Which Phablet

My Sony Xperia Z came in a box which contains the following:

My Sony Xperia Z Box

• The Sony Xperia Z itself
• A docking station, data cable and power plug
• Two Xperia SmartTags
• A Sony Premium Headset EX300AP
• Two screen protectors (one for the front and one for the back)
• A display cleaning cloth (which was so small that I immediately lost it)

My Sony XperiaZ Docking Station Data Cable and Power Plug

My Sony Xperia Z Box Contents

Sony Premium Headset and Xperia SmartTags

Holding the Sony Xperia Z in One Hand

One of the reasons why I have been unsure whether to buy a 5 inch phablet or a smaller 4.3 inch smartphone is that, being 5 feet 6 inch (1.68 m) tall, I don’t have very bid hands. Having said this, I don’t have any problems when holding the Xperia Z in my hands and after all, contrary to the perception of some people, a smartphone with a 5 inch display is not that much larger than a smartphone with a 4 inch display. For the information, the Z has dimensions of 139 x 71 x 7.9 mm (5.47 x 2.80 x 0.31 in). At 71 mm, the Z is wider than most smartphones; however being very slim (slightly wider than the iPhone 5) it is fairly easy to hold in one hand.

Holding the Sony Xperia Z

Physical Features of the Xperia Z

Looking at the front of the Xperia Z, I could see the microphone at the bottom and at the top starting from the right there are the LED notification light, the proximity sensors, the ear piece and the front facing 2.2MP camera.

On the top of the Z, one can find the flap covering the headphone jack. On the right, there is the flap covering the micro-SIM slot. The big power button is positioned on the right hand side of the Z, exactly in the middle. Underneath the power button is the volume control. The speaker is positioned on the lower right part of the phablet. Unfortunately, the positioning of the speaker is not ideal since it is easy to cover it while holding the phone in your hand.

Sony Xperia Z Camera Lens, Micro-SIM Slot, Power Button and Volume Control

On the left, there are the flaps for the microUSB and the microSD slots as well as the dock connector. The dock connector consists of two small metal plates which are not covered by any flaps. The LED flash and the 13MP camera are positioned on the backside of the Z. The microUSB enables you to charge the device, transfer files to/from a PC or to en external flash drive. A secondary microphone is also available on the backside, which, according to what I have read, is there to help record videos with stereo sound and to help in noise cancellation. Unfortunately, there is no dedicated camera button on the Xperia Z.

Sony Xperia Z Micro SD Flap and Dock Connector

The Water Resistant Flaps

The Sony Xperia Z is IP57 certified. This basically means that it is resistant against dust and that it is water resistant at a depth of up to 1 meter for a maximum period of 30 minutes. I have seen a couple of videos on YouTube that test the waterproofing capabilities of the Z successfully. Having said this, I will not be verifying these claims on my Sony Xperia Z. I have already tested my Z in light rain and will probably also test it in some bad weather (after all that was one of the reasons why I chose this particular model), but I have no intention of immersing my phablet in a tab of water or in a swimming pool.

Water resistance on the Xperia Z is provided through the four flaps (or panels) mentioned above which cover the microUSB port, the microSD card slot, the headphone jack and the micro-SIM slot. The flaps contain rubber lining on the inside so as to ensure that no water will get inside.

Sony Xperia Z Water Resistant Flaps

This is my phablet, the Sony Xperia Z.

True, I have been thinking a long time about replacing my four and a half year old HTC Touch Pro. It was not a bad smartphone, but the technology on today’s smartphones and phablets is light years ahead. I liked the physical keyboard on the Touch Pro, but on the other hand, a very limited number of apps were available on the ancient Windows operating system limited. After all, what sense did it make for someone owning a website about phablets and not owing a phablet himself?

There has been a lot of hype about the Xperia Z, well before it was released in February. I have been reading several reviews on this smartphone, but the majority seem to agree that it is one of the best smartphones/phablets that are currently available on the market. As a matter of fact, the user ratings of the Xperia Z on the highly popular site GSM Arena are indeed very high, higher than the user ratings for the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One.

I Thought About Getting the Sony Xperia Acro S

It took me a few months to finally decide what my new smartphone was going to be. Initially I was thinking of getting a Sony Xperia Acro S. One of the things I like about the Acro S is that it is water resistant. It is not the first time that I got lost while being abroad and at the same time it is not the first time I got caught in the rain while being abroad. Being lost is the rain is not a very pleasant experience.

Given that I do not own one of those outdoor GPS devices, I always thought that a water resistant smartphone would the perfect guide in such a situation. Apart from that, such a smartphone would also enable me to take photos without the risk of ruining my digital camera due to water damage.

I Then Became Interested in the Sony Xperia V

As the things turned out, I never came to buy the Acro S so my attention turned on the Sony Xperia V, which happens to be another water resistant smartphone. Apart from the fact the Xperia V is superior to the Acro S from a technology point of view; the Xperia V has a user replaceable battery, something that the Acro S cannot boast of. After Michael, a work mate of mine, bought himself a Sony Xperia V, I became more interested is getting one for me as well.

I Finally Decided to buy the Sony Xperia Z

I was after John, another work mate of mine, bought himself a Sony Xperia Z that I really got interested in getting one myself. I always thought that € 650 or € 700 was too much to pay for a phone; however it is also true that I am not one who spends a lot of money on mobile phones. After all, I only bought two mobile phones over a period of ten years or so. Therefore, I thought to myself, that a new smartphone should serve me for a period of at least four years.

Apart from the price, the disadvantage of the Xperia Z over the Xperia V is that it does not have a user replaceable battery. One the other hand, the Z has better technology and a faster quad core processor, when compared to the dual core processor of the V. The Z also has 2GB RAM, compared to 1GB RAM for the V and 16GB of internal memory when compared to 8GB for the V.

Apart from that, the Z has a 5 inch screen while the V comes with a smaller 4.3 inch screen. Therefore the Xperia Z is a phablet while the Xperia V is not. Not long before launching this website, I used to think that a 5 inch display is simply too big for a smartphone; however I had changed my mind after handling the Samsung Galaxy S3, which has a display size of 4.8 inches.

Anyway, after handling the Sony Xperia Z, I thought about it for a few weeks and finally decided to grab one myself. I got my Xperia Z about a month ago and it was a decision I did not regret.

According to recent news, the Samsung Galaxy Note III will be unveiled on September 4^th, two days before the IFA Conference kicks off at Berlin on Friday September 6^th.

It is not yet clear what the specifications of the phablet will be, according to some rumours the Note III will have a 5.7 inch screen while other state that the phablet will be released with a 5.9 inch screen. However all sources seem to agree that this device will be Samsung’s most powerful phablet to date, sporting an eight core processor, eight core graphics processing unit and 3 GB of RAM.

Again, it is not yet clear what operating system will the Samsung phablet be running. Some are saying that it will run Android 4.3 while others state that the Note III is expected to run Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie.

In most probability, the new Samsung Note will include a 13 megapixel camera. There are rumours that the camera on the Note III will include a feature called image stabilisation, which is a feature normally used in high end cameras. However this has not been confirmed by Samsung.

The Note III is expected to be 8mm think and weigh 183g (6.46 oz). Earlier rumours suggested that the Note III would replica watches swiss be shipped with a flexible display while other suggested that Samsung’s new phablet will have a metallic body. However, both these rumours have been dismissed as of late.

It is not yet known what will be the price tag at launch, however most agree that the Samsung Galaxy Note III should be priced with a price tag of around $800 (£540, €620 or AUD 880).

Samsung released the Galaxy Mega 6.3 just a few weeks ago, just a few weeks after the release of the Galaxy Mega 5.8. As per my Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 review of three days ago, the first Galaxy Mega is a 5.8 inch screen phablet with average specifications. With a screen size of 6.3 inches, the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 is the bigger brother of the 5.8. But apart from the bigger screen, is the Mega 6.3 any better than the 5.8? The answer to this question will be out very soon.

If the Galaxy Mega 5.8 was big, the Mega 6.3, which has dimensions of 167.6 x 88 x 8 mm (6.60 x 3.46 x 0.31 inches) and weighs 199 g (7.02 oz), is indeed a mega phablet. The display can support resolutions of up to 720 x 1280 pixels and a pixel density of about 233 pixels per inch. Thus the display on the 6.3 is definitely better than that of the 5.8, but having said this, the display is still not on par with the display of the Galaxy S4 and the other top of the range phablets.

Processing speed comes in the form of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 dual-core 1.7 GHz Krait processor. Again, the processor is better than that of the 5.8, but still it cannot compete with the processor of the Galaxy S4. Inside the device, one can also find 1.5 GB of RAM. The latest Samsung phablet comes in two flavours: one with 8 GB of internal memory and the other with 16 GB of internal memory. In any case, both versions can be upgraded by means of inserting a microSD card, up to a maximum size of 64 GB. Graphics processing is provided my means of an Adreno 305 processor.

The primary camera can shoot 8 megapixel photos and resolutions of up to 3264 x 2448 pixels. Camera features include LED flash, touch focus, panorama, face and smile detection, geo-tagging and high-dynamic-range imaging or HDI. Video recording up to 1080p at 30 frames per second is supported. The secondary camera can take up to 1.9 megapixel photos.

The Samsung phablet has a user replaceable 3200 mAh battery which, according to Samsung, can provide up to 420 hours of standby time, up to 17 hours of talk time in 2G and up to 10 hours of talk time in 3G. Tests have found out that the battery lifetime is indeed excellent and can last well over a day for heavy users. Considering the fact that the large screen consumes a fair amount of battery charge, this was a feat from the part of Samsung.

Samsung’s latest phablet runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. The Mega 6.3 includes a compass, proximity sensor, gyrometer sensor and accelerometer. On the downside, no radio is included, but having said this not even the Galaxy S4 includes one. The Samsung mega phablet is available in the colours white, black and plum purple. Amazon.co.uk is currently selling the 8 GB version of the Mega 6.3 for £425.00 while Amazon.com is selling the same model for $524.80.

To conclude, I have to say that the Galaxy Mega 6.3 is a fairly good phablet. From a specifications point of view, it is better than the Galaxy Mega 5.8, however this comes at the compromise of a display which is half an inch bigger. Sure if you want a big screen and if speed is of great importance to you, then it would be better to wait for the Galaxy Note III. However, if you are just an average user and having a big screen is more important to you than speed, then this is definitely a phablet to consider.

Having said this, before forking out your money on this device, do not forget that this indeed a massive smartphone. Will it fit into your pocket? Well, unless you have very small pockets, it should be able to fit without difficulty in the pockets of your trousers or jeans. However if you have very small hands, then the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 is perhaps not the best phablet for you.

As I had reported in my post Samsung Galaxy Mega – a New Range of Phablets, Samsung was ready to release a new range of phablets by the name of “Galaxy Mega”. The first Mega was released in May by the name of Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8. Samsung released a second Mega in June, the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3. Today I will take a look at the former model.

The most notable thing about the Galaxy Mega 5.8 is the big screen and as the name suggests, this model comes with a 5.8 inch screen. Anyone who thinks that the Samsung Galaxy S4 or Sony Xperia Z is too big for comfort will definitely never consider buying the Galaxy Mega 5.8. Having dimensions of 162.6 x 82.4 x 9 mm (6.40 x 3.24 x 0.35 inches) and weighing 182 g (6.42 oz), this is definitely not a small phone. Obviously many are of the opinion that a phone with a 5.8 inch screen is too big for a phone, but having said this, there are many people who are ready to go around with such a device in their pocket.

The display supports a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels with a pixel density of about 90 pixels per inch. This is definitely a bit low when compared to today’s top of the range smartphones and phablets. Having said this, it does not mean that the screen is a disappointing one. When Samsung released the Galaxy Mega 5.8, it had in mind to create a mid-range phablet with no intention of competing with today’s top of the range phablets.

The Mega 5.8 comes with a Broadcom Dual-core 1.4 GHz processor, a VideoCore IV GPU and 1.5 GB of RAM. Thus the hardware only provides average performance that is no match to today’s quad core smartphones and phablets. Internally one can find 8 GB of storage space that can be expanded by a further 64 GB by installing a microSD card. The operating system installed out if the box is Android version 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. This is the latest version of Android at the time of writing.

The primary camera on this phablet phone supports 8 megapixel photos and resolutions of up to 3264 x 2448 pixels. Camera features include LED flash, autofocus, touch focus, face and smile detection and geo-tagging. Video recording is carried out at 1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. The front facing camera can take photos at up to 1.9 megapixels.

An important feature of the Galaxy Mega 5.8 is dual SIM support. This Android phablet also includes a compass, gyro as well as proximity and accelerometer sensors. Power is provided by means of a Lithium-Ion 2600 mAh user replaceable battery

The Galaxy Mega 5.8 is being sold at $457 at eBay.com or £300 at eBay.co.uk. In my opinion, this is still a bit on the high side given the average specifications. Having said this, if having a big screen and dual SIM capabilities is much more important to you than raw performance, then the Galaxy Mega 5.8 is definitely worth considering.

The Sony Xperia Z is an immensely popular phablet that was instrumental in getting Sony to compete with the other major smartphone and phablet manufacturers, Samsung in particular. Now Sony will be building on this positive trend by releasing the Xperia Z Ultra.

As its name suggests, the Sony Xperia Z Utra will be a bigger version of the Sony Xperia Z. According to the news available at this time, the Ultra will have a dedicated camera button and thus it will look more like the Xperia ZR than the Xperia Z. The Xperia ZR has not been released as yet, but according to official news, it will have a 4.55 inch display, in comparison to the 5 inch screen on the Xperia Z. The Xperia Z Ultra, on the other hand, will come with a 6.44 inch screen.

The Ultra will have a 1080p full HD display and it will feature Sony’s new X-Reality technology. This new technology is an upgrade to Sony’s Bravia Engine 2 and according to Sony X-Reality technology will make images look crisper as it fills in any missing pixels in the display.

The new Xperia phablet is expected to come with a 2.2 GHz Snapdragon quad core processor, 16 GB of internal memory storage and 2 GB of RAM. As can be expected, it would be possible to upgrade the internal memory by inserting a microSD card. The graphics processing unit of the Ultra should be an Adreno 330 processor. Surprisingly, it looks that Sony will only include an 8 megapixel camera on the back (the Xperia Z comes with a 13.1 megapixel camera). The front facing camera should support 2.2 megapixels, just like the Xperia Z.

News that Sony was planning to release such a phablet, previously codenamed Togari, was released more than a month ago, as per my other post New Sony Phablets Coming Soon. It is not clear at this point whether the user interface will be the same as that of the Xperia Z. While some rumours said that Sony was going to carry out changes to the user interface, it looks likely that the user interface will not be changed at all.

With regarding to size, the Z Ultra will have dimensions of 179.2 x 92 x 6.5mm (7.1 x 3.6 x 0.26 inches) and will weigh 212g (7.5 oz). Thus the massive smartphone will still be relatively slim and lightweight for a device of these dimensions. According to some rumours, the handset will have a 3,000 mAh battery. However it is not clear at this stage whether the new phablet from Sony will be water and dust resistant, one of the selling points of the Xperia Z.

Sony’s biggest phablet to date should be released with Android version 4.2.2. Rumours suggest that the Sony Xperia Z Ultra will come with a stylus while others say that a stylus will not be included in the box. However leaked pictures of the Ultra suggest that it would also be possible to use any normal pencil with the new Sony phablet. Early pictures of the new gadget suggest that the headphone jack will no longer sit at the top but will be relocated to the side.

Sony is expected to show its new phablet to the world at an event on July 4^th. No pricing details are available at this point in time and it is not yet known when the Sony Xperia Z Ultra is expected to hit the shelves.

Nokia, once the world’s leading phone manufacturer, has been trying hard to keep up with its competitors and as per my post “The First Nokia Phablet”, Nokia has plans to release new smartphones with bigger displays in the next few months.

Recent news now suggest that Nokia is also planning to release a 6 inch phablet with a quad core processor under the Lumia range. As can be expected, the new phablet, codenamed Lumia 1030, will be driven by the Windows Phone 8 operating system. If the rumours are correct, the Nokia phablet will have a 1080p full HD display, a high-end camera and an aluminium body.

Alleged (blurry) image of Nokia Lumia 1030

It looks that this new phablet could only be released at the end of the year given that the current version of Windows 8 mobile does not support high resolution displays. The new GRD3 (General Distribution 3) release from Microsoft is expected to support 1080 x 1920 full HD resolutions as well as an additional column of tiles in the home screen.

No exact pricing details are available, though some rumours suggest that the Lumia 1030 will be priced in the same range as the Nokia Lumia 920. The Lumia 920 is currently being sold for $387 at Amazon.com while at Amazon.co.uk it is priced at £339.

As per one of my earlier posts, Samsung May Release a Water Resistant Galaxy S4, we now have the official news that Samsung will be releasing a water resistant version of its top of the line phablet, the Galaxy S4. This new version of the S4 has been named as Galaxy S4 Active.

The specifications on the S4 Active are very similar to those on the S4. It will have a 5 inch TFT screen with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels and a pixel density of 441 pixels per inch. The original Galaxy S4 comes with a Super AMOLED display, which is superior to the TFT screen on the S4 Active. However, the Active will also run on the same Qualcomm APQ8064T Snapdragon 600 chipset and the same quad-core 1.9 GHz Krait 300 processor. The new Samsung phablet will also have the same Adreno 320 graphics processing unit.

While it is not yet known whether the Galaxy S4 Active will be made of plastic like the Galaxy S4, it is known that the S4 Active will be slightly larger than its brother. The dimensions of the S4 Active will be 139.7 x 71.3 x 9.1 mm (5.5 x 2.81 x 0.36 inches) while the dimensions of the S4 are 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm (5.38 x 2.75 x 0.31 inches). At 151 g (5.33 oz), the S4 Active will also be heavier than the S4 which weighs 130 g (4.59 oz).

The S4 Active will run on Android version 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. It will have 16 GB of internal memory of which 11.2 GB will be user available. However, as is customary with Samsung’s smartphones, it will be possible to install a microSD card of up to 64 GB.

The camera on the S4 Active will also get a downgrade. While the original Galaxy S4 comes with a 13 megapixel camera, the Galaxy S4 Active will have an 8 megapixel camera. The camera on the Active will support resolutions of 3264 x 2448 pixels and as expected it will include autofocus, image stabilization, face and smile detection and LED flash.

Video recording on the new phablet is supported at 1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. Like the Galaxy S4, the S4 Active will support simultaneous image and video recording. A new feature on the Active is aqua mode which is expected to produce better underwater photos. The secondary camera will sport a 2 megapixel lens.

The large smartphone should have a 2600 mAh battery, which is also expected to be removable. Sensors on the Galaxy S4 Active will include compass, barometer, proximity, gyro, accelerometer and air gesture. The air gesture sensor allows interaction with the phablet without actually having to touch it. The Galaxy phablet is expected to come in the colours urban grey, dive blue and orange flare.

Leaving the best for the last, the main reason for buying the Galaxy S4 Active over the Galaxy S4 is the fact that it is IP67 certified. This means that the Active is totally protected against dust while at the same time; it can be inserted in up to 1 metre of fresh water for a period of up to 30 minutes. In comparison, the Sony Xperia Z has a rating of IP57. While the “7” in the rating equates to the same level of protection against water damage, the “5” in the “IP57” rating means that the level of dust protection on the S4 Active is slightly superior to that on the Xperia Z.

Although there is nothing official when it comes to the price, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is expected to be in the same price range as the Galaxy S4. The water resistant phablet is expected to start selling in summer, starting from Sweden and the US.

In the post “New Sony Phablets Coming Soon“, I wrote that Sony will be releasing two phablets that have been codenamed Togari and Honami. Now, according to recent rumours, Sony Togari has been officially named as Sony Xperia ZU.

It looks that the rumours were correct and that the ZU will have a 6.44 inch 1080p HD display. Sony’s phablet should run on a quad core Snapdragon 800 processor clocked at 2.3 GHz. It is most likely that the Xperia phablet will come with Android 4.2.2. However it looks most likely that Sony will include an 8 megapixel camera instead of the 13 megapixel camera available on the Xperia Z.

This top phablet is expected to have a rating of IP58. This means that it is dust resistant and that it can be submerged up to 1.5 metres for up to 30 minutes. This makes it better than the IP57 rating for the Xperia Z, which lets you submerge the device up to 1 metre of water for up to 30 minutes.

If the latest rumours are true, the Sony Xperia ZU is expected to be released at an event organized by Sony on the 25^th June.