Review Sony Xperia Z Ultra Smartphone
For the original German review, see here.
Sony advertises its smartphone giant with the slogans "Big screen. Big entertainment" and "The world's largest Full HD smartphone display". The display is without a doubt huge, that is clear at a first hands-on. But what about the entertainment? A Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 clocked at 2.2 GHz (MSM8974) certainly promises a lot of performance. It is also equipped with 2 GB memory and Android 4.2. The 8 MP main camera uses the Exmor RS technology and promises fast image processing and a 16x digital zoom with auto-focus. You can also expand the storage via micro SD card if the integrated flash memory (16 GB) is not sufficient - however, the battery cannot be replaced.
Case
Almost every smartphone seems to be small when you compare it to the Xperia Z Ultra. The smartphone/tablet hybrid is huge with 179 x 92 x 6.5 mm, but also very thin. The Galaxy Note 3 is considerably thicker with 8.3 mm, but also more than 40 grams lighter. The use of glass at the back should be the main reason for that additional weight since the case of the Galaxy Note 3 is once again completely made of plastic.
The physical button for stand-by and the volume rocker can easily be reached with one hand because they are on the lower half of the device - no risk for contortions. The build quality is on a very high level and the materials can convince us - even though the glass at the back attracts fingerprints. The torsion resistance cannot quite keep up with the HTC One because of the thin profile and results in a slight point reduction.
Similar to many other Xperia devices, the Z Ultra is also certified according to the IP55 & IP58 standards. This means you can submerge the phone for 30 minutes to a depth of 1.5 meters. Even though the Ultra Z is supposed to be equipped with a back of robust glass and a protective film, we already had a few scratches after a little while.
Connectivity
Our review unit only has two physical buttons, but the locations are very sophisticated. Both buttons are easy to reach, even with one hand - and also for left- as well as right-handers. The slots for the micro SD card and the micro SIM card are hidden behind covers; the same applies for the micro USB port.
Software
Contrary to the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, the Xperia Z runs Android 4.2 ex-works. We still don't know when the Android 4.3 or even the Android Kit Kat update will be available. Sony's UI launcher looks nice and provides all common functionalities like creating folders, for instance. There are also several preloaded applications like PlayStation Mobile to connect with the PlayStation Network or Reader by Sony for eBooks. Several other applications like Update Checker, Sony Select or Walkman are also included and cannot be deleted.
Communication & GPS
The integrated dual-band WLAN module supports the standards 802.11 ac/b/g/n with transfer rates of up to 6.93 Gbit/s in 2.4 and 5 GHz networks. Without a wireless network you can use the LTE module for internet on the road (band I, II, III, IV, V, VII, VIII, XX). The device also supports UMTS (850, 900, 1,700, 1,900 and 2,100 MHz) with HSPA+ (up to 42.2 Mbit/s download). Communication between devices is possible via Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and ANT+. The latter is usually used for peripherals like heart rate monitors or other health devices.
Another communication module is the aGPS sensor (IZat Gen8B), which can also use GLONASS satellites. We cannot determine any problems with this part either. The satellite lock works indoors and is also very precise. The situation is even better outdoors and we could not determine any connection problems.
Telephone Functions and Voice Quality
The voice quality is very good, even though it is quite tricky to use the device with one hand. The conversation partner is easy to understand and could not determine any problems at the other end of the line. A Bluetooth headset can be very useful, for example the Smart Bluetooth Headset SBH52. You will not only avoid raising any attention but it also further increases the voice quality.
You can also activate one-hand operation to improve the handling, which will move the on-screen buttons closer to the left or right side of the device.
Cameras & Multimedia
The case of the Ultra Z has enough space for two camera modules. The main camera at the back takes pictures with a maximum resolution of 8 megapixels and videos in Full HD. Both recording modes use Sony's Exmor RS senor. Features like HDR, facial recognition or panoramas are obviously available. The front camera has a resolution of 2 megapixels and can also record videos in HD quality (1080p).
We immediately noticed an increased brightness when we took pictures with the main camera. Compared to our reference camera, the colors deviate from the original and the pictures appear a bit pale. A bigger drawback is certainly the insufficient focus of the Exmor RS sensor. The camera of the Apple iPhone 5, for instance, also takes pictures with 8 megapixels and shows the better results in regard to the sharpness.
Accessories & Warranty
The scope of delivery includes several manuals, a modular power supply unit and an in-ear headset. You can find many accessories on the manufacturer's website, for example a case with an integrated stand (Style Cover CS10) or a handy docking station (DK30). The Xperia Z Ultra is also supposed to work with the new SmartWatch 2.
The manufacturer grants a warranty of 24 months for the device itself. The accessories and the battery are covered for 12 months.
Input Devices & Handling
You can only use the huge display for inputs. The virtual keyboard is very big on the 6.4-inch screen and even inexperienced users should have no problems writing a message. The situation is even better in landscape mode, where the keyboard uses the whole width of the display. The capacitive panel is very precise and executes inputs without delays; the HD display can recognize up to 10 inputs simultaneously.
Display
As soon as you get the Z Ultra out of your pocket it will draw attention. Many people will be amused, especially when you make a call - not surprising with a display diagonal of 16.3 centimeters. Sony calls the display TRILUMINOS-Display, which is supposed to provide a pure white background illumination. This affects the available color space, especially the green areas are noticeably extended. It is on a level with the competition with its 1920x1080 resolution.
Our X-Rite i1Pro 2 determines an average brightness of 441.9 cd/m². A very satisfying result, however, it could be even higher. The top of the screen is visibly darker than the lower part, a difference of almost 100 cd/m² results in a brightness distribution of just 81%. The similarly sized Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3, for instance, manages 90%. The reason for the contrast ratio of 585:1 is the comparatively high black value of 0.75 cd/m². The display of the Galaxy Mega 6.3 has a black value of 0.45 cd/m² and the screen of the LG G2 even manages 0.33 cd/m². Subjectively, dark shades of gray could be more intense, but the overall quality of the TRILUMINOS-LCD is very good.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 81 %
Center on Battery: 439 cd/m²
Contrast: 585:1 (Black: 0.75 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6.06 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 6.19 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
Gamma: 2.17
The color accuracy of the Z Ultra is excellent, only blue colors are a bit oversaturated. A DeltaE value slightly above 10 in the AdobeRGB presentation shows one characteristic of the TRILUMINOS display. Pure white does not really hit the target value, which is also visible in the grayscale presentation.
You can also use the screen outdoors. The high average brightness ensures the visibility of screen content, but a higher contrast ratio would improve the situation even further. You can use a matte protective film to reduce annoying fingerprints and avoid reflections.
The viewing angle stability of the panel is very good and does not cause any criticism; you will only see reduced contrast and brightness with extreme viewing angles.
Performance
The Xperia Z Ultra is equipped with the largest smartphone display and the most powerful SoC from Qualcomm at the time of writing. The quad-core Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974) was manufactured in a 28 nm process and all cores are clocked at 2.2 GHz. It is supported by the Adreno 330 GPU (450 MHz) that can handle videos in 2160p. You get this resolution when you double the 1080p resolution (Full HD), movies can therefore be displayed in QFHD (Quad Full High Definition). Contrary to the hardware of the iPhone 5s, the Z Ultra still uses the ARMv7 instruction set with a 32-bit architecture. The 2 GB memory (LPDDR3) is clocked at 800 MHz; Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 is currently the only smartphone with more memory.
The performance of the Z Ultra in synthetic benchmarks is excellent. Even though the clock of the SoC is 100 MHz lower than the LG G2, some results are better. The hardware of the similarly sized Galaxy Mega 6.3 does not stand a chance and even the Snapdragon 600 of the Galaxy S4 can only keep up in AndEBench. Our review unit wins the head-to-head competition with the LG G2, even though we cannot feel a difference in practice.
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
| T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia Z Ultra | |
| LG G2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 I9200 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 | |
| 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia Z Ultra | |
| LG G2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 I9200 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 | |
| Geekbench 2 - 32 Bit - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia Z Ultra | |
| LG G2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 I9200 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 | |
| HTC One | |
| Samsung Galaxy Note II GT-N7100 | |
| PassMark PerformanceTest Mobile V1 - System (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia Z Ultra | |
| LG G2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 I9200 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 | |
| AndEBench | |
| Java (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia Z Ultra | |
| LG G2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 | |
| Native (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia Z Ultra | |
| LG G2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 | |
The results of the browser-based tests are also very good; the competition cannot keep up with the Z Ultra in Browsermark 2.0 and Google Octane V1. Peacekeeper shows an advantage of 9% for the recently reviewed iPhone 5C and the Galaxy Mega 6.3, HTC One and Galaxy S4 are slightly better in Mozilla Kraken 1.0.
| Octane V1 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia Z Ultra | |
| LG G2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 I9200 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 | |
| HTC One | |
| Apple iPhone 5c | |
| Nokia Lumia 1020 | |
| Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia Z Ultra | |
| LG G2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 I9200 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 | |
| HTC One | |
| Apple iPhone 5c | |
| Nokia Lumia 1020 | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.0 - Total (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia Z Ultra | |
| LG G2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 I9200 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 | |
| HTC One | |
| Nokia Lumia 1020 | |
| Browsermark - --- (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia Z Ultra | |
| LG G2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 | |
| HTC One | |
| Apple iPhone 5c | |
| Nokia Lumia 1020 | |
* ... smaller is better
LG's G2 can take the performance crown in our last section of the hardware evaluation. No other smartphone can currently keep up with the read and write performance of the G2. However, the Z Ultra is still very fast with sequential transfer rates of 66 MB/s (read) and 17 MB/s (write, 256 KB blocks) respectively.
Because of the similar hardware equipment, the performance difference between the LG G2 and Xperia Z Ultra can only be measured with benchmarks. Subjectively, we cannot determine any differences in practice and both devices are extremely fast. The comparison with the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will be very interesting; Samsung's latest flagship from the Note-series is also equipped with a Snapdragon 800 SoC, but more memory (3 GB) and a USB 3.0 interface.
Videos & Games
There are obviously no problems in this section - quite the contrary. The large display is perfect for games and video playback. Full HD trailers are no problem for the device and the maximum bit rate of 6,100 kbps was no big challenge for the SoC. Since the SoC can also decode QFHD videos (Quad Full High Definition), we also tested this feature with according trailers. The resolution is four times higher than the Full HD resolution. Playback of the GTA V trailer (around 21,000 kbps) was very smooth with Sony's preloaded video player.
Currently there are no games in the Play Store that could really stress the hardware. Especially not 2D games like Angry Birds, Cut the Rope or Fruit Ninja.
Temperature
The heat development of the thin smartphone is reasonable. Load for the Snapdragon 800 results in a maximum temperature of around 43.3 °C at the front. Average surface temperatures are 38.5 °C at the front and 43.2 °C at the back; temperatures drop below 30 °C during idle. Both scenarios are not problematic at all and can be compared with other devices. The temperature profile of the LG G2, for instance, is very similar. The temperatures are not high enough to be inconvenient during handling.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 43.4 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 39.7 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.7 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
The mono speaker at the bottom of the Z Ultra reaches a good maximum volume without any distortions. The whole sound experience emphasizes treble, but the overall quality is sufficient for the occasional music playback. External speakers can be attached via 3.5 mm stereo jack or Bluetooth.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
A direct comparison with the LG G2 shows that the Xperia Z Ultra consumes more energy in every situation: Our review unit pulls between 5.4 and 6.1 Watts from the battery under load; the LG G2 is more frugal with values between 3.8 and 4.8 Watts. A reason for this is certainly the 1-inch smaller display. The Xperia Z consumes between 0.8 and 2.5 Watts during idle - that is nearly twice as much as the Galaxy S4 and slightly more than the Galaxy Mega 6.3.
| Off / Standby |   0 / 0.1 Watt |
| Idle |  0.8 / 1.9 / 2.5 Watt |
| Load |
5.4 / 6.1 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Voltcraft VC 940 | |
Battery Life
The non-removable battery has a capacity of 3,000 mAh (11.6 Wh) and is therefore smaller than the counterpart in the Galaxy Note 3 (3,200 mAh), but identical with the reviewed LG G2. We could determine excellent runtimes for the competitor from LG - but the Z Ultra cannot compete with this impressive performance. Our review unit manages a runtime just shy of 3 hours under maximum load; it is therefore no problem watching a long Ultra HD movie. Our more realistic battery test uses a script to refresh webpages with around 65% of the maximum display brightness (150 cd/m²). The result is a runtime of 11 hours and 24 minutes and the battery was empty after 16 hours (with activated display) during idle. Not a bad result for a 6.4-inch display and a Snapdragon 800.
A complete recharge takes 2 hours and 50 minutes when the smartphone is turned on.
Verdict
Sony delivers on its Big entertainment claim. The huge display is ideal to watch movies, browse the web or play games. All these activities are no problem for the high performance of the Z Ultra - the Snapdragon 800 can even decode Ultra HD videos (QFHD), and they are stunning on the 6.4-inch display. A clock of 2.2 GHz and 2 GB memory are future-proof. Sony also certified the Z Ultra according to the IP55 & IP58 standards (dustproof & waterproof). One small drawback is the camera. The Exmor RE sensor cannot really convince us: Pictures are overexposed and slightly out of focus. The display is very bright and well suited for outdoor use but the brightness distribution is just 81% and the black value could be lower. Our direct comparison shows that viewing angle stability and color reproduction are better on the Galaxy Note 3. The expandable storage is an advantage for the Z Ultra but the non-removable battery is a big drawback. The temperature development is very convenient and the energy consumption is also decent. Our battery tests showed that the combination of a smartphone and a tablet is quite enduring with more than 10 hours of web browsing.
With all these possibilities, you can easily forget that this is a phone and you have to carry it around all day. This is not easy because of the sheer size, and operating the device with just one hand is a challenge, not everybody has large hands. If 5-inch smartphones are too small and you were already interested in the Galaxy Mega 6.3, we can fully recommend the Sony Xperia Z Ultra. It is currently available for around 600 Euros (~$821), which is significantly less expensive than the smaller Galaxy Note 3 (669 Euros, ~$915).
