Sony Xperia Z, ZR and Z Ultra to feature infrared (IR) remote sensor?

TheSony Xperia ZL is the first android phone from Sony's Z series to feature infrared (IR) remote sensor.  Unfortunately Xperia Z, Xperia ZR and Xperia Z Ultra doesn't have IR transmitter. for those who are not aware with what the infrared is, is the technology used the remote controls for televisions, DVD players and many other devices. For some reasons, Xperia Z misses this feature and that's why the answer to the question is no-  Xperia Z does not have infrared. Sony is is supposedly working on to launch more android devices which will have the functionality.

Infrared (IR) remote sensor in Xperia ZL

The smart phone ZL has default apps which uses infrared. It has the default IR built-in transmitter and there is so much to do and to make most of it. One of the most common use is to use your android phone is a universal remote. using it as a remote control it just the basic use which anyone can use but the developers of Sony are looking to make more of it.

Developers have released  IR remote API kit which can be used by android developers to create apps related to the infrared feature. before this device, the only way to convert your mobile phone into an universal remote to connect using an IR dongle.

leading manufacturers have stopped using IR sensor in the devices as it was replaced by Bluetooth. Before Bluetooth, infrared was used to send and receive files between two phones.

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Sony Xperia Z Bravia Engine 2 - Differences when enabled / disabled

Sony's introduced Bravia engine even before they started manufacturing android Phones. They have been using the Bravia engine technology in their LCD, LED tv. The advanced version - Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2 has been introduced with Xperia Z & ZL.

What is a Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2

It's the display technology developed by Sony engineers which enhance the overall viewing experience of Mobile display. Various tests run on the Xperia Z has revealed that it has got one of the sharpest display. The 5 inch HD screen is capable of 441 PPI which is best in the class.

Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2 depends on three factors - brightness, sharpness and color management. it optimizes images and videos to give you the best output enriching the overall user experience.

New update for Bravia 2 engine includes contrast enhancement algorithm & sharpness filter. The contrast enhancement algorithm works really well and incapable of showing more details. Sharpness filter is exclusively for the videos which

Sony Xperia Z's mobile BRAVIA® engine can be enabled well as disabled from the display options. turning on the bravia engine result in more battery usage. we would recommend you to turn the engine ON only when you will be enjoying videos and movies.

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Difference between Sony Xperia Z and Xperia ZL - Pros & Cons

Sony has taken the wraps of off its Xperia Z & Xperia ZL, new flagship devices from Sony which are meant to compete with the highly awaited HTC One and much hyped Samsung Galaxy S4. The two Smartphones are packed with great features such as 5 inch 1080p Reality display and the Mobile Bravia Engine 2. Sony's phones have never had any problems in terms of designing and looks. And as with these two, the phones have minimalist designs and look simple yet elegant. The devices run on the JellyBean 4.1 and are backed by the 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro Processor and 2 GB of RAM.

As both the phones belong to relatively the same Z series, the devices contain similar features and it's kind of confusing for users to understand and distinguish between the two. Let's see some of the basic differences between the Xperia Z and ZL smartphones.

IP57 certification - Waterproof and dust proof

The Z is an certified IP57 device which means it's a completely waterproof and dust proof device. This smartphone can stay under water for 30 minutes as deep as upto 1 meter. Sony has been touting this feature enthusiastically via all its sources especially social media. On the other hand, Xperia ZL lacks the certification and as such the protection too so it's vulnerable to water as well as dust, as much as any other phone.

Dimensions - ZL is shorter

Though it's not a deal-breaker, the ZL is slightly shorter than the Z. Though both the devices have identical displays of 5 inch, the basic design of the phones are different to each other leaving the ZL shorter by about 5-6mm.

Design - Z is thinner

Z is slicker and thinner than the ZL as expected because it is more costly too. The back of the Xperia ZL is made up of the hard plastic which is one of the major differences between these two devices. The Xperia Z has nice and glossy glass back which gives the premium feel to the phone where as having plastic parts will help in reducing weight making it more lighter but comes at the cost of a lesser premium device.

ZL has an infrared port and Camera button

ZL includes the Infrared port which has been extinct from all the new age smartphones. The infrared feature actually allows the Xperia ZL to use it as a Bravia remote. The Xperia Z lacks this feature but we don't think this will likely to be a decision changer for many. Most people will be willing to live with a smartphone which doesn't have a infrared.

Another minor change is that the Camera button is missing in Xperia Z while it is present in the ZL. It is confusing why Sony chose to go with this route but we think it is mainly to save a couple of mm space inside to phone allowing better space efficiency.

Price

There is no doubt that The Z is costlier but the price differences between the two devices is minor enough that can be ignored. One should not mind spending 50 more bucks for the device which is waterproof  dust proof and has gorgeous glass on it's back. Go ahead and buy the Xperia Z if details matter to you but if all you want is a phone with a good featureset but dont mind compromising on the design the Xperia ZL is the one for you.

Summary of differences between Xperia Z and Xperia ZL

Xperia Z

Pros:-

• Glass backing allowing the phone to be more premium in feel though a bit costly.
• A well protected waterproof and dust proof Android phone.

Cons:- 

• Lacks infrared support.

Xperia ZL

Pros:-

• Slightly cheaper and has the infrared which is missing in other phone.
• Phone is lighter & cheaper than Z.

Cons:-

• It's not a water proof or a dust proof phone.

Sony Xperia Z
Reviewed by Sangram Nandkhileon Mar 25 2013
Rating: 4

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Sony Xperia Z List of Known Issues, Bugs and Common Problems

Sony's latest phone, the Xperia Z was the most recent flagship phone launched by Sony with the hopes of competing with the other Android smartphone rivals like the new HTC One and the newly launched Samsung Galaxy S4. The phone comes loaded with great hardware like a quad core processor, a 13 megapixel camera and a massive 5 inch 1080p screen. But even after all that the users of the Xperia Z are encountering some hiccups while using their phone which sort of makes the phone less of a smartphone and more of a trouble to even bother with which is definitely not good for Sony as it is trying to make a flagship smartphone that can rival the top existing Android smartphones.

Here we have made a list of known bugs that are encountered with the phone and the common problems that the users are experiencing while using their Xperia Z phone.

Overheating

A few users have reported that their brand new Xperia Z overheats while playing some graphics intensive games, so much so that the internal heat control services shut the phone down. While this issue is not showing up in every phone it is quite prevalent and is one of the biggest problems that the Xperia Z has right now. Whether it is due to some internal software clash or if it is just hardware related is still not confirmed but if your phone is heating up to a very high temperature (too hot to hold) it could cause some serious problems.

Lag while using Launchers

This has been a problem with most of the Xperia phones and the Xperia Z is no different. The phone shows a slight lag while using the various launcher apps on the phone. This problem is mostly software related, probably due to the bloatware that Sony adds over the stock Android and could be fixed by Sony in the near future.

Games not running smoothly

A few users have reported that heavy games like Real Racing 3 and Asphalt are not running smoothly or giving a standard framerate while playing and stutter a little while playing. This is a problem because the Xperia Z packs enough of a punch in its hardware to run any current game in the Play store without any problems.

Bricking/Dead Phone/Phone not starting or not responding

This isnt really a problem or a bug. A few users have managed to brick their phone while trying to flash their phone with the wrong kernel. This goes to show that you should NOT be doing any sort of rooting or flashing of ROMs on your phone unless you are absolutely sure of what you are doing. And even after that, the whole process is still risky enough that you might still brick your phone. If your phone is not responding at all after a failed flash/root, you can try to use the 'Repair' option on your PC Companion or flash your phone with the Sony Update Service.

Apart from the three above there seem to be a few more intermittent problems that are appearing for a few users and so far there doesnt seem to be any reasoning as to why these problems are occurring. Here is a summarized list of problems reported taken from the XDA forum.

1. LED not working for apps like SMS, WhatsApp etc
2. Stamina Mode doesnt turn on sometimes
3. Music stored on SD card jumps for some users
4. Screen not turning on
5. Google Services draining battery
6. Dead pixels appearing on the screen
7. Weak Wi-Fi strength
8. Using camera apps crashing the phone

These are the most common problems found with the Xperia Z phone. If you have experienced any more weird things happening on your phone, let us know in the comments and we can confirm it for you if it is actually a problem and maybe help you solve it too.

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Samsung Galaxy S4 vs Sony Xperia Z - Feature Comparison, Pros and Cons

Samsung Galaxy S4 vs Sony Xperia Z Feature Comparison

The mobile market is in a flurry with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4 coming close with March 14th being the day of release. A lot of Samsung and Android fans are eagerly waiting to see what the phone is going to offer and even though most of its features have leaked out online, the launch will put all those rumors to rest. Last year when the S3 was launched, Samsung had a killer smartphone with absolutely no rival with HTC One X being close but still not good enough but this year all the OEM makers have stepped up their game most notably HTC and Sony with Sony launching the Xperia Z as a rival to the upcoming S4. In this post we compare the features of the Sony Xperia Z with the rumored features of the Samsung S4 to see which phone trumps the other to become the newest best seller.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S4 vs HTC One - Feature Comparison, Pros and Cons

Display: Both are similar with Samsung S4 sporting 'Green PHOLED'

In this section both the phones are pretty much similar with both of them offering a 5 inch screen with a stunning 1080p display. The Xperia Z has a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels which comes to a pixel density of a massive 441 ppi and Samsung is reported to offer the same specs. One thing which Samsung S4 might have as the rumors suggest is a new 'Green PHOLED' technology for the screen which if true might mean a the screen offering better battery efficiency.

Processor: Samsung might be rocking an Exynos 5 Octa eight-core processor

The Sony Xperia Z sports a 1.5GHz Krait Quad Core processor with an Adreno 320 GPU which as we know is more than enough to support the Android OS and all the graphics intensive games along with it. The S4 on the other hand is rumored to have a 1.8GHz Quad Core processor or as recent reports are leaning towards an Exynos 5 Octa processor which is an eight core processor, could be there will be two versions of the S4 similar to how the S3 was marketed.. At this point you have to wonder that is there even a reason to have eight cores into a CPU and if the OS will ever make use of the resources given to it. In both the cases Samsung still comes out on top.

Memory: Both phones are at par

Memory wise both the phones are packing a 2GB RAM with the Xperia Z having an internal memory of 16GB which can be expanded using a microSD slot. The Galaxy S4 may take a similar route as that of the S3 and come in various internal memory configurations of 16/32/64GB

Camera and Battery: Both sporting the standard camera technologies

Camera is another area where the innovation has come to a standstill with both the phones offering a 13 MP rear shooter and the Xperia Z having a 2.2 MP front cam while the Galaxy S4 having a 2 MP one. The Sony Xperia Z has a non-removable 2330 mAh Li-Ion battery and while no news has come out on the battery of the S4 we're pretty sure it'll be around the same range only as Samsung will keep the battery as a removable one for the convenience of the user.

Design: The design of the Xperia Z looks like its hard to beat

From a Design perspective the Xperia Z is a beautiful piece of hardware with the finish and build quality matching that of an iPhone itself and the phone design made to keep the phone as elegant and as simple as possible. While the S4 is said to be sporting the rectangular minimalist form factor of the S2 instead of the more popular S3, we cant wait to find out what the phone looks like.

Price: Samsung needs to price the phone right or risk losing marketshare

And the price is what it all comes down to. No matter what the features or the design the Xperia Z is a pricey one at approximately 650 USD. If Samsung can market its phone at a competitive pricing like it did with the S3 there is no doubt that S4 will rule the market.

Xperia Z and Galaxy S4 Pros and Cons 

Now that it comes down to it, both phones have their pros and cons respectively. Let us assume that Samsung markets the phone at a similar price range as the Xperia Z. In that case the advantages Xperia Z has is that it is a much better designed phone with Sony slowly emerging as the dark horse of Android phones. The con for the Xperia Z and pro for the S4 is that Samsung bundles its phones with some amazing piece of software like the Premium suite which might sway the users away. On the other hand one drawback for the Samsung phones is that they are not known to be the most reliable in the market where Sony is showing real quality in its phones.

So there it is folks... What do you think of the two phones? Do you think Sony has what it takes to dethrone Samsung from its throne as making the best Android smartphone? Let us know in the comments!

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Sony Xperia Z and ZL - Specs, review & Leaked Images

Sony Xperia Z (Yuga) and ZL (odin) - First look

There has been lot of excitement over Sony's upcoming phones- Sony Xperia Z & ZL. Some of the leaked images of Sony Xperia Yuga were posted in November and now Sony has confirmed arrival on January 7, 2013.

Previously named 'Sony Yuga', the images of the new flagship phone Sony Xperia Z leaked online showing off the upcoming 1080 5-inches smartphone formerly known as the Yuga (Z) and Odin (ZL). The image also reveals that the global version Sony Xperia ZL will be placing the front facing camera on the bottom right side of the smartphone which is new and quite unusual.

Unfortunately, we still don’t have official release hardware specs, though according to previous leaks the Sony Xperia Z is to come with the following specifications

Sony Xperia Z and ZL specs & features

• 5-inch full HD display with OptiContrast Technology
• Powered by a 1.5 GHz Quad-core processor
• 2 GB RAM
• 13 MP Camera on the rear
• Memory expandable via microSD card
• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box

Rumors seem to suggest the Yuga (Xperia Z) is intended only for the Japanese market, while the Odin (Xperia ZL) might be the global version of the handset.

CES 2013 is upon us and Sony’s press conference is scheduled for the evening of Monday, January 7th. where these devices are expected to be announced.

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