XZLC6506RD
4.1
5
7
7
Great phone but needs improvements
I own sony laptop, desktop, speakers, tv and many more electronics. Now, this phone is a mix bag.
The good: Works great with ATT LTE network, has all kinds of nice features such as remote contro IR, Walkman, Radio, big screet with small footprint. It comes with a nice back up and restore software unlike most android phones.
The bad: Battery runs out quick, can't last a whole day with avarage use, color whashes out when viewed from angles, it is not an LED screen thought it is nice HD resolution. It does heat up, as much as other phones.
The ugly: it comes with too much useless software, it has a very flimsy "back door hatch" for the SIM card and SD card compartment. The placement of the front-facing camera is odd. The volume is weak except with blu tooth adapters.
I recommend the phone for all the nice features but not for the price and type of screen.
June 3, 2013
Wireless
This phone is great, camera, video, apps, music.
But this time Sony has made a poor investment in its wireless receiver. I always thought of Sony as a superior industry but in this case I was worng.
How come an Ipod generation 4 has more wireless reception than this new Xperia?
My wife bought a D3 which is way cheaper and yet has a more functional wireless antena than the one of the Xperia.
I am taking it back to the store for a technical review or even a device change.
May 21, 2013
Not quite worth the price
Overall a good phone considering all of the features, though overpriced. For all the hype, the screen's viewing angles are poor?the screen is best viewed directly. Blacks seem washed out. Not exactly what one would hope for from a $700+ phone. Considering returning this phone.
May 9, 2013
Almost Perfect
I originally ordered an international Z but due to a bad experience with the network, I returned it. After noticing the LZ would come to america with LTE, I started to research it and it began to grow on me. In the end glad I went with the LZ.
Like the Z it has a monolithic classy front but this version is very compact which is impressive given the huge five inch display. In the hand it feels like a Samsung galaxy 3 which has a much smaller screen so again impressive. The camera is located in the bottom left hand corner. The location neither improves or degrades video angles. If anything it just makes the phone look cooler. The notification light is also one of my favorite things about the phone. It has a sharp led light design at the bottom middle. It is so bright and viewable from all angles I can even see it when my phone's wallet case is closed. Nice touch. The light is not overbearing either which is great. Not sure why the Z didn't get these neat aesthetic features but they are great. The notification light lights up different colors for different notifications and it also turns on when viewing pictures and changes color based on the overall color the picture. Purely aesthetic beauty and I love it. Some more practical people might care less.
The screen is super sharp but does suffer in viewing angles. Which is totally fine with me anyway since I don't like people seeing whats on my screen anyway. The only phone I would say has a superior screen is the HTC One. Even this Sony fanboy can't deny that. Where this screen does shine is VIDEO. WOW it's made for video. Pictures are beautiful to see on this screen too. Definitely a multimedia phone.
The back is another story. While the plastic does not look cheap, it's ribbed with soft rubber and feels great in the hand, it does lose the aesthetic factor and starts to look like a typical smartphone I really wish they would have made the back flat and glass like the Z. Not sure why they went this route but since it's either in my wallet case or protective case, the back never sees the light of day anyway so no big deal for me. I'm glad they decided to include the small aluminum power button on the side like the Z though. It makes the phone pop with classiness.
As far as the software goes, like my old Xperia S, it's very similar with a light skin added by sony which I love. It's minimalist and classy looking and my opinion, once you get used to it very intuitive. The walkman music player is the best app in the market in my opinion. It looks beautiful with equalizer and the notification light also lights up and changes color based on color album art. The video app is need too. A + on Sony's multimedia apps. It's also powerful with minimal lag.
The Camera is definitely a plus on this phone. Pictures are clear and it includes many more feature options over it's predecessor. This camera can easily replace a point and shoot camera.
Of course, this is not a high end smart phone without the LTE. Another huge plus over it's "big" brother the Z. While the Z is LTE outside the US, it has been confirmed it will NOT be LTE in the states. To have such a beautiful screen for video, it would be a huge minus with no LTE. After testing it out, it blows away HT+ without a doubt. Average speed is about 30mb. This of course if your area has LTE service. At first I thought I could live without it, now I can't.
The phone does come with a remote control sensor for tv's and its super simple to program but they flubbed this one.... they put it in the side. So if you buy a protective case or in my case, a wallet cover, it covers the sensor! So you have to take phone out to use it. They could have easily put the sensor at the earphone jack which is at the top of the phone and avoided the problem. Also, it's not intuitive to use as a remote control if you have to hold it sideways. Big flub Sony.
Finally, Phone quality experience is the best I have ever had on a smart phone. The Z has awful call quality and speaker quality. This is probably due to the fact that it is waterproof and they would probably have extra filters to protect the phone. If I have the option, I would rather have good call quality and speakers. I Mean it is a phone after all. Sony has even included software to tweak the sound quality of phone calls! Impressive feature no one probably knows about. Comparisons with my wifes samsung galaxy 3 and brother's Iphone 5 also confirmed the superior call quality.
The only thing that would make this phone perfect for me would be is if it was as thin as the Z and it had the glass back like the Z. Otherwise, this phone is superior to the Z.
In the end, I am super happy with my decision and very happy with this phone. I have to admit, it is very expensive but if you want high end, this is high end.
April 23, 2013
