What's New is Gone?

[katmandoo122]

Anyone else notice that the What's New option is gone from the home button hold option since the new update (at least on TM)? This is not a complaint on my part - I'm fine with Sony trying to drive business but it crowded the feature. Now that it's gone, I wish a long home key press would just take you directly to Google like on the Sammy S5.

Anyway, that makes me hopeful that Sony will be responsive to Xperia owners and maybe we get Lollipop a bit sooner than might otherwise be the case.

 

[smooth4lyfe]

Yup mine is gone too, its now just a separate app

 

[torloth]

Makes me happy i accidentally hit it a few to many times

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[onthecouchagain]

That's amazing! Maybe the heard of the complaints in reviews. I'm glad that's gone.

I'm really interested in the Z3 (Copper and White are beautiful!) and want to get it unlocked through the Sony store. My only concern is, it only comes with 16GB of storage.

How is using the microSD for storing apps, music, pictures, etc? I'm unfamiliar with how microSD's work with phones/Androids... Can you set it so photos automatically go to the microSD card after each time you take it, or do you have to manually move them there? Are there any concerns about lag, like, is it say slower to access the microSD than it is to access stuff directly from the internal storage?

No information is too much. I'm in the dark and a complete newb about how microSD cards work with phones.

 

[katmandoo122]

That's amazing! Maybe the heard of the complaints in reviews. I'm glad that's gone.

I'm really interested in the Z3 (Copper and White are beautiful!) and want to get it unlocked through the Sony store. My only concern is, it only comes with 16GB of storage.

How is using the microSD for storing apps, music, pictures, etc? I'm unfamiliar with how microSD's work with phones/Androids... Can you set it so photos automatically go to the microSD card after each time you take it, or do you have to manually move them there? Are there any concerns about lag, like, is it say slower to access the microSD than it is to access stuff directly from the internal storage?

No information is too much. I'm in the dark and a complete newb about how microSD cards work with phones.

Using an SD is mostly seamless. You can default storage for song/pics/video to the SD card. Many, but not all, apps can be installed on the SD. Frankly, I can't remember the last time I worried about it. I think it was with my HTC EVO (original). But if you play a lot of games that take up a lot of space, then 16GB does have to be managed appropriately. As I recall, you cannot use widgets on SD-installed apps (perhaps Google has fixed this, I haven't checked in a long while).

I'm currently using 6.7 GB on my Xperia, although she's a wee bit young still. All of my music is on my SD card (no lag). All photos are currently set to internal storage (although I am changing that now that I've installed a 64GB SD card) and I'm nowhere near full.

So, my suggestion is that unless you require a lot of files stored locally (like, thousands of songs or videos or several large games), relying on an SD card should not thwart you.

And yes, the copper Z3 is by far the sexiest phone out there. I wish I had it but T Mobile only had black. Maybe the Z4 will be better.

FWIW, the Z3 is by far the best phone I've owned, which has included the HTC EVO, the Sammy Galaxy S3, S5, HTC EVO LTE, Motorola Atrix, and the iPhone 5s.

 

[Berry me a G]

Glad to see it gone as well although Im psyched that I can still access Google Now with that swipe. I agree that 16gb is a bummer but it can be somewhat alleviated with a good sized SD card.
MicroSd works fine and yes, you can direct all photos to automatically be stored on the external card. I honestly don't know about lag between internal vs external, it would makes sense that there might be some but I have never personally noticed this.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Wow. Sounds very promising. I'm very close to ordering an Xperia Z3.

I'm coming from a Nexus 5 and while it's a fine phone, I desperately want to upgrade. I tried the Moto X (2014) but returned it because of the poor camera. The Xperia Z3 was always a close second option after the MX, and now that I've returned that, it's really in the spotlight.

Thanks for answering and alleviating my questions/concerns about the microSD card (I really wish I picked up a 64gb during Black Friday and Cyber Monday! Argh).

I'm a bit torn between the Copper color and the White...

Are you guys running the Google Now Launcher or Nova Launcher on it, or just keeping with the Sony skin?

 

[strav22]

Are you guys running the Google Now Launcher or Nova Launcher on it, or just keeping with the Sony skin?

I'm using nova, I'm also a former Nexus 5 owner. What's great about the transition is google downloaded all my apps when I logged into the z3. I then loaded my nova settings from my N5 to the z3. Phone instantly looked like my N5.

I really don't even miss lollipop. Will be great to have a lollipop UI that is flat with cool transitions. Until then, my battery is amazing and performance is great.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[onthecouchagain]

I'm using nova, I'm also a former Nexus 5 owner. What's great about the transition is google downloaded all my apps when I logged into the z3. I then loaded my nova settings from my N5 to the z3. Phone instantly looked like my N5.

I really don't even miss lollipop. Will be great to have a lollipop UI that is flat with cool transitions. Until then, my battery is amazing and performance is great.

Posted via the Android Central App

Thanks for your input.

I think I'll hold off until Sony releases Lollipop and see how it looks. I really want to get this device so it won't be hard to convince me... lol.

 

[TheUnknownUser]

Thanks for your input.

I think I'll hold off until Sony releases Lollipop and see how it looks. I really want to get this device so it won't be hard to convince me... lol.

Why wait? Sony UI has always from what I've seen in the Z series been very minimalistic. So I'd expect the same from their Lollipop update. It's a great device get it enjoy it while you wait. At least that's my recommendation.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Wollombi]

I love this phone. I've never said that about a phone before. I'm picky with my electronics. And I love this phone.

The 16GB internal storage limit has not served to hold me back. Most of my data, aside from contacts and the like, is photos, videos, and music. The camera(s) can be set to save the the SD card instead of internal. The problem with KitKat is moving apps/writing to the card if it's not a system application (i.e. anything not pre-installed when you unboxed the phone), as KitKat has some wonkiness with rights to write to external memory. That said, they have already made a fix for that in Lollipop, so long as the app devs take advantage of it. Don't let that stop you. I still have plenty of room on my internal memory.

Also, remember that this thing takes MicroSD cards up to 128GB in size. I have a 128GB card in mine and it's great. I don't notice any lag.

If this is truly the phone you want (and why wouldn't you want it?), then you really don't need to wait. Even if Sony releases the Z4 tomorrow, this will still be an awesome phone.