I'm so sorry as I thought I posted this but i didn't I sent this phone back ages ago and wrote this while I had it so please exuse the errors.
This was an amazing phone with one big let down which had nothing to do with size.
Initial Views:
This is a nice looking phone and fitted in my hand perfectly. I’m a lover of the big phone craze so I am used to having something big in my hands, no jokes! It is amazingly thin and light too, this added to the premium feel which made me feel like I was a high flying business man who was clearly entering a reminder in his phone to tell his secretary to update his calendar. The front and back of the device were very minimal combined with sophisticated edges this is a good-looking device. The phones actual size does become a problem with day to day use but I will come back to that later. I booted up the device and it hit me, this is an amazing display. The coolers popped, the contrast was great and everything was highly detailed. I would have to say this is the number one feature of this device, as you can’t stop looking at it. Now the problem is when I look at other peoples Android phones I am always depressed with the screen in comparison to the Ultra Z.
Booted up and ready to play:
So my phone booted up, synced with my Google account I downloaded everything I needed. From this point on this would be my primary phone and my Lumia 1520 spent the time in the draw. Now I did say above that I am a fan of the bigger phones, and my current 1520 is big, but the Ultra Z is bigger due the bezel. It got everyone asking about it, many thought it was a Nexus 7. The screen still looks fantastic and I can’t keep my eyes off it as I scroll through each home screen, I am still gob smacked about this feature. The buttons are placed in all the right spots as my fingers easily found them when they were needed. The size of the phone was a bit of a problem and it was more of a two handed job. Now I won’t discuss the software as its Android, but I will discuss Sony’s UI tweaks. They were very minimal and resembled a typical Android experience. One problem was the Sony apps and the fact that they, while nicely designed, just copied other apps within the phone and didn’t bring anything new to the party.
Few days with the phone:
I’m keeping this one simple. I couldn’t stop playing, watching and manhandling this phone and all its beauty.
A week later:
This screen, this clear, bright, sexy looking screen is amazing! However the phone size is starting to be a big problem. I’ve actually developed cramp in my little finger as I rest the bottom of my phone on it when I use it one handed. Now we start to come to one big problem, the camera. There is a sweet spot in hell designated for the person who decided to put that camera in that phone. I know a lot about cameras so I can safely say that this camera reminds me of the early camera phone days, slightly handy but not useful at all. I don’t think I will use this camera for anything, every.
Two weeks later:
The phone has got to me and I’m already going to miss that screen. So much so that this morning I went out and bought a Nexus 7 2013 from O2 and MY GOD THE PHONE IS ALMOST AS BIG!!!! I would have bought this phone sim free but that camera, that terrible, terrible camera!
Phone has gone:
Well the phone has gone and I’m back to my Lumia 1520. I can honestly say that this phone feels more natural in my hand and the Ultra Z was just a little too big due to the bigger bezel. I didn’t try the waterproofing side of things as I was afraid I would have left a port door open. How has this changed me? 1) I’ve moved back into the Android eco system via my Nexus 7. 2) Before this I wouldn’t have looked at a Sony phone twice, now it will be the first one I look at and I’m already looking forward to the Z3.
