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Sony Xperia Z1 review

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S Aadeetya
New Update

At this price point, the Xperia Z1 falls in the same league as Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and LG G2.

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Features

The Z1 has a 5-inch full HD 1920x1080 display and runs on a customized version of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS. It has the same UI as its predecessors, namely the Xperia Z and ZU. The phone packs a 2.2 GHz Snapdragon 800 CPU, which clubbed with 2 GB RAM delivers great performance. It comes with 16 GB internal memory, which is expandable up to 64 GB via microSD. Moving on you also get a 20.7 MP rear shooter that according to Sony features its CyberShot technology and a 2 MP front camera for video calling, self-shots etc. Backed up by a 3,000 mAh battery and aided by Stamina Mode feature, the phone is expected to offer high battery life.

Sony continues with its Xperia Z-like design on the Z1 with the notable addition of 20.7 MP camera and minor changes to the body build with a good mixture of glass, aluminium and good quality plastic but prone to finger smudges. The 5-inch full HD display looks washed out and not the brightest among the flagship phones in the market. The micro-SIM slot is on the right and microSD & USB port on the left, while the volume rocker button is placed below the power button on right centre.

The phone is slightly heavy weighing 170 grams and the power button is sturdy but quite clumsy to use (one needs to press real hard). Hard button for camera is a plus. Call quality is excellent, audio output with in-built speaker is not the best and thus earphones are recommended. The side tray for apps on the home screen comes in handy while managing/uninstalling/ordering apps. The device tends to heat up whenever too much is asked out of it. Battery life of the Z1 is quite handful and with Stamina Mode we got more than 10 hours of backup on normal usage i.e. web surfing, Wi-Fi, music, videos etc. Sadly, 3G (on mobile network) did not work on the unit we got.

Camera

Considering Xperia Z1 is more of a camera-built smartphone, a dedicated detailing of its functionality was necessary. In Z1 the combination of the wide-angle, f/2 aperture, built-in image stabilizer and maximum ISO speed of 800 makes this smartphone good for hand-held low-light photography than other comparable devices. Also the HDR function for both stills and video improves your image quality. The manual mode in this camera also works better than other camera phones. All in all we can say that Sony Xperia Z1 is slicker and more feature rich than its competitors like Lumia 1020. Though it has lots of camera features to lure photography enthusiasts, it doesn't live up to its claim of great low-light performance. Image quality in daylight and outdoor shooting however, is decent.

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