Sony Xperia Z1 review

The Xperia Z1 is definitely a big launch from Sony and is currently one of the best selling smartphones in the market. The screen size of the phone is similar to that of the Samsung Galaxy S4, with 5 inches of HD display. There are a lot more exclusive features in this advanced Xperia that should be appreciated.

Design

The design of Xperia Z1 is outstanding and has no comparison with the earlier Z model. There are many improvisations on the design front of the phone. The philosophy behind this Sony model is Omnibalance, which is the latest invention of the company.When the appearance of Z1 is considered, there is hardly any difference between Z1 and its predecessor. Both the models are of approximately the same size, and the power button and the logo of Sony and Xperia are at the same place. The phone is available in Black, Purple and White colors.

The phone is covered in a frame of aluminum which makes it sturdy and tough. The Xperia Z1 is comparatively thicker than its predecessor and also Z Ultra. Just like the Xperia Z, Z1 is also waterproof and resistant to dust and all the slots and ports are covered with flaps of fiberglass for protection.

The phone has rounded edges that make it comfortable to handle. If you are thinking that it could slide easily in your pocket, then you are mistaken. This phone is a big chap, so you will have to think twice before buying it, considering its size. The back of the phone is glass built and has a camera lens with LED flash.

Display

The Xperia Z1 has an HD display of 5 inches, having resolution pixels of 1080x1920 and pixel density is 440 ppi. The display of the phone has Triluminos technology, which was invented and used in Z Ultra. The display of Xperia Z1 has mixed reactions about the performance. While the display is bright and shows vibrant colors, but the angle of viewing the images is not that brilliant when compared to Ultra. From one side, the colors look washed out in a shade of grey.

Camera

With an amazing picture quality, the Sony Xperia has 20.7 megapixels of camera having 1/2.3 inches of the Exmor RS image sensor. Sony has G lens angle of 27 mm wide and f/2.0 aperture. This smartphone has the superior imaging specifications and the picture quality live up to the expectations of the customers.

The Superior auto mode is the default mode with which you can capture images as per the ambient conditions. Unless you want to click a picture in a particular mode, you can comfortably use the default mode. You don’t need to mess with the settings the phone does it for you automatically. The other basic settings like self timer, LED flash, face detection; shutter sound, preview and much more are present. The photos can be clicked in picture effect, manual, sweep panorama, info eye, Evernote, AR effect, timeshift burst and social live.

The Xperia Z1 camera gives you multiple options for choosing the resolution and modes.If you want to take the photos indoors, even in low lights, the Z1’s camera performs brilliantly. You can very well click decent pictures with this Smartphone.

User Interface

This amazing smartphone works on 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, which is the latest Android version but Sony might get a newer update soon. The 4.3 update will be soon launched for older Xperia phones. The Sony has also included a menu in app launcher which allows users to find apps, use and uninstall them if needed, arrange them in the order.

Users can also select toggles from the setting which are found in Notifications tray. With exciting eight themes, you can even change the color scheme of your Xperia Z1. The app shortcuts and widgets can be managed too. The keyboard of the Xperia is its own and is much better than that of Xperia Z. There’s a button called as the task switcher which will take you to the list of running apps. You can open or close the app by sliding it.

The phone has Walkman, Movies, Album like functions for entertainment. The apps in the stock are customized like the other Sony Xperia models. There are a wide range of pre-installed apps which include, Socialife, Wisepilot, TrackID, X4 video player, smart connect, X-Alert, Notes, File Commander, Voice Dialer, sketch and video editor called as Magisto. The basic apps are Facebook, Whatsapp, YouTube, Chrome, BigFlix, LinkedIn and Box also included. In addition to this music apps are also installed in it.Sony is indeed offering the best smartphone experience.

Battery Life and Performance

The Sony Xperia Z1 runs on the 2.2 GHz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with the memory of 2GB RAM onboard combined with Adreno 330 GPU. The built in memory of the phone is 16GB which can be expanded up to 64 GB with the help of micro SD card.

Verdict

The overall performance of the Xperia Z1 is very impressive and thanks to Sony for that. There is no fault or lag observed while launching or playing the apps or games or switching from any apps. Users can enjoy watching HD videos smoothly with all the formats like AVI and MOV that are supported by the phone.

However, the speaker of the Xperia Z1 is not up to the expectations even at a high level of volume. The loudness could have been better. This is realized while talking on the call. The function called as Clear Audio+ sported more clarity while playing the music.

The memory of the phone is pretty good with 3000mAh and the battery lasts for a full day. Even if the internet is used along with the calls, the battery runs for a longer time. You can chat for good number of hours as the battery will run for up to 11-12 hours.

It is important to suggest keeping the brightness level minimum and the Wi-Fi off if you want the battery to last for the maximum time.The stamina mode on Sony offers an auto shut down of the apps which otherwise drains the battery, when the screen is off and use them once the screen is switched on.

The Sony Xperia Z1 is available at Rs. 44,990 and is worth the cost if you neglect the minor flaws. It is the great combination of design and excellent features coming together in Z1.