iPhone 5 to Xperia Z3 Compact

[TheStu]

I'm fairly entrenched in the iOS ecosystem, but my iPhone 5 has been like death by a thousand papercuts lately. I'm wanting a change, and Android 5 looks really good (4.0 was ok, but Material Design really looks great).

I'm set on the Z3C, I want that size device, and unlike other 'mini' variants, it looks like they didn't gimp the device too terribly much (2GB vs 3 in the larger phone, no wireless charging, slightly different design). But I'm looking for first hand accounts of whether the battery actually lasts 2 days.

Also, any major roadblocks that I'm going to face when switching? I know about iMessage, that'll be a bit of a pain, but I can handle it.

Any awesome apps that I just HAVE to check out?

 

[paperwastage]

http://forum.xda-developers.com/z3-compact/general/post-battery-usage-t2888204

no lollipop yet for the z3c, coming soon (says sony). if you buy a retail version, you can unlock bootloader to load (official) CM12, but you permanently lose some features (low-light camera performance, DRM, Sony PS4 remote play...)

if you are near a Sony store (eg NYC), they have it on display... maybe other retailers too? (B&H, Frys?)

 

[TheStu]

http://forum.xda-developers.com/z3-compact/general/post-battery-usage-t2888204

no lollipop yet for the z3c, coming soon (says sony). if you buy a retail version, you can unlock bootloader to load (official) CM12, but you permanently lose some features (low-light camera performance, DRM, Sony PS4 remote play...)

if you are near a Sony store (eg NYC), they have it on display... maybe other retailers too? (B&H, Frys?)

Not so sure that I care about the DRM stuff, or the remote play. Low light performance... I don't really take all that many pictures.

I'm not super close to NYC, but that's a good note about B&H, they're selling it for $50 less than Sony.

 

[drbrock]

Iphone 5 > than any android phone besides note 3 and up.

 

[jacktesterson]

Iphone 5 > than any android phone besides note 3 and up.

 

[VashHT]

I generally got a day and a half or so out of my z3 compact, 2 days if I was using it lightly. My work has awful reception though so that always makes my phones last less than they seem to on average.

 

[shortylickens]

i love mine. have posted about it many times.

do a search.

 

[cbrunny]

I'm fairly entrenched in the iOS ecosystem, but my iPhone 5 has been like death by a thousand papercuts lately. I'm wanting a change, and Android 5 looks really good (4.0 was ok, but Material Design really looks great).

I'm set on the Z3C, I want that size device, and unlike other 'mini' variants, it looks like they didn't gimp the device too terribly much (2GB vs 3 in the larger phone, no wireless charging, slightly different design). But I'm looking for first hand accounts of whether the battery actually lasts 2 days.

Also, any major roadblocks that I'm going to face when switching? I know about iMessage, that'll be a bit of a pain, but I can handle it.

Any awesome apps that I just HAVE to check out?

wait, do you mean '>' as an arrow or as in 'greater than'? If an arrow, suggest you change the symbol to the word 'to'.

 

[TheStu]

wait, do you mean '>' as an arrow or as in 'greater than'? If an arrow, suggest you change the symbol to the word 'to'.

Good call, wasn't thinking.

 

[lopri]

Here is my contribution. I have a Z Ultra, running stock rooted (4.4.4).

First, have a micro-SD card ready. 64 GB seems to be a sweet spot now. Even if you did not use much storage on a phone before you will find it handy to store unimportant stuff like music and movies without worrying about losing internal memory capacity.

Download the manual from Sony site. Quick glancing through you may find it informative, especially about how storage is handled in Android. The virtualized nature of Android file system was one of the most confusing things when I first started using it. Of course you can use the phone without thinking about files and folders, but tech-oriented folks will want to have such a thing under control, neat and tidy. (The phone should come with a file manager)

Get a magnetic charger or a dock like this.

I got mine off eBay for $2 each. Amazon carries a few. Using one is way better than opening the flap for every charge.

http://www.amazon.com/Magnector-Perf...GW9KPAXDX13N2N
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Magnetic-...P9TA50Y2AE5765

A few specific apps - Check out "Small Apps" on Play store. Small Apps are Sony's multitasking feature, floating windows for select apps that stay on top of other apps. They are accessed from the bottom of Recent Apps screen (square on-screen button). I find them quite useful. Media Viewer Small App lets you launch YouTube in a floating window, for instance.

If you are more ambitious there are apps like Pie Control which give you control of your phone on any screen. Some require learning and getting used to, and even then it is not for everyone, IMO. You can also try an app like Power Toggles that lets you access just about everything on your phone from the notification bar.

SuperBeam is very handy transferring files without cables. I used to use AirDroid but that app became bloated beyond recognition so I ditched it.

Sony's stock icons are kind of ugly and out-of-date, so I bought Iride UI. They are a very good looking Material design icon set. (IMO) It requires a 3rd party launcher like Nova and Apex.

You can back up the DRM key if you decide to get root access. XDA should have a guide on how to. I do not care much for whatever features it enables but I've read that it is needed for warranty purpose.

Have fun!

 

[TheStu]

Here is my contribution. I have a Z Ultra, running stock rooted (4.4.4).

First, have a micro-SD card ready. 64 GB seems to be a sweet spot now. Even if you did not use much storage on a phone before you will find it handy to store unimportant stuff like music and movies without worrying about losing internal memory capacity.

Download the manual from Sony site. Quick glancing through you may find it informative, especially about how storage is handled in Android. The virtualized nature of Android file system was one of the most confusing things when I first started using it. Of course you can use the phone without thinking about files and folders, but tech-oriented folks will want to have such a thing under control, neat and tidy. (The phone should come with a file manager)

Get a magnetic charger or a dock like this.

I got mine off eBay for $2 each. Amazon carries a few. Using one is way better than opening the flap for every charge.

http://www.amazon.com/Magnector-Perf...GW9KPAXDX13N2N
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Magnetic-...P9TA50Y2AE5765

A few specific apps - Check out "Small Apps" on Play store. Small Apps are Sony's multitasking feature, floating windows for select apps that stay on top of other apps. They are accessed from the bottom of Recent Apps screen (square on-screen button). I find them quite useful. Media Viewer Small App lets you launch YouTube in a floating window, for instance.

If you are more ambitious there are apps like Pie Control which give you control of your phone on any screen. Some require learning and getting used to, and even then it is not for everyone, IMO. You can also try an app like Power Toggles that lets you access just about everything on your phone from the notification bar.

SuperBeam is very handy transferring files without cables. I used to use AirDroid but that app became bloated beyond recognition so I ditched it.

Sony's stock icons are kind of ugly and out-of-date, so I bought Iride UI. They are a very good looking Material design icon set. (IMO) It requires a 3rd party launcher like Nova and Apex.

You can back up the DRM key if you decide to get root access. XDA should have a guide on how to. I do not care much for whatever features it enables but I've read that it is needed for warranty purpose.

Have fun!

That's just what I was looking for, thanks lopri.

 

[zerogear]

I'm fairly entrenched in the iOS ecosystem, but my iPhone 5 has been like death by a thousand papercuts lately. I'm wanting a change, and Android 5 looks really good (4.0 was ok, but Material Design really looks great).

I'm set on the Z3C, I want that size device, and unlike other 'mini' variants, it looks like they didn't gimp the device too terribly much (2GB vs 3 in the larger phone, no wireless charging, slightly different design). But I'm looking for first hand accounts of whether the battery actually lasts 2 days.

Also, any major roadblocks that I'm going to face when switching? I know about iMessage, that'll be a bit of a pain, but I can handle it.

Any awesome apps that I just HAVE to check out?

I don't know about the Z3C, however, I have a Z2 and a M8 -- I think Sony probably has the best battery management in the industry. After a day of outing (taking pictures/videos/phone calls). I would still have 30% left on Z3, where on the M8, I would be single digit % or dead.

That said, Z3C will probably have a slightly shorter battery life than Z2 or Z3, but the battery management is phenomenal.

 

[paperwastage]

Not so sure that I care about the DRM stuff, or the remote play. Low light performance... I don't really take all that many pictures.

I'm not super close to NYC, but that's a good note about B&H, they're selling it for $50 less than Sony.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/crossdevice-dev/sony/giefroot-rooting-tool-cve-2014-4322-t3011598

root tool for z3/z3c (specific firmware versions only for now) came out.... can use it to backup those proprietary stuff

I'd suggest you visit the Sony store @ Madison & 55th.... they do have the z3 and z3c (and the different colors), just to take a look.. i do dig the orange version

 

[TheStu]

http://forum.xda-developers.com/crossdevice-dev/sony/giefroot-rooting-tool-cve-2014-4322-t3011598

root tool for z3/z3c (specific firmware versions only for now) came out.... can use it to backup those proprietary stuff

I'd suggest you visit the Sony store @ Madison & 55th.... they do have the z3 and z3c (and the different colors), just to take a look.. i do dig the orange version

When I said I wasn't super close... I'm about 200 miles from there. It's farther than I am willing to drive just to look at a phone.

The orange is the one I'm looking at getting.

 

[tvdang7]

I would say the Z3c is better than a 5s so yes its better than the 5. the 5 camera is pretty bad in comparison to the last 2 years of android phones In my opinion . Screen is bigger battery life should be longer, Build quality about equal if not better depending on who you talk to. Operating system aside the z3c is better than the 5 in pretty much every possible way.

 

[TreVader]

As somebody who would have said the exact same things you did in april 2013 and who made the same mistake you are about to make now: you'll regret it! It looks awesome now... but just you wait. It's coming....



That said, I advise you to try it, if only to familiarize yourself for the things android does do better than iOS. It will also give you a newfound appreciation for the iOS ecosystem. Have fun!

 

[TheStu]

I would say the Z3c is better than a 5s so yes its better than the 5. the 5 camera is pretty bad in comparison to the last 2 years of android phones In my opinion . Screen is bigger battery life should be longer, Build quality about equal if not better depending on who you talk to. Operating system aside the z3c is better than the 5 in pretty much every possible way.

I meant that I was wanting to transition from the iPhone 5 to the Z3c. Honestly, the hardware on the iPhone 5/s is sufficient for my needs, so the fact that the Z3c is faster is nice, but not critical. Same for the camera. I take very few pictures with my phone.

As somebody who would have said the exact same things you did in april 2013 and who made the same mistake you are about to make now: you'll regret it! It looks awesome now... but just you wait. It's coming....



That said, I advise you to try it, if only to familiarize yourself for the things android does do better than iOS. It will also give you a newfound appreciation for the iOS ecosystem. Have fun!

Well, I've considered that, but if I do end up hating it, I'll sell it on swappa or similar and should be able to recover most of my money. Then I'll just get a 5s. I can't stand the size of the iPhone 6 or most of the other devices out there.

 

[blackdogdeek]

Are your contacts in Google contacts or are they in the iOS contacts application?

 

[TheStu]

Are your contacts in Google contacts or are they in the iOS contacts application?

They're stored in iCloud, so I'll need to consolidate those, good call.

 

[blackdogdeek]

I haven't tested this solution myself but it came up as the first hit on a google search of "ios contacts to google contacts".

https://support.google.com/mail/answer/2753077?hl=en

 

[Gooberlx2]

I can't stand the size of the iPhone 6 or most of the other devices out there.

The 6 or the 6+? iPhone 6 isn't substantially larger than the Z3C, imo. I guess it's bigger deal if you need to use a protective case though.

link

 

[lopri]

OMG? I knew the Z3 Compact was small but did not appreciate just how smaller it is compared to other phones. That comparison is eye-opening considering the two phones have a same screen size.

To the OP: Forget the Small Apps that I mentioned in my earlier post. They are not going to be much use on this phone. I was thinking of a 6.5" screen of the Z Ultra.

 

[TheStu]

The 6 or the 6+? iPhone 6 isn't substantially larger than the Z3C, imo. I guess it's bigger deal if you need to use a protective case though.

link

Yes, I meant the iPhone 6. I have a 5, I like the size of the 5. I particularly like that the Z3c isn't too much taller than the 5. It's 6mm wider, which is noticeable, but hopefully something that I can adjust to.