[Xperia Z General] tetsuo55:
Hello.

This guide will(, when it is completed) explain what you need to to to get all the issues with the Xperia Z fixed.

The end result will be a properly working phone running the newest official firmware.

Before we begin, i would like to suggest a better alternative.

The Xperia Z is considered a legacy device by Sony now. There are quite a few hardware features missing compared to previous and newer sony models. Not everything can be fixed with software unfortunately.

The best thing you could do right now is replace your Z with a Z5. If the Z5 is too pricey the Z3 is also a great choice.

Now then if you still want to fix up your Xperia Z keep reading.

problems that cannot be fixed:

ANT+ (the chipset does not have ANT hardware)

Manual camera controls (We don't have the required drivers for Camera2.0 and 3.0)

Advanced display calibration through Kcal

Problems that can be fixed in software:

wifi

Standby time

Screen on time

Temperature of the phone

Performance

Camera quality

rotation issues

proximity issues

GPS issues

NOTE: If you still have warranty on your Xperia Z i strongly suggest you only replace the sim card and then factory reset the phone using the Sony PC software suite. If you still have problems you can claim a repair under warranty.

Before we look at software solution we must first consider hardware solutions.

1. The Sim card.

Solution: Complain to your provider about the problems with your connection and ask (demand) a new simcard

Problems solved: Voice and data connection issues, speed, quality etc... Also battery drain from unstable connections.

Rational:If the sim card is old or damaged it will not work as expected. The result is problems with internet connections, calls and battery drain. A sim card is old when you have had it for more than a year or when your provider has done major upgrades of their network. Simcards actually contain their own software stack that in most cases can not be updated without replacing them

2. The Display foil.

Solution: Remove the foil and replace it with a hardened glass protector.

Note on glass protector: It must have the following features: 9H hardness, 2,5d edges, 0,33mm thickness, 0.99% or higher clarity. Also you must remove the original plastic film screen protector to get the benefits mentioned below

Problems solved: No more scratches, proximity sensor issues, front camera issues, touch sensativity issues, image clarity and color accurateness

Rational: The Xperia Z has dragontail glass, however it does not have a built in shatterproof layer so Sony put on plastic film to add shatterproofing. The problem with this film is that its very easy to scratch and it significantly reduces the quality of the display and tactile feel of the screen. Replacing it with shatterproof glass screenprotector solves these issues.

3. The Battery.

Solution: Have the battery replaced at a service center that guarantees waterproofing, also try to get a battery that was manufactured less than 6 months ago, as batteries go bad even in storage.

Problems solved: Poor battery life

Rational: The batteries included in phones have an expected lifetime of about 6 months, After this time the capacity is lowered to a point where it can no longer claim the values on the sticker.

Additionally abuse of the battery lowers the lifetime even further, for example regularly letting the battery drain below 50% is bad for it. With the age of this phone, even if you did buy it new recently you can be pretty sure the battery is much weaker than it could be.

4. The port covers

Solution: Order new ports from ebay and replace them yourself

Problems solved: Ports no longer being waterproof

Rational: The ports can easily be replaced and the cost is very low

5. The ports themselves:

Solution: Use compressed air and a needle to (carefully) clean all the dust and debris.

Problems solved: Dodgy connections

Rational: The dust and debris gets in the way of the signal from the various connectors

6. Charger and usb cable

Solution: Buy a high quality replacement set like those from Anker.

Problems solved: Slow charging, no charging at all, data transfer issues.

Rational: The original charger is slower than the maximum speed our phone can handle, additionally after all this time they are probably damaged in one way or another.

7. Sim card reader

Solution: Buy a new motherboard or replace only the reader unit, instructions for that can be found here: http://xdaforums.com/xperia-z/help/hardware-fix-t3270990

Problems solved: Phone unable to read the simcard

Rational: If its broken it needs to be fixed

Now that we have dealt with the hardware side, we can move on to the software side.

To be continued

Credits:

Fixed a typo thanks to [MENTION=5014466]iDroid8[/MENTION] for pointing it out

Added link to sim tray repair thanks to [MENTION=4679677]langeveld024[/MENTION]