[Video] Xperia Z1 vs. Xperia S - Should you upgrade?

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Hermantje

Hermantje

Senior Member
May 22, 2012
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hugehog.blogspot.com
Redstarr1 said:
What privacy issues? Are you concerned someone can read your texts over your shoulder? You'll probably notice when someone's breathing down your neck then, because even with a 5 inch screen, the screen is still small enough to require the phone to still be in an arm's distance from your face to read properly. For everything else like photos and videos, you are aware that you've already shared all of your life with Google, Facebook, etc anyway?

For me, one of the downsides of the Xperia S is how grey all the colours are when you look at it if it's lying down on a table. You can't properly show photos to other people or you need to hand them your phone.

Saying that bad viewing angles are good for privacy is just one of those excuses to avoid criticizing Sony. Sony never made those viewing angles so bad by design, it's not a feature, so the viewing angles should just be as good as possible. If it were a feature, it should be optional because not all of us wear tinfoil hats. If you want bad viewing angles because you're actually concerned about your privacy (and you don't want to tell that creep breathing in your neck to shove off) there are filters you can apply as a screen protector or a case to get even worse viewing angles. I know that Siemens employees need to put a similar filter on their laptops if they're using it in public to avoid leaking company secrets.

About the Xperia Z1/Z2, they're too big for me. I'm considering the Z1 compact but after 2 years of Sony, about half of which with AOSP based ROMs, I've decided I don't like OEM skins and the limitations they pose. So next phone will probably be a Nexus (it's a bit smaller but only just though..) or a Motorola if they release the successor of the Moto X in Belgium at all. I would be tempted to get an Xperia Z1 compact if there were a Google Play Edition.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Poor viewing angles are indeed a sign of poor quality. But believe me when I tell you that that's the only gripe I have with the Xperia Z1. The issue is similar to that of the Xperia S (try rotating it on a table 360 degrees, you'll see a white haze over the display when you're turning the device until it's either horizontal or vertical again). If XperiaBlog is to be believed, the Z1 Compact has a much better displays, where viewing angles aren't an issue anymore. I'd say the choice whether you should get a Sony device or a Nexus is a choice of camera. If you don't mind shooting average pictures, you might want to go for the Nexus device. If you want to get the most out of it, get a Sony. The Z1 is capable of taking amazing shots (as proven by me riiiiight >here<) and the Z1 Compact most likely won't be much else.

Sony's software, UI and skin and all that is a matter of taste, I guess. I actually like it now, maybe even more than AOSP. I did prefer the Nexus looks on my Xperia S though. But Sony's software has long been improved (I wish they had given some of the new software to the older devices).
 
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FaiselW

Senior Member
Jul 28, 2013
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I liked jelly bean aosp but i don't like kitkat

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    Hermantje
    Hermantje
    Good day fellow XDAers!

    I recently received my Xperia Z1 as an upgrade to my Xperia S as my Xperia S was hitting the age two mark, and what better upgrade than the Xperia Z1 I thought? Sure, the Z2 or Sirius is also about to be announced but that'll only mean the Z1 will be priced even better! I've had the Z1 for about a week now and I figured I wouldn't be the only one thinking of upgrading their Xperia S.
    So in this thread I will let you know whether it's a good choice for you personally to upgrade (since there is no such thing as a 'smartphone to rule them all').

    I will create another post below with a couple of camera comparisons because, if you were like me, you probably also chose the Xperia S for its camera, and are likely to consider the Xperia Z1 for the same reason. I will say beforehand that, yes, the camera is indeed an upgrade. The Z1's camera is not as bad as some review(er)s may have made you believe - at least not with the latest firmware of Android 4.3 installed.


    Anyway, let's get to the hardware. The Xperia Z1 feels much, much more premium. It's a really slim device that's cold to the touch and has a bit of heft to it as well, making it feel as premium as it gets. Much more so than the Xperia S, that feels, after having held the Xperia Z1 for a couple of days, very plastic-y. One week prior to writing this I would've said that the Xperia S feels good in the hand, but once you've held the best, there's just no going back.

    The processor is just extremely snappy, not much more to say of it. The Xperia S annoyed me with lag occurring more often than not, and if I were to upgrade, it would definitely be a major step upward, hence not going for the Xperia Z (which is probably still snappier than the Xperia S but I don't have experience with it). I wanted to test the Z1's processor but I couldn't find anything graphically intense and fun enough to do. So the Z1 is essentially more than powerful enough :)

    Where the Xperia S had a pretty loose back, the Z1 is as sturdy as it gets with the aluminum frame sandwiched between the glass. If you're coming from the Xperia S, you probably won't mind the flaps. They're a tiny bit harder to open but that's obviously due to the waterproof rubbers (which seem a little too thin for my comfort but hey, Sony tested the device to be waterproof so I'll take that for granted).

    I'll have to test the headphone jack some more but so far the quality seems on par with the Xperia S, if not better. I'm not the craziest audiophile out there, but I do believe there's a bit more bass outputting from the Z1's jack. Another thing worth mentioning about the build: the camera button is more comfortable to press and is a little better positioned, and the power button is perfectly in line with my thumb on the side (I hated the top mounted power button on the Xperia S - trying to press it while having it on a table has sent the device flying multiple times). The speaker on the bottom (which isn't the entire grill, just the most right part about one-fifth of the actual grille in size) is less loud as the Xperia S' internal speaker, but the quality to me sounds similar. Again, it's not as horrible as reviewers may have you think, but then again, they always get to review the best devices out there and this is just a mediocre speaker that gets the job done. Finally, the screen is really a joy to look at once you've set the white balance correctly, and the Full HD resolution does make it look better than 720p on the Xperia S. Colours pop more but the screen of the Xperia S seems to have a little more contrast. So yes, the display is indeed another upgrade to the Xperia S from what I can tell.


    All in all, what are things you need to consider when you're in the market for a new Sony phone?

    - Will the Xperia Z2 / Sirius have anything that *I* really wish I had, that makes me want to wait and get it instead of the Z1?
    - Is the Xperia Z1 worth the money, since it's still priced very high?
    - Do I want a 5" display on my phone, or is the display size of the Xperia S just fine (refer to the Z1 Compact then)?
    - Are the downsides mentioned above not too important?
    - How do *I* value waterproofing of a smartphone (I personally value it high, because I lost one phone to a river and it makes life so much easier carelessly taking pictures in the rain or playing music in the shower)



    I hope this is of any use to you, looking to upgrade your phone. If this helped you make up your mind, don't hesitate to click a specific button under my XDA name ;)
    If you have any questions considering the two devices, please let me know - I'll answer them ASAP! :fingers-crossed:


    EDIT:
    I've created a video comparison between the Xperia S and Xperia Z1, because I often look things up on YouTube myself :)
    Check it out below:

    Sony Xperia S vs. Xperia Z1 - Should you upgrade? <- link to the video

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    Hermantje
    Hermantje
    Now, for the camera comparison of the Xperia S and the Xperia Z1...
    Disclaimer: the images were shot with Auto Mode on the Xperia S and Superior Auto Mode on the Z1. I basically compared them as point-and-shoot cameras.

    Who would've thought the difference between the Xperia S and Z1 was this big? (zoomed in, that is)

    Xperia S:

    Screenshot_2014-02-21-16-16-19 by HurrHurrHerman, on Flickr

    Xperia Z1:

    Screenshot_2014-02-21-16-16-22 by HurrHurrHerman, on Flickr


    Or let's try one without zooming:

    Xperia S:

    DSC_0019 by HurrHurrHerman, on Flickr

    Xperia Z1:

    DSC_0143 by HurrHurrHerman, on Flickr


    I'm trying not to be biased, but the Xperia S suffers from much more lens flare than the Xperia Z1 for example I initially held the Z1 on the right next to the S, but after viewing the lens flare on the S I decided to swap the two, the Z1 now being right. Did it make a difference? Nope. Still the same lens flare on the S, still none on the Z1. When you're shooting in daylight, the Z1's camera really is amazing!
    Once you take away the sun however, the Xperia Z1 is no longer amazing but just 'good' at best (I don't have examples just yet).


    P.S. the full images of the first crop:

    Xperia S:

    DSC_0022 by HurrHurrHerman, on Flickr

    Xperia Z1:

    DSC_0146 by HurrHurrHerman, on Flickr


    The Xperia Z1 also has the advantage of having a wide-angle lens, as you can see in the pictures above.
    If you want to see more, let me know. I'm here to help and answer any questions!
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    1
    Hermantje
    Hermantje
    FaiselW said:
    Isn't it good to have bad viewing angles because of privacy issues? Also it is not a tv so i don't get why people care about viewing angles.

    Sent from my HTC One X using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
    Click to expand...
    Click to collapse

    It's all personal preference, but people usually prefer being able to view the display perfectly when it's on the table. It's actually more common than you might think, that you're not looking directly at the display. I'd say, if you're really into privacy, you won't dislike the absent viewing angles. Otherwise the display just looks better overall, when you can even look at it from an angle without contrast loss. The issue I often have is that I can't read text due to lowered contrast when my phone's on the table, for example hooked up to my radio, like it is at this moment. It's more difficult to change songs because the text on the display is not always readable.
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