Another Japanese “submariner” - a high-quality, but very expensive smartphone

Top family mobile devices Sony Xperia Z, like Samsung Galaxy S, growing every month. In addition to the main flagship smartphone line, the company has already released a simplified version to the market called Sony Xperia ZL, is planning to soon launch its version of the “shovel recorder” - Xperia ZU, and has currently already offered the market a slightly smaller Xperia sizes ZR, but also with top stuffing inside. The ZU tablet has not yet reached our test laboratory, but we have already managed to properly test the new “SUV” Sony Xperia ZR, which we are in a hurry to tell you about today.

In the pictures: Sony Xperia ZR in comparison with the flagship Xperia Z, as well as with its main competitor - the waterproof Korean device Samsung Galaxy S4 Active.

In terms of its power, the model turned out to be truly top-end: in performance it is not only not inferior, but even ahead of its own flagship in the line - Sony Xperia Z. Although outwardly the smartphone is more reminiscent not of its luxurious older brother in the line, but of another, recently introduced Sony Xperia SP, a modest-looking phone of medium size, and even cheaper than the flagship. By the way, these two models are also related by the presence of support for those used in Russia LTE frequencies. At this point it is worth clarifying that the C5503 model was in our hands - the one that has support for fourth generation networks, and it is this model that is supplied on Russian market. In nature, there is still a model C5502 (without LTE support), but it is not officially intended for our market. In order not to completely get confused in the intricacies of the Sony Xperia family tree, we will collect all the listed latest news mobile division of the Japanese company into a single comparative table and let’s begin the story.

	Sony Xperia ZR	Sony Xperia SP	Sony Xperia Z	Sony Xperia ZL	Samsung Galaxy S4 Active
Screen	4.55″, IPS(?)	4.6″, IPS	5″, IPS	5″, IPS	5″, pls
Permission	1280×720, 322 ppi	1280×720, 319 ppi	1920×1080, 440 ppi	1920×1080, 440 ppi	1920×1080, 440 ppi
SoC		Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro @1.7 GHz (2 cores, ARMv7 Krait)	Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro @1.5 GHz (4 cores, ARMv7 Krait)	Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro @1.5 GHz (4 cores, ARMv7 Krait)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 @1.9 GHz (4 cores, Krait 300)
GPU	Adreno 320	Adreno 320	Adreno 320	Adreno 320	Adreno 320
RAM	2 GB	1 GB	2 GB	2 GB	2 GB
Flash memory	8 GB	8 GB	16 GB	16 GB	16 GB
Memory card support	microSD	microSD	microSD	microSD	microSD
operating system	Google Android 4.1	Google Android 4.1	Google Android 4.1	Google Android 4.1	Google Android 4.2
Battery	removable, 2300 mAh	non-removable, 2370 mAh	non-removable, 2330 mAh	non-removable, 2300 mAh	removable, 2600 mAh
Cameras	rear (13 MP; video - 1080p), front (0.3 MP)	rear (8 MP; video - 1080p), front (0.3 MP)		rear (13 MP; video - 1080p), front (2 MP)	rear (8 MP; video - 1080p), front (2 MP)
Dimensions	131×67×10.4 mm, 138 g	131×67×9.9 mm, 155 g	139×71×7.9 mm, 146 g	132×69×9.8 mm, 151 g	140×71×9.1 mm, 151 g

Key Features of Sony Xperia ZR (Model C5503)

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro (APQ8064), 1.5 GHz, 4 Krait cores (ARMv7)
• GPU Adreno 320
• Operating system Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
• Touch LCD display, 4.55″, 1280×720
• Random access memory (RAM) 2 GB, internal memory 8 GB
• Slot for microSD cards up to 32 GB
• Communication GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
• Communications 3G UMTS 850, 900, 2100 MHz
• LTE 800, 850, 900, 1800, 2100, 2600 MHz (2600/800 FDD are used in the Russian Federation)
• HSDPA 42 Mbps / 5.8 Mbps
• Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
• Support DLNA, MHL, OTG, Media Go, MTP
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n (dual band), point Wi-Fi access
• Exmor RS 13 MP camera, LED flash, autofocus
• Camera 0.3 MP (front)
• Dust and moisture protection (IP55/IP58)
• Li-ion battery 2300 mAh (BA950)
• Dimensions 131×67.4×10.4 mm
• Weight 138 g

Appearance and ease of use

As already mentioned, the Sony Xperia ZR model, although, thanks to the letter Z in its name, has a direct relationship with the flagship Sony Xperia Z, but appearance and a number of other features (720p screen versus 1080p in the Xperia Z) is little similar to it, and is more like the recently released Sony Xperia SP. Smartphones have almost the same body sizes and screen diagonals.

• Sony Xperia ZR - 131x67.4x10.4 mm, 138 g
• Sony Xperia SP - 131x67x9.9 mm, 155 g
• Sony Xperia Z - 139x71x7.9 mm, 146 g
• Sony Xperia ZL -132x69x9.8 mm, 151 g

As for the design, the new product incorporates the features of both of these relatives: the side rounded panels are inserts taken from the flagship with its OmniBalance design concept, and the back of the smartphone is more reminiscent of the plump Sony Xperia SP with its rustic-looking matte plastic appearance. As for the “façade”, everyone has one Sony models identical: no speaker grilles (the usual cutout in the glass), absolutely flat glass without edges and solid black underneath - for some reason the Japanese almost never paint the front panel the same color as the body. This is a little strange, but the tastes of users, as usual, do not agree on this issue: some like it (more austere look), others don’t (multicolored details).

The device turned out to be very modest in appearance - this was noted by literally everyone to whom we gave it to us. The case materials, build quality are all at the proper level, but the design itself... It's simply not good. Especially in comparison with the mass of previous Sony finds from the current and last seasons. The Sony Mobile division, which separated from Ericsson not so long ago, managed to show the market in a couple of years its famous transparent strip, the curved back wall in the Arc style, and removable bottom covers, and that very flagship design concept of OmniBalance, or at worst a massive metal rim , which is upholstered in the rough but distinctive Xperia SP. The Sony Xperia ZR has nothing like that at all - a very simple, nondescript, fairly thick and heavy device with no frills, it looks both inexpensive and discreet - they are colloquially called a piece of plastic.

The case materials are solid plastic, there is no metal here. There is also no gloss on the body of the Sony Xperia ZR - all surfaces are matte, and even the side inserts, vaguely reminiscent of the OmniBalance mirror panels of the flagship Xperia Z - they have also lost their shine. Due to this matte finish, the smartphone does not slip in the palm and does not collect fingerprints. Grease and stains on the back cover are practically invisible, and what appears is easily erased; in this regard, the body of the new product is very practical.

The dimensions of the smartphone are not very large - the device is quite suitable for both male and female hands. True, the device is quite heavy - its weight is almost 140 grams thanks to the massive battery, which makes the phone heavy (44 g is the weight of the battery itself, the smartphone weighs 94 g without the battery, the total assembled weight is 138 g).

The back cover is removable and is secured as standard with several plastic latches. The peculiarity of this cover is that a rubber gasket is glued to it, protecting the inside of the smartphone from moisture. The gasket does not surround the entire back surface of the phone, but only the middle compartment, which hides the slots and, accordingly, contacts for the battery, SIM card and memory card. The rest of the smartphone's frame, including the protective mesh of the speaker and the camera glass, everything under the cover ends up flooded with water after immersion - this is how the developers intended it. Exactly the same internal arrangement was found in some of the company's other rugged smartphones, Sony Xperia V, for example.

Both slots (SIM cards and memory cards) are arranged in a pyramid, one above the other, and can only be accessed after removing the battery. The battery backs up both of them, so no worries hot swap out of the question. There are no spring-loaded capture mechanisms for cards, so you just have to pull them out. The SIM card slides out on a flimsy plastic slide that needs to be pulled out by grasping a small protrusion. The SIM card used here is Micro-SIM format; the supported memory card capacity is 32 GB.

The front panel is completely covered protective glass, which, in turn, is traditionally covered with a proprietary factory protective film, which is not intended to be removed by the users themselves. The glass is absolutely flat, without bulges or slopes, and is not surrounded by edges. The screen does not occupy such a large part of the total area - the sidewalls can be called quite wide in modern times. Considering that the control buttons here are not hardware, but virtual software, bottom part It would certainly be possible to make it smaller, then the device would look less massive. Why did they leave so much unnecessary stuff at the bottom under the screen? free space- unclear. It would be enough to leave a small strip of space for inserting a light indicator, and that’s all.

The indicator, by the way, has a very unusual appearance: it is not a dot, but a long luminous strip stretched along the lower end of the device. The indicator lights up in different colors depending on the settings: it can react to incoming events, to the charging process, and adapts to the general background of the photo being viewed or the cover of the music track being played. This unusual version of a new type of indicator has already been seen in mobile devices Sony before, in the same Xperia ZL, for example.

The set of hardware buttons and connectors is also traditional for the latest Sony models: the Micro-USB connector is not on the bottom, but on the side - in the upper part of the left side; The power and lock buttons are not flat, but round - a noticeable aluminum round piece clearly stands out against the general background, sparkling with a large bright plaque.

The two-position volume rocker is also located in an unusual way for users: for some reason Sony began to lower it below the power key. Some people have already gotten used to it and come to love this unusual arrangement, although, if you think about it, it is completely inconvenient for a left-handed person, much less a right-handed person, to reach this key. You have to finger the body, moving it to another position, to get to the volume control. Even lower is a separate button for controlling the camera - the Japanese are perhaps the only ones who, for some reason, still cannot give camera control to the hardware volume key. All other top manufacturers have long switched to this option, and the need for a separate photo button has disappeared by itself. All the keys are very thin, quite hard, barely discernible to the touch - this option cannot be called the most comfortable - the large and pliable buttons of Samsung devices, for example, feel much more pleasant under the fingers.

Since the smartphone is protected from dust and water, both connectors are covered with covers with rubber gaskets. The covers are practically invisible and fit well into general form and they don’t spoil the picture. They open and close very easily - no problems with that.

In order not to break the seal of the Micro-USB connector cover by constant opening and closing, Sony has learned to add an additional open contact connector to the case for docking with the docking station contacts. Such an additional accessory is sometimes even included in the kit, but not always. Unfortunately, none of the standard cradle is suitable for another model of smartphone or tablet - they all work exclusively with their own model. There is no smell of unification here, although it would be quite possible to come up with something like that.

By the way, it was in the Russian configuration of the certified model C5503 that an additional docking station and high-quality headphones were included. True, if you consider how inflated the price is usually in our market compared to others, then for this difference you could additionally buy more than one such accessory. However, we call this device a docking station only out of habit: this plastic stand does not have any other function other than charging. It does not have speakers or an additional connector that expands the functionality of the device.

And a few more small touches: the device supports the OTG mode for connecting external devices; the rear speaker grille is not equipped with protrusions, so the sound is muffled if the device is lying on a table; According to Japanese tradition, the Sony Xperia ZR has a hook for hooking the lanyard onto your hand (located in the lower corner next to the microphone hole).

As for the colors of the Sony Xperia ZR, there are more of them than usual. In addition to the standard black and white, there are also pink and turquoise color options on sale, but the front panel, as mentioned above, always remains black. Sony devices have always been in perfect order with the quality of coating, wear resistance and general non-marking of the materials used, and the Japanese cannot be denied this. You can, for example, draw on the back cover with a ballpoint pen, then rub it with your finger - and there will be no trace left. Therefore, there is no need to talk about the advantages of any of the colors - all options are high-quality, non-staining and durable, the choice will depend only on taste preferences.

About security

According to IP55 and IP58 standards, Sony Xperia ZR is protected from moisture and dust. When all ports and covers are securely sealed, this smartphone is protected against low pressure water jets from all directions to IP55 and/or can survive up to 30 minutes in 1.5 meters of fresh water to IP58.

Actually, we have already said everything we can about the water resistance of Sony mobile devices. In our reviews, we did not miss a single model that has such protection, and the Japanese now probably have more of them than unprotected ones. And yet we repeat: in fact, such mobile devices cannot be called “SUVs” to the fullest extent. They do not have protection against shocks and falls, or even locking lid locks - only standard plastic latches that open with a good impact. Such devices can only be carefully lowered into fresh water and kept there for about half an hour. In this regard, the developers’ statements that the new Xperia ZR model is capable of shooting in HD quality underwater are especially interesting. It turns out that you can take photographs in water, but only in fresh water. This device is not officially designed for photographing sea corals and fish. Where can you find clean fresh water? Probably only in the pool. So all that remains for the owner of the Sony Xperia ZR is to film parties by the pool, which, in fact, is clearly stated by the official posters of Sony itself.

As for the behavior of the Xperia ZR smartphone specifically in such an environment, it is worth noting that it really takes good pictures in water, and with flash too, and is also perfectly controlled with wet fingers - until the screen is completely immersed in water, it remains sensitive to touch. To assess the quality of the shooting, we present photographs taken with and without a flash, completely immersed in fresh water.

Screen

Sony Xperia ZR is equipped with touch screen size 57x102 mm, diagonal - 115 mm (4.55 inches), resolution - HD (1280x720 pixels), pixel density is 322 ppi.

The display brightness has both manual and automatic adjustment, the latter based on the operation of the light sensor. Multi-touch technology allows you to simultaneously process up to ten touches - tested by AnTuTu Tester. The screen is very responsive, there are no problems with this. The smartphone also has a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. We looked at what the proprietary Mobile Bravia Engine 2 function does with images in an article about Sony Xperia Z.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.

The smartphone screen is covered with a glass plate, onto which a plastic mirror-smooth protective film is factory-glued, which is relatively scratch-resistant, but still less hard than inorganic glass. As a result, after some time of use, the screen becomes covered with scratches. However, with some effort, this film can be separated and replaced with a new one. Factory protective film has weak oleophobic (grease-repellent) properties, so fingerprints are removed more easily and appear at a lower speed than with regular glass. Judging by the reflection of objects, an anti-glare filter is present, and its effectiveness is quite high.

When manually controlling the brightness, its maximum value was 480 cd/m², the minimum was 20 cd/m². As a result, at maximum brightness in bright daylight The smartphone can be used without any inconvenience, and the minimum brightness will allow you to comfortably work with this mobile device even in complete darkness. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (it is located to the right and below the front speaker). The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider: if it is set to 100%, then in complete darkness the automatic brightness adjustment function reduces the brightness to a minimum of 85 cd/m² (not excessively bright, but it could have been lower), in conditions illuminated by artificial light office brightness increases to 170 cd/m² (acceptable), in a very bright environment it increases to a maximum of 485 cd/m². When setting the brightness slider to 50%, the corresponding values ​​are: 55, 105 and 315 cd/m²; at 0% - 23, 45 and 135 cd/m². IN automatic mode When external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. At lower brightness, there is no significant backlight modulation (up to 100 kHz inclusive), so there is no backlight flickering.

Below is a micrograph of the screen matrix:

The subpixel structure differs from the typical IPS matrix structure. It is possible that this device has some type of *VA matrix installed; this is indirectly confirmed by the characteristic shift in shades of red when viewed at a large angle to the screen. We also note that when the gaze deviates from the perpendicular to the screen, the light shades become even more light and pale; the black field is also greatly brightened, but remains almost neutral gray. When viewed strictly perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is excellent. The contrast is quite high - 800:1. The gamma curve constructed using 32 points did not reveal a blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows, and the index of the approximating power function is 2.12, which is quite a bit lower than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve deviates little from the power dependence :

Color gamut is slightly wider than sRGB:

Apparently, the components are well separated, and the spectra confirm this:

Note that color saturation is moderate, visually the colors are a little more vibrant, but not yet so oversaturated that color images appear distorted. On the relevant part of the gray scale (dark areas can be ignored, since color balance there has no of great importance, and the measurement error at low brightness is large) delta E is less than 6, which is considered a good indicator for a non-professional device, and the color temperature is not much higher than the standard 6500 K (depending on Us. = 0, From. = 0):

In general, there are no special complaints about the color balance, but you can try to improve it, since this smartphone has the ability to adjust the balance of shades of gray using two sliders that change the color of the additional hue and its saturation:

The result of this correction is shown on the gray scale at the top or left of the screen, and by touching this area with your finger, you can see the original version of the shades without correction. As an experiment, we left the parameter Hue unchanged and increased Saturation up to 3.6 units. The result of this correction is shown in the graphs above (points Us. = 3.6, From. = 0). It can be seen that this correction slightly improved the color balance, since the color temperature became closer to the standard 6500 K, and delta E decreased slightly.

Sound

I didn't really like the sound of the Sony Xperia ZR speakers. The external speaker sounds loud, but without bass - you can't hear the lower frequencies. As for the auditory, some unpleasant distortions are observed here - the sound is both monophonic and dull, sounds on one note, gives off metallic notes, and the timbre and intonation of a familiar voice is sometimes difficult to recognize. The sound of an auditory speaker certainly cannot be called pure and natural.

The standard audio player, traditionally called a Walkman, as in other Sony devices, is rich in settings and additional software sound improvements, such as a built-in equalizer with a lot of preset values ​​(you can set your own), ClearBass, Clear Phase, xLoud technologies or virtual surround sound . Control of most settings is available if the ClearAudio+ function is turned off, otherwise all settings are left to the machine.

The external speaker grille located on the back of the smartphone does not have protrusions, so the sound is significantly muffled when the device is lying on a table with the screen facing up.

There is an FM radio in the smartphone - traditionally it only works when you connect headphones that act as an external antenna. Standard voice recorder software package Sony Xperia ZR has been found, but it is called in an unusual way. You can't find it on the list installed applications, and in the so-called small applications menu, which can be called up at any time by clicking on the far right screen button. This menu is already becoming standard for all modern Sony mobile devices.

Camera

Sony Xperia ZR is equipped like most modern smartphones, two digital camera modules. True, the front camera here is equipped only with a modest VGA module with a resolution of 0.3 megapixels.

The main rear 13-megapixel camera is equipped with an Exmor RS sensor with back-illuminated BSI matrix. There is support for HDR (High Dynamic Range) technology, which is used to create photographs in brightly lit environments. An HDR camera takes multiple shots of the same image at different shutter speeds and then overlays them to create the best quality photo (so there are no overexposed or very dark areas where details can't be seen). As in the flagship solutions of the line, HDR technology in the Xperia ZR smartphone can also be used when recording videos.

By default, the camera of Sony devices works as standard in the so-called super auto mode (iauto) with a resolution of 9 megapixels and an aspect ratio of 4: 3, then photographs are obtained in size 3920 × 2204. The maximum resolution of camera images is 13 megapixels, but this can only be achieved if you independently switch the shooting mode to normal. Then the resulting photos will have a size of 4128 × 3096, that is, in terms of those same 13 megapixels. Examples of photos taken with factory settings are presented below.

	Sharpness is good only in places. Low-contrast areas and grass are poorly rendered.
	The foliage is poorly done.
	The small font is quite legible.
	You can see from the grass that sharpness drops quite quickly as objects are removed, although smoothly.
	Nothing special about macro photography.
	The noise on the wall is quite noticeable.
	The text is clearly legible, although heavily corroded.
	Shooting without flash under artificial light. The camera is noisy, but moderately.
	The flash improves the situation slightly.
	Low light shooting is very noisy, but still suitable for documentaries.
	Not much with flash, but better.
	Shooting in almost complete absence of light. The camera makes a lot of noise, and it makes everything even worse with processing.
	In this case, the flash improves the situation quite well - at least some of the inscriptions become readable.

For some reason, Sony stubbornly refuse to deal with noise on their own matrices. Although other manufacturers succeed in this, and sometimes very well on the same Sony matrices. Noises are noticeable even where they would seem not to be visible.

The sharpness of the camera is very mediocre, although 13 megapixels are simply bound to produce much better results. With all this, the camera was not even equipped with a good flash that could somehow compensate for these shortcomings. On the other hand, if the camera is noisy at minimum sensitivity, the flash is unlikely to help here.

Perhaps this camera is only suitable for documentary shooting, and even then not very demanding. Such noise can ruin many small details. We already know that with such parameters it is possible to create a much better camera, but Sony, apparently, does not.

The camera can shoot video; by default, it does so in its maximum resolution - 1080p. Below are a couple of test videos filmed stationary and in motion. The videos are saved in an MP4 container (video - AVC ( [email protected]), sound - AAC LC, 128 Kbps, 48 ​​kHz, 2 channels).

• Video No. 1 (34.5 MB, 1920×1080)
• Video No. 2 (35.9 MB, 1920×1080)

The camera control settings are standard for modern Sony smartphones: a horizontal strip with icons, a vertical strip. The icons are drawn well and noticeably, but the inscriptions in the settings themselves are thin and small, and difficult to see in the bright sun.

On Sony smartphones, the volume key is responsible for digital zooming in the old fashioned way, so the Xperia SP model has a separate hardware key for controlling the camera. It works even from a locked state, instantly waking the device from sleep and turning on the camera. Perhaps it is precisely because of this function that the Japanese leave a separate hardware photo button. On the positive side, we can also note the ability to take photos while recording video; this function is implemented in almost all new smartphones.

Software

Sony Xperia ZR runs on Google Android software platform version 4.1.2. On top of the standard OS interface, the company installed its own user interface, significantly modifying and complementing the standard one. The main distinguishing feature of the program menu is its wide possibilities for sorting, selecting and working with icons of installed applications. Here you can even set your own, arbitrary arrangement, or sort in several preset ways. The ability to create folders is supported.

The set of pre-installed programs in Sony smartphones does not change too noticeably from handset to handset. Several online services, such as TrackID, Movies, PlayNow, offer to select, buy and immediately launch music, movies and games; Timescape collects information about friends' social activity. There is a pre-installed file manager, there was even a QR code scanner. It has its own program for saving backup copies. OfficeSuite, as usual, only allows you to view documents, but not create or save them.

Telephone and communications

The smartphone works as standard in modern 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks, supports the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band, can use NFC technology, and even supports the fourth generation networks (LTE) used in Russia - a full range of popular modern capabilities. As for LTE, a fairly decent speed for mobile networks was achieved with a SIM card from Moscow Megafon (we have never been able to find a 4G network in Moscow with MTS yet).

There were no freezes or spontaneous reboots/shutdowns observed during testing. When you bring it to your ear, the screen is blocked by the proximity sensor. The light sensor controls the screen brightness level automatically. The unusually shaped light sensor, as mentioned above, has a wide range of capabilities and is able to adapt to the main background of the screen.

Performance

The Sony Xperia ZR hardware platform is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro single-chip system (SoC). CPU it has 4 Krait cores operating at 1.5 GHz. It is assisted in processing graphics by the powerful Adreno 320 video processor - everything is exactly the same as the flagship, only it has twice the screen resolution. The device has 2 GB of RAM and storage accessible to the user for uploading your own files is initially less than 5 GB of the nominal 8 GB internal memory. There is also the possibility of expanding memory using microSD cards and connecting external devices via OTG (USB host).

To get an idea of ​​the performance of the Sony Xperia ZR platform, we will conduct a standard set of tests. To begin with, we present comparative results obtained using the AnTuTu database itself. The performance turned out to be lower than the recognized market leader - Samsung Galaxy S4, but higher than that of its own flagship - Sony Xperia Z.

Based on the data obtained during testing, the performance of the Sony Xperia ZR was closest to the Xperia ZL model.

As for testing the graphics subsystem in the cross-platform 3DMark test, the test subject also showed a very high result - 10565 points.

In the Epic Citadel gaming test, the results of the Sony Xperia ZR graphics subsystem are quite good - the power of the Adreno video core, coupled with the low screen resolution, has an effect. This becomes especially noticeable in Ultra mode High Quality.

As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, the results in them significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so the comparison can only be truly accurate on the same OS and browsers. This possibility is not always available. In the case of devices running the latest Android operating system, we always try to use Google Chrome, although the results of the same tests in the standard browser (if the manufacturer leaves it in the firmware) are often better than in Chrome.

Playing video

To test the omnivorous nature of video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Internet. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it.

Format	Container, video, sound	MX Video Player	Standard video player
DVDRip	AVI, XviD 720×400 2200 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally	plays normally
Web-DL SD	AVI, XviD 720×400 1400 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally	plays normally
Web-DL HD	MKV, H.264 1280×720 3000 Kbps, AC3	Hardware+
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280×720 4000 Kbps, AC3	plays fine with decoder Hardware+	The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920×1080 8000 Kbps, AC3	plays fine with decoder Hardware+	The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹

¹ MX Video Player only played sound after switching to software decoding or a new mode Hardware+; The standard player does not have this setting

Additionally, the MHL interface was tested. To test it, we used an LG IPS237L monitor that supports direct MHL connection using a passive adapter cable from Micro-USB to HDMI. Let us recall that Samsung has implemented its own version of this interface at the physical level. As a result, to connect an external device via MHL, you need to use special adapters or connect standard MHL adapters through simple passive adapters.

When using the LG IPS237L monitor, MHL output was carried out at a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels at a frequency of 30 frames/s. With an active MHL connection, regardless of the actual orientation of the smartphone, the image is displayed on the smartphone and monitor screens in landscape orientation. The actual resolution is equal to the smartphone screen resolution - 1280 by 720 pixels. Sound is output via MHL (in this case, the sounds were heard through headphones connected to the monitor, since there are no speakers in the monitor itself) and is of good quality. At the same time, according to at least multimedia sounds are not output through the speaker of the smartphone itself, and the volume is not adjusted using the buttons on the smartphone body, but the sound is turned off at the minimum position of the volume slider. The smartphone connected via MHL is charging.

Video output using the standard player deserves a special description. To begin with, using a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see Methodology for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1), we checked how the video is displayed on the screen of the smartphone itself. Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p) and 1920 by 1080 (1080p) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 frames/ With). The results of this (block entitled " Screen") and subsequent tests are summarized in the table:

File	Uniformity	Passes
Screen
watch-1920x1080-60p.mp4	not playable
watch-1920x1080-50p.mp4	not playable
watch-1920x1080-30p.mp4	Great	No
watch-1920x1080-25p.mp4	Fine	No
watch-1920x1080-24p.mp4	Fine	No
watch-1280x720-60p.mp4	Great	No
watch-1280x720-50p.mp4	Fine	No
watch-1280x720-30p.mp4	Great	No
watch-1280x720-25p.mp4	Fine	No
watch-1280x720-24p.mp4	Fine	No
MHL (monitor)
watch-1920x1080-60p.mp4	not playable
watch-1920x1080-50p.mp4	not playable
watch-1920x1080-30p.mp4	Great	No
watch-1920x1080-25p.mp4	Great	No
watch-1920x1080-24p.mp4	Badly	a lot of
watch-1280x720-60p.mp4	Badly	a lot of
watch-1280x720-50p.mp4	Badly	a lot of
watch-1280x720-30p.mp4	Great	No
watch-1280x720-25p.mp4	Great	No
watch-1280x720-24p.mp4	Fine	No
MHL (adapter)
watch-1280x720-60p.mp4	Fine	few
watch-1280x720-50p.mp4	Fine	No
watch-1280x720-30p.mp4	Fine	No
watch-1280x720-25p.mp4	Fine	No
watch-1280x720-24p.mp4	Fine	No

Note: If both the Uniformity and Dropout columns are rated green, this means that when watching movies, there will most likely be no or no amount of artifacts caused by frame spacing or dropouts visible. will not affect viewing comfort. "Red" marks indicate possible problems related to the playback of the corresponding files.

The results are good, 1080p files at 50 and 60 fps are not actually reproduced, but other than these two cases it is difficult to visually observe artifacts. Note that uniform alternation of frames is a relatively unstable state, since some external and internal background processes lead to periodic failure of the correct alternation of intervals between frames (or groups of frames) or even to the skipping of individual frames. When playing 720p video files (with a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels) on the smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed one-on-one, exactly along the border of the screen in true 720p resolution. The brightness range displayed on the screen exactly corresponds to the standard one - all gradations of shades are displayed in shadows and highlights (for video in the range 16-235).

When playing video on a monitor connected via MHL, an exact copy of the smartphone screen is displayed. When playing video files with Full HD resolution (1920 by 1080 pixels) on the monitor screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed one-on-one, exactly along the border of the screen in true Full HD resolution. The brightness range displayed on the monitor noticeably does not correspond to the original one: in the shadows there is a drop of 14 shades, in the highlights - by 16 (for video in the range of 16-235), while depending on the choice of the brightness range in the monitor menu on the monitor screen, or the white color is slightly gray, or black lighter than true black. The test results are shown in the table above in the block MHL (monitor). 1080p files at 50 and 60 fps are not reproduced; in the case of 720p files at 50 and 60 fps, some frames are naturally skipped, but in other cases the output quality is very good (for a 1080p file at 24 fps, apparently, there was some extraneous activity).

Additionally, video output (with a standard player) via MHL using an MHL adapter was tested. When using this adapter, output to the monitor was carried out in 720p mode at 60 fps, which determined the maximum actual image resolution. With the exception of resolution and frame rate, everything else - the nature of the interface output, charging, audio output and gray scale - did not differ from a direct connection via MHL. The test results are shown in the table above in the block MHL (adapter). The output quality is quite high, and the higher frame rate allowed 50 and 60 fps files to be displayed normally. Playing dynamic games is apparently better using such an adapter.

In principle, an MHL connection can be used for gaming, watching movies, surfing the web, and other activities that benefit from multiplying the screen size.

Battery life

The capacity of the battery installed in the Sony Xperia ZR is 2300 mAh. The battery, as already mentioned, is removable here, so you can take it out and replace it (battery brand BA950).

Continuous reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) lasted 13 hours 20 minutes until the battery was completely discharged, and continuous viewing of YouTube videos in high quality (HQ) with the same brightness level through home Wi-Fi network The device spent 11 hours - good results. In game mode, the smartphone lasted a decent 4 hours and 15 minutes.

Bottom line

At the time of release, the official recommended price for a certified Sony smartphone Xperia ZR in Russia amounted to 23,990 rubles, and the price of an uncertified one is within 17 thousand. This is already quite an appropriate price for a device of this level. The smartphone turned out to be very powerful and productive, but, as mentioned above, it didn’t catch our attention – neither in appearance nor in any special feature. You can’t call him handsome, and therefore, the device will be chosen by people who are interested, first of all, in the practical side of the issue, and then comparison of market prices cannot be avoided. In principle, for the indicated 17 thousand, the smartphone is more than recommended for purchase, but we would not recommend paying more for it. The flagship Xperia Z is already officially on sale for the same 24 thousand; the most powerful Lenovo K900 on the latest mobile Intel platform recently announced at a price of the same 17 thousand, HTC One and Nokia Lumia 925 can be found for no more than 25 thousand. And these are all the top models, almost all with Full HD screens, flagships and engines of entire brands. Against their background, sellers’ requests for 24 thousand for a Sony Xperia ZR look quite ridiculous. The device is definitely not worth that kind of money, and we will probably very soon hear about price reductions for certified devices in Russian stores.

In conclusion, we bring to your attention our video review of the smartphone.

We conducted a review of the Sony xperia zr c5503 phone, so you could find out about the main advantages and disadvantages of this model. The kit includes the following:

• Smartphone;
• Headphones;
• USB cable;
• Power unit;
• Instructions and warranty card.

Sony Xperia ZR design

Sony continues to increase its the lineup interesting smartphones. In theory, the ZR replaced the V, which even now remains an interesting model for many buyers. The design of the ZR is made in the style of the Z series. On the right side there is a round-shaped aluminum power button, and there are pads on the side ends. The Sony xperia zr c5503 smartphone is much smaller in size than the Z - it is perfect option for those who value compactness and ease of use. The device fits perfectly in the hand, and the workmanship is at the highest level, so there are no backlashes. The device is a little wider and heavier than the iPhone 5, but you can’t call it a shovel.

The back cover is removable; on it you can see a sealed lining that provides protection against moisture penetration into the structure of the device. All connectors are covered with plugs, and in order not to open them all the time, you can additionally purchase a docking station and use it to recharge the battery. On the back cover there is a camera lens, flash, NFC, speaker grille, and at the bottom there is a groove for fixing the strap.

The headphone jack is located under a plug at the top end. The device is decorated with a branded indicator light. This is a bar that lights up in different colors depending on the type of event.

Above the screen there is a speaker, a selfie camera lens, proximity and light sensors, and a corporate logo. The screen is protected by a film, which is best not to peel off, since the company logo is printed on it.

The battery is removable, which is a big plus. You can buy an additional one and use it alternately with the main one. Under the cover there are slots for a SIM card and a micro flash drive. There are certain voids along the edges, which are most likely necessary for protection from moisture. The weight of the phone is only 138 grams. The feel of it can be compared to the iPhone 5. In the black version, the cover is matte, and there are noticeable fingerprints on it. They are quite difficult to wipe off. The Sony xperia zr phone can stay under water for up to 30 minutes at a depth of 1.5 meters.

Screen Sony Xperia ZR

The display diagonal of the Sony xperia zr is 4.55 inches, and its resolution is HD (720 x 1280 pixels). Its quality is high, viewing angles are comparable to iPhone 5. The user can change the white balance, which allows you to set optimal settings Images. The xperia zr screen behaves well in the sun, information is easy to read at a sufficient brightness level.

Control

On the right side there is a power key, a volume rocker and a separate key, pressing which allows you to take a picture or open the camera. The power key fits right under your thumb, making it very convenient to use.

Sony Xperia ZR performance

By default, the smartphone runs on Android OS 4.1.2, but many updates have been released that can be obtained over the air. Good performance of the device is provided by the Qualcomm APQ8064+MDM9215M Quad Core processor with a frequency of 1.5 GHz. Sony xperia zr smartphone characteristics are optimally selected, there is enough power to work with any applications. High quality graphics are guaranteed by the Adreno 320 chip, and for speed the manufacturer installed 2 GB random access memory. The phone works very quickly, there is enough power even for demanding games. In Antutu, the device scored even more than the Sony Z - 20,834 parrots.

Interface

Users have a large selection of themes and standard ringtones. All necessary branded Google applications and services are present. The lock screen looks especially beautiful, which can be customized in your own way, like any other element or icon. From the lock screen you can quickly access the camera or music player. Mini-applications that occupy a small part of the screen will be convenient to use. They open on top of other programs. The smartphone recognizes all modern video formats even when using a standard player. The ClearAudio+ feature greatly improves the sound, but you can set your own equalizer settings if you wish. With a headset, the phone produces excellent sound quality and makes listening more interesting. The smartphone has a radio and TrackID, which determines the name of the songs.

Memory

Sony xperia zr lte price starts at 9,000 rubles, which is not much for such characteristics. The built-in memory is 8 GB, but only 4.95 GB is available for use. It is possible to accommodate microSD with a capacity of up to 64 GB, although only 32 GB is indicated on the official website.

Autonomy Sony Xperia ZR

Time battery life The phone greatly increases the proprietary power saving mode Stamina. When you turn off the display, Wi-Fi automatically turns off, no program updates its data, which makes it possible to increase autonomy several times. The capacity of the built-in battery is only 2300 mAh, but it lasted about 11 hours in talk mode, and 45 hours when playing music. The charge is enough for a day of using the gadget. If you just call and occasionally communicate on social networks, it will work much longer.

Sony Xperia ZR camera

The resolution of the main camera is 13 megapixels, of course there is autofocus and a high-quality LED flash. Video can be shot in FullHD. The maximum photo resolution is 3920 x 2940 pixels. The camera menu is very convenient and contains many settings that can be set manually. Examples of photos can be found below.

Bottom line

The Sony xperia zr c5503 phone is definitely worth the money. Speech quality is top notch, but the volume of the multimedia speaker may seem too low for some. The main advantages of the device are obvious - waterproofness, good hardware and cameras, user-friendly interface and the presence of a separate key for shooting, compact dimensions and stylish design. The disadvantages include autonomy, but this problem is relevant for all Android phones.

Subscribe to our Zen channel, there are many more interesting things waiting for you there.

Your rating for the smartphone:

The Japanese corporation Sony is one of the largest electronics manufacturers in the world. Naturally, the company could not ignore such a profitable niche as the production of smartphones with operating system Android. In this review we will talk about a device from Sony's top Z line, the Xperia ZR smartphone. The gadget was announced in the summer of 2013, its main feature is protection against water and dust according to the IP58 standard.

The gadget was announced in the summer of 2013

Specifications

Display	Screen diagonal: 4.55 Display resolution: 1280 x 720 Matrix type: TFT
Manufacturer	Sony
Model	Xperia ZR
Announcement date	year 2013
Dimensions	131 × 67 × 10.4 mm Weight: 138g
SIM card	One SIM card
operating system	Google Android 4.1
Communication standard	UMTS GSM LTE
Memory	OP: 2GB; VP: 32GB; Memory card support: micro-SD up to 32GB
Camera	Main: 13MP Flash/Autofocus: Yes/Yes Front: 0.3MP Flash/Autofocus: No/No
CPU	Name: Qualcomm APQ8064 Snapdragon Video core: Adreno 320 Number of cores: 4 Frequency: 1.5 GHz
Wireless technologies	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth 4.0 GPS NFC
Battery	Battery capacity: 2300 mAh Fast charging: No Removable battery: yes
Connectors	Connector charger: micro-USB Headphone Jack: 3.5mm
Navigation	GPS: Yes A-GPS: Yes Beidou: No GLONASS: No
Sensors	Proximity sensor Light sensor Accelerometer Compass

Options and packaging

The smartphone comes in a nice medium-sized rectangular box. On the front side of the package there is an image of the device, the company logo and model name are present. At the bottom of the package there is a photo of the gadget in various color options for the case, given brief information on the main characteristics of the smartphone, as well as other technical data.

The package contents of the smartphone are as follows:

• the device itself;
• power adapter;
• docking station for charging a smartphone;
• micro-USB cable;
• warranty documentation;
• stereo headset;
• instructions for using the phone with a description of the main functions.

Sony ships its rugged phone with excellent packaging. It’s nice to have headphones, not to mention a docking station that makes charging your smartphone easier.

The smartphone comes in a rectangular box

Video

Appearance and design

The hero of the review is much inferior in design to his older brother - the flagship phone Sony Xperia Z. Perhaps this is due to its purpose, after all, IP58 protection implies somewhat extreme use of the device. As a result, the device received a body made of plastic that was pleasant and rough to the touch and was deprived of spectacular metal or glass inserts. So, what does the Sony Xperia ZR look like?

The front panel is made in black. Above the display are the earpiece, front camera, and standard sensors: proximity and light. Under the screen, despite the wide frame, there was no place for control buttons; Sony traditionally has them on the screen. But below there was a place for another proprietary feature of the company: LED indicator notifications and events, made in the form of a narrow strip. This indicator can change color depending on the type of notification.

The frame around the display is too wide. A good protective film was glued to the screen from the factory, which can be considered a pleasant bonus.

The back cover is removable, made of high-quality soft-touch plastic, thanks to which the phone fits well in the hand and does not slip even in a sweaty (wet) palm.

Black front panel

All the main elements of the rear part of the gadget are lined up in one vertical line: the lens of the main optical module is located at the top edge, and the LED flash is located just below. Below them, approximately in the geometric center of the rear panel, is the inscription “XPERIA”; at the bottom edge is the main speaker of the device. The only thing that breaks the harmony is the small NFC zone located to the right of the flash.

Taking off back cover(by the way, a rubber seal is glued to it for water resistance), you can access battery, as well as micro-SIM and micro-SD slots.

At the bottom end there is a microphone and a hole familiar to Sony devices with an eyelet for attaching a wrist strap. At the top end there is a jack for connecting a stereo headset, closed with a rubber plug.

Power button

On the left side there is a micro-USB connector, designed for connecting to a computer and replenishing the battery charge. The connector is closed with a good rubber plug. The manufacturer, apparently assuming that the plug could quickly become unusable due to frequent use of the USB socket for charging the battery, put a docking station in the box, with the use of which it is possible to connect the power adapter without access to the micro-USB connector, using contacts.

In the center of the right side of the Sony Xperia ZR body there is another signature feature of Sony smartphones - a round aluminum power button. Just below it is a double volume control key: a very controversial decision - controlling the volume while holding the phone in one hand is inconvenient for both right-handed and left-handed people. Even lower is the button responsible for launching the camera.

The smartphone is available in four body colors: white, black, pink and turquoise.

Now about the sizes. The phone looks more compact than the flagship Xperia Z, while losing to it in the thickness of the body, and it also weighs a little less.

Sony XPeria ZR has the following dimensions: length – 131.3 mm, width – 67.3 mm, thickness – 10.5 mm. The weight of the device is 138 grams.

The overall impression of the smartphone is good. The design is, of course, simple, but the device is aimed primarily at people who use the phone in unusual conditions, so this fact should not be considered a disadvantage.

The build quality of the smartphone is at a high level, everything fits tightly, as it should be with a protected device. Maybe some people don’t have enough metal in the design of the case, but with this positioning of the device it is not needed, it’s easier to pay a little extra and buy a flagship model.

Display

Sony Xperia ZR has a 4.55-inch TFT display. The screen resolution is 720x1280 (HD). The screen is covered from the factory with a protective film to prevent scratches. Multi-touch support for ten touches has been implemented.

Display diagonal 4.55 inches

The color rendering quality of the display was not satisfactory; the picture seemed pale. There are no complaints about the brightness reserve: it is enough for comfortable work under the bright rays of the sun. In the dark, you can also easily set the display brightness to the minimum value to avoid excessive eye strain. Function automatic adjustment brightness works correctly.

Viewing angles are normal, but nothing more. With a strong tilt, a strong brightening of the picture is observed.

In general, the smartphone's screen is of average quality, but most users will be satisfied with it, despite the HD resolution.

Software

The smartphone operates under tandem control from the operating room Android systems 4.2 and branded shell Xperia Home. The shell features are as follows:

• advanced management of desktops, the ability to change their number;
• efficient power management and energy saving system STAMINA;
• convenient multifunctional keyboard with support for gesture input;
• program for reading barcodes using the built-in camera;
• Availability of OfficeSuite 7, a convenient software package for working with documents:
• good Walkman program for playing music.

The smartphone runs Android 4.2 operating system

In general, the proprietary firmware of the Sony Xperia ZR is excellent and, thanks to its functionality and practicality, will satisfy all the needs of even the most demanding user.

Sound

Listening to music on your Sony Xperia ZR smartphone using the main speaker will not bring much joy. Firstly, it is practically devoid of bass, and secondly, there are no special tubercles along the edges of the main speaker that prevent the sound from muffling when the device is placed on a horizontal surface.

The sound in the included headphones is of fairly high quality, not standard, of course, but will satisfy the needs of most users. The branded Walkman player has many settings for customizing the sound to your liking. You can use the automatic sound adjustment function – ClearAudio+.

Unfortunately, the quality of voice transmission through the earpiece can hardly be called good. When talking, the interlocutor is heard as if from underground, metallic notes appear. Therefore, when communicating on the phone, it can be difficult to recognize the caller precisely because of the distortion of the voice.

Automatic sound tuning function – ClearAudio+

The smartphone has FM radio, to listen to which you need to connect headphones as an antenna.

Performance

In 2013, when the smartphone first went on sale, its characteristics were considered top-end.

The device received a quad-core QualcommAPQ8064 processor with a core frequency of up to 1500 MHz. The Adreno 320 GPU is responsible for graphics.

The RAM capacity is 2 GB, which was an excellent indicator at the time the device was released. The built-in disk has a frankly small capacity of 8 GB. Fortunately, the internal storage size can be increased by using micro-SD memory cards (up to 32 GB). It is possible to connect external drives using OTG technology.

When running the synthetic AnTuTu test, the gadget scored 20,845 points, even slightly exceeding the score of the flagship Xperia Z (20,225 points). How will the device behave in games?

With such performance, there are no problems with any, even the most difficult, games. Real Racing 3 and GTA Vice City launch without any questions and run at maximum settings. Among the minuses, it is necessary to note the tendency of the device to noticeably heat up the case under heavy load.

Playing on a smartphone is very comfortable

Camera

The main optical module of the Sony Xperia ZR has a resolution of 13 megapixels. It would seem that there should be no questions about the optical component of the device. But it was not there.

Despite the good resolution of the matrix, the pictures lack sharpness; noise appears in the photo even under ideal shooting conditions. The flash will help in such a situation, although sometimes it can ruin the shot.

The main camera supports video recording in FullHD resolution.

The above disadvantages are unpleasant, but with some skill, you can get good quality photos from the device.

The main camera supports FullHD shooting

The front camera with a resolution of only 0.3 megapixels can be used for video conversations. It is difficult to obtain images of digestible quality using it.

Wireless Interfaces and Communications

The manufacturer has equipped its gadget with a full set of wireless interfaces. There is Bluetooth version 4, Wi-Fi 802.11a, which supports operation at 5 GHz, and there is also an NFC module.

The phone's navigation hardware can work with GPS and GLONASS satellites. There are no complaints about the navigation in the smartphone: the module starts quickly and the connection is stable.

The phone can only use one micro SIM card and supports 4G frequencies.

Battery

The protected Sony Xperia ZR smartphone is equipped with removable battery, its capacity is 2300 mAh. At the time of the smartphone’s release, this is the average for an Android device. How long can a device work without a power outlet? The operating time of the device under various load modes is as follows:

Sony Xperia ZR features a removable battery

• talk time – up to 11 hours;
• reading in the FBReader program – 10-12 hours;
• playback of audio content – ​​40-45 hours;
• watching videos on the Internet via Wi-Fi connection– 9-10 hours;
• game mode – 4-5 hours.

So, what kind of battery life does the buyer ultimately get? If you use the built-in STAMINA energy saving system, which limits the use of wireless interfaces when the screen is inactive, then the average user will be able to “squeeze” 2 days of uninterrupted operation out of the device. For a gadget with such parameters, this is a good indicator. If you wish, you can buy a spare battery; fortunately, the device has a replaceable one, which will extend the life of the smartphone away from civilization.

Advantages and disadvantages

The recommended price of Sony Xperia ZR in Russia at the time of release was 25,000 rubles. The price is inappropriately high, considering the functionality of the device. True, as often happens, the cost of the smartphone a few months after the announcement dropped to the “divine” 17-18 thousand.

The gadget is interesting and will find its fans, especially after the cost has been reduced. Many people will like the compactness of the device.

Advantages of Sony Xperia ZR:

• excellent performance.
• decent battery life.
• good amount of RAM (2 GB).
• IP68 dust and moisture protection.
• practical materials for the body.
• support for micro-SD memory cards.
• decent equipment.

Disadvantages of the gadget:

• high price at the start of sales.
• The display is not of the best quality.
• small built-in storage (8 GB, about 5 of which are available).
• mediocre optical module.

• Smartphone
• Stereo headset
• USB cable
• power unit
• Documentation

Mid-class according to Sony - the filling is the same as the Xperia Z/ZL, the same processor and camera, but a smaller display. Plus protection from water and dust, calm design. The positioning is strange, but we'll talk about it in the conclusions. For now, let's focus on the device.

Design, construction

Sony continues to expand its model range, in theory, the ZR replaces the V, although the latter remains quite an interesting model for those. Another question is that in terms of design, the ZR is completely in the spirit of the 2013 collection, on the right side there is a familiar aluminum power button, on the sides there are linings - the father of this whole story, Mr. Xperia Z, can be proud of his youngest. The ZR is smaller in size, due to this it fits better in the hand, it is assembled well, there is nothing loose or creaking. A little wider than the iPhone 5, a little heavier, but not a shovel, this is especially noticeable after the Xperia Z and SGS4. The cover on the back is removable, you can see a sealed lining on it, the device is protected from moisture penetration. In addition to the covers, there are also plugs for the connectors; neat people can use the docking station and the contacts on the left side. On the back there is a camera lens, a flash, an NFC area, a speaker hole, and at the bottom there is an eternal groove for attaching a strap. The 3.5 mm jack is under a plug, located on the top end. Indicator light in corporate style, familiar since the days of the first Xperia, X1. This strip can light up in different colors depending on the situation. Above the display there is a speaker and a lens front camera, light and proximity sensors, Sony inscription - the screen is covered with a film, I do not recommend peeling it off, because then the Sony inscription will disappear.

Overall, the device looks good. There are four color options, white, black, pink and green (gouge your eyes out). I would like to note that white looks the most interesting in real life, black is boring.

You can buy a second battery and use it when the main one runs out; the removable cover allows you to do this. By the way, under the cover there are slots for a SIM card (microSIM) and a microSD memory card. Please note that there are some voids along the edges of the case; apparently, this design is needed to protect the device from moisture.

Dimensions are 67.4 x 131 x 10.4 mm, weight 138 grams. It felt somewhat reminiscent of the iPhone 4S in my hand, except that it was a little larger in size. The battery cover of the black version is matte, there are traces of fingerprints here and it is quite difficult to remove.

I’ll also say about protection, the official website says the following: “In accordance with the requirements of the IP55 and IP58 standards, the Xperia ZR is protected from moisture and dust. When all ports and covers are securely sealed, this smartphone is protected against low pressure water jets from all directions to IP55 and/or can survive up to 30 minutes in 1.5 meters of fresh water to IP58.” For some, this will be an additional “pro” when choosing. You can read about the standards, ZR testing, it’s interesting. There is even a test report, which is also very interesting.

Display

The display diagonal is 4.55 inches, resolution 720 x 1280 pixels. The display is normal, but nothing more, the image is faded, the viewing angles are not like those of the iPhone 5. You can adjust the white balance, but this does not really help. Honestly, this year Sony has a problem with screens, at least I personally saw only one normal one, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra. But it will only go on sale in September (probably).

The ZR screen behaves normally in the sun, which is a plus. But the brightness, in my opinion, is not enough.

Control

On the right side there is a power button, a volume rocker, a distinctive feature of the ZR is a separate camera launch button, it can be configured to launch and shoot, only launch the camera. For some this will be a big plus. There are no problems with the touch screen, the power button fits right under the thumb, for right-handed people this is a blessing, for left-handed people it’s a disaster.

Performance

Memory

The specifications say that the memory is about 8 GB, but in fact 4.95 GB is available to the user, this is in the device out of the box. There is a slot for microSD cards, the official website says that cards up to 32 GB are supported, don’t believe it, you can install cards with a capacity of 64 GB.

Working hours

What can I say, another smartphone with Android on board. Like other Xperias this year, there is an interesting Stamina mode; when you turn off the device (that is, the display), Wi-Fi is turned off, applications are not allowed to access the network, this can seriously increase the operating time. I noticed that some programs conflict with this mode, for example Facebook.

A 2300 mAh battery is installed, the stated operating time is about 11 hours in talk mode, and the smartphone lasts 45 hours in music playback mode. In real life, with active use, the battery charge may run out towards evening. If you just call, write SMS, check occasionally social media, then ZR is able to live much longer. For example, I went out of town on the weekend and used the device only as a dialer, while still in the car I connected it to the music system. The device easily lasted from morning until late evening, there was still about 36% left, the Stamina mode, of course, was turned on. Overall, not bad.

Camera

The camera resolution is 13 megapixels, LED flash, naturally, there is autofocus, video shooting in FullHD. The maximum image resolution is 3920 x 2940 pixels. The module is the same as the ZL and Z, which is not bad. The camera menu is the same, thanks to a separate button you can quickly start shooting. Examples of photos will say much more than any descriptions, in my opinion, ZR shoots. High-resolution video recording is supported, not FullHD; videos on the device are pleasant to watch. And it’s not bad on a laptop screen either.

conclusions

There are no problems with the quality of speech transmission, although the speaker seemed quite quiet to me. The main speaker is loud, the ZR has a well-made vibration, unlike the ZR, where it is shrill, the table shakes, when you press the screen your finger bounces off, here the vibration is soft. I don’t even want to turn off the “recoil” when pressing the screen. On the network, the device costs about 18,000 rubles, in Svyaznoy about 24,000 rubles. The difference is great. Where to buy is your business and has nothing to do with me. Sony has some kind of problem with positioning. The main advantages of ZR are clear, waterproof, good camera and a shooting button, relatively compact, simple design, beautiful button. The downside is also understandable: the display is not amazing, but the operating time here is typical for Android. The most interesting thing is different, I look at Yandex.Market and see Sony Xperia Z in “White Wind” for 25,990 rubles. What's the point of ZR then? It’s better to pay the extra two thousand and get a natural flagship; the Z has a larger display, a more interesting body, and many bugs have been cleaned up with the new firmware. In general, Z is now one of the most interesting offers among “large” smartphones with Android, it’s all about the price.

Don't discount the Sony Xperia V either; it doesn't have a button on the side, but you can buy it for 16,000 rubles, or even cheaper. It is also protected from water, even more compact, the display is slightly smaller, but the resolution is the same.

Don't need water protection? I understand you perfectly, because I myself am not in the habit of swimming with phones, swimming with smartphones, or washing tablets with dishes. So, no need for protection - take the Sony Xperia ZL! It costs about 21,000 rubles, also has a shooting button, and overall the ZL is a reasonable compromise between the Z and the rest of the Xperia line.

I don’t know why to buy ZR, it makes no sense. Or rather, marketers can see the meaning, but it seems like normal people have gathered here.

P.S. Although you shouldn’t think that the device is bad. Unlike products from Samsung, Huawei and other similar companies (except perhaps HTC), the Sony Xperia ZR really looks good. In the photo and in the first hours of use it seems boring, but it fits very well in the hand after the Xperia Z. It also has a good camera. I think with the price reduction this device could become one of the most popular among the current Xperia smartphones.

Related links

Sergey Kuzmin ()

Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.

Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	67.3 mm (millimeters) 6.73 cm (centimeters) 0.22 ft (feet) 2.65 in (inches)
Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	131.3 mm (millimeters) 13.13 cm (centimeters) 0.43 ft (feet) 5.17 in (inches)
Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement.	10.5 mm (millimeters) 1.05 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (feet) 0.41 in (inches)
Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement.	138 g (grams) 0.3 lbs (pounds) 4.87 oz (ounces)
Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped.	92.78 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 5.63 in³ (cubic inches)
Certification Information about the standards to which this device is certified.	IP55 IP58

SIM card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

GSM GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analogue mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often called a 2G mobile network. It is improved by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services), and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies.	GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz
UMTS UMTS is an abbreviation for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on the GSM standard and belongs to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is providing greater speed and spectral efficiency thanks to W-CDMA technology.	UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz
LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as a fourth generation (4G) technology. It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA to increase the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent technology development is called LTE Advanced.	LTE 800 MHz LTE 850 MHz LTE 900 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz

Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds

Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.

SoC (System on Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.

SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components, such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation.	Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064
Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. Nanometers measure half the distance between elements in the processor.	28 nm (nanometers)
Processor (CPU) The primary function of a mobile device's processor (CPU) is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications.	Krait
Processor size The size (in bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of the registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance compared to 32-bit processors, which in turn are more powerful than 16-bit processors.	32 bit
Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute.	ARMv7
Level 0 cache (L0) Some processors have L0 (level 0) cache, which is faster to access than L1, L2, L3, etc. The advantage of having such memory is not only higher performance, but also reduced power consumption.	4 kB + 4 kB (kilobytes)
Level 1 cache (L1) Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small in size and works much faster than both system memory and other cache levels. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2.	16 kB + 16 kB (kilobytes)
Level 2 cache (L2) L2 (level 2) cache memory is slower than L1, but in return it has a higher capacity, allowing caching more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for it in the L3 cache (if available) or in RAM memory.	2048 kB (kilobytes) 2 MB (megabytes)
Number of processor cores The processor core executes software instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to be executed in parallel.	4
CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	1500 MHz (megahertz)
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is most often used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, etc.	Qualcomm Adreno 320
Number of cores GPU Like a CPU, a GPU is made up of several working parts called cores. They handle graphics calculations for various applications.	4
GPU clock speed Running speed is the clock speed of the GPU, measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	400 MHz (megahertz)
Amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted.	2 GB (gigabytes)
Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device.	LPDDR2
Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels means more high speeds data transmission.	Dual channel
RAM frequency The frequency of RAM determines its operating speed, more specifically, the speed of reading/writing data.	533 MHz (megahertz)

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the quality of the information image directly depends.	TFT
Diagonal For mobile devices, screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches.	4.55 in (inches) 115.57 mm (millimeters) 11.56 cm (centimeters)
Width Approximate screen width	2.23 in (inches) 56.66 mm (millimeters) 5.67 cm (centimeters)
Height Approximate screen height	3.97 in (inches) 100.73 mm (millimeters) 10.07 cm (centimeters)
Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side	1.778:1 16:9
Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means clearer image detail.	720 x 1280 pixels
Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be displayed on the screen with clearer detail.	323 ppi (pixels per inch) 126 ppcm (pixels per centimeter)
Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display.	24 bit 16777216 flowers
Screen area Approximate percentage of screen area occupied by the screen on the front of the device.	64.8% (percent)
Other characteristics Information about other screen features and characteristics.	Capacitive Multi-touch Scratch resistance
	Shatter proof sheet on scratch-resistant glass Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.

Main camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the body and is used for taking photos and videos.

Flash type The most common types of flashes in mobile device cameras are LED and xenon flashes. LED flashes produce softer light and, unlike brighter xenon flashes, are also used for video shooting.	LED
Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of mobile device cameras is their resolution, which shows the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in the image.	4128 x 3096 pixels 12.78 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution Information about the maximum supported resolution when shooting video with the device.	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)
Video - frame rate/frames per second. Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the device when shooting video at the maximum resolution. Some of the main standard video shooting and playback speeds are 24p, 25p, 30p, 60p.	30fps (frames per second)

Additional camera

Additional cameras are usually mounted above the device screen and are used mainly for video conversations, gesture recognition, etc.

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Location determination

Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

HDMI

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a digital audio/video interface that replaces older analog audio/video standards.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Video file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.

Capacity A battery's capacity indicates the maximum charge it can hold, measured in milliamp-hours.	2300 mAh (milliamp-hours)
Type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, the chemicals used. Exist different types batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries most often used in mobile devices.	Li-Ion (Lithium-ion)
2G talk time 2G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 2G network.	11 o'clock (clock) 660 min (minutes) 0.5 days
2G latency 2G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 2G network.	470 h (hours) 28200 min (minutes) 19.6 days
3G talk time 3G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network.	13 h (hours) 780 min (minutes) 0.5 days
3G latency 3G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 3G network.	520 h (hours) 31200 min (minutes) 21.7 days
Characteristics Information about some additional characteristics device battery.	Removable