Sony xperia z1 camera setup. Sony Xperia Z1 review: why a good camera is more important than cores and gigabytes? Sony Xperia Z1 Camera Apps
"The embodiment of power and design" - how long have I wanted to apply this combination to at least some smartphone, but I managed to use either the first characteristic or the second ... And now, finally, it happened - Sony Xperia Z1 combines these two mutually exclusive parameters!
Sony Xperia Z1:
Display - TFT, 5 inches, 1080x1920
Processor - 4-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974, 2200 MHz + Adreno 330 video processor
Camera - 20.70 MP, autofocus, LED flash, video shooting 1920x1080 and HDR video + front camera 2 MP
RAM - 2 GB
Built-in memory - 16 GB + microSD slot
Others - LTE, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth, FM radio, GPS / GLONASS, IP58 waterproof
Battery - 3000 mAh
Dimensions - 74x144x8.5 mm 170 g
Sony Xperia Z1 :: Review :: Design and features
In the Xperia Z1 (as well as in the Z Ultra that came out almost simultaneously with it), the manufacturer continued the successful concept of "Z-design", which made it possible to accomplish the seemingly impossible - visually and tactilely distinguish the smartphone in an endless row of similar plastic clones of other brands. "IPhone borrowing"? Well, partly yes, probably, but there is nothing scary here - taking an idea and developing it is not at all the same as stealing it ... A strong frame-perimeter from above and below, like a sandwich, will be "collapsed" by glass covers - a screen and back wall... The Xperia Z was the pioneer of this successful new concept, called the "skeleton structure" (which can be translated as "power frame"), but it felt like it would flash like a passing model for a glamorous audience. However, everything turned out differently - after it came the Tablet Z in the same design, then the flagship smartphone was replaced by the Z1, in parallel the group expanded with the Z Ultra "shovelphone" - in a word, the "Z-line" gained content, recognition and mass character!
The front (screen) and back covers of the one-piece Z1 monoblock are made of high-strength glass. At the same time, the front glass is glued into the case, as they say - flush, so that the fingers slide easily without feeling the transition from the glass to the edge, and the back cover is slightly recessed by a fraction of a millimeter. That is, lying "on its back" on a flat flat surface, the glass does not touch this surface, avoiding the impact of grains of sand and other abrasive debris.
The buttons on the front panel are long gone, as with an atavism - they have moved to the screen and no longer eat up the usable area, taking it away from the display.
On the top edge there is a headphone jack, on the bottom there is a speaker mesh and a lanyard ring.
On the left edge, there is a contact area for charging by means of a DK31 cradle glass (which, unfortunately, is an option and is not included in the basic kit!), As well as two slots, hermetically covered with covers with a rubber seal - for charging and data exchange, and also for a memory card.
The right side also contains a hermetically sealed "door" - behind it there is a SIM card slot. In the middle of the face there is a large and round proprietary power / unlock button, next to it is a camera shutter button and a volume swing.
The Xperia Z1 looks like a technically polished design, it feels like a well-cut stone in every sense. There is no question of any backlashes, deformations, or even more so - creaks! The briquette of the device is iPhone-style strong (sorry again for political incorrectness! :)) and monolithic, it's nice to just twist it in your hands. The device comes in three colors - dull black, cheerful white and alternative lilac - the latter is obliged to satisfy those who are fed up with both dull and cheerful "monochrome classics" :)
Sony Xperia Z1 :: Review :: Water resistant
One of the main advantages of the device is its moisture resistance, thanks to which you can take a shower with it, shoot a video in a pool or lake (you cannot go to the sea - more on that below!), Have fun with multimedia, lying in a bath, and even fall into the water against your will ( Anything can happen ...) :) If all the "doors" intended for the user's physical connection with the device are securely closed, then Z1 bathes without problems and in pleasure! Open slots will lead to trouble - in this case, "Zet One" is no different from an ordinary, "non-water-floating" device, and electrochemical corrosion will quickly kill a smartphone, from which even the battery cannot be removed ....
Sony Xperia Z1 :: Review :: Display
The device has a TFT screen with a diagonal of 5 inches, 1080x1920 pixels. The display has retained the outstanding brightness typical of Sonev's "teaftos", noticeably adding in color compared to its predecessors. Yes, I'll be honest and objective - the black color still lacks the "Amoledov" uncompromisingness, but in general, the display no longer spoils the impression of the top-end device, as it was in the Xperia Z, ZL and earlier flagships.
X-reality is an image enhancer function located in the menu where Bravia used to be. It corrects video and pictures, adding color and clarity, however, like the previous "enhancer", it does not do it too convincingly, as it seems to me ... I think it was much more logical not to single out this feature as a separate function in the menu, but just turn it on by default , and that's all.
This is how X-reality works on branded promo videos:
And here is an example of how X-reality works, made during the test. You have to strain your eyes to notice the difference between on & off ... There is an improvement, but it is not so significant to emphasize it especially ...
According to the Sonev tradition, the front and rear windows have a protective film glued in the factory. On the Internet, you can find a lot of controversy on the topic of this film "eating" part of the brightness or sensitivity of the display - we assure you that this is the most complete nonsense. There is also no point in worrying about the reliability of holding the film - it is glued extremely firmly, unlike films for self-protection of displays sold everywhere - any peeling is excluded, including on the corners. The coating is very resistant, it resists even attempts to scratch it with keys or coins, but still the resistance is not unlimited. During the test period, the film began to gradually accumulate scratches, which are noticeable at first only with close scrutiny, and later with a cursory ...
The manufacturer does not recommend removing this film, and rightly so. It serves as additional protection from both scratches and impacts - the same principle is used by the tinted headlight glass “booking” service, in which a thin but durable polymer coating is glued to them, making the glass more resistant to flying stones. However, more than once I have seen Xperia smartphones with displays that are heavily scratched from time and inappropriate attitude, since not everyone knows about the presence of a film, and even fewer people know that it can be removed without harm, giving the display a second life. Using the Xperia Z as an example, we demonstrate two important theses and state the third:
1 - It is not necessary to remove the film unnecessarily! But if it has accumulated scratches, then it can be easily and without a trace removed in two movements, picking up the corner with a clerical knife.
2 - Glasses under the film are HARDER than FILM, and are not afraid of scratches!
3 - Even the toughest glass will not resist indifference! Take care of your smart gadget, do not throw it thoughtlessly into your backpack or bag, do not drop it or neglect elementary accuracy!
Sony Xperia Z1 :: Review :: Interface and menu
Unlocking.
Seven desktops.
Application menu.
A slide across the display from left to right in the application menu displays an additional menu for setting and organizing programs.
Applications can be organized into folders - both on the desktop and in the general application menu.
Settings menu.
"Small applications" - programs that can work simultaneously on the same screen with others. For example, while browsing the Internet, you can, without closing the browser, call up the calculator window over it to calculate something, or while watching a movie, simultaneously start a timer so as not to forget that eggs are being fried in the kitchen :) Or you can simultaneously start the reader and a dictaphone, and make an audio file out of text - in general, many different programs can be combined for greater use on one screen.
To get into the "small applications" menu and launch the one you need, you need to press the right screen button ("two squares") and select the one you need. By default, only a few are installed, but the "Market" has a large selection of non-standard ones.
Traditional for all "androids" the notification panel (called to the screen by swiping your finger from top to bottom) and the panel of minimized applications in the background and the last launched ones (displayed by pressing the right functional on-screen button:
Sony Xperia Z1 :: Review :: Camera
Over the past year and a half, Sony's 12- and 13-megapixel camera modules have set a new standard for smartphones - both for the Xperia line and for a number of other brands that have used the Sony module in their devices. And now it's time to take the next step, and the Xperia Z1 has a new Exmor RS sensor with a resolution of 20.7 megapixels, with a large crystal size (1 / 2.3 inch), high ISO sensitivity, with an excellent aperture number. The camera software has a lot of different automatic settings, a stand-alone mode of manual adjustments of shooting parameters, as well as a bunch of fun visual effects.
The main mode switch button is in the lower right corner. When you click on it, you will be taken to the menu for choosing effects, settings and services related to photo and video shooting. The main user mode, as usual, is automatic, called "Best auto-tuning". In addition to it, the manual mode is interesting, which allows you to select the white balance and ISO, the "Info-Eye" mode, which implements augmented reality (due to the recognition of the geography and GPS coordinates shown in the pictures), the "AR-effect" mode, in which the camera imposes on the photo there are funny animations.
By the way, an important nuance: the maximum 20.7-megapixel resolution can be used only in the "Manual" mode - only there is the possibility of changing the resolution. In all automatic modes, the camera shoots as 8-megapixel by default, taking pictures of 3840x2160 pixels, and this cannot be changed!
Visual effects will delight relatives and guests and will decorate any holiday - especially for children. In real time, animation is superimposed on the image, and the camera itself determines where the face is in order to "attach" a mask to it, and where is the surrounding space, on which you can impose the entourage!
Augmented Reality
Sample pictures
By the way, the section of photography should include the curious function of recognizing faces in a photo, which is carried out not by the camera at the time of shooting, but ... a standard program for viewing images. It automatically sorts pictures of people, puts them in a separate folder for quick access to them, and offers to sign names!
The camera certainly shoots great and is one of the best on the market. She does a good job of blurring the background, she gets interesting night shots, she focuses quickly and shoots great macro. Like the camera of its predecessor (Xperia Z), it can shoot HDR video - a feature rare for smartphones!
However, I would not be in a hurry to announce the photo revolution. On the minus side - the lack of optical stabilization, on the plus side - a large-area matrix ... which would have an outstanding light sensitivity at 13 million pixels, like Z, but there are much more pixels, and each of them gets less light as a result ... Confused? :) Let's put it simply - in the end, there is no radical breakthrough of the Z1 compared to the 13-megapixel Xperia Z camera - let's be honest.
The camera in Z1 shoots almost as well as its predecessor in Z - well, a little better, yeah :). In auto mode, when the smartphone takes an 8-megapixel picture, the result is comparable to other good camera phones of previous generations, in manual mode, when the full resolution of 20.7 megapixels is set, the detail increases compared to 12-13-megapixel devices, but not so much that it was just so important, because there is also enough noise. Most of all, the differences in favor of Z1 from others are noticeable on a sunny day - the matrix's own noise is minimal and the camera shows reality in all its glory - in detail and clearly. In such conditions, the concept of "the more megapixels, the better" really works great! But we must take into account that if you expect to “take everything from life” (c) - in the sense of constantly shooting in full resolution, then you will have to set the parameters yourself, which requires: A - the ability to do this, B - time for adjustment.
Sony Xperia Z1 :: Review :: Performance and nutrition
The device is equipped with the most powerful of the serial "stones" to date - a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974, 2200 MHz + Adreno 330 video processor and 2 gigabytes of RAM. Its performance is impeccable, which is demonstrated by both practice of use and benchmarks. It is impossible to load the device so that it is possible to notice the decrease in performance or brakes with the naked senses.
At the same time, the device boasts excellent (although not a record) autonomy, which is provided by a powerful 3000-milliampere battery. On a standard test, when we look at the percentage of battery remaining after watching a 1.45GB movie at maximum brightness, volume and no background apps in the memory, the device retained 83% of its full battery charge, which is an excellent indicator. 83% on the movie is a full day of really serious download and two days of quiet - especially when using the energy-saving Stamina mode
"Film test" on other devices of a similar class:
Sony Xperia Z1 :: Review :: Impressions and conclusions
The Xperia X1 is a technically uncompromising and at the same time fashion gadget that can satisfy any geek, mobile gamer and "phone photographer". The cost of the device in the official sale is 28.500-30.000 rubles, which is not shocking - a normal level for a flagship, which traditionally decreases by 3-5 thousand over time. The representative qualities are slightly hindered by the strong similarity with its predecessor - Xperia Z, from which the Z1 seriously differs internally, but little externally. However, other manufacturers faced similar moments when updating models (the same Apple, for example), and, in general, there was no particular problem in this.
The main plus of the Z1 (as with other devices in the Z-line) is the lack of a combination of performance and style with water resistance, which other brands mistakenly consider the lot of outdoor smartphones with all their inherent disadvantages. You can endlessly talk about the "taste of oysters", declaring that there is no need for protection from moisture, both in general and for you personally, but seemingly insignificant episodes quickly convince you otherwise. Quiet search for an address in a navigator in the rain, without the need to dodge drops, reading a book while lying in the bathroom, underwater photography and much more - this takes smartphone use to a new level, and even more so, taking into account its premium features! The water resistance is complemented by a gorgeous screen, every conceivable wireless interface (including, of course, the trendy LTE), a good battery.
The disadvantages of the device include a slight disappointment with the camera (not in terms of “turned out to be worse”, but in the sense of “more was expected” :)), which, unfortunately, lacks the optical stabilizer that is relevant today, and does not demonstrate a revolutionary separation from the Xperia Z camera. However, this will be noticed only by those who compare - such a comparison does not threaten the mass user. Another disadvantage is traditional: the device, like no other, is rich in interesting accessories, but, alas, they need to be purchased additionally, the standard equipment is "empty", as they say, in relation to cars. It would be nice to see a certain minimum in the box - at least the same charging cradle (as in the Xperia Z Ultra), so as not to constantly torment the delicate and responsible connector on the microUSB socket!
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General camera settings
Overview of shooting mode settings
Manually
Manually adjust the camera settings.
Sound Photo
Take photos with background noise.
AR effect
Take photos or videos of virtual scenes and characters.
Artistic effect
Apply effects to photos and videos.
Info-eye ™
Get more information on what's displayed in the camera's viewfinder.
Timeshift burst
Choose the best photo from a series of shots.
Panoramic view
Take wide-angle and panoramic photos.
For more information on how to improve the quality of your photos, visit
www.sonymobile.com/support.
Best auto-tuning
With the best auto setting, the camera detects the shooting conditions and automatically
adjusts settings for optimal photo quality.
Highest resolution that supports the best auto mode,
is 8 MP. If you want to take higher resolution photos,
use the regime Manually.
Manual mode
Use manual mode if you want to manually adjust the camera settings for photos and
video filming.
AR effects
You can apply AR (Augmented Reality) effects to photos or
video clips, making them more fun. This option allows you to add a 3D background to your
photos or videos when using the camera. Just select the background you want and
adjust its position in the viewfinder.
Creative effect
You can apply different effects to your photos and videos. For example, you can
add the "Nostalgia" effect to make the photos look old, or the "Sketch" effect,
to make the image funny.
You can shoot wide-angle and panoramic photos in vertical or
horizontal direction with a simple tap-and-slide motion.
Creating a panoramic photo
Turn on the camera.
Tap and select.
To select a shooting direction, tap
Press the camera key, and then slowly and continuously move the camera to
the direction of movement indicated on the screen.
The Info-eye ™ application searches for information about the surrounding objects using
camera viewfinder. For example, you can take a snapshot of a landmark and get
information about it directly on the screen of your device. Also you can take a photo of the book
or QR code and instantly get information about these objects.
can only recognize selected points of interest or objects.
Scan barcode or QR code with Info-eye ™
Turn on the camera.
Tap and select.
Point the camera at a barcode or QR code so that it appears in the viewfinder,
then take a photo of it.
Wait a little while the photo is being analyzed. To view information about
product hold Product details, then drag the item up.
Burst shooting
The camera takes a burst of 61 photos in 2 seconds - one second before and after pressing
shooting keys. Thus, you can choose the best shot from the series.
photos.
This is an Internet version of this document. Printing is permitted for private use only.
Using burst shooting
Turn on the camera.
Tap and select.
To take a photo, press the camera key fully and then release it.
The captured photos appear as thumbnails.
Scroll through the thumbnail list and select the photos you want to save, then
click.
You can download free and paid camera apps from Google Play ™ and others.
resources. Make sure you have a working internet connection before downloading, preferably over a network
Wi-Fi® to keep data charges to a minimum.
Open the camera app.
Tap, then tap DOWNLOADABLE.
Find the app you want to download and then follow the directions to
completion of the installation.
Quick start
Use the quick launch options to turn on the camera while the screen is locked.
Only run
When enabled, you can launch the camera while the screen is locked by pressing and holding the camera key.
Run and remove
When enabled, you can launch the camera and automatically take a photo while the screen is locked.
by pressing and holding the camera key.
Launch and record video
When enabled, you can launch the camera and start recording video while the screen is locked by pressing and
while holding down the camera key.
Turn off
Geotags
Add a tag to the photo with detailed information about the place of shooting.
Shooting by touch
Determine the focus area, then tap the camera screen with your finger. Photography
is performed as soon as the finger is lifted off the screen.
Choose between turning the shutter sound on or off.
Data storage
Data can be stored on a removable SD card or on the device's internal storage.
Internal storage
Photos and videos are saved in the device memory.
SD card
Photos and videos are saved on the SD card.
Activate the app to turn off touch processing to avoid accidental
touches.
This is an Internet version of this document. Printing is permitted for private use only.
White balance
This option is only available in shooting mode Manually and allows you to customize the color
balance according to lighting conditions. Alternatively, you can manually configure
an exposure value between 2.0 EV and +2.0 EV. For example, you can increase the brightness
or reduce the overall exposure by touching the plus or
Minus respectively when the White Balance icon is displayed.
Auto
Automatically adjusts color balance to suit lighting conditions.
Incandescent lamp
Adjusts the color balance for shooting under warm lighting conditions (such as tungsten lamps).
Fluor. lamp
Adjusts the color balance for shooting under fluorescent lighting.
Daylight
Adjusts the color balance for shooting outdoors on a sunny day.
Cloudy
Adjusts the color balance for shooting on a cloudy sky.
Very soon, the flagship smartphone Sony Xperia Z1 will continue. Now is the time to remember this device and talk about its strengths and weaknesses.
Contents of delivery
A few words about the delivery set. In many modern Xperias, apart from the power supply and the cable, there is nothing. The company explains this by savings. They say that the user himself will be able to buy whatever he wants. But, as it seems to me, many people bought smartphones just because of all sorts of interesting things - of course, this is not the main reason, but one of the reasons. And it was very pleasant to find the cradle in the box with the Acro S, to see a high-quality headset bundled with the Xperia Z. Actually, I still use it with all the company's devices. In my opinion, it's not worth saving here, especially since the Xperia is already quite expensive compared to other smartphones with Android. And I want to immediately use a normal headset, and not look for it in the shops (and even pay one and a half or two thousand). This is my opinion, what do you think?
Design, construction
Films. This is what I dislike most about modern Xperias. It would seem that the frame is made of metal, tempered glass at the front and back, an interesting design, so why additional protection? There is no answer to this question, and the Z1, like other devices, is covered with films from all sides. I used the device a lot, and you can see in the photos what this led to - a lot of scratches. It is worth peeling off the films, and all the Sony labels, the Xperia logo will disappear. Will my tapes be changed at the service center? According to rumors, they will not change - or only assembled with parts. How long this will continue, I do not know. It would be better if there were scratches on the case, but the question is, will they appear on such material at all? Maybe the company cannot put logos on such material?
Either way, the Sony Xperia Z1 looks good. And sometimes this is what makes you forgive everything else - and sometimes this is what makes people once again buy Xperia instead of Galaxy. Black rectangle - the panels are fixed on a metal chassis, double anodizing is applied at the ends, the front part is black, the side edges are gray. As you can see, nothing happened to them. An aluminum power button, a magnetic connector for charging on the side, I highly recommend that owners buy a branded cradle, it makes life much easier. Only at first you need to adapt in order to install correctly. But then it can be used with Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, and with Z Ultra, and with other smartphones. Above the display is the front camera lens, under the caps at the ends are hidden microUSB connectors, a slot for microSD memory cards, a SIM card tray. Below is a groove for attaching a strap, under perforation is a speaker. I would not call it loud, sometimes you may not hear a call signal in your pocket. Above - an open 3.5 mm jack (CTIA, the same pinout as the iPhone), I think Sony will soon give up plugs altogether. By the way, this device spent a lot of time at sea, it did not affect its work in any way, the main thing is not to forget to close the plugs, not to insert headphones into the jack immediately after swimming. I've seen Z1 and sand, and falls, and rough carrying in a backpack next to the keys. In Malaysia, the smartphone has seen a lot, but, as you can see, it works quite normally, although it has somewhat lost its presentation. However, for me this is one of those devices that I don't want to give or give to anyone to use.
Other body colors seem more interesting to me: white, purple, I especially advise you to watch the white Z1 live, black is boring compared to it. Dimensions are 144 x 74 x 8.5 mm, weight - 170 g. MicroSIM is used, in my case it is MegaFon with LTE support, it works great - I have been using MegaFon for a long time for all "second" devices (I like the roaming tariffs of this operator).
A few words about management. On the right side there is a power button, a volume rocker, a camera button. All are quite convenient, I will not find fault with the location, the power off button falls just under the thumb when you hold the device in your right hand. There is a small indicator light above the Sony logo, it glows blue, yellow, red or green depending on what is happening with the device.
Protection
Probably, there is no need to repeat this once again, but the device can withstand immersion in water (for a short time and shallow). In advertising photographs, we see funny people taking pictures underwater, filming videos. The fact is, this is difficult to do in practice. Under water, the device hardly recognizes pressing, the same applies to those moments when there are drops on the display. False positives start, it is impossible to go to the gallery to see what was filmed. The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact has support for wet finger control, the Z1 does not, and therefore we will leave all these pictures on the conscience of Sony's advertising department - by and large, this is just a fake.
On the other hand, if you suddenly have a desire to wash your smartphone in the sink, then it will not be difficult to do this. For all fans of extreme sports, this is also a godsend, falling into the snow, into the water are not particularly scary. But here the case is not very protected from impacts, so you should not throw the Z1 on concrete.
I want to draw your attention to one more thing: periodically, when you open the plugs, a warning appears on the display that they must be closed if you immerse the Z1 in water. Protection from the fool, but protection is quite reasonable.
Display
A lot has been said about the Sony Xperia Z1 display, and you can find a lot of reviews online. From the technical point of view, everything is very simple, TFT, 5 inches, resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels. From the point of view of sensations - no, the viewing angles after the iPhone 5S seem to be no, after looking at the screens of the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4, I want to insert one into the Z1. Indeed, this is very strange, because Sony has (had) excellent displays, but here something is not the best. And that's putting it mildly. The problem with fading is especially noticeable when using the menu and a number of simple applications. When watching videos or playing games, the picture appears normal. Well, or you just don't pay attention. The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact has an order of magnitude better screen, it is not clear why IPS was not installed here. Well, the best image among Xperia from Sony Xperia Z Ultra, so far I have not seen better (we are only talking about Xperia).
Accordingly, before buying, I highly recommend that you evaluate the smartphone yourself in the store - will you be able to use the device with such a display? And I especially recommend comparing it with the HTC One. And don't be angry with the journalists who praise Sony displays, the difference between prototypes and commercial samples can sometimes be huge. And there is also a difference between models for different countries, remember at least Sony Xperia Z for Europe and for Japan. Just different screens. With the Z1, it seems, everything is not so and the screens are the same, but the display will not be good for everyone - I highly recommend that you evaluate it yourself in the store before buying.
Comparison with Sony Xperia Z1 Compact
Performance
A Qualcomm MSM8974 platform is used, a 2.2 GHz quad-core processor, an Adreno 330 adapter, 2 GB of RAM, the back of the device heats up during games, this is not very noticeable in normal mode - although some programs make the device noticeably warmer. The operating system is Android 4.2.2, from the add-ons - redrawn icons of the player and some other programs, its own wallpapers, menus on the locked screen and unlocking animation, there are a number of other minor changes. A bunch of different programs of varying degrees of usefulness, here and TrackID (Shazam works better), and Xperia Lounge, and Xperia Privilege, and Sketch, and Social live - all this reminds of VAIO times, you buy a Sony smartphone and think how much space will be freed up, if you take, and remove all these wonderful programs.
Most importantly, do not remove the radio. Although you will not succeed. And the radio is well done here!
I have no complaints about performance, Plants vs Zombie 2 would load quickly, but it loads quickly here. And I also don’t want to watch the brakes, and I didn’t notice them. You can see the benchmark results in the screenshots, Antutu shows 35279, as far as I can understand, this is very good!
Wireless interfaces
A few words about Bluetooth, profile 4.0 is used here, the aptX codec is supported, with headsets that support the same profile, you can get better sound quality than cable (I tried it, it really is). An ANT + profile is also supported to work with a range of sports and specialty accessories.
And with Wi-Fi, it's also interesting, 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac is ideal for working with Apple's new generation network equipment. Supports Wi-Fi Direct, work in 2.4 / 5 GHz frequencies. Mostly used with the updated AirPort Express, I have nothing to complain about.
On the back there is an NFC area, for Sony this is a new toy, there are many accessories with support for the technology, you can quickly connect speakers, headsets and so on.
From the pros - LTE is supported, everything works great with MegaFon.
Memory
After you take the device out of the box, you have about 11 GB of memory for your own data, you can put a card with a capacity of up to 64 GB in the microSD card slot.
Camera
20.7 MP camera (Exmor RS), 8x digital zoom, autofocus, support for a bunch of different modes, face detection, red-eye removal, quick start when you press the shooting button (camera action is configurable). Of particular interest is the AR effect mode, it is something like augmented reality, when various effects are applied to the picture in the viewfinder.
I present here photographs taken mainly in the best auto-adjustment mode or in manual mode - I set the resolution to 8 MP in order to get frames that are not cropped at the edges with an aspect ratio of 16: 9, if you choose 20.7 MP, then the ratio is 4: 3. And the default resolution is 8 MP, 16: 9. In the photo you can see how dependent the Z1 camera is on lighting conditions, it was very easy to get a good shot in Shanghai or Malaysia, but in the suburbs and Moscow this is not an easy task. I have accumulated about two gigabytes of photos taken on the Z1, the most amazing thing is that even on the MBP 15 Retina screen, the resulting material is quite pleasant to look at. My only gripe with the camera is that you need to tweak the drivers right away, not along the way. I will also say about the comparison with the Z1, despite the magic numbers of 20.7, often the iPhone 5S behaves better than the Z1. And in general, some preparation is needed to squeeze the maximum out of the smartphone camera - play with the settings in manual mode, study additional presets, and not jerk the case while pressing the button. And it's better not to use it at all, to shoot by pressing a button on the display.
Well, if you are switching to the Z1 from the iPhone 5 / 5S (although I hardly imagine it) and will be looking at the pictures on the computer monitor, then do not be surprised by the noise.
In general, compared to Z, the pictures are better here, but the work of Sony programmers and engineers is endless - it remains to embody everything that is said on the official website. For example, there are test shots taken by different photographers, here is a shot by Tadahiko Hisatomi.
How it was done on the Z1, I can't imagine. Or how do you like this passage, also from the official site: "The Xperia Z1 smartphone provides the best overall picture quality compared to other popular smartphones." I just do not have time, but the gadget would not stand comparison in different modes with the Samsung Galaxy S4 or iPhone 5S. And the point here is just the software, and the point is just shooting in low light conditions.
In general, the camera here is not bad (if you know how to use it), but it simply cannot be called great or the best among others. And do not believe if someone will prove the opposite to you.
Here I will not dwell on a bunch of device functions - TimeShift, panorama and others are interesting, but they are not used very often. If you need a complete overview of all the functions of the Z1 camera, write to the mail, maybe I will find time to describe it in detail. Or I'll tell you about it in the Z1 Compact review. In the meantime, look at the photos, since there are a lot of them here and you can evaluate the smartphone camera.
By the way, there is a photo of blanks for the Z1 case, you can evaluate the process.
Speaker
Separately about the speaker. Something always prevents Sony engineers from bringing the device to mind. Here too, the device is large, below is a nice perforation for the speaker, but the speaker itself is quieter than the iPhone 5S. And the call melody is heard worse. Moreover, there is still a quiet earpiece, and you will notice this immediately if you have used Samsung before. On the street you have to literally press the device into your ear, you want to add volume, but there is nowhere to add. If this moment is critical for you, I strongly advise you to insert your SIM card into the Z1 before buying and talk on your own. If speaker volume is important (for example, you like listening to music in the shower on your smartphone), listen to the tracks originally loaded into the player. Yes, not very loud. About that and speech.
The sound quality with the EX-300 headset included with the Sony Xperia Z is very good, especially when fiddling with the settings. The downside is that the volume is not enough, I don't know why Sony decided to take so much care of our ears. The smartphone supports FLAC, AVI playback, which is also a big plus.
Working hours
The declared operating time is a little surprising, on the official website it is indicated in minutes. For example, 830 minutes talk time for GSM, or 880 minutes talk time for UMTS. In video playback mode, the Z1 works for 400 minutes. And how to understand this? It is clear that you can divide by sixty and get a watch, but this practice is surprising. Installed a 3000 mAh battery. For charging, a microUSB connector is used, at home I most often charge the Z1 using a PS4 - in standby mode, the console supplies power to USB ports, so you can safely tidy up the batteries of the joystick, smartphones and tablets.
In fact, the Z1 works like any modern smartphone. If you drive it to the full, then by the end of the day you need to look for a plug or USB port. If only calls and SMS, you can count on a day and a half of work. In the USA, Z1 once lasted for two days, however, there were only twenty minutes of talking, checking mail, a couple of hours of browser operation.
That is, nothing surprising awaits you - if you used another smartphone with Android, everything is familiar. But Sony Xperia Z1 Compact lasts much longer with the same characteristics (except for the display).
By the way, the proprietary Stamina mode, which prohibits programs from running in the background, sometimes cannot cope with the utilities - an error appears. For example, this applies to Facebook.
conclusions
In retail, the device costs about 25,000 rubles, we are talking about "white" devices. But there are also a number of offers on the network, where the price of five thousand is less, apparently, these are gray devices. Although the model is the same as the C6903. What is the difference, I will not undertake to say, as well as I will not recommend exactly where to buy, decide for yourself. First, let's talk about the pros:
- Interesting design and materials, three body colors
- Not bad battery life for a smartphone with such performance
- The camera can be recorded in both pluses and minuses - for normal shooting, both experience and practice will be required, but it is quite possible to get interesting shots
- Supports LTE, Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac
- Unlike the iPhone, the smartphone “holds” the network well, and you notice this already on the first day of use.
- Water resistant
- It's okay with performance
- MicroSD card slot
- Convenient magnetic connector for charging and syncing - if you don't want the plugs to come loose, buy the docking station right away
Now about the cons:
- Speaker volume is not enough
- The camera here does not correspond in any way to all the advertising hype unfolded around it, and you should not expect miracles from it.
- Poor viewing angles of the display
- Weak vibration, almost invisible in the jacket pocket
- The plugs are frankly annoying, especially if you often connect the device to a microUSB cable (well, where can you go without it). The Z1 removed the 3.5mm plug cap, already a big step forward
- Still, you should think about the bundling of flagship devices - everyone from Sony is used to waiting for miracles out of the box.
Should I buy or not? Cons and pros are in front of you. As one friend of mine who decided to switch to Android from iOS (only applies to the smartphone) said, he bought the Z1 only because of the design and only because of the good memory of past Sony devices. Something disappointed him, something made me happy, in fact. I wish there were no obvious flaws, first of all, this is the display. I would like an optimized camera right away, without finishing touches and updates in the process. There are simply no ideal devices on the market right now, everyone is strong in their own way - but if you are looking for a beautiful smartphone with Android on board, if you value design, then there is nowhere to look too much, it's either HTC or Sony.
Now we just have to wait for Sony's presentation at MWC (very soon), and then we'll see how the Z1, an extremely interesting but imperfect smartphone from the company, will change.
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Sergey Kuzmin ()
| Super auto mode Optimize settings for any shooting conditions. |
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| Manually Manually adjust the camera settings. |
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| Sound Photo Take photos with background noise. |
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| AR effect Take photos or videos of virtual scenes and characters. |
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Artistic effect
Apply effects to photos and videos. |
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| Info-eye ™ Get more information on what's displayed in the camera's viewfinder. |
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| Timeshift burst Choose the best photo from a series of shots. |
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Panoramic view
Take wide-angle and panoramic photos. |
For more information on how to improve the quality of your photos,. |
Best auto-tuning
With the best auto setting, the camera detects shooting conditions and automatically adjusts settings for optimal photo quality.
Manual mode
Use manual mode if you want to manually adjust the camera settings for taking photos and videos.
AR effects
You can apply AR (Augmented Reality) effects to your photos or video clips, making them more fun. This option allows you to add 3D backgrounds to your photos or videos while using the camera. Just select the background you want and adjust its position in the viewfinder.
Creative effect
You can apply different effects to your photos and videos. For example, you can add the Nostalgia effect to make your photos look old, or the Sketch effect to make the image fun.
Sweep panorama
You can shoot wide-angle and panoramic photos vertically or horizontally with a simple tap-and-swipe motion.
Creating a panoramic photo
Info-eye ™
The Info-eye ™ application searches for information about the surrounding objects using the camera's viewfinder. For example, you can take a snapshot of a landmark and get information about it right on the screen of your device. You can also take a photo of a book or QR code and instantly get information about these objects.
Scan barcode or QR code with Info-eye ™
Burst shooting
The camera takes a series of 61 photos within 2 seconds - one second before and after pressing the capture key. Thus, you can choose the best shot from the series of photos.
Using burst shooting
You can download free and paid camera apps from Google Play ™ and other resources. Before downloading, make sure you have a working internet connection, preferably a Wi-Fi® network, to minimize your data charges.
Quick start
Use the quick launch options to turn on the camera while the screen is locked.
Geotags
Add a tag to the photo with detailed information about the shooting location.
Shooting by touch
Determine the focus area, then tap the camera screen with your finger. The photo is taken as soon as the finger is lifted from the screen.
Sound
Choose between turning the shutter sound on or off.
Data storage
Data can be stored on a removable SD card or on the device's internal storage.
"Correcting mistakes", done with a plus
At the IFA 2013 exhibition of household appliances and electronics held in Berlin the other day, Sony Mobile, as expected, presented its updated flagship smartphone, which was included in the series of top-end mobile devices of the company, united under the general name Sony Xperia Z. The novelty was named Xperia Z1, which unambiguously makes it clear who exactly is being replaced this device... At the beginning of the year, the Japanese presented the world with the top-end smartphone Xperia Z, which instantly became widely known for its intricate design. “The Xperia Z is built with premium materials and for the first time introduces the new OmniBalance design concept with slightly rounded edges and smooth reflective surfaces on all sides,” the developers described their “glass” creation. Today, glass has been replaced by metal.
Exactly so: the new "zetka" side faces are now not mirrored at all, but matte metal, and not flat, but convex and rounded - we came across such a design quite recently when we met our neighbor in the line - the Xperia Z Ultra model. Thus, less than a year later, the "mirror" brothers, the Sony Xperia Z smartphone and the Xperia Tablet Z, were replaced by the "metal" Xperia Z Ultra and the hero of today's review, the Xperia Z1.
The two latest novelties are related, by the way, not only by a very close design, but also by the same hardware platform: the heart of both is the latest SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 with 4 cores operating at a frequency of more than 2 GHz. Therefore, quite expectedly, the new flagship of the Japanese demonstrated such high performance that any powerful smartphone of our time could envy it, including the Korean Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Taiwanese HTC One.
Main features of Sony Xperia Z1 (C6903)
- SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974), 2.2 GHz, 4 cores Krait 400
- GPU Adreno 330
- Operating system Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
- Touch display TFT Triluminos, 5.0 ″, 1920 × 1080, 440 ppi
- Random access memory (RAM) 2 GB, internal memory 16 GB
- MicroSD card support (up to 64GB, SDXC support)
- Communication GSM GPRS / EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
- Communication 3G UMTS HSDPA 850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz
- Communication 4G (LTE) Band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 17, 20 (2600/800 FDD are used on the territory of the Russian Federation)
- Bluetooth 4.0
- Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac (2.4 + 5 GHz), Wi-Fi hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct
- DLNA, NFC, MHL, OTG
- GPS / Glonass
- Dust / waterproof (IP55 / IP58 standards)
- Camera 20.7 Mp "Exmor RS for mobile", autofocus
- Camera 2 MP (front)
- Battery 3000 mAh
- Dimensions 144.4 x 73.9 x 8.5mm
- Weight 170 g
| Sony Xperia Z1 | Sony Xperia Z | Sony Xperia Z Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S4 | Htc one | Lenovo K900 | |
| Screen | 5 ″, ASV? | 5 ″, ASV? | 6.44 ″, IPS | 4.99 ″, S-AMOLED | 4.7 ″, S-LCD3 (IPS) | 5.5 ″, AH-IPS |
| Resolution | 1920 × 1080, 440 ppi | 1920 × 1080, 440 ppi | 1920 × 1080, 342 ppi | 1920 × 1080, 441 ppi | 1920 × 1080, 469 ppi | 1920 × 1080, 400 ppi |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro @ 1.5 GHz (4 cores, ARMv7 Krait) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 @ 2.2 GHz (4 cores, Krait 400) | Samsung Exynos 5410 @ 1.8 GHz (8 cores) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 @ 1.7 GHz (4 cores, Krait 300) | Intel Atom Z2580 @ 2 GHz (2 cores / 4 threads, x86) | |
| GPU | Adreno 330 | Adreno 320 | Adreno 330 | PowerVR SGX544MP3 | Adreno 320 | PowerVR SGX 544MP2 |
| RAM | 2 GB | 2 GB | 2 GB | 2 GB | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Flash memory | 16 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB | 16/32/64 GB | 16/32/64 GB | 16 GB |
| Memory card support | microSD | microSD | microSD | microSD | not | not |
| Operating system | Google Android 4.2 | Google Android 4.1 | Google Android 4.2 | Google Android 4.2 | Google Android 4.1 | Google Android 4.2 |
| Battery | non-removable, 3000 mAh | non-removable, 2330 mAh | non-removable, 3000 mAh | removable, 2600 mAh | non-removable, 2300 mAh | non-removable, 2500 mAh |
| Cameras | rear (20.7 Mp; video - 1080p), front (2 Mp) | rear (8 Mp; video - 1080p), front (2 Mp) | rear (13 Mp; video - 1080p), front (2 Mp) | rear (4 Mp; video - 1080p), front (2 Mp) | rear (13 Mp; video - 1080p), front (2 Mp) | |
| Dimensions (edit) | 144 x 74 x 8.5 mm, 170 g | 139 x 71 x 7.9mm, 146g | 179 x 92 x 6.5mm, 212g | 137 x 70 x 7.9 mm, 130 g | 137 x 68 x 9.3 mm, 143 grams | 157 x 78 x 6.9 mm, 162 g |
| Price * (J.Market) | T-10491965 | T-8555716 | T-10411024 | T-9383775 | T-10492194 | T-9293646 |
| Sony Xperia Z1 offers | L-10491965-10 | |||||
* if possible, the price is shown for a configuration with 16 GB of internal memory and with LTE support
Appearance and usability
In principle, readers who follow what is happening in the mobile device market are well aware of what is at stake when it comes to the unusual design of the original smartphone Xperia Z. There, according to the design concept of OmniBalance, in a frame made of rough to the touch composite material, flat panels were soldered on all sides, which really had mirror properties, although some of them were not made of glass (we are talking about the side faces). Approximately the same image was recreated in the appearance of the new products Xperia Z1 and Z Ultra, only now all this is completely molded from real metal, and naturally has no mirror properties. That is, there is, as it were, both a frame and flat panels, but this is all cut out by milling from a single piece of aluminum. This metal rim, by the way, also plays the role of an antenna. The stages of the processing of this metal part, including, by the way, and double anodizing of aluminum, were clearly demonstrated during the presentation at a separate stand.
The presentation, by the way, took place not on the territory of the IFA exhibition itself, but in a huge trade and exhibition complex built by the Japanese in the very center of Berlin, and which received a resounding, albeit not very modest name "Sony Center". This complex is marked on all tourist maps, and any Berlin taxi driver will take you there without any navigator. This is a very prominent and popular entertainment place in the capital of Germany, and, moreover, it is quite beautiful. This is how it looks from the height of the floor where the presentation of the novelty took place.
The photos were taken with the camera of the test Xperia Z1, you can familiarize yourself with the originals by clicking on the thumbnails below.
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Talking about the design of the new Sony Xperia Z1, I would like to note that the smartphone, like its counterpart Xperia Z Ultra, has begun to look more advantageous due to its sides, casting a matte metallic sheen. The view turned out to be more serious, monumental, and the convex rough rim became much more pleasant to the touch. This is all a matter of taste, of course, however, objectively, non-staining matte side edges are much more practical than mirrored glass ones. There are no prints here now, and the case does not slip so much in the fingers. There are, of course, glass soiled panels in front and behind, but there's nothing you can do about it, beauty requires sacrifice. Exactly the same front and back panels made of tempered glass, chained in a metal matte rim, conquered the hearts of Apple iPhone adherents at one time (we are talking about the 4th generation of the smartphone).
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The smartphone turned out to be very large: in terms of its dimensions, it can rightfully be called a "shovel", as it is now customary to call the owners of a large diagonal. Here the diagonal of the screen is as much as five inches, while the frames around the screen are not to say that they are thin: they are quite noticeable on the sides, but from the bottom, in general, they left almost two centimeters of empty space under the screen. And this despite the fact that all the buttons here are virtual, and they are located on the display itself in the form of software icons, which, in turn, eat off a lot of usable area near the screen itself. In any case, we have already seen thinner frames (in the same ZTE Nubia Z5, for example), but here the body cannot be called really elegant - the smartphone is very large. In addition, it is also very weighty: as much as 170 grams is the mass of this glass and metal structure.
Pictures: Sony Xperia Z1 versus 10-inch Sony Xperia Tablet Z
The body is monolithic: there are no removable parts here, the glass front and rear panels form a single whole with the metal of the side frame. The corresponding method of installing the cards follows from this structure: the SIM-card and the memory card are inserted into the slot-like side slots on both side edges. As it should be, the microSD card slot is equipped with a spring-loaded gripping mechanism that ejects the card when pressed again; The SIM slides into its slot on a flimsy plastic tray just like other current Sony models. All manipulations are carried out using your own nails - you don't have to use any paper clips here.
The slots are covered from the outside with protective caps, made outwardly to match the rest of the metal rim - they are well disguised, they are not striking. The covers are not only decorative, but also protective: the Xperia Z1, like its predecessors, is also officially certified to meet the IP55 and IP58 standards of protection against dust and moisture.
There are a lot of covers here, as many as three pieces, but they now do not cover all the connectors: according to new fashion trends, and thanks to the technical progress that has not stood still, the audio output is no longer closed from water - the hole gapes with emptiness, however, water will now not be able to inflict internal no damage to contacts.
There are on the side faces of the device and a few more remarkable details. Firstly, it is on the lower side edge, and not on the back panel, that the speaker grill is now brought out, which is good news. The large grille covers almost the entire bottom end, so it is almost impossible to block the sound here.
Secondly, here on the side edge there is an open contact group for connecting to the docking station connector - such an element is found in many of Sony's latest mobile creations, and this is also great, because it saves the nerves of owners who do not want to open and close the Micro lid every day. USB connector. True, quite often such a stand has to be purchased separately - the docking station is most often not included in the package of the device. In addition, they are different for each model, so there is no interchangeability here and will not be.
And thirdly, it is worth noting the separately dedicated hardware camera control key available here: it is a good help for those who like to shoot underwater, because there it is impossible to shoot by touching the screen with your fingers. The noticeable round metal badge of the power button, located above the volume key, has already become the hallmark of the latest generation of Japanese mobile devices.
As for the front and rear panels, they, as mentioned above, are made of glass, but on top are traditionally covered with a protective film glued at the factory. This film is not supposed to be removed: at least, you can lose the front Sony logo, if you decide to take such a step. The rear surface is not particularly remarkable, apart from, in fact, its glass essence. Here, only the camera windows and flashes are modestly hidden in the corner - everything else, including the speaker grill, has moved from here to the side edges.
The front panel is still more familiar: the front camera window and the sensor eyes are hidden under the glass in the upper part above the screen, but the bottom is completely empty. It’s strange, by the way, that the cute, elongated event indicator light that we saw in previous models of the Xperia Z series was not embedded here.Either we did not have a production sample in our hands, or it was conceived by the developers, but it was here that the indicator light hid in the area of the speaker grill, not at the bottom. The indicator is not at all bright, but on the contrary, it emits a dull, barely noticeable orange light, and it all looks rather strange.
And in conclusion, I would like to note, as usual, the choice of color options for the color of the body of the Sony Xperia Z1. There are no revelations here: like its predecessors, the body of the novelty is presented in three colors: black, white and purple. It is curious that the metal side edges are painted in the general color of the case, that is, if the case is purple, then the edges are also purple. By the way, at the presentation, one of the speakers separately noticed that the purple version of the previous Xperia Z really liked the users, so he was given a start in life in the future. About such an unusual choice of color, the speaker said that this color was not chosen from the ceiling. According to experts, there is a psychological background here: such a color is, as it were, "balanced", that is, it is obtained by "mixing" exciting red and cold blue shades.
About security
According to the IP55 and IP58 standards, the Sony Xperia Z1 is protected from moisture and dust ingress. When all ports and covers are securely closed, this smartphone is protected against low pressure water jets from all directions in accordance with the IP55 standard and / or can stay at a depth of 1.5 meters in fresh water in accordance with the IP58 standard for up to 30 minutes.
Our testing confirmed that the smartphone is not only impervious to water, but also perfectly controlled with wet fingers - until the screen is completely immersed in water. Plus, due to the presence of a dedicated hardware camera control key, the smartphone can be used as a camera for shooting underwater.
Equipment
The Sony Xperia Z1 smartphone comes to store shelves in a fairly simple-looking package made of thin unvarnished cardboard with several compartments inside. The initial kit is not rich: a powerful charger (1.5 A), a connecting cable and some waste paper. By the way, this smartphone, like other top Sony predecessors, supports the so-called "fast" charging, when in just half an hour spent at the outlet, the phone is charged so much that it can then hold out for an hour of talk time.
But for additional money, the new model offers so many accessories that a separate booklet was even devoted to them. In addition to the standard docking station, bluetooth headset, portable power supply, wireless speaker and even a tripod, there are also some more curious things. For example, you can purchase an additional plastic case for your smartphone with an ingenious mount for an even more unusual part - the camera. This device is a stand-alone camera (not connected to the lenses of the smartphone itself), which, nevertheless, can work in conjunction with the software of the device, connecting with it wirelessly. This curious device obviously requires separate testing, but it has not yet come into our hands. This is how it all looks live in full assembly: a hard plastic cover is put on the back of the smartphone itself, and a camera is already attached to it.
Screen
The Sony Xperia Z1 is equipped with a Triluminos HD display. In numbers, the physical parameters of the smartphone screen are as follows: dimensions - 61 × 110 mm, diagonal - 127 mm (5 inches), resolution - Full HD 1080p (1920 × 1080 pixels), pixel density is 440 ppi.
The brightness of the display has both manual and automatic adjustment, the latter is based on the operation of the light sensor. Multi-touch technology allows you to simultaneously process up to ten touches, which is confirmed by tests. There is also a proximity sensor that locks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. The picture is additionally processed using a software image enhancement technology called Sony X-Reality. A similar technology X-Reality Pro is now used in modern TVs of the Japanese company. In the production of the display itself, the OptiContrast technology was also used, which excludes an air gap between the glasses.
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Alexey Kudryavtsev, editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, carried out a detailed examination using measuring instruments. Here is his expert opinion on the screen.
The screen of the smartphone is covered with a glass plate, on which a plastic mirror-smooth protective film is factory-glued, relatively resistant to scratches, but still less hard than inorganic glass. As a result, after some time of operation, the screen is necessarily covered with scratches. However, with some diligence, this film can be detached and replaced with a new, compatible one. The factory protective film has quite pronounced oleophobic (grease-repellent) properties, so fingerprints are removed more easily, and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass. Judging by the decrease in the brightness of the reflected objects, the antiglare filter is present and its efficiency is high. At the same time, double vision (apparently, mainly due to the film) of these objects is weakly expressed, which indicates the absence of an air gap between the outer glass and the LCD matrix.
With manual brightness control, its maximum value was 460 cd / m², minimum - 34 cd / m². As a result, at maximum brightness in bright daylight, the smartphone can be used without much inconvenience, and minimum brightness will allow you to comfortably work with this mobile device even in complete darkness. There is an automatic brightness control according to the light sensor (it is located to the left of the logo on the front panel), the operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider. If it is set to 100%, then in complete darkness, the automatic brightness adjustment function reduces the brightness to 97 cd / m² (not too bright, but it could be lower), in an office illuminated with artificial light, the brightness rises to 245 cd / m² (acceptable) , in a very bright environment is set at 460 cd / m² (this is the maximum that you would expect). If the brightness slider is set to 50%, the values are as follows: 61, 170 and 460 cd / m²; by 0% - 19, 76 and 460 cd / m². In general, the function of automatic brightness adjustment does not cause any complaints, everything is perfect. At low brightness, there is no significant modulation of the backlight (up to 100 kHz inclusive), so there is no screen flickering.
In the technical specifications, Sony, like many other manufacturers, indicates that a TFT type sensor is used, without specifying its specific type. It is possible that this smartphone has an ASV type matrix. This is how the screen pixels look when displaying white and grayscale in order of decreasing lightness of the shade:
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| 75% |  |
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| 25% |  |
You will notice that as the hue decreases in brightness, the dark spot in the center of each sub-pixel increases, which suggests that the LCD is rotated towards the center of the sub-pixel, rather than horizontally as in the case of IPS, or vertically as in the case of * VA. By all appearances, the screen of this smartphone is very similar to the screen of the Sony Xperia Z. Recall that the results of a detailed face-to-face comparison of the Sony Xperia Z screen with the screens of three other top smartphones are given in a separate article.
The screen has good viewing angles, at least without a significant color shift. However, when you deviate from the perpendicular to the screen, the colors are noticeably brightened, the picture becomes whitish, and at very large angles of deviation, the lightest shades are inverted. The black field is also strongly lightened when deviated along the diagonal, but remains close to neutral gray. With a strictly perpendicular view, the uniformity of the black field is very good. The response time for the transition black-white-black is 10 ms (5.5 ms on + 4.5 ms off). The transition between the gray tones of 25% and 75% (by the numerical value of the color) and back takes 24 ms in total. The contrast is not very high - about 600: 1. The gamma curve plotted at 32 points did not reveal any blockage in highlights or shadows, and the exponent of the approximating power function is 1.90, which is lower than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve slightly deviates from the power law:
The color gamut is slightly wider than sRGB. Note that the color saturation is moderate, visually the colors are slightly brighter, but not yet so oversaturated that color images appear distorted.
Apparently, the components are well separated, and the spectra confirm this:
The color balance is imperfect, since the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (delta E) is not very large, but Colorful temperature and delta E vary markedly from hue to hue on the grayscale, which negatively affects the visual assessment of color balance. (The dark areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since there the color balance does not really matter, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)
The screen is bright, with an adequate automatic brightness adjustment, the colors are juicy, but the picture is strongly lightened when you deviate from the perpendicular to the screen. However, whether this drawback will have a large impact on consumer properties depends, rather, on the characteristics of the subjective perception of the consumer himself.
Sound
Sonically, the smartphone is exactly the same as its rugged predecessors, the Xperia Z and Z Ultra. Both speakers do not sound too loud, especially the external one. Obviously, the effect is the general specific internal arrangement, organized in order to protect against moisture ingress. The speaker is additionally covered with a special protective membrane that does not allow water to pass through, so the sound of such devices is more deaf and quiet. There are no special distortions in the auditory dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor, intonation and timbre are well recognizable, but it still sounds dull. The grill of the external speaker is not located at the back, but on the side - cut right into the bottom end. Accordingly, the sound will not be blocked by the surface when the phone is on the table.
In software terms, the sound subsystem of the Sony Xperia Z1 is equipped in the same way as any other modern Sony smartphone. The stock audio player, traditionally called Walkman, is rich in settings and additional software sound enhancements, such as a built-in equalizer with a mass of preset values (you can set your own), Clear Phase technologies, xLoud or virtual surround sound. Management of most of the settings is available if the complex ClearAudio + function is turned off, otherwise all settings are at the mercy of the machine. By the way, when using the complex ClearAudio + package of improvements, the sound of the external speaker becomes noticeably louder, but it still lacks the volume and clarity that, say, HTC One speakers have.
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Camera
The Sony Xperia Z1, like most modern smartphones, is equipped with two digital camera modules. The front camera here is equipped with a 2-megapixel module, shoots with a resolution of 1920 × 1080, the quality of the resulting photos can be judged by the test shot below.
The main rear 20.7-megapixel camera is equipped with a G-series lens with a focal length of 27 mm and an aperture of f / 2.0. The camera uses a 1 / 2.3 "Exmor RS for mobile" sensor and a "Bionz for mobile" processor.
By default, cameras on all Sony devices work in the so-called super-auto mode (iauto) with wide aspect ratio as standard. The resolution of pictures in automatic mode cannot be changed for the Sony Xperia Z1 camera, it is only one here and is approximately 8 megapixels (3840 × 2160). Examples of photos taken in automatic mode "out of the box", with comments on the quality - below.
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Sharpness is excellent on all shots, but only in the center. Sharpness falls towards the edges. |
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Noises in the shadows are moderate. The exposure is well chosen. Sharpness is still great and still only in the center. |
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In low light, the camera does a good job. Perhaps the shot is almost perfect when it comes to the center of the frame. |
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Nice demonstration of shooting in low light and demonstration of the possibilities of high resolution. |
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Sometimes the camera manages to pull even such pictures to the level of good compact cameras. |
The maximum resolution the Sony Xperia Z1 can shoot at can be achieved by switching the mode from automatic to manual. Then the pictures will be 5248 × 3936 in size, which is the same 20.7 megapixels. An example of such a snapshot can be viewed by clicking on the thumbnail below.
In the laboratory, we decided to test the camera at full resolution.
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In laboratory light, the camera copes very well, but it is already beginning to show itself as noise reduction. |
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With a slight deterioration in lighting, the situation remains almost unchanged. |
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