HTC One vs. Sony Xperia Z vs. Samsung Galaxy S4

After reviewing all top 3 flagship phones for first half of 2013, we’d like to revisit and share with you what we think of them. Here’s our round-up of the three handsets you’ve been dying to get your hands on — the Samsung Galaxy S4, Sony Xperia Z and the HTC One.

In the open arena of Android smartphones, these three are probably the most aspired handsets.

HTC One. Undoubtedly the best-looking handset of the lot. Made of solid aluminum and enjoyed a good number of following. While it has the smallest screen (at 4.7 inches) compared to the other two (at 5 inches), it also benefited from it by having the highest pixel density at 469ppi.

However, the HTC One was plagued with shipment delays, shortage of supply and came in a few thousand pesos more expensive than the other two.

What we liked about the device:
* Impressive design and build
* Great performance
* Impressive camera performance
* LTE connectivity
* Great display
* Very good sound quality
* IR blaster as remote control
* Large internal storage
* Built-in NFC
* Great Sense UI

What we did not like about it:
* Average battery life
* Heats up quite fast
* No expandable memory

The HTC One earns the title “Sexiest Smartphone Alive” in our book. You can read our review of the HTC One here.

Samsung Galaxy S4. Riding on the success of the Galaxy S2 and the S3, the Galaxy S4 remains to be one of the best selling handsets in the world. It has spawned a lot of siblings too, including one that is dust and water-proof like the Xperia Z.

However, Samsung continued to be criticized for employing seemingly cheap, all-plastic body for the Galaxy S4, losing out that engineering battle from the all-glass construction of the Xperia Z and aluminum body of the HTC One.

What we liked about it:
* Top-notch performance
* Very high display resolution
* Great camera performance and features
* High-speed LTE connectivity
* NFC functions and features
* IR Blaster
* Good battery life

What we did not like:
* More gimmicky features and bloatware
* Plastic body

Banking on two chips to power their handset, Samsung’s strategy paid off. The Galaxy S4 earned the title of “Most Powerful Beast on Earth” in our book. You can read our review of the Galaxy S4 here.

Sony Xperia Z. This handset enjoyed the exclusive position of being the first flagship to be able to weather a storm, or a drop in the swimming pool — no wonder Samsung just had to make an S4 variant just like it. An all-glass construction and very thin form factor places it as one the sexiest handsets around.

However, in a rush to get their flagship out early, Sony had to settle with a slightly older yet still powerful chip from Qualcomm. The TFT screen is also something some folks didn’t appreciated that much.

What we liked about it:
* Solid design and build quality
* Great performance
* Impressive camera
* NFC features with other Sony devices
* Water and dust resistance

What we did not like:
* Highly reflective TFT display
* Smudge and fingerprint magnet

We give the Xperia Z the title of “Most Celebrated Triathlete” in the smartphone world. You can read our full review of the Sony Xperia Z here.

What’s your pick?

Whichever of the three you pick, we are sure you are going to like it. We just have a few footnotes you might want to consider first.

* The Galaxy S4 and Xperia Z are both compatible with Smart and Globe LTE networks. The HTC One only works with Globe LTE.

* The Xperia Z is currently the most affordable of the three, selling as low as around Php23k in some online stores.

* The HTC One already ran out of stocks. The first shipment was just about 1,000 units, all sold out even the ones from Globe. There’s a waiting period that’s already clocking in at 4 weeks now.

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Sony Xperia Z Ultra official: bigger and better Z at 6.5mm

Sony has just revealed their first phablet device – the Xperia Z Ultra. The phone takes in an HD display of 6.4-inches with a new Triluminous display technology, a 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 CPU and the same waterproof & dustproof body from the Xperia Z, all at the thinness of 6.5mm.

XPERIA Z ULTRA

In addition to those behemoth-like specs, Sony says that the Z Ultra also has support for any pencil or pen whose tip is over 1mm. Not everyone will enjoy a smartphone beyond 5-inches, but other than that and the lower-res 8MP camera, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra just became the smartphone to beat.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra specs:
6.44-inch full HD Triluminous display (1080 x 1920), 342ppi
2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800
Adreno 330 Graphics
2GB RAM
16GB internal storage
up to 64GB via microSD card
8MP rear autofocus camera
1080p video recording @ 30fps
2MP front-facing camera, 1080p video
WiFi
Bluetooth
NFC
GPS w/ aGPS support, GLONASS
3,000mAh battery
Dustproof and Waterproof

Android 4.2 Jellybean
Dimension: 179.4 x 92.2 x 6.5 mm
Weight: 212g

Correction: There is no LED flash; sorry for the confusion.

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HTC One vs. LG Optimus G Pro vs. Sony Xperia Z

The HTC One just got announced, and we want you to see how it fares up with its fellow Android competitors, packing full HD displays, fast processors and amazing technologies.

Of course, specs are one thing, real-world performance is another. We’d like to see things such as the camera in practice soon, to identify if it’s really all worth the hype. What can you say? Does it meet your expectations?

The clash of the Android titans aren’t over yet since we’re expecting devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Motorola X Phone to come in the following months – which won’t be too different from these specs. With those beasts, you might want to include the ZTE Grand S and other companies’ 1080p phones as well. We guess the question now is, which one will you get? who will launch it first in the Philippines? These powerhouses better hurry, before one overshadows the other.

Correction: LG Optimus G Pro is 9.4mm, not 10mm.

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Did the Xperia Z’s design come from Apple?

While we were taking the Sony Xperia Z for a spin during its Asia launch, we can’t help but notice some minor design cues that this 5-incher share with the iPhone 4/4S. Could it be that Sony copied Apple’s design concept?


It’s a strong allegation, one that may prove costly for the promising device. Luckily, an unlikely source (Apple-Samsung patent lawsuit) may shed some light on this topic and prove once and for all who copied who, if anybody did.

sony xperia z

Just days before the heated Apple-Samsung patent trial commenced, the South Korean firm filed a counter lawsuit (not sure if I said that right) against Apple claiming that they did not infringe any of the Cupertino-based company’s design patents. Included in Sammy’s court filing is a claim that Apple was actually the one who copied some other else’s design (Sony) which gave birth to the iPhone 4.

As a proof, Samsung’s lawyers also included a handful of pictures/renders which, according to them, was where Shin Nishibori (Apple Industrial Designer) got the iPhone 4’s design concept. Here’s one of those images:

sony render

Further down the road, it was proven that the Sony-inspired renders were indeed looked in to by the Apple’s designers including Jon Ive. In their defence (Apple), they claim that the Sony’s handset design were only internally circulated months after they’ve drafted the iPhone 4’s design concept and that Mr Nishibori’s Sony-influenced design suggestions are just cherry on top of their then upcoming sundae. Judge Koh, who was arbitrating the case, sided Apple’s statements and prohibited Samsung from presenting this evidence in the patent trial.

As it turns out, Sony didn’t copy Apple’s design concept and if anything, the Japanese company deserves some credit for some of the iPhone 4’s aesthetics. So now that everybody’s on the same page, let’s take a step back and look at the render once again. Notice that the render bears striking resemblance to the Sony Xperia Z? Could it be that Sony’s flagship handset is 7-years-in-the-making?

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Sony Xperia Z in the flesh

We were in Singapore a few days ago to witness the launch of the Sony Xperia Z. Let’s get up close and personal with Sony’s flagship handset and see why it’s regarded as one of the best smartphones of the recently-concluded CES 2013.

Sony Xperia Z

Ever since its first unofficial debut back in November, we’ve been keeping a close tab on this 5-inch handset. We got a chance to play around with Sony’s flagship device and marvel at its sheer elegance. We’ve extensively featured this upcoming handset in the past so, instead of going through the usual routine, we thought of giving you guys a more intimate look at the handset with this short video demo.

From the get go, it’s clear that Sony has put in a lot of thought to their torch bearer’s design, which is coined the “Omni-Balance design”. The term is a bit too gimmicky for our taste, but as fancy as it may sound, it doesn’t take away the fact the Xperia Z is one gorgeous handset that screams sophistication and class. Although the form factor was totally different from their previous handsets, the Xperia Z still has that iconic feel to it that’s undeniably Sony.

As mentioned before, this smartphone is only 7.9mm thick, making it one of the thinnest 5-incher in the market. But don’t for one second associate this thin profile for fragility, as Sony claims that the Xperia Z should be able to withstand elements and battering thanks to its tempered glass armor with a shatter-proof film coating. We’re not certain if there’s any truth to this claim, but from the looks of it, the glass exterior looks a bit more promising than what we previously saw on other glass-laden smartphones.

Xperia Z

And speaking of glass, owning the Xperia Z means that you’d have to live with the fact that the phone will attract fingerprints like it’s nobody’s business. This is a common thing for glass-covered handsets; it’s awesome to look at, but a royal pain in the neck to keep it neat and pristine.

We find the thoughtful placement of the buttons to be ideal for a smartphone of this size. The machined aluminium power key, along with the volume rocker, is situated at the middle of the phone’s right side, making it easier for user to reach for it. Just to set things straight, the Xperia Z doesn’t have a physical camera button. Alright?

Xperia Z Sample

Above is an image captured using the Xperia Z’s 13MP camera. Even in low-light conditions, the camera was able to compensate and provide an outstanding result. Sony was able to enhance this handset’s snapper by incorporating some of their proprietary imaging technologies found on their NEX and Alpha offerings.

Both the 2.2MP front-mounted snapper and the main camera are capable of recording videos at 1080p resolution. In addition to its arsenal, the camera at the back also offers HDR (High Dynamic Range) video recording to further enhance the quality of your clips.

Xperia Z philippines

The display is nothing short of impressive, something we’ve come to expect from Sony’s flagship handsets. The screen provides sharp images, outstanding color representation and decent viewing angle making it ideal for movie watching. It also offer very decent listening experience thanks to some minor audio tweaks that the smartphone is equipped with.

In terms of performance, we expect nothing but fluidity and responsiveness from the 1.5GHz Krait processor and 2GB RAM tandem that is at the heart of this smartphone. True enough, the Jellybean (4.1.2) smartphone was able to deliver. Whether we’re watching a Full HD movie, launching an app or switching from one app to the other, the handset remained cool and composed even under pressure.

We actually tried to perform a quick benchmark test on the Xperia Z, but due to the limited internet access at the venue, we weren’t able to download the apps needed to do it. You just have to wait for our full review for that, we guess.

Sony Xperia Z philippines

Sony has been known for manufacturing great devices with superior build quality and sleek design. And although their previous high-end handsets were not too shabby, it’s evident that the Xperia Z is a totally different beast altogether.

It’s not just a specific design aspect that makes this smartphone stand out. In fact we feel that it’s the combination of the “Omni-balance” design, thin form factor and tempered glass on the back that makes this phone aesthetically great. The intricate machined power button is just the cherry on top to make it all the more eye-pleasing.

Xperia

The phone’s elegant design is properly complemented by its snappy performance and other purposeful enhancements in the camera, display and audio. The phone is basically the epitome of all the expertise that Sony has, whether in imaging (NEX and Alpha cameras), display (Bravia TVs) and Audio (WalkMan) all rolled into one marvelous 5-inch handset.

In summary, Sony’s recent shift of attention to their handsets seems to be paying off quite nicely, and the Xperia Z is a testament to that. Moreover, we think that this handset has enough fire power to boost the company to the top and reclaim their place as one of the big players in the smartphone industry. The only question now is their marketing strategy and how the Xperia Z will fare against the upcoming flagship handsets of their competitors.

Sony Xperia Z specs:
5-inch full HD display (1920×1080), @ 441ppi
Sony Mobile Bravia Engine II
Qualcomm MDM9215M Snapdragon S4 Krait 1.5GHz quad-core
Adreno 320 Graphics
2GB RAM
16GB internal storage
up to 64GB via microSD card
DC-HSDPA 42Mbps, LTE 100Mbps
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, dual-band
Bluetooth 4.0
NFC
GPS w/ aGPS support, GLONASS
Li-IOn 2370mAh battery
Dustproof (IP5X) and Water resistant (IPX57)
Android 4.1.2 Jellybean
Dimension: 139 x 71 x 7.9mm
Weight: 146g

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