - the price to pay for waterproofness. 4. There is one external speaker, and it is located on the side below. When holding the phone in your hand, you can close it, but I can only call this a minus; in my understanding, it’s even a plus; you can quickly reduce the ringer volume, for example, by covering it with your hand. The volume is quite sufficient.