Sony Xperia Z
Specifications
Price comparison
Average of 11 scores (from 14 reviews)
Reviews for the Sony Xperia Z
Razor-sharp. The new Sony Xperia Z features a 5-inch display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and a corresponding pixel density of 443 ppi. In addition to the high-resolution display, the phone offers plenty of performance. The fairly substantial price of 650 Euros (~$850) raises expectations.
Source: Expert Reviews
Archive.org versionThe Sony Xperia Z has the looks and the high-resolution screen to make it a worthy high-end smartphone. Currently, at least until the Samsung Galaxy S4 is released, its main competition is the similarly huge-screened HTC One. We prefer the HTC One's aluminium body, but if you don’t like the sweeping changes HTC has made to Android with its new Sense interface, you may prefer the more lightly-customised Xperia Z.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/17/2014
Rating: Total score: 100%
Source: Techradar
Archive.org versionThere is so much to love about the Sony Xperia Z - and while there are some annoyances, they pale in comparison. Yes, we think it's a bit shoddy that we encountered software bugs, but we suppose they can be fixed easily enough, and they weren't bad enough that we had crashes or lost data. The only problem is, by the time that's happened, the competition from fellow Android manufacturers will have grown even fiercer. For now, for those who can afford it, we recommend it heartily.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 07/18/2013
Rating: Total score: 95%
Source: TechHive.com
Archive.org versionThe Xperia Z is a great phone—the waterproof feature is incredibly fun to play with, the camera is solid as long as you have enough light, and the screen is both beautiful and responsive. Sony couldn’t help but slap its logo on the front of the phone and its mediocre software all over the home screens, but since the hardware is so high quality, it’s hard to mind much. The HTC One’s superior speaker and low-light photography give it an edge, but the Xperia Z is right up there with the top-tier Android phones, especially for fans of Sony’s other products—or butterfingers who want a stylish phone they can drop in the toilet once in a while.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/10/2013
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Slashgear
Archive.org versionThe Xperia Z is a surprise. From our original review, we knew it was a solid performer, but even with the Galaxy S 4 and the HTC One on the scene, it’s impressive how well it holds up to – and, in some cases, out-performs – its newer rivals. In fact, with all three flagships having shown their best side, we’re leaning toward judging the Xperia Z as the best all-round Android phone of the moment. At $99.99 down and then $20 per month – on top of service charges – for the duration of a two-year agreement, the Xperia Z is well priced, too. Great battery life, a highly capable camera, usable durability without the normal addition of heft, and sophisticated, discrete styling add up to a smartphone that rightly deserves the attention Samsung and HTC have been getting.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 07/10/2013
Source: Ubergizmo English
Archive.org versionIf you decide to decide that T-mobile can become your carrier of choice (the WiFi calls would be my reason to switch), the XPERIA Z is a fine choice. It may not have the fastest hardware on paper, but it does possess a particularly responsive user interface which has nothing to envy from the fastest phones out there, on the contrary quite a few would gain to be as snappy. Overall, this is a very good phone that I think shouldn’t be judged on its hardware platform alone. Its design and relative ruggedness make it quite unique. We can’t give it an excellent rating because of the slightly slower hardware, but Sony came up with an excellent design and did a lot of great things in the software.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/10/2013
Source: Laptop Mag
Archive.org versionThe LG Optimus F3 packs some cool features like floating apps and Home button LED notifications into a lightweight design. However, while this Android phone is $29 with a 2-year contract, there are other devices in the same price range (or cheaper) that are much better. If you prefer compact smartphones, the 4-inch Samsung Galaxy Victory ($49) lasts longer on a charge than the F3.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/10/2013
Rating: Total score: 70%
Source: Tech Advisor
Archive.org versionThe Xperia Z is the first smartphone which Sony has really nailed. We love the stylish, desirable and rugged design. The combination of excellent performance, a stunning screen and great cameras make the Xperia Z a force to be reckoned with. There is very little to say about this phone that is negative.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 06/17/2013
Rating: Total score: 90% price: 90% performance: 100% features: 90% workmanship: 100%
Source: IT Reviews
Archive.org versionIt’s not every day that you use a smartphone in heavy rain without a care, but the Sony Xperia Z is not an everyday phone. The Xperia Z is Sony’s current flagship android smartphone featuring IP55/IP57 dust and water resistance with toughened glass on the front and back. Overall we thought Sony's software layer on the Xperia Z was very helpful, perhaps the best interface and usability of the current batch of high-end smartphones.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 05/27/2013
Foreign Reviews
Source: Audio Video Foto Bild - Heft 5/2014
Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 04/01/2014
Rating: Total score: 91%
Source: PC News - Heft 01/2014
Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 12/01/2013
Rating: Total score: 88%
Source: Connect Freestyle - Heft 1/2014
Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 12/01/2013
Source: PC News - Heft 1/2014
Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 12/01/2013
Rating: Total score: 89%
Source: Connect - Heft 2/2014
Single Review, , Length Unknown, Date: 01/01/2013
Rating: Total score: 87%
Source: Allround-PC.com
DE→EN Archive.org versionPositive: very good hardiness; water- and dustproof
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/14/2013
Rating: Total score: 100%
Comment
Model:
Samsung is all you hear when it comes to high-end Android smartphones these days. However, Sony along with some others have tried their best to break this tradition. Just like HTC, Sony have tried to focus more on design and build quality rather than pure specs. The Sony Xperia Z is a good example for this. It is covered with an IP55/IP57 dust and water resistant glass on the front and back. The quality of this material gives an above premium feel and the only direct competitor to it might be the HTC One. All the outside ports including SIM slot, headphone port, and USB charger, are covered with rubber-like flaps and have to be closed to attain water and dust protection. The phone is able to detect if one or more of the flaps are open and reminds you to close them.
It is not only about the outside though. The Xperia Z is on-par with its main competitors, the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One, in terms of specs, too. The front part is occupied with a 5-inch display featuring a full-HD resolution. The brain inside this device is a quad-core 1.5 GHz Krait processor, which has a native support for LTE networks. It handles multitasking just as well as the Galaxy S4 which is powered with a Octa-core processor. In terms of memory, this flagship device comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage. The storage capacity can be expanded by using a memory card with up to 64GB. On the back of the Xperia Z there is a 13 MP camera with LED flash, which is capable of taking 1080p resolution videos. The Sony Xperia Z is still the best choice for a high-end Android smartphone if you’re looking for something that is tough both on the outside and inside.
Qualcomm Adreno 320: Integrated graphics card using unified shaders and supporting OpenGL ES 3.0
These graphics cards are not suited for Windows 3D games. Office and Internet surfing however is possible.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
S4 Pro APQ8064A: High-end quad-core SoC for Android devices that includes four Krait cores and a Adreno 320 GPU.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
5.00":
This display is tiny. You will probably see very little on the screen and be able to use mini-resolutions.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.Sony: Sony Corporation is one of the largest Japanese electronics companies. The company was founded in 1946 under a different name and initially produced rice stoves. The company launched the first transistor radio. In 1958, the company was renamed Sony. Sony is a combination of the Latin word sonus (sound) and the English word sonny (little boy). Today, its core business is consumer electronics. The company is engaged in the development, design, manufacture and sale of electronic equipment, instruments, devices, game consoles and software. Sony operates in the following segments: Gaming and Network Services, Music, Images, Home Entertainment and Sound, Imaging Products and Solutions, Mobile Communications, Semiconductors, Financial Services and Others.
88.91%: This is an above-average rating. Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that about one fifth of all tested models receive a better rating.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.
