Sony Xperia z2 z3. Sony Xperia Z3 review – a beautiful and powerful successor to the top line

Sony Xperia Z, Z1, Z2, Z3, Z5 - how not to get confused when listing modifications of smartphones released over the past 3 years? And this is not counting versions like Compact, Ultra or Premium, which also exist in the line of the Japanese brand.

To make life more interesting and fun, Sony came up with the X series, which is also not simple and consists of several smartphones: XA is a simpler option, X is middle class, X Performance is the top, and XA Ultra is king-size for lovers of everything big .

Xperia X or Xperia Z3?

Recently a friend wrote to me and asked, why buy an Xperia X if you can buy an Xperia Z3 or Z3+? The idea of ​​taking last year’s flagships instead of new “mid-rangers” is not new. Therefore, I decided to compare both smartphones to understand what the new Xperia X will do compared to the old model. The price difference between them is about 10-12 thousand rubles, a weighty argument.

Xperia X on the left and Xperia Z3 on the right. find 10 differences

Attack of the Clones

I like the design of Sony smartphones, but the Japanese haven't changed it for many years, so it's easy to get confused about the phones. Look at the photos, Xperia X is very similar to Xperia Z3+. They have almost identical dimensions, but the Xperia X is slightly smaller and noticeably lighter. I explain this by the fact that the screen size here is more modest: 5 inches versus 5.2.

The design of the Xperia X will please Sony fans, but if you are not a fan of the Japanese brand, you will get confused among a bunch of similar phones.

The sides in both cases are made of aluminum, but the Xperia X does not have plastic inserts at the corners, which, in theory, take the impact when dropped. But I doubt that this saves in cases where the glass body flies onto the asphalt.

Aluminum vs glass, a win-win choice in any case

After all, the back surface of the Xperia X is made of aluminum, while the Z3+ has glass. What's better? I like the matte finish better; it doesn’t get dirty at all compared to a stained glass plane. But the glass has a beautiful glare, which the Xperia X cannot boast of. Practicality vs beauty, these are the eternal torment of choice.

The volume button on the Xperia X has moved downwards, you confuse it with the power button and often, out of habit, press it in the wrong place. I think that the Z3+ had a more convenient key layout, but apparently due to the addition of a scanner, the entire design was redesigned.

The Xperia Z3+ does not have a fingerprint scanner; it appeared in the Z5; the Xperia X also inherited this useful feature. True, we had to sacrifice the signature round shape - the power key became flat. Sony is the only company that integrates a scanner on the side. Basically, it is added to the central button under the screen (Apple, Samsung, HTC, Moto) or on the back surface (Huawei and thousands of Chinese brands). It’s more intuitive for me to press the button under the screen, but after a week I got used to the Xperia X’s button layout.

The scanner works well, but there were cases when it did not work the first time. I had to enter a password to get to my data. But there were very few such cases, so I will not suffer on this score.

For the scanner to work, you must press a physical button, otherwise it will not work. But if the screen backlight is on, then a light touch is enough; you don’t need to press the button until it clicks. It's a shame that this feature doesn't work when the screen is locked.

Juicy, bright, Full HD

The new Xperia X has curved screen glass at the edges, 2.5D looks and feels nicer than simple flat glass. It is enough to move your finger over it to feel all this difference for yourself. The screen has a good oleophobic coating in all cases, the finger glides as it should.

In my opinion, the picture quality is comparable to previous Xperia models; if you don’t like the default settings, you can set the colors manually.

It's a pity, but Sony didn't give the Xperia X a frameless design, the frames are the same as the Z3. But there is protection from moisture, but the Xperia X does not have it; swimming in the sink is fatal for it. Due to the fact that the screen size is not very large, the phone is convenient to operate with one hand. The Xperia X is comparable to the Galaxy S6, but due to its angular shape, the Japanese phone looks more massive than the Korean one.

Xperia X is on the left, Xperia Z3 is on the right, don’t confuse it

Two days without an outlet

I didn't expect anything special from the Xperia X with a 2620 mAh battery. It turned out that I was wrong and the phone pleasantly surprised me by working longer than I expected. On average, I got 2 days of work with 4.5-5 hours of active screen. When idle, the phone practically does not explode.

But I noticed that as soon as I turn on LTE, the device sits down faster. Perhaps this is due to the non-final Sony firmware, because... I have not noticed a similar situation with other devices. Z3 works less, it took me about one day. A triumph of technology.

I’ll also note that Sony has a convenient Stamina function, which is responsible for energy saving and turns off “unnecessary” processes to save battery.

Don't jerk when you don't ask

The compartment for the nano-SIM and memory card of the Xperia X is located on the side under a flap. Moreover, if you even slightly lift it, the phone goes into reboot, believing that they invariably want to pull out one of the cards from it. Xperia X will appear in a version with a single SIM card, but there will also be a dual-SIM version, where you can install a microSD instead of a second card.

I have no complaints about the speaker, I can hear people well, but I would like the ringer to be more powerful. Here it is quiet and calls are easy to miss.

Naturally, LTE is present, everything is in order. NFC helps you pay for purchases from your phone, I tried the service together with a Tinkoff card, everything works. At the same time, I was surprised that the seemingly progressive Alfa Bank does not know how to perform such an operation.

Fast smartphone

There is a sign with the test results for everyone. For comparison with the Xperia X, I took the Xperia Z3, last year's Samsung Galaxy S6, which fits within this budget. And the new Alcatel Idol 4s with features like the Xperia X.

The Xperia X has a mid-range processor; the Qualcomm 650 is comparable in power to last year's top-end chips, but inferior to them in graphics. The sensations are exactly the same as after getting acquainted with Alcatel: the test performance is adequate. But the software is still somewhat damp: sometimes the gallery slows down, sometimes the browser suddenly gets stuck.

Xperia X received 32 GB of internal memory, 20 GB of which remains for personal needs; if this is not enough, then a microSD slot will help increase the space. The smartphone has received an updated shell; it is significantly different from the one found in the Xperia Z3, although they have the same version of Android. Both are on version 6. I think it would be fair to devote a separate article to the shell, there is a lot to talk about there.

I liked the phone for its sound quality, but the headphone headroom is not very large; for the metro you need to choose headphones with good noise insulation.

Reactive camera, but crude software

In theory, the Xperia X is the new star of the mobile photography world. The phone has a new autofocus system, when we point the camera at an object, and it “guides” it until we press the shutter button. In the language of photographers, this is “shooting with wiring.” I tried it in cars on a cloudy day, the camera blurs the background well, leaving the object sharp. But how often do we film vehicles? I - no, much more often than children. But the problem with them is that it can be difficult to photograph a nimble child indoors. The camera also does not always focus on objects nearby.

I was impressed by the quick shooting function, which we enable in the settings. Then from the moment you press the shutter button until the photo is taken, it takes half a second. A dedicated shooting key is a separate plus for Sony; few people add this button to smartphones. But the Japanese thought everything through and this key is there for a reason, it helps you take pictures very quickly, without wasting time on unlocking.

The examples show how the camera “washes” along the left edge, I’ll attribute this to pre-production software or a defective module, unfortunately this happens. In general, I liked the camera, the phone takes pictures very well during the day, but in the evening the quality drops, and the lag behind flagships like the LG G4 or Samsung Galaxy S6 is noticeable. But they can be bought for the same money that they ask for the Xperia X.

Compared to the Xperia Z3, the new Xperia X has become more accurate in rendering colors, and the white balance works better. But there is noticeably more noise in the pictures. I think these are software flaws. I was also surprised that HDR is practically not noticeable in operation; when you turn on this option, when not, there is almost no difference.

Here we have a comparison with the Xperia Z3, the difference with the wide-angle optics of the Xperia X is clearly visible. In the example below, problems with the left side of the image are noticeable. I also think that Sony followed the path of Samsung and went into high-sharpness images. And at the same time they added a portion of noise to the pictures.

A bunch of pictures in different conditions for your reference.

Z3 Vs Xperia X

Pros of Z3:

• water protection
• more convenient ergonomics
• update to Android 6.0
• lower price
• 4K video recording
• strap holder

Pros Xperia X

• fingerprint scanner
• new shell and Android 6.0
• The camera focuses faster
• works longer
• higher LTE speed
• aluminum finish is more practical than glass

Opinion

For comparison with the Xperia X, you could take other Sony smartphones: not only the Z3, but also the Z3+, Z5 can become an alternative to this model. At least they cost less, take photos at a comparable level, and the difference in performance is not very big.

I think that 39,990 rubles for Sony Xperia X is a lot. Sony wants to compete on equal terms with Samsung, but last year's Galaxy S6 can be bought for the same money as the Xperia X, it will be better in all respects. Or consider the Galaxy A5, which costs about 25 thousand rubles, as an option.

Sony Xperia X is more expensive than its classmates with other comparable qualities, so the brand name alone cannot impress. So my friend looked at the Xperia X, touched the Xperia Z3 and ordered an iPhone 6.

Characteristics

Specifications

• Android 4.4.4
• Screen 5.2 inches, 1920x1080 pixels, IPS, automatic brightness adjustment
• 3 GB RAM, 16 GB internal memory, memory cards up to 128 GB
• Chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AC, 4 cores, 2.5 GHz, GPU Adreno 330
• Bluetooth 4.0 LE, NFC, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, MHL 3.0, USB on the Go, GPS/Glonass, ANT+;
• LTE Band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 20
• Camera 20.7 megapixel Sony Exmor RS, autofocus, LED flash
• Front camera 2.2 megapixels
• IP68 protection
• Battery 3100 mAh Li-Pol
• Dimensions – 146x72x7.3 mm, weight – 152 grams

Contents of delivery

• Telephone
• Charger with USB cable
• Instructions
• Table stand (not for all countries, not in Russia)
• Wired stereo headset (not for all countries, not in Russia)

Positioning

Sony has chosen a six-month pace of updating its flagships, unlike all major manufacturers, which can only afford to release flagships once a year. With such a rate of release of new models, one cannot expect that the number of changes will be large; each subsequent device will be perceived as a slightly improved version of the previous one. If you read reviews of the Sony Xperia Z2, most of them call the device a work on the bugs of the Z1, which is quite logical. A dozen reviews of the Sony Xperia Z3 use the same phrase - work on bugs, a corrected version of the Z2. I am sure that in January 2014, if Sony does not change anything in its approach, we will see feedback that the Z4 is also a work in progress. For Sony, this becomes a serious problem, since such a perception makes sales of the flagships of the Z line difficult, and the release of new models leads to lower prices for old ones, making them more profitable. It’s curious that Sony unwittingly created more than just a headache for itself - the company, with its flagship release schedule, has formed a whole galaxy of those who are waiting for prices for previous models to drop and choose them.

Given the relatively identical characteristics of the models, the promiscuity of buyers and the selection of goods from the shelf, the same design is already becoming a problem. But for Sony Z2 and Z3 we can also talk about comparable characteristics; the buyer in the store does not realize the difference between these devices, he simply does not see them. But he will feel the difference in price of 5,000 rubles and the fact that the Z3 package is noticeably poorer.

Sony is in the grip of its own choice - they need to release a flagship every six months. Sales of the Z line have long been minimal, the device is a competitor to the same Samsung Galaxy S5, but while the first Z was sold in small but noticeable quantities, the same Z2 dropped to minimal volumes (the reasons are described above). In Russia, the sales ratio of Z2 to Galaxy S5 is 1 to 12. And here we come to the conclusion that when releasing a new flagship, Sony cannot position it higher than the market and other models that are present on it, for example, the same Galaxy S5 , which is the leader in the segment.

Compared to Samsung Galaxy S5

It becomes vital for a company to achieve the minimum cost for its product - therefore, a proven solution is used, reducing the scope of delivery. The Sony Z2 came with branded headphones with a noise reduction system along with the phone, which were of high quality and separately cost about 1,700-2,000 rubles. And this was a serious plus, an argument in favor of the Z2.

In the Z3 they were removed from the package for Russia; the savings for the manufacturer are noticeable and quite justified in the struggle for price on the shelf. It is interesting that a similar approach was used in later deliveries of Z2 - in Svyaznoy at a price of 24,990 rubles you can find Z2 sets both with and without headphones. The black device is sold without headphones, which is perceived by many as an initiative of the retail chain; there are often comments from those who purchased such a phone that, apparently, the sellers stole the headset. But this is just a kit that was created in the struggle for efficiency.

Sony discussed the possibility of putting the Z3 on the shelf for 32,990 rubles, but retail chains dissuaded the company from this step and did so quite sensibly. Few people will be interested in the package, the initial price will scare them away, as was the case with HTC with the flagship HTC One M8, which is excellent in terms of performance, but is not popular, its sales are similar to the Z2.

In 2014, Sony consistently misses the mark in terms of time to market. For example, Sony Z2 was supposed to be released earlier than the flagships of other companies, but it turned out the other way around. With the Z3, everything is going according to plan, but the model is not perceived as something new, and hence there are many different problems; the volume of its purchases by distributors is minimal. But the most important thing is that such products are perceived only by those who remain loyal to the Sony brand; this is a small audience that continues to buy Sony devices in different segments, adherents of Sony Style. It is impossible to say that Sony plays in the mass market, comparable to other manufacturers. Of the successful products of 2014, I’ll highlight the Compact series, which had an impact on the market, but everything else passed by and did not attract the attention of the general public. In this aspect, the Z3 becomes exactly the same device, and a number of fans of the brand who previously purchased Z/Z1/Z2 say that they see no reason to change their devices to a new product. This trend is observed not only for Sony, new products from all companies are perceived critically by customers, they do not see much difference with their current devices, but for Sony this is much more pronounced.

The bottom line is that we have the Z3 model, which is positioned as a flagship and is such for a small audience of Sony fans. It is impossible to say that this is a device for the mass market. Moreover, with the release of this model, the attractiveness of previous devices is growing, and Sony is partly to blame for this, which has worsened a number of characteristics in its flagship. Let's figure out in order what has changed.

Design, dimensions, control elements

Externally, the device has hardly changed, you look at it and see the same Sony Xperia Z2.

Sony Xperia Z2 and Z3

Phone dimensions – 146x72x7.3 mm, weight – 152 grams (Z2 – 146.8x73.3x8.2 mm, 158 grams). The side edges have been made rounded, the metal frame is no longer rectangular, and the device fits very well in the hand. But this also brings another problem: lifting it from a flat surface is noticeably more difficult; your fingers slide along the side edge, you have to spread them in the shape of a crab and grab the phone.

Compared to Samsung Galaxy Note 3

In addition to changing the outer frame, Sony has almost completely redesigned the body design, which may not be noticeable and which an inattentive person will definitely not notice. Let me start with the fact that in the Z2 review I said that the device has a rather fragile inside due to its design - when dropped, the shock is transferred to the internal board, and the electronics quickly die. It happens that the glass does not crack, but the electronics fail. The Z3 has plastic inserts on the corners and is painted to match the color of the body. This does not mean that the phone has become shockproof; rather, it has received additional protection from falls. This approach can only be welcomed; similar inserts will be used on many models with a frame body design from Sony.

The model is available in four colors - white, copper, black and emerald.

Let's return to the changes in the design - one of the weak points in the Sony Z1/Z2 was sea water - the salt corroded the plugs, and despite supporting the IP58 protection standard, it was definitely not worth swimming with these phones in the sea. Protection was from fresh water. The Z3 tried to correct this shortcoming; to do this, they changed the characteristics of the rubber inserts that are on all connectors. This even made it possible for the Z3 to receive an IP65/IP68 protection standard - that is, dust protection has increased, all connectors are covered more tightly, and at the same time the location of the microphones has been changed. There are no holes at the bottom end; the microphone is hidden behind the grille of the bottom speaker; both the speaker and the microphone are covered by one membrane. The second microphone is located at the top end, it is located next to the 3.5 connector.

You can swim with this device in fresh water without worry, especially if you close the caps before diving. In real life, the device is quite slippery, on par with the iPhone 6, but better due to its larger size. In water it stops being slippery, I noticed this even during tests of the Z2, when I swam with it in the pool.

The front panel, as well as the back, is made of DragonTrail glass, it is no different from the second generation of Corning Gorilla Glass, but less promoted, in fact it is an analogue. The oleophobic coating is rated C, which is typical - hand marks remain with ease. This is not always visible in the sun or light, especially if your device is not black.

On the left side there is a microUSB connector, it is covered with a cap. On the right side, behind a wide flap, there is a slot for nanoSIM, it is in a plastic tray, and there is also a slot for a microSD memory card.

Above the screen, where the speaker grill is, there is a light indicator - it is wide and can blink in red, blue and green. You can turn it off in the settings, but I really like it, as it gives the device a certain charm. This is a typical Sony Style element. On the front surface you can see the front camera, the proximity sensor is hidden behind the glass and cannot be seen.

This model has no complaints about the build quality - there are no noticeable gaps, the glass does not fit tightly to the metal frame everywhere, this is not a defect, but a feature of the device so that it does not break when dropped. But the gaps are minimal, it’s almost impossible to see them without looking closely. In the same Z2 they were noticeably larger.

Display

The technical characteristics of the screen in the Z3 are the same as in the Z2: 5.2 inches, resolution – 1920x1080 pixels (423 dpi versus 440 in the Z1). The screen uses the famously named Triluminos technology, which suggests that the picture has better RGB coverage than conventional LCD screens. In theory, this is true, in practice there are certain flaws. An explanation of the technology can be seen in a promotional video from Sony.

Also in connection with this device, Live Color Led technology is often mentioned, which, in fact, is responsible for the color gamut, which is somewhat misleading to the user - these names make your head spin. From a marketing point of view, it is noted that the red and green subpixels are made using phosphor, which improves the quality of the color gamut; colors look saturated.

One of the main problems with the Z2 for the screen was that it distorted the colors - it made them bright, but they were not reliable. The built-in tool for adjusting color profiles turned the picture completely indigestible; it was not worth using. It turned out that a good screen, due to shortcomings in technology, did not give out the maximum of what it was capable of. The Z3 tried to overcome this problem, but it didn’t work out very well - the colors are still distorted, fine-tuning in the menu does not work. Separately, I want to emphasize that for most people this does not play any role - they will find the screen good.

Check out the screen comparison between the Galaxy S5 (top) and Note 4 (bottom).

Comparison of Samsung Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia Z3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Comparison of Sony Xperia Z3 and Samsung Galaxy S5

You can find a comparison of the Z2 screen with other devices at this link.

The Z3 has changed the way the picture is analyzed; each point can change the brightness of the backlight, which creates a more reliable picture in different lighting conditions. It was not possible to notice an improvement in the picture; in the sun the previous device behaved well, although there was clearly not enough brightness here, it had to be turned up to maximum, there was no reserve.

The Z3 decided to solve this problem and increased the screen brightness by 20 percent (650 cd/m2 maximum value with manual adjustment). Now the device is quite comparable with other flagships of 2014, there are no complaints about this characteristic. This improves the viewing experience of the screen both indoors and outdoors, and information is easy to read.

The settings include a mode for working with gloves; you can set a mode for working with wet hands.

In the Z2 review, I called the device's screen not ideal, but for Sony it was an obvious breakthrough - the abandonment of unnecessary film, improved quality, but the presence of such drawbacks as insufficient brightness and poor color rendition. The Z3 got rid of one of the shortcomings, now the screen is bright, they tried to play with color reproduction, but the result was not too different from the previous model. We are waiting for the Z4, in which the company will try to correct this defect again. As mentioned, this is a continuous work on bugs.

Battery

The phone has a lithium-polymer battery with a capacity of 3100 mAh (Z2 has 3200 mAh). For a flagship, this battery capacity is excellent, it is quite comparable to Note 3/4, however, these devices are similar in operating time.

In the description of this device, Sony says that it is capable of providing two days of full-time work, with up to 5 hours a day of active work. Unfortunately, the methodology is not given, but here is a screenshot from the company’s website.

My first impression of the battery was fantastic - it lasted a very long time in standby mode, I inserted a card and barely used the phone, and it barely drained.

When I began to actively use the device, it showed slightly better results than the Z2, but nothing fantastic happened. The reason is that Qualcomm has worked on the energy saving of the processor, and in standby mode the device consumes almost nothing. That is, in fact, one processor core operates at a very low frequency. They conjured a wonderful spell; in standby mode the device works just fine.

But in normal modes the miracle did not happen; it is not so much the processor that affects the brightness of the screen backlight and your settings. Considering that the brightness of the screen has increased, the consumption has also become slightly higher, which neutralizes all the chipset settings.

So, the video viewing time is the standard 10 hours (without sound or with headphones). The declared operating time in talk mode is up to 16 hours, in standby mode – up to 920 hours (for the previous model – 740 hours). Music playback time is up to 130 hours.

In practice, the phone showed excellent results, it performs at the level of Galaxy Note 3/4, depending on the load. You can easily count on one day of work with active use or two days of work with moderate use. If you don't use your phone, it will last much longer.

Full charging time (2A charger) is about 3 hours to one hundred percent. Up to 90 percent will be enough in just over 2 hours. From my observations, the device is very sensitive to the quality of the network and its coverage; if you have data transmission and the network is not of very high quality, then the discharge will go faster than on other phones. But if the network is good, then the operating time, on the contrary, will increase. In any case, this device differs in operating time compared to its classmates (Galaxy S5, HTC One M8), beats them and is comparable only to Note 3.

In my opinion, this phone can be recommended to anyone who wants to quietly live until the evening without charging during the day; this is a huge plus of the model. Among the proprietary features, I would like to note the ability to see approximately how long the device will work in the selected mode; there is also a Stamina function, which increases operating time by disabling data transfer in the background, unloading applications from memory, and so on. This is a lifesaver if you need to hold out until the outlet appears. In principle, the function works, although there are some rough edges in the implementation. Most people don’t use it, especially since this device will rarely need it.

There is an intelligent mode when charging, then you can change profile settings and the like.

Memory, memory cards

The phone has 3 GB of RAM (933 MHz, dual channel), which is unusual for models of this level; until recently, only Note 3 could boast of this, and the Galaxy S5 had only 2 GB. Simply increasing the amount of RAM does not solve anything; it all depends on how it works with the processor and what the overall system performance is. Below in the tests it will be clear that the memory increase did not provide a breakthrough in performance. After startup, about 1 GB of RAM is free.

The built-in memory is 16 GB, of which 11.57 GB is free for you, this can be considered a sufficient amount and typical for Android smartphones. You can connect memory cards of any capacity (up to 128 GB), which is also not bad.

Hardware platform, performance

The model is built on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AC) chipset; it is a quad-core processor with a frequency of up to 2.5 GHz per core. This is a different version of the processor, a slightly upgraded version than the Sony Z2, but there is not much difference. In synthetic tests, the performance of this solution is higher than that of its predecessor, as well as its competitors, but the difference is very insignificant.

In real life, when working in the interface, the difference is almost unnoticeable; if it exists, it is minimal. Some say Sony is faster, others say Galaxy S5, and others praise HTC ONE M8. As for me, they are all approximately comparable and the difference can only be felt in individual applications, and then it will be measured in fractions of a second.

In resource-intensive applications (games, 4K video recording), the device heats up, due to the glass of the case this is more noticeable than in the same HTC M8 or Galaxy S5, where the heat is not so strongly felt on the surface of the case. Sony has already responded to this complaint and suggested not shooting 4K video for more than a few minutes, since then overheating can cause applications to spontaneously close, plus the camera will turn off automatically.

Unlike the Z2, the reduced processor frequency in most cases makes warming up almost impossible; the device heats up, but not as much as its predecessor. This can only be noticed when the camera is working; in other modes and even in games it is not so noticeable.

Communication capabilities

The device has NFC, which has already become a good tradition, Bluetooth version 4.0 with ANT+ support. The microUSB connector supports the MHL v3.0 standard, which allows you to output video to external sources. USB 2.0 version, USB Host supported. LTE Cat 4 support, download speed up to 150 Mbit/s. Wi-Fi version – a/b/n/ac.

Camera

Despite the fact that it is written on the body that this is a 20.7-megapixel module and a 1/2.3-inch matrix, the EXMOR RS module itself has been redesigned, plus the optical group has changed, it has been simplified and made wide-angle. It is clear that Sony tried to achieve the same image quality as on previous devices, while reducing the cost of the matrix and simplifying its production. I haven’t made a direct comparison with the Z2/Z1, but according to subjective impressions, the only advantage is rather noisy shooting in night mode (ISO 12800 versus ISO 6400 in the Z2 - achievable only in automatic shooting mode, manual selection is not available).

There is a camera button on the body of the device; when pressed, the automatic shooting mode is always selected, in which the resolution is set to 8 megapixels. If you want to take a picture in manual mode and maximum resolution, then you need to select the appropriate item in the menu. This is terribly inconvenient, but exactly the same approach was in previous models. Look at the difference in pictures when shooting in automatic and manual modes.

Auto	Manual

The camera interface has not undergone major changes, everything is quite simple and clear.

Check out the camera shots, as well as comparisons with the Galaxy S5.

Among the new modes, it is worth noting the simultaneous shooting from the cameras of two devices (“Multi-Camera” mode), in which you can connect another device to the phone and receive pictures simultaneously from two cameras.

Just like in previous models, there is an AR Effects option, these are drawings that are superimposed on a photo in real time, you can create a background of flowers or something similar - a great option for entertainment, however, the same can be done in any graphic editor .

TimeShift video – high frame rate and slow motion effects may be of interest to some, especially when filming sports events.

Defocusing the background is implemented quite controversially - you adjust the focus with the slider, then there is blur, you can choose the geometry of this blur.

Artistic effects are a whole range of different effects, each of which can be applied to a photograph. It also replaces a graphic editor, but usually they don’t use effects, since they spoil the original photo; it’s easier to edit it than to get a modified photo.

Info-eye - the ability to point the camera at a famous building or something similar and get a quick hint about what it is. Explicit borrowing from the Googgles program.

For those who want to upload photos and videos to the network, there is a proprietary PlayMemories service, also familiar from cameras. You can set downloading only via Wi-Fi, but I prefer to use DropBox for these purposes, it is more convenient.

Videos can be recorded in FullHD, the quality of video recording is not bad, there are no complaints here.

I can’t say that the camera in the Z3 has become noticeably worse than in the Z2 - they are slightly different, but this, in principle, is normal for cameras and the perception of images from them. In automatic mode, the Z3 produces very good 8-megapixel images, which, like its predecessor, are liked by many people - this is above average quality among many devices, close to the best cameras on the market. No comparison with the Chinese, just head and shoulders above, regardless of the fact that they use Sony Exmor with similar or similar characteristics. For normal everyday use, this is an excellent camera; few people need to stretch pictures from mobile cameras to some standard of quality. This may seem like heresy, but the current generation of flagships is very close in its characteristics; the convenience of shooting and the quality of images in different conditions come to the fore. On a sunny day the Z3 is excellent, in the dark it is noisy, but this is an expected result. The bottom line is a good camera, which is quite at the level of its price segment.

Multimedia capabilities – sound, PS4 games

If the Z2 came with noise-cancelling headphones and a 5-pin connector, then the Z3 needs to be purchased separately. To fully experience the quality of music on this model, I tried the MDR-NC31EM noise-canceling headphones, as well as the regular Monster DNA.

Technically, previous models in the line could support Hi-Res Audio and Sony DSEE HX technology, which is used in Walkman players and can “finish” MP3 songs to high-quality sound, that is, it tries to restore lost frequencies. It doesn’t always work error-free, but for those who listen to MP3s of unknown quality and have not yet switched to lossless formats, this is a real opportunity to get high-quality sound on your phone.

Unfortunately, on third-party headphones the sound is not fully revealed, even if you take quite expensive models from Sony - it feels like the sound was optimized specifically for the 31st model, the phone sounds great in them. Having tried different headphones, I can say that they sound from good to very good on this model, but the 31s always win due to noise reduction, the sound is cleaner.

Sony was at the forefront of the music revolution in the phone market, and it was then that the Walkman brand was returned to the market and made sound quality important to millions of people. But if you pay attention, no one has been talking about this for the last few years. Cause? The sound of phones has reached its theoretical limit for large companies, and now either it is necessary to change DSP processors and move to another level, or be content with expanding the number of supported codecs. Sony took the second route, also adding a perfect pairing with headphones, and this is a winning strategy. The only pity is that now you have to buy headphones separately, they are not included.

For example, comparing the sound of the Z2 with Note 4, Galaxy S5 with third-party headphones, one cannot say that the Z2 has an advantage - the sound is quite comparable. But with branded headphones from Sony, everything changes dramatically. Therefore, it is worth remembering this when choosing the Z3 as a player - you should buy original headphones, which, however, will not suit everyone. And one more important point - if you purchase headphones of a higher class ($200 or more), you will not get a qualitative leap in the sound of the Z3, it will play about the same.

The Walkman player has a large number of settings and is familiar to all models from Sony.

Another feature that until recently was not found in phones from Sony is support for PS4 Remote Play. You can install the program on your phone, connect it to the DualShock4 joystick via Bluetooth and, by inserting the device into it, play the game on PS4 - a kind of additional screen. That is, the picture, instead of your TV, will be broadcast to your phone - what is the point of this approach is absolutely unclear to me, this is a very far-fetched function. Why? Yes, because it’s more pleasant to play PS4 on a big screen at home, and it’s not clear to me why a small smartphone screen is needed. Of course, there are very limited use cases where this might be useful. But these are such rare cases that it’s not even worth remembering about them. Sony tried to create a feature, but it was not very successful.

Software

The device runs Android 4.4.4; a full description of standard functions and the Xperia UI shell can be found in a separate article.

Among the new and unusual features, I would like to note the ability to make screencasts, that is, record videos of all actions on the screen - this function has been found on a number of phones from other manufacturers, but for Sony it appears here for the first time. Press the power key and select “screen recording” from the menu. You can also record a picture from the front camera, plus your voice is recorded.

Impression

The stereo speakers sound noticeably louder and better in this device than in the Z2. In terms of sound quality, the device is not bad, it is loud, conveys speech well during a conversation, and cuts out unnecessary noise. The vibration alert is average and can be skipped.

The Z3 model turned out to be interesting - the case has been greatly redesigned, the standard of protection against water has been increased, and the protection against falls has been strengthened (the device is still fragile, so this is relative). The camera was changed, but there was no significant or catastrophic deterioration in shooting quality. The screen has been noticeably improved in terms of backlight brightness, the colors still have the same problem, they are not very natural. And they also removed the sensor grid on the screen, it is now not visible - this could irritate someone in the Z2. They did a good job on the power saving mode and standby time.

In my opinion, the Z3 wins over the Z2 in almost everything, but both devices are not popular on the market; in the “Positioning” section I gave the sales ratio with the same Galaxy S5. This is a systemic problem for Sony, which concerns not only the quality of products in previous periods, the erosion of the customer base, but also the inability to highlight its strengths. These devices have Sony Style, they have their own characteristic and different face. But the irony is that traditional buyers of Sony smartphones are already fed up with them; the question is in appearance. And that’s why many people fall in love with the Z3 Compact, but don’t pay attention to the “simple” Z3.

With a price of 29,990 rubles and a very limited supply package, this device is five thousand rubles more expensive than the Z2. Despite the obvious advantages, it’s still worth buying the Z2, especially since it can be found cheaper, and if you buy the Asian version, you’ll also get a desktop charging stand. The real difference is 6,700 rubles, since it is worth taking into account the cost of the headset, which is included in the Z2 kit.

It is necessary and possible to compare this device with other flagships of the season, taking the same iPhone out of the equation; it exists in a different universe. I can hardly imagine a person who can choose between Sony or iPhone (in fact, I know only one - Sergei Kuzmin, by the way, many Sony Mobile employees carry an iPhone, and not only in Russia). You can see the comparison with the Galaxy S5 below.

Here everyone chooses their own, I would consider the Sony Z3 as an alternative not only to the S5, but also to the HTC One M8, these are products of the same level. Another thing is that the late release with a six-month cycle makes the Z3 more expensive than its competitors - the same S5 costs 28,000 rubles. In my opinion, in this price segment this difference is not so critical.

The review turned out to be detailed, with all the “little things” that are important for this device. The choice, as always, is yours; our task was to talk about all the pitfalls, show the pros and cons of this decision.

This model has a version for two SIM cards (one radio module), while maintaining support for memory cards, perhaps someone will be interested in such a device.

You've probably come across this phrase on the pages of our resource, but in the case of the Xperia Z3, we consider it necessary to duplicate it: Sony has officially announced that it will release new flagship smartphones as technology improves. While other manufacturers update their older models once a year on average, the Japanese manage to produce as many as two flagships during this period. Accordingly, you have to come up with something new twice as fast.

We cannot say that changes from device to device are insignificant - it’s just that a large number of new technologies do not have time to accumulate in six months. Rather, engineers refine and improve their older, and therefore main, device from time to time - they work on errors and revise possible changes. So, I got a gorgeous IPS display, which the Z1 was noticeably lacking. At the same time, it improved the camera and interface, and added support for some cellular communication bands. There were changes to the exterior: the frames around the display became thinner, and the screen itself grew by two-tenths of an inch. Fine? Undoubtedly. Revolutionary? Not at all. Slow evolution. So what's new in the Z3?

⇡ What's new?

Perhaps that's enough new. At least from the appearance of the smartphone alone, we can say with confidence that this is truly a new model. You had to take a closer look at the previous “Z”s: look at what the inserts are made of, try to determine the thickness by eye. Well, or put smartphone A to smartphone B - such a comparison made it possible to identify the newer one, at least due to the difference in size. With Z3 everything is much simpler.

Sony designers emphasized the change in the appearance of the gadget with a new color scheme. Black and white options have not gone away, but rich purple has been replaced by two colors: light green and copper metallic. A “strict” white version of the Z3 came to us for testing, which we are, perhaps, rather happy about.

There are several changes in terms of characteristics. For example, the Z3 uses the smallest SIM card format - Nano-SIM. It will probably be in all future Xperia smartphones. Despite the increased IP (Ingress Protection) value - IP65/68 versus IP55/58 for the Xperia Z2 - the waterproofness of the case (remember, the last digit in IPxx is responsible for it) of the device remains the same. The smartphone is protected from low pressure water jets from all sides. It can also stay in fresh water for up to half an hour at a depth of up to one and a half meters. The protection of the case from dust has increased exclusively, which, frankly, is not significant for most users: what difference does it make whether dust can get into the device (IP6x) or not (IP5x), if it does not harm it in any case.

Sony Xperia Z3 - official photo

In terms of technical content, there are practically no changes: Sony engineers still put a 5.2-inch Full HD screen, the 801st Snapdragon (except overclocked to 2.5 GHz) and three gigabytes of RAM in the flagship. Someone might want to talk about stagnation or savings, because there is already the Snapdragon 805, the 810 was recently announced, and competitors are making full use of higher-resolution displays. However, most sober readers will probably agree that Sony acted rationally. LG engineers, for example, equipped the G3 with the world's first Quad HD display (translated into numbers - 2560x1440 pixels), which significantly reduced its battery life. Excess power will also eat the battery with double appetite. So we understand and approve of Sony’s desire to concentrate on design, and not on “giblets”, which seem to be coping with the tasks assigned to them so far.

⇡ Appearance and ergonomics

Nevertheless, the development of the OmniBalance concept, which is reflected in the new “Zetka,” may upset many fans of the modern Xperia line. Sony Z series smartphones have always been identified with strict, angular, but very stylish “bricks”. The Xperia Z3 turned out to be much lighter than its predecessors - both visually and in fact. The gadget weighs 152 grams, while the Z2 with the same screen diagonal weighs 163 grams. Moreover, the body of the new product has lost weight by a millimeter compared to the previous version - from 8.3 to 7.3 millimeters.

Sony Xperia Z3 - front panel

The changes in appearance are obvious. The corners of the case have become more rounded, the sides are not so flat, and the frames around the display are much thinner. Due to the latter, the gadget looks more elongated. It is still made of pure materials - metal (edges, frame) and glass (back and front panels). However, now it is much more comfortable to hold in your hands - the corners and rough flat ends do not dig into the palm. From an ergonomic point of view, it has become noticeably better. We don’t undertake to judge the design - this is too individual a question.

Perhaps the Z3 is the most comfortable of all four Zets. Your hands don’t get tired of it even with prolonged contact, and thanks to its reduced dimensions, it’s actually quite comfortable to use with one hand - the thumb of a normal, average hand can easily reach all four sides of the display. Tested on several boys and girls.

Sony Xperia Z3 with display on

The front panel is still free of hardware keys. At its bottom there is a speaker - the same as at the top. Next to the latter there is a front-facing camera lens, a two-megapixel camera and sensors. The new events indicator has been moved to the upper left corner. He can still glow in different colors.

Sony Xperia Z3 - side edges

The design feature of the new “Zetka” is that there are polycarbonate inserts in the corners of the case, which in theory should soften the impact when the device falls. Of course, we didn’t check this, but it’s good that Sony generally thinks about the “survivability” of its smartphones. Many modern gadgets break after the first fall.

Sony Xperia Z3 - right side

All connectors are still covered with plugs, thanks to which the case is protected from moisture. The hardware wake-up button of the smartphone is located on the right side. There are also volume keys and a separate physical button for activating the camera and shooting.

Sony Xperia Z3 - card slots

At the same end there are slots for installing microSD and Nano-SIM cards. The device “swallowed” a 64 gigabyte TF memory card without any problems. The universal 3.5 mm audio jack is located at the top end. Next to it there is a second microphone, with the help of which a noise reduction system is implemented.

Sony Xperia Z3 - left side

The Micro-USB interface on the left side is also hidden under a flap. With its help, you can connect external peripheral devices to the Z3 via a special OTG adapter. Next to it is a magnetic connector with which the gadget is connected to the docking station.

Sony Xperia Z3 - rear panel

The “back” of the device, as we have already said, is covered with scratch-resistant glass. We carried the gadget in the same pocket with our keys, and it still has a completely factory look. There are no stickers on the front or back. Despite the fact that the panel is smooth, due to the rough convex ends, the Xperia Z3 fits perfectly in the hands and does not try to slip out of them. At the top of the back panel is the main 20-megapixel camera lens along with an LED flash.

The smartphone case is monolithic, non-separable - users do not have access to the battery. Its capacity, by the way, due to the reduction in the thickness of the gadget, engineers had to reduce it - from 3200 to 3100 mAh. However, this is perhaps the only clear deterioration in the new flagship Sony smartphone.

In general, the exterior of the Xperia Z3 left us with ( True, not all of us. — approx. ed.) pleasant emotions. It is convenient to use, pleasant to hold in your hands, but one cannot deny the fact that the gadget has slightly lost its “thoroughbred” face and began to look more ordinary. I would like to believe that designers will continue to experiment and find a middle ground between individuality and ease of use.

⇡ Technical specifications

	Sony Xperia Z2	Sony Xperia Z3
Touch screen	5.2 inches, 1080x1920 pixels, IPS; Capacitive, up to ten simultaneous touches
Air gap	No
Oleophobic coating	Eat
Polarizing filter	Eat
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AB v3: four Qualcomm Krait-400 cores (ARMv7), frequency 2.27 GHz; process technology 28 nm HPm	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AC: four Qualcomm Krait-400 cores (ARMv7), frequency 2.5 GHz; process technology 28 nm HPm
Graphics controller	Adreno 330, 450 MHz	Adreno 330, 578 MHz
RAM	3 GB LPDDR3-1600
Flash memory	16 GB (about 11.5 GB available to the user) + microSD
Connectors	1 x micro-USB 2.0 1 x microSD 1 x micro-SIM	1 x micro-USB 2.0 1 x 3.5mm headset jack 1 x microSD 1 x nano-SIM
cellular	2G/3G/4G One SIM card in micro-SIM format	2G/3G/4G One nano-SIM format SIM card
Cellular connection 2G	GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
Cellular 3G	WCDMA 850/900/1700/1900/2100 MHz DC-HSPA+ (42.2/5.76 Mbps)
Cellular 4G	LTE FDD band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 20 (2100/1900/1800/1700/850/2600/900/700/800 MHz) LTE Cat. 3 (150/50 Mbit/s)
WiFi	802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4 and 5 GHz + Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth	4.0
NFC	Eat
IR port	No
Navigation	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
Sensors	Light sensor, proximity sensor, accelerometer/gyroscope/pedometer, magnetometer (digital compass), barometer
Main camera	20.7 MP (5248x3936), Sony Exmor RS matrix with back-illumination, 1/2.3 inches Autofocus, LED flash
Front-camera	2.1 MP (1920x1080), Sony Exmor R back-illuminated sensor
Nutrition	Non-removable battery 12.16 Wh (3200 mAh, 3.8 V)	Non-removable battery: 11.78 Wh (3100 mAh, 3.8 V)
Size	147.2x73.4 mm Case thickness: 8.3 mm	146x72 mm Case thickness 7.3 mm
Weight	163 g	152 g
Housing protection	IP55, IP58	IP65, IP68
operating system	Android 4.4 KitKat Sony Xperia's own shell
recommended price	25,990 rubles	29,990 rubles
Average retail price	23,800 rubles	29,990 rubles

Sony is currently modernizing its mobile device business and shifting its focus to upper and mid-range solutions. Sony Mobile Communications plans to sell 38 million smartphones this fiscal year. Despite rumors of abandoning the strategy of releasing new flagship models every six months, Sony Vice President of Global Communications and Public Relations Tim Harrison said in one of his latest interviews that the company has decided to release flagship models more often than once every 12 months. On the one hand, such a solution allows us to quickly take into account past mistakes and impose worthy competition on other manufacturers. But can we then count on fundamental improvements compared to the previous model? This could also lead to competition between devices within the line itself. We will try to find out how justified this is in modern market conditions using an example that we tested.

From the point of view of dry technical characteristics, this model is not much different from its predecessor -. It still has the same 5.2-inch Full HD IPS display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and 20.7 megapixel main camera. Then the logical question arises: “What is the difference?” It lies in a number of design improvements, the proprietary Xperia Home shell and several technical nuances. We will talk about all this in more detail below. To begin with, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the technical characteristics of the Sony Xperia Z3:

Manufacturer
	Xperia Z3 (D6603)
Type, form factor	Smartphone, monoblock
Communication standards			850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
			850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 MHz
			700 / 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 / 2300 / 2600 MHz
High speed data transfer	GPRS (32-48 Kbps), EDGE (236 Kbps), HSDPA (up to 42.2 Mbps), HSUPA (up to 5.76 Mbps), LTE Cat.4 (up to 50 Mbps UL, up to 150 Mbit/s DL)
SIM card type
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AC): 4 Krait 400 cores, up to 2.5 GHz, 2 MB L2 cache, 28 nm HPm process technology
Graphics adapter	Qualcomm Adreno 330: up to 578 MHz, support OpenGL ES 3.0, OpenVG 1.1, OpenCL 1.1 and DirectX 9.0c
	IPS, 5.2" TRILUMINOS, 1920 x 1080 pixels (423 ppi), touch, capacitive, multi-touch up to 10 touches, Asahi DragonTrail X protective glass, X-Reality and Live Color technologies
RAM	3 GB, dual channel LPDDR3
Persistent memory
Card reader	microSD (up to 128 GB)
Interfaces	1 x 3.5mm mini-jack audio jack
Multimedia	Audio processing
	Acoustics
	Microphone
	Main	Exmor RS (1/2.3"): 20.7 MP, BSI, f/2.0 aperture, autofocus, LED flash, SteadyShot digital image stabilization, HDR shooting, 4K Ultra HD video recording (30 FPS)
	Frontal	2.2 MP, f/2.8 aperture, fixed focus, 1080p video recording
Communication capabilities		802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 / 5 GHz) (Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot)
	Accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, LED indicator, geomagnetic sensor (compass), barometer
Battery	Lithium-ion, non-replaceable: 3100 mAh
Charger	Input: 100~240 VAC eg at 50/60 Hz Output: 5 VDC e.g. 1.5 A
	Dust and moisture protection according to IP65 and IP68 standards
	146 × 72 × 7.3 mm
	Black / White / Olive / Copper / Purple
operating system	Android 4.4.4 KitKat + Xperia Home v7
Official guarantee	12 months
Products webpage

Delivery and configuration

The tested smartphone comes in a traditional small square box. The packaging is made of fairly thick matte cardboard and is characterized by a discreet and laconic design. On its front side there is a partial image of the smartphone, as well as the model name and manufacturer’s logo. The side edges are reserved for stickers with service information (IMEI, S/N, Model, Color and country of origin). On the reverse side (in the form of icons) you can familiarize yourself with the main features of the Sony Xperia Z3 and legal information about the manufacturer. There is also an image of the new product in several color variations. This packaging style hints that this is a premium device.

Along with the smartphone, a potential buyer will find the following accessories in the box:

• user guide;
• warranty card;
• charger (5 V; 1.5 A);
• micro-USB↔USB cable.

We express our gratitude to the Ukrainian representative office of the company Sony Mobile Communications AB for the smartphone provided for testing.

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