Ok so i've had my C5 Ultra for a few days now here in the UK and have had a few ups and downs but i've solved the problems I had with the phone.
I'm coming from the Z3 which I had an original sandisk 128gb micro SD card in. (Bear in mind I have tried several different Micro SD cards and I always buy original good ones)
Problems I had:
1. With the Z3 taking pictures was very quick whilst having the default storage to Micro SD card, DO NOT set the camera storage to micro SD on the C5 Ultra it takes 5 times longer to write to the micro SD card than the internal memory, so if you want to take photos in quick succession then don't save to the external memory.
2. Again an external micro SD card problem.....I have lots of apps and games, games especially taking up loads of space. I thought id be clever and install some big games and use lollipops feature of transferring them to the external memory to gain some space. This will slow the entire system down. DONT DO IT TRUST ME, pick your favourite apps and be done with!!
3. I have a Sony Smartwatch 3 and paired it with the phone and installed the Lifelog app. Currently (10th September) this app will slow your C5 Ultra down, it may not be optimised for Mediatek processors yet. Id wait for the app to be updated before you use/download it. Use the Google Fit app which works fine and can be left on even in stamina mode.
4. Don't expect the battery to be as good as a Sony Xperia Z3, its close and you will be happy with the C Ultras battery life but don't expect flagship battery life. (this may change as the battery on my C5 Ultra has not been run in plus I've been using this phone constantly!! Also the phone is on 5.0 lollipop and not 5.1.1 so the memory leak bug is probably there.) The good news is the battery life is better than the Z Ultra!
5. The phones 3g/4g signal is pretty weak, I thought the Z3 was bad but this is worse, hopefully in the next firmware update this will be resolved.
6. The takes a long time to charge. Probably about 3 hours from flat, quick charge plugs dont charge it any faster.
7. I miss the magnetic charger and the dock, im a massive fan of these. I have the dk52 dock for the c5 ultra but im always weary ill scratch the case around the micro usb.
The good:
Being a heavy phone user and my previous phones being : Xperia Z, Z Ultra, Z2, Galaxy note 2, 3, 4, Nexus 6 and Xperia Z3 I can honestly say now that I have solved the phones problems, this is the best phone I have owned, its the perfect size and price for me.
1. The Screen is gorgeous, its that bright i have it on the lowest setting! Picture quality is great even at near harsh angles.
2. Both cameras are great, youll need patience with them, dont be expecting to be taking great sports shots though.
3. the in call speaker is better than the Z3, id go as far as saying its the better than the Z series!
4. I got the official dock as well and love the portrait orientation.
5. Games and movies look brilliant in landscape and apps are a joy to use on this 6" screen.
6. Bluetooth music quality is brilliant, I stream to another stereo via bluetooth and the quality is near cd.
7. That selfie cam is brilliant, great wide angle shots and finally great selfies on nights out with low light!
As you can see the Phone completes the rest of my Sony setup (Yep my whole house is a Sony Shop LOL!)!! Anyway, enjoy and if your after a phablet sized sony phone then this is the one to have. Thanks.
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From Left to Right: Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, Xperia C5 Ultra, Xperia Z3, PS Vita.
An unedited Picture taken on Manual 13 Megapixel, Flash Off, ISO 200, Exposure Time: 1/33s
Aperture: f/2 (These are all default manual settings)
From Left to Right: Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia C5 Ultra, Xperia Z3, PS Vita.
Great review.
using Z ultra here.. guess im going to switch!
inflamess said:
Great review.
using Z ultra here.. guess im going to switch!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, ive just added a few comparison shots with the Z Ultra! [emoji6]
Sent from my E5563 using Tapatalk
JKWR said:
Thanks, ive just added a few comparison shots with the Z Ultra! [emoji6]
Sent from my E5563 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recently bought my C5 Ultra several days back and I'm more than impressed!
Surprisingly the screen is VERY bright. At 15-20% it's as bright as my old Xperia Z3 at 50-60%
Black/white levels and colours all look great once properly calibrated via the white balance settings.
Camera is excellent and the flash is strong. Only issue with the camera is the inability to shoot at 50 iso, the lowest is 100.
Speaker is loud and clear when watching movies, playing games and listening to music.
Voice calls are loud and clear, surprisingly the loudspeaker is crisp and sharp.
Hopefully soon someone can make a sound mod which not only improves and increases sound but also gives us stereo sound out the upper earpiece. There were several of these mods available for the Xperia Z Ultra and the sound was great.
Battery is excellent. I've got around 93% and the phone has been around 12 hours turned on and only lightly used.
I wish we get a working custom recovery with root since half the apps I have require root access. I miss Xposed, Greenify, GMD Autohide Soft Keys & most of all Titanium backup.
That said, the device has only just been released so realistically we need to give it weeks if not more for development to roll.
Front camera.
OP. Can you post some pics taken by the front cam of this device? Im a sony fan and this baby got my interest. Maybe ill be buying this as a christmas gift for myself :cyclops:
Hi, do any of you get that screen flicker bug b4 playing videos (ie, youtube, faceboo/insta vids)?
@JKWR re signal - my phone is giving me very good Lte and 3g signals, better than my previous phone which was the 6 plus.
Hi, since you have the z3 and c5. Is it possible for you to give some comment on which one haa better camera? Im looking ti upgrade from oneplus one since its camera just fall apart in low light. My choice is either z3 compact, z2, c5 or m5. And do you have self cracking issue on your sony product?
Heres some front facing camera pics, sorry I look severely hung over on some!!
Sent from my E5563 using Tapatalk
Iqlas said:
Hi, since you have the z3 and c5. Is it possible for you to give some comment on which one haa better camera? Im looking ti upgrade from oneplus one since its camera just fall apart in low light. My choice is either z3 compact, z2, c5 or m5. And do you have self cracking issue on your sony product?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The C5 in my opinion takes better pictures than the Z3 in any situation. However taking photos in quick succession the z3 is better at. Z3 is quicker at opening the camera app and switching back and forth from the gallery to camera etc.
Z3 is hands down better at taking videos. Its leagues ahead.
Nice review, now most of my questions have been resolved and I will buy this phone next month as a Christmas gift
However, currently, I am living in Peru but in 6 days I'll travel to Orlando - Florida as an International Cultural Exchange Program student. The fact is that I don't know If I should buy this phone on a Sony Store (not sure if its in stock), or buy it on Internet (Amazon or eBay). What I really wanna know is if when I come back to my country, I will be able to catch the signal here in Peru . Some friends told me that the phone has to be GSM and obviously unlocked. Thank you in advance and sorry for my bad english :silly:
Darkar18 said:
Nice review, now most of my questions have been resolved and I will buy this phone next month as a Christmas gift
However, currently, I am living in Peru but in 6 days I'll travel to Orlando - Florida as an International Cultural Exchange Program student. The fact is that I don't know If I should buy this phone on a Sony Store (not sure if its in stock), or buy it on Internet (Amazon or eBay). What I really wanna know is if when I come back to my country, I will be able to catch the signal here in Peru . Some friends told me that the phone has to be GSM and obviously unlocked. Thank you in advance and sorry for my bad english :silly:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good news for you:
Sony Xperia C5 Ultra is now out in the US for $319.99 unlocked
http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_c5_ultra_is_now_out_in_the_us_for_31999_unlocked-news-15238.php
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Just wondering what is the latest firmware now and did it addresses all the issues?
Great review
Sent from my E5533 using Tapatalk
I recently replaced my Note 2 with a second hand Z2. It's been an adjustment going back to the smaller screen, so I was intrigued by this phone. I went back to Sony because I missed having the FM radio and I thought I was going to get better camera performance. (Pretty disappointed in the Z2, even with non-stock apps or on Superior Auto.) Before the Note I had an Xperia Ion and it took amazing macro shots. How are the macro shots on the C5?
You had a Nexus 6 and you like this one better?? Damn, I miss my Nexus 6. This phone imo is super slow, slower than my Nexus 6. The only thing that is better is the camera and quality of the phone. Hopefully the update will make it faster...
jtp0307 said:
You had a Nexus 6 and you like this one better?? Damn, I miss my Nexus 6. This phone imo is super slow, slower than my Nexus 6. The only thing that is better is the camera and quality of the phone. Hopefully the update will make it faster...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The update makes it much faster believe me. You will be amazed really, at least I was.
Sent from my E5303 using Tapatalk
Related
Here comes some of my initial impressions and pictures including photo and video samples from the Sony Xperia Ultra.
Build quality and impression
The device feels extremely solid and luxurious - in fact even better than the Xperia Z. The aluminum sides makes a noticeable difference and the lids feels more sturdy and reliable. Sony improved the design, which is good since there has been reports about leaks on the Z (like wet SIM card despite closed lids). Another interesting thing is that the weight is perfectly balanced, which makes the device easy to hold without showing any tendency to tip in any direction. The 212 grams feels light because of the large size so there's never any impression of heaviness either.
I am completely satisfied with the build and design of it. The Sony omnibalance design is just great.
Screen quality
The screen is absolutely magnificent. It offers a very realistic color reproduction with a warm and natural color balance. It is an improvement over the Z even if I am perfectly happy with that screen (I just don't get the complaints about it even if I made comparisons with the HTC One and Galaxy S 4). Nevertheless, the Ultra is an improvement with a more natural, warm color balance and great whites (white backgrounds are really white without getting any blueish hue). The size of the screen also makes it great for reading books, magazines and documents. Portrait mode is useable with this screen estate, unlike smaller devices where landscape is must in order to get an adequate text size.
Camera quality
The new 471 firmware is an improvement when it comes to picture quality. I notice sharper, more detailed pictures compared to the older 461 version. Before I bought the Ultra, I was skeptical about the camera but it has been satisfactory to me. The Xperia Z takes better pictures with the latest ROMs, especially with the leaked Honami camera apk but the Ultra still hold its own well (from now on, the Z will be my main camera and the Ultra takes care of the rest). The Superior Auto mode seems to work good on the new device and can take some pretty nice pictures even if I think that manual is even better when the settings are adjusted for a better result.
The only thing I noticed is that it can be tricky to compensate for the sunlight, the pictures has a tendency of becoming to dark at times when attempting to get the blue rather than white sky in place. My impression is that the Z handles that part better, it is easier to compose pictures with a clear sky without ending up with everything else being very dark.
Having a huge screen is very nice when photographing and it makes it easier to get the composition in place.
Sound quality
I have tested the sound quality with Grado PS1000 direct connected to the Ultra and later with RS-2 through the SBH20. It sounds very good in both cases and can drive those headphones well. The sound is clear with good detailing and balanced frequencies. PowerAMP sounds great with different kind of music.
My general impression is that it sounds similar to the Xperia Z in most cases.
Battery life
Since I got the device three days ago, the battery isn't run in yet but my initial impression is pretty good. I managed to get 1 hour and 23 minutes out of it when it showed 20% two days ago. Exact measurements hasn't been taken yet since I want to put it through some charge cycles before making any judgments but I think it holds up well for now. I was afraid that it would suffer from short life but I think it copes well with high demands like downloads over WiFi, browsing etc.
The Stamina mode seems to work well too. It has been sitting with 67% for two hours and 18 minutes now and is absolutely cool. The heat problem that affects the Z (that I avoided on my device through UV) seems to be solved. The Z Ultra doesn't heat up that much even with prolonged use. I guess that the aluminum sides etc improves the situation and helps to dissipate some of the heat. I don't feel an acute need for undervolting yet even if I will do it when custom kernels become available.
Software
Personally, I prefer to use custom ROMs (especially PAC) so I don't go into detail when it comes to stock ROMs, especially not with the phone mode. I look forward to the day when I can put the Ultra into phablet mode with apps in tablet mode - that will be the day when I feel that it is ready for prime time. Now, the screen estate is wasted by the phone mode.
Beside that, the Sony apps (Album, Walkman, dialer etc) is great and nice additions.
The stock ROM seems to be very stable, which is promising but it isn't exciting compared to PAC, a ROM which I think is absolutely great with decent customization options that make the device much more efficient.
I am not very much into reviewing stock ROMs, it is necessary to get root and Xposed Framework with App Settings before I feel that I want to judge it.
Where I bought it
I bought my C6802 at AtGSM, Bowery Street, New York. It is the store that provided me with the Xperia Z back in March.
Unpacking pictures
The package.
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The back of the package.
Open box.
Charger, cable, headset. I expected the SBH52 here.
The device itself. I think the white version is better in the case of the omnibalance but the black one fits my black cases I usually have (wallet or flip) and was in stock so I got it rather than waited for the other one. I think it looks great in black too.
The Ultra seen from the rear.
Device comparisons and photo samples with the 461 ROM
Side by side view of the Xperia Z and Xperia Z Ultra.
They run my usual configuration based on Nova Launcher, Beautiful Widgets etc. The Z runs the PAC ROM, 0726 build.
A side shot that shows the viewing angles.
Xperia Z Ultra compared with Xperia Z, Xperia X1, P910i and HD2.
A comparison of the thickness between those devices. Even if the Ultra is thin, I think it is easy to hold it with a safe and steady grip.
Visiting Android Central. I think the Ultra works perfect with my hand size.
Here are some photo samples taken with the old 461 ROM.
Those pictures are taken at the Sony Wonder Technology Lab, NYC.
Two street views.
A small picture comparison between the Xperia Z (PAC) and Z Ultra (461) is here.
[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/834/ac5x.jpg/]
[/URL]
This picture of the Commodore PET 2001 is taken with the Ultra.
This picture of the PET 2001 is taken with the Xperia Z with PAC 0726 ROM.
Photo samples taken with the 471
First is two sample videos in 1080p I took.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW9sjAYOabA&feature=youtu.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfKXiPX7syE
Here are the pictures:
I think the S 4 ad is funny. "The ultra-advanced S 4" - I wonder where that leaves the Xperia Z Ultra? Mega-Awesome-Ultra-Advanced??
Stylus compatibility
I have played with the digitizer today and found a graphite pen that works great for jotting things down, drawing etc. I like this feature very much and the ability to use different pens are great. The only thing that should be implemented is palm rejection. It is necessary to avoid touching the screen while using a stylus since it can cause the drawing of some very strange lines.
The Sony Sketch works very well and I took some notes today, which worked great when I found the proper way.
I will post more information when everything develops (root etc).
Root status
The Ultra isn't rooted yet. I cooperated with DoomLord on getting root on my device but we failed. The only response was a blank screen when root kernels and packages was flashed. It is obvious that more work has to be made here.
I unlocked the bootloader in order to try the rooting; I would have done it regardless since I want custom kernels and ROMs like PAC on it later on. Keeping the bootloader locked is therefore no options for me. The screen is so great that I don't even miss Bravia Engine either. It looks great when I view pictures in QuickPic or videos with BsPlayer.
Size
To me, the size is perfect and I can carry it on my pants without any problems. It just fit their pockets and it was the first thing I checked when I bought it. I was a bit worried about taking such a big jump upwards when it comes to the size but it went very well.
Thanks for the impressions! Just waiting on more concrete battery life information for it to seal the deal.
Sorry to hear that root is not working yet. Hope you get some luck ^.^
Planning to buy one soon too.
Absolutely awesome post, and impressions. Thanks for that, I also agree with you on everything.
Also glad you got a black ZU too, what lead you to that decision? Is it because you had a white Z?
gunblazer said:
Absolutely awesome post, and impressions. Thanks for that, I also agree with you on everything.
Also glad you got a black ZU too, what lead you to that decision? Is it because you had a white Z?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The black Z Ultra was selected because the store (AtGSM) didn't have the white in stock and I realized that the flip case I ordered will be black so the color is more practical. Otherwise, I think the white color is better for this "omnibalance" (what Sony call this design) since it accentuates it more.
Now I must say that I like the black design more than I did before. It looks really high tech and sophisticated.
The fact that I have the white Z also played a role, especially since I am going to use it as my main camera further along the road.
When root (at least) is out for the Ultra, I am going to reflash the Z with Monxdified and make it my main camera (I have a lot of stuff on my memory card so using the Z for picture and video shooting solve a problem to me) and I think it looks great in white. So the need for a white Ultra isn't present.
great review
E90 Commie said:
The black Z Ultra was selected because the store (AtGSM) didn't have the white in stock and I realized that the flip case I ordered will be black so the color is more practical. Otherwise, I think the white color is better for this "omnibalance" (what Sony call this design) since it accentuates it more.
Now I must say that I like the black design more than I did before. It looks really high tech and sophisticated.
The fact that I have the white Z also played a role, especially since I am going to use it as my main camera further along the road.
When root (at least) is out for the Ultra, I am going to reflash the Z with Monxdified and make it my main camera (I have a lot of stuff on my memory card so using the Z for picture and video shooting solve a problem to me) and I think it looks great in white. So the need for a white Ultra isn't present.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much this is very informative. I would like to know whether you have any experience of using the NOTE with a stylus and how the stylus input compares to that?
darthmaul40 said:
Thank you so much this is very informative. I would like to know whether you have any experience of using the NOTE with a stylus and how the stylus input compares to that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The cool thing is that you can lay a piece of paper on the screen and write/draw on it, and the screen will sense it and you'll get the same thing both on paper and on screen. So if it's a little weird to write, or whatever, directly on the screen (slippery), just add the paper on top of the screen and write with a pencil or whatever you choose so you'll get some friction.
Mine is supposed to be here. I also ordered the black but looking more and more at it the white might be a better option because you probably cannot see the fingerprints as much.
When the LTE version comes out in September I might sell this one and go for the white. It will also be good to play with it for a few months before he Galaxy Note 3 comes out to decide then between he LTE version or the Note.
Do you think they used the same crappy screen protector as the Z? I instantly started getting scratches on the Z and had to get a screen protector.
darthmaul40 said:
Thank you so much this is very informative. I would like to know whether you have any experience of using the NOTE with a stylus and how the stylus input compares to that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the Note N7000 and a Note N7100 is here with me. I think the Z Ultra works great and I actually prefer the Sony concept with flexibility compared to the S-Pen. Writing works well for me but takes a little bit of training before the proper technique is applied.
The S-Pen on the Note is nice to use but it is too proprietary to my liking and too heavily tied to TouchWiz.
I know it's way to early, but where on a scale from 1-10 would you rank the ZU as a whole?
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 4
If you dont mind me asking you, how much did it end up costing you?
I also live in nyc and was looking to buy this, was thinking about ordering for ebay or a site, but would rather buy in person, any more details would be great to hear!
thanks again
I bought mine from Negri Electronics for around $750.00.
I bought mine from AtGSM in their store in Bowery Street. They charge $769 and with sales tax, it ended at $837. They have it in stock and when I bought it, they were expecting more devices the day after.
I also bought the Xperia Z there and I can recommend the store. The staff is nice and knowledgeable, they have a great selection of devices and the shopping experience is a bit particular since the store is an office. It is on the 4th floor in the building and it is really an office. There's no device displays, just regular office furniture. You tell them what you want and they will go and get the device for you.
It is different and great in my opinion.
Then there are MobileCityOnline in Walker Street. Also a great store but they are slow with the Ultra, it is not in stock since they are waiting for the C6806. AtGSM is usually much quicker when it comes to carrying new devices. They are also a bit cheaper but MobileCityOnline is still recommended.
LordManhattan said:
I know it's way to early, but where on a scale from 1-10 would you rank the ZU as a whole?
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it is early but I would rank it 10/10. The reason is that it is excellent in all areas I want it to excel in. It is fantastic for watching movies, reading documents, browsing the Internet, playing games, using apps etc. It is a great mini-tablet simply put.
The only thing I don't like right now is that the UI is in phone mode and I look forward to being able to change it into tablet mode.
I will now put some more photo samples up.
Here is a picture taken with manual settings and white balance sunny (it was sunny but with clouds when I took it).
This picture is taken with the Superior Auto mode.
A close up shot. I can't find a macro mode when I check the camera settings.
Now follows three pictures taken with Superior Auto for reference.
Do you know if the new version that comes out in September with LTE will be supported on AT&T's network for LTE?
Hardcore73 said:
Do you know if the new version that comes out in September with LTE will be supported on AT&T's network for LTE?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The C6806 should have full support for AT&T LTE with the 700/1700/2100. The C6833 offers the 1700/2100 but not 700.
The LTE bands are as follows:
LTE 700 / 850 / 900/ 1700 / 1900 / 2100 / 2600 - C6806
LTE 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 / 2600 - C6833
T-Mobile customers can buy the C6833 while AT&T customers that wants the 700 MHz band need the C6806.
Europe will get the C6833 while North America (USA/Canada) and some other markets will get the C6806.
Would you mind posting some darker images, say in your house with lights lower or something so we get can idea of what it will do without a flash.
Thanks for all the input.
I took some test pictures in low light conditions now.
Some of them is taken with Superior Auto, others are in Manual mode.
With and without Superior Auto:
The lack of a flash is evident.
On the other hand, in order to take decent shots in darkness, a xenon flash is necessary. I would say that the best option for darkness is to get a Sony DSC-WX300 camera that can be connected to the Xperia Z Ultra through WiFi and Sony PlayMemories, something that means that pictures can be taken with the camera, controlled by the Xperia. I.e. you use the Xperia screen as the viewfinder and shutter control so it is like the camera is the integrated one.
Personally, I am considering that option but my plan is to use the Xperia Z reflashed with Monxdified as my camera.
Awesome pics thanks. I don't mind them not looking perfect when it's dark out. It is good enough for me if I will be able to see the people I am shooting.
Besides if I need light I would make sure it was somewhere well lit for a better pic.
Most of the time when the flash goes off it just blurs everything out anyways because I am taking close pictures with it on.
I am getting more and more excited to get mine tomorrow! Fedex has it on hold at my location so I can pick it up tomorrow
---------- Post added at 10:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:59 PM ----------
New York looks really cool btw. Like there would always be something to do. People everywhere, not sure I could get used to that. I live in Michigan so there is never crazy traffic and people all over lol.
Hey guys,
I was an iPhone user for years and jumped ship to android in 2012; best mobile decision I ever made. I began with the S3, then moved to Note 2, then Note 3. So my android experience has strictly been with Samsung. I like their phones and actually don't mind TouchWiz, but I keep looking at the Z Ultra. I love the size (main reason I'm considering it) and think I would really enjoy the phone. In my eyes it would truly be a 2 in 1 device. If I get it, I will sell the Nexus 7 I installed in my truck as a head unit and rig up a mount to slide the Z Ultra in to. That way I won't have to tether everytime which seems to be spotty at best (a lot of the times everything's connected with full signal but the internet doesn't work), and I can simply have one device.
Enough rambling, I have a few questions for all you Z Ultra owners:
Have any of you swithced from a Note 2/Note 3 to a Z Ultra?
What do you think is better about the Z Ultra than Note 3 (other than size)?
If I should keep the Note 3, why do you think that?
I'm a T12/L1 paraplegic from a skydiving accident resulting in a Spinal Cord Injury, so I roll around in a wheelchair all day. The Z Ultra will store nicely in a little pocket on the front of my cushion, so I don't think I'll have to deal with the typical "pocket" issues. Only thing I'll miss is the removable battery, but I could get over it. I always have two spare Note 3 batteries charged so I can swap out a dead one on the fly.
Thanks everyone!
I got my z ultra two days ago, best decision ive ever made
Its more fluid and smoother then my 2013 nexus 7 and I get asked about it all the time
I also get up to 15mbps on 3G but with my s3 I got 4 so I dont know if it made it faster
You can get one where I did at www.tiptopelectronics.Co.UK or. Com
£309 free delivery and 1year warranty
Sent from my C6833 using xda app-developers app
1. I am Sony user basically (just a one timer with Motorola) so no
2. Well:
The Screen estate is bigger (1080p with 320dpi, compared with 1080p with 480dpi in Note 3), Yeah the icon is smaller but you got a lot more room.
really slim and sexy compared to Note 3
no TouchWiz ugly UI (but that's just me )
NFC connectivity feature is a lot more pronounced and all the Sony NFC enabled accessories are the bomb too
waterproof of course (The cleanest of device i have ever used because when it's dirty, just wash it on the drain)
able to use any pencil as an input device (even if you don't have one, soaked wooden chopstick is perfect for XZU)
3. Note 3 is good because:
S-Pen (if you're an artist though)
Not really as ugly as the predecessor (more boxy i guess so more love i give)
Removable Battery (Not that XZU is bad in battery life but might be a niggling problem for some, but those Sony slim powerbank is the solution)
Camera (13MP + Flash + Samsung algorithm)
More dev support @ XDA
Well i'd say you'd better wait for the Xperia Z2 Ultra, because that Note 3 is quite sufficient for you imho and you won't gain too much with XZU (plus if you ever want to have a big screen, that N7 is probably enough for now). But if you really want to save some space right now, then XZU is the perfect answer bro..
If your goal is to replace your 7" tablet and your phone by a single device, then the Ultra is definitely your choice. I come from a Note+ Tablet combination, and haven't regretted one single day my new Z Ultra Only limitation imho is the camera in poor light conditions. For the rest, the phone rocks.
Sent from my C6833 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Enough rambling, I have a few questions for all you Z Ultra owners:
Have any of you swithced from a Note 2/Note 3 to a Z Ultra?
What do you think is better about the Z Ultra than Note 3 (other than size)?
If I should keep the Note 3, why do you think that?
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#1 Yes came from a long line of Samsung phones, including Note 1, Note 2 and a test of Note 3 which made me skip it as I was still upset with Samsung about changing from the rumored 6" display to a whopping .18" increase :/
#2 Well, I was afraid of changing from Samsung where I knew pretty much everything..to a new system...but today, I can say....it is the BEST change I have done. As much as I enjoyed my Note 2, the Ultra is just another thing!
Smooth as butter...this stock ROM is just amazingly fast, clean and the fact that it is customized to actually use the bigger screen and fit more stuff in it, that is just sweet!
So what I like more than Note 2 is the way it is designed with the bigger size in mind and how smooth it is. Fast like crazy and just the screen size makes it an awesome experience.
Another thing I love is how easy it connects to a PS3 controller if that matters to you. Basically if yuo have bluetooth one, press the button on your PS3 controller and that is it...ready to rock.
It even tells you what charge level your controller has and lets you turn it off from the phone too. :good:
Another thing I love..the display quality..yes it does not have the deep blacks of the Notes but the colors look much more accurate..I do photo editing so finally I dont feel like having to tweak the "Punky Brewster like" Note 2 and 3 colors
#3 well if drawing on the phone is important to you, the Note 3 clearly has the advantage there. Yes the Ultra works with pretty much anything to draw but the precision of the Note 3 is clearly on a different level.
The Camera on the Note 3 is also better (not that phone cameras really matter to me) but one trick on the Ultra is to manually set your ISO then the quality looks a LOT better.
Overall, I would go with the Ultra...I just love mine! :good:
Another Samsung ex-user here. I came from note1, got fed up with touchwizz and poor batteries. I know they've improved on that, but even so, despite a few niggles with Sony roms, I much prefer the interface, much more stock android. No bells and whistles that you find in touchwizz but you can find an alternative app for pretty much anything.
Media wise it really is awesome, the screen is wonderbra. Obviously I'm biased, but get one and update to 290 for best results.
Sent from my C6833 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I have own both the note 3, xperia z ultra and the Google play edition z ullra. My only complaint is the camera is absolutely garbage and no led flash to boot, so low lit area camera shots are especially horrible. Other than that the z ultra is a better phone in EVERY way.
Sent from my LG-V510 using Tapatalk 2
Also switched from Note 3. Note 3 has way more features packed in. But, well, I find myself not using any of them.
What I do miss are flashlight and TV remote.
Z Ultra is a beast - no, even BEAST. It`s fast and smooth, has great battery life (with stamina mod It uses 1% over night for me)
Also you have to understand that this phone is people magnet - everyone starts looking on you and asking questions. Also you will have to take it out of the pocket each time you sit down. So you will get alot of attention even if it will just lay on the table
Another minus I have noticed - Z Ultra has somewhat low sound volume. Sound quality is great but I often find myself missing a call while phone is in my pocket (never happened with my s3 or Note 3 with same soundtrack)
venorme said:
Also switched from Note 3. Note 3 has way more features packed in. But, well, I find myself not using any of them.
What I do miss are flashlight and TV remote.
Z Ultra is a beast - no, even BEAST. It`s fast and smooth, has great battery life (with stamina mod It uses 1% over night for me)
Also you have to understand that this phone is people magnet - everyone starts looking on you and asking questions. Also you will have to take it out of the pocket each time you sit down. So you will get alot of attention even if it will just lay on the table
Another minus I have noticed - Z Ultra has somewhat low sound volume. Sound quality is great but I often find myself missing a call while phone is in my pocket (never happened with my s3 or Note 3 with same soundtrack)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Enable "xLOUD" if you haven't already.
LordManhattan said:
Enable "xLOUD" if you haven't already.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It requires Root and I am not willing to unlock bootloader (290) - will wait for 4.4.
venorme said:
It requires Root and I am not willing to unlock bootloader (290) - will wait for 4.4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No it doesn't. xLOUD is a stock feature. Just open the equalizer.
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Thank you - haven`t noticed these.
I have a N3 and a ZU (GPe). I use my ZU as a portable tablet. My Z tablet, I only use for flights and I find my Nexus 7 a little too big to carry around for every day use. For me, the ZU and Nexus 5 combo are great for various tasks throughout the day.
chefdave12118 said:
I have own both the note 3, xperia z ultra and the Google play edition z ullra. My only complaint is the camera is absolutely garbage and no led flash to boot, so low lit area camera shots are especially horrible. Other than that the z ultra is a better phone in EVERY way.
Sent from my LG-V510 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said, change it to manual ISO 50 or 100 and it looks a LOT cleaner.
If we are going to say garbage then I can say that from pretty much any camera phone compared to my real cameras so its all in the eye of the beholder
shaolin95 said:
As I said, change it to manual ISO 50 or 100 and it looks a LOT cleaner.
If we are going to say garbage then I can say that from pretty much any camera phone compared to my real cameras so its all in the eye of the beholder
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can play with the settings all you'd like, but in low light situations picture results are less than to be desired (garbage may have been a little harsh ). I would have kept the Z Ultra Google Play Edition, but having kids and owning a restaurant, having a better camera than the Z Ultra was a must for me. Z Ultra is my all time favorite phone, but that camera made me mental. If taking pictures isn't a priority for you the the Z Ultra is pure win. If you count on good pics or an LED flash daily then you're S.O.L with the Ultra. Just saying.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk
chefdave12118 said:
You can play with the settings all you'd like, but in low light situations picture results are less than to be desired (garbage may have been a little harsh ). I would have kept the Z Ultra Google Play Edition, but having kids and owning a restaurant, having a better camera than the Z Ultra was a must for me. Z Ultra is my all time favorite phone, but that camera made me mental. If taking pictures isn't a priority for you the the Z Ultra is pure win. If you count on good pics or an LED flash daily then you're S.O.L with the Ultra. Just saying.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Problem is to me, if taking picture is a priority then you get a REAL camera..so for me picture taking priority and phone camera are not terms that go together.
Also, a tiny flash for low light photography is for me as crappy as a grainy low quality image. Both suck big time..that why we have real cameras with big sensors if photography is really that important.
Just my 2 cents
And like I said, test them..I did MANY times with many apps...manual ISO on .290 roms is a LOT cleaner. But yeah neither can touch a real camera as should be expected.
Regards
shaolin95 said:
Problem is to me, if taking picture is a priority then you get a REAL camera..so for me picture taking priority and phone camera are not terms that go together.
Also, a tiny flash for low light photography is for me as crappy as a grainy low quality image. Both suck big time..that why we have real cameras with big sensors if photography is really that important.
Just my 2 cents
And like I said, test them..I did MANY times with many apps...manual ISO on .290 roms is a LOT cleaner. But yeah neither can touch a real camera as should be expected.
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe I'll get a galaxy zoom lol. Idk. The Note 3 and LG G2 take really nice pics. I don't need professional quality, but decent pics to share and what not. Now stop arguing with me lol j/k
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk
chefdave12118 said:
Maybe I'll get a galaxy zoom lol. Idk. The Note 3 and LG G2 take really nice pics. I don't need professional quality, but decent pics to share and what not. Now stop arguing with me lol j/k
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okok I get carried away when it comes to photography
Sent from the Mighty Xperia Z Ultra using XDA Premium HD app.
shaolin95 said:
Okok I get carried away when it comes to photography
Sent from the Mighty Xperia Z Ultra using XDA Premium HD app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lmao
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk
shaolin95 said:
Okok I get carried away when it comes to photography
Sent from the Mighty Xperia Z Ultra using XDA Premium HD app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sony have updated their Z1 and Tablet Z. When are we expecting a Z2 Ultra?
Ukbondraider said:
Sony have updated their Z1 and Tablet Z. When are we expecting a Z2 Ultra?
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Click to collapse
this is for Xperia Z Ultra Forum only LOL
Ukbondraider said:
Sony have updated their Z1 and Tablet Z. When are we expecting a Z2 Ultra?
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Click to collapse
hopefully not anytime soon, its only been out like 6 months, they did release a smaller version of it, the T2 ultra
sony cant really get any bigger without having tablets that you can make and call with
and they might not make one at all if sales werent great
J
The improvement might be too minimal i guess. It is like they already reached the maximum size for a phone. Bigger than that it's a tablet. The only improvement they can do might be related to the camera but that's it. Maybe lower power ips screen will be nice to have (I'm not sure if the z ultra screen is really ips, because at some angle, the loss of contrast is still there but still far better than Z1, plus sony never mention ips about z ultra screen, only starting from Z1C) and negligible performance gain with newer soc. Other than that, the Z Ultra is still very much adequate for my needs.
Sent from my C6802 using xda app-developers app
I don't mine getting a flash and better camera upgrade if there is a Z Ultra 2 on the horizon.
Yeah there is not much that can be done with the Ultra to make it better really.
A better camera for those who care. I dont as I have a camera for that.
A flash would be nice as a flashlight.
And if they could somehow keep it the same way and give me a removable battery then that would be my dream
hansip87 said:
The improvement might be too minimal i guess. It is like they already reached the maximum size for a phone. Bigger than that it's a tablet. The only improvement they can do might be related to the camera but that's it. Maybe lower power ips screen will be nice to have (I'm not sure if the z ultra screen is really ips, because at some angle, the loss of contrast is still there but still far better than Z1, plus sony never mention ips about z ultra screen, only starting from Z1C) and negligible performance gain with newer soc. Other than that, the Z Ultra is still very much adequate for my needs.
Sent from my C6802 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They can't or won't make it any bigger. Just check out the Z2 and you'll see that they have made the bezel a little smaller, so they'll probably continue with that. They can also not make it any thinner without either removing the minijack or making a bump on the back, which will ruin their Omni Balance design, so that won't happen either. The Ultra does have an IPS panel, but the "loss of contrast" is actually light from the LEDs. I guess they can do something about that though.
So i guess the Ultra 2 will be just as thin, and probably just as big with a better display (like the one on the Z2), and probably a Snapdragon 801 or 805, and that's pretty much it, i guess?
shaolin95 said:
Yeah there is not much that can be done with the Ultra to make it better really. \
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Click to collapse
Huh?
A flash and brighter screen for starters.
Z Ultra is obscenely behind the times in these two categories when compared with less expensive and even older superphones.
CZ Eddie said:
Huh?
A flash and brighter screen for starters.
Z Ultra is obscenely behind the times in these two categories when compared with less expensive and even older superphones.
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Click to collapse
I'd rather have the unsaturated colours on the Ultra.
CZ Eddie said:
Huh?
A flash and brighter screen for starters.
Z Ultra is obscenely behind the times in these two categories when compared with less expensive and even older superphones.
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Click to collapse
The Screen is very bright imo, How much bright do you want it to be? Or in other term, how much faster do you want the battery to go down the drain? If i bring it outdoor it's perfectly readable in sunlight, and plus the auto brightness works perfectly.
Sent from my C6802 using xda app-developers app
Hope there's no such phone like Z2 Ultra,I only want Z Ultra be the Sony's only big phone apart from the T2 something..
Sent from my C6806_GPe using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Same size chassis
Bigger screen/smaller bezels
Better speaker
Flash
Better camera
Removable battery
That would make this phone perfect, IMO.
The ZU is like an indie rock band with a good following. It may never be as big as Justin Bieber or Lady Gaga, but people will continue to buy it if it hovers at that phone/tablet border; it's a true phablet. I will buy another with updated hardware. Would they really lose that much by scaling the production back a bit?
Poi25 said:
Same size chassis
Bigger screen/smaller bezels
Better speaker
Flash
Better camera
Removable battery
That would make this phone perfect, IMO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, that would make a completely different phone.
I agree on the first two, the speaker is more than ok for me, I don't care for the flash and camera, and I most certainly won't risk the waterproofing for a removable battery (I'm already seeing S5 users crying for their poor phone that opened up while they were diving in the pool...).
Sony has gone with the tablet timetable for the ZU, AKA once a year, and that's fine by me.
I don't feel the need to change device, and they better come up with something really FANTASTIC next year for the ZU2, because they gave us something that's nearly UNimprovable.
Sent from my C6833 using Tapatalk
hansip87 said:
The Screen is very bright imo, How much bright do you want it to be? Or in other term, how much faster do you want the battery to go down the drain? If i bring it outdoor it's perfectly readable in sunlight, and plus the auto brightness works perfectly.
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Click to collapse
Are you serious?! And it brings up another weak point. The battery.
Maybe *you're* happy with it and that's all that matters.
But the phone is about 1/2 as bright in the sunlight when compared to the Note 3.
And the battery is only about 75% as efficient when compared to the Note 3.
And I call BS on you saying your phone is "perfectly readable in the sunlight".
My S4 is brighter than your phone and I have trouble viewing it when the sun is shining down on it.
Look, the Z Ultra is a very good phone.
But it's still heavily outshined by current phones and thus, "doesn't really need any update" is an illogical argument.
CZ Eddie said:
Are you serious?! And it brings up another weak point. The battery.
Maybe *you're* happy with it and that's all that matters.
But the phone is about 1/2 as bright in the sunlight when compared to the Note 3.
And the battery is only about 75% as efficient when compared to the Note 3.
And I call BS on you saying your phone is "perfectly readable in the sunlight".
My S4 is brighter than your phone and I have trouble viewing it when the sun is shining down on it.
Look, the Z Ultra is a very good phone.
But it's still heavily outshined by current phones and thus, "doesn't really need any update" is an illogical argument.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait a second. We're talking about two different display technologies here. Half as bright compared to the Note 3? I don't think so. Try them both in a dark room, with full brightness.
Let's talk about battery.
Im arriving late at night with 4+ screen hours and 20% of battery left. What more could you want?
I guess they could fit a bigger battery (how about no, since it would thicken the phone and noone wants that) but let's see how KK is energy efficient before talking s*it about battery consumption.
Outshined? By the Note 3?? If you're talking about the camera, ok, If you're talking about anything else, well, no.
Look, the Note 3 is a really good phone. But it isn't an update at all.
Or it is, if you consider an update 4K videos and a few pen tricks.
P.s. I also have used a Note 3, an S4 (both with stock and GPe roms) and have owned an S3 in the past year, so I'm backing up what I'm talking about.
Sent from my C6833 using Tapatalk
CZ Eddie said:
Are you serious?! And it brings up another weak point. The battery.
Maybe *you're* happy with it and that's all that matters.
But the phone is about 1/2 as bright in the sunlight when compared to the Note 3.
And the battery is only about 75% as efficient when compared to the Note 3.
And I call BS on you saying your phone is "perfectly readable in the sunlight".
My S4 is brighter than your phone and I have trouble viewing it when the sun is shining down on it.
Look, the Z Ultra is a very good phone.
But it's still heavily outshined by current phones and thus, "doesn't really need any update" is an illogical argument.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Note 3:
"The biggest improvement, however, is brightness. The Note 3 can achieve up to 400 nits of brightness in most conditions, on par with the best LCDs out there. Moreover, outdoors, the Note 3 can deliver a whopping 660 nits of brightness, 40 percent more than the Galaxy S4 and around 10 percent more than the iPhone 5s. The screen is less reflective, which helps outdoor visibility as well."
Z Ultra:
"The display is also sufficiently luminant, at 445 nits peak brightness measured, and with good antireflectance coating, plus the OptiContrast tech that bonds the cover glass to the LCD panel underneath delivers a more direct way for the backlight to go through. This further increases brightness, contrast and outdoor visibility in general, which is on par with the best mobile displays out there, like those on the HTC One or the iPhone 5."
You are really exaggerating. Also, the battery is actually very good. I don't know if you've checked the battery thread, but people are getting good times. My personal record is 8 hours of screen time. How is THAT bad? "And the battery is only about 75% as efficient when compared to the Note 3". Oh? You don't say. Is the Note's battery bigger than the Ultra's? Yes. Will it last longer than a smaller battery? Yes. How is this surprising to you?
I don't really need better battery life than this. I get two full days with my normal usage. It can last me three days at times. I had the Note 2 but certainly don't want a Note 3 after that. Strongly dislike Samsung software and bloat.
The only thing I would wish for is a better camera (sensor).
Last battery cycle stats (around 50% brightness):
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Sent from my Sony Z Ultra
I also get 5+ hours of screen time on the regular basis. I'm definitely not complaining about battery life on this device.
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By no means am I implying that the Z Ultra (original) is an inferior device, but I am one of the ones on the fence hoping an update will come that adds some of the more requested things:
Flash on the camera
Update to the camera (but even then, I could bend on this one.. .e.g. same camera with a flash would be ok)
User replaceable battery (even if it's a fairly involved process, e.g. unscrewing the case or similar... provided it's a Sony sanctioned user replaceable part
hpka said:
By no means am I implying that the Z Ultra (original) is an inferior device, but I am one of the ones on the fence hoping an update will come that adds some of the more requested things:
Flash on the camera
Update to the camera (but even then, I could bend on this one.. .e.g. same camera with a flash would be ok)
User replaceable battery (even if it's a fairly involved process, e.g. unscrewing the case or similar... provided it's a Sony sanctioned user replaceable part
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Will probably happen
2. Will happen
3. Will not happen. Ever. It would've been a PR disaster for Sony when 1 million clowns brick their devices Don't ever forget how stupid people are.
Please note this is my opinion and experience with the phone. I love trying all kinds of smart phones.
I wanted to love this phone...
Being a heavy google apps user and a lover of customization and android, I recently switched back to android from the iPhone 6 Plus (previous phones as well include Blackberry Passport, Note Edge, Note 3, LG G3, Oneplus One, Xperia Z1, Sharp SH-03G (Docomo), Ascend Mate 7 to name a few). The C5 Ultra caught my attention with it's good looks, 6" screen and Sony's boasting of it's great front and rear facing 13mp cameras. Both cameras sounded perfect for me to take photos of my 2 year old and family selfies with the front camera. After a week of use here are my thoughts:
Pros:
- Beautiful design - very sleek with edge to edge (sides have little to no bezel) glass on the front making this a tall looking phone
- Dual Sim - great when I travel overseas
- Separate MicroSD card slot - some manufacturers force you to use the second sim slot but not Sony
- Unlocked
- GPS accurate
- Wifi reasonably strong
- Call quality good
Cons
- Screen (Innolux) lacks contrast and does poorly with blacks, colours are dull and washed out. There is screen backlight bleeding especially around the bottom edges.
- Camera Images - What a disappointment. Perhaps mine is a dud but colors are dull, photos over exposed, highlights blown out, photos are not sharp, even taken in daylight.
- Camera Performance - It doesn't matter how beautiful photos are a camera CAN take if it CANNOT catch the moment. The lag on the phone is terrible. Camera app slow to open. Focus slow to acquire. Shutter terribly slow. After focusing on an object which is slow to do, I press the shutter and the camera tries to focus again then shoot taking more than a second to do so. Because of this I keep missing the moment even outside in broad daylight.
- Camera Software - Slow, occasionally crashes. Doesn't stay on the last setting you used if you reopen the app.
- Battery life - very disappointing. I am not a heavy user. I take maybe 10-15 photos, read some email, browse the web. Rarely watch videos or listen to music and the phone struggles to make it 12-13 hours. Charges very slowly whether plugged in via usb or directly into a wall.
- The iPhone 6 Plus battery and Blackberry Passport I previously had blow this away when it comes to battery.
- Phone performance - Occasional lag or stutter opening apps, swiping between home screens
- Auto brightness is very inconsistent, in an evenly lit room, it is constantly adjusting up and down brightness.
In case anyone is interested benchmark numbers here (It's the Non-verified score)
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Bottom line:
Visually a beautiful phone. Functionally a huge disappointment. The hype of a higher end or top mid range phone but not the same performance to back up the hype. Perhaps a lot of this, like the camera performance and the battery life and some OS performance can be tweaked and fixed with software updates. I love Sony products, and my house is full of Sony goods. Sony has a great name and reputation here in Japan but at the end of the day, Xperia phones still let me down and I end up going to solid phones from Samsung and LG. LG G4 on the way...
I feel u bro.
scpion said:
I feel u bro.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought about it a bit and I think it may be that I expected too much... ie coming from many so called "flagship" models I expected the C5 Ultra to perform like one (since it's pretty pricey), but it obviously didn't.
I'm going to ride with it for the rest of the week, trying some 3rd party camera apps and seeing if I can optimize the setup (or wait for a root and custom rom) to see if it would improve performance and battery life.
On the contrary, personally I feel it's punching above its weight.. It's relatively cheap here on contract. Other than the irritating problems I mentioned in my other thread, I think it's pretty ok. Battery have been great for me and performance decently fast. I never had high hopes for the cam anyway though I was hoping for a surprise this time round. Let's not forget the C series had always been a mid ranger.
It's a shame, really. The C5 is the best looking phone I've ever seen. If only the screen was better and the battery was larger I'd consider buying it.
It's even better looking than the Xperia Z5 series and has less bezel.
I'd love to put the hardware of the Z5 into the C5 ultra then it'd be the perfect phone.
I really hope developers will take up interest in this phone. As of now, there are basically nothing on the Web regarding this phone.. No reviews, not even accessories..
The Z5 range has recently been published on gsmarena. I was shocked to see the C5 looks WAY better than the expensive flagship Z5. Issue with the Z5 it looks the same as the Z2 and Z3, too much bezel.
I'm thinking of getting the C5 ultra for it's sexy looks and ultra thin bezel!
I hope a developer/modder can soon release a mod to make this phone output stereo sound. We just need output from the top speaker grill which will then give us true stereo speakers/sound.
The sound from this phone is pretty loud with audio+. Tweaking the white balance gives pretty decent colours as well. The colour just sucks straight from factory.
scpion said:
The sound from this phone is pretty loud with audio+. Tweaking the white balance gives pretty decent colours as well. The colour just sucks straight from factory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds good! I currently own the Sony Xperia Z3 D6633. The screen I have is better, sound is stereo, ram is 3Gb, camera is 21MP/video 4k and battery is more (3100mAh) vs 2900...
Should I purchase the C5 Ultra, in many ways it indeed is a downgrade. However, the beautiful design and large screen/thin bezel is a win and I'm thinking of buying one.
The main thing that concerns me is the large 6'' screen and small battery of under 3000mAh. Sony really should of made the battery at least 3500 mAh to power the large screen.
I'd like, if possible more feedback from other users with regards to battery life. Also, how are the black levels and viewing angles of the screen?
How would the camera compare say to a Samsung Note 5/Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and the LG G4?
First up, I really have no problem with the battery. The 29xxmah battery may sound small, I have no problem lasting a full day. I try to post screen shots later. I feel that sony has one of the best optimised system around.
Screen needs some tweaking to get the colours right. Contrast still slightly on the lower side. Viewing angle is ok. No where near the shocking level of gen 1 xperia z. Colour shift at a acute angle similar to N4 if u know what I mean. To me, I think it's acceptable. And it's really bright.
I dun take a lot of picture.. But from my finding, superior auto is a disaster in this case. Manual gives me good results. Details are good and noise keep to a minimum in low light. Pics with flash turns out great as well, surprisingly. The other phones u mentioned are all flagship class so it might be a bit unfair to do the comparison. They can point and shoot and give good results. This, u have to point, tweak, shoot.... Lol. Results are not half bad. At least the last settings are retained so u do not go back to the superior auto by default.
Then again, do not forget this is a "midranger". And let's not forget there is no such thing as a perfect phone.
---------- Post added at 02:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:39 PM ----------
I am typing this from my Z Ultra. Seriously, if they carry on the Z line in the Z ultra's design and power, I think sony will do much better..
Here u go. these are 2 sets of battery usage. I am getting rather good results from it. Google sync on, Lte all the way. Staminal mode on. Manual screen brightness is at just 15% and its really bright indoors. Outdoors usually at just 40% or auto brightness. This is a really bright panel. On down side, battery charging is pretty slow. Using a 1.5a charger, it take me around 3-4hrs to charge from around 15%. I never tried the supplied 850mah one... maybe I should..
Hey! Theres one more thing that I want to mention for the screen. It FREAKING flickers whenever it tries to play a video for the first 1 sec. It should be a software issue. The display sets have this problem, the set i changed have this problem as well.
Just got c5 ultra. Was trying to connect my 1tb ext hdd, but it always shows "usb storage removed" as soon as i connect it.. However once it did got connected properly and i was able to access files on it but only once and after that i am continuously having the above mentioned problem.. Anyone else tried this? Also i am having some wierd clock ticking voice from my hdd after connecting.. It works fine though on my note 4 without such voice..
Sent from my SM-N910G using XDA Free mobile app
the usb port doesn't have enough power to power your hdd. better don't use it. you might force the hdd to keep reading and might damage the hdd
^ Thanks for the feedback bro. I'm currently living in Dubai, UAE. It seems, unfortunately the phone is not yet released here.
However, it should be released anytime soon. I'm going to call the Sony agent at Jumbo Electronics and see when the phone is due to be released.
As I said before, I'm seriously considering selling my several month old Sony Xperia Z3 D6633 dual sim and getting the C5 Ultra. In many ways it is indeed a downgrade.
That said, I'm also an ex owner of the legendary Sony Xperia Z Ultra which had the massive 6.44'' screen which was gorgeous. My current Z3 on the other hand has a much smaller screen of only 5.2'' and Although the screen is better and brighter, I'm not happy with the smaller screen. It seems Sony will not release a successor anytime soon for the Z Ultra so as of now the nearest option is the C5 Ultra. Though slightly smaller than the Z Ultra, it's the nearest phone to compare.
May I also ask, how does the C5 Ultra screen compare to the Z Ultra. Please tell me it's as good as if not better.
Unsure about you, but the best on screen time I've had with my previous Z Ultra was 5 hours and 44 minutes! Not bad for a phone having almost 6.5'' in size and a 3000mAh battery...
I think I would prefer the Z ultra's screen over this, at least for now. I personally like how much we can adjust the screen contrast and colour on the Z. Colour adjustment can be make to be very close to my Z but C5 still lacks the deeper colours.. Dpi is smaller as well so I can see more things. Think the C5 dpi is at 480. It's a waste of screen estate. We seriously need development on this to make it a great device.
Yeah, the device is still too new. I'm sure that with some development and custom roms, it'll be even better. Sadly it'll take some time...
At least they've improved the sound quality and finally the output is better than previous models.
Then there's front and rear flash which the Z Ultra completely lacked.
I've seen many brand new C5 Ultra's for just £250 in ebay, around 300 euros. For a 6'' mid range device the price is fantastic...
How does battery life compare to the Xperia Z Ultra? How is the quality/sharpness of the camera? Image noise low and under control?
I usually get around a full day with 3-4hrs screen on time with Z ultra. C5, that kind of timing is usually when I am at around 40%. I never finish my day with a flat battery for C5. I dun play games. Just lots of browsing, Facebook and YouTube. Cam is a mixed bag. Most of the time, details and colours are pretty good. Sometimes overly exposed. Superior auto is a disaster though. But overall, good pics can be achieved with manual without much trouble.
Finally bought my C5 Ultra last night! Overall I'm satisfied with it and there is more good than bad.
Screen is actually great AFTER calibration. By default the whites and colours are dead. For me, white balance is as follows; Red 38, Green 49 & Blue 40. Colour as well as the white and blacks are great and not far off from my Xperia Z3. So bear in mind the display does need a good calibration to get decent results.
After going through some high quality pictures and full HD 1080P movies and animated cartoons, colour is strong and black levels do actually look great, screenshots below of Shaun The Sheep Movie. Viewing angles are brilliant.
Speed. Generally the device is fast and responsive. It does at times pause and there is a slight delay. However, this should be fixed in a future update and when we get root access and recovery!
Looks. This was the key reason I bought the device. Specification is high mid range, a step above the Xperia Z Ultra, however, I wasn't bothered with the specification, it's gorgeous looks lured me into buying the device! As internet photos show, the left/right side of the phone literally has no bezel, the stunning display stretches out right to the edges. The top/bottom of the phone are still thin and the upper part is mostly taken by the huge 13mp camera with it's flash.
The bottom of the screen is still pretty thin and compared to my Xperia Z3, though a bigger phone, the bottom bezel of the C5 Ultra is still thinner!
As explained above, the screen by default is lifeless, colours are wrong and whites are more warm. You will have to calibrate the white levels in order to get decent looking whites and other colours...
Camera. I've not had the time to fully experiment, however, it is decent and photos are sharp and clear. Others have mentioned the camera is slow especially if selecting the memory card to store the images. Completely wrong. I took several pictures last night, one after the other and other than a split second delay, it was ready to take the second and the third picture. it's fast and responsive, no lag whatsoever when taking photos whether you select the memory card slot or the internal memory.
The flash is VERY bright and even when using the light/torch mode, the light was excellent, stronger than my Xperia Z3.
Gaming. Aside from Ski Safari, I didn't try any other game. However, colours were great, whites were excellent and there was no lag or delays at all. Nice and smooth.
Whether surfing the web, gaming or using the camera, there was no sign at all of overheating, in fact, the phone never even got warm when using for long periods! So no need to worry about overheating or getting warm.
Body/Build quality. Although the rear of the phone is plastic, it's a very high quality plastic, very strong and it's appearance is good. The sides of the phone are a solid aluminium and the front is entirely glass. Build quality is very sturdy and overall excellent. There are no gaps around the phone/bezel and the sides are well put together. So far the best design I've ever seen from Sony.
I was actually going to wait and purchase the Xperia Z5. Once I saw the design was VERY similar to the current Z2/Z3 series I thought why buy the Z5 when it looks too similar to my current phone? I wanted something different, unique and affordable. This is where the C5 Ultra fits in, perfectly...
Battery. Unfortunately, since I've only just used the phone for several hours, I'm yet to comment on battery life. In fact, I've still not even charged the battery, not even once. Battery was around 61% when the phone was first turned on. After around 2 hours of on screen time, some wi-fi, phone calls, sms messages and camera use, battery is still around 22% .
Speakers/sound - I'd say decent but not loud. My Xperia Z3 having dual speakers was around 25% louder. That said, we can only pray that sooner or later, a developer can release custom sound for louder, clearer audio having dual loud speakers when listening to music, watching movies, gaming or simply when making a phone call. We simply need audio output via the upper earpiece to give us stereo sound. Lazy Sony, unfortunately didn't bother doing this...
Verdict. Based on the above, I'd give the phone 8.5/10 for overall use/features/looks/battery, etc.
Some screen shots of the phone and screen:
Hi all
I have been debating with myself for awhile rather get the xperia 1 3 or the oneplus 9pro, also considering the op9 or nokia 8.4 although I know specs are downgraded from first two.
Do u have any insights for me?
thx in advance
the-light said:
Hi all
I have been debating with myself for awhile rather get the xperia 1 3 or the oneplus 9pro, also considering the op9 or nokia 8.4 although I know specs are downgraded from first two.
Do u have any insights for me?
thx in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can assure you that you won't be disappointed if you choose Xperia 1 III. I think I don't have to polish the quality, it's a Sony the display is superb as always. Camera is a masterpiece, especially in manual. If you know what you're doing then you shot photos you couldn't with any other and the colours are the most realistic you can get. Performance is outpacing all other phones. I didn't have any lags, hesitation or slowdown ever. Multi-tasking is a killer, doesn't matter how many apps you use simultaneously, apps won't crash. I replaced my Xperia 1 and I didn't regret it. Not to mention that my Xperia 1, Xperia xz premium, xperia z3 still run like new I don't have any pros or cons regarding the other phones you mentioned.
LaceeWearsPrada said:
I can assure you that you won't be disappointed if you choose Xperia 1 III. I think I don't have to polish the quality, it's a Sony the display is superb as always. Camera is a masterpiece, especially in manual. If you know what you're doing then you shot photos you couldn't with any other and the colours are the most realistic you can get. Performance is outpacing all other phones. I didn't have any lags, hesitation or slowdown ever. Multi-tasking is a killer, doesn't matter how many apps you use simultaneously, apps won't crash. I replaced my Xperia 1 and I didn't regret it. Not to mention that my Xperia 1, Xperia xz premium, xperia z3 still run like new I don't have any pros or cons regarding the other phones you mentioned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank u for the reply. it is helpful
If you're into this kind of bleeding edge device; either way you'll be disappointed, just less with this one I think.
Reasoning: Android is just becoming more like IOS on both the hard and software side.
DRM, lack of sdcard port (why I decided to pick the 1III over the 9P), locking down systems as much as possible.
Funny enough that ain't whats killing the 1III or the 9P, these companies share more source code than most, it's the tiny community which might have made it worth for me to get the S22 Ultra instead.
I did get a terrific deal tho; €888 for a snapdragon 888, how fitting.
I don't know about OnePlus, but my Xperia has a definite "beta" feel that never goes away.
What the Sony really has going for it is:
Fast CPU burst speed launches apps quickly
microSD card for old apps and some apps not from Google Play Store
Solid feel
Stereo speakers and headphone jack
Fast WiFi 6
Quick camera button
Long battery life
Water resistant
Notification LED
Very fast USB connection
Not so good:
Some people have problems with phantom screen and fingerprint touches
Fingerprint reader will false-positive a LOT
Minimal carrier support, if any. Cellular reception is not the best.
Minimal CPU cooling, quick throttling
Dated camera quality, worse camera software
Very "stock" Android, and that's a bad thing for Android 11 and 12. Google's recent work is a dumpster fire.
microSD crippled for recent Google Play Store apps (see previous item)
Several gigabytes of setup shovelware on some models. The downloads have to be cancelled to get started.
Rough software and some bad updates. Can be frustrating to use.
Flashlight is dim
4K screen resolution is restricted to a few uses
The Sony by my experience excellent.
A few sites to confirm this.
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/sony-xperia-1-iii
Sony Xperia 1 III | EISA – Expert Imaging and Sound Association
eisa.eu
Sony Xperia 1 III - TIPA
Xperia 1 III utilises expertise of engineers from Sony’s Alpha cameras. It offers four focal lengths, including the world’s first Variable telephoto lens paired with a Dual PD sensor– reaching up to a focal length of 105mm from 16mm, as well as delivering 12MP and RAW formatted images. Each lens...
www.tipa.com
Very happy with mine. Been a champ. Learn to yield the camera and you will be trated with excellent images.
Led notification
3.5 connection
12/256 config on the base model + sd-card support
4k FLAT screen - no notch or punch-hole
Great camera hardware - excellent manuel controls - 4k 120fps
Great battery
Stereospeakers with punch and good balance
Also a great looking phone beautifully buildt.
Why open new threads like this always and mess up the entire forum... Even for a single new update if there is only a monthly security update
kevinmcmurtrie said:
I don't know about OnePlus, but my Xperia has a definite "beta" feel that never goes away.
What the Sony really has going for it is:
Fast CPU burst speed launches apps quickly
microSD card for old apps and some apps not from Google Play Store
Solid feel
Stereo speakers and headphone jack
Fast WiFi 6
Quick camera button
Long battery life
Water resistant
Notification LED
Very fast USB connection
Not so good:
Some people have problems with phantom screen and fingerprint touches
Fingerprint reader will false-positive a LOT
Minimal carrier support, if any. Cellular reception is not the best.
Minimal CPU cooling, quick throttling
Dated camera quality, worse camera software
Very "stock" Android, and that's a bad thing for Android 11 and 12. Google's recent work is a dumpster fire.
microSD crippled for recent Google Play Store apps (see previous item)
Several gigabytes of setup shovelware on some models. The downloads have to be cancelled to get started.
Rough software and some bad updates. Can be frustrating to use.
Flashlight is dim
4K screen resolution is restricted to a few uses
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wifi 6 really is fast No other phone can do this. At my workplace they couldn't believe how is this even possible
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I've even reached 2,6Gbps download speed once. Sadly, I didn't taka a screenshot
Apart from the dim flashlight, I didn't face any of those issues. This phone really is a beast Can't imagine that I'd buy any other manufacturer's phone.
I had a lot of Flagships in my hands. For 1 year ago a had a s21, s22 , S22 Ultra, Zfold3 , Mi11 Ultra, Mate/P 40 Po... I can easily say that 1||| is not the best at all but...
Beautiful und one hand useful
Camera with a bit of knowledge is the best in the terms of colours and really really to convey the real atmosphere and mood of the scene. Hey this is not a flat and too bright Samsungs way. Other like a hand painted Huawei and Pixel way.
And up to 5 zoom ist the best because ist not so dependent from various constant zoom cameras. It have a variable zoom and this make a lot of difference.
Also is a lot more agile and smooth than Samsung in terms of software.
I have never had a One+ device but with the Chinese i find always annoying flaws.
I don't understand why people are comparing this phone so much with other phones.
The sole reason I bought this phone is because it offers a very unique featureset.
I wanted a fingerprint scanner on the side or back.
Can find lots, but typically only in higher-end models.
I also wanted wireless charging.
Also lots, but typically only in budget models.
I wanted a flat screen, no curved edges.
Removes a lot of phones too.
I preferred a headphone jack and notification LED (if possible).
Removes even more phones.
With all these requirements there is literally no other phone available.
None
I couldn't care less about camera quality, yet I bought it.
Me? I'm happy with it. But unless you want some specific features that only this phone offers I just would not recommend it because it's, imo, WAY too expensive compared to the competition.
You should not buy this phone because you want a "flagship model", you're better off with OP, Samsung, Google or Apple (dare I say it).
I will admit that Sony devices are unicorns, so you can buy it for the hipster factor I guess.