Sony Xperia Z
Sony’s latest Android handset, announced at CES 2013 and reaching a number of markets during February this year, is an impressive continuation of Sony’s Android line of smartphones. While it is not the Android device to rule over all other Android devices, it shows a steady progression from Sony’s first Android handsets last year. The Japanese company know how to build up all the elements of a solid smartphone. While I might lack a spark that makes it special, it’s capable and dependable handset that I can recommend.
Naturally the recently announced Samsung Galaxy S4 sneaks ahead in the spec stakes, but that’s about the only phone that does. Compared to the other flagship handsets around the smartphone the world, the Xperia Z is in the top class with a 1.5 GHz Quad Core CPW, an Adreno 320 GPU, and 2 GB of Ram. Perhaps the sole memory option (at 16 GB) is a bit weak, but microSD cards are supported for extra storage.
At 5 inches on the diagonal the screen is a delight. Powered once more by Sony’s ‘Bravia Engine 2′ it is a sharp 1080p display that smashes through Apple’s definition of a retina screen with 440 pixels per inch. One sacrifice for that density might be in the viewing angle, with colours starting to fade at a relatively small amount of angle, although information does remain readable. It’s more than enough for one person to cope with on a jostling train or jogging down the street, but with the 5 inch HD screen you would expect to be sharing videos at some point in time.
The battery is sealed into the handset, and while it has a high capacity (2,400 mAh), the screen along with the 4G LTE radios will place a lot of demand on the power source. Thankfully Sony has worked on the software so that the handset can easily get through the day. This comes down to the ‘Stamina’ mode, which in essence is a strict guardian of power. If the phone’s screen is off, then background tasks are going to be suspended, data transmissions limited, and the phone will try to draw as little power as possible, on the assumption you’re not actually doing anything with the phone. Apps can be white-listed to ignore Stamina mode if required.
While it does nothing for the geekerati who tinkers every moment with their smartphone, the regular user is going to see a much longer ‘stand-by’ time on this handset. Android is still power hungry in use, but most of the time the Xperia Z will sit in a pocket, as still as a ninja. That’s how you get through a working day and a night of entertainment on one charge – more power used when active, less power used when dark.
Sony has carried on with a minimalistic style for their third post-SonyEricsson design. It’s nice to see that there is a certain language to a Sony Android device – they are very angular, straight edges, and as minimal as possible in terms of external hardware.
This is helped by Android’s switch to soft keys for the main Android interface buttons, which are now shown on the screen rather than as physical keys. There is a very subdued volume control on the side, but the only real break in the look is the power button – and Sony has stated that this almost ‘wristwatch-like’ button as the iconic identifying mark that will run through the line.
It also has the advantage that it sticks out just enough so that when you pick up the handset you immediately know which way the handset is orientated in your hand. That’s a very important physical clue, because the handset is literally sandwiched between two sheets of tempered glass taking up all of the front and the rear of the handset, which leads to me thinking the back of the screen is a second touchscreen, or at least a touchpad in the same way as the PS Vita has. Part of me wonders if Sony could squeeze a second screen on the back of the device if they ever decide to do a gee-whizz handset?
Not that there isn’t any gee-whizz on this handset. If you’ve seen the commercials, you’ll know that this is the ‘water resistant’ handset that can be dunked in water, dropped in a pint, be splashed over, and still work. Assuming that all the flaps on the device are closed securely. There’s handy warning to do this when you lift open a flap (say to put the micro USB charger cable in) but I’ll be honest, even with a review handset I’ve not felt brave enough to deliberately try this out. I trust Sony that it works, but I’m not ready to test that until there’s an accident. But I do make sure the covers are closed as much as possible.
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