February 17, 2014 at 12:27Review Xperia Z1 Compact
In the race for the diagonal of the screen, which unfolded in full force last year, there was a sharp turn, or rather, a turn: displays of flagship smartphones reached cyclopean sizes and began to return to the optimal size - 4.3 inches, which was undeservedly forgotten in this market segment. The first model that Sony releases this year was the compact version of Xperia Z1, which we already managed to disassemble on Habré , but we suggest you familiarize yourself with its review.
First impressions
Unlike many compact modifications of top-end devices, the Xperia Z1 Compact (for brevity, call it Z1C) differs from the “big brother” only in screen size and battery capacity, well, and in the back cover made of plastic, not glass. No savings on processor frequency, memory, camera or video system!
We will not describe in detail and boring the arrangement of buttons and connectors - it is the same as that of the large Z1, and, in principle, like other Sony models designed in accordance with the OmniBalance design concept adopted last year. The location of the contacts allows you to use the docking station from Z1 for charging (but you can put the phone in the “glass” from the Acro S, but unfortunately not charge it - the connectors do not match). The headset jack is designed to be protected against water, so you won’t have to open the plug every time you plug in the headphones. If you use the docking station and cloud services, the stubs, in principle, you can not touch at all and not be afraid that they will ever get loose.
The phone lies perfectly in the hand, maybe it affects the habit of a similar device format, or maybe it really turned out to be ideal. Attentive citizens will notice that the Z1C has become a little thicker, literally 1 mm, but due to the design of the side faces visually broken into three parts, it doesn’t look “fat” like the ZR and perfectly maintains the elegance of the lines. 130 grams, of course, is a solid weight, but, in my opinion, feeling this heaviness in your hand is much more pleasant than holding weightless plastic devices. The device fits perfectly in pockets and does not interfere with movement. However, because of the plastic back, it is worth paying more attention to the contents of the pockets in order to avoid its contact, for example, with keys.
Display
The screen evokes the most positive emotions - the IPS-matrix paired with TRILUMINOS technology migrated from TVs provides a clear image with rich colors, smooth gradients and excellent contrast. Due to its small size, you can not save on brightness - even if you set it to maximum, a catastrophic discharge of the battery will not occur. 1280x720 resolution is more than enough for this diagonal - only a very picky and observant person with sharp eyesight can notice the pixelation with the naked eye, and the fonts are perfectly smoothed, making reading very comfortable. Claims to viewing angles, so beloved by many participants in online discussions, are definitely inappropriate here - the image does not lose color when tilted, unless it gets a little darker if the angle is more than 45 degrees. A rather thick frame around the display can cause some dissatisfaction, however, we will write this off to the costs of moisture protection. By the way, the Z1C sensor does not go crazy with wet fingers and can work in the “glove mode”, which will be very useful in the next couple of months. As usual, a protective film is already pasted on the screen.
Battery The
capacity of a non-removable battery is 2300 mAh - less than that of Z1, but the small screen diagonal reduces the energy consumption for backlighting, which is one of the main “consumption items", so that in terms of autonomy the compact version is not inferior to the usual one. With the most intensive use, without particularly saving on brightness and energy-intensive services such as geolocation, one charge lasts for a working day and remains a little longer, but the included STAMINA mode promises up to ten days without recharging in standby mode.
Protection
In accordance with IP58, the Z1C can be used under water without fear of moisture getting inside. In practice, of course, few people use the phone every day for underwater shooting, but you can not be afraid of rain, spray and spilled drinks, and, in which case, you can rinse the device under the tap. After immersion in water, a temporary “rattling” of the conversational and external speakers is possible, caused by the ingress of water into the membrane, which passes after drying. A hairdryer is not recommended.
Camera
The same 20.7-megapixel camera with a focal length of 2.0 and G-Lens optics, which was one of the main “chips” Z1, is installed here. Focusing problems, which the very first users complained about, were successfully resolved in the first update, but the application itself, which is responsible for the operation of the camera, acquired new features, for example, integration with Evernote (a series of frames can be instantly saved in one of the notebooks) and geolocation Photographic Info-eye mode. The automatic mode works great in bright conditions, but for more difficult shooting conditions it is highly recommended to use manual settings, for example, ISO, to avoid excessive graininess, as well as adjust the white balance yourself. By the way, the maximum resolution is available only in manual mode. Like other models,
In the current firmware, when the camera is started, a jingle is played, which may be familiar to the owners of CyberShot cameras, disconnecting it only with all other sounds. I don’t know if this was done on purpose or due to oversight, but I would like to be able to mute this sound.
Performance
As in the case of last year's Xperia ZR, reducing the screen diagonal without “cutting” the iron benefited the performance, so the Z1C in some tests works even faster than the more expensive Z1. FPS in 3DMark-demanding games and tests stays confidently around 50, especially complex scenes cause a noticeable heat in the logo area on the back wall, however, it does not reach critical temperatures and does not affect the smartphone’s performance. Below you can see the results of the main tests.
Multimedia
The updated Walkman allows you to not only listen to music, but also download the correct tags and covers from the server, sort music not only by albums, artists and playlists, but also by mood, the “improvers” remain the same - this is a dynamic equalizer for songs, ClearAudio +, at the same time performing the function of an exciter and a compressor and stereo expander, as well as a five-band equalizer, imitation of surround sound, and the possibility of compression and increased monocompatibility when listening to music through an external din Amik. The speaker works perfectly and its maximum volume seems even excessive, so about 85% can be considered the most comfortable level. No complaints were received from interlocutors about the quality of the transmitted sound. There was no headset in the test package, so Urbanears Plattan headphones were used to test the sound. Everything turned out to be traditionally excellent here - elastic basses, a legible middle and a clean top. You can complain, except that, on the limitation of volume, which, in principle, can be circumvented using third-party players.
Summary
I don’t know about you, but I really missed the flagships of 2011-12, such as Arc S and S. Xperia Z1 Compact, I feel very close to them. The optimal size, high performance, excellent bright screen with decent viewing angles, an unusual selection of colors and not the highest price. We remind you that on February 24, at the MWC 2014 exhibition, Sony will host a presentation at which something interesting will be presented. Follow the news!
Specifications
Processor : quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974, 2200 MHz
Memory : 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal memory, SD card slot
Video : Adreno 330
Display : 4.3 ”, TRILUMINOS, 1280x720, IPS, 16 million colors, anti-scratch protection .
Navigation: GPS, GLONASS
Main camera : Exmor RS 1 / 2.3`` , 20.7 megapixels
Front camera : 2mp
Battery : 2300 mAh, non-removable
OS : Android 4.3
Protection : IP58
Dimensions : 127x64.9x9.5 mm
Weight: 137 g
First impressions
Unlike many compact modifications of top-end devices, the Xperia Z1 Compact (for brevity, call it Z1C) differs from the “big brother” only in screen size and battery capacity, well, and in the back cover made of plastic, not glass. No savings on processor frequency, memory, camera or video system!
We will not describe in detail and boring the arrangement of buttons and connectors - it is the same as that of the large Z1, and, in principle, like other Sony models designed in accordance with the OmniBalance design concept adopted last year. The location of the contacts allows you to use the docking station from Z1 for charging (but you can put the phone in the “glass” from the Acro S, but unfortunately not charge it - the connectors do not match). The headset jack is designed to be protected against water, so you won’t have to open the plug every time you plug in the headphones. If you use the docking station and cloud services, the stubs, in principle, you can not touch at all and not be afraid that they will ever get loose.
The phone lies perfectly in the hand, maybe it affects the habit of a similar device format, or maybe it really turned out to be ideal. Attentive citizens will notice that the Z1C has become a little thicker, literally 1 mm, but due to the design of the side faces visually broken into three parts, it doesn’t look “fat” like the ZR and perfectly maintains the elegance of the lines. 130 grams, of course, is a solid weight, but, in my opinion, feeling this heaviness in your hand is much more pleasant than holding weightless plastic devices. The device fits perfectly in pockets and does not interfere with movement. However, because of the plastic back, it is worth paying more attention to the contents of the pockets in order to avoid its contact, for example, with keys.
Display
The screen evokes the most positive emotions - the IPS-matrix paired with TRILUMINOS technology migrated from TVs provides a clear image with rich colors, smooth gradients and excellent contrast. Due to its small size, you can not save on brightness - even if you set it to maximum, a catastrophic discharge of the battery will not occur. 1280x720 resolution is more than enough for this diagonal - only a very picky and observant person with sharp eyesight can notice the pixelation with the naked eye, and the fonts are perfectly smoothed, making reading very comfortable. Claims to viewing angles, so beloved by many participants in online discussions, are definitely inappropriate here - the image does not lose color when tilted, unless it gets a little darker if the angle is more than 45 degrees. A rather thick frame around the display can cause some dissatisfaction, however, we will write this off to the costs of moisture protection. By the way, the Z1C sensor does not go crazy with wet fingers and can work in the “glove mode”, which will be very useful in the next couple of months. As usual, a protective film is already pasted on the screen.
Battery The
capacity of a non-removable battery is 2300 mAh - less than that of Z1, but the small screen diagonal reduces the energy consumption for backlighting, which is one of the main “consumption items", so that in terms of autonomy the compact version is not inferior to the usual one. With the most intensive use, without particularly saving on brightness and energy-intensive services such as geolocation, one charge lasts for a working day and remains a little longer, but the included STAMINA mode promises up to ten days without recharging in standby mode.
Protection
In accordance with IP58, the Z1C can be used under water without fear of moisture getting inside. In practice, of course, few people use the phone every day for underwater shooting, but you can not be afraid of rain, spray and spilled drinks, and, in which case, you can rinse the device under the tap. After immersion in water, a temporary “rattling” of the conversational and external speakers is possible, caused by the ingress of water into the membrane, which passes after drying. A hairdryer is not recommended.
Camera
The same 20.7-megapixel camera with a focal length of 2.0 and G-Lens optics, which was one of the main “chips” Z1, is installed here. Focusing problems, which the very first users complained about, were successfully resolved in the first update, but the application itself, which is responsible for the operation of the camera, acquired new features, for example, integration with Evernote (a series of frames can be instantly saved in one of the notebooks) and geolocation Photographic Info-eye mode. The automatic mode works great in bright conditions, but for more difficult shooting conditions it is highly recommended to use manual settings, for example, ISO, to avoid excessive graininess, as well as adjust the white balance yourself. By the way, the maximum resolution is available only in manual mode. Like other models,
In the current firmware, when the camera is started, a jingle is played, which may be familiar to the owners of CyberShot cameras, disconnecting it only with all other sounds. I don’t know if this was done on purpose or due to oversight, but I would like to be able to mute this sound.
Performance
As in the case of last year's Xperia ZR, reducing the screen diagonal without “cutting” the iron benefited the performance, so the Z1C in some tests works even faster than the more expensive Z1. FPS in 3DMark-demanding games and tests stays confidently around 50, especially complex scenes cause a noticeable heat in the logo area on the back wall, however, it does not reach critical temperatures and does not affect the smartphone’s performance. Below you can see the results of the main tests.
Multimedia
The updated Walkman allows you to not only listen to music, but also download the correct tags and covers from the server, sort music not only by albums, artists and playlists, but also by mood, the “improvers” remain the same - this is a dynamic equalizer for songs, ClearAudio +, at the same time performing the function of an exciter and a compressor and stereo expander, as well as a five-band equalizer, imitation of surround sound, and the possibility of compression and increased monocompatibility when listening to music through an external din Amik. The speaker works perfectly and its maximum volume seems even excessive, so about 85% can be considered the most comfortable level. No complaints were received from interlocutors about the quality of the transmitted sound. There was no headset in the test package, so Urbanears Plattan headphones were used to test the sound. Everything turned out to be traditionally excellent here - elastic basses, a legible middle and a clean top. You can complain, except that, on the limitation of volume, which, in principle, can be circumvented using third-party players.
Summary
I don’t know about you, but I really missed the flagships of 2011-12, such as Arc S and S. Xperia Z1 Compact, I feel very close to them. The optimal size, high performance, excellent bright screen with decent viewing angles, an unusual selection of colors and not the highest price. We remind you that on February 24, at the MWC 2014 exhibition, Sony will host a presentation at which something interesting will be presented. Follow the news!
Specifications
Processor : quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974, 2200 MHz
Memory : 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal memory, SD card slot
Video : Adreno 330
Display : 4.3 ”, TRILUMINOS, 1280x720, IPS, 16 million colors, anti-scratch protection .
Navigation: GPS, GLONASS
Main camera : Exmor RS 1 / 2.3`` , 20.7 megapixels
Front camera : 2mp
Battery : 2300 mAh, non-removable
OS : Android 4.3
Protection : IP58
Dimensions : 127x64.9x9.5 mm
Weight: 137 g