[Xperia Z General] PraxxtorCruel:
My review of the Xperia Z

Design/Build Quality:

Coming from an S2, the build quality is miles better, I love the way it feels in your hand, it also feels very sturdy. I always felt the S2 would crack with the slightest pressure but this phone really doesn't worry you one bit about something happening to it. My family also agrees with this. The design is top notch and can't fault it at all, it truly is fantastic to look at. This is one of the biggest reasons I chose it over the HTC One and the fact that this phone is 5".

Screen: In my opinion people are seriously far-fetching this whole angle viewing nonsense. If you're a normal person you truly will have no issues with this phone. Now I've tried different angles and yes there is a slight drop, but I'm telling you now it is barely noticeable and doesn't affect ANYTHING. Mobile Bravia Engine 2 will definitely change your mind once you see it in action. If anything when the mobile bravia 2 engine is engaged the videos are FRIGGIN' amazing. I never thought it would look so damn good. Pleased I am.

Sound/xLoud: I've seen reports of people mentioning xLoud makes no difference at all. Unless these people have a faulty phone )or don't have one at all) I can't see how they haven't been able to notice any difference. The difference is night and day. Without xloud it's as if the volume is at 50% and switch xloud on and the sound is at least double that.

Camera: Again as others I've noticed quite a bit of noise in low light. Now I'm not sure if this is the hardware at play or poor software optimization, in time we will come to see. The flash compared to the GS2 is far easier on the eyes. The s2 has a much stronger flash in my opinion. I took some pictures with my S2 and the Xperia Z and noted that the S2 seems to brighten up everything it views while the Xperia Z views things like the naked eye would see it. This is what I quite like about the Xperia Z, not having to over saturate everything, i.e making everything seem better than it actually is.

Battery: Started with 70% battery remaining. Have had the phone on for about 16 hours, in that time at one point it had constant use for around 3 hours (messing with the camera, watching movies, playing music and so on) and then left to idle with some usage here and there. I can say that coming from the GS2 I am actually quite impressed with the battery so far. As of now it's still at 36% so in my opinion it really isn't as bad as people make it out to be considering the hardware it is packing.

Overall:

The phone excels in most categories only really being let down by the camera at low light. If viewing angles are such an issue, I suggest steering away. I was showcasing the Xperia Z to family members around the table last night and not one of them mentioned poor viewing angles, if anything there is a very small difference and it really isn't worth beating yourself over it. Again the build quality is top notch, I love being able to use it in the rain especially since Britain loves to rain. Everyone that sees the phone has commented on in its beauty it truly is up there with the best looking phones if not the best.

I give the Xperia Z

8/10.