Sony quitely outs the Z Ultra in Google's latest Android - Kitkat, 4.4 to be exact. The Z Ultra sans the Xperia branding comes with waterproofing as well as the latest and the best hardware - software combinations but is this ginormous monster for you? Take a look at the review below where we divide our review into Hardware, Software, Camera, Battery and Conclusion.
Hardware
The Google Play edition lacks nothing in hardware if you are concerned. The same powerful 2.3Ghz Quad Core Snapdragon 800 chipset and Adreno 330 GPU run along just fine with the inclusion of 2GB RAM for zippiness. It would be unfair if we didn't mention the gigantic 6.4 inch Triluminous Display that strecthes with FULL HD resoltuion meaning 1920x1080, giving in 344ppi which is fairly sharp and bright. Some software features which enhance the viewing experience on the Z Ultra are X Reality Engine which is also seen on the Xperia version of the Z Ultra. The incredible slimness of 6.5mm still continues and we love it. The phone comes with 16GB of internal storage with expandibility upto 64GB via microSD card. Yes, the phone can take a swim at your pool and is dust resistant just like its Xperia brother since the microUSB port and the headphone jack are covered with rubber tips.
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Software
On the software side its a whole different story. Android 4.4 powered Z Ulta when powered up for the first time the device shows you the Google logo which becomes evident that the phone is a Google Play edition. The advantages of being one is that you have a lot less bloatware and you get a more clean, refined UI. You might think that Google doesn't want us to view our own photos and videos by completely removing the Gallery app, instead they want us to use their Google Photos app especially since Photos app features some pretty powerful editing tools. On the Android 4.4 here you won't get the Nexus styled launcher, rather you get the old one from 4.3 with the widgets tab in the app drawer. Yes, there is no Google Play page when swiped to the right but you can access it by swiping up from the on-screen home button. I don't think many people would be bothered by the fact that the Google decided not to launch the Z Ultra with a Nexus 5 style launcher since you can just install the Google Home apk along with the 2 companion apps from the zip right here -DOWNLOAD. Apart from the very stock Android 4.4 experience you get the X-Reality Engine that is highly acclaimed for its photo and video enhancing features.
Camera
The 8MP on the Z Ultra won't blow any minds but does a passable job according to the current market standards. Without the inclusion of an LED flash, you pretty much have to shoot if you have considerable amount of light and forget about shooting in the dark, you'll end up shooting really dark photos. Videos though come out pretty good with 1080p @ 30fps, HDR on. Some of the sample images are below.
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Battery & Conclusion
The 3000mAH battery should do good for a day on moderate usage and 10 hours if you go all heavy duty on it. Coming to the conclusion, It's a sexy piece of design and impressively powered, too. Four Krait 400 cores clocked way up to 2.2 GHz and 2 gigs of RAM on the Snapdragon 800 chipset will never leave you short on torque. Sony has done well to address the screen deficiencies of past models and the X-Reality-powered (former Mobile Bravia) Triluminos display offers nicely improved viewing angles compared to the original Xperia Z. Of course, it may soon lose this or that advantage to the likes of the LG G2 or the Galaxy Note III, but even then it will be a force to be reckoned with for quite a while. And a phablet to be proud of. So, keep them coming, Sony.
Sony Z Ultra Google Play Edition - Full Phone Specifications
| Specifications | Sony Z Ultra |
|---|---|
| 2G Network | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G Network | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G Network | LTE 700 / 850 / 900/ 1700 / 1900 / 2100 / 2600 |
| SIM | Single SIM |
| Display Type | Sony Bravia ultra Slim TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, Triluminos display |
| Display Size | 1080 x 1920 pixels, Full HD, 6.4 inches (~344 ppi pixel density) |
| Features | Dust & Water Resistant, Quad-core 2.2 GHz Processor, Android OS v4.4 (Kitkat), 2 GB RAM |
| Phonebook | Yes, Practically Unlimited |
| Call Records | Yes, Practically Unlimited |
| Internal Memory | 16 GB Internal Storage, 2 GB RAM |
| Card Slot Memory | Yes, Microsd upto 64 GB |
| GPRS | Yes, Class 12 |
| EDGE | Yes, Class 12 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot |
| USB | Yes, microUSB v2.0, USB-Pendrive Host |
| Bluetooth | Yes, v4.0 with A2DP |
| 3G | HSDPA 42 Mbps, HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps |
| Camera Primary | 8 MP, 3264 x 2448 pixels, autofocus |
| Video | Yes, FUll HD Capture 1080p |
| Secondary | Yes, 2 MP, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound Alert Type | Vibration, MP3, WAV ringtones |
| Loudspeaker | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes |
| OS, CPU, Chipset, And GPU | Android OS, v4.4 (Kitkat), Quad-Core 2.2 GHz Krait 400 Processor, Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 Chipset And Adreno 330 GPU |
| Messaging | SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM |
| Browser | HTML5 And Flash (Download From Outside) |
| Radio | Stereo FM radio with RDS |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS support |
| Java | Yes, via Java MIDP emulator |
| Colors | Black, White, Purple |
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Ion 3050 mAh battery |
| Talktime | Up to 14 h (2G) / Up to 16 h (3G) |
| Standby | Up to 790 h (2G) / Up to 820 h (3G) |
| Price | $649 |
Author : Nadeem Ansari
Designation: Senior Editor
Bio: A gadget freak who can't make a day without his tiny little toys and is constantly trying to keep himself up to date with the latest events in tech history. Loves to read and write articles.
Bio: A gadget freak who can't make a day without his tiny little toys and is constantly trying to keep himself up to date with the latest events in tech history. Loves to read and write articles.
