So far everything is working fine.
Urgent info - The phone I received was configured in Chinese (Mandarin) so it needed to be reset in English which was a relatively easy task if you are familiar with the android OS.
Next, in order to use any mobile data for at&t or T-mobile you must set your access point for each respective company. This is as simple as searching the APN names for either and setting it accordingly or calling technical support to get the APN designation.
Notes - The phone is very slippery, I've never contemplated buying phone cases for previous phones but considering how nice this phone is I would hate to drop it. I am coming from a Sony Xperia Z(first gen) which was ergonomically superior.
The camera is far superior than any other phone I've used with great clarity and fast enough to snap off some quick shots.
As others have stated the sound key is not in a good position but it may be an issue of internal space. It works fine in the horizontal position which it seems more suited to. The screen is excellent with no flaws spotted yet.
As with heat, I haven't noticed anything alarming. I've shot two 5 minute videos and it does get warm but nothing worse than what I've used before. It surprisingly gets hotter while on a call.
Update- After a few weeks of use and the latest OS update, the heat has grown a bit but nothing concerning, The heat dissipates rather quickly when yo run you hand over it.
Going back to the slipperiness. Man, its like trying to hold a ice cube sometimes. It really needs a case or rubberized bumper. I tried cleaning it with alcohol, but nothing helped.
Do not update this phone to latest update. The first received OS system worked fine, there has been a few niggles with the latest software patch. Sometimes the screen will fail to rotate on apps, and will only start working again if you restart phone, or launch the camera and open a picture(only thing I've tested so far to get it to work). This has happened twice in the passed week and i don't know what is causing it, but it never happened before the update.
Comparison against the new Samsung s7 edge. The edge feels significantly thinner and lighter and has more grip. This phone feels like a lead weight in comparison. This screen is a bit more vibrant in low light situations, but in daylight the edge is far superior. I personally like the bigger profile of this phone, but not when laying down trying to hold it in a elevated position. Simply too heavy without using two hands. I figured the problem with the flat blueish tinge is not an issue with the phone, but the actual OS, as it also appears to look similar on the Edge. The actual application boxes and menus are poorly colored on this OS. When viewing anything else, the color looks absolutely fine on both screens, with the Xperia having a slight edge in clarity and sharpness. The S7edge has a very smooth overlay and looks less pixelated in some cases. It's not until viewing documents and pictures/videos does the ppi of the sony stand out. The speakers on the xperia is superior in depth and direction but not as loud. The s7 edge does a better job suppressing bass which gives it a bit more clarity and loudness.
The camera layout is better on the Xperia, but the edge beats it with smoothness and color reproduction. The default settings on the xperia is very bland, and takes some time setting it accordingly to get better money shots. The edge gives you a much more artistic profile strait out the box. The edge camera is also a bit faster, making it more stable. Video playback is better on the xperia given the flat edges and larger screen. I don't particular like the edge for watching videos given the curved sides. Lastly, contrary to my issues with the xperia being very slippery and heavy, i actually have a harder time grasping the edge do to the thin side profile, when scrolling through menus on the s7, it feels much more wobbly and loose in my hand.
If weight is an issue i would go with the edge. This Xperia is a bigger fashion statement and the screen is slightly better. But i would say the mirror on the back of this phone yields more usefulness :). I've had three girls ask to use my phone and check out their faces with the mirror on the back.
Reviews with images
Submit a report
A few common reasons customers report reviews:
- Harassment, profanity
- Spam, advertisement, promotions
- Given in exchange for cash, discounts
When we get your report, we'll check if the review meets our Community guidelines. If it doesn't, we'll remove it.
Sorry, there was an error
Please try again later.Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2016
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2016
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2016
It is stylish, it is a beast of a phone, and above all, it is everything you would expect from a premium Sony phone.
I love a lot of things on my Z5 premium. Some are great upgrades from my previous phone, the Z1.
This is just personal preferences, but I liked the Walkman App before it turned to the Android Lollipop Music App.
Lollipop is just not type. I will probably revert to KitKat because I love the UI and overall feel better than Lollipop's.
The power button is slightly sunken. Unlike the Z1, where it was easily accessible with a slightly outward button.
Lastly, and yes, this is was shocking for me as well. The screen.
With a whopping 806 PPI (Pixels Per Inch) 4K screen, you would expect the display quality to be as clear as looking out a window. So unless I bought a faulty phone, I kid you not, the screen looks pixelated. Yes, you read that right. Pixelated.
Now, I know that everything except the Album and Video apps are down-scaled to 1080P. So I tested the 4K photos and videos, and to my astonishment, there they are! Still looking pixelated, even at 4K. I had to look through a magnifying glass to see them up close. I compared my old Z1, my dad's Z Ultra and the Z5 Premium. Again big surprise, both my old Z1 and the Z ultra pixels can barely be seen, with very faint black lines separating the pixels, while on the Z5 Premium the lines were considerably much more noticeable.
Looking at all three phones from a normal distance, the Z1 and Z Ultra's screens do not look pixelated at all, while my Z5, even from a fair distance, you can still faintly see the pixelation.
Basically, I have phone with a 4K display, but it almost makes me feel like it has a WVGA display.
Lastly, I've never seen a phone reflect dots from a turned off display before. My Z5 Premium for some reason reflects dots, pixels, I don't know what they are in a squared grid pattern whenever the screen reflects light. Whether its from the Sun or any regular light, you will clearly see them. Regardless if whether the phone is on or not.
Conclusion.
The phone itself is awesome. Great new features, great audio, superb built quality and respectable camera.
It might just be my phone, its too early to tell, since a lot people don't own this phone yet, but make sure to check with others who own the phone and ask if they see pixelation or have a faulty displays in their Z5 Premium as well.
[[ASIN:B0171GYNGW Sony Xperia Z5 Premium E6853 5.5-Inch 4K UHD Display Factory Unlocked (CHROME) - International Stock No Warranty]
Almost all that I expected.... But not quite.
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2016
The Sony Xperia Z5 premium phone is one that will certainly get people's attention.Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2016
It is stylish, it is a beast of a phone, and above all, it is everything you would expect from a premium Sony phone.
I love a lot of things on my Z5 premium. Some are great upgrades from my previous phone, the Z1.
This is just personal preferences, but I liked the Walkman App before it turned to the Android Lollipop Music App.
Lollipop is just not type. I will probably revert to KitKat because I love the UI and overall feel better than Lollipop's.
The power button is slightly sunken. Unlike the Z1, where it was easily accessible with a slightly outward button.
Lastly, and yes, this is was shocking for me as well. The screen.
With a whopping 806 PPI (Pixels Per Inch) 4K screen, you would expect the display quality to be as clear as looking out a window. So unless I bought a faulty phone, I kid you not, the screen looks pixelated. Yes, you read that right. Pixelated.
Now, I know that everything except the Album and Video apps are down-scaled to 1080P. So I tested the 4K photos and videos, and to my astonishment, there they are! Still looking pixelated, even at 4K. I had to look through a magnifying glass to see them up close. I compared my old Z1, my dad's Z Ultra and the Z5 Premium. Again big surprise, both my old Z1 and the Z ultra pixels can barely be seen, with very faint black lines separating the pixels, while on the Z5 Premium the lines were considerably much more noticeable.
Looking at all three phones from a normal distance, the Z1 and Z Ultra's screens do not look pixelated at all, while my Z5, even from a fair distance, you can still faintly see the pixelation.
Basically, I have phone with a 4K display, but it almost makes me feel like it has a WVGA display.
Lastly, I've never seen a phone reflect dots from a turned off display before. My Z5 Premium for some reason reflects dots, pixels, I don't know what they are in a squared grid pattern whenever the screen reflects light. Whether its from the Sun or any regular light, you will clearly see them. Regardless if whether the phone is on or not.
Conclusion.
The phone itself is awesome. Great new features, great audio, superb built quality and respectable camera.
It might just be my phone, its too early to tell, since a lot people don't own this phone yet, but make sure to check with others who own the phone and ask if they see pixelation or have a faulty displays in their Z5 Premium as well.
[[ASIN:B0171GYNGW Sony Xperia Z5 Premium E6853 5.5-Inch 4K UHD Display Factory Unlocked (CHROME) - International Stock No Warranty]
Images in this review
