Reviews Team TTR

Sony Xperia Z Ultra Review - Part 2 : What makes it so special?

Introduction When I first got my hands on the Sony Xperia Z Ultra smartphone, it was love at first sight. The thing about love at first sight is that you would not have an idea why you love the device, but you simply have some good feelings towards it. That is why, I am going to decipher and think of why I could subcon

Sony Xperia Z Ultra Review - Part 2 : What makes it so special?

Introduction

When I first got my hands on the Sony Xperia Z Ultra smartphone, it was love at first sight. The thing about love at first sight is that you would not have an idea why you love the device, but you simply have some good feelings towards it. That is why, I am going to decipher and think of why I could subconsciously fall in love with a smartphone the moment I laid my hands on it. I've came out with 2 core main reasons for those feelings and 2 more reasons for why it got me even more excited.

[Part 1] Introduction, Specifications and Design
[Part 2] 4 Core Differentiation factors of the Sony Xperia Z Ultra
[Part 3] Camera tests - Videos and Photos 
[Part 4] Hardware and Performance Tests 
[Part 5] Usability and Conclusion 

1. It's her overall outlook and the stunning screen

It seems that Sony's '1' initiative to bring technologies from their different product segments into all their products are starting to show off its advantages. Within the display of Sony Xperia Z Ultra, there are two technologies from Sony's flagship Bravia TV. We're truly getting the best of the best technology from Sony.

The two technologies incorporated into the Sony Xperia Z Ultra are Triluminous Display and X-Reality. Although some may think that they are just a little more than marketing names, let me explain what these two technologies brings to users and let you decide whether it really performs as good as it is said to do.




The Sony Xperia Z Ultra is the also the world's first 1080p Full HD display smartphone of its size. Imagine having a huge 50 inch full HD TV shrink down to a size of a big smartphone. The kind of pixel density and clarity that you get out of this new smartphone is almost unimaginable.

In order to compare the smartphone with the two technologies built in to other smartphones, we decided to download a 1080p resolution video from the internet and play them directly on the phones while take a photo of all the phones. However, I've got to say that the images do not recreate the same experience you will have on the smartphone and should be taken lightly.

Here are the test subjects : From the left to right, top to bottom :

  • Samsung Galaxy Note 2
  • Sony Xperia Z Ultra
  • Samsung Galaxy Nexus
  • BlackBerry Z10
  • iPhone 5
Note : All brightness are set to max

There are 2 factors which we consider a display to be good. Firstly, the display has to produce brilliant colours and it must be bright. Undoubtedly, the iPhone 5's Retina display has already made its own name by fairing exceptionally well in these 2 aspects. Will the Sony Xperia Z Ultra come close to the benchmark set by the iPhone 5?


From the above image, we can see that the two brightest displays come from the Sony Xperia Z Ultra and iPhone 5. The other displays from a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy Nexus looks fairly similar. If you look closer, there are details which are left out by the other smartphones which can be seem clearly on Xperia Z Ultra. The colours on the background wall seems to be have a lighter shade of blue as compared to the Samsung displays. Also, the skin tone seems to be more yellowish. In fact, the display produces colours very similarly to the iPhone 5. However, it's these small details which makes the whole overall viewing experience much more pleasant to a user. Coupled with it's large 6.44 inch screen, it's almost like watching shows on a TV screen as the smartphone is now held nearer to you. 


When in dark conditions, you can still see the differences in terms of colours. Let's put our focus to the ceiling of the videos, where you can see that the colours are reproduced in a brighter tone on the Sony Xperia Z Ultra than the Samsung and BlackBerry displays. Also you can see colours more distinctively on the girls' pants and blue is shown vividly.

2. It's her body - slim and sexy

Sony Xperia Z Ultra VS Galaxy Nexus
The Sony Xperia Z Ultra is in fact one of the slimmest smartphones on the market. Measured at only 6.5mm thick, the device seems to exude its allurement and sexiness just when one looks at it. Comparing the Samsung Galaxy Nexus to the Xperia Z Ultra, you can feel the huge difference in terms of style and class. The Galaxy Nexus just turned from a geek device into an old uncle's smartphone. 
Sony Xperia Z Ultra VS iPhone 5
Also, as compared to the iPhone 5, Sony Xperia Z Ultra is also thinner. However, because of its larger screen size, it have an overall classier and more refined look.

3. She responds to any kinds of intentional touch



Sony Xperia Z Ultra has got a ultra sensitive screen. It has been made known to us that the screen will respond to any kind of touch from metal tips. We've tried this on forks, pencils, pens and coins and the screen will respond accordingly. Moreover, the touch screen will also work with thick gloves, meaning that people who have seasonal climate in their country can finally use their phone in winter with their winter gloves on. 

We've made a simple video on the technology to show you the capabilities of the ultra sensitive touch screen. Enjoy. 

4. She performs well in the bathroom 


Have you ever thought of using your smartphone in the bathroom while you're bathing? How about taking photos of marine life? It is now possible with Sony Xperia Z Ultra as it is rated to be waterproof. It is IP certified to be water resistant and also dust-proof (IP55/58). By definition, this means that :
  • Limited protection against dust ingress - harmfull amounts cant get in
  • Protected against continuous immersion in water no deeper than 100cm - pool or pond light
  • Protected against low pressure jets of water from all directions - strong spray with hose pipe


 Just by putting the phone under water, we can see that the screen exterior is hydrophobic and the stream of water will immediately become droplets of water, flowing down the screen.


The phone also remains usable under water as well. This makes under water photos possible.

That's it

The 4 main core differentiation factors for the Sony Xperia Z Ultra smartphone. Sony Xperia Z Ultra is the perfect example of the amalgamation of design concept, beauty and technology. These 3 core areas which when knitted tightly together has shown what a smartphone can really be. It has set a new benchmarks for competing device to overtake.

For the LATEST tech updates,
FOLLOW us on our Twitter
LIKE us on our FaceBook
SUBSCRIBE to us on our YouTube Channel!

Related Articles