Shall I buy Z2 or Z3+ ?? - Xperia Z2 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Guys, would you help me deciding between both phones? I am coming from Xperia SP
- Z2: What I like:
Better design -for me-, better price, larger developmental community/more better future custom roms, larger battery..
or
- Z3 Plus: What I like:
Better front Camera/Dual Sim/more predictable official updates/better waterproofness/more over-heating issues..
I don't like Z3 ://
you may help me If stated new or neglected something in the comparison like: the front cameras don't differ too much, or Z3+ is not expected to receive Android N or expected to grow large custom roms community like Z2 (I don't think so) etc..
Thanks a lot ))

I think that the most important is the price. It should be your main argument.
After that comes everything else.
To be honest front camera on z2 isn't too good, a lot of noise mostly in darker light conditions.
Z2 comes with (great) headphones which is a big +
Temperature, idk. if you do care about it then don't choose z3+
The flaps may be a pretty important argument. On z2 you've got 2 flaps = 2 times bigger risk that water gets in.
The choice is your, but for me Xperia Z2 is the most functional phone I've ever had (and I would upgrade to z3+ if it didn't cost 2x so much as z2, because it's not worth it)

I would go for the z2.
Much cheaper and isn't really plagued by overheating issues even when gaming, while the z3+ is known for these issues because of it's snapdragon 810, plus it's specs are not really outdated to be honest

Thanks a lot ) here I found an offer for Z3+ that it is not that expensive as x2 price the Z2 at all
That's what made me think about it .. but now I am favoring the Z2 over Z3/Z3+, but now after more searching .. the LG G4 came up with another offer in the same market lol ://
Its camera is amazing but its battery is toooo bad .. do you have any idea about it ? I don't think it deserves taking a risk .. what do you think ??

Yes, that's what I am thinking about .. and the one thing remaining is .. to hope that it will receive a decent Android M Support

Lg. Hmm. I've had g2 and it was pretty good, especially the screen to size ratio and it's quality.
Xperia devices offer waterproofness, good headphones and you can use it with a pencil
If you don't care about these things you may take the g4. 3000mAh also isn't so bad.
But remember that Lg devices get faster cheap in case you would like to sell it someday.

oh, I wasn't paying attension for that
Well, I think I am going to get Z2 )
Thanks a lot for your time )

Related

[Q] Do all Z2s have problems?

I'm thinking of getting the Z2 but I'm worried after seeing how many people have problems with overheating, bad build quality, self cracking so on so forth... I just wanted to know whether every Z2 has these issues or is it a game of luck? And does the batch number have anything to do with these issues? AND, did they fix the camera overheat problem (in normal, non 4k mode) via the updates or no? If not then I think it's... I don't know, lame? there's no other phone, no matter high or low end that can't stay in camera without overheating, I guess we have to pay 700$ to get that exclusive "feature" then.
Also, off topic, how is the speaker quality compared to iPhone 5S and/or Note 3? And is the amp powerful enough to power high end headphones decently?
Mk-Raul said:
I'm thinking of getting the Z2 but I'm worried after seeing how many people have problems with overheating, bad build quality, self cracking so on so forth... I just wanted to know whether every Z2 has these issues or is it a game of luck? And does the batch number have anything to do with these issues? AND, did they fix the camera overheat problem (in normal, non 4k mode) via the updates or no? If not then I think it's... I don't know, lame? there's no other phone, no matter high or low end that can't stay in camera without overheating, I guess we have to pay 700$ to get that exclusive "feature" then.
Also, off topic, how is the speaker quality compared to iPhone 5S and/or Note 3? And is the amp powerful enough to power high end headphones decently?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is very obvious and understandable to have this doubt which you are facing right now. I had the similar apprehensions before and also post purchasing the Z2. However, the truth is far from it.
A few points we all need to understand:
1) Users on XDA Z2 forum are only a fraction of all the Z2 owners in the world. The issues depeicted here are majorly very minor when the ratio is compared to the whole lot of Z2s sold so far by Sony.
2) Had it been that majority of Z2s facing the mentioned issues, Sony would have been trashed across all the global forums, blogs and other tech portals.
Camera overheating issue is a bug. Again, this is not so rampant. And not that everyone will use 4k recording all the time for video shooting, as I can say this for all, not all of us own a 4K TV or monitor to enjoy the video. 1080p still serves the purpose.
Speaker quality is great. I say this post comparing it with S5, Iphone5s, Note 3, Nexus. However, you cannot compare it to HTC One (Both M7 &M8).
I hope I could settle a few concerns you had here. I would end saying this. Buy any device, any phone. But only when you are sure about it 100% (50% heart + 50% Mind)
-unease
unease said:
It is very obvious and understandable to have this doubt which you are facing right now. I had the similar apprehensions before and also post purchasing the Z2. However, the truth is far from it.
A few points we all need to understand:
1) Users on XDA Z2 forum are only a fraction of all the Z2 owners in the world. The issues depeicted here are majorly very minor when the ratio is compared to the whole lot of Z2s sold so far by Sony.
2) Had it been that majority of Z2s facing the mentioned issues, Sony would have been trashed across all the global forums, blogs and other tech portals.
Camera overheating issue is a bug. Again, this is not so rampant. And not that everyone will use 4k recording all the time for video shooting, as I can say this for all, not all of us own a 4K TV or monitor to enjoy the video. 1080p still serves the purpose.
Speaker quality is great. I say this post comparing it with S5, Iphone5s, Note 3, Nexus. However, you cannot compare it to HTC One (Both M7 &M8).
I hope I could settle a few concerns you had here. I would end saying this. Buy any device, any phone. But only when you are sure about it 100% (50% heart + 50% Mind)
-unease
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for replying.
I'm all up for it (heart wise) but the brain part still worries me because I'm not that rich to just get a new flagship after few days because mine is faulty.
My concern about the camera wasn't about the 4K overheating, my brother's Note 3 has 4k too, it NEVER gets used. I'm just worried because I've seen some people both on XDA and other forums/YT having overheating during normal photo shooting in SA mode.
Mk-Raul said:
Thanks for replying.
I'm all up for it (heart wise) but the brain part still worries me because I'm not that rich to just get a new flagship after few days because mine is faulty.
My concern about the camera wasn't about the 4K overheating, my brother's Note 3 has 4k too, it NEVER gets used. I'm just worried because I've seen some people both on XDA and other forums/YT having overheating during normal photo shooting in SA mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello there, well so far (I am using the Indian variant D6502 with .314 rom) I haven't had any concerns while using the camera. So can't comment on that. Maybe, you should visit nearest retailer and play around with a demo piece before committing for a purchase.
Sent from my Sony Xperia Z2
Hello . I got my Z2 the other day and no problems. I configurated it, updated to latest firmware, rooted and it's been working great.
I saw some issues with it overheating when charged but I didn't get that. So far no screen crack either.
I was worried about the self cracking as well but in the end I got it anyway. I really hope I won't experience it. I had a Z1 and Z ultra previously who both were great.
The speaker/mic quality sounds worse but I don't really care seeing as I will be talking with a headset anyway.
Ive just got the phone and have it for 4 days now.Switched from Xperia ZR. To be honest yes the phone overheats more when you use the camera,videorecording / 4k or 1080p doesnt metta. (comparing with the ZR). And yes,ive read alot about the cracked screens before taking the phone also but..thats the price for its classy look.you need to be careful even if you take a case / protector. The ZR had the same overheating problems when it first came out but sony gave us an update that fixed it.Soo lets hope they will manage to make 1 for the Z2 too On the other hand the Snapdragon is very close to the camera sensor so thats the thingy thats cousin the overheat.And afterall its an No fan device. Uh and for the speakers,yes,they are nice,but not the best as Unease said,but.still louder than prev Z series.cheerz
Thanks for asking these questions Op as I also have the same concerns about buying the Z2 (as I'm sure many others do as well).
Any large purchase, especially with a 2 year contract, is daunting but rest assured that the vast majority of Z2's are problem free. Certainly my week old model hasn't had any problems.
its only early model xperia Z2s which have problems, and if its a problem then sony has to replace it or repair it since its in the warrenty
All Sony Mobile device issues that are Sonys fault is covered by their 2 year warrenty, and modifacation of the device will result in a warrenty void.
Thanks for all the replies, guys.
I've waited way too long and now it's time for Z3 to be released... I know it doesn't offer much more than Z2 but I'm kinda between 2 rocks at the moment. I'd hate to spend 700$ on a flagship if it's going to be "outdated" after 20 days... I think I will though. :\
Mk-Raul said:
Thanks for all the replies, guys.
I've waited way too long and now it's time for Z3 to be released... I know it doesn't offer much more than Z2 but I'm kinda between 2 rocks at the moment. I'd hate to spend 700$ on a flagship if it's going to be "outdated" after 20 days... I think I will though. :\
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
buying a z3 instead of a z2 is pointless, they just look different, not much performance wise
only thing sony is doing with z series is trying to find that perfect phone by trying different things
Envious_Data said:
buying a z3 instead of a z2 is pointless, they just look different, not much performance wise
only thing sony is doing with z series is trying to find that perfect phone by trying different things
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly what I think to be honest. And the fact that rumored pictures of Z3 show that the speakers aren't front facing is enough for me to take Z2 instead.
How long do they keep updating their phones? I mean will my Z2 get its updates after Z3? and if it will, will they take ages? I haven't owned an Xperia device so I don't know how their support works for older phones.
Apart from Camera Overheating issue , I have ZERO problems for my phone dated 14 W18.
Mk-Raul said:
That's exactly what I think to be honest. And the fact that rumored pictures of Z3 show that the speakers aren't front facing is enough for me to take Z2 instead.
How long do they keep updating their phones? I mean will my Z2 get its updates after Z3? and if it will, will they take ages? I haven't owned an Xperia device so I don't know how their support works for older phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
18 months standard, some devices get more or less depending on their popularity for support time and updates are there when they can update, not tooo often but when a version is busted they try to get another update out as soon as
Mk-Raul said:
Thanks for all the replies, guys.
I've waited way too long and now it's time for Z3 to be released... I know it doesn't offer much more than Z2 but I'm kinda between 2 rocks at the moment. I'd hate to spend 700$ on a flagship if it's going to be "outdated" after 20 days... I think I will though. :\
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If z3 truly is thinner I wouldn't be surprised to see overheating, or at the very least CPU throttling, to be worse than z2
ghostofcain said:
If z3 truly is thinner I wouldn't be surprised to see overheating, or at the very least CPU throttling, to be worse than z2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
heating is caused by bad motherboard design
cpu is next to the camera, neither have any breathing space for cooler air, hence the extreme heating when not using the camera and even worse with using the camera
Envious_Data said:
heating is caused by bad motherboard design
cpu is next to the camera, neither have any breathing space for cooler air, hence the extreme heating when not using the camera and even worse with using the camera
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And when you are forced to cram them closer together by having a thinner casing it gets worse, don't forget a waterproof sealed casing has little air movement.
ghostofcain said:
And when you are forced to cram them closer together by having a thinner casing it gets worse, don't forget a waterproof sealed casing has little air movement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there is also no heat pipes like found in HTC or iphones
im hoping sony learns from their mistakes, they are slowly learning from some mistakes but not all, they seem to only listen to the majority of complaints, aka poor camera qualitys, bootloader issues
for some reason not enough people complain about heating and thats one of the biggest issues, yet i see little about this issue
I suspect that's because for MOST users it's not an issue, certainly in the week I've had mine it's got no warmer in general use than my galaxy s3 did, I'll admit I've not done any 4k videoing yet but I've not had any close downs or noticeable throttling.
If all Z2's had problems then mine would as well... But mine doesn't, ergo, not all Z2's have problems...

[q] xperia z2 vs lg g3

Hi guys!!!!!I have a galaxy ace 2 and an xperia tablet z,but now its time to upgrade my phone...
Im thinking the z2 and the g3.if i put it side by side i would choose the z2 for these features
1 water proof and dust proof
2 front speakers
3 bigger battery
and of course the 3 gb ram
the experience i have from my tablet is perfect,never had a problem and has a huuuuuuge battery (6000mha)
the only thing that put me into thoughts is that everyone are saying about the poor service of sony and that is a shi**y company
.I dont see that on my tablet but i feel that i must ask you what do you think about these two phones now that they are in our hands
do you have any problems about z2? what do you think?
No problems with Z2 here, I had same dilemma I bought the Z2 over G3 because of the RAM, real world battery performance seems much better due to larger battery and no 4k screen and camera.
For me, majority of customer service are sh**tty they will try evade from warranty repair or replacement but in the case of there is a money involved im pretty sure you will be entertained. Anyway for me, I don't judge based on customer service but the product itself and updates of software. So for me, z2 is much more reliable and better than others cause of overall aesthetics, usefulness of application such as walkman, camera and movies, water resistant my how I loved this feature, and lastly the great battery life. The wishlist only I have is a better front facing camera. Qhd is just a gimmick for me I did compare from z2 and its not a really big difference to compromise the battery life. Rather had a great battery life than a little difference of display quality. I hope sony doesn't bring that qhd from z4 and unless they dont compromised size and battery.
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Free mobile app
Z2 all the way
Great design, best battery life,good performance and of course the waterproof!!!
g3 is overrated with qHD and bigger screen!!!
what about the warming problem that many say? Any lag problem? Have you had any software upgrade?
And the last thing that im really curius,why the other brands dont make a 3 gb ram phones?(except the big and pricy G3)
in my eyes the z2 even though it is close to 1 year old phone,is equal than the g3
last question(i promise) if i take the z2 is it possible to have 3 years more with the latest firmwares(custom roms) etc
and will it be possible to run the future apps?
Ive personaly compared those 2 and i can say that the camera of the G3 is better than the Z2 (z2 makes better daylight ones tho). 2 Gb of RAM can still handle everything and it will be like that for a long time (3Gb are a showoff for now). The screen of the G3 is way better and we know why , Just the battery backup is abit worse for the G3. For videos Z2 also wins. With a mod G3 can reproduce 60fps of 1920x.. and its still laggy. I personaly can't talk about design..Z2 wins in every aspect + the waterproofness aswell as you mentioned.Speakers of Z2 are better also. Its up to you.LG have a vry friendly interface with good stuff in it and ofcourse a infrared and a vry helpful buttons on its back.
Thank you guys, I'm probably going for the z2, I ll try to watch more reviews but I think that the xperia is going to be my next phone.... Thanks again

Should I get a Z2 or the Z Ultra?

I'm well aware of the specs and I have been wanting to get a Z ultra for quite some time but I have waited until now.
Hands down, I like the bigger screen on the Z Ultra and the price of it makes it even more enticing. Where as the Z2 has faster/newer internals(CPU, etc.), better camera, and a flash(I'm so annoyed by the ZU not having a flash! I used the led flash as a flashlight all the time), but at a more expensive price.
What's your guys' take on it? Waiting is kind of out of the question(I heard about the Z3X which sounds like my next phone after this one... I don't like paying premiums for new releases)... I prefer something stable and working decently out of the box(I know, this is xda).
Key points:
Z Ultra:
+Price is lower
+Bigger screen
-slower
-worse camera, no flash
Z2:
+Faster/updated internals
+better camera
-costs more
Also, I heard there was a decent note taking app from Sony for the Z Ultra, where you could use a stylus and take notes(sort of like the Samsung Galaxy Note series), is that app available for the Z2 as well(anyone happen to know?)?
Thanks in advance, I appreciate any input. What's your take on it? I think I could go either way, I hear about lag on both units(I'm sure rooting can help, but I might keep it simple for now and use it out of the box for rooting/modding).
I happens to have a Z2 here (it is not mine but I got the responsibility to configure it) and all I can say is that it is a great device BUT wouldn't dream about replacing my Ultra. My Ultra is very smooth (CandyKat at the moment with GreatDevs V1 and OC to 2.46 GHz) and the only benefit I can see with the Z2 is more or less the camera when I make the comparison.
I am not talking down the Z2 when I say this but the Ultra offer a great package with a screen that make it a tablet replacement. The Z2 on the other hand is a great device for a person that has a Z today (which I also have) and I would recommend it warmly... if there wasn't an Ultra in the house (or rather two).
Since I read a lot and browse the Internet and so forth, the big screen of the Ultra wins me over - hands down.
camera camera camera. if you want to take even one photo then z2. i own a ultra as a backup to my note 4. the camera on the ultra is really just sad. but everything else is great.
pushcush1983 said:
camera camera camera. if you want to take even one photo then z2. i own a ultra as a backup to my note 4. the camera on the ultra is really just sad. but everything else is great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The camera is poor in poor light but otherwise is not that bad other than over sharpining of the jpg
a buddy of mine has the z2...
i bought a z ultra like 2 weeks ago since its even cheaper than the original z
he saw it today and now he wants to replace his z2 with an z ultra
he doesn't use the camera and also he doesnt game much
camera would be my only concern though
also the led flash, if you just wanna have a flashlight, you can the big screen, its decent enough for finding your stuff in the dark
cant talk about hickups since i dont run stock (and never will / or did)
both phones seem blazing fast to me, i really dont think the performance of the z2 is much better
my last phones were a htc magic and galaxy s-plus, just so u know
also i have to say, since i got the ultra, i don't want to use any smaller phone anymore.. they seem so small and bad to use
Thanks to everyone who responded!
Helps a lot. It seems like the more I hear from Z Ultra users, the more I hear about how they love the device despite it's shortcomings(ie: camera and no flash).
I agree, once you behold such a big screen it's hard to go back!
How is battery life? And just to throw it out there, what are some of the custom roms you guys recommend that may improve the battery life/performance?
I was slightly concerned that the slower cpu/gpu might affect performance, and I was going to try to avoid custom roms for the sake of simplicity, but haha, it seems to be unavoidable with most devices I get.
You can slash "Slower" right away. If you care about games, the Z ultra is better desipite having an Older SoC, simply because of its Size.
Besides, even in stock rom, I experience no lags, even with the stock launcher, im in 4.4.4.
Get the Z2 If you want relatively smaller phone, 5 coll isnt really "Small" but compared to the Z ultra, it is.
The camera in the Z2 is also better and has flash LEd.
You should ask yourself, do you want a one handed phone thats fairly recent and a good camera or a 2 handed one, which is amaizing for multi media and reading.
Considering the price of the ZU, you get a premium phone for an amaizing price, just dont treat this phone as a normal phone, it might not fit in the pockets.
I love my ZU.
I snooze I lose, I should've gotten a Z Ultra from the Sony store US site while I still had the chance for it's great price, now it's gone and taken off the site. Now, I'm only looking at the Z2, and behold, my waiting has resulted in the Z2 being back ordered. I could really use a phone by mid January. So I'm still open, but the ZU is probably a closed door for me unless I can find it brand new for a great price and with a warranty. I'm also looking at the LG G pro 2(but it's really pricey for the F530-US At&t compatible LTE) or even a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (the price has really fallen on that phone lately).
A lot of people are having this problem right now as ZU gotten much cheaper. First of all you should decide what's most important for you in your smartphone and how you're going to use it. Both are really great but designed for different kind of people. To help you choose, I'll give you some pros and cons of both devices.
Xperia Z Ultra (I own standard edition but this will mostly apply to GPE as well)
Pros:
- huge screen, which makes browsing the web and watching the movies very comfortable,
- excellent performance in applications and games, backed up by nicely optimized system and solid stock kernel,
- because of it's size ZU doesn't throttle, which is not common in most of the high end 5 inch +/- smartphones packed with Snapdragon 800+, including Xperia Z2, (actually ZU does throttle but just a little, which is not event felt in games)
- operating temperatures are acceptable during stress, which makes sure that battery and hardware will last a little longer (especially non replaceable battery),
- very solid stand by and calling battery life,
- excellent microphone which makes calls really great,
- it's very cheap, considering how premium it's.
Cons:
- lack of flash, this is a problem if you want to make a photos in bad lighting conditions or you need a lighter,
- still photos quality is decent, improved auto mode is kind of useless and makes photos with huge amount of noise. You can
make some of the nice photos during day out of the ZU using manual settings though, photos made in poor lighting conditions are out of question,
- it's too big to use single handed (unless you have huge hands) and you might have some problems putting it in your pocket, might be too heavy for some people,
- front camera is pretty bad,
- battery life is at best only decent, if you're using a lot of screen, you'll need to charge everyday,
- speakers could be louder.
Xperia Z2:
Pros:
- Excellent cameras, still photos and recordings have amazing quality, both selfie and back camera,
- Can record very detailed 4K videos,
- It's much more handy and can be used single handed without problems, it's also much lighter than ZU and easilly pocketable,
- Pretty great battery life, especially with screen on, in some cases almost 2 times better than ZU,
- Speaker is much louder and call quality is also very good,
- It has 3 GB of ram,
- Propably it will be updated to 5.0 faster than ZU.
Cons:
- it has updated specs but in real usage it's weaker than Z Ultra, especially in games because of bigger throttling,
- it's not that smooth, compared to Z Ultra, on 4.4.2 in Z2 i experienced a bit of lagging, opposite to silky smooth ZU on 4.4.4,
- has much smaller screen, which is not as comfortable as ZU screen to use,
- can get very hot during games,
- overheating problems during 4k recording.
Both are finely crafted devices, you can't go wrong with both of them. But keep in mind, that if you need a handy smartphone that can be used single handed then ZU it's not a good choice for you.

A peaceful break-up with Sony

Hi guys,
just wanted to get some opinions: after more than a year with Sony phones, I think I'm ready to move on to a different design, what would you suggest? S6? G4? M9?
Z2's forever in my heart, it has simply become too dull.
I had g2. Was great but not enough storage. I didn't like g3 somehow however after holding g4 in my hand it made a better impression on me than flex 2 and I would also consider buying this phone.
Before z2 I had m8 and I must say that it was the best device for me in terms of quality (all z-series i ever had had/have some issues). The reason I switched to Sony was low mpx count and weak battery, but damn, this ui was just lag free. After switching to z2 I immediately noticed it's much slower and speakers audio was just soo crappy (which I got used to now).
So if you expect good quality, very good display (and glass not catching so many fingerprints as z2) then I would pick m9.
If you expect even a better display and multitasking (like in Samsung) then go for g4.
If you expect good camera pick Samsung.
However, I myself would discard Samsung immediately, because it has no sdcard expansion and small battery.
Trust me 2600mah in m8 was nothing. (I'm a quote heavy phone user).
Sent from Xperia Z2
Luckily not from an iPhone = Yesterdays technology at tomorrows prices
Lg G4 or V10 is an amazing alternative to a Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
Perhaps even a Nexus 6P or a customized Motorola

Is the Moto Z worth buying right now?

I have a pretty tight budget and I have the choice between an upgrade to the Moto X and Xperia XZS
The Moto X still has a warranty and the JBL module so I'm just curious of what actual Z users feel ?
What?
Moto X or Moto Z, choose what you're talking about.
No, it's not. Sure it has kinda good specs for the low price, but that low battery capacity is dragging the whole package down. Only after half a year my friends Moto Z's battery capacity already seems a lot worse than it did before. There is no denying that the battery is just not enough if you're not willing to use these bulky and expensive battery mods. Only upside is that it charges fast. I feel like there are a lot of better contenders out there for the tight budget.
If you can get a good deal it's a nice phone. It's easy to flash custom ROMs.
Thanks for the replies guys! But SLR I'm in the exam period. I got the Z, in many ways I feel it's better than my destroyed LG G6, the screen is better.
Build is awesome and front camera is a wows my friends who use iPhones. Except the battery sucks **** and lack of the headphone jack.
The JBL mod is great and I plan on getting the Incpio battery mod.. If the Z2 Force will be getting Treble support! Because I want to stick to the Z line.
None of the current Z/Z2 models will be getting official Treble support. I think someone has added Treble to a Z with Lineage. I believe there's a thread on /r/moto_z about that.

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