Review: A week with the Sony Xperia Z3

Table of Contents

1. Positives
2. Negative points
3. Design and durability
4. Fabric
5. Battery
6. Differentials
7. Camera
8. System, Processor, Memory and Interface
9. Connections and Inputs
10. Price
11. Conclusion:
12. Xperia Z3 - Technical Specifications:

Last week I received a special task: testing the smartphone X, from Sony. I confess that I love something new, but I am often a little too lazy to change brands because of the features that we are used to using from each manufacturer.

After a few years of just using the devices from Samsung, I decided to switch to LG G3 after a tempting promotion from my carrier last year. Now, it's time to pass the impressions of the top-of-the-line device from Sony. I am a hard user and I spend the day on my cell phone to check my emails, messages from WhatsApp, as well as following the news and watching videos. That is why, battery e camera are always important points in my evaluation.

Well, let's get down to business! To start, I separated some negative and positive points that I will explain throughout this review:

Positives

• design and finish
• battery
• camera
• digital TV
• possibility to record a video of the screen
• water and dust resistance

Negative points

• durability
• access to settings
• internal storage
• price

Design and durability

The smartphone is slim and elegant, measuring 146 x 72 x 7.3 mm and weighing 152g. It has rounded sides, made in a liquid reflection frame. The quality finish is also a hallmark of Sony. But because of the material used, it has small cracks over time, which compromises the durability and appearance of the device. Lost a few points on this one.

The curious thing is that the model received for the test is white and many friends and co-workers, when quickly looking at the smartphone, thought I had abandoned the system. Android and finally migrated to iPhone da Apple. A mistake, since the model has design features that, although similar to the model of the Apple, are characteristics of the Z line da Sony.

The fact that it is water and dust resistant is an attraction. Upon returning from the gym one afternoon, I was surprised by a storm and was able to walk carefree with the device. At the time of release of Z3, a blog even made an unboxing in the water! Check out the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIf9GdCzY_Y

Fabric

O Sony Xperia Z3 has screen of 5.2 inches, with resolution of 1080 x 1920 (424ppi). It benefits from the company's proprietary technologies, such as Triluminos display e X-Reality Engine. Instead of trying to explain how each one works, it is clearer to say that the images are with more vivid and sharp colors than in previous versions of the smartphone, getting closer and closer to the saturated tones of screens. Super AMOLED (o display do Z3 have technology IPS LCD), which is a positive change.

As for the glass that protects the screen, it is not the Gorilla Glass, but a version developed by Sony itself, with high durability. It is worth remembering that there is no miracle here, but it seems to be very resistant to light drops (which are also absorbed by the special sides of the device, if it falls sideways, protecting more than in models from other competitors).

Battery

The battery was one of the highlights of the test. Although not removable, it has 3100 mAh of capacity and even lasts almost all day, even with heavy use. The model comes with the feature Fast Charging (Quick Charge 2.0), which means the battery charges to 60% capacity in 30 minutes.

In the most critical moments, when there was no outlet nearby, I activated the Stamina, one of the differentials of the device. This feature greatly extends battery life by running with only the most basic features and limiting updates.

I didn't experience any major performance loss when enabling battery saver mode, although it didn't reach the duration of 2 business days informed during the presentation of the device by the Sony.

Differentials

models of Z3 line benefit from front-facing stereo sound, noise-canceling headphones and only new High-Resolution Audio, a kind of upgrade in the device's sound quality. In addition to these, there is DSEE HX, Sony's exclusive technology that improves the quality of music and movies with lower quality audio, a method known as upscaling.

Another detail that I found very interesting is the possibility of save a screen video device in a simple and practical way. Just press the power button and select the option to record a video. Super practical for those who want to show some functionality or even save that cool video they just watched and share with friends.

O X also has the option of Digital TV, something that is always forgotten by manufacturers in high-end devices but that can be very useful when traveling in the city or even waiting for an office. It also has an option for 2 chips.

Camera

The device's camera Sony always stand out. the of Z3 has 20.7MP (resolution 5248 x 3936 pixels), with technology Steady-Shot, which aims to compensate for the lack of an optical stabilization sensor. Additional features include autofocus, LED flash, HDR, panorama mode, and video recording even in 4K at 2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@120fps, also with HDR.

Like New App Multi-Camera, it is possible to record a video with several different angles, assembled into a single presentation. Another resource, already traditional of the Xperia, allows to do live streaming video to the internet.

Speaking now of the front camera, it has 2.2MP resolution and record videos in Full HD (1080p@30fps).

System, Processor, Memory and Interface

The new Z3 does not deviate from the traditional interface of Sony, which has changed little since the first model of the Z line. It now runs the system 4.4.4 Android Kitkat, with an update scheduled for the Android Lollipop 5.0 already late (but Sony has promised it will arrive any day now).

The smartphone also has a robust quad-core processor Qualcomm Snapdragon de 2,5 GHz, 3 GB of RAM, Flash memory up to 16 GB and the possibility of expansion with a MicroSD card up to 128 GB.

Connections and Inputs

O X is dual-chip (accepts 2 carrier chips) and supports This means 2G, 3G and 4G/LTE. It also connects to networks WiFi (Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot),  Bluetooth (v4.0, A2DP, apt-X), NFC and allows navigation by GPS (A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou). The model still has Digital TV e FM antenna, with RDS.

As for physical connections, it accepts connectors MicroUSB v2.0 and memory cards MicroSD from to 128GB.

Price

One of the smartphone's weaknesses. The manufacturer's suggested value is R$ 2.699,00 but it is already possible to find some promotions:

• R$ 2.375,12 – Submarine route;
• R$ 2.249,00 (White model) – Via Wallmart;
• R$ 2.699,00 (Proto model) - Via Wallmart;
• R$ 2.375,12 (Copper model, with SmartBand) – Via Submarino;

Oh, one important thing! The internal memory is only 16 GB and you will need to buy a Micro SD card so you don't run out of space for photos, videos and music.

Conclusion:

With a not-so-competitive price, the Z3 may scare off consumers a bit. Even so, it is the most beautiful model ever created by Sony and represents a powerhouse in hardware and design.

For those who want similar specs, but with a smaller screen, we recommend getting to know the Z3 Compact. But, if the size pleases, it is a good recommendation to change smartphones. It is worth remembering that it is one of the only top-of-the-line models with support for 2 carrier chips e Digital TV, items that always please Spanish consumers.

Xperia Z3 - Technical Specifications: