Home » Sunday » Technology
New Sony, Google phones worth look
July 14, 2013, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
WHILE smartphone pacesetters Apple and Samsung gear up for the launch of new products in the fall, some strong competitors are using the time to catch up with their own new products.
Japanese digital products giant Sony unveiled the new Xperia Z on Wednesday in the United States. It stands out for being water-resistant, and boasts a battery-saving feature. Google worked with both Samsung Electronics Co and HTC Corp to come out with "Google Play" editions of the hit phones.
For this week's Technology page, Anick Jesdanun provides an insightful rundown on these new options.
Sony Xperia Z
Think of a leading phone maker. Apple and Samsung might come to mind - maybe even HTC. But you're probably not thinking Sony, a company better known for its TVs, cameras and video game machines.
With the new Xperia Z, Sony shows it can play in the smartphone big leagues. The Xperia Z helps Sony catch up, but one feature stands out: Its water-resistant shell means you can submerge the phone. That's great if you're a lifeguard, or if you're prone to dropping your phone in toilets or spilling coffee near it. You can also take underwater video and use the phone during rainstorms.
Sony Corp also enhances the Android operating system made by Google Inc without cluttering the phone.
I particularly like the idea behind a battery-saving feature called Stamina. It's supposed to block apps from checking for updates when your screen is off. Calls and texts will still come through, and you can add exceptions such as email and Facebook. There's also a separate feature for dimming the screen and turning off some functions automatically when the battery drops to a certain level.
The phone comes with a screen that measures 12.5 centimeters diagonally and has a resolution of 443 pixels per 2.5cm - both comparable to Samsung's Galaxy S4. The Xperia has a 1.5 gigahertz quad-core processor, which is slightly slower than the S4 and the One, but the phone still feels zippy.
The Xperia has glass on both the front and the back. Plastic connects the two panes. The phone feels boxy and large in my hands. And having two glass panes means twice the surface capable of cracking.
The phone also has lots of plastic seals to keep water out of the ports for recharging your phone or connecting headphones. It takes a few extra seconds to get to the ports when you need them, but that beats having a dead phone.
And the phone does indeed work underwater. Sony says you can submerge it at least 1 meter deep for 30 minutes, though it's possible the phone will work if it's deeper or immersed for longer. You won't be able to use any of the on-screen touch controls while the phone is submerged, however. But functions already running will continue running.
The phone also ships with a Walkman music app. The Walkman app doesn't let you buy music. Rather, it's for music you already own and load onto the phone. The Xperia brings a lot of features from Sony's stand-alone Cyber-shot cameras. There's also something called the smile shutter, which automatically snaps the shot once it detects the subject smiling.
The Xperia plays catch-up in many respects, but it's out front in making water resistance a standard feature - it's something more phone makers should adopt as standard.
Google Phone
Google worked with both Samsung and HTC to come out with "Google Play" editions of the hit phones. Instead of customized software from Samsung and HTC, the Google phones run a pure version of Android, just as it was developed by Google.
With Google's version of the S4, I get a no-frills camera that is easy to figure out. It offers about a half-dozen shooting modes, such as night, action and panorama, rather than the dozen or so on the original S4. But a dozen is about a half-dozen more than I need and use.
Google's S4 also lacks the original model's ability to pause video automatically when you look away from the screen or to scroll down an article when you tilt your head. Those features may sound cool, but they often don't work properly.
As for Google's version of the HTC One, you don't get a busy home screen filled with news articles and Facebook status updates.
Both Google phones feel spare and minimal, which is great because it makes me feel in control.
The same goes for apps. I get basic functions such as text messaging and the clock and a range of Google services such as Gmail and YouTube. You might think it takes a lot of work to add the apps you want, but it actually takes more work to hide or turn off everything you don't need.
Now for the bad news: The Google edition of the S4 sells for US$649, while Google's HTC One goes for US$599.
The Google phones are also ideal for people who want the latest Android system that Google has to offer. You'll be able to update your phone as Google releases new versions of Android.
Google's S4 is compatible with Samsung's S-View flip cover. Using a magnetic sensor, the phone detects when the cover is closed and switches to a special mode that gives you the current time and details about who's calling through a small window. Google's HTC One, meanwhile, shares the original model's front-facing speakers, giving you great sound.
Both models also have cameras with larger sensor pixels for better low-light shots. Our tests show that the HTC One produces low-light images with less distortion than other Android phones, though images aren't particularly crisp because the resolution is lower.
On both phones, Google adds one feature I could do without: a 360-degree panorama known as Photo Sphere. Neat as it is, it detracts from what is otherwise a just-the-basics camera. It would have been better as a separate app for those who want it. But that's no reason to shun the Google phones.
Japanese digital products giant Sony unveiled the new Xperia Z on Wednesday in the United States. It stands out for being water-resistant, and boasts a battery-saving feature. Google worked with both Samsung Electronics Co and HTC Corp to come out with "Google Play" editions of the hit phones.
For this week's Technology page, Anick Jesdanun provides an insightful rundown on these new options.
Sony Xperia Z
Think of a leading phone maker. Apple and Samsung might come to mind - maybe even HTC. But you're probably not thinking Sony, a company better known for its TVs, cameras and video game machines.
With the new Xperia Z, Sony shows it can play in the smartphone big leagues. The Xperia Z helps Sony catch up, but one feature stands out: Its water-resistant shell means you can submerge the phone. That's great if you're a lifeguard, or if you're prone to dropping your phone in toilets or spilling coffee near it. You can also take underwater video and use the phone during rainstorms.
Sony Corp also enhances the Android operating system made by Google Inc without cluttering the phone.
I particularly like the idea behind a battery-saving feature called Stamina. It's supposed to block apps from checking for updates when your screen is off. Calls and texts will still come through, and you can add exceptions such as email and Facebook. There's also a separate feature for dimming the screen and turning off some functions automatically when the battery drops to a certain level.
The phone comes with a screen that measures 12.5 centimeters diagonally and has a resolution of 443 pixels per 2.5cm - both comparable to Samsung's Galaxy S4. The Xperia has a 1.5 gigahertz quad-core processor, which is slightly slower than the S4 and the One, but the phone still feels zippy.
The Xperia has glass on both the front and the back. Plastic connects the two panes. The phone feels boxy and large in my hands. And having two glass panes means twice the surface capable of cracking.
The phone also has lots of plastic seals to keep water out of the ports for recharging your phone or connecting headphones. It takes a few extra seconds to get to the ports when you need them, but that beats having a dead phone.
And the phone does indeed work underwater. Sony says you can submerge it at least 1 meter deep for 30 minutes, though it's possible the phone will work if it's deeper or immersed for longer. You won't be able to use any of the on-screen touch controls while the phone is submerged, however. But functions already running will continue running.
The phone also ships with a Walkman music app. The Walkman app doesn't let you buy music. Rather, it's for music you already own and load onto the phone. The Xperia brings a lot of features from Sony's stand-alone Cyber-shot cameras. There's also something called the smile shutter, which automatically snaps the shot once it detects the subject smiling.
The Xperia plays catch-up in many respects, but it's out front in making water resistance a standard feature - it's something more phone makers should adopt as standard.
Google Phone
Google worked with both Samsung and HTC to come out with "Google Play" editions of the hit phones. Instead of customized software from Samsung and HTC, the Google phones run a pure version of Android, just as it was developed by Google.
With Google's version of the S4, I get a no-frills camera that is easy to figure out. It offers about a half-dozen shooting modes, such as night, action and panorama, rather than the dozen or so on the original S4. But a dozen is about a half-dozen more than I need and use.
Google's S4 also lacks the original model's ability to pause video automatically when you look away from the screen or to scroll down an article when you tilt your head. Those features may sound cool, but they often don't work properly.
As for Google's version of the HTC One, you don't get a busy home screen filled with news articles and Facebook status updates.
Both Google phones feel spare and minimal, which is great because it makes me feel in control.
The same goes for apps. I get basic functions such as text messaging and the clock and a range of Google services such as Gmail and YouTube. You might think it takes a lot of work to add the apps you want, but it actually takes more work to hide or turn off everything you don't need.
Now for the bad news: The Google edition of the S4 sells for US$649, while Google's HTC One goes for US$599.
The Google phones are also ideal for people who want the latest Android system that Google has to offer. You'll be able to update your phone as Google releases new versions of Android.
Google's S4 is compatible with Samsung's S-View flip cover. Using a magnetic sensor, the phone detects when the cover is closed and switches to a special mode that gives you the current time and details about who's calling through a small window. Google's HTC One, meanwhile, shares the original model's front-facing speakers, giving you great sound.
Both models also have cameras with larger sensor pixels for better low-light shots. Our tests show that the HTC One produces low-light images with less distortion than other Android phones, though images aren't particularly crisp because the resolution is lower.
On both phones, Google adds one feature I could do without: a 360-degree panorama known as Photo Sphere. Neat as it is, it detracts from what is otherwise a just-the-basics camera. It would have been better as a separate app for those who want it. But that's no reason to shun the Google phones.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
