[Q] Moving from HTC One to Z1 (Questions!)

[aidicula]

Let me start by saying that I am an avid HTC fan. Been using all HTC flagship devices..but now I feel its time for a change. I love the One, especially the speakers and the feel of the device, but the camera is really bad. So now I was thinking of moving to the Z1...but before I do..I have couple of queries
1. Custom ROM: I ALWAYS use custom ROMS and I am not too impressed with the choices. Either way, since I have no control over which ROM version I am going to get, I was wondering if there are bootloader lock issues, or other things I should be concerned about? Do I really need to unlock boot loader before I install a custom ROM?
2. I read that the camera doesnt work if the bootloader is unlocked..is this still true? If yes, then how do you guys manage?
3. I read the speakers arent that great (and no comparison to the HTC one), but how is the headphone sound? I read that these devices use the same audio chipset and I know PureX audio (or something like that is great) is available. What is the general view?
4. Do I really need to get a case? (I HATE cases...just kills the beauty of the device!)

Appreciate your comments/remarks.

 

[djcoolguyno1]

Let me start by saying that I am an avid HTC fan. Been using all HTC flagship devices..but now I feel its time for a change. I love the One, especially the speakers and the feel of the device, but the camera is really bad. So now I was thinking of moving to the Z1...but before I do..I have couple of queries
1. Custom ROM: I ALWAYS use custom ROMS and I am not too impressed with the choices. Either way, since I have no control over which ROM version I am going to get, I was wondering if there are bootloader lock issues, or other things I should be concerned about? Do I really need to unlock boot loader before I install a custom ROM?
2. I read that the camera doesnt work if the bootloader is unlocked..is this still true? If yes, then how do you guys manage?
3. I read the speakers arent that great (and no comparison to the HTC one), but how is the headphone sound? I read that these devices use the same audio chipset and I know PureX audio (or something like that is great) is available. What is the general view?
4. Do I really need to get a case? (I HATE cases...just kills the beauty of the device!)

Appreciate your comments/remarks.

hi i am also htc fan had htc one replaced it for z1 due to purple tint issue
1)at the moment unlocking bootloader causes camera to break and sony might solve this issue in future
2)at this moment happy with the stock and some roms which can be flashed with locked bootloader
3)as compared to htc one not that much great
4)it depends on u r use i found no need of case

 

[white lie]

I can't comment on any of the ROM questions as I haven't gone in to that yet, but for the others...

Headphone sound is excellent. I bluetooth mine to some Sony MDR1BT's and the quality is very good. Very negligible difference between BT and cable operation. I have a few sets of high end cans and the quality is right up there. Can't say what the cheap earbuds are like that you get with the phone as I haven't taken them out of the packaging!

With the case, I'm 100% with you on that one, I hate cases on phones. However, the anti shatter film that they put on the front and back scratches ridiculously easy. Easier than most screen protectors I've used (also not a big fan of those either). The glass is meant to be very durable, but the film on top is not. I'd recommend a tempered glass set, pretty sure you can get them for the front and back.

 

[ara.armagedon]

Camera will break if you try to unlock, rooting and installing Xperia roms however are fine
Also I am really mad about the camera quality...
You should also know that you won't be having a lot of choices in rom and mode department, if you come from HTC (like me) you will feel a giant hole in Z1 threads...
Speaker is not going to be pleasing in anyway but you should know that this is a waterproof phone, so shouldn't be having high expectations, and finally I don't use cases and this phone really doesn't need one so no worries there

Sent from my C6903 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

---------- Post added at 12:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:30 AM ----------

But for some reason I like the Z1 better than the One

Sent from my C6903 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

 

[funky0308]

Let me start by saying that I am an avid HTC fan. Been using all HTC flagship devices..but now I feel its time for a change. I love the One, especially the speakers and the feel of the device, but the camera is really bad. So now I was thinking of moving to the Z1...but before I do..I have couple of queries
1. Custom ROM: I ALWAYS use custom ROMS and I am not too impressed with the choices. Either way, since I have no control over which ROM version I am going to get, I was wondering if there are bootloader lock issues, or other things I should be concerned about? Do I really need to unlock boot loader before I install a custom ROM?
2. I read that the camera doesnt work if the bootloader is unlocked..is this still true? If yes, then how do you guys manage?
3. I read the speakers arent that great (and no comparison to the HTC one), but how is the headphone sound? I read that these devices use the same audio chipset and I know PureX audio (or something like that is great) is available. What is the general view?
4. Do I really need to get a case? (I HATE cases...just kills the beauty of the device!)

Appreciate your comments/remarks.

Hi mate

1. We have, for now, just a few custom ROMs, based on CM (PAC) or based on stock which is better solution for now - because we still have camera problem when we unlock bootloader.
And, yes, if you want custom ROM based on CM or anything else except stock you have to unlock bootloader because you have to flash custom kernel and it's possible to flash kernels only when you unlock bootloader.

2. Yes, camera will broke if you unlock bootloader, for now.
But, as you could see, few guys claims that have informations that Sony is already working on it.
Also, what's important is to backup TA numbers before you unlock bootloader.
On custom ROM you can't use X-Reality and you'll lost any chance to get it back even when you go nack to stock - if you haven't backup TA.
You have great tutorials for that.

3. Speaker is good enough.
You have MODs and you don't have to unlock bootloader to flash that MOD.
But headphones that you get with your phone are great - sound is deep and the base is strong and clear.
If you are using professional headphones you'll get even better sound.

4 Absolutely agree with that statement.
Z1 is beautiful device and it would be shame to put "condom" over it.
I bought front and back screen protectors (follies) and just ordered rubber frame for it.
You can buy rubber or metal frame that looks awesome and protect device but your device isn't covered with case and it's perfectly visible.


I would definitely recommed Z1.
I had few Xperia devices (I still have them) and I can say Z1 is the best device I ever had.
Elegant, fast and beautiful.

And....as we are on 4.2.2 and are very, very satisfied, you can just imagine how happy we will be when we get Kitkat for it

Sent from my Z1

 

[dladz]

Also coming from the HTC One to the Z1 and this is my first Sony, it seemed like the logical choice and it's certainly the best phone for me at the moment anyway, it beats the competition in my eyes.

As for my reaction to the Z1 and it's performance, well i couldn't be happier, i'm not knocking the One, i think it's a fantastic phone and I would still recommend it to anyone.

I'm running a custom rom on my Z1 at the moment, Monx rom and it's superb, i've got CRT off animation and various tweaks by using xposed mod, i'm also running the google launcher from the Nexus 5 and all in all it's a great combination.

Audio, screen, camera, build quality, battery life, functionality and performance are all top notch, well worth the upgrade.

The bootloader isn't an issue as you can still flash custom rom's.

 

[dawen]

Also coming from the HTC One to the Z1 and this is my first Sony, it seemed like the logical choice and it's certainly the best phone for me at the moment anyway, it beats the competition in my eyes.

As for my reaction to the Z1 and it's performance, well i couldn't be happier, i'm not knocking the One, i think it's a fantastic phone and I would still recommend it to anyone.

I'm running a custom rom on my Z1 at the moment, Monx rom and it's superb, i've got CRT off animation and various tweaks by using xposed mod, i'm also running the google launcher from the Nexus 5 and all in all it's a great combination.

Audio, screen, camera, build quality, battery life, functionality and performance are all top notch, well worth the upgrade.

The bootloader isn't an issue as you can still flash custom rom's.

I wasn't very happy with my xperia x10 because of the updates, so I decided to give sony one more try, I come from HTC One to Z1 (Bell C6906), all I can say is very disappointed, the phone is heavy and more bulkier for a 5" screen hard to operate with one hand, speaker is lousy even compared to my old S3, camera is okay but not what it seems to be 20mp, the whites on website is yellowish even with brightness to high compare to the htc with auto brightness (but I don't have the yellow tint on the device) viewing angles are bad I just tilt the phone 10 degress and the color is washed out, I have to look at the device straight on, I keep my htc one any day over the z1, waterproof is just another gimmick, the phone software/hardware is buggy, it reboots randomly and I was on my 2 DOA replacement, finally sold the Z1 I hope sony can learn from their mistakes and make a better device on their next flagship but for now im staying away from their device because all those problems

 

[dladz]

I wasn't very happy with my xperia x10 because of the updates, so I decided to give sony one more try, I come from HTC One to Z1 (Bell C6906), all I can say is very disappointed, the phone is heavy and more bulkier for a 5" screen hard to operate with one hand, speaker is lousy even compared to my old S3, camera is okay but not what it seems to be 20mp, the whites on website is yellowish even with brightness to high compare to the htc with auto brightness (but I don't have the yellow tint on the device) viewing angles are bad I just tilt the phone 10 degress and the color is washed out, I have to look at the device straight on, I keep my htc one any day over the z1, waterproof is just another gimmick, the phone software/hardware is buggy, it reboots randomly and I was on my 2 DOA replacement, finally sold the Z1 I hope sony can learn from their mistakes and make a better device on their next flagship but for now im staying away from their device because all those problems

The Z1 is a stellar phone, the only problem at the moment is development, however once the camera / bootlock issue is fixed i believe that will turn around, don't get me wrong i loved my HTC, but you really can't compare a last gen phone to a next gen phone and that's what these two are, regardless of how old they are, the 800 is the newest hardware available and if you want to compare it to another device then you should only compare it to another 800 (note 3 and G2) pitting it against the HTC One is a little like bringing a knife to a gun fight, it's going to lose.

As for the screen, I have to agree with you in terms of visibility, but then again i don't hold my phone on a slant when i use it so hardly anything to write home about.

As for the Camera, there is a manual mode so I suggest you look into using that properly before you judge it, simply using the automatic option is going to give you an 8MP picture with lots of features turned on to make it look as good as possible, hardly something a person with knowledge of a decent camera would do.

The bugs you mentioned are literally software issues which will be ironed out with further updates and as i said before once the camera / bootlock issue is sorted i have every confidence that they will be rectified.

As for the bulkiness, i actually like the size, i do have quite big hands so i guess it fits me, I did use the phone in the shop before i bought it so i knew it would work ok, i guess you should have done the same before commiting, bit of a rookie mistake in all fairness.

The speaker is a bit of a come down from the HTC One's boom sound speakers but in terms of loudness and with active equalizers on both, i think you'll find that the Z1's speaker isn't half bad and with them both playing infront of me you could hear both, the HTC didn't exactly drown out the sound of the Z1 so again I believe you should spend a little time tweaking your phone to get the most out of it.

The yellowish tint you describe I actually can't say that I have noticed it, but it's possible that your eyes are playing tricks on you as you've come from one screen to another entirely, check out an s3 compared to the HTC One and you'll see that the One appears to be washed out, but this is just a different screen, not worse or better, different people like different things.

Anyway, none of this matters because by all accounts you've sold your phone now, I just find it strange that you would go out and buy one and then find out all the things that you could have summarized in a shop ?

Either way, good luck with whatever phone you pick next, for me and a lot of others, the Z1 is the best of the bunch at the moment, so it's either Samsung's note 3 or the G2, and I do believe that both of those phones aren't without issues and definitely a pair of large phones if using it with one hand was an issue on the Z1.

PS: Lastly, the water proof casing for me is superb, I can use the phone in the rain (i live in the UK) for me it's a great feature and not a gimmick as you say, the last thing you need is something going wrong with your phone, only for the company to tell you it's water damaged even though you have never got the bugger wet before.

Just my two cents.

 

[dawen]

The Z1 is a stellar phone, the only problem at the moment is development, however once the camera / bootlock issue is fixed i believe that will turn around, don't get me wrong i loved my HTC, but you really can't compare a last gen phone to a next gen phone and that's what these two are, regardless of how old they are, the 800 is the newest hardware available and if you want to compare it to another device then you should only compare it to another 800 (note 3 and G2) pitting it against the HTC One is a little like bringing a knife to a gun fight, it's going to lose.

As for the screen, I have to agree with you in terms of visibility, but then again i don't hold my phone on a slant when i use it so hardly anything to write home about.

As for the Camera, there is a manual mode so I suggest you look into using that properly before you judge it, simply using the automatic option is going to give you an 8MP picture with lots of features turned on to make it look as good as possible, hardly something a person with knowledge of a decent camera would do.

The bugs you mentioned are literally software issues which will be ironed out with further updates and as i said before once the camera / bootlock issue is sorted i have every confidence that they will be rectified.

As for the bulkiness, i actually like the size, i do have quite big hands so i guess it fits me, I did use the phone in the shop before i bought it so i knew it would work ok, i guess you should have done the same before commiting, bit of a rookie mistake in all fairness.

The speaker is a bit of a come down from the HTC One's boom sound speakers but in terms of loudness and with active equalizers on both, i think you'll find that the Z1's speaker isn't half bad and with them both playing infront of me you could hear both, the HTC didn't exactly drown out the sound of the Z1 so again I believe you should spend a little time tweaking your phone to get the most out of it.

The yellowish tint you describe I actually can't say that I have noticed it, but it's possible that your eyes are playing tricks on you as you've come from one screen to another entirely, check out an s3 compared to the HTC One and you'll see that the One appears to be washed out, but this is just a different screen, not worse or better, different people like different things.

Anyway, none of this matters because by all accounts you've sold your phone now, I just find it strange that you would go out and buy one and then find out all the things that you could have summarized in a shop ?

Either way, good luck with whatever phone you pick next, for me and a lot of others, the Z1 is the best of the bunch at the moment, so it's either Samsung's note 3 or the G2, and I do believe that both of those phones aren't without issues and definitely a pair of large phones if using it with one hand was an issue on the Z1.

PS: Lastly, the water proof casing for me is superb, I can use the phone in the rain (i live in the UK) for me it's a great feature and not a gimmick as you say, the last thing you need is something going wrong with your phone, only for the company to tell you it's water damaged even though you have never got the bugger wet before.

Just my two cents.

In real life everyday use you don't notice a huge difference between snapdragon 800 to 600 speed unless you are a benchmark freak, The HTC One doesn't washed out compared to the S3, you can notice the display on the HTC one a lot whiter and more sharper than the S3, I still have both devices maybe u are a defective One? I have tried the camera in 20mp manual mode play around w the ISO and EV setting I still think its not a 20mp camera phone more of a 13, i was able to test the g2 is felt nicely in a single hand use but is the power and volume key in the back is just not so good, I wish I could try the Z1 device here in Canada I went to many shops they don't even have a demo display if they did I would've tested it before I commited buy. As you can read in the forum not everyone z1 device is waterproof when its submerged in water and why a company dont cover water damage on their warranty, if a device is certified waterproof why not warranty it, I'm not saying Z1 is a bad device but the viewing angle is just deal breaker for me since my phone mostly on a table at work I don't always hold the device dead on

 

[Forever_n00b]

I'm personally using a One and bought my wife a Z1. The Z1 is pretty snappy but the screen viewing angles (while sharing video with someone) and sound is a disappointment compared to the One. The water proofing is top notch (tested thoroughly because of the 6 month accidental damage warranty). Anyone invested in the HTC Sense experience will face a few issues initially especially with migrating from the excellent contacts/ phone application in Sense phones. My wife is now using a purchased app to manage her contacts, ex-dialer or something. Z1's running stock rooted with Xposed.

And like others have already pointed out, ROM dev is pretty scarce on the Z1.

 

[dladz]

Try the 4.4 launcher and other apps on the z1, simply brilliant.

The OK Google voice activation is quality, works perfect an i've even got a scouse accent.

 

[Zafar7777]

Cool Can U Give Me Link To Those Apps From Where You've Downloaded !

 

[dladz]

Cool Can U Give Me Link To Those Apps From Where You've Downloaded !

Here you go

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2506595

 

[Zafar7777]

Thanks Btw Another Question That Ok Google Thing (Whatever We Call) Can i Run This In My Another Cell ?