Review: Sony Xperia ZL

Key Specs

Processor: Qualcomm MDM9215M / APQ8064, Quad-core @ 1.5 GHz
Storage - Internal: 16Gb
Storage - External: Up to 32Gb via MicroSD
RAM: 2Gb
Battery: 2370 mAh
Camera: 13 Megapixels
Camera - Front: 2.2 Megapixels

First Impressions

I've already reviewed the Xperia Z which I had high hopes for, but was ultimately quite disappointed with. However, most of my issues with the Z had directly to do with the inconvenience of the hardware's waterproof design, coupled with the large, clumsy phone body with sharp glass edges that made me feel like I was either about to drop it, and/or actually wanted to drop it.

Due to that, I stayed positive about the ZL that I received in the mail a couple days ago. The device, which is ~$100 cheaper than the Xperia Z retains all of the same internal specs and the same screen, while replacing the body of the device with a regular, textured rubberized plastic phone backing. The ports aren't covered with fiddly little glass caps, and the size of the device is slightly reduced, all while adding a dedicated camera button, a slightly larger battery, and support for the T-Mobile HSPA+ network (a must, for me -- possibly not important at all for you).

In short, this is the phone that I thought the Z was going to be. Due to the hardware "compromises" this cheaper device is actually much more of what I want from a phone, and I'm very pleased with it.

Yes, the back is "plastic" and yes, people are having a negative reaction to that lately. But it's miles more comfortable to hold than the Xperia Z and at the same time, much more premium in the hand than a Galaxy SIII so I don't think there's a real complaint to be had here. I also love having normal, unencumbered access to the headphone jack and USB port. Things you take for granted, until they're taken away.

What's a "PlayNow™?"

My complaints about Sony's version of Android running at this pixel density are already documented, and hold true for the ZL too, but after using the ZL as a primary device for a couple days, my new complaint is focused on Sony's exclusive, built-in apps. What a waste! What the heck is a "PlayNow" and why is it's blurry little low-res icon sitting amongst my other pre-installs? I launched it and the first time, it crashed. The second time, it timed out with an annoying blank screen, and the third time it finally loaded up an unimpressive-looking HTML interface seems to have been coded about five years ago, and populated with a bunch of throw-away game trials and media I'd never heard of, with preview images at the incorrect resolution for the ZL's pixel density. This is not the way for Sony to make money. Where is the effort that could have been spent on this? Why bother including this at all, if it's so utterly abandoned?

The same story holds true for Sony's much-vaunted "PSM" Android app, which was originally intended to let us sign into our Playstation Network accounts and buy original PS1 games, as well as exclusive new titles tailored to Sony's high-end hardware. Does anybody remember this promise? Well, it might have died, but the app remains.

I logged in to find that none of the purchases I made on my PSP (even of PS1 games) were available to download. Fine; I understand that. But I don't understand why none of the PS1 games I purchased on other Xperia phones were available to download either. They were all mysteriously missing from the market and from my download menu, where they used to live. Surely this hardware, which is leagues above that old Xperia hardware should be able to play the games, right? Have they just been removed entirely? Even after I purchased them? Needless to say, I wasn't happy about that.

However, those are all things I could have brought up in my Xperia Z review as well, and really have nothing to do with the hardware or everyday user experience. I wish I could single-handedly convince Sony to either put real work and weight behind these software efforts, but the truth is I'm more than happy with the regular Google Play store game offerings, and I guess I'll just ignore Sony's apps like everyone else does. I'll just say that they'd have a real customer in me if they'd ever really support one of these attempts of theirs.

The Specs

These are last-generation specs, which is a little bit frustrating. Why is Sony launching a device now that features a quad-core 1.5Ghz processor, 2 gigs of ram, and an Antutu benchmark of 16,954? This device is not significantly more powerful than the Galaxy SIII that you've had in your pocket for a year, which scores a 16,301 on Antutu's test. However, it is significantly less powerful than the Galaxy S4 that is about to launch in a month or so. Furthermore, the OS's frame rate and overall fluidity of interaction on Sony's Z and ZL stutter a great deal more than what I've seen in other build's of Jellybean, even on significantly less powerful devices.

Final Thoughts

For me, the supposedly cheaper hardware of the ZL is a huge improvement over the all-glass, uncomfortable construction of the Z. Comfort matters in a mobile design. It's why I keep going back to my Galaxy SIII even though the interface is butt-ugly and the phone feels like it was made out of milk jugs. Sony's Xperia ZL is the first Xperia device I would recommend to anyone in a long while, and I give it higher marks than the Z purely on that basis. However in many ways the specs make it a last-generation Android phone, possibly launching too late to be relevant to many who will be considering it in the coming two months.

Rating

Build Quality: 8/10
Screen: 9/10
Camera: 9/10
Processor Power: 9/10
Battery: 5/10
OS / Software: 7/10

Overall: 7.8/10

Review: Sony Xperia Z

Key Specs

Processor: Qualcomm MDM9215M / APQ8064, Quad-core @ 1.5 GHz
Storage - Internal: 16Gb
Storage - External: Up to 32Gb via MicroSD
RAM: 2Gb
Battery: 1800 mAh
Camera: 13 Megapixels
Camera - Front: 2.2 Megapixels

First Impressions

The Sony Xperia Z looks incredible in photos. The specs that look awesome on paper. The phone, itself, is less fabulous than the combination of its looks and specs would lead you to believe, though. As is often the case with Sony products, there are one or two sore points so egregious that they end up holding the entire product back, almost unfairly.

I was very excited when I received my review unit of the Xperia Z, having slobbered over press photos, and read the stories about how this was Sony going "all in" to rescue their position as a premium handset maker. This time, the story goes, Sony was going to get it all right, and really impress us with their combination of top-tier internals and stunning hardware design.

Having been personally burned by last generation's Xperia S and the cute but egregiously underpowered Xperia Sola I wanted to believe that the Z was the comeback story that Sony has needed. However, I don't think the truth is as generous as that.

First of all, this much ballyhooed waterproof design is a major annoyance. There may have been some double-digit number of marine life experts loudly demanding a top-end waterproof phone, but I have doubts that this feature was actually requested or wanted by many members of the general public. Sure, it'd be a fine assurance to have if there weren't such a steep cost to the convenience of the device, but due to the phone being waterproof, all of the ports (including your most-used ports such as headphones and USB port) are covered by fiddly little rubber plugs with precariously attached glass facades on top to make them blend with the rest of the phone's all-glass design. They are beyond annoying, and I have no doubt that the glass top layer on these plugs will eventually fall off with repeated use. The glass layer also makes them difficult to get a finger under, when you want access. It's just not worth it, when you realize you'll need to do this multiple times a day.

Secondly, the fact that the entire phone is covered in glass goes beyond stylish to obnoxious. I can deal with a LG Nexus 4 because A) The glass is only on the front and back, B) The sides are comfortable to grip and C) The glass on the Nexus 4 is very smooth and smudge-resistant. On the Xperia Z, the phone is very wide, very tall, very thin, and covered by glass back, front, top, bottom, left, and right edges. It feels just awful to hold. Almost unfinished. The glass on the sides is particularly uncomfortable as it cuts into the hand. It doesn't look so good outside of glossy human-free product photos, because it smudges up and gets grimy almost instantly. Do you really want to be wiping down all six surfaces of your giant glass-encased phone on a regular basis?

Interface

The interface of Sony's current-generation phones is something I'm starting to take issue with. As far as customized versions of Android go, I have always found Sony's flavor to be tasteful, though not particularly superior to stock. However, the looks of Sony's UI have not changed significantly since it was targeting ~480x840 pixel devices, with a PPI of ~250. Taking those same elements and simply increasing the image fidelity of them to suite a screen that is 1080x1920 at 441 PPI -- it doesn't work so well. You can tell these elements were designed to look good at significantly smaller size and pixel density. Mind you, I'm not saying the UI is up-sampled or pixelated. It has been refreshed to take advantage of the new monster screen, but the fact remains that it was designed for something smaller and less detailed, so looking at it on a Z, there's a strange impression that the interface has yawning chasms of blank space and an overall lack of detail.

Battery Life

Also, battery life isn't good. I'm not sure what kinds of tests people ran to achieve the quoted, "11 hours" of talk time, but I don't use my phones for talking very often. Mostly I use them for gaming, web browsing, email, and checking my calendar. With that combination of activities, I was only able to get about 4 hours out of the Xperia Z before it was demanding to be charged again. I can't imagine that working out well for anyone's schedule. I believe that device makers need to embrace the fact that users are increasingly using their phones for screen-on activities -- we need bigger batteries built in, even if it means going back to thicker phones. Nobody has been demanding extremely thin phones, but we have all been begging for more potent batteries for years.

What about the Camera?

The camera in the Xperia Z takes big 13 Megapixel photos, like most members of the upcoming generation. But unfortunately, the quality of them is only on par with the photos I have taken with my 8 Megapixel Galaxy S3, and the customized camera software is not very user-friendly or accessible. I much prefer the interface inovations that Google's stock camera on the Nexus 4 provides, over the larger size of the Xperia Z's photos.

Specs-wise, with the Z hitting benchmarks at about the same place as the much-cheaper Nexus 4 (and in light of the other issues I've listed) I continue to admire the design goals of the Xperia Z, and I applaud Sony's efforts to up the build quality of their already-attractive devices, I don't think it's a good choice for comfortable daily use.

Though I'm noticing the reviews seem to favor the Z elsewhere on the 'net, I would actually recommend the slightly cheaper ZL over the Z if you're dead-set on a new Sony Xperia phone. It has the same specs, the same great screen, no waterproof-necessary port covers to contend with, and a textured back that at least removes some of the discomfort of holding the device.

Rating

Build Quality: 6/10
Screen: 9/10
Camera: 9/10
Processor Power: 9/10
Battery: 4/10
OS / Software: 7/10

Overall: 7.3/10