Not sure if the Xperia Z1 is the phone for you? Let’s take a look at top 5 features of Sony’s latest flagship, to give you a better idea:
Xperia Z1: Refined Looks, Excellent Hardware
Sony has always had impressive build quality, but starting with the Sony Xperia Z, the company has been stepping up its game even further. The Sony Xperia Z1 is no exception. The latest flagship packs somewhat similar aesthetics to the Xperia Z, but with a few small design changes. Looking a bit deeper, we see that the device is rocking very impressive internals, too. Not only do we get a 5-inch Triluminos HD display with FULL HD, but there’s also a blazingly fast 2.2 GHz Snapdragon 800 quad-core CPU, accompanied by 2GB of RAM. Beyond that, we get 16GB storage, microSD, Clear Audio+ technology, a 3,000 mAh battery, power-saving Stamina Mode, W-Fi, Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and 3 different color choices (purple, black and white). The real magic for the Xperia Z1 – however – is in its camera functionality.
One of the Best Cameras You’ll Find on a Phone
Recently we’ve seen quite a few camera-phones hit the market. Some of the most well known examples include the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom and the Lumia 1020. How does the Z1 compare? Sony’s Xperia Z1 is self-labeled as the “World’s leading camera in a smartphone”, and claims that independent testing has taken place to confirm this fact. It’s true, the Xperia Z1 is a beast when it comes to camera performance. Is it really better than the 41MP Lumia 1020? From a pure megapixel point of view – no, but remember more goes into a camera than just megapixels. The Sony Xperia Z1 has a 1/2.3-inch 20.7MP Exmor RS CMOS sensor, the BIONZ image processing engine, and Sony’s G Lens technology (27mm wide angle and bright F2.0 aperture). There’s even a dedicated camera button on the phone. Whether these combined factors really means it can beat out the Lumia 1020 is hard to say. We’d imagine that they would certainly perform similarly, with the 1020 perhaps having a slight edge in the camera department. That said, the Xperia Z1 offers advantages in the forms of more processing power and the use of Android OS. Back to the Z1, there’s also a ton of special camera apps including a visual search system called Info-Eye, AR effect, Timeshift Burst and Social Live. For more details on these special features, head here!
All Your Photos and Vids in One Place, Safe in the Clouds
Don’t you wish there was an easier way to organize, sort and store all those camera pictures and videos you are taking? There is, with PlayMemories Online. Basically, the existing Play Memories app is getting an update that will make it smarter, and allows for any images you take to be sorted and kept in the cloud, with unlimited storage space included for those in the United States. Many of the European markets will also include this free unlimited storage bonus.
Sony Xperia Z1: Durability is Key
You have a great phone, but what if it falls apart quickly? With Sony’s IP55 and IP58 dust-resistant and waterproof design, you can rest a bit easier knowing that the Z1 is able to handle a bit more wear and tear than your typical smartphone. Not only can this thing handle a little rain and water, it can even be fully submerged at shallow depths for as long as thirty minutes without taking on any damage.
Go Even Further with Your Photo-Taking Experience with the QX Series
What if there are those times you are looking for an even better camera experience, but for whatever reason you need more portability than you’d get with a DSLR or similar high-end camera? Sony has also introduced a handy accessory that works with just about any Android smartphone. The QX Series easily can attach to your Xperia Z1 or any other phone, taking the camera experience even further. There are two different models, the QX100 for $499 and the QX10 for $250. Let’s start with the more premium model, the QX100. This bad boy might not come cheap, it’s basically the same camera as you get with the $750 RX100M2, save for the fact it hooks up to your existing phone. That means a 20MP 1-inch sensor, Carl Zeiss optics, BIONZ image processing and more. There’s even an impressive ISO range that goes up to 6400. As for the QX10, you get zoom that is from 3.6x to 10x, but the image quality isn’t as good as the QX100 thanks to a smaller 1/2.3-inch sensor. The ISO range on this one is still pretty good at 3200, but nowhere near the QX100. How do these attachable lens work? Basically they use NFC technology and your smartphone’s display works as the viewfinder. Any pictures taken with the attachment is then sent over to the phone using Wi-Fi.
Conclusion
There you have it, folks! The Sony Xperia Z1 might not have as impressive of an image sensor as the Lumia 1020, but it completely beats out Samsung’s S4 Zoom and offers tons of excellent camera apps and services that you won’t find with the Lumia, either. If you are looking for the best possible cameraphone out there, look no further than the Xperia Z1. So how about it, interested in the Sony Xperia Z1, or would you rather stick to a device like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3? For those that are more interested in contextual awareness than camera or note-taking features, you might also want to take a look at the recently released Moto X.
