I'm a satisfied owner of the Xperia Z for the last 2 months. Its an excellent device! IMO its the best Android smartphone at the moment that has managed to incorporate a good balance between design, performance and software in an excellent package. I won't go into the details about the Z as I'm sure owners of the device already know it well.
Yesterday I was lucky enough to get my hands on the new Samsung S4 (LTE version). My wife was due for a free upgrade but she didn't want it (as she loves her Note 2 too much!) so I jumped at the chance!
After getting home last night I put the S4 on charge and managed to get half of my setup done. Anyway, I'm going to be comparing real life use on both devices for around 2 weeks before deciding which device works better for me and that would be the one I will keep (right now my choice is still the Z :victory.
Here are my initial thoughts after a little feel and play with the S4:
Design & Feel:
Essentially, this is an S3 upgrade, period! I know hardcore fans of Samsung will disagree. Sorry, but its much like the iPhone 4 to iPhone 5 story, its NOT a revolution but an evolution. Samsung touts a premium finish, again sorry but these words do not apply to the S4. Its still plastic but this time round the finish on the plastic, like a high gloss piano finish, is much better than all of the other Samsung devices I've seen. The metallic like rim is plastic with a brushed metal finish. One would not mistake it for metal, it definitely looks plastic. On the 4 corners of the metallic rim are lines which makes it look as if it was 4 pieces joined together but actually I am assuming its due to injection moulding process used to make the part. This is present on the Z also but Sony has done a much better job as its much cleaner and barely noticeable. The addition of the checkered pattern does gives the appearance quite a nice look, though not exactly a premium one. The front of the S4 looks OK, its basically a Samsung look, nothing special but acceptable for me with the exception of the ugly earpiece grill which has never appealed to me. The back is where I have always felt Samsung has failed and need to improve in the design department. The camera design is big, ugly and always protrude, meaning it will be more susceptible to damage and scratches. A slightly recessed and smaller camera design would have made it safer for the camera and improved the looks. A good looking case would be a solution but I prefer to use my devices butt naked.
In the hand, the S4 feels slippery, very slippery, like a fish that will jump out of your hand if you don't hold it tight enough. Definitely needs a case or something on the back to reduce the risk of dropping it. It does however, have quite a nice form factor and feels more comfortable to hold than the Z, I think the curves do a bit of justice here. The placement of the volume and power buttons on the S4 needs improvement, having them on opposite sides just allows for frequent accidental pressing of the unintended button, the guy that designed/approved it should be shot! The volume and power button placement on the Z is just perfect.
Theres nothing really premium about the design and feel of the S4 when compared to the Z. In the hand, the Z gives the feeling of a high quality and solidly built product. The S4 despite the improved plastic finishes, feels a little more comfortable to hold in the hand but does not justify a price tag of $800 in terms of design and finish. Theres no squeaking from the plastic at the moment but hey, I've had it less than a day and time will tell.
Screen
Right now I can't provide my detailed thoughts on the screen as I have not had enough screen time yet. At first sight the screen looks sharp but colours are quite over saturated and less natural compared to my Z. One aspect I can confirm is that the viewing angles of the S4's screen is pretty good.
Update May 2:
Both screens are of different technologies and has its pros and cons. After comparing them both through typical web browsing, reading text, emails, use of same apps and viewing photos:
1. I like the natural colours of the Z more. The S4, no matter what display mode you set it in, the colours are still a little over saturated. The reflections are less on the Z and brightness is higher, thus making it more comfortable to use outdoor. That said, the screen on the S4 is still gorgeous, if not comparing them side by side, you'll get comfortable and used to the colours quite quickly.
2. Both screens display superb sharpness and clarity. You'll have to look hard to notice the difference and I find that the Z has the edge when it comes to sharpness and clarity. Thats obvious given the LCD technology advantage over AMOLED in this respect. However, the screen on the S4 is certainly no loser.
3. I mentioned viewing angles earlier and theres nothing to debate about this one. The S4 is a clear winner. I know that there are Z owners who say things like "who uses their phone and look at the screen from an angle, stupid!" or "I always look at the screen face on, so it doesn't matter anyway". I raise a practical example: in the office my phone is on my desk most of the time, when I check messages I do it with the phone on the desk and a good viewing angle is welcomed here. The fact is, the Z is Sony's flagship: a premium product with a premium price, which IMO should have came with better viewing angles. However, IMO we got a slightly sub-par display.
In terms of personal preference, I'd choose the display on the Z because I prefer the more natural colours. If I had to make an objective judgment, I'd have to give the S4 display the heads-up. In addition to that, you'll get a little more real screen estate because the S4 doesn't use soft buttons.
Update May 3:
As request by member 'thelittleidiot', I did a movie test on both screens. I downloaded and used the latest Superman trailer 3 (HD mov format) because it had a mixture of dark and bright scenes and close-up on characters so as to be able to compare how skin tones rendered. I used MX Player Pro on both phones to make the test as fair as possible and had both screens at maximum brightness with auto adapt off, Bravia engine was on. Before starting the comparison, I watched the trailer on my Macbook just to familiarise with the colours and details. Here's what I found:
S4 in movie mode: Movie mode is supposed to be closest to natural colours but this was not what I saw. Colours were pale as if a little washed out. Seriously I wouldn't chose this option for watching movies.
S4 in professional photo mode: Colours were better and closer to the Z but still not natural when comparing both side by side. The viewing experience is still better on the Z.
S4 in standard mode: Colours are now looking over saturated. Its still the Z that give a better viewing experience.
I didn't test dynamic mode or adaptive mode because these modes would have been even more saturated. The S4 screen is very contrasty and blacks are very good but this is not necessarily a good thing for movies IMO. In dark scenes I could not see all the details on Russell Crowe's face whereas on the Z it was not a problem. On all of the modes on the S4, the blues had a tint of green, whites often not enough and skin colours were either not accurate or way off.
My opinions above are obviously due to the fact that I prefer more natural looking colours, though this may not apply to everyone. Nevertheless, the S4's screen has started to grow on me. I have an almost identical setup on both phones to help with my comparison: the same wallpaper, widgets, app icons on home screen etc. When I have them both side by side, I can't help but notice that the S4's vibrancy and colours just seems as if they want to jump out at you, like theres so much life in the screen. On the Z, despite that colours are more natural and whites are whiter, it just doesn't give me that feeling. I had Galaxy Note 2 before and didn't feel that way but I suppose its because the S4's is a FHD screen.
Performance and Software
OK, so the S4 is a step ahead of the Z with JB 4.2.2 out of the box. Its heavily Touchwiz with UI improvements. It feels smooth so far with no lags or micro lags whatsoever. I ran Antutu benchmark and it scored over 23K compared to 20K that my Z got.
Update May 2:
I don't run intensive apps or do heavy gaming, so my findings are from general use and also based on software out of the box.
I've never been particularly fond of the Touchwiz interface but don't hate it either. The S4's Touchwiz is the latest and comes with some UI improvements and changes. It works well and feels fluid. Though theres been a couple of times when I exit an app to the home screen and theres been a bit of a micro lag or stutter. Not sure what caused it but overall the S4 is very smooth. Samsung's added a host of features and software to the S4, air view, air gestures, smart gestures, S Health etc. They all work most of the time but will add loading on the power consumption. I prefer a little more interaction so I keep most of these features off. To be honest, most of these are a gimmick thing rather than being a real productive feature. The new settings menu is now categorised into 4 tabs which is a nice idea but could have been better if sliding to switch tabs was possible (like the how its possible switch to tabs by sliding left or right in the Z's phone app). The notification panel of toggles are extremely convenient for turning on or off a list of features/functions and can be pulled down by sliding 2 fingers from the top of the screen. I get the feeling that Samsung is trying hard to add/create value to its flagship model with additions of software and features, which is a good thing, but not all of it will appeal to everyone and a lot of it we probably wouldn't use 90% of the time anyway.
The S4 has newer hardware, hence a higher benchmark score over the Z. In standard daily usage though, theres really no noticeable difference. Both phones are very capable of handling almost any task thrown at it and feels very fluid. BTW both get pretty hot on the backside when the CPU is pushed. Overall, performance wise, both phones will satisfy the majority of users day in day out. In respect of the software side, its more of a subjective thing. I like the Z's clean, crisp and minimalist skin. I love its Walkman app (top sound reproduction and 2nd to none!) and Album app & widgets. I also like and use the small apps feature quite often. With the S4, multi window is great and I like being able to continuously scroll through desktops or the app & widget drawers. Microsoft Exchange Active sync works and integrates better on the S4 than it does on the Z. Its hard to a make a decision on the software comparison. However, the good thing is that Android is highly customisable so we can always tune it to work our way. I'd like to have a mixture of both the Z & S4 if I can!
Update May 3:
A small but important update on the software side. Some apps and games that I have been using on the Z which on the screen was not scaled properly (part of the interface goes outside of the screen are) is perfect on the S4. On top of that, certain widgets that not working/displaying properly on the Z works perfectly on the S4. I have to give Samsung a +1 for that.
Update May 2:
Battery Performance
Now that I've completely setup my S4 and managed to fully discharged the battery once, I will get the first battery performance results tonight. Will update then.
Update May 3:
The battery on my S4 won't be fully conditioned until after a few more full charges and discharges. Anyway attached results of the first battery performance after one discharge and then full charge. Now, I have read that other owners of the Z and S4 get amazing battery performance and on screen time of 5 - 6 hours. Honestly, it sounds a bit abnormal for me. I have never got that kind of battery performance on my Z, around 3 hours of screen time is probably the max I get. Are those who get 4+ hours simply turning off the majority of functions? Reduce screen brightness to 25%? Stop every process they can in the background? If thats the case, then we're really not getting most out of our smartphones during normal daily usage. I understand that its important to get the most of out the battery, especially if you are not near a charge port during the day but for me, its most essential to utilise the device for its abilities. Smartphones are really state of the art things nowadays which are simultaneously multifunctional and should be used that way.
Here are the parameters affecting the battery performance of my S4:
- wifi, gps, all sync features on, exchange active sync set on push so constant connection to the server.
- was on wifi network about 70% of the time, the rest was on LTE for data.
- screen brightness adaptive and set at 0.
- vibration, sound and haptic feedback on.
- led on with light flow.
- samsung's smart features/guestures off with exception of smart stay.
- around 25 mins of phone calls and 10 sms
- lots of whatsapp, medium google+, little wechat voice messaging, medium facebook, light browsing on chrome, some youtube, a few emails, some app updates via playstore, some instagram, some news reading, 30 mins or so of gaming.
I'm pretty happy with the results (I consider my usage pattern being medium to heavy) and as the battery gets more conditioned, coupled with further fine tuning of the S4, I'm confident that the battery performance will further improve. For me, its very clear that the S4 battery performance bypasses that of the Z. I use my Z the same way and don't get that kind of battery performance. Note though, the S4 does have the advantage of a larger 2600mah battery and the power efficient AMOLED, so its not like comparing apples to apples here. I have an external battery for my Z and don't mind carrying it when needed, it may not be so convenient when charging the Z but it does the job. As for the S4, I can see myself getting a day's usage on a single charge and if needed a spare battery can be changed easily, a plus point for the S4.
Update May 3:
Call Quality & Signal
In general, when in an area with good signal the call quality on the Z was good. The audio quality is also good. Where I have experienced problems with the Z are:
- When outside or in relatively noisy places its hard to hear the call from the earpiece on the Z. I have to resort to plugging in my hands free to solve the problem.
- In areas where signal is unstable or patchy whether its 3G or 4G, I sometimes find that the Z have difficulties in locking onto the network. It just jumps back and forth between 3G & 4G. This is not good because the phone constantly drains power by trying to lock itself onto a signal and your data connection is also on and off, again draining battery. One time I was outside in a patchy area and data connection was pretty unstable, it ended up that Kaiten Mail was responsible for 50% of the battery consumption because it was trying to sync my mails but couldn't get connected and just forced the phone to boost the radio and try get data connected.
- On a few occasions, where I have made or received a call, I can hear the opposite party but they cannot hear me. Even after hanging up and then redialing it still happens. I have to restart the phone to solve it.
So far the call quality and signal from the S4 have been good and stable, the audio quality of the call is quite a rich experience. Most important of all, the earpiece volume is loud enough that I don't need the hands free in relatively noisy environments. On top of that, the speaker on the S4 is much louder and clearer which is good for me because sometimes I like to hear voice chat messages via the speaker for convenience. I'll need to have used the phone in similar areas as the Z before concluding its signal and call quality. I expect to round this part up in a week.
Camera
Not had time to play and compare the cameras yet. Something for the weekend I think. Stay tuned!
Update May 5
Build Quality
6 days into using the S4 and build quality issues are beginning to show. The first is the slight squeaking of the back cover in certain places. It’s not really bad but enough to be noticeable. The second is the issue of vibration, which I believe may be related to the camera module, as this also happens with the Note 2. When using the phone on a flat surface you’ll hear vibration sounds when tapping the screen. Also, tapping around the camera area on the back of the phone will also emit vibration sounds. Don’t have these problems with the Xperia Z.
Performance & Software
Here are some new findings:
1.Out of the box you get just over 50% of the available storage for use on the S4 whereas on the Z you get closer to 65% of available storage for use. Samsung’s obviously bloated out its S4 a little too much.
2.After boot up the S4 consumed 854MB of RAM, in comparison the Z used less than 600MB. Open a host of apps and soon the S4 will start to show a bit of lag and stutter. Not something to expect considering the faster CPU and RAM the S4 has over the Z.
3.The more I look at Touchwiz the more I think ugly. The appearance of the phone dialer, contacts, notification and toggles, settings menus and pop up settings/menu all look ugly and outdated. The Z beats the S4’s interface design by miles.
4.Tried all of the gimmicky features of the S4 and only found Air View to be the only feature that I could make use of frequently and it works quite well. Its obviously nice to have the other features of S4 and show people what the phone is capable of but I certainly don’t see myself using it 90% of the time.
Call Quality & Signal
So, I’ve managed to use the S4 for calls in most of the areas I have been using the Z and the call quality is good with no dropped call, network signal holds well, though in patchy areas the phone does switch between 3G and 4G constantly. I don’t see this as an issue with the phone but more a network problem as it happens on the Z also. The S4’s voice calls are loud and clear, the Z does have a bit more depth in the call audio department though. Overall, I think both phones hold up pretty well in this area with the only exception that the earpiece volume on the Z is under average thus making it difficult to hear in noisy environments.
Just a note on the wifi. The S4 holds the wifi better than the Z. Where the Z dropped the connection the S4 stays connected.
Music Audio Quality & Headphone Compatibility
The sound quality produced by the Z’s Walkman app is the best. I have not used another app that can produce audiophiles as clean and as original as the Walkman app. Sony must have also used a very good DAC in addition to excellent software. Even music with Poweramp app sounded better on the Z than it did on the S4. The S4’s music app is no match. My only complaint with the Z is that the volume level is a little low but it’s still sufficient for me. Those who like their music loud will not be happy with the highest volume level on the Z.
Now comes the BIG problem with the S4. There are headphone compatibility issues. There is already a thread in the XDA Samsung S4 forum about this, so those who want to know more should give it a read. Basically, there are serious amounts of crackling and distortion with certain headphones when used on the S4 with the volume 50% or above. I was shocked when I plugged my Sony XBA-2VP into the S4. I thought they had failed on me but it turns out the problem was the S4. They work perfectly well on the Z. Now to me, this is a serious problem and one not to be forgiven for. How Samsung failed on this one I don't know. Surprisingly, a lot of the expensive premium headphones have this problem on the S4 and the cheaper (including stock) ones aren’t affected. To me this issue is really a big minus for the S4 and especially to people who crave for excellent audiophiles. On top of that, I don't think we want to splash out more money just buy a good compatible pair of headphones.
Camera
So, I was supposed to do some comparison on the camera over the weekend but sadly the speaker on my Z had some problems and had to go to Sony service center. I did manage to take a couple of shots (attached) for a quick comparison. Here are my thoughts on both cameras:
1.The S4 fires up the camera fast, in a second or so and your good to start snapping away. The Z is slow and takes a few seconds.
2.From EXIF data, I noticed that the S4 has a larger aperture of f2.2 compared to f2.4 for the Z. It’s not a big difference but still means the S4 will capture more light.
3.Burst rates on the S4 are simply breath taking, hold the shutter and you’ll be snapping away at 20 frames per second!
4.Autofocus is fast on both cameras.
5.From the samples, you can see that the photos from the S4 are sharper, more detailed, better exposed and white balance more accurate. The Z simply has too much compression and the photos end up losing detail and sharpness.
I like photography but I’m not a big fan of smartphone photography. To me, cameras on smartphones play a point and shoot role. It needs to fire up quick and get the shot done. Its supposed to be sophisticated (by todays standards) yet is simple to operate and have an easy to use interface. The S4 fits the job very well. I like the S4’s new camera UI, very intuitive and easy to use. The new addition of drama shot and eraser mode on the S4 sounds appealing but in practice it’s quite difficult to get it to work. With drama shot you have to keep a good distance away from the subject so it can be captured throughout the frame to make it work and it wasn’t working for me all the time. In respect to eraser mode, I have had no success with it yet.
Overall, the S4’s camera is a pleasure to use and gives you the feeling of wanting to shoot more pictures. The Z’s camera is not so bad and I’m sure the Z has good camera hardware but Sony needs to improve on the software. Hopefully, this will come soon with the next update.
May 11 – Round Up
Design & Feel
Xperia Z:
-Excellently crafted industrial design: from the details and precision of the power button, to the neatly recessed camera lens and the excellent fit & finish.
-Feels premium in hand. Nicely built and solid yet oozes a very distinctive sleek look.
-IMO the most beautifully designed Android smartphone to date, period! The HTC One is also very nice but I see a bit of following Apple’s suit. The Z shows that Sony really went back to the drawing board and gave us a new and unique product.
-It’s relatively comfortable in the hands but the straight edges may be of discomfort for some when holding it for prolong periods.
-Excellent placement of the power and volume buttons. The speaker is better on the side than on the back but I would have preferred it to be at the bottom to avoid accidentally covering it up when holding the phone.
S4:
-Having closely compared it with my wife’s Note 2, the S4’s design seems more of a downsized Note 2 with a slight facelift. Basically, it’s still that typical Samsung design, look and finish.
-Though I consider it a slight facelift, the changes and finishes does make it Samsung’s best looking phone to date. I kind of liked the diamond-checkered pattern and also found that the buttons are now nicely tapered and beveled. A nice touch.
-The form factor is very comfortable in the hand but feels a lot less solid compared to the Z.
-The home and capacitive button design will increase your usable screen estate by 0.5 inches.
Screen
Xperia Z:
-LCD technology, excellent clarity and details.
-Colors natural and closer to real life. Brava Engine 2 makes viewing photos and videos a pleasure and adds the pop back in the colors.
-Excellent visibility outdoors and in bright sunlight. Less reflective.
-Poor viewing angles and blacks & contrast may not be enough for some.
-I see a bit a of backlight bleeding and this does make the screen appear a little washed out at high brightness levels.
-IMO, kind of feel that Sony used a slightly sub-par display. I checked out the Z tablet yesterday and the screen does not exhibit similar issues.
S4:
-Samsung’s best Super AMOLED yet. Clarity and details par with the LCD. It’s hard to see the difference and I’d say 99% of people wouldn’t notice it.
-Excellent viewing angles and colors pop on this screen, it may be too saturated for some but the S4 provides the option of 4 screen modes to cater for different tastes.
-I’ve noticed that auto brightness allows higher brighter levels compared to manual setting. This is excellent as when in sunlight, the viewing experience was still comfortable.
-I prefer the natural colors of the Z more but the S4 screen has really grown on me. It is simply a superb screen and there is not much I can fault about it.
Performance & OS
-The S4 has the newer tech but in daily use both are just as capable of performing 99% of the tasks you throw at it.
-Power does not necessarily translate into speed. The S4 is well bloated out and consumes a massive 900mb of ram after boot up, whereas the Z is less than 600mb. Open up a few more apps and my S4 lags more than my Z. Your hardware is as good as your software and it’s evident that the software on the S4 is not fully optimized yet.
-Interface wise, the Z is refreshing, clean and minimal with some really nice touches and widgets, there’s also the excellent Walkman and Album (gallery) app that's second to none. If you like stock android, the Z is the closest you’ll get.
-The S4 has a lot of bells and whistles, some work well and others not, and that's all wrapped up in a dated Touchwiz interface. With 4.2.2 comes some nice UI improvements but it could have been better. The dull interface design just does not compliment the wonderful screen.
-Overall, despite a dated interface, Touchwiz does provide a fuller user experience. It’s not just a skin; it’s more of an eco-system which Samsung has put a lot of thought and effort into building.
Battery Performance
-There’s no argument on this one, the S4 has the better battery life. A slightly larger capacity and power efficient screen gives it the edge. Having used the S4 in the same way I have used my Z, the battery lasts well into the evening whereas with the Z it would have died on me by then.
-Another advantage is the option to be able to replace the S4 with a spare battery and this is definitely a convenience as well as a must for power users.
Call quality, Signal & Wi-Fi
-Both phones flared well with call quality and strength of signal.
-The in call audio on the Z has a lot of body but volume level low, whereas the on the S4 it’s crisp, loud and clear.
-The S4 has an adaptive sound capability which works very well as it tunes the audio to fit the listening capabilities of the left and right ears. Note this function works only in stock apps.
-The Z’s Wi-Fi capabilities are one of its weaknesses. Where I lost connection with the Z, the S4 stayed well connected.
Camera
-Despite the similar hardware, the S4 is a clear winner for me. The camera interface, ease of use and host of features make it hard to beat. It does what a smartphone camera is supposed to do but does it better.
-The Z is not a bad performer overall. All that is required is some tuning in its digital processing to improve clarity and sharpness in the photos.
Other Issues
-If you love listening to music on your phone, the Z and its Walkman provides the best audiophile I have ever heard on a smartphone.
-You won’t have headphone compatibility issues on the Z. There is a widespread problem with the S4, I don’t know if its software or hardware, but the audio clipping is frustrating and a nightmare! I had to resort to downgrading the headphone audiophile to avoid the problem.
Final Thoughts
The S4 and Z are excellent flagship smartphones. In the last 2 weeks, I’ve found the S4 to better the Z in some areas, but that should not put you off the Z. Why is that? Design, plastic, build quality and Touchwiz. If these factors bother you, then the S4 might not be the smartphone for you. The Xperia Z, on the other hand, is anything but cheap and plastic, while the interface is much more clean, simple and understated than Samsung’s Touchwiz.
I love the design of the Xperia Z, IMO it has the best balance in design, performance and software. That said, the Z isn’t perfect, the screen should have been better for a flagship and there are issues that need ironing out which hopefully will be fixed in the next software update not too distant away. The S4 has grown on me more than I expected. The plastic and its design doesn’t bother me anymore, I don’t even notice it. The screen looks more beautiful day by day and my work and productivity needs are handled better on the S4. I have also found that I prefer the home and capacitive touch buttons and enjoy the extra screen estate in the absence of the navigation bar. The software isn’t fully optimized, there is lag and Samsung seriously needs to do some work on it. Surprisingly though, at the start of the thread my choice was the Z but after 2 weeks, it appears the situation has changed and the truth is, the S4 suits my needs more. So, the S4 stays and the Z goes back for a refund. I wish I could have a mixture of both though! I highly recommend both devices, my top picks for 2013.
Yesterday I was lucky enough to get my hands on the new Samsung S4 (LTE version). My wife was due for a free upgrade but she didn't want it (as she loves her Note 2 too much!) so I jumped at the chance!
After getting home last night I put the S4 on charge and managed to get half of my setup done. Anyway, I'm going to be comparing real life use on both devices for around 2 weeks before deciding which device works better for me and that would be the one I will keep (right now my choice is still the Z :victory. Here are my initial thoughts after a little feel and play with the S4:
Design & Feel:
Essentially, this is an S3 upgrade, period! I know hardcore fans of Samsung will disagree. Sorry, but its much like the iPhone 4 to iPhone 5 story, its NOT a revolution but an evolution. Samsung touts a premium finish, again sorry but these words do not apply to the S4. Its still plastic but this time round the finish on the plastic, like a high gloss piano finish, is much better than all of the other Samsung devices I've seen. The metallic like rim is plastic with a brushed metal finish. One would not mistake it for metal, it definitely looks plastic. On the 4 corners of the metallic rim are lines which makes it look as if it was 4 pieces joined together but actually I am assuming its due to injection moulding process used to make the part. This is present on the Z also but Sony has done a much better job as its much cleaner and barely noticeable. The addition of the checkered pattern does gives the appearance quite a nice look, though not exactly a premium one. The front of the S4 looks OK, its basically a Samsung look, nothing special but acceptable for me with the exception of the ugly earpiece grill which has never appealed to me. The back is where I have always felt Samsung has failed and need to improve in the design department. The camera design is big, ugly and always protrude, meaning it will be more susceptible to damage and scratches. A slightly recessed and smaller camera design would have made it safer for the camera and improved the looks. A good looking case would be a solution but I prefer to use my devices butt naked.
In the hand, the S4 feels slippery, very slippery, like a fish that will jump out of your hand if you don't hold it tight enough. Definitely needs a case or something on the back to reduce the risk of dropping it. It does however, have quite a nice form factor and feels more comfortable to hold than the Z, I think the curves do a bit of justice here. The placement of the volume and power buttons on the S4 needs improvement, having them on opposite sides just allows for frequent accidental pressing of the unintended button, the guy that designed/approved it should be shot! The volume and power button placement on the Z is just perfect.
Theres nothing really premium about the design and feel of the S4 when compared to the Z. In the hand, the Z gives the feeling of a high quality and solidly built product. The S4 despite the improved plastic finishes, feels a little more comfortable to hold in the hand but does not justify a price tag of $800 in terms of design and finish. Theres no squeaking from the plastic at the moment but hey, I've had it less than a day and time will tell.
Screen
Right now I can't provide my detailed thoughts on the screen as I have not had enough screen time yet. At first sight the screen looks sharp but colours are quite over saturated and less natural compared to my Z. One aspect I can confirm is that the viewing angles of the S4's screen is pretty good.
Update May 2:
Both screens are of different technologies and has its pros and cons. After comparing them both through typical web browsing, reading text, emails, use of same apps and viewing photos:
1. I like the natural colours of the Z more. The S4, no matter what display mode you set it in, the colours are still a little over saturated. The reflections are less on the Z and brightness is higher, thus making it more comfortable to use outdoor. That said, the screen on the S4 is still gorgeous, if not comparing them side by side, you'll get comfortable and used to the colours quite quickly.
2. Both screens display superb sharpness and clarity. You'll have to look hard to notice the difference and I find that the Z has the edge when it comes to sharpness and clarity. Thats obvious given the LCD technology advantage over AMOLED in this respect. However, the screen on the S4 is certainly no loser.
3. I mentioned viewing angles earlier and theres nothing to debate about this one. The S4 is a clear winner. I know that there are Z owners who say things like "who uses their phone and look at the screen from an angle, stupid!" or "I always look at the screen face on, so it doesn't matter anyway". I raise a practical example: in the office my phone is on my desk most of the time, when I check messages I do it with the phone on the desk and a good viewing angle is welcomed here. The fact is, the Z is Sony's flagship: a premium product with a premium price, which IMO should have came with better viewing angles. However, IMO we got a slightly sub-par display.
In terms of personal preference, I'd choose the display on the Z because I prefer the more natural colours. If I had to make an objective judgment, I'd have to give the S4 display the heads-up. In addition to that, you'll get a little more real screen estate because the S4 doesn't use soft buttons.
Update May 3:
As request by member 'thelittleidiot', I did a movie test on both screens. I downloaded and used the latest Superman trailer 3 (HD mov format) because it had a mixture of dark and bright scenes and close-up on characters so as to be able to compare how skin tones rendered. I used MX Player Pro on both phones to make the test as fair as possible and had both screens at maximum brightness with auto adapt off, Bravia engine was on. Before starting the comparison, I watched the trailer on my Macbook just to familiarise with the colours and details. Here's what I found:
S4 in movie mode: Movie mode is supposed to be closest to natural colours but this was not what I saw. Colours were pale as if a little washed out. Seriously I wouldn't chose this option for watching movies.
S4 in professional photo mode: Colours were better and closer to the Z but still not natural when comparing both side by side. The viewing experience is still better on the Z.
S4 in standard mode: Colours are now looking over saturated. Its still the Z that give a better viewing experience.
I didn't test dynamic mode or adaptive mode because these modes would have been even more saturated. The S4 screen is very contrasty and blacks are very good but this is not necessarily a good thing for movies IMO. In dark scenes I could not see all the details on Russell Crowe's face whereas on the Z it was not a problem. On all of the modes on the S4, the blues had a tint of green, whites often not enough and skin colours were either not accurate or way off.
My opinions above are obviously due to the fact that I prefer more natural looking colours, though this may not apply to everyone. Nevertheless, the S4's screen has started to grow on me. I have an almost identical setup on both phones to help with my comparison: the same wallpaper, widgets, app icons on home screen etc. When I have them both side by side, I can't help but notice that the S4's vibrancy and colours just seems as if they want to jump out at you, like theres so much life in the screen. On the Z, despite that colours are more natural and whites are whiter, it just doesn't give me that feeling. I had Galaxy Note 2 before and didn't feel that way but I suppose its because the S4's is a FHD screen.
Performance and Software
OK, so the S4 is a step ahead of the Z with JB 4.2.2 out of the box. Its heavily Touchwiz with UI improvements. It feels smooth so far with no lags or micro lags whatsoever. I ran Antutu benchmark and it scored over 23K compared to 20K that my Z got.
Update May 2:
I don't run intensive apps or do heavy gaming, so my findings are from general use and also based on software out of the box.
I've never been particularly fond of the Touchwiz interface but don't hate it either. The S4's Touchwiz is the latest and comes with some UI improvements and changes. It works well and feels fluid. Though theres been a couple of times when I exit an app to the home screen and theres been a bit of a micro lag or stutter. Not sure what caused it but overall the S4 is very smooth. Samsung's added a host of features and software to the S4, air view, air gestures, smart gestures, S Health etc. They all work most of the time but will add loading on the power consumption. I prefer a little more interaction so I keep most of these features off. To be honest, most of these are a gimmick thing rather than being a real productive feature. The new settings menu is now categorised into 4 tabs which is a nice idea but could have been better if sliding to switch tabs was possible (like the how its possible switch to tabs by sliding left or right in the Z's phone app). The notification panel of toggles are extremely convenient for turning on or off a list of features/functions and can be pulled down by sliding 2 fingers from the top of the screen. I get the feeling that Samsung is trying hard to add/create value to its flagship model with additions of software and features, which is a good thing, but not all of it will appeal to everyone and a lot of it we probably wouldn't use 90% of the time anyway.
The S4 has newer hardware, hence a higher benchmark score over the Z. In standard daily usage though, theres really no noticeable difference. Both phones are very capable of handling almost any task thrown at it and feels very fluid. BTW both get pretty hot on the backside when the CPU is pushed. Overall, performance wise, both phones will satisfy the majority of users day in day out. In respect of the software side, its more of a subjective thing. I like the Z's clean, crisp and minimalist skin. I love its Walkman app (top sound reproduction and 2nd to none!) and Album app & widgets. I also like and use the small apps feature quite often. With the S4, multi window is great and I like being able to continuously scroll through desktops or the app & widget drawers. Microsoft Exchange Active sync works and integrates better on the S4 than it does on the Z. Its hard to a make a decision on the software comparison. However, the good thing is that Android is highly customisable so we can always tune it to work our way. I'd like to have a mixture of both the Z & S4 if I can!
Update May 3:
A small but important update on the software side. Some apps and games that I have been using on the Z which on the screen was not scaled properly (part of the interface goes outside of the screen are) is perfect on the S4. On top of that, certain widgets that not working/displaying properly on the Z works perfectly on the S4. I have to give Samsung a +1 for that.
Update May 2:
Battery Performance
Now that I've completely setup my S4 and managed to fully discharged the battery once, I will get the first battery performance results tonight. Will update then.
Update May 3:
The battery on my S4 won't be fully conditioned until after a few more full charges and discharges. Anyway attached results of the first battery performance after one discharge and then full charge. Now, I have read that other owners of the Z and S4 get amazing battery performance and on screen time of 5 - 6 hours. Honestly, it sounds a bit abnormal for me. I have never got that kind of battery performance on my Z, around 3 hours of screen time is probably the max I get. Are those who get 4+ hours simply turning off the majority of functions? Reduce screen brightness to 25%? Stop every process they can in the background? If thats the case, then we're really not getting most out of our smartphones during normal daily usage. I understand that its important to get the most of out the battery, especially if you are not near a charge port during the day but for me, its most essential to utilise the device for its abilities. Smartphones are really state of the art things nowadays which are simultaneously multifunctional and should be used that way.
Here are the parameters affecting the battery performance of my S4:
- wifi, gps, all sync features on, exchange active sync set on push so constant connection to the server.
- was on wifi network about 70% of the time, the rest was on LTE for data.
- screen brightness adaptive and set at 0.
- vibration, sound and haptic feedback on.
- led on with light flow.
- samsung's smart features/guestures off with exception of smart stay.
- around 25 mins of phone calls and 10 sms
- lots of whatsapp, medium google+, little wechat voice messaging, medium facebook, light browsing on chrome, some youtube, a few emails, some app updates via playstore, some instagram, some news reading, 30 mins or so of gaming.
I'm pretty happy with the results (I consider my usage pattern being medium to heavy) and as the battery gets more conditioned, coupled with further fine tuning of the S4, I'm confident that the battery performance will further improve. For me, its very clear that the S4 battery performance bypasses that of the Z. I use my Z the same way and don't get that kind of battery performance. Note though, the S4 does have the advantage of a larger 2600mah battery and the power efficient AMOLED, so its not like comparing apples to apples here. I have an external battery for my Z and don't mind carrying it when needed, it may not be so convenient when charging the Z but it does the job. As for the S4, I can see myself getting a day's usage on a single charge and if needed a spare battery can be changed easily, a plus point for the S4.
Update May 3:
Call Quality & Signal
In general, when in an area with good signal the call quality on the Z was good. The audio quality is also good. Where I have experienced problems with the Z are:
- When outside or in relatively noisy places its hard to hear the call from the earpiece on the Z. I have to resort to plugging in my hands free to solve the problem.
- In areas where signal is unstable or patchy whether its 3G or 4G, I sometimes find that the Z have difficulties in locking onto the network. It just jumps back and forth between 3G & 4G. This is not good because the phone constantly drains power by trying to lock itself onto a signal and your data connection is also on and off, again draining battery. One time I was outside in a patchy area and data connection was pretty unstable, it ended up that Kaiten Mail was responsible for 50% of the battery consumption because it was trying to sync my mails but couldn't get connected and just forced the phone to boost the radio and try get data connected.
- On a few occasions, where I have made or received a call, I can hear the opposite party but they cannot hear me. Even after hanging up and then redialing it still happens. I have to restart the phone to solve it.
So far the call quality and signal from the S4 have been good and stable, the audio quality of the call is quite a rich experience. Most important of all, the earpiece volume is loud enough that I don't need the hands free in relatively noisy environments. On top of that, the speaker on the S4 is much louder and clearer which is good for me because sometimes I like to hear voice chat messages via the speaker for convenience. I'll need to have used the phone in similar areas as the Z before concluding its signal and call quality. I expect to round this part up in a week.
Camera
Not had time to play and compare the cameras yet. Something for the weekend I think. Stay tuned!
Update May 5
Build Quality
6 days into using the S4 and build quality issues are beginning to show. The first is the slight squeaking of the back cover in certain places. It’s not really bad but enough to be noticeable. The second is the issue of vibration, which I believe may be related to the camera module, as this also happens with the Note 2. When using the phone on a flat surface you’ll hear vibration sounds when tapping the screen. Also, tapping around the camera area on the back of the phone will also emit vibration sounds. Don’t have these problems with the Xperia Z.
Performance & Software
Here are some new findings:
1.Out of the box you get just over 50% of the available storage for use on the S4 whereas on the Z you get closer to 65% of available storage for use. Samsung’s obviously bloated out its S4 a little too much.
2.After boot up the S4 consumed 854MB of RAM, in comparison the Z used less than 600MB. Open a host of apps and soon the S4 will start to show a bit of lag and stutter. Not something to expect considering the faster CPU and RAM the S4 has over the Z.
3.The more I look at Touchwiz the more I think ugly. The appearance of the phone dialer, contacts, notification and toggles, settings menus and pop up settings/menu all look ugly and outdated. The Z beats the S4’s interface design by miles.
4.Tried all of the gimmicky features of the S4 and only found Air View to be the only feature that I could make use of frequently and it works quite well. Its obviously nice to have the other features of S4 and show people what the phone is capable of but I certainly don’t see myself using it 90% of the time.
Call Quality & Signal
So, I’ve managed to use the S4 for calls in most of the areas I have been using the Z and the call quality is good with no dropped call, network signal holds well, though in patchy areas the phone does switch between 3G and 4G constantly. I don’t see this as an issue with the phone but more a network problem as it happens on the Z also. The S4’s voice calls are loud and clear, the Z does have a bit more depth in the call audio department though. Overall, I think both phones hold up pretty well in this area with the only exception that the earpiece volume on the Z is under average thus making it difficult to hear in noisy environments.
Just a note on the wifi. The S4 holds the wifi better than the Z. Where the Z dropped the connection the S4 stays connected.
Music Audio Quality & Headphone Compatibility
The sound quality produced by the Z’s Walkman app is the best. I have not used another app that can produce audiophiles as clean and as original as the Walkman app. Sony must have also used a very good DAC in addition to excellent software. Even music with Poweramp app sounded better on the Z than it did on the S4. The S4’s music app is no match. My only complaint with the Z is that the volume level is a little low but it’s still sufficient for me. Those who like their music loud will not be happy with the highest volume level on the Z.
Now comes the BIG problem with the S4. There are headphone compatibility issues. There is already a thread in the XDA Samsung S4 forum about this, so those who want to know more should give it a read. Basically, there are serious amounts of crackling and distortion with certain headphones when used on the S4 with the volume 50% or above. I was shocked when I plugged my Sony XBA-2VP into the S4. I thought they had failed on me but it turns out the problem was the S4. They work perfectly well on the Z. Now to me, this is a serious problem and one not to be forgiven for. How Samsung failed on this one I don't know. Surprisingly, a lot of the expensive premium headphones have this problem on the S4 and the cheaper (including stock) ones aren’t affected. To me this issue is really a big minus for the S4 and especially to people who crave for excellent audiophiles. On top of that, I don't think we want to splash out more money just buy a good compatible pair of headphones.
Camera
So, I was supposed to do some comparison on the camera over the weekend but sadly the speaker on my Z had some problems and had to go to Sony service center. I did manage to take a couple of shots (attached) for a quick comparison. Here are my thoughts on both cameras:
1.The S4 fires up the camera fast, in a second or so and your good to start snapping away. The Z is slow and takes a few seconds.
2.From EXIF data, I noticed that the S4 has a larger aperture of f2.2 compared to f2.4 for the Z. It’s not a big difference but still means the S4 will capture more light.
3.Burst rates on the S4 are simply breath taking, hold the shutter and you’ll be snapping away at 20 frames per second!
4.Autofocus is fast on both cameras.
5.From the samples, you can see that the photos from the S4 are sharper, more detailed, better exposed and white balance more accurate. The Z simply has too much compression and the photos end up losing detail and sharpness.
I like photography but I’m not a big fan of smartphone photography. To me, cameras on smartphones play a point and shoot role. It needs to fire up quick and get the shot done. Its supposed to be sophisticated (by todays standards) yet is simple to operate and have an easy to use interface. The S4 fits the job very well. I like the S4’s new camera UI, very intuitive and easy to use. The new addition of drama shot and eraser mode on the S4 sounds appealing but in practice it’s quite difficult to get it to work. With drama shot you have to keep a good distance away from the subject so it can be captured throughout the frame to make it work and it wasn’t working for me all the time. In respect to eraser mode, I have had no success with it yet.
Overall, the S4’s camera is a pleasure to use and gives you the feeling of wanting to shoot more pictures. The Z’s camera is not so bad and I’m sure the Z has good camera hardware but Sony needs to improve on the software. Hopefully, this will come soon with the next update.
May 11 – Round Up
Design & Feel
Xperia Z:
-Excellently crafted industrial design: from the details and precision of the power button, to the neatly recessed camera lens and the excellent fit & finish.
-Feels premium in hand. Nicely built and solid yet oozes a very distinctive sleek look.
-IMO the most beautifully designed Android smartphone to date, period! The HTC One is also very nice but I see a bit of following Apple’s suit. The Z shows that Sony really went back to the drawing board and gave us a new and unique product.
-It’s relatively comfortable in the hands but the straight edges may be of discomfort for some when holding it for prolong periods.
-Excellent placement of the power and volume buttons. The speaker is better on the side than on the back but I would have preferred it to be at the bottom to avoid accidentally covering it up when holding the phone.
S4:
-Having closely compared it with my wife’s Note 2, the S4’s design seems more of a downsized Note 2 with a slight facelift. Basically, it’s still that typical Samsung design, look and finish.
-Though I consider it a slight facelift, the changes and finishes does make it Samsung’s best looking phone to date. I kind of liked the diamond-checkered pattern and also found that the buttons are now nicely tapered and beveled. A nice touch.
-The form factor is very comfortable in the hand but feels a lot less solid compared to the Z.
-The home and capacitive button design will increase your usable screen estate by 0.5 inches.
Screen
Xperia Z:
-LCD technology, excellent clarity and details.
-Colors natural and closer to real life. Brava Engine 2 makes viewing photos and videos a pleasure and adds the pop back in the colors.
-Excellent visibility outdoors and in bright sunlight. Less reflective.
-Poor viewing angles and blacks & contrast may not be enough for some.
-I see a bit a of backlight bleeding and this does make the screen appear a little washed out at high brightness levels.
-IMO, kind of feel that Sony used a slightly sub-par display. I checked out the Z tablet yesterday and the screen does not exhibit similar issues.
S4:
-Samsung’s best Super AMOLED yet. Clarity and details par with the LCD. It’s hard to see the difference and I’d say 99% of people wouldn’t notice it.
-Excellent viewing angles and colors pop on this screen, it may be too saturated for some but the S4 provides the option of 4 screen modes to cater for different tastes.
-I’ve noticed that auto brightness allows higher brighter levels compared to manual setting. This is excellent as when in sunlight, the viewing experience was still comfortable.
-I prefer the natural colors of the Z more but the S4 screen has really grown on me. It is simply a superb screen and there is not much I can fault about it.
Performance & OS
-The S4 has the newer tech but in daily use both are just as capable of performing 99% of the tasks you throw at it.
-Power does not necessarily translate into speed. The S4 is well bloated out and consumes a massive 900mb of ram after boot up, whereas the Z is less than 600mb. Open up a few more apps and my S4 lags more than my Z. Your hardware is as good as your software and it’s evident that the software on the S4 is not fully optimized yet.
-Interface wise, the Z is refreshing, clean and minimal with some really nice touches and widgets, there’s also the excellent Walkman and Album (gallery) app that's second to none. If you like stock android, the Z is the closest you’ll get.
-The S4 has a lot of bells and whistles, some work well and others not, and that's all wrapped up in a dated Touchwiz interface. With 4.2.2 comes some nice UI improvements but it could have been better. The dull interface design just does not compliment the wonderful screen.
-Overall, despite a dated interface, Touchwiz does provide a fuller user experience. It’s not just a skin; it’s more of an eco-system which Samsung has put a lot of thought and effort into building.
Battery Performance
-There’s no argument on this one, the S4 has the better battery life. A slightly larger capacity and power efficient screen gives it the edge. Having used the S4 in the same way I have used my Z, the battery lasts well into the evening whereas with the Z it would have died on me by then.
-Another advantage is the option to be able to replace the S4 with a spare battery and this is definitely a convenience as well as a must for power users.
Call quality, Signal & Wi-Fi
-Both phones flared well with call quality and strength of signal.
-The in call audio on the Z has a lot of body but volume level low, whereas the on the S4 it’s crisp, loud and clear.
-The S4 has an adaptive sound capability which works very well as it tunes the audio to fit the listening capabilities of the left and right ears. Note this function works only in stock apps.
-The Z’s Wi-Fi capabilities are one of its weaknesses. Where I lost connection with the Z, the S4 stayed well connected.
Camera
-Despite the similar hardware, the S4 is a clear winner for me. The camera interface, ease of use and host of features make it hard to beat. It does what a smartphone camera is supposed to do but does it better.
-The Z is not a bad performer overall. All that is required is some tuning in its digital processing to improve clarity and sharpness in the photos.
Other Issues
-If you love listening to music on your phone, the Z and its Walkman provides the best audiophile I have ever heard on a smartphone.
-You won’t have headphone compatibility issues on the Z. There is a widespread problem with the S4, I don’t know if its software or hardware, but the audio clipping is frustrating and a nightmare! I had to resort to downgrading the headphone audiophile to avoid the problem.
Final Thoughts
The S4 and Z are excellent flagship smartphones. In the last 2 weeks, I’ve found the S4 to better the Z in some areas, but that should not put you off the Z. Why is that? Design, plastic, build quality and Touchwiz. If these factors bother you, then the S4 might not be the smartphone for you. The Xperia Z, on the other hand, is anything but cheap and plastic, while the interface is much more clean, simple and understated than Samsung’s Touchwiz.
I love the design of the Xperia Z, IMO it has the best balance in design, performance and software. That said, the Z isn’t perfect, the screen should have been better for a flagship and there are issues that need ironing out which hopefully will be fixed in the next software update not too distant away. The S4 has grown on me more than I expected. The plastic and its design doesn’t bother me anymore, I don’t even notice it. The screen looks more beautiful day by day and my work and productivity needs are handled better on the S4. I have also found that I prefer the home and capacitive touch buttons and enjoy the extra screen estate in the absence of the navigation bar. The software isn’t fully optimized, there is lag and Samsung seriously needs to do some work on it. Surprisingly though, at the start of the thread my choice was the Z but after 2 weeks, it appears the situation has changed and the truth is, the S4 suits my needs more. So, the S4 stays and the Z goes back for a refund. I wish I could have a mixture of both though! I highly recommend both devices, my top picks for 2013.
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