Sony Xperia Z1 is a brand new power phone with one of the best cameras of the market and a lot of strong specs. But is it really the best smartphone of the market? Well we are going to analyse that phone.
SCREEN
Sony Xperia Z1 has a Full HD 5 inches screen and really strong competition. The built in technology is called Sony Bravia. Sony can create great screens for TVs and this one of them. With 441 pixels per inch Sony Xperia Z1 is like Sony Xperia Z and Sony Xperia ZL but is not the winner. Two phones have more pixels per inch: HTC One (469) and Huawei Ascend D2 (443). Of course you will not notice the difference. What you need to know is that the screen of Sony Xperia Z1 is one of the best on the market.
CAMERA
Sony definitely targets the camera fans. This device has the best camera we have seen on an Android phone. The 20.7 is the best Android camera and the difference from the competitors is huge. When all other phones have a 13MP camera, Sony Xperia Z1 has a 20.7MP and some impressive technologies like Exmor RS, G Lens or Bionz that sound good. What you need to know is that there is Superior Auto that will help you take great photos in the day or in the dark. Today it is the best Android camera phone ever built.
VIDEO SAMPLE OF SONY XPERIA Z1
PROCESSOR
Sony Xperia Z1 has a fast quad core processor. We have seen a lot of quad core processors on Android phones lately and all of them are more or less extremely fast. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad core processor at 2,2 GHz is better than the competitor’s processor. Only Sony Xperia Z Ultra has the same processor and Samsung Galaxy S4 has an octa core processor in certain countries. The RAM is 2GB so yes, you have one of the fastest phones of the market.
BATTERY
The battery is 3000mAh and it’s on the upper side of the competition. There are alot of phones with bigger batteries than Sony Xperia Z1 but all of them have a bigger screen than 5. inches. Huawei Ascend D2 has also a 3000mAh battery but Sony has a software called Stamina mode that helps you make the phone last longer.
SOFTWARE
Sony Xperia Z1 comes with Android 4.2, this is not the latest Android version and we bet it will quickly be upgraded to Android 4.3. Of course it is not the only device with that version as more and more devices come to the market. Samsung Galaxy S4 is the other 5 inches model with Android 4.2 and we can also find some bigger devices (check the phablet category). Sony Xperia Z1 has also a lot of software features like Social live that lets you broadcast directly via Facebook. The camera has also a lot of software gifts and you can find some useful apps on the menu straight from the start.
SIZE
Sony has already launched an extremely slim device, Sony Xperia Z Ultra (6.5mm). Sony Xperia Z1 is not that slim but it’s slim enough to impress (8.5mm). There are a lot of premium smartphones on the market and on the 5 inches competition you can find a slimmer one like Samsung Galaxy S4 or even Sony Xperia Z. Of course Sony Xperia Z1 has the huge 20.7MP camera that adds some width and weight. The device weights 169g and you can feel it on your hand. Huawei Ascend D2 (170g), LG Optimus Vu (168g) and Samsung Galaxy Grand (162g) are the other 5 inches heavy competitors. Samsung Galaxy S4 (130g) is the lightest 5 inches phone but it is not made of glass. Sony Xperia Z1 is made of glass, looks amazing and is waterproof and dust-resistant.
DATE RELEASED
Launched in September, this phone is brand new. Moto X is also new (launched in August) and Sony Xperia Z Ultra. The newer 5 inches device before Sony Xperia Z1 was Samsung Galaxy S4 released last April. We love new devices as they have bigger possibilities to update to Android 4.4. If you want an older phone to be cheaper, try to find a smartphone deal.
VIDEO REVIEW
VERDICT
Sony created another great device to take one of the top spots. Sony Xperia Z1 (76.5) is the third best phone after Samsung Galaxy S4 (85.7) and Sony Xperia Z (78.8). The fourth belongs to Sony too (Sony Xperia ZL – 76.5). And the fifth is HTC One (74.5). So compared to Sony Xperia Z, the newer model has a better camera, better processor, better battery but is heavier and not as slim as the competition. So.
SHOULD I BUY SONY XPERIA Z1?
1. If you want on of the best smartphones and the best Android camera phones right now, you definitely need to buy Sony Xperia Z1.
2. If you just want a premium Sony smartphone, try to find a deal about Sony Xperia Z.
3. if you don’t like the design of Sony smartphones, try Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One or LG Optimus G Pro.
Compare Sony Xperia Z1 to other Android devices.
COMPARISON CHART
| Spec | Sony Xperia Z1 | Compared to: | with spec: | Score | Buy now: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 8.5 | Sony Xperia Z Ultra | 6.5 | 69% | Sony Xperia Z1 |
| Weight | 169 | HTC Desire C | 100 | 31% | |
| Screen PPI | 441 | HTC One | 469 | 94% | |
| Camera MP | 20.7 | Nokia Pureview | 41 | 50% | |
| 2nd Camera | 2.0 | Sony Xperia Z | 2.2 | 91% | |
| Processor | 4 * 2.2 | Samsung S4 | 8 * 1.6 | 69% | |
| RAM MB | 2000 | HTC One | 2000 | 100% | |
| Battery mAh | 3000 | Huawei Ascend Mate | 4050 | 74% | |
| Android | 4.2 | Google Nexus 4 | 4.3 | 83% | |
| Release Date | 2013-09 | - | Today | 100% | |
| Our view | 80% | - | 100% | 80% | |
| AVC rating method | Total Rating | 76.5% | Best price |