Sony Xperia Z Ultra 4G Phablet for $733 ($659.70 with Trade-in) at Harvey Norman

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Harvey Norman

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  Falbium on 28/09/2013 - 02:31

  Appears to be 4G LTE - If you google the barcode from the Specs on HN site, it matches the 4G LTE version here:
  http://betterit.com.au/scripts/prodview.asp?idproduct=603253…

  For anyone that can find an old POS phone to trade in, this is a great price. The cheapest grey imports are around $720 shipped, and this is AU stock.

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  lostn on 28/09/2013 - 02:38

  What size does a phone have to be to be officially considered a phablet? I always thought a Galaxy S3/S4 or Xperia Z was already a phablet.

  • 

    HRipper on 28/09/2013 - 06:31

    -3

    Xperia Z ultra looks ugly. I wonder why people are liking these huge devices that cant even fit in pocket.

  • 

    HRipper on 28/09/2013 - 06:32

    Deleted

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  plasmapuff on 28/09/2013 - 03:09

  +7

  Yep definitely 4G model c6833.

  Why I prefer the XZU vs Note 3. YMMV:

  "Note 3 has a bigger and user removable battery"

  The battery is 4.7% larger (3050 vs 3200mah). That's pretty negligible. Extrapolating out from the GSMarena review of 5:23 hours for web browsing, you get an extra 16 minutes of battery life. Woot… Yes its non removable but its the sacrifice for having a slim, premium build quality unit. The number of people who actually also carry around replacement batteries is also probably only a very small proportion of users. Portable power packs do the same thing and can charge your tablet/other people's devices too. As for the battery dying in 1.5-3 years, see links above re: possible self replacement. Apparently not hard, if its anything like the XZ.

  "IR"
  Nope won't have this. Probably not a big issue for most people besides from the occasional show off factor? Some people like myself probably also barely watch TV anyways, as everything is online/streamable/downloadable without all the ads…

  "SPen"
  Different levels of touch sensitivity is only useful if you're doing artistic drawings with delicate lines/shading involved. For simple text, when the Sony firmware upgrades roll around (as per initial launch demo capabilities), I suspect it'll do a decent job. But yeah if you intend to use the stylus a lot, then Note series is probably better. I used to use it a fair bit for taking notes on my note 2 in lectures/meetings, but found because they were being saved as poorly scaled images when exported anyways, that I could replicate the same functionality by actually writing notes on paper and then scanning them into the Camera Scanner app which turns it into a neat cropped PDF which looked a lot better than the Snotes when exported to read on a tablet/computer etc. On the Note 2 itself though, they were fine to read – so it really depends on how you intend to use it. For casual phone numbers/spur of the moment lists – you're finger will probably be fine on most modern smart phones to be honest.

  "More pocketable"
  This comes at the expense of screen size. The XZU screen is actually 0.76" larger than the Note 3, which is an impressive 29% larger screen area. This difference cannot be understated. For me yes it is a bit more unwieldy especially with 1 handed use, but this is something I'm sure you will adapt to (as some users have already mentioned). For me it fits in all my pockets still, I take my phone out of my pockets when sitting down with the Note 2 anyways, so no real difference here.

  "Bigger inbuilt memory"
  …Which is required by the bloatware which is touchwiz and all its gimmicky features. People on XDA are reporting 700-800MB free memory on their XZUs at all times which is pretty impressive. Yes it is future proofing to some degree, but with android in its current state you're probably likely to upgrade before ram becomes a limiting factor. Functionally, both devices will be very snappy so aside from being impressive on the specs sheet, I doubt there is a real world difference to most users.

  "newer OS"
  …At the moment. Sony's record of firmware updates of late is much better than Samsung. My note 2 was still stuck on 4.12 which it had from launch, where as the XZ already had a 4.22 update. Regardless, both phones will have awesome XDA support for custom ROMs. Also from 4.22 – 4.3, I don't think you're missing all that much :P

  "better back camera and LED flash"
  This is undeniably true. Sony has undercooked their camera and have turned a fair few people off but not including something as basic as a flash. On the other hand, for happy snaps/social media, it'd probably be more than adequate. If you're wanting serious photos, no smartphone camera (maybe 1020 and now XZ1) even rivals a simple point and shoot let alone a CMOS/ ¾ DSLR, DSLRs. Torch can also be replicated by using the screen with max brightness. Not as good as a LED for sure, but still more than workable imo.

  Then you get the undeniable pros in favour of the XZU:
  - screen size: You can replace your 7" tablet and phone with this all in one device. With my note 2 (note 3 being a negligible +0.13" in screen size), while it was decent, I'd always reach for my 7" tablet if I had it with me.

  • Build quality: aluminium frame, solid glass. Until you use something else which isn't plasticky Samsung, its something you'd never experience. Feels good and solid in the hand with no creaks.

  • Waterproofing: underwater photos, washing, dust, use as a shower radio, beach / lots of other uses where you simply wouldn't be able to take any other electronic device with you.

  • Price - $150-200 cheaper.

  My 2c :)

  • 

    plasmapuff on 28/09/2013 - 04:22

    Should I add
    - the XZU has none of this region locking BS either. What madness possessed Samsung to do this I don't know.
    - For use as a torch, the 6.44" inch and max brightness white screen is a decent workaround.

    I have the C6833 4G model currently and have been using it for the past week and a bit.

    Happy to field any Q)s and concerns :)

  • 

    kazines on 28/09/2013 - 08:34

    +1

    For me
    1. Removable battery means you can quickly replace low battery with full spare battery instead of plugging into a power source. A spare battery is much smaller than a power pack.

    1. Region lock only applies out of the box. When you use a correct region sim for the first time its unlocked.
       http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_simlocking_droids_built_afte…

    2. Waterproofing. I believe XUZ doesnt have a physical button assinged for camera shutter. Meaning you can NOT take photos underwater using the touch screen

    3. I already have a full frame camera

    4. Better support = 2 year warranty on Samsung phones and a local service centre.

    Cheers for the detailed comment

    • 

      plasmapuff on 28/09/2013 - 11:07

      2) That's correct but there are apps which assign the camera shutter to the volume keys. Works a treat :-) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=am.tir.z.proxi…

      For the others yes I agree but it's all about compromises and which feature you're prioritising. For me screen size is king so I'm willing to accept weaknesses in other areas. Unfortunately there is no perfect flawless phone yet.

  • 

    siuol on 28/09/2013 - 11:24

    Fair comment. Note 2 user as well.
    Without flash in Sony is the biggest put off.

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  jackthefrost on 28/09/2013 - 07:13

  I don't know about others but putting that big thing next to your face when you are out in the open seems so awkward.

  • 

    bagachin on 28/09/2013 - 08:52

    +1

    I personally think it's never weird to use any product for its intended use. For all these gadgets, in fact any gadgets with any shapes and sizes, they are not weird, they are just uncommon (or yet to be common) and have not yet been able to be advertised or commercialized into a very convincing way.

  • 

    StewBalls on 28/09/2013 - 10:05

    +1

    DSE has you covered: http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/117897

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  10101010101 on 28/09/2013 - 11:49

  +1

  I just got mine delivered yesterday after pre-ordering from the Sony website. Love the phone so far - super thin and the build quality is amazing.

  I've started up a fansite for it which currently mainly has a consolidation of reviews and videos on it.
  Have a look here if you want more details:
  http://xperiazultra.weebly.com/

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  Jo3y on 29/09/2013 - 10:54

  Looks like a good deal, I'll leave this link here to help people out when choosing a smartphone; http://versusio.com/en/