Sony XPERIA Z1 3G Specifications, Tests and Review

Design of Sony XPERIA Z1 3G has dimensions of 144.4 mm × 73.9 mm × 8.5 mm and weight of 169 g. The water resistance of the phone´s design is also worth mentioning.

The screen size reaches 5" inches. Smaller phone displays are not necessarily a disadvantage. They are easier to use with one hand. However, displays of these sizes don't provide the same experience when watching videos or playing games, so they're better suited for less demanding users. It means, if you're a basic user and you don't expect to use your phone for activities like watching videos or playing games on regular basis, this size is perfectly adequate. LCD displays are currently taking a back seat. This is mainly due to higher power consumption. In addition, they have the disadvantage of lower colour contrast, which can be reflected e.g. in the resulting photos. On the other hand, phones with LCD displays are in general cheaper than those with OLED technology.

Display Resolution of Sony XPERIA Z1 3G is 1920 x 1080 pixels. A higher display resolution is a prerequisite for a sharper image. The standard for mid-range phones today is a Full HD resolution of 1920 × 1080 px. Cheaper phones, which usually have a smaller diagonal, have an HD resolution of 1280 × 720 px. Smaller resolutions can only be found in older models. Best phones, on the other hand, have a 4K resolution of 3840 x 2160 px. If you want a perfect picture, focus on pixel density in addition to resolution. This number indicates how sharp the image will be. Best phones today have a display fineness of 450 ppi or higher, but the today´s average is around 350-400 ppi. That should be enough for you to enjoy a fine and sharp image. This model has a pixel density of 441 ppi.

The processor type of the Sony XPERIA Z1 3G is Qualcomm Snapdragon 800. The number of processor cores is 4. It is a number of cores that plays an important role in evaluating the performance of phone as it is responsible for computing operations. Smartphones already commonly have a core count of around 4 to 8. Multi-core processors can perform better and reduce the processing time of a request to a minimum, which is reflected in the responsiveness of the phone, e.g. in the speed of opening applications. Sony XPERIA Z1 3G is provided with processor´s frequency of 2.2 GHz. Normally today you will find this value between 1.8 and 2.8 GHz, and the higher the number, the faster the response of the phone. The processor frequency will thus be one of the important parameters if you are looking for a phone capable of managing several requests at once without major problems.

The processor also includes the graphics accelerator Qualcomm ADRENO 330.

The phone is provided with an internal memory of 16 GB. Internal storage capacity is often a key parameter, as it determines how many files, photos, apps and more your phone can store. This memory capacity is ideal for those who have a few basic apps and a few dozen photos on their phone. If you don't expect to use your phone to play games or need to store high-resolution photos, this size should be sufficient. There is almost no probability you're likely to see this low capacity on new smartphones. The standard memory today is around 64 and 128 GB. The best phones have internal memory of 256 GB or more. Fortunately, manufacturers nowadays think of all users and therefore offer phone models with different memory sizes so that everyone can choose what suits them.

In addition, if you need more memory, this model offers the option of inserting a memory card to increase the storage size.

Operating memory significantly affects the performance of the entire phone. Sony XPERIA Z1 3G has an operating memory of 2 GB. Phones with less than 4 GB of RAM are better suited for undemanding users who use phone more for basic needs and some essential applications only. But if you are a heavy user, reach for at least 6 to 8 GB of RAM, which is the standard today, or 12 GB for the really demanding ones.

The rear camera of the Sony XPERIA Z1 3G has only one lens. Single lens is more typical for older phones or lower-end phones with lower quality cameras. The rear cameras of modern phones nowadays are usually equipped with two, three and sometimes even five rear camera lenses. A high resolution lens alone does not necessarily mean high quality photos. The main lens in this has a resolution of 20.7 Megapixel. However, if you are looking for perfect photos, in addition to resolution, don't forget to focus on at other parameters such as lens aperture or pixel size. Luminance is one of the main factors determining the quality of a photograph. Commonly today, this value ranges between F/1.8 and F/2.2. However, best photomobiles have an aperture of up to F/1.2. Value indicates how much light passes through the sensor and the lower it is, the better the quality of the photos. Main lens here is equipped with F/2.0.

Digital zoom in this case offers zooming up to 8x. Of course, the higher the lens value, the more distant object can be zoomed in. Nonetheless, the disadvantage of digital zoom is that the quality and sharpness of photo deteriorates when using it. If you like to take photos of people and portraits, you'll appreciate the facial recognition feature. The camera automatically detects face and focuses on it.

The battery size of Sony XPERIA Z1 3G is 3000 mAh. Nevertheless, battery capacity is not the only factor that affects the phone's battery life. For example - the size of the display, the performance of the processor, the use of data functions and, of course, the intensity of use of phone in general all have a significant impact on battery life. Standard for most smartphones today is a battery capacity of around 4500 to 5000 mAH. Phones with this battery size usually guarantee a phone life of at least 1 day. Older or cheaper smartphone models can then reach battery capacities typically around 2500 mAH and below. With this capacity, you may find that if you use your phone heavily, you may need to recharge your phone during the day.

Standby time is 550 hours. The value indicates how long your phone will last on a single charge when you are not actively using it. The battery life when making calls is, like standby time, a figure that tells us how long the phone will last on a single charge when making continuous calls. For the Sony XPERIA Z1 3G it is 840 minutes.

Sony XPERIA Z1 3G supports 3G. 4G connectivity is still common today, although the latest phones already have 5G connectivity. 3G connectivity is now more of a thing of past and can only be found on older models. The phone's operating system is Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean).

The NFC function will please all fans of contactless mobile payments. In addition, you can also use function in the context of connectivity, for example, to unlock doors or load menus in restaurants. Bluetooth 4.0 makes it easy to connect your phone to other wireless devices such as headphones, speakers, TV or tablet and more.