Features and disadvantages

[KaOSoFt]

So, this is my first day with this phone, but I have already discovered a lot of things. I will keep this thread updated, though, as I discover more of it on my journey to enlightenment.

Also bear in mind that just before this, I was the owner of an LG G2, so some of the things will be more of a comparison on the user friendliness LG offers.

Key features

• Size: At least for me, this is the sweet spot. “Once you go Compact, you’ll never go back.” :laugh:
• Glass: Feeling. It’s a smooth surface. You’ll want to be able to embrace it all you can all day.
• Border: Grip usefulness. If you hold your smart phone from its borders, it’ll be a sure bet it’d never let go of you.
• Microphone: The other end of the call hears what it’s said so clearly, it’s scary. Once it sounded as if the person was on the ring.
• Camera: Have yet to try under low-light conditions, but at noon, this camera shined. I was complimented at wok for its effective resolution.

Middle ground

• Buttons layout: Hardware and software buttons. I don’t know you, but I think this phone was made for left handed. Whenever I use my right hand, I don’t know, I feel my thump is all cramped in there trying to change volume, while if I use my left hand, oh, boy, it all feels natural, and no more cramping. The good side of this is I’ve learned to use my left hand more. Definitely the best uni-hand setup is that of the LG G2. With buttons behind the phone, both hands are equally free to work with them.
• Front speakers: Sound is loud, but I found it to be muffled. I can only guess it’s due to its water/dust proof nature. To be honest, I never use the phone’s own speakers that much. Almost never on any phone I’ve owned so far.
• Applications: I totally hate it they have bundled some of the worst widgets/applications I’ve seen, ever. “What’s New”... really? Yet, there are some useful or nice one, at least to me: Album, Walkman, PlayStation, and others.

Disadvantages

• Glass: Coating is awful. I once a long time ago thought the my HTC Desire was the King of smudges and fingerprints. Guess what? We got a new champion...! Seriously, I’m thankful I bought the White version,which makes the back of the phone appear as clear as it could be, while only the front suffers totally from it. In just five minutes of constant usage (like in a game, or scrolling and archiving Tweets), the front glass was kinda “oily”, and you could see smudges everywhere. Also you know what? It’s slippery has hell. Never, ever, before, have I encountered a surface as slipper as these glasses. Words cannot describe how much that is.
• LED Flash: It’s the worst. As for hardware, the darn thing “bleeds” light before it even leaves the case of the phone. I mean, Sony, seriously? This is totally unacceptable. I’m even thinking on returning it if only because of this. I tried the Flashlight notification widget, and the Torch application itself: total disaster. They are so dim, it looks as if they didn’t want us to use the “phone” as a flashlight. Yet, I discovered, the LED Flash can go even brighter. I noticed it while taking a picture in low-light conditions.
• System navigation bar: No way to change it, even with some default presets. The LG G2 had this. For example I don’t use the Recents button much, but I do A LOT “switch back to previous application” option back on my HTC Desire with an application that would let me set such things up, like behavior when long pressing such buttons as well.
• Permanent notifications: For some reason, some applications like Lifelog and My Data Manager create a kind of immortal notification on the Notifications Bar.

I’m pretty tired at the moment. I’ll try to update tomorrow morning with what’s missing or to try to answer other questions. Feel free to comment your own while I do so.

 

[mab71]

We're in the same boat bud.... Coming from a lg g2 to a white z3 compact. Feeling about the same too. I really would like to know your take on the battery life as this is one of the main reasons for me to switch. But it's still early so take your time and let us know.

 

[KaOSoFt]

Well, the LG G2 was a battery power house on its own. I made it to 72 hours once, but using only LTE and stock AT&T ROM. Wi-Fi disabled.

I’ll report back this weekend when I reach 1%.

 

[mab71]

Wow! Mine never reached 50 hours.

 

[Falconzar]

Buttons

I got my compact about a month ago, I love it

The only annoyance I see is the location of the buttons on the right side, when holding the phone during a call my fingers struggle to find a spot to hold the phone.

I think they should move the power and volume buttons further up

 

[Dsteppa]

I got my compact about a month ago, I love it

The only annoyance I see is the location of the buttons on the right side, when holding the phone during a call my fingers struggle to find a spot to hold the phone.

I think they should move the power and volume buttons further up

I never had such a problem. In the end it will never be okay for everyone, since we're all different.

 

[KaOSoFt]

We're in the same boat bud.... Coming from a lg g2 to a white z3 compact. Feeling about the same too. I really would like to know your take on the battery life as this is one of the main reasons for me to switch. But it's still early so take your time and let us know.

Alright, just reached 1% this morning. Check the attached images for details.

So, details of my analysis:

• I didn’t use STAMINA mode. I will do so on my next testing session.
• Most connectivity services were enabled all the time: NFC, mobile data and Wi-Fi. Also my preferred data option was LTE first, so take that into account as well. Bluetooth was disabled. I had the Location-based Wi-Fi option, so Wi-Fi would turn off if I wasn’t near any of my saved Wi-Fi locations. I think this is one of those smart options. I like it.
• Looks like Facebook applications, it seems no matter which one, don’t do smart push notifications. It is ALWAYS using background data checking. I’ll be sure to disable Facebook on STAMINA mode next time. I use WhatsApp, but WhatsApp looks like it knows how to properly work with Push Notifications. That is, it’s not a battery drainer.
• Kind of the same thing for the Swarm application.
• Some applications consume data and hence battery only because of some “active” widgets I got on my home screens, like Walkman. I will profile and optimize them accordingly. I pretty much left all the widgets there from stock start up. Only deleted What’s New widget.
• You see that the screen is what took most of the battery, yet I find it strange it doesn’t really indicate the applications I was using precisely. I mean, of course the screen was needed so I could see the applications, but I find it weird that, for example, I navigated through the Facebook application for like an hour, yet neither the video watching nor scrolling seemed to have taken a battery hit according to the Battery usage diagnostics. I need to dig deeper.
• I did some gaming, but it was a lightweight game, Bubble Blast 2. I will try some more serious gaming later on. I’m setting up my old MyBoy! GBA emulator like I had it on my previous phone. It’s just that I live in another city from before, and now the commuting time is shorter, which was mostly the time when I used it.

Alright, that’s it for battery report.

I will sit down this weekend and try to truly optimize my work flow this time, so next tests are, as much as they can be, more accurate.

I’d wish more people commented. I’m truly offended no reviewers ANYWHERE I’ve read (outside these forums, I mean) have commented on things like the bleeding LED flash, the REAL slippery status of the glass (where they have mentioned it, they make it sound as a minor thing, and that it is NOT) and stuff like that.

Thanks!

 

[mab71]

No, THANK YOU! A very good and detailed review on battery life. I will keep checking in here to follow your findings. Thanks again.

 

[KaOSoFt]

Hello back.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t quite finish my whole homework. It’s been 2 days, 7 hours of battery running (29% left), I’ll admit most of it the device has been idle, so:

• I didn’t fully optimize my workflow.
• Haven’t reached 1% yet.

Still, I wanted to report some things I’ve noticed:

• Wi-Fi drains your battery like hell. Even with the location-based settings, forget it. It’s better to enable it only for application updates or when you need to download something big. Leave even the weather updates to your mobile network.
• Can’t tell for real if 4G (HSPA+)consumes less battery than LTE, to be honest. I’m always on LTE, and it is awesome.
• Enable Ultra-STAMINA mode when you go to sleep. It’s a huge saver, and seriously, if you want to sleep, disable interruptions. Probably its activation can be automated with something like IFTTT or Tasker to be enabled at midnight.
• Not exactly sure if the Extended standby option of the normal STAMINA mode actually works. Supposedly it disables Mobile and Wi-Fi networks when the screen is off, but whenever I turn it on, the network icons are there immediately, like they’ve never been disabled. At least Wi-Fi icon should take a second or two to appear, instead of being immediately there.
• Disabled Lifelog, which was taking a lot of battery after the Screen.

Alright, that’s it for now. Let’s keep walking the path.

 

[Greg2Lu]

On my Z3c the WiFi doesn't drain the battery.. Odd. For the disabling / enabling it's super fast because of the integration of the chip

For example my SBH-80 connects in one second top or even less when my s4 needs 4 or 5 seconds to do the same. Even on the Z Ultra it takes up to 2 seconds.

Sent from my D5803 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

 

[KaOSoFt]

On my Z3c the WiFi doesn't drain the battery.. Odd. For the disabling / enabling it's super fast because of the integration of the chip

For example my SBH-80 connects in one second top or even less when my s4 needs 4 or 5 seconds to do the same. Even on the Z Ultra it takes up to 2 seconds.

Sent from my D5803 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Hmm... well, to me, compared to having Mobile data enabled, Wi-Fi drains the battery more.

Nice to know about the instant connection. My package also came with an SBH20. Gotta try what you said.

Thanks.

 

[mab71]

Hmm... well, to me, compared to having Mobile data enabled, Wi-Fi drains the battery more.

Nice to know about the instant connection. My package also came with an SBH20. Gotta try what you said.

Thanks.

What's an SBH20?

Sent from my D5833 using XDA Free mobile app

 

[Greg2Lu]

Hmm... well, to me, compared to having Mobile data enabled, Wi-Fi drains the battery more.

Nice to know about the instant connection. My package also came with an SBH20. Gotta try what you said.

Thanks.

What, you got a SBH-20 (FYI mab71 it's a Bluetooth Handset ) IN your package ? In the french package the isn't even a pair of Sony MH-750 for the headset, it's just a old pair of headphone that came from '90

It's odd about the WiFi / LTE Because the LTE is known to drain more battery than WiFi in most situation. Do you have a good WiFi signal ? Maybe you could try to change the canal on your modem to optimize your signal, if it become stronger it would be better for the phone and then not pumping too much. But 2-3% a night is not so much anyway

 

[mab71]

What, you got a SBH-20 (FYI mab71 it's a Bluetooth Handset ) IN your package ? In the french package the isn't even a pair of Sony MH-750 for the headset, it's just a old pair of headphone that came from '90

It's odd about the WiFi / LTE Because the LTE is known to drain more battery than WiFi in most situation. Do you have a good WiFi signal ? Maybe you could try to change the canal on your modem to optimize your signal, if it become stronger it would be better for the phone and then not pumping too much. But 2-3% a night is not so much anyway

****! Mine is the old 90s one

 

[j0ff]

I've also come from the g2.had the z3c for over a month now and I do miss a few things. The g2 screen was simply awesome and the led flash light was blinding. The battery is better for me on the z3c, I always have stamina turned on. Unplug at 7 am and by midnight I can still be at 85%. That's with just a bit of usage though. It's also better when I really hammer the battery too (ingress)

Sent from my Sony Xperia Z3 Compact D5803

 

[Greg2Lu]

For instance, in the Italian Package, there is a MH-750 headset AND a and OTG cable. I'm not jocking at all, I was astonished when i saw this, especially when the price is lower than for the French people !

I've received today the MDR-NC31EM, it's worth the money, really (30-35 bucks)

 

[KaOSoFt]

Yeah, it might be the signal is bad (although it appears full), but in all instances I’ve witnessed, Wi-Fi drains more battery than my LTE.

Going back to STAMINA, I find its behavior unreliable. I enabled the Extended standby, and I made sure to exclude Facebook from the White listed applications to use background data connection, yet I still keep getting notifications from it. Also on the Developer options, in Process Stats, Facebook keeps getting a 100% runtime, mostly from its MqttPushService service.

I think I will still keep STAMINA on all the time, but I find it weird. I will search these forums for other people’s experience with it, otherwise it’d be wise to create a new Thread just to research into this.

By the way, Greg2Lu, no, the SBH-20 didn’t come IN the package. I bought my phone from my country’s online Sony Store. I paid more than USA price for it, but I thought it was normal imports system ripping me off, which isn’t unusual in my country, but I wanted the phone anyways (and the warranty, should I need it and receive it). What happened was that I received three packages with my purchase: Sony Xperia Z3 Compact (White), an SBH-20 headset, and a 5000 mAh CycleEnergy portable charger. The attached invoice mentioned the correct prices for each item. I would have preferred if they had simply sold me the phone for what it was, instead of bundling me with stuff I didn’t need and making me pay for it. The phone box DID come with a set of MH410c, though, but I bet they are crap, and I already got a good headset anyways.

 

[tudork]

Yeah, it might be the signal is bad (although it appears full), but in all instances I’ve witnessed, Wi-Fi drains more battery than my LTE.

Going back to STAMINA, I find its behavior unreliable. I enabled the Extended standby, and I made sure to exclude Facebook from the White listed applications to use background data connection, yet I still keep getting notifications from it. Also on the Developer options, in Process Stats, Facebook keeps getting a 100% runtime, mostly from its MqttPushService service.

I think I will still keep STAMINA on all the time, but I find it weird. I will search these forums for other people’s experience with it, otherwise it’d be wise to create a new Thread just to research into this.

By the way, Greg2Lu, no, the SBH-20 didn’t come IN the package. I bought my phone from my country’s online Sony Store. I paid more than USA price for it, but I thought it was normal imports system ripping me off, which isn’t unusual in my country, but I wanted the phone anyways (and the warranty, should I need it and receive it). What happened was that I received three packages with my purchase: Sony Xperia Z3 Compact (White), an SBH-20 headset, and a 5000 mAh CycleEnergy portable charger. The attached invoice mentioned the correct prices for each item. I would have preferred if they had simply sold me the phone for what it was, instead of bundling me with stuff I didn’t need and making me pay for it. The phone box DID come with a set of MH410c, though, but I bet they are crap, and I already got a good headset anyways.

Go to settings, data usage, scroll down until you find both facebook and Facebook messenger and untick allow background data. This will stop facebook from updating.

Sent from my D5803 using XDA Free mobile app

 

[darkarvan]

[*]Permanent notifications: For some reason, some applications like Lifelog and My Data Manager create a kind of immortal notification on the Notifications Bar.
[/LIST]

dude, just deactivate it for these apps, its a checkbox in the app details. Confirmed working for Life Log, thanks for this tip anyway
IMHO, its not an upgrade from G2.

 

[KaOSoFt]

Go to settings, data usage, scroll down until you find both facebook and Facebook messenger and untick allow background data. This will stop facebook from updating.

No, I don’t want to disable background data checking forever, that’s why I set specific rules for STAMINA (only when screen is off), problem is somehow Facebook applications seem to skip that.

dude, just deactivate it for these apps, its a checkbox in the app details. Confirmed working for Life Log, thanks for this tip anyway
IMHO, its not an upgrade from G2.

I see what you mean. I found another way to disable it through Settings -> Personalization -> Manage notifications.

And yes, it is definitely not an upgrade. I traded screen resolution for more battery (or at least a longer lasting phone), but boy, I couldn’t be happier. A day of full usage, chatting and video and stuff, 18 hours. That’s awesome.

I’m gonna be keeping this baby for a long time.