The Sony Xperia Z1 is Sony's new flagship Android smartphone, featuring a 20.7-megapixel camera and water resistance up to five feet. We tried it out at the IFA Berlin trade show.
One of the highlights of the Xperia Z1 is its 20.7-megapixel camera, one of the highest megapixel counts in smartphone cameras today.
The Z1 has 5-inch full HD (1,920 x 1,080) display, enhanced by Sony's Triluminous technology. The TFT isn't the best for off-angle viewing, however.
Holding onto the Xperia Z1 is a bit more challenging than other phones.
On the left are buttons for power, volume and a dedicated camera button.
On the right are charging ports. Slots and other ports (such as for a microSD card) are protected with "doors" to keep the phone water-resistant.
The bottom of the phone has a speaker, which plays passable, if somewhat tinny sound.
The Xperia Z1 is even more water resistant than the Xperia Z, able to withstand being submerged in 5 feet of water.
A sample shot taken with the Sony Xperia Z1's 20.7-megapixel camera.
A sample shot taken with the Sony Xperia Z1's 20.7-megapixel camera.
A sample shot taken with the Sony Xperia Z1's 20.7-megapixel camera.
A sample shot taken with the Sony Xperia Z1's 20.7-megapixel camera.
A sample shot taken with the Sony Xperia Z1's 20.7-megapixel camera.
Sony is serious about smartphones. The company has shown it means business with the all-around great but somewhat uninspiring Xperia Z, which launched earlier this year, and the waterproof phablet, the Xperia Z Ultra.
With its latest offering, the Xperia Z1, Sony has finally created a device that not only can compete with the best in class — namely, the Samsung Galaxy S4, the HTC One and the iPhone 5S — but is better than all of them in some regards. Is it enough to recommend it over these devices? The answer is yes, if you don't mind some of Xperia Z1's shortcomings.
The Xperia Z1 is nearly identical to the Xperia Z — the front camera position (right instead of left) and aluminum frame being the biggest differentiators. The phone is elegant, beautiful even, but big. The Z1's 5-inch screen is nearly identical in size to Galaxy S4's screen, but the bezels around it are much bigger, and the difference is not negligible. If modern 4.x and 5-inch smartphones are too big for you, the Z1 is not for you.
And even if you do have hands that are big enough, the rectangular shape and slick surfaces of the Z1 will cause you a problem or two while handling the phone. It's just not that easy to hold, and I had to be extra careful not to drop it on more than one occasion.
That said, if you don't mind the size, the black variant of the phone looks great. When the screen is off, it's like a shiny, black block of granite. We prefer its design to the Galaxy line of products, while the HTC One and iPhone 5S still remain, in our eyes, slightly more appealing devices.
We'll keep this section short: The Z1's 2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor, coupled with Adreno 330 graphics and 2GB of RAM make the device faster than most high-end smartphones. Its Geekbench 3 score was 2,712, far ahead its main competitors, the HTC One and the Galaxy S4. In day-to-day usage, the phone feels and operates extremely fast, period.

The Z1's 5-inch, 1080p screen is of the TFT variety, and it boasts Sony's Triluminos technology, which brings better sharpness, colors and contrast. It looks great — when viewed directly from the front. Tilt it a bit to the side, and the whites will turn grayish, while the colors will fade, something that won't happen with, say, the Galaxy S4's Super AMOLED screen. It's also a bit too reflective for our taste. Don't get us wrong — the screen is good, but if you're concerned with viewing angles, there are better screens elsewhere.
Finally, the sound can only be characterized as passable. The somewhat tinny speaker is located on the bottom of the device, so if you grab it there, you won't hear much — and you will grab it there, especially in landscape mode. The HTC One still remains the king in this category, and we think the iPhone 5 and 5S fare better than the Z1 as well.
One of the main selling points of the Xperia Z1 is its 20.7-megapixel camera. I don't care much for megapixels, as they do not equal quality, but the fact that the Z1 boasts a 1/2.3 inch sensor should make it better than most smartphones (more precisely, ones that aren't called the Lumia 1020). Here's a sample (more in the gallery above):

And yes, during the daylight the Z1 takes great photos, and takes them fast. Switch from landscapes to something else, and the results are not as good. I've had a lot of problems trying to make it focus an object held in my hand (a common occurence at trade shows such as IFA Berlin, where the Z1 debuted), and I wasn't always happy with photos taken in low-light conditions. In the end, I've opted to use the camera's Manual mode of operation (instead of the default Superior Auto), and I've managed to wrestle the myriad of settings into a setup that works most of the time.
All in all, if you expect the Z1's camera to take perfect photos in all conditions, you'll be disappointed. It's among the best cameras on a smartphone, yes, but it's far from a revolution.
Sony did take it a step further with its lens-type cam, an accessory-style camera that can be strapped onto the Z1 (by using a special case), essentially turning the smartphone into a real camera with optical zoom. The two models on offer aren't cheap, and you have to love your phone a lot to buy a camera accessory that costs more than the phone itself.
We also have to mention the many camera modes — think of them as camera apps that come by default. Social Live lets you immediately share your photos and videos on social networks, while Info-eye integrates with services such as Vivino and GoodReads to bring you instant info on objects around you — books, bottles of wine, or landmarks.
One of the features that makes the Z1 better than its competition is water resistance, which has even been slightly upgraded (to IP55/IP58) from the Xperia Z, and the device can now withstand being submerged into 5 feet of water. It's an amazingly nice feature to have on a high-end smartphone, and I've enjoyed not having to worry about spilled drinks (it happened on a few occasions) and a little rain while using the phone.
However, to make the Z1 water resistant, Sony had to close most openings (except the headphone jack) with little rubber-coated flaps, and having to pry those open each time you need to charge the device is a bit of a nuisance. Plus, when open, the flaps dangle from a tiny rubber stalk, which is far from a perfect scenario when you're charging the phone on the go — from a portable charger in your backpack, for example. The flaps didn't break during our testing, but we're concerned they might one day if you're not careful.
This is not a big complaint — it's not easy to make a device completely waterproof — but it's one of those things you have to consider when you choose between the Z1 and a similarly priced smartphone.
Another detail you have to consider is battery life. In our usage, the Z1's 3,000 mAh battery was enough to take us through the day, with two minor qualms: the battery is depleted too fast on standby (forget about leaving the device on your desk on a Friday and it being still alive come Sunday) and the charging process is quite slow — more than 3 hours for a full charge.
In the world of modern Android phones, the most important software-related question is how much bloatware did the manufacturer stack on top of Android. Sony Xperia Z1 comes with quite a few Sony-specific apps, most of which we didn't like too much, but none of them get in your way.
All in all, we had no software-specific problems with the Z1, which runs Android 4.2.2 "Jelly Bean" — no sudden crashes or weird behavior, unless caused by third-party apps.
So, is it all enough to push the Sony Xperia Z1 to the forefront? In many ways, yes. Sony has created a high-end smartphone that does several things better than its competitors. It packs a lot of processing power, it has a camera with a high megapixel count, and it's fully waterproof.
It's not the perfect phone, though. It's a little too big; it has some minor design flaws, its screen is not the best in class, its software side is uninspiring, and the photos it takes aren't very good in low-light, indoor conditions. And though it's not Sony's fault, the range of accessories for the Galaxy line of products and the iPhone is much bigger than what you can find for the Xperia phones.
We do have to applaud Sony for its uncompromising approach. The company set out to create the best Android phone there is, and on many counts it succeeded. If you want a high-end, powerful phone that's also waterproof, the Z1 is a great choice.
What's Good
Takes great photos in good light
Fast, fluid response
Can withstand being dunked in water
What's Bad
Poor low-light photos
Screen is overly glossy
Tinny audio
Bottom Line: The Sony Xperia Z1 is a powerful device, and the enhanced water resistance is appreciated, but the features that should be highlights — the full HD display and 20.7-megapixel camera — aren't as good as they could have been.
Images: Mashable, Stan Schroeder