Test of Sony Xperia Z3 and Sony Xperia Z3 Compact smartphones: a sweet couple

 

Sony XperiaZ3 and Z3 Compact smartphones were presented simultaneously, and for the first time they could be seen at IFA 2014.

 

In the case of the Z3 Compact, the company did not simplify the smartphone and “cut down” some key characteristics, as is usually done in smaller versions of flagships. The differences between the Z3 Compact and the full-size flagship Z3, in addition to different dimensions, come down to a lower screen resolution (HD, not Full HD), less RAM (2, not GB) and a slightly smaller battery capacity. The chipsets installed here are identical, and, judging by the characteristics given, the camera is identical.

 

 

We reviewed smartphones in classic black color. In my opinion, not the best option. The Sony Xperia Z3 is available in five color options, while the Z3 Compact comes in four.

 

 

There are no complaints about the build quality and materials. The devices look and feel exactly like you’d expect from Sony’s top-end smartphones.

 

The glass back panel looks impressive, but is impractical. Fingerprints are clearly visible, especially on black phones like ours.

 

 

Note that the Z3 Compact uses translucent polymer around the perimeter rather than a metal frame. I like this option even better. The device looks interesting.

 

 

Even with fairly thin bodies, the developers managed to make the rear panels of the Z3 and Z3 Compact completely flat. In many other top smartphones, the camera modules protrude somewhat from the body.

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The location of the mechanical buttons is identical. The power button and volume control are located on the right side of the case. Personally, I didn’t really like the close distance between these buttons. Out of habit, I sometimes made mistakes, for example, I pressed volume up instead of the power button.

 

The main control buttons are virtual: they are not located on the body, but appear on the screens of smartphones. I did not notice any disadvantages of this solution.

 

 

The covers of the Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact smartphones are non-removable. Nano-SIM cards and memory cards are installed in slots located on the edges of the devices.

 

Traditionally for many Sony smartphones, the Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact pair have IP65/68 protection against water and dust. This is a fairly powerful standard of protection, allowing devices to be immersed in water to a depth of 1.5 m for up to 30 minutes. Of course, you need to make sure that all the plugs are not damaged and that they securely close the corresponding slots on the smartphones.

 

 

Screen

 

 

The full-size Sony Xperia Z3 has a 5.2-inch screen with Full HD resolution (1920×1080 pixels), and the Z3 Compact has a 4.6-inch screen with HD resolution (1280×720 pixels). Some may be confused by the relatively low screen resolution of the Z3 Compact by modern standards, but in my opinion, it is absolutely sufficient given the diagonal of this model.

 

In terms of viewing angles, the models are subjectively at a decent level, which is ensured by IPS matrices. Smartphones provide the ability to customize color rendering, and there are proprietary image enhancement modes. True, I preferred to use smartphones without these modes, since with them the picture looks oversaturated, in my opinion.

 

The maximum brightness of the Z3 screen was higher than that of the Z3 Compact. According to measurements – 487 versus 382 cd/m2. But in both cases these are excellent results. Both devices can handle up to ten simultaneous clicks.

 

Some “tricks”

 

In addition to the features that have become familiar in devices of this class, for example, support for gestures (rejecting a call, turning off the ringtone, etc.), tracking “user presence” (when the screen will not turn off if you look at it), noise reduction when transmitting voice, tracking and blocking a smartphone in case of loss or theft, working with gloves, the devices also have some unique capabilities.

 

For example, Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact can be controlled using controllers from the PlayStation console. PS4 Remote Play lets you use your smartphone screen instead of your TV screen to play games on PlayStation 4.

 

 

Sound

 

Unfortunately, neither a headset nor headphones are included with the Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact. Apparently, the manufacturer did not add any simple accessories, since they can ruin the impression when using smartphones, and high-quality headphones or a headset can significantly increase the cost of the device.

 

Both smartphones are equipped with stereo speakers located on the front panel. I would rate the sound of the Sony Xperia Z3 speakers as “above average”. The Z3 plays well, but there are also smartphones that are more advanced in this regard. The Z3 Compact sounds a little quieter and slightly worse. The size of the device probably affected it.

 

Shooting

 

 

Pay attention to the labels on smartphone camera lenses. In addition to the 20-megapixel resolution of the matrix, it is indicated here (attention!), the standard size of the matrix is 1/2.3”. Not the focal length, not the lens aperture, but the standard size. For reference: the larger the matrix size, the higher the shooting quality, all other things being equal.

 

The matrices in the Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact are really large for smart phones. Matrixes of a similar size can still be found in some other smartphones, but in most models, even if we are talking about flagships, more compact 1/3” matrices are installed.

 

The shooting quality is at a very decent level, but given the large matrix, I expected more. Many modern top smartphones take better pictures.

 

 

By default, a special automatic mode is set, in which the devices detect shooting conditions (macro, evening, landscape, etc.) and automatically select the necessary settings. It is noteworthy that in this mode the received frames are reduced to 8 megapixels. permission. More possibilities can be obtained if you shoot in the so-called “manual mode”.

 

Here HDR shooting becomes available; by the way, it is also available when recording video; you can change the ISO sensitivity manually, set the exposure metering mode and many other settings.

 

Among the advanced, although not unique, capabilities today, we can list serial shooting, shooting simultaneously with two cameras with adding the image of the shooter to the picture, a mode with highlighting an object by blurring the background, creating animated images, panoramic shooting (not spherical). It is possible to download additional modules that expand the functionality of the camera. True, there are few such modules at the moment.

 

 

Separately, I would like to note the ability to wirelessly connect a smartphone with some other smartphones and Sony cameras for simultaneous shooting mode. On your smartphone screen you will see what your smartphone records, and at the same time what the camera of the connected smartphone “sees”. In one frame you can get images from cameras of several devices at once. Interesting feature.

 

When shooting video, powerful 1080p60 and 4K modes are available. Slow motion is implemented in a rather interesting way. You manually select the moments you want to slow down during post-processing of the recording. Electronic image stabilization is available in some modes. In this case, the camera’s viewing angle decreases.

 

The backlight LED unpleasantly surprised us with its low power. Smartphones will not work well as a flashlight. There may also be problems with apps like Instant Heart Rate for measuring heart rate.

 

 

Performance

 

The installed Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipsets with a frequency of up to 2.5 GHz and Adreno 330 GPU provide excellent performance. Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact no longer set speed records today, but in various tests you will see simply excellent scores.

 

Personally, I liked the way the SonyXperiaZ3 and Z3 Compact performed. With several applications open, when working with menus, watching videos, playing games, etc., the devices pleased with their responsiveness and smooth operation without slowdowns.

 

 

Autonomy

 

In continuous playback of YouTube videos at 720p quality with the screen brightness set to medium, the Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact were able to work for 10 hours and 15 minutes. and 9:00 a.m. respectively.

 

In games, battery life was 5 hours 5 minutes. for Z3 and 4 hours 45 minutes. at Z3 Compact. As you can see, in both cases the Sony Xperia Z3 worked a little longer.

 

The results, by the way, are generally very good. It is curious that during operation, smartphones from time to time provide various tips on how to increase operating time, and in the settings menu you can find a special section for optimizing energy consumption. So you won’t have to resort to an external battery often. Unfortunately, they are not equipped with the possibility of wireless charging without additional accessories.

 

Conclusions

 

At the time of preparing the material on the Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact, news began to arrive that in some countries it became possible to update these models to Android 5.0. Unfortunately, new firmware for our region has not yet been prepared and all tests and measurements of the Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact were carried out running Android 4.4. You can expect that running Android 5.0, the Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact will be even more interesting.

 

Smartphones left an extremely positive impression. They are free of any serious shortcomings and provide everything you would expect from a high-end smartphone. The devices are not cheap, but they have their own charm that can win the sympathy of the user.
The Z3 Compact is of particular interest. Its uniqueness lies in the combination of its small size and characteristics similar to those of flagship devices. This combination is rare today.

 

Characteristics of Sony Xperia Z3 (D6603)/Sony Xperia Z3 Compact (D5803)

Screen size	5.2”/4.6”
Screen resolution	1980×1080 pixels, IPS/1280×720 pixels, IPS
Operating system	Android 4.4 (update to Android 5.0 expected)
Camera resolution	20 megapixels. (main), 2.2 megapixels. (front)
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 2.5 GHz
RAM capacity	3 GB/2 GB
Built-in memory	16 GB
Card reader	microSD (up to 128 GB)
Sound	stereo speakers
Interfaces	Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, NFC, USB Host, MHL 3.0
FM radio	yes
GPS receiver, GLONASS/light sensor	yes/yes/yes
Battery capacity	3100 mAh/2600 mAh
Additional features	waterproof housing
Dimensions	146x72x7.3 mm/127×64.9×8.6 mm
Weight	152 g/129 g
Supplier	Sony representative
Price	$580/$470

Rating:

+ interesting design

+ waterproof case

+ high performance

+ good battery life

+ advanced shooting capabilities

– low power LED backlight

– impractical body