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[Akira]

Xperia A/C550x/Dogo:

Better specs than Z/ZL but only a 4.6" 720p screen. Lolsome fucking company. LOLOLOLOL.

It's not really a flagship phone if we're using minimum 5-inch 1080p screen as a requirement, but more of a high-end phone that happens to have a better SOC than the Z. It's still a mess though. I'm more lookin forward to the real H2 flagship with the S800 coming in the fall.

 

[Lagspike_exe]

Xperia A/C550x/Dogo:

Better specs than Z/ZL but only a 4.6" 720p screen. Lolsome fucking company. LOLOLOLOL.

They're doing it again. They'll finish the year with 20 different phones and its going to be a nightmare in 2014 when they will need to update all of them.

 

[Chinner]

the inconsistencies of Sony is annoying but I'm pretty happy with the ZL. the amount of phone variations is annoying though as it'll probably takes to get updates.

 

[Akira]

the inconsistencies of Sony is annoying but I'm pretty happy with the ZL. the amount of phone variations is annoying though as it'll probably takes to get updates.

Did you get the white ZL? If so pics plz

 

[sfedai0]

So whats the best price you guys are finding for the ZL unlocked? About 600?

 

[Whiteshirt]

Wait, why are you designing the Xperia A when you're about to release the Xperia SP...? It doesn't make any sense, there's no difference between that 4.6" phone and the new one you're about to release.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

It's not really a flagship phone if we're using minimum 5-inch 1080p screen as a requirement, but more of a high-end phone that happens to have a better SOC than the Z. It's still a mess though. I'm more lookin forward to the real H2 flagship with the S800 coming in the fall.

No, it's not just that, it has a 16MP camera and 32GB storage. Other than the screen it is better in every way. Sony shouldn't bother releasing this phone, there is no room for a 720p flagship on the market > 4.3" in size, 4.6" and above needs to be 1080p now, HTC showed that 1080p can be done on 4.7" so why are Sony even bothering with a 4.6" with 720p. Ridiculous.

They're doing it again. They'll finish the year with 20 different phones and its going to be a nightmare in 2014 when they will need to update all of them.

Indeed. I got the full story on why updates are still slow this year despite promises to speed up.

Wait, why are you designing the Xperia A when you're about to release the Xperia SP...? It doesn't make any sense, there's no difference between that 4.6" phone and the new one you're about to release.

No, it's much better than the SP, in fact it's better than the Z/ZL in terms of specs, but it has a much worse screen. It's just going to create consumer confusion and drive people to Samsung/Apple where the flagship choice is clear.

the inconsistencies of Sony is annoying but I'm pretty happy with the ZL. the amount of phone variations is annoying though as it'll probably takes to get updates.

Well here's the problem with updates.

Last year the JB updates for Xperia S/SL/Acro S/Ion, P/Go, J, T/TL/V/TX were planned for Q4 and then T/TL/V/TX would skip 4.2 and jump straight to 5.0, however this plan was made by SMC Lund. Since then SMC Tokyo who have absolutely zero expertise in this process began meddling in an effort to expand their influence and try and bring software development back "home" to Japan even though they are an unproven team with no experience and SMC Lund is basically the best OEM Android developer.

So Tokyo basically told Lund to prioritise the 4.2.1 update for Xperia Z/ZL over all the others and that they would handle the updates for 2012 Xperia phones except Xperia T/TL which was running on Krait like Z/ZL. So Lund delayed their T/TL 4.1.2 roll out by two months and got to work on the Z 4.2.1 update (now 4.2.2). They finished both projects on time, with T/TL/V getting JB in January and TX in March. The Z/ZL 4.2.2 update is finished and just sitting there doing fuck all right now. The problem is that Tokyo took over development of Xperia S/SL/Acro S/Ion and P/Go. They fucked up. So Lund have had to step in and fix all of the problems, but head office says all phones must be on 4.1 before they start the 4.2 roll out, basically they are covering their own arses and forcing Lund not to release 4.2.2 earlier than Tokyo could get 4.1.2 out for their devices.

The worst part is that SMC Lund had a plan to get early 2012 devices updated by November and then EOL their support to lessen the 2013 load. With Tokyo's fuck ups now devices from over a year ago are having to be supported as an extra for Lund as well as development of software for upcoming devices (phablet is a big one taken over by Lund as it requires highly custom software for accurate pen input and multi-window apps etc...). This will lead to delays for 5.0 at Sony because Lund don't have the manpower and Tokyo don't have the competence. I know this for a fact because the 5.0 PDK has been delivered already but no devices have been moved over to the 5.0 stream even though Z/ZL were supposed to shift by now and T/TL/V/TX by the end of the month.

Basically the problems are internal company politics and Tokyo thinking they are better than Lund when it is clear that this is not true. It may be one day, but for now and the foreseeable future Lund is going to be the number one developer within Sony and Tokyo need to let them take the software lead and stop meddling. The best think Kaz and Suzuki did for Xperia was keep Lund open as the centre for software development, now they need to back Lund internally.

 

[Whiteshirt]

Even if the internal specs seem better, Xperia SP is still practically the same.

I don't care too much about the internal specs and neither does the consumer. No one knows what an SoC is so unless the Xperia A has a badass crystal LED screen (even then, why can't it go in next years flagship?) or something, it has absolutely no reason to exist. There's nothing to differentiate itself from the Xperia SP. The size and screen is roughly the same size and resolution so the only thing it'll achieve is to make updating more difficult and to create consumer confusion (as you note).

 

[HollovVpo1nt]

1080p on a phone is complete overkill and the most pointless trend ever. I can't even see the difference between iPhone 5 screen, One X screen and Xperia Z screen. I'm glad they woke the fuck up and decided 720p is more than enough.

 

[The Faceless Master]

1080p on a phone is complete overkill and the most pointless trend ever. I can't even see the difference between iPhone 5 screen, One X screen and Xperia Z screen. I'm glad they woke the fuck up and decided 720p is more than enough.

JCPenney is having a sale on glasses.

 

[Akira]

Well here's the problem with updates.

Last year the JB updates for Xperia S/SL/Acro S/Ion, P/Go, J, T/TL/V/TX were planned for Q4 and then T/TL/V/TX would skip 4.2 and jump straight to 5.0, however this plan was made by SMC Lund. Since then SMC Tokyo who have absolutely zero expertise in this process began meddling in an effort to expand their influence and try and bring software development back "home" to Japan even though they are an unproven team with no experience and SMC Lund is basically the best OEM Android developer.

So Tokyo basically told Lund to prioritise the 4.2.1 update for Xperia Z/ZL over all the others and that they would handle the updates for 2012 Xperia phones except Xperia T/TL which was running on Krait like Z/ZL. So Lund delayed their T/TL 4.1.2 roll out by two months and got to work on the Z 4.2.1 update (now 4.2.2). They finished both projects on time, with T/TL/V getting JB in January and TX in March. The Z/ZL 4.2.2 update is finished and just sitting there doing fuck all right now. The problem is that Tokyo took over development of Xperia S/SL/Acro S/Ion and P/Go. They fucked up. So Lund have had to step in and fix all of the problems, but head office says all phones must be on 4.1 before they start the 4.2 roll out, basically they are covering their own arses and forcing Lund not to release 4.2.2 earlier than Tokyo could get 4.1.2 out for their devices.

The worst part is that SMC Lund had a plan to get early 2012 devices updated by November and then EOL their support to lessen the 2013 load. With Tokyo's fuck ups now devices from over a year ago are having to be supported as an extra for Lund as well as development of software for upcoming devices (phablet is a big one taken over by Lund as it requires highly custom software for accurate pen input and multi-window apps etc...). This will lead to delays for 5.0 at Sony because Lund don't have the manpower and Tokyo don't have the competence. I know this for a fact because the 5.0 PDK has been delivered already but no devices have been moved over to the 5.0 stream even though Z/ZL were supposed to shift by now and T/TL/V/TX by the end of the month.

Basically the problems are internal company politics and Tokyo thinking they are better than Lund when it is clear that this is not true. It may be one day, but for now and the foreseeable future Lund is going to be the number one developer within Sony and Tokyo need to let them take the software lead and stop meddling. The best think Kaz and Suzuki did for Xperia was keep Lund open as the centre for software development, now they need to back Lund internally.

Thanks for the TMZ report. Sounds like a right mess. If this spreads to news sites, this could tarnish current rosy image of Sony being one of the better OEM developers. I kinda hope it does, so that Sony at least realizes some of their recent incompetent decisions in their mobile division.

 

[Lagspike_exe]

No, it's not just that, it has a 16MP camera and 32GB storage. Other than the screen it is better in every way. Sony shouldn't bother releasing this phone, there is no room for a 720p flagship on the market > 4.3" in size, 4.6" and above needs to be 1080p now, HTC showed that 1080p can be done on 4.7" so why are Sony even bothering with a 4.6" with 720p. Ridiculous.



Indeed. I got the full story on why updates are still slow this year despite promises to speed up.



No, it's much better than the SP, in fact it's better than the Z/ZL in terms of specs, but it has a much worse screen. It's just going to create consumer confusion and drive people to Samsung/Apple where the flagship choice is clear.



Well here's the problem with updates.

Last year the JB updates for Xperia S/SL/Acro S/Ion, P/Go, J, T/TL/V/TX were planned for Q4 and then T/TL/V/TX would skip 4.2 and jump straight to 5.0, however this plan was made by SMC Lund. Since then SMC Tokyo who have absolutely zero expertise in this process began meddling in an effort to expand their influence and try and bring software development back "home" to Japan even though they are an unproven team with no experience and SMC Lund is basically the best OEM Android developer.

So Tokyo basically told Lund to prioritise the 4.2.1 update for Xperia Z/ZL over all the others and that they would handle the updates for 2012 Xperia phones except Xperia T/TL which was running on Krait like Z/ZL. So Lund delayed their T/TL 4.1.2 roll out by two months and got to work on the Z 4.2.1 update (now 4.2.2). They finished both projects on time, with T/TL/V getting JB in January and TX in March. The Z/ZL 4.2.2 update is finished and just sitting there doing fuck all right now. The problem is that Tokyo took over development of Xperia S/SL/Acro S/Ion and P/Go. They fucked up. So Lund have had to step in and fix all of the problems, but head office says all phones must be on 4.1 before they start the 4.2 roll out, basically they are covering their own arses and forcing Lund not to release 4.2.2 earlier than Tokyo could get 4.1.2 out for their devices.

The worst part is that SMC Lund had a plan to get early 2012 devices updated by November and then EOL their support to lessen the 2013 load. With Tokyo's fuck ups now devices from over a year ago are having to be supported as an extra for Lund as well as development of software for upcoming devices (phablet is a big one taken over by Lund as it requires highly custom software for accurate pen input and multi-window apps etc...). This will lead to delays for 5.0 at Sony because Lund don't have the manpower and Tokyo don't have the competence. I know this for a fact because the 5.0 PDK has been delivered already but no devices have been moved over to the 5.0 stream even though Z/ZL were supposed to shift by now and T/TL/V/TX by the end of the month.

Basically the problems are internal company politics and Tokyo thinking they are better than Lund when it is clear that this is not true. It may be one day, but for now and the foreseeable future Lund is going to be the number one developer within Sony and Tokyo need to let them take the software lead and stop meddling. The best think Kaz and Suzuki did for Xperia was keep Lund open as the centre for software development, now they need to back Lund internally.

Wouldn't this mean that Lund is running idle? Are they outsourcing update process? If they are able to push out JB for NXT along Z and Tokyo took over NXT, what were they doing all this time? Still, sounds like a classic Sony story.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Thanks for the TMZ report. Sounds like a right mess. If this spreads to news sites, this could tarnish current rosy image of Sony being one of the better OEM developers. I kinda hope it does, so that Sony at least realizes some of their recent incompetent decisions in their mobile division.

The trouble is that SMC have two internal development houses right now, Lund and Tokyo. Lund is basically the best non-Google developer for Android, while Tokyo is nowhere near that standard, and given the way Japanese software development is right now it probably won't ever be.

Wouldn't this mean that Lund is running idle? Are they outsourcing update process? If they are able to push out JB for NXT along Z and Tokyo took over NXT, what were they doing all this time? Still, sounds like a classic Sony story.

It's not so much that Lund are outsourcing, but Tokyo are actively taking their responsibilities away. Also, not idle, they are developing for the whole Krait line up and have now intervened for the Scorpion and NovaThor line ups as well. In addition they were developing features for Android KLP to contribute to AOSP as well as their own H2 devices. All with one of the smaller Android development teams in relative terms to Samsung, Google, Motorola and HTC (around half the size). I think Tokyo's endgame is that they take over the update process while Lund will remain as a feature and Android developer with fewer responsibilities. It makes no sense to me since Lund are the best resource Sony has right now, in fact they are who kept Sony/Xperia in the running in 2011 and 2012 despite shit hardware with awesome software and optimisation. Without them Sony would be in the same position as Panasonic, Sharp and other Japanese companies - unable to adjust to the new reality of smartphone development and out of the market.

 

[plainr_]

Is the Xperia A going to be waterproof?

 

[Sleeplessnights]

1080p on a phone is complete overkill and the most pointless trend ever. I can't even see the difference between iPhone 5 screen, One X screen and Xperia Z screen. I'm glad they woke the fuck up and decided 720p is more than enough.

There's a huge difference.

 

[longdi]

played with ZL today, wow at the blue led, very classy touch!
The size of ZL is really small for a 5" phone. I hope Sony can get ip57 in such form factor for their H2 xperia. The camera shutter feels like a volume button...

Otherwise, it looks and works exactly like Z, meaning the poor viewing angles and slow loading camera..

 

[Randy Lanzarote]

Is the ZL available in the UK? And if so, where?

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Is the ZL available in the UK? And if so, where?

No, but you can order one from Amazon.de and just set the language to English.

 

[DrFunk]

Speaking of, is Sony going to fix the 3-second delay when the camera?

 

[vivftp]

zomg, some questions if I may?

1) Any idea of the materials being used on the 2H flagship body? Will it be glass again, plastic or metal?

2) Any idea of the screen being used? Sharp IGZO? JDI White Magic? AUO OLED?

3) You've mentioned before about the larger sensor size in the newer high end phones. Any idea what that size is? Also, there's been talk of Sony having new JPEG compression software but do you know if it'll be ready for the phones this year?

4) Will the phablet be using the haptic feedback stylus Sony has a patent for and was making rounds on the internet some months back?

5) There's also talk of a new tablet for later this year, possibly with a higher res screen. Any details at all you can share? Size, features...? If they can make a super tablet with the stylus from the phablet, I'm in!


Thanks

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Speaking of, is Sony going to fix the 3-second delay when the camera?

Not sure, but I hope so.

zomg, some questions if I may?

1) Any idea of the materials being used on the 2H flagship body? Will it be glass again, plastic or metal?

2) Any idea of the screen being used? Sharp IGZO? JDI White Magic? AUO OLED?

3) You've mentioned before about the larger sensor size in the newer high end phones. Any idea what that size is? Also, there's been talk of Sony having new JPEG compression software but do you know if it'll be ready for the phones this year?

4) Will the phablet be using the haptic feedback stylus Sony has a patent for and was making rounds on the internet some months back?

5) There's also talk of a new tablet for later this year, possibly with a higher res screen. Any details at all you can share? Size, features...? If they can make a super tablet with the stylus from the phablet, I'm in!


Thanks

1. Metal and glass

2. IGZO is the front runner

3. 1" type, same as in the RX100, new encoding engine is not ready yet, but I have heard that the current level of post-processing is going to be dialled down eventually.

4. I'm not sure it will be ready on time. Probably digital ink like the Vaio Duo.

5. Not sure, there was talk of a 13" tablet a while ago, but I haven't heard anything about it for a while so it might be canned.

 

[spwolf]

Xperia A/C550x/Dogo:

Better specs than Z/ZL but only a 4.6" 720p screen. Lolsome fucking company. LOLOLOLOL.

obviously... or do you want them to run old soc on all of their phones in the future for next year so they dont step on toes of Z? What kind of nonsense is that?

and p.s. SE Lund, was never, ever known for good software - Are they the ones responsible for Play? Or plenty of other slow updates before last 6 months? SE was known for crappy firmware updates forever. I mean Lund and their UIQ purchase? Are you kidding me? The fact that billions spent into their own software development went down the drain as they and their Nokia buddies patted themselves on back with how ridiculous iphone is? Then at the end turned to Android and announced how SE will be biggest android vendor within a year? All the business decision that almost run SE to the ground? Crappy PC and no Mac software? All the crappy firmware bugs over the last few years? Not sure whats so great about Lund at all... they need to become strictly only software dev and trim them down so only best talent remains.

As it goes with phones, new soc's appear all the time, new phones will use new soc's. I bet Z will be updated to S600 as well. Sony made right decisions with Z - reason they got so many sales is because they launched 2 months earlier. However they should not gimp their future lineup because of Z.

Do you think that Sony should sit on their new camera sensor for a year? Sell it to other vendors but not Sony Mobile? Or maybe not sell it to anyone and let others get their business? How does it work?

 

[Zumblakladla]

This or iPhone 5? What would you say?

I posted a lot of question on previous page, got zero answers...

 

[H_Prestige]

This or iPhone 5? What would you say?

I posted a lot of question on previous page, got zero answers...

This, obviously. The iphone is way too small. And the Z honestly has a more premium build and better look than the iphone 5, which has always been an advantage Apple had.

 

[Zumblakladla]

I'm really curious about sound quality with in ear headphones with this one . I have iphone 4s since release (using it with Sennheiser in ear headphones) and I had almost all iphones untill now (excluding first one) and I'm pretty satisfied with sound quality, so I don't know about that, I can not find anyone who has this and using it like music player a lot.

Also, i can see that iphone 5 have a slightly better camera, but in other hand I can see reports on the net and XDA that XZ have same sensor as Galaxy S4 and its weird that it does not have that quality, maybe it's because of sony jpeg compression or whatever, hopefully they will fix that.

 

[vivftp]

1. Metal and glass

2. IGZO is the front runner

3. 1" type, same as in the RX100, new encoding engine is not ready yet, but I have heard that the current level of post-processing is going to be dialled down eventually.

4. I'm not sure it will be ready on time. Probably digital ink like the Vaio Duo.

5. Not sure, there was talk of a 13" tablet a while ago, but I haven't heard anything about it for a while so it might be canned.

Thanks for the responses.

1. I'm guessing metal sides and frame, and glass back then? Cool. I do wonder if they're going to Gorilla or Dragontrail glass since the Z used both.

2. I've heard good things about the IGZO displays so this is great. I don't suppose you know if Sony is looking at AUOs new 5" 1080p OLED displays with RGB structure, do you?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhXKmNiSoi8

3. SAME as the RX100??? ... Damn. Rumors elsewhere were indicating smaller like 1/1.8" or so. If true then damn... I wonder if I'll regret my decision to buy the RX100 last week, lol. I do have to wonder how thick such a phone would be for the lens mechanism over such a sensor. Or are Sony going for a collapsable lens design like a point and shoot camera?

4. I got a chance to play with the Duo 11 a while back at a Sony Store. Seemed pretty good and I guess the pressure sensitivity would be nice.

5. Cool. Yeah I want to replace my old 32 gig Tablet S, but am trying to figure out if the Xperia Tablet Z is the perfect mix of hardware and software, or if I should wait to see if something comes by the end of the year. The rumors elsewhere indicated this new tablet might have the processor/ram of the 2H flagship and if they could toss in the phablets stylus, I'd jump on that in an instant.

 

[MeBecomingI]

I'm really curious about sound quality with in ear headphones with this one . I have iphone 4s since release (using it with Sennheiser in ear headphones) and I had almost all iphones untill now (excluding first one) and I'm pretty satisfied with sound quality, so I don't know about that, I can not find anyone who has this and using it like music player a lot.

Also, i can see that iphone 5 have a slightly better camera, but in other hand I can see reports on the net and XDA that XZ have same sensor as Galaxy S4 and its weird that it does not have that quality, maybe it's because of sony jpeg compression or whatever, hopefully they will fix that.

The sound quality with in ear headphones is pretty damn good in my opinion. I'm listening to some metal right now with the bundled pair I got with the phone and it sounds good. I think they ported over a lot of the sound processing from the Walkman series of MP3 players so the sound the phone itself is providing is pretty fantastic; meaning a really good set of in ear phones are going to work really well. I have a few good pair of over the ear headphones and they work wonders too. The only thing I would say is that the volume can tend to be low with ear buds though so if you like things a bit louder, than I'm not to sure how it will work out.

One thing that I find is underrated on this phone is the quality of the external speaker. It is really, really good especially if you turn on xLoud. Easily get sound throughout my living room and it sounds really good and not as "tinny" as some of the reviews led me to believe it sounded like.

A neat touch has the Walkman app determining the colour of the background for different albums (based on the album art it seems) and when you change the song it changes the LED to that colour for a few seconds and then turns off. Nice little touch that just makes everything feel a bit more complete.

 

[Radec]

The asymmetrical cord of the earphone is not a good choice imo though.

It tends to get in the way or irritating even using it the right way.

 

[Cerity]

If you're worried about the sound quality have a look at the purexaudio mod over at xda, the presets are really overdone but it improves the stock sound quite a bit. Been running with my GR02BE's and it's fantastic.

 

[XenoRaven]

Hello thread. I do not keep up with smartphone news like you guys do, but have been hearing a lot about the Xperia Z, HTC One, and the SIV. My iPhone 4 is really starting to show it's age, and I'm looking to upgrade. I'm on AT&T and have been thinking about switching providers too, but I'm not sure.

Do we have any information on when these phones are going to be arriving in the US, and what provider/s will be offering deals for 1 or 2-year agreements?

I've been on a big pro-Sony kick lately, and have been really interested in the Xperia Z. What are some of the pros/cons between the three phones. Also, I realize I'm posting this in the Xperia Z thread, but what phone would you guys recommend out of the three?

Last, I have a friend that has an older model Xperia and says to never ever buy a Sony phone. Has the Xperia line historically had issues with quality? Has the Z resolved these?

I know it's a lot of questions, but any help would be appreciated. When I get a phone, I typically hold on to it for a long time, so I want to make sure I'm getting the best deal. Thanks.

 

[Winterfang]

I have to quick questions.

1- Is there any plans to bring Facebook Home into this phone?.
2- Is this phone affordable like the Nexus 4?.
3- Is it compatible with pressure sensitive styluses?

 

[Mario007]

I have to quick questions.

1- Is there any plans to bring Facebook Home into this phone?.
2- Is this phone affordable like the Nexus 4?.
3- Is it compatible with pressure sensitive styluses?

1. No, FH is not natively supported yet. Probably will be given the sheer volume of people that bought this phone though. There's a workaround to install FM on any phone.
2. No other phone is as affordable as N4, unfortunately, so if it's in stock it's definitely a better value for money to go for N4 over any other phone.
3. No. Only the Note is compatible with those stylusses as far as I know. There will be a Sony phablet released this summer though.

Hello thread. I do not keep up with smartphone news like you guys do, but have been hearing a lot about the Xperia Z, HTC One, and the SIV. My iPhone 4 is really starting to show it's age, and I'm looking to upgrade. I'm on AT&T and have been thinking about switching providers too, but I'm not sure.

Do we have any information on when these phones are going to be arriving in the US, and what provider/s will be offering deals for 1 or 2-year agreements?

I've been on a big pro-Sony kick lately, and have been really interested in the Xperia Z. What are some of the pros/cons between the three phones. Also, I realize I'm posting this in the Xperia Z thread, but what phone would you guys recommend out of the three?

Last, I have a friend that has an older model Xperia and says to never ever buy a Sony phone. Has the Xperia line historically had issues with quality? Has the Z resolved these?

I know it's a lot of questions, but any help would be appreciated. When I get a phone, I typically hold on to it for a long time, so I want to make sure I'm getting the best deal. Thanks.

According to the rumors, Xperia Z is coming to T-Mobile, I think Sprint was also mentioned (we've see T-Mobile branded XZ already).

Xperia Z pros over HTC One or SIV: water and dust resistance, better design, head-one display quality is amazing, great UI skin that isn't as intrusive as TouchWiz or Sense with great custom apps (Walkman, for example), Playstation Mobile, great build-quality (this is especially against SIV not so much against One).

Xperia Z cons: Camera processing makes pictures look worse than the One or SIV (should be fixed with the firmware updates), slower processor (a little bit, though apparently it doesn't affect real-life perfromance), viewing angles are bad, flaps on ports.

Xperia phones were always top in their design and even in build quality I would say (well at least since 2011 when I started following SE). SE had troubles with android upgrades but have improved a lot since, they actually update most of their devices, though they're slower than Samsung with their flagship. SE also used to use older hardware in their phones, but that was reflected in the price. XZ is the first time Sony is using the latest hardware, so it's the most expensive Sony phone and as such the first to compete with Apple, Samsung and HTC for the premium market. Before that Sony's flagships were really battling for the mid-to high market.

 

[H_Prestige]

Thanks for the responses.

1. I'm guessing metal sides and frame, and glass back then? Cool. I do wonder if they're going to Gorilla or Dragontrail glass since the Z used both.

2. I've heard good things about the IGZO displays so this is great. I don't suppose you know if Sony is looking at AUOs new 5" 1080p OLED displays with RGB structure, do you?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhXKmNiSoi8

3. SAME as the RX100??? ... Damn. Rumors elsewhere were indicating smaller like 1/1.8" or so. If true then damn... I wonder if I'll regret my decision to buy the RX100 last week, lol. I do have to wonder how thick such a phone would be for the lens mechanism over such a sensor. Or are Sony going for a collapsable lens design like a point and shoot camera?

4. I got a chance to play with the Duo 11 a while back at a Sony Store. Seemed pretty good and I guess the pressure sensitivity would be nice.

5. Cool. Yeah I want to replace my old 32 gig Tablet S, but am trying to figure out if the Xperia Tablet Z is the perfect mix of hardware and software, or if I should wait to see if something comes by the end of the year. The rumors elsewhere indicated this new tablet might have the processor/ram of the 2H flagship and if they could toss in the phablets stylus, I'd jump on that in an instant.

I really hope they keep the XZ design and switch to that AMOLED.

 

[Winterfang]

1. No, FH is not natively supported yet. Probably will be given the sheer volume of people that bought this phone though. There's a workaround to install FM on any phone.
2. No other phone is as affordable as N4, unfortunately, so if it's in stock it's definitely a better value for money to go for N4 over any other phone.
3. No. Only the Note is compatible with those stylusses as far as I know. There will be a Sony phablet released this summer though.

What a bummer, will wait for their next gen then.

 

[Mario007]

What a bummer, will wait for their next gen then.

Which complaint were you disappointed with? Because honestly the new flagship won't be as cheap as N4, won't have a pressure senstive stylus input (unless you'll be the phablet) and even XZ will get Facebook home sooner rather than later, I'd imagine.

 

[SuperEpicMan]

I am torn between getting the HTC One and the Sony Xperia Z. I love the look of the HTC One and the specs seem good, but I am put off by the blink feed which I don't think I would use. I like the look of the Sony, I also think it is cool how it is waterproof but I don't know whether it is better than the HTC One.

I will be jumping ship from an iPhone 4S, I would wanna sync my iTunes with it somehow, and connect it to my laptop (Macbook) to get photos.

 

[Onion_Relish]

I am torn between getting the HTC One and the Sony Xperia Z. I love the look of the HTC One and the specs seem good, but I am put off by the blink feed which I don't think I would use. I like the look of the Sony, I also think it is cool how it is waterproof but I don't know whether it is better than the HTC One.

I will be jumping ship from an iPhone 4S, I would wanna sync my iTunes with it somehow, and connect it to my laptop (Macbook) to get photos.

HTC has a bunch of stuff that let's you sync your iTunes, but the HTC one is Irreparable. If you smashit or the battery died it can't be fixed. I like htc but I cant get behind that

 

[spwolf]

I am torn between getting the HTC One and the Sony Xperia Z. I love the look of the HTC One and the specs seem good, but I am put off by the blink feed which I don't think I would use. I like the look of the Sony, I also think it is cool how it is waterproof but I don't know whether it is better than the HTC One.

I will be jumping ship from an iPhone 4S, I would wanna sync my iTunes with it somehow, and connect it to my laptop (Macbook) to get photos.

xperia z has transfer tool as well... i suggest you play with them both and decide...

 

[Akira]

I am torn between getting the HTC One and the Sony Xperia Z. I love the look of the HTC One and the specs seem good, but I am put off by the blink feed which I don't think I would use. I like the look of the Sony, I also think it is cool how it is waterproof but I don't know whether it is better than the HTC One.

I will be jumping ship from an iPhone 4S, I would wanna sync my iTunes with it somehow, and connect it to my laptop (Macbook) to get photos.

Not sure if Sony has anything to sync Xperia to iTunes, but they do have a contacts transfer program if you're switching from an iPhone to an Xperia.

http://www.sonymobile.com/global-en...tials/getting-started/transfer-your-contacts/

 

[spwolf]

p.s. had some extensive play time with Z today... so... i dont get the complaints about viewing angles... when are you going to use your phone at angles when it looks slightly washed out? I was flipping it around like crazy couldnt figure out what the big deal was.


did anyone try J in real life? One that I tried was off so i turned it on, not sure if initial sluggishness was due to it turning on, or rather that later-on good speed was due to how it works usually or me "caching" all the apps I tried... its perfect size not to be small for cheap phone but that 512 MB scares me from recommending it to a buddy.

 

[The Faceless Master]

I am torn between getting the HTC One and the Sony Xperia Z. I love the look of the HTC One and the specs seem good, but I am put off by the blink feed which I don't think I would use. I like the look of the Sony, I also think it is cool how it is waterproof but I don't know whether it is better than the HTC One.

I will be jumping ship from an iPhone 4S, I would wanna sync my iTunes with it somehow, and connect it to my laptop (Macbook) to get photos.

get the Xperia Z!

oh, and there are ways and apps to transfer and sync any Android phone with your apple stuff. like iSyncr.

 

[Melchiah]

Well here's the problem with updates.

Last year the JB updates for Xperia S/SL/Acro S/Ion, P/Go, J, T/TL/V/TX were planned for Q4 and then T/TL/V/TX would skip 4.2 and jump straight to 5.0, however this plan was made by SMC Lund. Since then SMC Tokyo who have absolutely zero expertise in this process began meddling in an effort to expand their influence and try and bring software development back "home" to Japan even though they are an unproven team with no experience and SMC Lund is basically the best OEM Android developer.

So Tokyo basically told Lund to prioritise the 4.2.1 update for Xperia Z/ZL over all the others and that they would handle the updates for 2012 Xperia phones except Xperia T/TL which was running on Krait like Z/ZL. So Lund delayed their T/TL 4.1.2 roll out by two months and got to work on the Z 4.2.1 update (now 4.2.2). They finished both projects on time, with T/TL/V getting JB in January and TX in March. The Z/ZL 4.2.2 update is finished and just sitting there doing fuck all right now. The problem is that Tokyo took over development of Xperia S/SL/Acro S/Ion and P/Go. They fucked up. So Lund have had to step in and fix all of the problems, but head office says all phones must be on 4.1 before they start the 4.2 roll out, basically they are covering their own arses and forcing Lund not to release 4.2.2 earlier than Tokyo could get 4.1.2 out for their devices.

The worst part is that SMC Lund had a plan to get early 2012 devices updated by November and then EOL their support to lessen the 2013 load. With Tokyo's fuck ups now devices from over a year ago are having to be supported as an extra for Lund as well as development of software for upcoming devices (phablet is a big one taken over by Lund as it requires highly custom software for accurate pen input and multi-window apps etc...). This will lead to delays for 5.0 at Sony because Lund don't have the manpower and Tokyo don't have the competence. I know this for a fact because the 5.0 PDK has been delivered already but no devices have been moved over to the 5.0 stream even though Z/ZL were supposed to shift by now and T/TL/V/TX by the end of the month.

Basically the problems are internal company politics and Tokyo thinking they are better than Lund when it is clear that this is not true. It may be one day, but for now and the foreseeable future Lund is going to be the number one developer within Sony and Tokyo need to let them take the software lead and stop meddling. The best think Kaz and Suzuki did for Xperia was keep Lund open as the centre for software development, now they need to back Lund internally.

That's fucking depressing. I've been waiting for the Xperia P to be updated for months, and now it was postponed indefinitely from the previously announced 30th of March. My girlfriend's Galaxy S2 got the Jelly Bean update already about two months ago. Can't shake my head enough due to the actions of Tokyo's dilettantes.

 

[Ollie Pooch]

That means there's 4.6 million waiting on 4.2, c'mon Sony.

My Xperia S has waited ages for an update to JB - update isn't even out yet and when it is, it'll be 4.1. Sony's support is terrlble. Sent to die.

 

[Cerity]

just got my x-doria bumper, love how it keeps the phone's original look but it should have a clear plastic back as well IMO. The raised edges work well on the front but on the back it feels all kinds of odd.

 

[Lagspike_exe]

That's fucking depressing. I've been waiting for the Xperia P to be updated for months, and now it was postponed indefinitely from the previously announced 30th of March. My girlfriend's Galaxy S2 got the Jelly Bean update already about two months ago. Can't shake my head enough due to the actions of Tokyo's dilettantes.

Xperia Mobile News announced on Twitter that we should get JB news for Xperia P this week. Still, it's depressing. Galaxy Advance has gotten JB months ago.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Xperia Mobile News announced on Twitter that we should get JB news for Xperia P this week. Still, it's depressing. Galaxy Advance has gotten JB months ago.

Really, can you link that because I've heard P/Go for early to mid May. Are you sure it wasn't just someone confusing the "v. Final stages" to mean this week because they explicitly said "news" for this week, not the actual update.

 

[Lagspike_exe]

Really, can you link that because I've heard P/Go for early to mid May. Are you sure it wasn't just someone confusing the "v. Final stages" to mean this week because they explicitly said "news" for this week, not the actual update.

Well, yes, it was about JB news, that was what I wrote.

Here's the link:
https://twitter.com/sonymobilenews/status/325284345390714880

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Well, yes, it was about JB news, that was what I wrote.

Here's the link:
https://twitter.com/sonymobilenews/status/325284345390714880

Duh, misread your post, sorry mang, I haven't had lunch yet and skipped breakfast, it can do weird things...

 

[Lagspike_exe]

Duh, misread your post, sorry mang, I haven't had lunch yet and skipped breakfast, it can do weird things...

Stop working so much.

 

[Melchiah]

Xperia Mobile News announced on Twitter that we should get JB news for Xperia P this week. Still, it's depressing. Galaxy Advance has gotten JB months ago.

Awesome! Thanks for the info.