- a review of an insanely large smartphone that I was afraid to redeem. Sony Xperia Z Ultra - Specifications

Introduction

Style, quality and uncompromising - perhaps these three words can describe a smartphone Sony Xperia Z Ultra. The device is beautiful, big, but without high-quality hardware, it's a worthless price. Fortunately, this is not the case for Sony. How did Sony manage to combine performance and style?

Design and appearance

Definitely the look this smartphone unique and is its main advantage in relation to all competitors. It is gratifying that Sony some time ago decided on the design concept of its mobile solutions and now all newly released smartphones have a recognizable and subtle, in all senses of the word, style. We remember how long it took the Japanese company to do this. Perhaps from the very moment when push-button phones and smartphones dominated the market and the Sony Ericsson brand was an example of design with the character and triumph of style, for which its products were loved. In the last couple of years, design in Sony smartphones and tablets has once again dominated technical specifications, for which the Japanese are particularly grateful. After all, we are all so tired of the monotonous remnants of the Chinese-Korean factories. But back to the smartphone.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra has tempered glass on the front and back, on which, during assembly, transparent films with an anti-glare coating and the corresponding markings were glued: Sony, XPERIA, NFC badge. Over time, these films become covered with scratches, so some enthusiasts peel these films off in a simple way. The screen has almost symmetrical indents on all sides, so it becomes quite difficult to recognize in this case where is the top and where is the bottom of the smartphone.

As for the metal frame, chips and scratches are practically invisible on it, so you don't have to worry about this point.

The Z Ultra side bezel is made of metal and has a rough-cut metal surface. The color of the side faces matches the color of the case, which can be white, purple or black.

Various connectors are scattered along the perimeter of the frame, which are covered with plastic plugs. Under the latter there is a slot for a memory card, a slot for a micro-SIM card, a micro-USB port. But the connector for connecting the smartphone to the docking station remained uncovered, as well as the 3.5 mm headphone jack.

The design of this connector is such that it does not allow moisture to pass through, even if the smartphone is under water. However, Sony still does not recommend connecting the headset for three hours after diving and until the moisture has completely evaporated.

Another waterproof connector is the proprietary docking port, which, of course, is sold separately. It is for the best, since any accessory included in the set always increases the cost of the product. And not all users need a docking station.

As a rule, any product with some distinctive design is quite fragile and hardly tolerates extreme handling. This principle does not work in this situation. One should not be surprised at the use of such protection systems in a mass product, since for Japan it has long been an industry standard. According to the company, the Xperia Z Ultra is able to spend about 30 minutes underwater when submerged to a depth of half a meter. The IP55 / IP58 protection standards speak for themselves. The main thing is not to forget to properly cover all the plugs, which the smartphone warns about every time you use any connector.

The fact that the most common breakdown according to the service centers (drowning the device in the toilet) Sony Xperia Z Ultra is not terrible.

Below is the main speaker, the volume of which is poor. The reason for this is the use of special membranes that protect the speaker from moisture penetration. On a street with active traffic, it is easier to miss a call. In such cases, only a vibration alert can come to the rescue. However, the volume of the caller's voice conversational dynamics more than sufficient.

A distinctive feature of all Sony mobile devices is a round power button located on the side. A rocker key for volume control is located quite close under it, which leads to frequent accidental presses on both keys. The travel of the buttons is soft, clear and pleasant.

Interestingly, the designers have equipped the Xperia Z Ultra with a lanyard hole. This is not a popular move in our time, however, the smartphone can be additionally secured with a string on the wrist or, God forbid, on the neck. 212 grams is no joke. By the way, the dimensions of the device are 179 x 92 x 6.5 mm. For clarity, g consider a comparison of the dimensions of the smartphone with the main market players:

Sony Xperia Z Ultra - 179 x 92 x 6.5 mm, 212 g.

Lenovo K900 - 157 x 78 x 6.9 mm, 162 g.

Samsung Galaxy Note III - 151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3 mm, 168 g.

Htc one MAX - 164 x 82.5 x 10.29 mm, 217 g.

Asus Fonepad 6 - 164.5 x 88.8 x 10.3 mm, 210 g.

As you can see, the dimensions of the Z Ultra continue to lead. On the other hand, HTC One Max overtook the Japanese smartphone by 5 grams in weight, although such a difference is almost impossible to feel in everyday use. Sony Xperia Z Ultra is the thinnest device among the presented competitors - some 6.5 mm, but still it is not thin enough to be a leader. The 6.18mm Huawei Ascend P6 on the market beats the Sony smartphone.

Equipment

There is nothing unusual in the bundle of the device. First of all, this is a box made of thick glossy plastic, and secondly, only the necessary accessories: microUSB cable, charger, headset and western ear cushions.

Using

Of course, in normal use, tenths of a millimeter play no role and the Sony Xperia Z Ultra is strikingly thin, which adds extra comfort points to the smartphone. Indeed, if the device had a thickness comparable, for example, to the Asus Fonepad 6, then using the Z Ultra would be extremely inconvenient.

When buying a smartphone such as the Sony Xperia Z Ultra, you need to be completely sure that such a display diagonal (6.4 inches) and dimensions of the device will really be in demand. It is very difficult to hold a smartphone and operate it with one hand, even for people with a wide palm and long fingers. In addition, the Z Ultra can hardly fit into the pockets of trousers or jeans, so before buying you need to figure out for yourself how and where the smartphone will be carried. Going somewhere light is not about the Sony Xperia Z Ultra.

The downside and pleasant side of such a smartphone size is that it replaces two whole devices - a smartphone and a tablet. It does not completely replace, but is rather a compromise solution. The Z Ultra is not as comfortable to type as it is on a tablet. Due to the FullHD resolution, all objects on the screen of the Sony Xperia Z Ultra look quite small. Fortunately, in the smartphone settings, you can choose the size of application icons and fonts.

About the pleasant. The Sony Xperia Z Ultra is incredibly comfortable to read books, play games or watch movies. The display diagonal, light weight (in comparison with tablets) and a very thin body allow you to hold the device in your hands for a very, very long time. There is no typical hand whining that appears after long-term use of even small tablets.

Display

The display in smartphones with a diagonal above 5.5 inches plays a decisive role. Dimensions, time autonomous work, characteristics and even price - the display determines it all. Sony screen Xperia Z Ultra is made by iPS technology, which means pleasant, close to the original color rendition of any image. The 6.44-inch (163 mm) diagonal is the main strength of the Z Ultra. Sony installed the sensor with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 px and a value of 344 ppi.

The screen is covered with tempered glass, which, in turn, is covered with a factory film with an oleophobic and anti-reflective coating. If the anti-grease layer does not handle fingerprints well enough, then anti-reflective coating really saves from direct light rays and the display remains readable in the midday sun.

The screen is very touch sensitive. There are a certain number of users who are even annoyed by this, but it's always nice when you can click on the smallest link without scaling the page in the browser. This sensitivity was once only found on iPhone displays.

In the dark, the viewing angles do not suffer and the image does not fade, even at the greatest tilt. Of course, the brightness loses its strength and a slight yellowish tint on a white background is possible, but not at all critical.

The brightness is, of course, regulated by the light sensor, which works reasonably well, just like the proximity sensor.

It is worth comparing the color rendition and viewing angles of the Sony Xperia Z Ultra with the iPhone 5. The latter clearly wins in terms of brightness, but the iPhone has a stronger contrast.

Characteristics

The Sony Xperia Z Ultra has one of the most modern SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974), 2.2 GHz and 4 Krait 400 cores. The Adreno 330 chip is responsible for the graphics performance, and 2 GB is available for the overall system speed random access memorywhich is more than enough for the vast majority of users.

The popular AnTuTu smartphone testing app has shown some pretty interesting results. The tested Sony Xperia Z Ultra scores 34,690 points, which is higher than Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and, surprisingly, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra itself! Obviously, the software is being updated and optimized. At the time of testing, the smartphone was installed android version 4.3. Although currently available for download latest version — 4.4.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra has the following specifications:

Performance

Quad-core (Krait 400) SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974), 2.2 GHz

GPU Adreno 330 video accelerator

Operating android system 4.2.2 Jelly Bean ( current version 4.4)

Memory

RAM 2 GB, inner memory 16 GB (actually available over 11 GB)

Slot for microSD cards (up to 64 GB, SDXC support)

Display and housing

Sensory iPS display, 6.44 ″, 1920 × 1080, 344 ppi

Dust / waterproof (IP55 / IP58 standards)

Battery 3000 mAh

Dimensions 179.4 x 92.2 x 6.5mm

Weight 212 g

Communication

GSM GPRS / EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz

3G UMTS HSDPA 850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz

HSPA + data transfer up to 42 / 5.8 Mbit / s (download and upload)

LTE (model 6833, ranges I, II, III, IV, V, VII, VIII, XX)

Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac (2.4 + 5 GHz), point mode wi-Fi access, Wi-Fi Direct

DLNA, NFC, MHL, OTG

GPS / Glonass

Cameras

Rear (main) camera 8 MP, autofocus

Front camera 2 MP

In terms of performance, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra is doing great. Not a single animation in the smartphone interface has ever been lifted; programs open as quickly as possible and without any delay. During the entire testing period, there was not a single firmware crash or the fact of incompatibility of the main popular programs... The work done by Sony's software optimization specialists is respectable.

Often, a manufacturer, striving to create a fashion product, forgets about the main purpose of the device. It's about the quality of the connection. The statement that anyone modern smartphone must, first of all, be good at calling, in recent times subject to various criticisms. Nevertheless, Sony has created a smartphone with reliable signal reception. cellular network even in remote places, where, for example, iPhone 5 breaks and loses connection.

LTE works great with domestic cellular operators and is available only in the C6833 modification. The same goes for the rest of the Z Ultra transmitters. When everything works and there is nothing to complain about, it's always great.

Camera

The smartphone has a 2 megapixel front camera. It allows you to take photos at a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and has a bearable image quality. In addition, it allows you to shoot video in FullHD resolution at 30 frames per second. This module is not intended for anything other than communication via video calls. The camera cannot produce high-quality "cross shots", but, perhaps, this is the value of such pictures.

As the main sony cameras Xperia Z Ultra uses an 8MP sensor own development - Exmor RS with autofocus and BSI (Backside Illumination) matrix illumination. The quality of the pictures taken from the main camera is hard to overstate. But first things first. Sony loves their settings and knows which ones are best for the user to use. Obviously, for this reason, by default, the camera is set to iAuto mode, in which a very small number of settings are available to the user. This mode is completely automatic and independently determines the best settings for white balance, sensor sensitivity, resolution and more. Moreover, for quick start camera from the lock screen always opens auto mode. Only the corresponding application from the desktop remembers previous settings shooting. This order is not always convenient.

In order to change the resolution and set the shooting parameters yourself, you must switch the camera to manual mode M (Manual). In addition, the camera has additional shooting modes. It is possible to download and install additional photo programs that will be available directly from the camera. However, the need for all these modes is doubtful, due to the lack of any significant settings and not always high-quality implementation.

The maximum image resolution is 3264 x 2448 megapixels (8 megapixels), but the HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode lowers the maximum resolution to 7 megapixels (3104 x 2325 megapixels).

Of course, the camera has many settings inherent in "adult" cameras, such as a timer, focus mode: single, multi, tracking the subject, etc. ISO settings are available up to 1600. Of course, there is exposure metering, image stabilization and white balance.

In the scene settings of the photo, you can select preset modes for different conditions shooting: landscape, night portrait, high sensitivity. Interestingly, a number of exotic modes are also present, such as gourmet, pet, delicate skin and others.

Now about the properties of photos. The quality of the images is very average, about the level of the 2010 models. The clarity and detail of the image is unpleasantly lame, as is the automatic processing of colors and transitions between different shades. I propose to consider examples of the images obtained.

Now attention! 100% crop:

In the night mode, the device cannot cope with the amount of noise and distorts the colors a lot. Depths of frames and pleasant blur (bokeh) are almost impossible to achieve. Z Ultra in automatic mode conscientiously chooses the correct exposure, but, in conjunction with other nuances of the sensor, this does not save the situation.

A little disappointing also, the lack of a built-in flash. Sometimes this function is in high demand.

The Sony Xperia Z Ultra is capable of capturing FullHD movies at 30 frames per second. In this case, the smartphone records video in MP4 files. The Image Stabilizer is not very noticeable, but AF Tracking is really good at tracking subjects.

Here are some examples of videos captured with a Sony Xperia Z Ultra camera.

Standard shooting:

One more example:

The smartphone does not have a separate button to release the camera shutter, which makes it sometimes impossible to take pictures. For example, difficulties arise under water. Due to the reaction of the Z Ultra screen to any conductive object, the smartphone stops responding to any touch underwater. There are two ways out: use a timer (2 or 10 seconds) or third party programsthat reassign the shutter release to the existing buttons.

Battery

The battery in the Sony Xperia Z Ultra is non-removable, that is, there is no back cover. The battery capacity is 3,000 mAh and the battery life is really enough for a day and a half of moderate use of a smartphone with all interfaces turned on and periodic data exchange in background... With very active use (playing games and watching videos), the Z Ultra will last a maximum of up to the evening on one morning charge. The results are not bad, rather slightly above the average among similar devices.

Sony took care of users by equipping their smartphone with the Stamina power saving mode, which blocks data transfer when the screen is off. Functions such as turn on Wi-Fi only in the places of its action (definition through geolocation), sending background data at set intervals and other useful settings. In addition, the Z Ultra itself does not forget to give advice to its owner on the power consumption of the smartphone.

Software behavior

Sony Xperia Z Ultra is a smart smartphone, so it is equipped with many of the most different programs - helpers designed to simplify the life of its owner. This is ideal. Register here, share the link there, do not forget to check this one - such tips inevitably and at regular intervals disturb the owner. Such intrusion does not bother much, but it would be better if there were no such utilities at all. In any case, this disease manifests itself in all products from major players market.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra presents an interesting and extremely useful service My Xperia, thanks to which you can find a stolen or lost smartphone, delete all data from it, or remotely lock the device. Read more about this in the article
Finding a smartphone using My Xperia

Another feature of the smartphone is that the Sony Xperia Z Ultra lacks a proprietary browser. Chrome successfully takes its place. Whether it is a virtue or a disadvantage, everyone will determine for himself. However, Chrome runs smoothly and smoothly as it should.

Sound

Enough has been said about the external speaker. Now about the sound quality in headphones. You can safely not even unpack a standard headset, if you have a habit of good quality playback in headphones. For getting better sound you can connect your any headphones.

Only then will the Sony Xperia Z Ultra be able to unleash its musical capabilities. The playback quality is very good level and is about the same level as any flagship device.

conclusions

We started with three words that can be used to describe a smartphone, and I suggest ending with one - ultra. In Sony Xperia Z Ultra, almost all characteristics can be described with this word. Of course, with the exception of the average camera, lack of flash and pre-installed programs of questionable usefulness. And, if in the first case, those who like to photograph a lot and with high quality can safely bypass the smartphone by the side, then it is quite possible to live with the second.

Do I need to purchase the Sony Xperia Z Ultra now?

Now is the best time to buy this Japanese giant. In federal networks, the cost has dropped to 24,990 rubles, and in gray channels, a smartphone can be purchased at a price below 20,000 rubles. At the same time, the Z Ultra remains in demand for all its technical characteristics and is the only affordable mass device with such a monstrous display size. However, you can buy such a device only if you are fully confident in the need for such a whopper, or in the case of a great desire to try on a large smartphone for yourself. Be that as it may, any experience, even negative, is also an experience.

If the dear reader thought that nothing would be worse than the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3, we hasten to disappoint, this is absolutely not the case. HE grew stronger, and it turns out that not only one manufacturer of smartphones. The company Sony, which has recently been making convenient and cute telephones, has suddenly presented something that even the aforementioned Mega has to grow to.

The differences lie elsewhere: the Mega line of smartphones from the Korean manufacturer is, in general, a niche solution, which, apart from the size of the display, is not particularly remarkable. With "Ultra" the situation is completely different - not only does it have a hefty screen, we are not afraid to speak so sharply, but it also has one of the most perfect technical fillings at the time of publication of the article. In general, as you probably already guessed, the word "most" can be used often for the new Sony smartphone. Let's find out, in a good context or not.

⇡ Appearance and ergonomics

The smartphone is designed in the same style as the flagships of Sony of their time - Xperia Z / Z1 and Xperia Tablet Z. However, there is no question of blindly copying the same design, as one Korean manufacturer does - Ultra has its own chips.

If you are one of those readers who only look at pictures in reviews, then now you will not notice anything unusual

The front panel of the smartphone is covered with monolithic tempered glass. Its manufacturer is unknown to us, but it is definitely not Corning - it seems that it was unreasonable to overpay for the Sony brand. The Xperia Z Ultra is so big, in particular, because of the rather massive inserts under and above the display. At the top is a standard set of elements - a front camera lens, an LED indicator of new events and eyes for light and proximity sensors. At the bottom there is nothing at all - the navigation buttons are touch-sensitive, they are located directly on the screen. In an amicable way, it was possible to make a device with the same display more compact without any problems - but for some reason the Japanese did not consider it necessary.

But now suspicions have probably crept into your head; Sony Xperia Z Ultra vs. iPhone 5

The thing that unwittingly draws attention to when looking at the Z Ultra is the thickness of the case. Despite its gigantic dimensions, the device turned out to be very thin - only six and a half millimeters. True, it weighs a lot (of course, given the scale) - a little more than 210 grams. On the other hand, many seven-inch tablets would envy such a mass a thousand times over - and in terms of "tablet comfort" the Z Ultra comes close to them.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra vs. iPhone 5 - 6.5mm vs. 7.6mm it would seem - only a millimeter, but the difference is obvious

The layout of the controls is typical for Sony devices. The on / off button is located approximately in the middle of the right side, right under the thumb - the location is good. Under it is a "rocker" for adjusting the volume: with a comfortable grip it is impossible to reach it, so you have to shift the smartphone in your hand - it's inconvenient. The obvious solution - to move the volume control button a little higher - is not suitable for the Japanese for some reason. Well, all that remains is to endure.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra - right side

Since the Xperia Z Ultra, like the other flagships of the company, is endowed with dust and moisture protection, all connectors are placed behind plastic caps with a seal. The slots for MicroSD and micro-SIM cards are on the right side of the case, and the micro-USB connector (aka MHL) is on the left. Only the MicroSD plug is signed, confusion with the rest of the compartments is inevitable - since they will be needed infrequently, there is practically no chance of remembering what and where it is. The audio jack is located on the right side, it has no plug, which is very convenient - Sony took into account the mistakes made in the Xperia Z.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra - back panel and sides

The back panel of the smartphone is covered with the same tempered glass as the front. This solution has a lot of advantages - it looks nice and reliable. The only drawback is that the "back" of the gadget gets dirty quickly, because it likes to collect fingerprints. The sides of the device are made partly from aluminum, partly from plastic disguised as metal. In any case, this is not the Xperia Z1 with its all-metal frame - in this case, the design is different.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra - full face

Assembled "ultraplafond" is not as reliable as we would like. Due to the small thickness of the device, the engineers failed to achieve the required rigidity. Even with slight pressure on the body of the gadget, characteristic colored stains appear on the screen, and the smartphone itself literally bends. Handle your Xperia Z Ultra with care - it may not survive dropping onto a hard surface.

⇡ Specifications

Sony Xperia Z Ultra - information about the system and "hardware"

⇡ Security

As we wrote earlier, the device is protected from dust and moisture according to IP55 and IP58 standards, unlike many other smartphones that are content with IP55 and IP57. This keeps the Xperia Z Ultra underwater long time no health risks.

In the photo, the Xperia Z. Z Ultra can do the same - and even better, it is guaranteed a depth of immersion of 1.5 m. But the "spatula" no longer fits into the glass

On the official Sony website, the degree of protection of the device is commented as follows: “In accordance with the requirements of the IP55 and IP58 standards, the Xperia Z Ultra is protected from moisture and dust. When all ports and covers are securely closed, this smartphone is protected against low pressure water jets from all directions in accordance with the IP55 standard and / or can stay at a depth of 1.5 meters in fresh water in accordance with the IP58 standard for up to 30 minutes. "

⇡ Package contents

When we opened the box with the Sony Xperia Z Ultra and looked at its contents, we decided that something had not been reported to our test sample. The fact is that we did not find in it not only a Bluetooth headset (which would be very useful here) - it did not even have simple headphones, which is very strange.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra - Factory Box

The standard package for Ultra is rather modest: documentation, USB-cable and charger - if you don't take into account one "but". In the box, we also found a docking station with a magnetic connector, in which the device charges. Anything is better than him just lying on the table.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra - complete docking station

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This year Sony in terms of competition rushed, figuratively speaking, into the pool with its head. As a result, many great smartphones of this brand have appeared on the market. Among them there are small, and large, and very large. The latter include the Sony Xperia Z Ultra - the company's largest smartphone or the smallest tablet.

Introduction

It seems that the trend towards larger screen sizes of smartphones has reached the point of absurdity. In any case, the manufacturers do not want to stop there. An excellent example is the recent presentation by representatives of LG of a screen for future flagships with a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels. The diagonal of this display is not 5, like most modern Full HD smartphones, but 5.5 inches. However, some manufacturers did not wait for the others and released their very large smartphones to the market. Among them is Sony with the Xperia Z Ultra, which has a screen diagonal of 6.4 inches.

It should be admitted that similar decisions there is a circle of admirers. After all, it is quite obvious that a phone that can replace a tablet is a step forward towards the unification of mobile electronics. Even if we ignore the fact that such a phone is very inconvenient to carry in your pocket. However, is it really inconvenient? Let's find out.

Specifications, complete set

Although the smartphone is significantly wider and longer than the flagship Xperia Z, it is much thinner. It is the thinnest of the entire Xperia lineup at just 6.5mm. Among its competitors, a smartphone, or a smartset, as such devices are sometimes called, is also the thinnest. For comparison, the thickness of the recently introduced 6-inch Acer Liquid S2 is 9 mm, and the Huawei Ascend Mate, which has been on sale for several months, is 9.9 mm. too different in the diagonal of the screen, so it can hardly be recorded in the competitors of the Xperia Z Ultra.

The Z Ultra is shipped with the EP880 High Power Charger, DK30 Magnetic Charging Dock, PC cable and paper documentation. In general, Sony offers many additional accessories (like the Sony MH750 wired stereo headset), but you only have to buy them separately.

Design, ergonomics

We have already described the external features of the Xperia 2013 line in our reviews. All these nuances - strict straight lines, only the smallest rounding of corners and a large chrome power button in the middle of the right end - are characteristic of the Xperia Z Ultra. To these can be added several personal characteristics of the device. For example, a flat, like a billiard table, a back cover made of glass. For the sake of fairness, it should be said that the flagship has the same, which the smartset claims to be especially similar to.

The glass that covers the front and back of the device is called Asahi Dragontrail. It protects not only from scratches but also from impacts. The sides are made of an aluminum alloy with a rather rough rough texture. The case is certified according to two protection standards - IP55 and IP58. Well, as for the color variations, there are three of them - black, white and purple.

The glass on the front and back seems to have an oleophobic coating, but at the same time the smartphone is very quick to snap. This is especially noticeable on the black case. White turns out to be the most practical.

The back cover cannot be removed, which is not surprising given such a thin case. All controls, slots and connectors are located at the ends and are protected by special covers. Most interesting things are on the right side.

Just below the aforementioned power button is a two-way volume rocker, and above is a large recess hidden by a rubber cover. It contains both slots for micro-SIM and microSD. To insert a SIM card, you do not need to look for a paper clip or a pin: the company's designers have provided a special plastic slide. A headset jack is located even higher; it is not hidden by a cover.

There are fewer functional elements on the left side. Above under the lid is micro-USB port, and in the middle are the contacts for connecting to the docking station. The upper and lower ends are "loaded" only with speakers and a microphone, as well as a small hole for the lace. A completely understandable decision, because it would be almost impossible to reach the top end, if there were something important there.

The front panel is almost completely given under the screen. Soft keys are replaced by a virtual strip on the screen. This came into vogue with the advent of Android 4 and is dictated by practicality: with such a large screen, physical keys are useful only when the device is in a certain position in the hand. There are two black stripes at the top and bottom of the screen. On the top you can see the circle of the front camera lens, as well as the Sony logo, on the bottom there is nothing for which the eye could catch.

The back panel is as flat as the front. In the very center there is a large and beautiful Sony logo, under it is the Xperia inscription. The functional load is carried only by the main chamber, which is located on top, shifted to the left. The camera is surrounded by a thin chrome bezel, but lacks the flash. Just below the camera is nFC modulemarked with the corresponding logo.

Despite its slim body, the smartphone doesn't seem flimsy at all. When you hold it in your hands, there is no feeling that it can fall apart. Nevertheless, the solidity of the case in such thin devices is of great importance.

The ergonomics of the Xperia Z Ultra are generally very difficult to say unequivocally. On one side of the scale are the carefully thought-out elements and their arrangement. There is also a fast and responsive screen sensor, as well as shockproof glass and a rugged case. But on the other side there is a gigantic size: it is impossible to control the smartset with one hand, and it is inconvenient to apply it to the ear.

As for carrying in your pocket, it all depends on your style of dress. Obviously, it will fit in a bag without any problems, even in a women's clutch. It is no less obvious that he has no place in a jeans pocket - he simply does not fit. And even if it fits, it will interfere with your walking. The width of the case roughly corresponds to the passport, so it fits in the inner pocket of the jacket, only sticks out of it a little. In the horizontal front pocket of the sweatshirt, wearing the Xperia Z Ultra is also quite comfortable.

The Xperia Z Ultra weighs slightly more than its competitors, but there are quite objective reasons for this. First, it is made of metal and glass, and glass is denser and heavier than plastic. Secondly, all models with similar functionality are still equipped with smaller diagonal displays, and, therefore, should weigh less.

Screen, camera

Screens are a major disappointment lately sony smartphones... If they are all right with the appearance, arrangement of elements and hardware, then the displays that smartphones are equipped with are entirely made using TFT technology and suffer from all ailments inherent in it.

The Xperia Z Ultra has fewer problems. Moreover, the screen here is simply gorgeous. The matrix is \u200b\u200bmade using IPS technology. The image density here is significantly lower than that of 5-inch smartphones with Full HD, but about the same as that of 4.3-inch devices with an HD-resolution screen. Individual points cannot be seen without a magnifying glass or microscope, even small text on the screen is readable comfortably and looks clear.

At maximum brightness, the screen looks good even in bright sunlight. An obvious plus in this aspect - anti-reflective coating. The ambient light sensor adjusts the screen brightness automatically, but depending on your preference, expressed in the position of the slider. It is worth saying that he does not always manage to adjust the brightness adequately. Viewing angles, like other screens with IPS-matrix, are close to maximum, and colors do not degrade when the position of the smartphone is changed relative to the eyes. In general, such good imagelike the Z Ultra, even the flagship cannot boast.

Z ULTRA is the first Sony shovel phone in the Xperia smartphone lineup. Like a number of other brands from the top five, the company was somewhat late with this increasingly popular smartphone / tablet hybrid form factor, and therefore there was no room for error! It was absolutely necessary to "shoot", and it looks like it worked!

It is generally accepted that the hybrid of a smartphone and a tablet is a product of Samsung's designers. Although large-screen smartphones existed before the Note Windows Mobile (famous among those who understand HTC Advantage, for example!) popular recognition of this class of devices came under the Korean brand - although not without the resistance of the "retrogrades", I must say ... Today "tablet phones" are popular and loved by many gadgets, but they are associated, as a rule, with one single brand, which does not suit other brands at all. This fall, almost at the same time, "asymmetric responses" came out from Sony, LG and Nokia, which, due to a delay of almost two years since the start of Note, found themselves in a disadvantageous position of catching up. And since those who were catching up badly needed an “accurate shot” with no room for error, they tried to collect all the achievements of their own technologies in the first “tablet phones”!

Sony Xperia Z ULTRA

Display - TFT, 6.44 inches, 1080x1920
Processor - 4-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974, 2200 MHz + Adreno 330 video processor
Camera - 8 MP, autofocus, video shooting 1920x1080 + front camera 2 MP
RAM - 2 GB
Built-in memory - 16 GB + microSD slot
Others - LTE, Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth, GPS / GLONASS, FM radio, IP-58 moisture protection
Battery - 3000 mAh
Dimensions - 92x179x6.5 mm, 212 g

Design and features

The first thing you notice when looking at the Xperia Z Ultra is the metal frame. Aluminum, polished in " minor scratch”, Although it does not give rise to the full feeling of a“ metal smartphone ”, but in general it gives a pleasant confidence in the reliability of the device. Moreover, it is really aluminum, and not a plastic "zakos" under it.

The display and back cover are identical rectangles of tempered glass, as in all devices of the "Z" line. The color of the display side is always black, while the color under the rear window can be black, white or lilac - you can choose this.

On the left side there is a microUSB socket closed with a sealed cover, as well as a contact pad for a charging stand, in which the smartphone is fixed with a “tasty” clink due to the magnetic holder.

On the right side there is a headphone jack, a large and hermetically sealed cover for the memory card and SIM card slots, a power button (traditionally in the middle, metal and milled!), And a volume swing. There is no separate button for the camera.

The lower and upper edges are practically empty, except for the slot for the speakers, the microphone, and, in my opinion, senseless holes for the neck string ...

Have you looked around? Now we pass from dry survey photos to lyrics! :) It is extremely pleasant and important that in the Z Ultra (and in the Z1) the situation with the "dull display" has finally changed, as it was often called on the forums and in the reviews by a large army of dissatisfied. And not without reason she called it - the bright and clear screens of the latest "Experiments" lacked juiciness, which "ran away" with a slight increase in the viewing angle. In the latest innovations Z Ultra, and Z1 displays have found the long-awaited "healthy shine of eyes" and colors began to play!

And for a long time, the phrase “the most [...] in the world” did not sound in the characteristics of smartphones! :) And now Xperia Z Ultra can boast of it - among the huge "shovels" Ultra - really the thinnest in the world! The thickness of the case is 6.5 millimeters, which with such dimensions looks incredibly elegant and ... unreliable ... But the vulnerability of the device is imaginary! With such a large surface and such a small thickness, the gadget is incredibly strong! The "sandwich" made of an aluminum frame-frame, on which tempered glass is glued from above and below, perfectly resists playful hands, neighbors in a bag (not bottles in a string bag, of course!) And other manifestations of ordinary life. At the same time, twisting deformations are still noticeable in it, however, believe my great experience in smartphone tests - many devices are much thicker and with a significantly smaller screen diagonal, I have encountered a much greater susceptibility to twisting, and nothing!

However, this is definitely not worth doing, unless you have rapper pants five sizes larger ...

And so - even more so!

By the way, let's check the correspondence between the real and the declared! We take a caliper, measure the thickness on the glass of the "sandwich" - and on you! 6.6 mm, not 6.5! What nonsense ?! :) With rare (albeit very funny) exceptions, manufacturers' characteristics usually converge clearly! We take a micrometer - but it shows the same 6.6. What's the matter? And the point is in the film, which is glued at the factory to the screen and back glass! Strong and rather thick (about 0.05 mm each), it increases the thickness by the same "ten", but the manufacturer is not sly at that. Although it is not recommended to remove the film, it is quite easy to do it (which, by the way, can be verified in our xperia review Z1). And then the device will show its real 6.5 millimeters on the glass of the screen and lid! But removing the film is an extreme case, relevant only if it is significantly scratched! Despite the fact that the glass under it is much stronger than the film itself and is more resistant to the effects of keys / coins and other pocket-and-bag garbage, the film gives the device a certain percentage of strength and shockproofness incorporated into the design.

Also, the design features include the fact that for forced shutdown When the smartphone hangs, it is not the super-long hold of the unlock button or some combination of keys that is used, but the good old "Reset" button :) It is, however, in such an intimate place that it is simply impossible to accidentally find it without reading the instructions:

And it's also nice that the charging cradle is included with the device, and is not an accessory, like the Xperia Z1, which has a similar design. This is a big plus, since it can be assumed that constant charging via microUSB can, after some (albeit a long) time, weaken the density of the cover, which protects the phone from water penetration.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra :: Review :: Water resistant

Protection from water is a proprietary Sonya trick, which competitors have not yet opposed anything sensible. All other brands of waterproof smartphones are devices intended for tourists / sportsmen, and therefore have average performance indicators, mediocre displays and a peculiar design ...

The photo is, of course, humorous! Don't microwave dry cats or cook broth from smartphones - even waterproof ones! :)

The Xperia Z Ultra looks expensive and classy, \u200b\u200bbut it can significantly expand its versatility with its IP-58 waterproof rating. To understand this abbreviation, which came from the world of professional technology, we offer a couple of explanatory plates:

Note that salty sea water is dangerous for the device not because it is "more liquid than fresh" and has some special properties that allow it to penetrate under closed connectors. It will not penetrate under them - just like fresh. But seawater entering the uncovered headphone jack can leave salt behind after it dries. The same goes for the microphone hole and speaker slots. If your device nevertheless accidentally falls into the sea and you manage to remove it, then it will certainly survive - the main thing is not to dry it, but promptly and thoroughly rinse it with plain clean water under pressure to remove salt moisture.

Places covered with plugs:

Sony Xperia Z Ultra :: Review :: Interface and menu

Unlocking.

Work tables.

One of the main features of the interface is the ability to automatically rotate the desktop image by the position sensor. In android smartphones, I have met this before only in LG devices - a trifle, but nice!

Application menu.

Slide across the display from left to right in the application menu is displayed extra menu setting and ordering programs.

Applications can be organized into folders - both on the desktop and in the general application menu.

Settings menu.

"Small applications" - programs that can work simultaneously on the same screen with others. For example, while browsing the Internet, you can, without closing the browser, open the calculator window over it to calculate something, or while watching a movie, simultaneously start a timer so as not to forget that eggs are being fried in the kitchen :) Or, at the same time, start the reader and dictaphone, and make an audio file out of text - in general, many different programs can be combined for greater use on one screen. Even several of these applications can function simultaneously, and even without interfering with the work of the main window under them!

To get into the "small applications" menu and launch the required one, you need to press the right screen button ("two squares"). By default, only a few mini-programs are installed, but the "Market" has a large selection of non-standard mini-software specifically for Xperia.

Traditional for all "androids" the notification panel (called up to the screen by swiping your finger from top to bottom) and the panel of minimized applications in the background (displayed by pressing the right function screen button:

Sony Xperia Z Ultra :: Review :: Camera

Despite the fact that a 13-megapixel camera has long been registered in Xperia smartphones, even in a quite budget category (from 10,000 rubles), the Xperia Z Ultra has only an 8-megapixel “eye”, and even without a flash. Alas, such is the price for the incredible subtlety of the device ... The camera is not the best strong point gadget, although in general there is nothing tragic - daytime shots in most cases are not bad and capable of satisfying users, especially since only a small percentage of gadget lovers set extreme requirements for a mobile camera.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra :: Review :: Performance and nutrition

Like the Xperia Z1 smartphone, the Xperia Z Ultra "tablet" is made on the most powerful smartphone hardware to date - a 4-core qualcomm processor Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 with a frequency of 2.2 gigahertz, with an Adreno 330 video processor and two gigabytes of RAM. Its performance is impeccable, although it is inferior to the Z1 in benchmarks. However, benchmarks - they are, as you know, such benchmarks :) One and the same device can, when measured again with an interval of a second, dial a completely different number of "parrots" ...

But the autonomy at first glance raises questions - oddly enough, both Z1 and Z Ultra have identical hardware and the same batteries, although usually "tablet phones" and tablets are supplied with more powerful batteries than smartphones on a similar chipset. The large display readily eats energy, and for a device with a diagonal of 6.44 inches, 3000 mAh may not be enough.

Let's run a standard energy efficiency test. We charge the battery 100%, reboot the device to clear the memory from clogging programs, turn off all wireless interfaces, except cellular communication, set the screen brightness and volume to maximum. We launch a regular movie in AVI format, which lasts 1 hour and 23 minutes and weighs 1.45 GB. After the end of the film, we look at the remaining battery charge using a visual and free app "Battery" from Google Play.

The Xperia Z1 saved 83% of the energy on this test, which is considered a normal figure, allowing with a certain skill to last 2 days on a single charge. The Z Ultra only retained… .80! Or rather - "WHOLE 80%", than pleasantly surprised! A difference of 3%, despite the fact that the screen is almost 30% larger - that's great! Of course, comparing these percentages linearly, as it is, is incorrect, especially since the screen resolution, which means the load on the video chip, is identical for smartphones. But the main thing is that with such indicators and using Stamina's proprietary power saving mode, the large and ultra-thin Z Ultra lasts two days on a single charge, which is an unexpectedly excellent indicator!

Sony Xperia Z Ultra :: Review :: Impressions and conclusions

In the official Sony store "Zet Ultra" costs the same as "Zet One" - 29,990 rubles, and due to their complete hardware identity, a naive question arises - maybe it is more profitable to "get more smartphone for the same money "? But it is incorrect to compare them with each other so straightforwardly - a smartphone and a "tablet phone" - different devices, and with all the merits big screen, Ultra will require certain restrictions from the owner related to the peculiarities of everyday wear due to its large dimensions and record low thickness, but not everyone needs it. Still, the concept of a smartphone, which "put it in my pocket and went", has a much wider spread - even with the current popularity of tablet phones ...

Much more important (first of all for the manufacturer!) Is that the device certainly looks advantageous against the background of comparable Korean competitors due to the extreme subtlety, elegance of the "Z-design" and the non-standard moisture protection feature still original against the background of these characteristics. Moreover, subtlety and elegance work best - after all, the overwhelming majority of buyers of smart gadgets prefer to touch them in the communication salon before purchasing, and this "close contact" plays the best role in the Z Ultra's favor: visual and tactile appeal and a feeling of premium height! This forces the potential buyer to overshadow or even ignore the camera, which is very modest for the Ultra class, subconsciously assuring himself that such a device simply cannot but be at the appropriate level! And, oddly enough, it seems normal to me, since a rustic camera in this particular device looks exactly like a decision in favor of design and for the sake of pursuing record geometry, and not a petty economy on trifles, as sometimes happens. Yes, compromise! But the compromise is fair! And given that, besides the camera, "Ultra" does not have a single compromise in technical and functional terms, it can be considered flawless at all 95%! :)