Which phone to buy? Sony Xperia Z Ultra or Samsung Galaxy Note III

Discussion in 'Tablets and Smart Phones' started by kanej2007, Oct 9, 2013.

  1. kanej2007

    kanej2007 Guest

    Messages:
    8,394
    Likes Received:
    60
    GPU:
    MSI GTX 1080 TI 11GB
    Hi fellow gurus, just needed some advice on which phone to get and why.

    I used both devices and was blown away by the performance. Extremely fast and responsive making my current Galaxy Note II seem slow, lol.

    Here are the main differences, advantages and disadvantages of each device.

    Samsung Galaxy Note III over the Sony Xperia Z:

    More ram - 3Gb vs 2Gb
    Camcorder - 4K HD video resolution of 47mb/s. :)
    Size - More pocketable 5.7''
    Battery - Slightly larger battery of 3100mAH battery

    Sony Xperia Z over Samsung Galaxy Note II:

    Size - 6.4'' IPS screen. Bigger screen with accurate colours.
    Waterproof - The fact it's waterproof & has the ability to shoot stills & 1080p videos under water is a bonus
    Price - It's slightly cheaper
    Build quality - Excellent build quality boasting a metal rear & a glass front.

    There are other advantages & disadvantages but I've listed the main ones from the top of my head.

    So gurus, what would you pick and why?
     
  2. alanm

    alanm Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    12,235
    Likes Received:
    4,437
    GPU:
    RTX 4080
    SGN3 Dimensions : 151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3 mm (5.95 x 3.12 x 0.33 in)
    Weight 168 g (5.93 oz)

    Z ultra Dimensions : 179.4 x 92.2 x 6.5 mm (7.06 x 3.63 x 0.26 in)
    Weight 212 g (7.48 oz)

    Can you comfortably lug the z ultra around? Are your pockets big enough? I guess tight jeans and sitting down would be out of the question :D.

    Z ultra has a mid-range camera (8mp) and no flash vs the superior 13mp camera on the SGN3.

    http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_z_ultra-5540.php

    http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note_3-5665.php

    Although the z is fascinating to me, just doesnt seem as practical as the note 3 for day to day usage.
     
  3. kanej2007

    kanej2007 Guest

    Messages:
    8,394
    Likes Received:
    60
    GPU:
    MSI GTX 1080 TI 11GB
    Thanks for summing the two up alanm. With regards to practicality, the Note III is indeed better and far more pocketable. :)

    The larger screen, build quality and the fact it's waterproof makes it hard to resist.

    Regarding camera quality and performance I'm not too bothered.

    Strange the Sony phone is cheaper than it's Samsung rival...
     
  4. fasteddy

    fasteddy Guest

    Messages:
    636
    Likes Received:
    4
    GPU:
    2 x Asus HD6950oc
    Look at the Z1 instead of the Ultra?
     

  5. kanej2007

    kanej2007 Guest

    Messages:
    8,394
    Likes Received:
    60
    GPU:
    MSI GTX 1080 TI 11GB
    Yeah, better camera and smaller screen.
     
  6. Mr.Bigtime

    Mr.Bigtime Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    20,791
    Likes Received:
    11
    GPU:
    4090 on Laptop
    Z1 screen is TFT again i guess. not good?
     
  7. kanej2007

    kanej2007 Guest

    Messages:
    8,394
    Likes Received:
    60
    GPU:
    MSI GTX 1080 TI 11GB
    Your right, the screen is TFT. However, it's TFT 1080 x 1920 pixels and 441 ppi pixel density.

    It uses Sony's Triluminos display backed up by the X-Reality engine.

    The screen is actually very good. It's fairly accurate and colours are punchy.
     
  8. Nafta

    Nafta Master Guru

    Messages:
    469
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    Gigabyte 7950/HD4000 MVP
  9. kanej2007

    kanej2007 Guest

    Messages:
    8,394
    Likes Received:
    60
    GPU:
    MSI GTX 1080 TI 11GB
    The HTC One Max is another option. Also having a thinner bezel meaning more pocketable!

    The bezel is quite large on the Xperia Z Ultra, I wish it was thinner making it easier to fit in the pocket.

    I wish it came with Snapdragon 800 instead of 600. :(

    Waiting for official pricing and I will decide on what to get.
     
  10. dcx_badass

    dcx_badass Guest

    Messages:
    9,965
    Likes Received:
    1
    GPU:
    Palit GTX 1060 6GB
    Bare in mind sony's lies. Even though on their website it says waterproof and shows it submerged, when people use the warranty for water damage Sony have been denying it claiming it's only water resistant and cannot be submerged. A few people complained on Facebook about it and Sony tried it on, I posted a screenshot of their site saying it. They just stopped replying and deleted the post I think.
    You'd easily win in court as it does say waterproof and does show it submerged. But if you're not prepared to do that then I would not consider waterproof a usable feature.
    I did submit it to xda as news with proof but they're very pro Sony and just ignored it.
     

  11. vbetts

    vbetts Don Vincenzo Staff Member

    Messages:
    15,140
    Likes Received:
    1,743
    GPU:
    GTX 1080 Ti
    XDA is pro development, not pro slander. Sony is not stupid, they wouldn't state that it's waterproof without having conditions listed.(Even if these conditions are listed in a smaller text, by law they must give explanation for it. As well as for their warranty, what they consider to be fair claim against damages for the phone.)

    As far as the two phones go, Samsung has had fairly nice support in their Galaxy line as far as updates go. Both are great with open source licenses and post their sources fairly quickly, so development is pretty nice on both.(I imagine CM would support both) One thing to think about though, think about brand. This might sound silly, but what about accessories? Samsung series is known more than Sony series of mobile devices, so finding cases, screen protectors, replacement parts, anything for the Note III might be easier.
     
    Last edited: Oct 11, 2013
  12. EspHack

    EspHack Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    2,795
    Likes Received:
    188
    GPU:
    ATI/HD5770/1GB
    xperia z ultra for me, but i would choose the z1 if possible, i see no reason for 6.4" screen and the lack of even a cheap led flash is unacceptable
     
  13. dcx_badass

    dcx_badass Guest

    Messages:
    9,965
    Likes Received:
    1
    GPU:
    Palit GTX 1060 6GB
    I'm on holiday and will be for another 6 weeks so can't get a direct link.

    But they can write what they want in the t&cs but in the advertising info on the website it says waterproof and shows it submerged and states the IP rating (which again says submergible), so they don't have a leg to stand on when they then claim it's not waterproof or submergible, wouldn't stand up at all when it'd used on all the advertising material.
     
  14. Speed Weed

    Speed Weed Guest

    Messages:
    1,066
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    GTX 260+
    Don't allow the fact that I'm a Samsung fanboy cloud your opinion, but the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is a brilliant piece of kit.
    Had mine since launch day, and no signs of any glitches so far.
    Have more media loaded than you can shake a stick at.
    However, I will say that the camera isn't any better than the one on my old SGS3.
     
  15. snip3r_3

    snip3r_3 Guest

    Messages:
    2,981
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    1070
    The thing is if the water indicators inside the flaps show that water entered, then they won't repair the phone. The caveat is that nearly all phones will work fine under water, just a few lemons that probably had a bad rubber insulation ring somewhere (like the flaps), which means some will just be unlucky. If Sony (also Samsung, LG have the same conditions) covers water damage when the indicators show water entered, then they'll be in for quite a large amount of RMAs. They need to develop a system to determine if flaps were closed when the phone enters water, as that will be the only way to determine if warranty covers the water damage or not. In my experience, it really comes down to the service center you go to. The better ones typically accept your story, unless you have a huge record of repairs.

    Samsungs should be more easily repairable down the line though, the Z, Z1, ZU all have sealed backs. Unlike the iPhones, there aren't as many 3rd party repair stores that can quickly and cheaply replace parts when you need them (like the battery). Coming from an iPhone 4 and Z, I really miss the (cheap) option of getting a new battery after a year of constant usage. There are plenty of accessories for the newer Xperia series now, however they might not be as prevalent in non-Asia regions. I bought most of my accessories from Japan, which has quite a large number of variety (enough 1st party case designs to rival MotoX).
     
    Last edited: Oct 11, 2013

  16. kanej2007

    kanej2007 Guest

    Messages:
    8,394
    Likes Received:
    60
    GPU:
    MSI GTX 1080 TI 11GB
    Looks like I wont be using it when swimming then, just incase lol. :)

    I went with Sony and bought the Xperia Z Ultra...

    Beautiful phone and it actually fits in my pockets, haha.

    It's very slim and I barely feel it in my pocket.

    I was interested in the Samsung Galaxy Note III but since I previously owned the Galaxy, Galaxy Note & Galaxy Note II I needed a change from Samsung!

    Also, the Sony was cheaper then the Galaxy Note III and was the same cost as the S4, how could I say no?
     
  17. CPC_RedDawn

    CPC_RedDawn Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    10,412
    Likes Received:
    3,078
    GPU:
    PNY RTX4090
    Note 3!

    100% this will be my next phone soon as well. Tried it out in store and its awesome!
     
  18. yelsewshane

    yelsewshane Banned

    Messages:
    1,588
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    Sapphire VaporX 290
    By waterproof they mean you possibly walk out in the rain with it. I assure you if you put that phone in a bucket of water it will stop working.
     
  19. snip3r_3

    snip3r_3 Guest

    Messages:
    2,981
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    1070
    They actually do. Its just that warranty does does not cover water damage.
     
  20. dcx_badass

    dcx_badass Guest

    Messages:
    9,965
    Likes Received:
    1
    GPU:
    Palit GTX 1060 6GB
    O RLY?

    [​IMG]
     

Share This Page