Please convince me to get a Z3V

choshoguay

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Greetings. I'm upgrading VERY soon (maybe in days) and I'm heavily leaning towards the Droid Turbo at the moment. The Droid Turbo just seems it trumps all phones speed wise. There is also a larger user base which is always a plus. However, I've heard many issues that it's dealing with and that it struggles with the camera etc. The Turbo seems to be future proof with its snapdragon 805 processor and QHD display. All these specs and benchmarks are drawing me toward the Turbo, but I know deep down that the overall user experience will be better in the Z3V. I know that I'll be happy with the Z3V but I need some more convincing to get it. Someone please convince me otherwise! :(
 

jfd3

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I looked at both phones. I picked the z3v. I liked the look and feel of the device. The camera was probably the main weight that clunked the scale I the z3v's direction. The fact it has a dedicated button for the camera allows you to use it like a point and shoot.

Battery life is outstanding. I get better results than my friends turbos. Our speculation is the qhd display of the turbo vs "only" hd of the z3v.

Phone call quality is awesome. I have yet to hear anything but great feedback from the other end.

SD card capability is a plus for the z3v.

Qi charging is mandatory to me for this phone. The water proofness of the phone make access to the USB port a pain. Eat that, folks who claim that the z3v is a basterdization of the z3.

The biggest problem is the lack of choices of cases. That's important for some folks. The turbo will always have more choices.

I don't mean to minimize the awesomeness of the turbo. My son is getting one. But for me, I have never felt that I made the wrong decision.

I hope this helps.

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choshoguay

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One of the main issues for the Z3V for me is the size and also how fragile it is. Being that it is made out of glass, it sounds like it would shattered after just one drop. Do you think it could survive a drop or two (assuming after two years you would at least drop it once)? Also how do you like the size of the phone? Thanks.
 

Roy Droid

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pchain

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Here are my thoughts:

Camera: The Z3v camera is high quality and considered to be among the best on any phone with the added bonus of a dedicated camera key. My own experience with the Z3v camera has been stellar. When you want to take a picture there is no lag. The pictures are clear with very natural color, and not overly saturated. Low lighting pics are very very good! The Turbo (as with most flagship phones) can take good pictures if there is great light. If not in perfect lighting it can be hit or miss, and in low lighting not nearly as good. The Turbo also suffers from a very slow shutter speed that can make it difficult to capture anything moving. The consensus among Motorola users has always been that the sensor and hardware is good, but the software and processing isn't. Motorola users continually hope for an update to fix the camera deficiencies, but it seems like it never comes. Not sure if that will be the case with the Turbo, although rumors hoping that that Lollipop will fix it abound. If having a good camera is important to you, the choice is probably going to be the Z3v. If it's less important to you, the Turbo can take good pictures with patient use and will probably meet basic camera needs.

Processor & GPU: The Turbo has the 805 while the Z3v has the 801. Unless you are using your phone for very high end and intensive purposes, the difference wouldn't be noticed in everyday use. You're more apt to notice the perception of a speedier interface by simply controlling animation and transition speeds. I've also seen it argued that the benefit of the newer processor and GPU is really negated by the fact that the Turbo is pushing so many more pixels with the QHD display the Turbo has. The 801 processor combined with the 1080p resolution of the Z3v is just as "future proof" in my opinion, unless as I've said you're doing crazy intensive graphic activities. For the casual user there's no practical difference.

Display: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it also depends whether you have bionic vision to be able to tell the difference. The Turbo has the QHD AMOLED while the Z3v has the 1080p LCD (Sony Triluminous) display. AMOLED is typically more punchy with more contrast making the colors a little over saturated and whites slightly bluish. LCD is typically more natural with not quite as deep blacks and whites more warm. This comes down as a personal choice and is completely subjective to the user. I have had three phones with AMOLED displays and really enjoyed them and thought they were much better than LCD. But after having this Z3v, I am totally sold on the naturalness of it's LCD display. Personal opinion though. The Turbo isn't quite as bright as the Z3v overall, and I've read many user posts that indicate the same sentiment. As far as the resolution, here is where bionic vision comes into play. While it's certainly cool to say you've got more pixels than your friends, the reality is you can't really tell the difference, especially since 99% of apps don't even support it, and it will be years before they do. So in my opinion, the only thing you get besides bragging rights is a need for a better processor and GPU, and a bigger drain on battery.

Battery Life: This is one area that I have been the most pleasantly surprised by with the Z3v. It is rock solid! I am consistently getting 8.5 to 9.5 hours of actual screen on time without using any of the stamina modes, and everything left on except Bluetooth. (I did disable all Verizon apps, and Amazon Suite) Longest single day screentime was 11 hours. I recharge nightly so I haven't really done long term testing, but I did get 42 hours of use and 7 hours of screen time. Keep in mind that I live in an area that LTE reception is poor, averaging between 105-110 dBm. To say that I'm impressed is an understatement. Reading through the Turbo forums, I'm seeing some great battery life here and there, but on the average people are getting less battery life than my Z3v, and they are turning things off as well. As with the camera on the Turbo, many are hoping that the Lollipop update will fix their battery issues. I'm thinking that the QHD display on the Turbo is using a lot of battery, and conversely the 1080 display on the Z3v is using less. I charge each night while sleeping and have never gone less than 40% on my heaviest of days. Works for me.

Form Factor. Many people harp on the Z3v because it is too similar to the Z2. It's a subjective thing, but I happen to like the slab factor of the Z3v. Overall it stands out, looking classy and professional and less toy like or tool like. People also harp on the back glass panel because it's glass. The Z2 had the same glass panel and it was stellar in drop tests. I don't have a case on my Z3v, and I'm not worried at all. I'm good to my phones though. The Turbo with its curved back will lay more comfortably in your hand than the Z3v, but I have no issues holding the Z3v with my smaller hands. You need to play with both phones in person to really know what's right for you. I just like having something different that everyone else too.

Reception: I have read and also heard from several people who switched from the new Moto X and Turbo to the Z3v that the reception is the same if not better on the Z3v. Also in regards to the Turbo, the signal is reduced if you put your finger over the top of the phone where the antenna is now located. I don't have experience with the X or Turbo reception to compare, but the Z3v is much better than my last two Samsung's by long shot, and I have never had any phone that didn't drop a call when I drive into my parking garage until this Z3v. The Z3v is the most stable reception I've had on any device.

Both the Turbo and Z3v are great devices in my opinion. In fact, i was planning to buy the Turbo, but bumped into this Z3v and instantly fell in love. I think the overall user experience would be better on the Z3v, but it depends what is important to you.

The down side to the Z3v is that there are simply more users and therefore more user support on Verizon for the Turbo. But then again at this point it seems like you would need more support given all the issues that are cropping up with the Turbo. The Turbo is a beast but it still needs to be tamed as it seems like it was launched a tad prematurely.

Not that this is a huge indication, but on the Verizon site, customer reviews rate the Z3v a little higher than the Turbo.

Sorry for the long post.... Hope my thoughts were at least somewhat helpful!
 

darkestred

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I am currently test driving the z3. While a bit bigger than my g2, it is a very nice phone.

The phone zips through everything.
The Display is very nice.
Battery has been very impressive but not mind blowing as i have a g2 which also has a very nice battery.
Many other positives others have mentioned.

I could do away with some bezels and it definitely doesnt feel as nice in-hand as the g2 but so far i am really liking it.

I wouldn't worry about the glass i know someone who has dropped it a few times without the case and its barely dinged. You really have to look for it.
 

DJ Sandman

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I basically bought the Z3v for MHL and mirrorcasting support. My old Droid Razr Maxx died on me and it had a micro HDMI output. To keep my Unlimited Data Plan, I first bought the Moto X Gen 2 before the Z3v came out. Great phone, but no such luck on the MHL/casting. I exchanged the Moto X for the Z3v due to that fact.

While I like the Z3v, the Moto X is just a smooth and snappy phone. The Z3v is smooth and snappy UI-wise, but I have noticed occasional buffering issues with streaming music and watching videos. The Moto X, during my 13 day trial run, was simply flawless!

I regret returning it, but I enjoyed watching videos from the Razr Maxx and wanted the same experience today. Luckily, the Z3v has MHL and mirrorcasting capabilities because I'm semi "off the grid" with no internet/WIFI and today's phones have ditched the micro HDMI.

FWIW, I researched and tested all of the current Verizon phones. IMHO, the Moto X is not only the best bang for your buck, it's the best phone available right now. And yes, I think it's better than the Droid Turbo. Bigger specs and battery isn't always better.

Long story short, I recommend the Moto X Gen 2... esp. if you don't use your phone for mirrorcasting lol.
 
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pchain

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Interesting... I have not experienced any lag or buffering issues watching videos or streaming music on my Z3v. And I don't use WiFi either. Since owning this device I haven't experienced one glitch at all...am I lucky? But yes, if the new moto x had a great camera and a bigger battery I would have gotten it for sure when it came out. I actually like the leather back too!
 

darkestred

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Interesting... I have not experienced any lag or buffering issues watching videos or streaming music on my Z3v. And I don't use WiFi either. Since owning this device I haven't experienced one glitch at all...am I lucky? But yes, if the new moto x had a great camera and a bigger battery I would have gotten it for sure when it came out. I actually like the leather back too!

This is very true. The moto x would have been my next device but 2300 mah just does not cut it.
 

DJ Sandman

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Could be?!? Mind you, the buffering isn't a constant issue, but it intermittently rears its ugly head more often than the Moto X, especially on Slacker Radio.

Video buffering, as opposed to music streaming, happens less often. And FWIW, no major "lag issues" for me as well on the Z3v... just intermittent buffering.

Also, the Chrome browser is a tad quicker on the Moto X than the Z3v. And yes, the Z3v has more battery juice, but it could be even better if it weren't for all of the bloatware. I'm lazy, but I will get around to disabling the Verizon/Sony bloat.

The camara differences - this is where I actually like the Moto X better than the Z3v, despite all of the Motorola camara hate. My brother bought the Moto X just last week and we had a "photo contest" and we both agreed, the Moto X actually produced better vibrant colors than the Z3v. Clarity-wise, it was a tie.

Interesting... I have not experienced any lag or buffering issues watching videos or streaming music on my Z3v. And I don't use WiFi either. Since owning this device I haven't experienced one glitch at all...am I lucky? But yes, if the new moto x had a great camera and a bigger battery I would have gotten it for sure when it came out. I actually like the leather back too!
 
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pchain

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Greetings. I'm upgrading VERY soon (maybe in days) and I'm heavily leaning towards the Droid Turbo at the moment. The Droid Turbo just seems it trumps all phones speed wise. There is also a larger user base which is always a plus. However, I've heard many issues that it's dealing with and that it struggles with the camera etc. The Turbo seems to be future proof with its snapdragon 805 processor and QHD display. All these specs and benchmarks are drawing me toward the Turbo, but I know deep down that the overall user experience will be better in the Z3V. I know that I'll be happy with the Z3V but I need some more convincing to get it. Someone please convince me otherwise! :(
Here's a good reason to get the Z3v on Black Friday.... its free on contract

http://www.theverge.com/2014/11/25/7280359/black-friday-2014-verizon-att-sprint-t-mobile
 

blueskies469

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Could be?!? Mind you, the buffering isn't a constant issue, but it intermittently rears its ugly head more often than the Moto X, especially on Slacker Radio.

Video buffering, as opposed to music streaming, happens less often. And FWIW, no major "lag issues" for me as well on the Z3v... just intermittent buffering.

Also, the Chrome browser is a tad quicker on the Moto X than the Z3v. And yes, the Z3v has more battery juice, but it could be even better if it weren't for all of the bloatware. I'm lazy, but I will get around to disabling the Verizon/Sony bloat.

The camara differences - this is where I actually like the Moto X better than the Z3v, despite all of the Motorola camara hate. My brother bought the Moto X just last week and we had a "photo contest" and we both agreed, the Moto X actually produced better vibrant colors than the Z3v. Clarity-wise, it was a tie.

DJSandman .... Can you upload pics that from the Z3v and Moto X so we can see the difference. Camera quality is important to me. Thanks!
 

DJ Sandman

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... in the meantime, there's a good review on the Z3v via Mobile Cup of Joe on YouTube, including sime pic samples.

Since I can't post links yet, search this title on YouTube... "Sony Xperia Z3v Review: One of Verizon's Hottest Phones for the Holidays"...
 
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DJ Sandman

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... and one more good video to pass along from Mobile Cup of Joe, if you have an hour to kill lol.

Search this title... What's Brewing? What Makes a Device "Superior"?

The same guy that reviewed the Z3v gives it a little more love, and a couple of misses. It's a good "Roundtable Discussion" from 11/21 on phones, tablets, etc.
 
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Inders99

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How are the voice commands on this phone? I drive around a lot for my work and need a hands free device I can command verbally. My present phone a GS3 is dreadful, I just pull over and dial manually now...unacceptable.

How about text read-back features too?
 

xeene

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The only thing it won't do is listen to your commands with screen off. Other then that you can talk to it and it can read messages to you.
Just enable Google now from any screen.
 

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