Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 15:59:33
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 155.90 2.00%
  1. ICICI Bank share price
  2. 1,095.75 1.08%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,448.20 0.52%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 428.55 0.13%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 277.05 2.21%
Business News/ Mint-lounge / Features/  Why we like the Sony Xperia Z1 better than the Galaxy Note 3
BackBack

Why we like the Sony Xperia Z1 better than the Galaxy Note 3

Sony?s latest smartphone is out now for Rs44,990, and is the most exciting smartphone available in India today

The 5inch, full HD screen looks good, and the system is powered by a 2.2GHz quad-core processor from Qualcomm, along with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and the 3000mAh battery should give you a good battery life. Premium
The 5inch, full HD screen looks good, and the system is powered by a 2.2GHz quad-core processor from Qualcomm, along with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and the 3000mAh battery should give you a good battery life.

Sony India today announced its newest smartphone, the Xperia Z1, and the device goes on sale in stores today. Sony’s latest flagship is a powerhouse, and the new design departs from the familiar look of the Z series for the better. While the Xperia Z and the Z Ultra looked amazing, their angular shape made the phones slightly uncomfortable to hold. In contrast, the Z1 is a little thicker, thanks to a bigger battery and camera sensor, and this makes it fit perfectly into your hand.

The big draw though is the 20.7MP camera. Aside from the large sensor, Sony has also used a special lens, which can be used for wide angle and up to 3X optical zoom. Combined with Sony’s image processing technology which is used in its digital cameras, the overall package is one that delivers great photographs. We got to try the camera in a bunch of simulated scenarios during the launch, from low light photography to normal room lighting and even some brightly lit shots. It was a short process and so we have to hedge our comments, but the first impression was that the camera is very good.

There are also some features such as Social Live, which lets you broadcast a live video feed on Facebook, Info-Eye, which works like Google Goggles but has a more pleasing design, Timeshift burst, which is becoming a standard feature on smartphones these days, and an AR (augmented reality) effect, which lets you overlay images with what’s in the frame. Most of these things can be done with free third party apps already, but it’s convenient to have all these features available the moment you turn the phone on for the first time.

In terms of specifications meanwhile, the phone is a powerhouse. The 5inch, full HD screen looks good, and the system is powered by a 2.2GHz quad-core processor from Qualcomm, along with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and the 3000mAh battery should give you a good battery life.

The Z1 also continues the Z-series’ dust and water protection, and the company has also added an accidental damage protection scheme, which is applicable for the first six months of purchase. While the phone is fairly expensive at Rs44,990, Sony has also bundled in a lot of freebies, including a case, 5000mAh portable battery, 8GB of free 3G data for 2 months, and free music, movies and TV content from Sony.

All this put together makes the Z1 the most interesting phone in the market right now. Next week, when the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 launches for Rs49,900, people will have a tougher choice to make, but the overall package from Sony appears to be more compelling, based on these first impressions.

At the launch, Sony also announced its new smartwatch and lens cameras for India, and these announcements were also pretty exciting. The lens cameras (DSC-QX10 and DSC-QX100) will be immediately available, for Rs12,990 and Rs24,990 respectively, while the Smartwatch 2 will be available from October, for Rs14,990. These accessories will work with most smartphones, and are priced very aggressively by Sony, building a great ecosystem for users.

As with the Galaxy Gear, without actually using them for an extended period of time, it’s hard to form a judgment over the value of these accessories. However, the impression one is left with is that the lens camera is a really impressive add-on to any phone. With the Smartwatch 2, it’s harder to judge at this stage. The device is easy to use, but doesn’t seem to have any immediate use beyond displaying notifications. The Gear, with its built in camera and voice commands seems to be the more versatile device, but without a longer review, it’s not easy to form a strong opinion on this.

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More Less
Published: 18 Sep 2013, 05:07 PM IST
Next Story footLogo
Recommended For You
Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App