August 14, 2015 at 08:31Review Xperia Z3 +
Contrary to the tradition that has developed over the past few years, an updated flagship model appeared, this time, not in the autumn, but in the summer. The Xperia Z3 + smartphone has become even lighter, more powerful and even brighter than its predecessor, let’s get acquainted with all the innovations in more detail. Forward!
Appearance and Ergonomics
If you compare the new product with the Xperia Z3, then the differences will be minimal. The metal frame around the case is no longer matte, but glossy, to the touch it is even more pleasant, the corners made of polycarbonate remain - this is a very good solution for protection from falls and they really can soften the blow and protect the glass. There was only one stub - there are nano-SIM and micro-SD card slots underneath it, a slot for magnetic charging has disappeared, and a micro-USB connector is now on the bottom of the device. It should be noted that it now has moisture protection and does not require a separate plug. The device has become lighter (144 g) and thinner (6.9 mm), and this is noticeable to the naked eye and feels good if you hold both models in different hands. With its small thickness, Z3 + compares favorably with some competitors in the absence of protruding elements.
Screen
At first glance it might seem that the screen has not changed at all - the same size, the same resolution ... However, the first impression is misleading. The brightness increased by 16% compared to the Xperia Z3 display, you can notice this either in a very bright light (if the phone is in auto-adjust mode for lighting) or manually setting the brightness to maximum. It is worth noting that even at the maximum brightness level, proprietary technology for increasing contrast works fine and the image does not become “scorched”, as on some excessively bright screens. Viewing angles are still very wide and even a strong rotation of the screen does not affect the color and contrast, and the anti-reflective coating does its job perfectly. A test film showed a factory protective film on the screen, which many missed. Those, those who do not like the film can easily remove it. The sensor, as usual, recognizes ten simultaneous taps, and also has an improved mode of working with wet fingers.
Camera
The camera of the flagship Sony models has not changed since the Xperia Z1 - it seems to have been recently, but, meanwhile, almost two years have passed - it's time to make some improvements! The updated 20.7-megapixel camera with a 25-mm wide-angle G-Lens lens and F2.0 aperture has a maximum ISO sensitivity of 12800, which allows you to get very high-quality and clear pictures without noticeable noise in very low light. In the semi-automatic mode, the camera supports 52 shooting modes, from the usual “portrait” or “landscape” types to specific ones like “gourmet”, which will appeal to those who prefer to take a picture of their lunch and only then eat it. Like the Z3, the video mode works great, which can be praised not only for the high-quality picture, but also for the excellent stereo sound recording without unnecessary noise and distortion, but with good bass. By the way, a proprietary recorder application from Sony is available on Google Play, with which you can turn the device into a very high-quality audio recorder.
The 5-megapixel front camera migrated here from the Xperia C4 “selfie”, it has a wide-angle lens and has much wider settings than its predecessor, including, for example, supports HDR and Steady Shot modes, as well as a number of presets and applications from The "big" camera. If you are indifferent to self-portraits, then the front camera also shows itself perfectly during video communication, providing a clear and high-quality image without noise and artifacts than many "front-cameras" have sinned before.
Software and Multimedia
Like the Z4 Tablet, at the first launch it is possible to quickly transfer the main data from another smartphone, for this it is enough to attach the devices to each other with the back walls, enter the password for your Google account and wait a bit. By default, the flagship Android 5.0.2 is on board with the ability to receive further updates as they become available and the traditional Sony branded shell, which we already talked about in the winter. A set of pre-installed applications consists of a client for Socialife social networks, a Lifelog tracker (you can fully appreciate its work paired with a SmartWatch smartwatch or one of SmartBand bracelets), AVG antivirus, Office Suite office suite, Garmin navigator, Deezer music service and file manager File Commander. Moreover,
Speaking of music, the built-in stereo speakers are still surprisingly good (and by the standards of smartphones they are generally so superb) they cope with its playback, providing not only loud sound without distortion, but also moderately reliable low-frequency reproduction. Of course, there is no question of a “swinging” bass, but at least you can fully hear the “kick” in the tracks, and even feel if you hold the device in your hands at that time. In addition, Xperia Z3 + supports Hi-Res Audio and LDAC technology, which makes it possible to transmit high-quality audio via Bluetooth, so that the owners of the respective speakers and wireless headsets can now enjoy super-high-quality sound. The capabilities of the Walkman (now simply called Music) are quite familiar - it's a dynamic normalizer,
Performance and autonomy
Despite the minimal external differences from the Z3, inside the changes are very significant. Now the new eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor (4 cores of which operate at a frequency of 2 GHz, and another four - at 1.5) is responsible for the performance, with the support of three gigabytes of RAM and a powerful Adreno 430 video accelerator. This set is more than absolutely enough for any tasks and make it slow Z3 + is not possible, at least at the current stage. All games with complex and resource-intensive graphics work with maximum settings and maximum speed, the interface is extremely smooth and responsive, applications are launched instantly and switching between them occurs without delay. Fears about the tendency of the 810th “snap” to overheat did not materialize - we failed to get the device to critically heat up, neither in games, nor in synthetic tests, the results of which you can see a little lower. It is also worth noting that the amount of internal memory is now 32 GB.
The battery, in comparison with the Z3, “lost weight” from 3100 to 2930 mAh, which is compensated by the reduced power consumption of the new chipset, so the battery capacity was not affected by the autonomy, but it allowed to reduce the thickness of the device. In general, with fairly intensive use without an energy saving mode, maximum screen brightness and a full range of active connections (WiFi, LTE, Bluetooth, etc.), about 30% of the charge remains by the end of the day. By turning on the STAMINA mode, the duration of a single charge can be extended up to 2-3 days.
Communication
Z3 + supports all modern standard communications, catches the network perfectly and keeps in touch even in the presence of a weak signal, as usual it simply copes with navigation perfectly, guided not only by GPS and GLONASS satellites, but also by WiFi and cellular networks. The sound in the talk mode by default seemed a bit dull (albeit loud), but this was easily solved by switching the equalizer to “bright” mode.
It is very important that Z3 + can work in LTE cat 6 networks, which provides data transfer at speeds up to 300 Mb / s.
conclusions
An extremely successful planned update of the already successful flagship model. Despite the lack of revolutionary innovations, such pleasant moments as a brighter screen, a new front camera and a more powerful chipset can be good arguments in favor of buying a Z3 + even if you already have a Z3 or Z3 Compact.
Processor : 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (4x2 GHz, 4x1.5 GHz)
Memory : 3 GB RAM, 32 GB internal, SD card slot (up to 128 GB)
Video accelerator : Adreno 430
Display : 5.2 inches, IPS, 1920x1080
Camera : main 20.7 megapixels, front 5 megapixels
Battery : 2900 mAh
OS : Android 5.0
Protection : IP68
Appearance and Ergonomics
If you compare the new product with the Xperia Z3, then the differences will be minimal. The metal frame around the case is no longer matte, but glossy, to the touch it is even more pleasant, the corners made of polycarbonate remain - this is a very good solution for protection from falls and they really can soften the blow and protect the glass. There was only one stub - there are nano-SIM and micro-SD card slots underneath it, a slot for magnetic charging has disappeared, and a micro-USB connector is now on the bottom of the device. It should be noted that it now has moisture protection and does not require a separate plug. The device has become lighter (144 g) and thinner (6.9 mm), and this is noticeable to the naked eye and feels good if you hold both models in different hands. With its small thickness, Z3 + compares favorably with some competitors in the absence of protruding elements.
Screen
At first glance it might seem that the screen has not changed at all - the same size, the same resolution ... However, the first impression is misleading. The brightness increased by 16% compared to the Xperia Z3 display, you can notice this either in a very bright light (if the phone is in auto-adjust mode for lighting) or manually setting the brightness to maximum. It is worth noting that even at the maximum brightness level, proprietary technology for increasing contrast works fine and the image does not become “scorched”, as on some excessively bright screens. Viewing angles are still very wide and even a strong rotation of the screen does not affect the color and contrast, and the anti-reflective coating does its job perfectly. A test film showed a factory protective film on the screen, which many missed. Those, those who do not like the film can easily remove it. The sensor, as usual, recognizes ten simultaneous taps, and also has an improved mode of working with wet fingers.
Camera
The camera of the flagship Sony models has not changed since the Xperia Z1 - it seems to have been recently, but, meanwhile, almost two years have passed - it's time to make some improvements! The updated 20.7-megapixel camera with a 25-mm wide-angle G-Lens lens and F2.0 aperture has a maximum ISO sensitivity of 12800, which allows you to get very high-quality and clear pictures without noticeable noise in very low light. In the semi-automatic mode, the camera supports 52 shooting modes, from the usual “portrait” or “landscape” types to specific ones like “gourmet”, which will appeal to those who prefer to take a picture of their lunch and only then eat it. Like the Z3, the video mode works great, which can be praised not only for the high-quality picture, but also for the excellent stereo sound recording without unnecessary noise and distortion, but with good bass. By the way, a proprietary recorder application from Sony is available on Google Play, with which you can turn the device into a very high-quality audio recorder.
The 5-megapixel front camera migrated here from the Xperia C4 “selfie”, it has a wide-angle lens and has much wider settings than its predecessor, including, for example, supports HDR and Steady Shot modes, as well as a number of presets and applications from The "big" camera. If you are indifferent to self-portraits, then the front camera also shows itself perfectly during video communication, providing a clear and high-quality image without noise and artifacts than many "front-cameras" have sinned before.
Software and Multimedia
Like the Z4 Tablet, at the first launch it is possible to quickly transfer the main data from another smartphone, for this it is enough to attach the devices to each other with the back walls, enter the password for your Google account and wait a bit. By default, the flagship Android 5.0.2 is on board with the ability to receive further updates as they become available and the traditional Sony branded shell, which we already talked about in the winter. A set of pre-installed applications consists of a client for Socialife social networks, a Lifelog tracker (you can fully appreciate its work paired with a SmartWatch smartwatch or one of SmartBand bracelets), AVG antivirus, Office Suite office suite, Garmin navigator, Deezer music service and file manager File Commander. Moreover,
Speaking of music, the built-in stereo speakers are still surprisingly good (and by the standards of smartphones they are generally so superb) they cope with its playback, providing not only loud sound without distortion, but also moderately reliable low-frequency reproduction. Of course, there is no question of a “swinging” bass, but at least you can fully hear the “kick” in the tracks, and even feel if you hold the device in your hands at that time. In addition, Xperia Z3 + supports Hi-Res Audio and LDAC technology, which makes it possible to transmit high-quality audio via Bluetooth, so that the owners of the respective speakers and wireless headsets can now enjoy super-high-quality sound. The capabilities of the Walkman (now simply called Music) are quite familiar - it's a dynamic normalizer,
Performance and autonomy
Despite the minimal external differences from the Z3, inside the changes are very significant. Now the new eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor (4 cores of which operate at a frequency of 2 GHz, and another four - at 1.5) is responsible for the performance, with the support of three gigabytes of RAM and a powerful Adreno 430 video accelerator. This set is more than absolutely enough for any tasks and make it slow Z3 + is not possible, at least at the current stage. All games with complex and resource-intensive graphics work with maximum settings and maximum speed, the interface is extremely smooth and responsive, applications are launched instantly and switching between them occurs without delay. Fears about the tendency of the 810th “snap” to overheat did not materialize - we failed to get the device to critically heat up, neither in games, nor in synthetic tests, the results of which you can see a little lower. It is also worth noting that the amount of internal memory is now 32 GB.
The battery, in comparison with the Z3, “lost weight” from 3100 to 2930 mAh, which is compensated by the reduced power consumption of the new chipset, so the battery capacity was not affected by the autonomy, but it allowed to reduce the thickness of the device. In general, with fairly intensive use without an energy saving mode, maximum screen brightness and a full range of active connections (WiFi, LTE, Bluetooth, etc.), about 30% of the charge remains by the end of the day. By turning on the STAMINA mode, the duration of a single charge can be extended up to 2-3 days.
Communication
Z3 + supports all modern standard communications, catches the network perfectly and keeps in touch even in the presence of a weak signal, as usual it simply copes with navigation perfectly, guided not only by GPS and GLONASS satellites, but also by WiFi and cellular networks. The sound in the talk mode by default seemed a bit dull (albeit loud), but this was easily solved by switching the equalizer to “bright” mode.
It is very important that Z3 + can work in LTE cat 6 networks, which provides data transfer at speeds up to 300 Mb / s.
conclusions
An extremely successful planned update of the already successful flagship model. Despite the lack of revolutionary innovations, such pleasant moments as a brighter screen, a new front camera and a more powerful chipset can be good arguments in favor of buying a Z3 + even if you already have a Z3 or Z3 Compact.
Processor : 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (4x2 GHz, 4x1.5 GHz)
Memory : 3 GB RAM, 32 GB internal, SD card slot (up to 128 GB)
Video accelerator : Adreno 430
Display : 5.2 inches, IPS, 1920x1080
Camera : main 20.7 megapixels, front 5 megapixels
Battery : 2900 mAh
OS : Android 5.0
Protection : IP68