Xperia Z5 Dual: Dual identity

Sony’s latest flagship smartphone houses a 23-megapixel camera.

Sony has long been one of the major players in the Android ­market but some of its newer ­flagship models have yet to see commercial success.

It now has a new strategy which may help it reach a wider audience – its latest flagship, the Z5, comes in three variants – besides the main Z5 model, there is also a more expensive Z5 Premium and a smaller Z5 Compact.

We review the Z5 Dual which, as the name suggests, is the dual SIM variant of the main Z5.

Familiar design

The Z5 has a symmetrical design that should be familiar to its fans. The metal frame gives it a premium touch while the four edges are reinforced with polycarbonate plastic for ruggedness.

A welcome change is the matte glass back panel, which feels a lot more consistent with the design language, compared to the glass back panels of its predecessors.

Having the Home button on the side makes it easy to unlock the Xperia Z5.

The right side of the device houses all the physical buttons, including the home button which also doubles up as a fingerprint sensor. Having the fingerprint sensor on the side made it easy to unlock the device with just one hand, as the sensor was fast and accurate.

The Z5 has 32GB of internal memory and has an independent microSD card slot for those requiring additional storage. (Unlike other devices on the market, the second SIM card slot is not used to double as the microSD card slot.)

One of the unique selling points of Sony’s Xperia devices has been the water and dust resistance, a tradition that the Z5 continues. It adheres to the IP68 certification – the device is water resistant for up to 30 minutes and at a depth of 1.5m.

Turning up the heat

The Z5 features uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor and has 3GB RAM which is enough firepower for lag-free operation.

It runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and Sony has said it’s committed to upgrading it to Android 6 Marshmallow once it becomes available.

The Small Apps menu gives you quick access to apps and utilities.

Sony’s version of Android comes with some nifty features, such as the Small Apps menu which gives you quick access to apps and utilities such as the web browser, stopwatch and calculator.

It’s a shame that the device heats up very easily, a common issue with Androids fitted with the Snapdragon 810.

Using Google Maps, playing games and even watching YouTube videos heated the device quite a bit.

Megapixel machine

The Z5’s back camera boasts an impressive 23-megapixel sensor, which is ahead of most flagships on the market.

However, just like its predecessors, the Z5’s photo quality in auto mode is affected by poor software optimisation – pictures appeared softer around the edges more than they should.

While the photos are passable for social media usage, we were hoping that the additional megapixels would have been put to better use.

Manual mode produces much better quality photos than auto mode, but the average user may not have the time to fiddle with the manual settings to get the best out of the camera.

The Z5’s back camera boasts an impressive 23-megapixel sensor, which is way ahead of most flagships on the market.

You can access the camera at anytime by holding the physical camera shutter button even when the device is locked. The camera button has two levels of pressure – press softly to focuses and fully press it to capture a shot.

The physical camera button itself is something that we are glad to have, as hardly any of Sony’s rivals on the market have it. The button is also helpful when taking underwater shots.

While the autofocus speed was very fast, we were a little disappointed with the slight delay after capturing each photo.

We thought it was caused by the large resolution, but the same delay is there even when we lowered the resolution to 8 megapixels. There was an update during the review period that improved the speed to a more acceptable level.

Multimedia Xperience

Sony has done a very good job with the speakers on the Z5. We are great fans of devices with front facing speakers, and the Z5’s stereo speakers are perfectly placed at the top and bottom of the device, which makes perfect sense when you are watching videos in landscape mode.

The way it’s positioned is also aesthetically pleasing as it doesn’t look out of place from the overall design of the device. Audio quality is as good as it gets from smartphone speakers.

The Z5’s 5.2in screen is good for multimedia consumption. The device comes with white balance adjustments for the screen to cater to the different tastes of users, whether they want their screen to be more natural or vibrant.

The Z5 Dual has a more humble full HD resolution but is no less pretty.

Unlike the Z5 Premium which boasts a 4K resolution screen, the Z5 Dual has a more humble full HD resolution, which to us makes more practical sense.

The screen is more power efficient, and chances are you won’t be able to tell it apart from higher resolution screens with the naked eye anyway.

One area where the screen can be improved upon is visibility under the sun, as we had trouble using Google Maps outdoors even with the brightness at max.

Battery life was actually respectable and held up better than most other smartphones — it managed to easily last from morning to night on a single charge with average usage.

Battery drain was a lot faster while playing games though, which is a pity as the Z5 handled graphics intensive games like Need For Speed and Temple Run without a hitch. Game play was smooth and we enjoyed the experience with the front-facing speakers.

Conclusion

The improved design and physical camera button are among the things that we really like about the Z5 Dual. And Sony’s decision to have the home button on the side is just brilliant because unlocking the device has not been this easy before.

The 23-megapixel camera of the Z5 came with much promise, and it did deliver in a few ways, but is let down by the delay after capturing pictures. Hopefully this can be fixed with a future software update.

Where the Z5 disappoints is that it doesn’t remain cool under pressure. We understand that graphics intensive games and prolonged periods of picture taking will inevitably heat up the device, but it was surprising that it heated up even after watching YouTube videos.

Despite the Z5 Dual suffering from middle child syndrome – it’s not the most premium or affordable device in the range – it’s a good upgrade for Sony lovers.

Pros: Nice design; IP68 certification for water and dust resistance; smooth interface; memory card slot; 23-megapixel camera. 

Cons: Overheats; camera could have been better.

Xperia Z5 Dual (E6683)
(Sony)
Android smartphone
Operating system: Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop)
Network: 4G LTE
Processor: Quad-core 2GHz Cortex-A57 + quad-core 1.5GHz Cortex-A53
Camera: 23 megapixels with LED flash; 5.1-megapixel front-facing camera
Display: 5.2in (1,080 x 1,920 pixels)
Memory: 32GB Internal ­memory, 3GB RAM
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.1, USB 2.0, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; WiFi Direct; DLNA
Features: Fingerprint sensor; IP68 certification; physical shutter button
Battery: 2,900mAh lithium-ion
Size: 146 x 72 x 7.3mm
Weight: 154g
Price: RM2,699
Rating: 3.5 stars
Review unit courtesy of Sony Malaysia Sdn Bhd, 1300-88-1233. 

- Donovan Quek, The Star

SONY Xperia Z Ultra

Xperia Z Ultra: Bigger is better

GARGANTUAN: The Xperia Z Ultra is huge, sporting an enormous 6.4in screen.

Sony’s 6.4in phablet gives users an Ultra multimedia experience.

DO YOU find your smartphone screen too small? Don’t like the hassle of carrying around a tablet? 

Sounds like what you need is a phablet: a hybrid of phone and tablet. It’s larger than a phone, yet smaller than a tablet. 

In terms of phablets, it doesn’t get much bigger than Sony’s first foray into this growing market segment: the Sony Xperia Z Ultra. 

Beautiful Giant 

The Z Ultra is huge, sporting an enormous 6.4in screen. The good thing about the gargantuan screen is that it is not too wide, just exceptionally long. That makes it still very manageable when using with just one hand. 

Sony devices have always been known to look good, and the Z Ultra is no exception — it has a beautiful unibody design that is not only solid, but very classy looking as well. 

SUPER SLIM: The Z Ultra is marketed as the world’s thinnest full high definition (HD) smartphone.

Being made of glass, the device feels premium but it is also a fingerprint magnet. Users should also be careful not to drop the device as it will be costly to repair. 

The Z Ultra is marketed to be the world’s thinnest full high definition (HD) smartphone available in the market, and it does indeed feel extremely thin. 

The size of the screen is not the only selling point — the Triluminos full HD display used by the Z Ultra is very impressive, making it one of the better looking screens we’ve seen. It is excellent for viewing pictures and videos, which isn’t surprising as it is backed by Sony’s X-reality engine. 

Talking point 

As a phone, users are definitely going to feel awkward having a device of such proportion being placed against their face during phone calls. Sony seems to acknowledge this fact as they introduced a new Bluetooth headset together with the Z Ultra when the phablet was first announced. Sony had even packed in an SBH50 Stereo Bluetooth headset together with our review unit.  

AWESOME: The Triluminos full HD display used by the Z Ultra is very impressive, making it one of the better looking screens we’ve seen.

In terms of pocketability, the Z Ultra could fit in this reviewer’s slacks and pants, but it sure wasn’t comfortable as the device is too long. The bulge it made was also too obvious for comfort. 

As with the other, newer Xperia devices released in recent times, the Z Ultra is dust-proof and water-resistant. It is IP 55/58 compliant, meaning that provided all ports and covers are firmly closed, the device is protected against low pressure jets of water from all directions in compliance with IP 55; and/or can be kept under 1.5m of freshwater for up to half an hour in compliance with IP 58. 

For the device to attain the waterproof status, flaps are required to cover the ports, i.e. the micro USB port. However, the flaps are subject to wear and tear and thus might not last very long — users should be wary of this before subjecting the device to water. 

Despite the certification, it is safer to take the feature as a form of protection for your device against accidental spills rather than for purposely dunking the device into water. 

DON'T DUNK IT: The Z Ultra may be water-resistant, but it's safer to take the feature as a form of protection against accidental spills rather than an excuse to go crazy with the dunking.

Another adverse side effect from having a waterproof device is that the volume of the loudspeaker is in fact not very loud. The speakers are coated to prevent water from seeping in. A software update has helped to mitigate the problem, but don’t expect brilliant sound quality from this device’s speakers. 

The Z Ultra comes with an 8-megapixel camera. We were disappointed with the picture quality, as it was very grainy especially under low light conditions. Another drawback is that the device is not equipped with an LED flash, so photo taking in total darkness is out of the question. That would also mean that you can’t double the device as a torch light. 

Underneath your clothes 

This phablet has Android 4.2.2. Jelly Bean on board. As with other devices running on Jelly Bean, the user experience is buttery smooth. This is also because the device is equipped with the best of specs, coming with 2.2 GHz Qualcomm MSM8974 quad-cores under the hood. 

Games with better graphics such as Temple Run looked amazing on the Z Ultra’s huge screen. 

The Z Ultra has 16GB of memory built in, and this can be expanded with a microSD card of up to 64GB. 

WRITE PATH: One of the main features that Sony had highlighted about the Z Ultra is the ability to use any pen or pencil as a stylus for the device.

One of the main features that Sony had highlighted about the Z Ultra is the ability to use any pen or pencil as a stylus for the device. We find this to be more of a gimmick as it is very hard to get it working properly in practice. 

To top it off, there is no palm rejection, thus writing won’t work if your palm touches the screen. It is very tough to hold the device comfortably with one hand while trying to write with the other without either hand touching the screen for an extended period of time. 

Conclusion 

The Z Ultra is a device that really pushes the limits of screen sizes, even for a phablet. At 6.4in, it is the biggest device we’ve seen that isn’t labelled as a tablet. 

If you can look beyond its enormous size, it is a very capable and powerful device from Sony. 

With such a large and beautiful full HD screen, it is an excellent media device but only if you have a pair of earphones as the speakers are below par. 

It is also handy that the device is waterproof, so you don’t have to worry too much when you use it around wet areas. 

This is one of the few devices in the market that can give the other ‘Note’able phablet a run for its money. 

Pros: Large, beautiful screen; waterproof; smooth UI. 

Cons: Too huge to place in the pocket comfortably; speakers not loud enough; no LED flash; handwriting more of a gimmick. 

Xperia Z Ultra (C6833)
(Sony)
Platform: Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
Processor: 2.2GHz Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor
Network: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 850/900/1700/2100, LTE 800/850/900/1700/1800/1900/2100/2600
Camera: 8-megapixel, 2-megapixel (front)
Display: 6.4in (1,920 x 1,080-pixels) Triluminous touchscreen
Memory: 16GB Internal memory, microSD slot (up to 64GB), 2GB RAM
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, NFC
Features: 1080p full HD video recording and playback; dust-proof and water-resistant (IP55/IP58); shatter proof and scratch-resistant glass; X-Reality engine
Battery: 3,050mAh lithium-on
Size: 179.4 x 92.2 x 6.5mm
Weight: 212g
Price: RM2,299 (non LTE version)
Rating: 4
Review unit courtesy of Sony Mobile Malaysia, 1-800-88-7666

- Donovan Quek, The Star

Review: Sony DSC RX-100

Sony hopes to challenge the big boys with its little compact.

WE have heard a lot of good things about Sony's latest compact camera, the DSC-RX100.

The camera has powerful features and it'll be interesting to see how it fares in a world dominated by DSLRs and mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras (MILCs).

It is impressive just how much Sony managed to cram into such a small frame. The body itself is made from aluminium which gives it a solid look and feel.

The camera is designed such that it gives users easy access to manual controls. For instance, the control ring that wraps around the lens can be customised to do just about anything such as focusing, zooming, adjusting aperture and changing ISO settings.

There's also a function button for quickly adjusting settings like ­exposure compensation, white ­balance, d-range optimiser and ­creative filters (of which there are 13).

MORE CONTROL: The dial around the RX100's lens is invaluable for making fine adjustments on the fly.

However, it lacks some features found on larger MILCs like an accessory port and electronic viewfinder (which can come in handy when outdoors).

The RX100 also doesn't have built-in WiFi which is disappointing because this is just the type of camera that would benefit from being able to upload photos directly to social networking sites.

Also, while the metallic body is cool, it's a little hard to hold and a bit ­slippery.

Features aplenty

The RX100 features a 20.2-megapixel sensor, a fast f/1.8 Carl Zeiss lens, an ISO range of 125 to 6,400, and is capable of shooting at up to 10fps (frames per second) in continuous shooting Speed Priority mode.

The RX100 has enough creative options to satisfy ­experienced users with the usual PASM modes on the mode dial, as well as two Intelligent Auto modes to help less experienced photographers.

RICH COLOURS: The 3in screen on the back acts as your viewfinder and you have a number of controls on the back to tweak the camera settings to your liking.

Sony also has included features like Sweep Panorama, an easy way to take a panoramic scene without the need for a ­tripod or editing in Photoshop afterwards.

There are also Picture Effect filters like tilt shift, partial colour and soft focus but we are most impressed with the illustration and watercolour filters, which we have not seen in other cameras of the same class.

The two effects take a bit of processing after each shot but the results are quite pleasing, as it gives pictures an artistic makeover.

Speed demon

The camera's startup time is incredibly fast. From the moment you turn it on, the RX100 is ready to take a shot and almost instantly gets a focus lock on a subject.

It still can't beat the speed of a DSLR but it's good for situations when you want to snap a shot ­quickly.

HANDY: The RX100 can be charged using a microUSB cable just like most smartphones which is convenient.

The same can be said of the camera's lightning quick autofocus which worked well in most situations although it was a bit inaccurate in dimly lit areas.

Again, it's not as fast as a DSLR but impressive nonetheless for a compact camera.

But what took us by surprise is the image quality - the photos turned out sharp with great colours and dynamic range.

The combination of its wide-aperture lens and large sensor allows the RX100 to shoot great looking bokeh (blurred backgrounds) photos and perform well in low-light situations.

Not only are the images crisp and sharp but the ISO performance is worlds apart from that of a regular compact camera.

At ISO 1,600, for instance, the images are clear of noise with little softening. For most compacts, the image would have turned out blurry and looked like a mosaic painting.

The camera also offers the option to shoot in RAW format for those who like to tweak their images to the max.

Just like most modern cameras, the RX100 is capable of recording videos in full HD in AVCHD format. We found the video quality to be acceptable but it's definitely isn't as good as the RX100's photo taking capabilities.

The built-in stereo microphones do a decent job but if you want to capture speech clearly it would be next to impossible in a noisy environment.

There is also the option of recording in MP4 format although this lowers the video resolution to 1,440 x 1,080 which is no longer full HD.

In terms of battery life, the RX100 shot about 300 photos on a single charge. Interestingly, it is charged over microUSB, the very same way most smartphones are, so it's easy to keep it powered.

Last shot

Smaller than a MILC, the RX100 offers great ­performance and will serve well as a secondary ­camera for DSLR owners who travel often.

The combination of solid design with a fast lens and great picture taking capabilities makes it a perfect ­compact for serious photographers.

ODD: The RX100's HDMI port is strangely located on the bottom of the camera.

Another thing going for it is the control interface which makes it easy for shutter bugs to tweak ­settings on the fly.

However, it's not perfect. For instance, the HD video recording capability could have been better.

It's also not cheap - it's priced close to entry-level DSLRs and MILCs.

But if portability is ­paramount then the RX100 is well worth the price of admission.

Pros: Great photo quality; compact size; smartly designed controls for manual shooting.

Cons: Pricey; HD video recording not great.

DSC RX-100
(Sony)
Prosumer compact camera
SENSOR: 20.2-megapixels (5,472 x 3,648-pixels)
VIEWFINDER: 3.0in LCD (1,228,800-dots) TFT LCD
LENS: 28-100mm (35mm equivalent) f/1.8 (wide) - f/4.9 (telephoto)
SHUTTER SPEED: 30 sec - 1/2,000sec
ISO RANGE: 100 to 25,600
SHOOTING MODES: Auto, Auto Advanced, Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual, Three Custom modes, Smart Auto, Sweep Panorama, Picture Effect
VIDEO MODE FORMAT: AVCHD (1,920 x 1,080 at 60 fps) or MPEG4 (1,440 x 1,080 at 30 fps)
BATTERY: Lithium-ion NP-BX1
STORAGE: SD/SDHC/SDXC
INTERFACE: MicroUSB port, micro HDMI out
OTHER FEATURES: Face detection, Control Ring, Flash
DIMENSIONS (W x H x D): 102 x 59 x 36mm
WEIGHT: 240g
WEBSITE: www.sony.com.my
PRICE: RM2,499
RATING: 4 stars

- Chong Jinn Xiung (The Star)