Shop now at Vodafone UK
Most popular products
Top-rated products
Customer reviews for Sony Xperia Z Black
Sony Xperia Z Black
Overall rating:
(20 reviews) 20
Rating Snapshot (20 reviews)
5 stars
14
4 stars
1
3 stars
2
2 stars
1
1 star
2
14 out of 20(70%)reviewers recommend this product.
Customer reviews for Sony Xperia Z Black
Review 1 for Sony Xperia Z Black
Overall rating
Great performing phone that looks great!
PostedFebruary 23, 2013
Design
5
/
5
Performance
3
/
5
Features
5
/
5
Ease of Use
5
/
5
Don't listen to other reviews saying the Galaxy S3 is a better phone because it simply isn't. The Xperia Z is a far superior phone, better screen, more memory, better processor, camera, build quality, nicer materials and Android software.
Overall the Xperia Z is a fine phone and would be more than enough for normal smartphone users, the camera and video capture is brilliant, the screen is beautiful and the phone has plenty of processing power and memory to cope. Add to that the bonus of it being waterproof!
The only downside is that the battery is a bit on the small side capacity wise for a phone with this big of screen and processing power, so expect to be needing to charge it every night.
Yes new phones more powerful than this will be released this year from HTC, Samsung, Apple, etc. However no flagship phone stays top of the pile for long so why worry about it!
Pros: build quality/materials, brilliant screen, expandable memory, great camera
Cons: battery life
Yes, I recommend this product.
Share:
+21points
23of 25voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
Review 2 for Sony Xperia Z Black
Overall rating
Switched from iPhone to Sony Xperia Z
PostedMarch 8, 2013
MrBM
Gender:Male
Design
5
/
5
Performance
5
/
5
Features
5
/
5
Ease of Use
4
/
5
Having been looking to upgrade from the iphone 4s, the iphone 5 looked to be more of the same so i made the move to the android market.
Took a couple of days to get used to but this phone is so much better - more app's, better quality pictures, video's crystal clear, quick internet and it looks great.
If your toying around with jumping from apple to android my advice is to do it, and this phone is near on perfect.
One note this phone is slightly bigger, it felt odd for the first day but is now the norm.
Took a couple of days to get used to but this phone is so much better - more app's, better quality pictures, video's crystal clear, quick internet and it looks great.
If your toying around with jumping from apple to android my advice is to do it, and this phone is near on perfect.
One note this phone is slightly bigger, it felt odd for the first day but is now the norm.
Pros: screen clarity, pictures, video, ease of use, looks great
Cons: took a couple of days to get used to
Yes, I recommend this product.
Share:
+6points
7of 8voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
Comment (1)
Comments (1)
Wrightey
iTunes
Posted April 8, 2013
Hi that's good to hear but can you take your iTunes music with you when you switch?
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
Review 3 for Sony Xperia Z Black
Overall rating
Best phone available
PostedFebruary 27, 2013
scotlad
from scotland
Gender:Male
Design
5
/
5
Performance
5
/
5
Features
5
/
5
Ease of Use
5
/
5
Yes, better phones may be released later in the year, but at this moment, this is the best phone ever made! Looks stunning, performs very fast, has an amazing camera, and the screen is just breath taking. The only real complaint I have heard is that viewing angles are poor....I see this as a plus! Who wants people snooping at your messages? If you are in the market for a new phone, there is simply nothing better. Buy this.
Pros: looks amazing, good camera, stunning screen, decent battery life, sony quality very well built, wterproof really works
Yes, I recommend this product.
Share:
+5points
5of 5voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
Review 4 for Sony Xperia Z Black
Overall rating
It's as big as a brick
PostedMarch 1, 2013
Moskovite
from London, UK
Gender:Male
Design
1
/
5
Performance
2
/
5
Features
4
/
5
Ease of Use
2
/
5
I was thinking about upgrading to this one but ever since I saw it "live" I changed my mind. I currently own Sony Xperia Arc and still believe that's the best phone Sony ever put on the market. Faultless design, nice curves and brilliant usability. Alas, it's not powerful enough in the ever changing processor market. So back to Xperia Z. I went to the Vodafone shop and tried it. It's square and big and it feels like you're holding a mini tablet. I know that camera and video must be good on it but a phone should remain a phone not a shovel. I'll go for something more neat and elegant that's for sure.
No, I do not recommend this product.
Share:
-20points
4of 28voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
Comments (5)
Comments (5)
Slaine 57
Wolverhampton
Moskovite
Posted March 30, 2013
I not agree with your opinion of the Sony Experia Z that you do recommend it I have done my research on mobile phone and this is a good product you will always have someone that is going to have something to say that is not good I do not listen
To peoples opinion if it was not a good phone in the first place then it would have been a flop on sales and that's a fact so stop talking negative
Any phone out there is not water proof this one is and that is a big plus Sony they have got it right I have left my phone in my bath for approx 31mins and the phone works so eat your words
To peoples opinion if it was not a good phone in the first place then it would have been a flop on sales and that's a fact so stop talking negative
Any phone out there is not water proof this one is and that is a big plus Sony they have got it right I have left my phone in my bath for approx 31mins and the phone works so eat your words
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
MeHere
Here
Odd comments
Posted March 23, 2013
Would you care to give some constructive suggestions when you write, "more neat and elegant that's for sure."
Care to share what you can find that is more elegant and neat than this mobile?
I can see this is not your choice BUT please be realistic with your comments. Choice is a wonderful thing we all need to appreciate having such a choice.
Care to share what you can find that is more elegant and neat than this mobile?
I can see this is not your choice BUT please be realistic with your comments. Choice is a wonderful thing we all need to appreciate having such a choice.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
spottherocket
London
your not helping.
Posted March 17, 2013
I think I could go to the shop and pick it up myself so your not really helping a lot by offering your personal opinion, then slating features you have not tested.
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
JULIO'S
edinburgh
best ever
Posted March 6, 2013
best phone i ever had
brilliant , great battery life , water proof , camera best than my camera , can't imagine my life without it from now !!!!!
square design that make it the only one ,
and also the headphones i receive when ordered,
plus vodafone service , well no words to describe it ,
but every person has its own choice this is undiscussible
but other phones are also amazing , htc one , iphone , samsung galaxy s4 and note 2
brilliant , great battery life , water proof , camera best than my camera , can't imagine my life without it from now !!!!!
square design that make it the only one ,
and also the headphones i receive when ordered,
plus vodafone service , well no words to describe it ,
but every person has its own choice this is undiscussible
but other phones are also amazing , htc one , iphone , samsung galaxy s4 and note 2
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
Rosie
Rosie
Posted March 2, 2013
The point is that are so many different choices of the phones these days. I prefer large phone simply because of Internet and business emails. I love the idea of being waterproof as we mustn't forget we are in UK and 90% of the time we have rain, mist or some other wet weather. If you haven't use it you shouldn't misled the idea that you actualy don't know anything about the phone. It's down to preferences.
+5points
5of 5voted this comment as helpful.
Review 5 for Sony Xperia Z Black
Overall rating
Excellent phone and very stylish
PostedMarch 4, 2013
Neil the Ace
from Manchester, UK
Gender:Male
Design
5
/
5
Performance
5
/
5
Features
4
/
5
Ease of Use
5
/
5
Well worth the wait and it did not disappoint. It is slick, smooth and easy to use. I have had I Phones in the past and when holding the i phone after the Z, it feels old fashioned and too small.I do not think that anything bigger would be called a phone and perhaps it would not suit people with small hands, but I love it and think that this phone will be a big seller. Only slight niggle is the lack of HDMI out that the xperia s had. But that is a small niggle.
Pros: super quick, excellent screen, great camers
Cons: no hdmi out
Yes, I recommend this product.
Share:
+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
Review 6 for Sony Xperia Z Black
Overall rating
Brilliant!!
PostedMarch 4, 2013
Mikeyh817
from Reading, UK
Gender:Male
Design
5
/
5
Performance
5
/
5
Features
5
/
5
Ease of Use
5
/
5
Just upgraded and love this phone. The battery life is good, the display is brilliant, the speed over my previous phone is phenomenal, the camera also is a major upgrade and the walkman app just tops it off.
I recommend this phone.
I recommend this phone.
Yes, I recommend this product.
Share:
+3points
3of 3voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
Review 7 for Sony Xperia Z Black
Overall rating
this is a fantastic phone
PostedApril 3, 2013
aggatak
from stoke on trent
Gender:Male
Design
5
/
5
Performance
5
/
5
Features
5
/
5
Ease of Use
5
/
5
been using this phone since it was first released and is by far the best phone i have ever used and has even made me give up my iphone!! one thing which people have been saying is that the battery life isnt great well there is a solution stamina mode which then means you get 4 times more battery life. also its water and dust proof so its perfect for anyone no matter what job you do
Pros: stamina mode, water and dust proof, gorgeous device, lighteing quick, gorgeous 1080p screen
Yes, I recommend this product.
Share:
+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
Review 8 for Sony Xperia Z Black
Overall rating
the sony xperia z phone is one of the best in the world
PostedMarch 22, 2013
rick82
from Wallington, Greater London, UK
Gender:Male
Design
5
/
5
Performance
5
/
5
Features
5
/
5
Ease of Use
5
/
5
this phone is so great its easy to use
waterproof battery life is great
its like a tablet but easy to hold in your hand
as a phone
not only i recommend to my friends but my family is also asking about this
waterproof battery life is great
its like a tablet but easy to hold in your hand
as a phone
not only i recommend to my friends but my family is also asking about this
Yes, I recommend this product.
Share:
+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
Review 9 for Sony Xperia Z Black
Overall rating
Excellent phone
PostedMarch 12, 2013
Sean
Design
5
/
5
Performance
5
/
5
Features
4
/
5
Ease of Use
4
/
5
had it for a week and hardly a fault
port covers are easy enough to access and seem fairly secure
screen and camera quality are superb (altough camera can be slow to focus sometimes)
phone is fast and never seen any lag even with the top end android games being used on there
Built in programs are also well desgined and easy to use, with plenty of good features also i.e. walkman app
only downside is it seems a bit to big at first and its hard to reach all of the screen, although i soon started to see my older galaxy ace as being too small after a week with this phone.
Also the battery life will easily dain rapidly when using it to its full extent, but the stamina mode is very good at pushing it for more than a day of normal useage
Also the battery life will easily dain rapidly when using it to its full extent, but the stamina mode is very good at pushing it for more than a day of normal useage
Pros: great camera quality, very clear screen with great image quality, quick and smooth operating, easy to get used to the size, stamina mode, its water proof, well built - no fear of it snapping in my hand
Cons: seems over sized at first, camera is slow to focus
Yes, I recommend this product.
Share:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
Review 10 for Sony Xperia Z Black
Overall rating
Large phone but really really good.
PostedMarch 3, 2013
Alman
from london
Gender:Male
Design
4
/
5
Performance
5
/
5
Features
5
/
5
Ease of Use
5
/
5
I was apprehensive about the phone when i saw the size of it but decided to use it for a few days and see how I got on with it. I wasn't disappointed.I forgot quite quickly how big it was compared to my old xperia ray. The camera is amazing and the overall use it very fast. If you're on the fence about it give it a go and see how you get on it will surprise you.
Pros: everything
Cons: size
Yes, I recommend this product.
Share:
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
Review 11 for Sony Xperia Z Black
Overall rating
Poor screen, eats battery, great build quality
PostedMarch 26, 2013
Hard_to_Please
Design
4
/
5
Performance
3
/
5
Features
3
/
5
Ease of Use
4
/
5
So the much vaunted screen I found average - viewing angles are very narrow after which colours wash out and the screen is not very bright. Even at full brightness it's hard work in the sun ( yes we have had some recently !). So whilst the screen is very detailed and is better than my 4S it's too dim for me.
Battery life not good - the Stamina tech is good but only operates when you aren't using the phone. Once you use it - and with a 5 inch screen you do want to watch video clips - the battery meter seems to head south very fast.
The fact you can't save apps and Spotify music to the micro SD card is not helpful but this is an OS issue - and currently there is a Spotify work around.
Build quality is up with the best although the waterproof socket covers are a bit of a pain when you have to recharge it so often!
It's pretty fast in normal use and web browsing is great.
Sadly because of the poor/dim screen I've returned mine and hopefully the (plasticky!) S4 with its' Amoled screen will do it for me.
Battery life not good - the Stamina tech is good but only operates when you aren't using the phone. Once you use it - and with a 5 inch screen you do want to watch video clips - the battery meter seems to head south very fast.
The fact you can't save apps and Spotify music to the micro SD card is not helpful but this is an OS issue - and currently there is a Spotify work around.
Build quality is up with the best although the waterproof socket covers are a bit of a pain when you have to recharge it so often!
It's pretty fast in normal use and web browsing is great.
Sadly because of the poor/dim screen I've returned mine and hopefully the (plasticky!) S4 with its' Amoled screen will do it for me.
Pros: build quality, screen resolution, waterproof ( if you need it!), thin
Cons: dim screen, poor battery life
No, I do not recommend this product.
Share:
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
Comments (2)
Comments (2)
MINIMINX
thank you to Hard_to_Please
Posted April 28, 2013
I just wanted to thank you for this review. I currently have the Arc and 2 things that really bug me about the Arc are:
1) the alarm doesn't work if the phone is off.
2) that when you download an app it has to save to the phone first and not the SD card and some apps can only be on the phone, which means lots of times i cannot get a new app without deleting data just to free up some space to then move the app to the card.
1) the alarm doesn't work if the phone is off.
2) that when you download an app it has to save to the phone first and not the SD card and some apps can only be on the phone, which means lots of times i cannot get a new app without deleting data just to free up some space to then move the app to the card.
I had hoped that this would be fixed with future phones but i guess not. So your review has helped me realise this is not the phone for me.
Many thanks
Many thanks
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
LosttheSonyfaith
London
Excellent review- Ialso returned my handset
Posted April 27, 2013
I got lured into this phone by the beautiful design esp. the back, and the specs, but believe me, for a 2013 device, it was laggier than any 2012 samsung device with quadcore processing.
The hi res screen was not IPS, suffers terrible washout
Comes with a built-in screen protector that scratches so easily glued on that should not be removed-removes the sony logo!
Had 1 stuck pixels on my first, 3 dead pixels on the second, very poor quality control.
Comes with a built-in screen protector that scratches so easily glued on that should not be removed-removes the sony logo!
Had 1 stuck pixels on my first, 3 dead pixels on the second, very poor quality control.
Battery life fine if you don't use it at all but keep it on standby- stamina mode very good BUT if you use it even for an hour of web browsing, expect to lose 50% , and be flat within 2hours.- and this is on non CPU intensive basic sites without flash not even watching a video on youtube, and on wifi with data disabled.
I WARN YOU - this phone looks as good as an iphone but its internals or software let it down so badly in BASIC DAILY FUNCTIONS you willl want to return it.
Got the note II and i must say, it is better in every way, except a bit big and the UI looks cartoonish but functionally at least its a million miles better- and those who say AMOLED oversaturates- go to display settings and set to natural- colours look MORE ACCURATE THAN THIS RUBBISH LCD on the xperia Z which has resolution but is comparable to a washed out iphone 3g in terms of viewing angles and contrast- i was gluing my head to the screen to read it..
1080p on a 5 inch is stupid as its a battery hog, and I cannot descriminate pixels on a 720p device with a bigger 5.5inch screen... amoleds are better if you change the settings in every way!
Typical sony example of lowering quality control and poorly implemented software. FYI my second device bricked itself and needed a hard reset- just crashed and wouldn't turn on with the power button and even in charging socket- needed to hold volume up and power on to bring it to life. A lot of Z's die inexplicably. (but they can be brought back in most cases like mine)..
0points
0of 0voted this comment as helpful.
Review 12 for Sony Xperia Z Black
Overall rating
Fantastic Result!
PostedApril 23, 2013
Vodafone upgrade's team
from Belfast
Gender:Male
Design
5
/
5
Performance
5
/
5
Features
4
/
5
Ease of Use
5
/
5
Previous handset:
Previously I had the Samsung Galaxy S III, loved the handset in fact I was worried about changing the make of the phone from Samsung but I'm very glad I did and I would recommend this product to anyone.
Previously I had the Samsung Galaxy S III, loved the handset in fact I was worried about changing the make of the phone from Samsung but I'm very glad I did and I would recommend this product to anyone.
Sony Xperia Z:
The battery life the device is same old standard day battery life however if you don't use your phone heavily it will last past 48 hours without a issue, tested this myself by using my phone for calls / texts when I needed it.
The battery life the device is same old standard day battery life however if you don't use your phone heavily it will last past 48 hours without a issue, tested this myself by using my phone for calls / texts when I needed it.
Screen:
1080p HD kinda speaks for itself in this case however when starting the phone up and looking through the apps etc. the colours do look very 'washed out', don't let this bother you because when it starts up games, images, videos or even the browser it does deliver top results, this I believe is another battery saver mode only use the full power when it matters most and believe me it does!
1080p HD kinda speaks for itself in this case however when starting the phone up and looking through the apps etc. the colours do look very 'washed out', don't let this bother you because when it starts up games, images, videos or even the browser it does deliver top results, this I believe is another battery saver mode only use the full power when it matters most and believe me it does!
Music:
I really wanted to try out the old 'Walk man' feature that we all had on the old Sony handsets, I never really listened to music on my Samsung Galaxy S III but I sure do now in fact all the time I'm not sure if its going to match up to the beats audio with HTC but I'm more than happy with the performance of this feature.
I really wanted to try out the old 'Walk man' feature that we all had on the old Sony handsets, I never really listened to music on my Samsung Galaxy S III but I sure do now in fact all the time I'm not sure if its going to match up to the beats audio with HTC but I'm more than happy with the performance of this feature.
Warning:
Loud speaker on this phone is poor not in performance but in sound itself doesn’t match up to the Samsung Galaxy S III and it's speaker was bad as well but trust me it won't be a issue with the Walk man feature it is worth every penny.
Loud speaker on this phone is poor not in performance but in sound itself doesn’t match up to the Samsung Galaxy S III and it's speaker was bad as well but trust me it won't be a issue with the Walk man feature it is worth every penny.
Pros: walkman, camera, screen, battery on low usage, gaming, sony stores in uk, waterproof, scratch proof
Cons: loud speaker, no removable battery
Yes, I recommend this product.
Share:
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
Review 13 for Sony Xperia Z Black
Overall rating
Excellent
PostedFebruary 28, 2013
john
from London, UK
Gender:Male
Design
5
/
5
Performance
5
/
5
Features
5
/
5
Ease of Use
5
/
5
good , very good , excellent !!! , EXCELLENT !!! ......
Yes, I recommend this product.
Share:
0points
2of 4voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
Review 14 for Sony Xperia Z Black
Overall rating
sony experia z.
PostedMay 13, 2013
pops
from Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, UK
Gender:Male
Design
4
/
5
Performance
4
/
5
Features
4
/
5
Ease of Use
2
/
5
i recieved my experia z on its release date of april 1st..a few days ago i noticed it wasant charging properly,but eventually did charge..today how-ever it was sat on coffee table,and went to pick it up to use it,but couldant pick it up as it was red hot..it eventually cooled down but the phone is now dead..has any-one else had this problem..?..
Cons: product faulty
No, I do not recommend this product.
Share:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
Review 15 for Sony Xperia Z Black
Overall rating
Great up-to-date Phone and Front Runner
PostedApril 29, 2013
F1!!!21
Gender:Male
Design
5
/
5
Performance
5
/
5
Features
5
/
5
Ease of Use
5
/
5
Got this phone 19th April 2013 to upgrade. It is an easy phone to use and quickly adjust to a new phone.It has an unbelievable camera, with great picture. An amazing screen and all round great phone. Great android system, doesn't even come close to an iPhone. Even though you wouldn't expect it has a better than expected battery life.
Yes, I recommend this product.
Share:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
Review 16 for Sony Xperia Z Black
Overall rating
BE SURE
PostedFebruary 23, 2013
sir k
Gender:Male
It's all seem glamorous with this phone. But before you buy, make sure you've check it thoroughly as Sony nowadays tends not make their product better than previous. E.g although w995 is an old Sony product, it has a better alarm software than the Xperia arc s in the sense that your set alarm will sound even if your phone is turned off. This is not so with arc s. Also, while you'd expect a newer product to be better than the previous, the arc s unlike the old unandroid w995 does not even have a front facing camera for video calls. All these seem to be present in the Xperia z but be careful. Plus the Xperia z only seem to beat galaxys3 only on its water resistance. Considering the fact the s3 has been around for almost year as the best unbeaten phone so far and in view of the fact that, Samsung are in line to release it successor this year, I will suggest to anyone going for the Xperia z not be too hasty. Remember it takes two years to finish you contract in order to get a new phone so choose wisely, be sure.
No, I do not recommend this product.
Share:
-84points
2of 88voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
Comment (1)
Comments (1)
Rich
Alarm issues
Posted March 1, 2013
This is the same with all Android phones, the iPhone, Windows Phone and I'd imagine the new Blackberry as well, none of them will boot up to sound their alarm, they have to be left on now.
And most of your criticisms lie in an older Sony product, which is completely pointless. Why waste your time like this?
+13points
14of 15voted this comment as helpful.
Review 17 for Sony Xperia Z Black
Overall rating
SPLENDID PHONE
PostedApril 29, 2013
STEVE
from UK
Gender:Female
Design
5
/
5
Performance
5
/
5
Features
5
/
5
Ease of Use
5
/
5
Changed from an iphone to Sony xperia z. Faster program than Apple. Downloads instantly and faster too. Can have 5 apps downloading at the same time.
As for the camera, its crisp colour and display is spectacular.
Would highly recommend this phone.
Yes, I recommend this product.
Share:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
Review 18 for Sony Xperia Z Black
Overall rating
This product has great features and better Performance
PostedFebruary 17, 2013
violack
from Thailand
Gender:Male
Design
5
/
5
Performance
4
/
5
Features
5
/
5
Ease of Use
5
/
5
Xperia Z is best mobile 2013 and protect water-resistant
No, I do not recommend this product.
Share:
-42points
6of 54voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
Review 19 for Sony Xperia Z Black
Overall rating
Very good phone no issues
PostedMarch 30, 2013
Slaine 57
from Wolverhampton
Gender:Male
Design
5
/
5
Performance
5
/
5
Features
5
/
5
Ease of Use
5
/
5
I can say that this is a good phone I can get nearly 2 and a half
Days out of the Sony Z not bad for a smart phone and the only
Phone on the market that can be dropped in water is very different i
Days out of the Sony Z not bad for a smart phone and the only
Phone on the market that can be dropped in water is very different i
Yes, I recommend this product.
Share:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
Review 20 for Sony Xperia Z Black
Overall rating
A Poor Phone, A Galaxy Is better
PostedFebruary 26, 2013
James123
from London, UK
Gender:Male
Design
5
/
5
Performance
1
/
5
Features
1
/
5
Ease of Use
1
/
5
There is one simple thing you need to know about the Xperia Z. It works under water, to a depth of 1 metre.
The rest of this week’s review I will fill with stuff that is nice to know, but which you don’t need to know, not like you need to know that it works under water.
Stuff like, the Xperia Z is a smartphone. Frankly, that’s only a secondary consideration. If it works under water, I want it. It could be the most useless item imaginable – it could be a Slanket (sleeved blanket), for instance – and if it worked under water, I would still want it.
Mmmm. An underwater Slanket. Oh I really do want one of those!
See the power of the underwater?
Or stuff like, the Xperia Z runs the almost-latest version of Android, and by the time it’s released a few weeks from now it will have an update available to take it to the very latest version of Android, 4.2.2.
Well yes, yes, practically everything runs Android nowadays. Big whoop. But an Android machine that can run under water? Now I must have one of those.
Witness. The underwater is a powerful thing.
Still, the combined facts of the Sony Xperia Z being an (a) modern, Android (b) smartphone that (c) works under water does make for a useful synergy. If you were standing on the edge of a pool, at risk of being pushed in, what thing are you most likely to have with you that could be ruined if you actually were pushed in? If you were out jogging and covered in perspiration, what thing would you most likely have with you that could malfunction if your perspiration descended into a full-blown flop sweat?
A Slanket? No, a smart phone. I can’t think of a single everyday item that needs to work under water more than a smartphone, even for people who have no intention of ever actually going under water.
So here’s another nice thing to know about the Xperia Z, especially for those of you who can talk under water: though it can easily survive a plunge into a pool, the ocean or, in the case of our tests, my bathtub, you can’t actually operate it under water. The capacitive touch screen can’t detect your fingers when the screen is submerged. It’s a law of physics, or chemistry, or something.
If someone calls you while you’re under water, the Xperia Z will ring and you’ll be able to hear it ring (especially if you have the phone set to vibrate as well), but you won’t be able to touch the screen to answer the call, much less gurgle out a response.
For those us who aren’t big talkers, that’s not much of a pity. But what is a pity is that the phone’s 13 megapixel camera won’t work under water, either. We tried it, and while we were able to get the camera to zoom in and out, alas we couldn’t actually take a picture. (The zoom controls are just the phone’s volume controls, which of course are physical buttons that work under water).
If Sony would just make the power button double as the shutter button when the phone is in camera mode, then you could take underwater photos in the ocean and the Xperia Z would be the complete package.
It actually wouldn’t take much tweaking to do that, by the way, and I’m hopeful that some Sony official will read this column and heed my advice. But I have the feeling that Sony is positioning the Xperia Z more as a device that can survive an accidental dunking, rather than a device you would actively take with you below the waterline, so I’m not confident they will make the tweak.
Speaking of the power button, another nice thing to know about the Xperia Z is that, from the bulging, aluminium power button on up, the phone is immaculately (if somewhat soberly) designed. It’s got glass front and back, quite like an iPhone 4, though Sony says it has coated the glass with a special laminate so that, unlike an iPhone, it won’t shatter at the merest hint of an impact (while we were happy to drop the Xperia Z into a bath, we couldn’t bring ourselves to drop it on to a floor, so you’ll have to take Sony’s word for it).
It’s also got a screen that, at five inches, is much bigger than the iPhone 5’s four-inch display, and much sharper, too: the Xperia Z has an incredible 1080 x 1920 pixel, full high definition display, giving it a ridiculously high pixel density of 441 pixels per inch. By comparison, the iPhone 5 has a mere 326 pixels per inch on its now-old-fashioned Retina display.
The 13 megapixel camera on the Xperia Z is better than the iPhone’s camera, too, and indeed better than most other phone cameras we’ve tested. In our tests, photos from the Xperia were brighter, better exposed and sharper than photos from the iPhone 5, taken under identical conditions in our studio. Sony makes great camera cameras, so it’s no surprise the Xperia Z has a great phone camera, too.
And the Xperia Z, with its 1.5 GHz, quad-core processor, is speedy. It did exceedingly well in our overall speed benchmark (Geekbench 2) and quite well in our browser speed benchmark (BrowserMark 2.0)
But who really cares about all that stuff? Me. It scored lower ein all tests than the Note 2 which is 500$ and even scored nlower than the nexus 4 which is 300$ and the Xperia Z is 1000 Dollars. so basically 700$ for a good camera, blend in, Covers for ports and water resistance, it can still break.
Really.
Always do the best for the cheapest.
For seriousness Sony make it cheaper
This phone is lots of munnies.
.
OUT
Really.
Always do the best for the cheapest.
For seriousness Sony make it cheaper
This phone is lots of munnies.
.
OUT
Pros: dust proof, water resistant 1 metre, scare people by dropping in water, screen, camera?
Cons: battery is 2 hours max, water broke mine, dust proof means dust ?what, dust get's on screen., dust gets in ports, isn't dust proof, slow, not good at gaming but good screen, not many movies, bad apps
No, I do not recommend this product.
Share:
-70points
2of 74voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
Comment (1)
Comments (1)
yeah123
Damage number one case?
Posted March 17, 2013
Guess what the number one cause of damage / destruction of a mobile phone is these daya?
Dropping it in water or getting it wet....
Oh....
+5points
5of 5voted this comment as helpful.