Sony Xperia Z3 vs Galaxy Note 4 vs OPO

ProjectZero on 01/10/2014 - 14:10

Hi guys,

SO I'm in the market for a new phone and currently have been looking at a few of them… Was a toss up between Note 4 and the OPO (Note 4 was winning slightly due to the S-Pen feature). However, due to the recent PS4 promotion with the Z3, it has come onto my radar. The PS4 would just be a bonus so I'm not going to go get it because of it.

So here is a list of what I like and don't like with each phone

OPO:
Likes:
IPS screen
Cheap and powerful
Running CM = no bloatware

Dislikes:
No S-Pen feature
No expandable memory (I like to keep FLACs on my devices and is slowly building my library)

Note 4:
Likes:
S-Pen
Powerful
QHD (Blessing and a curse…)
Currently using a Note 2 so Touchwiz is easy to navigate

Dislikes:
AMOLED screens (Prefer more natural colours from IPS)
bloatware

Z3:
Likes:
IPS LCD
Powerful (relatively)
Water and dust proof
Really nice design

Dislikes:
Bloatware (?)
No S-Pen

I've never used a Sony phone before, but from my friends experience… there doesn't seem to be alot of software support (Firmware updates etc.). Can someone please advise if my assumption about software is correct? Does Sony give bloatware?

Planning on buying outright so would prefer the phone to last as long as possible.

Could you guys please give some kind of feedback as to what to choose? I don't play alot of games on the phone… mostly internet browsing (searching for deals before buying at stores etc.) and checking emails (personal and work). I just want a powerful phone so that it doesn't lag too much when i have a few widgets on screen. Is there perhaps another options, or maybe another thing i should take into consideration?

Cheers.

Poll Options

  • 20
    OPO
  • 14
    Note4
  • 41
    Xperia Z3
Mobile

Comments

  • malkakas on 01/10/2014 - 14:29
    +1

    You can buy 2 OPOs for the price of Note 4.
    If you take the money factor also into the equation, then OPO would be the ideal option. you can use the saving to buy a decent data package for your new phone.
    If you are into larger phones then LG G3 is also a low cost option compared to Note 4 and Z3.

    • ProjectZero on 01/10/2014 - 16:54
      +1

      I've actually choosen a plan already, I'm going with the Vodafone Red $50… reason is I'm currently with Virgin and need to get away from Optus network as I get next to no signal and Telstra is too expensive.

      Money would be a factor, OPO 64GB would be about $500 from what I know… not too sure about the note4's RRP at this point… hoping for around $800-$900, an extra $300 to have proper local warranty and the added feature of the S-Pen would be good. The Z3 is around there as well and basically the same mindset.

      • [Deactivated] on 04/10/2014 - 20:33
        +1

        wait… did you just say you got Vodafone to improve your signal?

        • ProjectZero on 05/10/2014 - 23:21

          LOL yeah stupid I know… but at my office, vodafone has better reception then virgin and optus (same network) and is beaten by telstra.

          Bottom line is, the two areas that i spend alot of my time doesn't have good reception with virgin and optus… thought optus is slightly better then virgin.

  • chuneeperformance on 01/10/2014 - 14:47

    AMOLED screens (Prefer more natural colours from IPS)

    • how did u come to this conclusion?
    • ProjectZero on 01/10/2014 - 16:44
      +5

      I find the AMOLED to have vibrant but saturated colours… my note 2 compared to my Dell IPS at home, I feel the IPS's colour looks more natural and like it more.

      I also compared my note 2's screen to my Iphone 4's and the Iphone's retina display (basically an IPS) looks better as well.

      • oringal on 03/10/2014 - 01:01
        +2

        you can change the display tone under settings->diplay->screen mode

    • scrimshaw on 02/10/2014 - 18:38
      +2

      AMOLED displays tend to be off with whites and colours are extremely vivid, IPS displays colours more accurately but with less colour saturation.

  • Bappy on 01/10/2014 - 15:06
    +2

    1. If "S-Pen" feature is mandetory, I guess then you choice is limited to Galaxy Note Variants

    2. However if the "S-Pen" feature is not mandetory, then go with OPO, you will save $$$. I personally can vouch for OPO as I have one.

    3. Cannot compare OPO with Z3 because never used Z3 (or Z2/Z1) but I did play with my cousin's Galaxy Note3 and I would prefer OPO over Note3 anytime.

    4. Have you considered LG G2? We have the LG G2 - performance wise its almost as good as the OPO (minus the bloatware but better battary life).

    5. If you can wait, maybe wait for Nexus X/6 - its due to release this month. Even if the rumor about the huge screen (5.9 inch) becomes true - I don't think it will be a big issue considering you are using Note 2 now (And Nexus will have slim bazel plus On Screen buttons - so practically it will be ~5.5 inch device)

    Just my 5 cents…

    • ProjectZero on 01/10/2014 - 16:55

      S-Pen would be nice, but definitely not mandatory. As it isn't urgent, I can wait to see the nexus X before considering which to get.

  • stargalaxy on 01/10/2014 - 15:21

    You may wants to consider Huawei Mate 7 and Lenovo Vibe Z Pro if you like big screen, the only problem is hard to buy in Australia and support I guess will be terrible.

    • ProjectZero on 01/10/2014 - 16:46

      I would prefer to have some kind of local support… one of the reasons why I didn't jump straight at the OPO.

  • cypher67 on 01/10/2014 - 16:42
    +5

    Ok I'm going to ask it and grab my ankles in prepare … what is OPO? Google tells me its an optical parametric oscillator?

    • ProjectZero on 01/10/2014 - 16:44

      Oneplus One

    • 1Dollar on 03/10/2014 - 22:20
      +1

      I thought it was Oppo something

  • shaz0316 on 01/10/2014 - 16:57
    +1

    Have you considered the Oppo Find 7??

    You get a QHD screen, very powerful processor, 3gB of RAM, IPS display, VOOC rapid charging (serious rapid charging)a sleek and minimalistic design which, imo, is much more refreshing then the overused Samsung/Sony design.

    If software is your concern then their stock android OS gets update approx once a month or if that's not your thing the manufacturer is open to you rooting the device for cyanogemod w/o losing warranty. Whats not to like aye??

    • ProjectZero on 01/10/2014 - 17:18

      That sounds pretty good, will have a look into that as well. Do they have a CM flashed or would i have to do that myself?

      • shaz0316 on 01/10/2014 - 19:10

        you would have to do it yourself, though I'm sure with their easy root method it wouldn't be difficult.

        I forgot to add that theres also a removable battery and external sd slot which I dnt think the ONO has (z3 not sure), and they normally give you a spare battery when you buy the phone.

  • elektron on 02/10/2014 - 09:37
    +6

    By all accounts, Sony has the best camera, including the best low light performance of any high-end smartphone.

    Not sure how important this to you and whether you're planning to carry it in a pocket at all, but the X3 is big enough as it is, and both the Note 4 and the OPO are even bigger in all 3 dimensions. Yes, they have bigger screens too but I think the Sony's 5.2" is plenty big for a phone.

    Also, as far as the stylus goes, most people who buy a Note stop using the stylus once the novelty wears off. This has definitely been the case with my Note 8.0.

    I am actually considering getting the Xperia X3 Compact, which is arguably the best value phone on the market right now. It's essentially a smaller version of the full-size X3 with the same specs except for "only" 2Gb RAM (will hardly make any difference) and a lower-res screen, which is still well over 300 PPI, the threashold beyond which the human eye cannot distinguish the difference (professional photo prints are made in 300 PPI, so things like QHD and even FHD on the phone is just one-upmanship).

    Disclaimer: I am not a Sony fanboy and have never owned a Sony smartphone (and not considered one until now).

    • ProjectZero on 02/10/2014 - 12:02
      +1

      The size of the phone isn't really an issue for me as I am currently using a note 2. I don't use the stylus for anything other then taking notes, I find handwriting to be faster then typing.

      I m considering the Z3 because it has a really nice design, similar to the iphone designs which I like (just don't like using iOS, personally find Android to be more pleasing to use). The other reason is that it is decent in terms of hardware specs, decent sized screen, and the battery life seems really good.

      I am in the same shoe as you however as I've never used a Sony smartphone, but have heard they do not offer much in terms of software support.

  • Jebediah_Kerman on 02/10/2014 - 10:04

    Does anyone have any comment on how reliable these phones can be expected to be?

    I would be biased towards the Samsung because I've had good experiences in the past, and bad experiences with Sony. Really no idea about the OPO, also curious about the LG G3.

    This is something I've been thinking about recently. It's difficult to judge because really this should be based on the model itself and not the brand. Even with models that have been out for a significant period of time, it is hard to find actual statistics on.

    There's nothing worse than getting a bitchin' new phone and it fails pretty fast.

    • ProjectZero on 02/10/2014 - 12:06

      I would be biased towards the Samsung because I've had good experiences in the past, and bad experiences with Sony. Really no idea about the OPO, also curious about the LG G3.

      Same, would like to see some user opinion for Sony smartphones. In terms of specs, they're almost identical so I'm not really worried about hardware. My concern is mainly software, there is also the minor feature differences (waterproof, s-pen etc.).

      • elektron on 02/10/2014 - 15:19

        In terms of the software support, I have found Samsung extremely disappointing over the years.

        Here are just two examples I experienced 1st hand:

        • Bought a Galaxy Tab 7.7 Wifi for almost $500, which was arguably the top compact tablet at the time. It has not received a single upgrade and still runs Honeycomb!

        • Bought a Note 8.0, which was upgraded to KitKat in some countries a half a year ago, but not in Australia, with no word if it will ever be released here.

        • ProjectZero on 02/10/2014 - 15:58

          I absolutely agree with terrible software support, thats why I plan on getting the international version if available in Aus. At least the firmware is released by samsung and they don't jump through hoops for the providers.

        • elektron on 02/10/2014 - 16:28

          @ProjectZero:

          The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Wifi has not been upgraded anywhere in the world, so having the international version is no guarantee.

        • ankor on 02/10/2014 - 20:04

          I also hated samsung's default OS (on a galaxy s3). As soon as I put omegarom on it, I basically felt like I had a totally new phone.

  • elektron on 02/10/2014 - 10:34
    +1

    If you want top quality get an HTC One M8 and be done with it.

    Samsung Galaxy S3 were notorious for cracked screens. OPO has not been around long enough. I don't know much about Sony.

    • ProjectZero on 02/10/2014 - 12:08
      +1

      Never used an HTC before…

      My phone history is nokia bricks —> Iphone 4 —> GS3 —> Note 2. Could you elaborate on the HTC being quality? My friend had one and it runs out of battery pretty fast… even fast then my GS3.

      • Bappy on 02/10/2014 - 13:44

        HTC Build quality is very good (I'd say 2nd place after iPhones)
        Another big plus is the front facing stereo speakers (very few phones offer stereo speakers as far as I know). I personaly prefer HTC sense over Touchwiz… but battery capacity is only 2600mAh

      • elektron on 02/10/2014 - 15:31

        I have had an HTC One X for 2.5 years now. The battery's only 1,800mah so it's not great, but it's not an issue for me personally as I'm always near a charger (home, work or car). Having said that, I don't have to charge it as frequently as my friends with their iPhone 5's.

        In terms of the build quality, if you have observed the flagship HTC phones over the past few years as I have, you would agree that their build quality is on par or better than the iPhones (and feels nicer in the hand), while none of the Adnroid manufactures have been able to touch them.

        Another factor to consider, only the Note 4 and the Z3 support high-resolution audio (only relevant if you're an audiophile and planning to play 24-bit 96/192khz tracks) with the Z3 and the HTC One M8 having the overall best overall sound quality (the HTC for best speaker sound and the Sony for the best headphone audio).

        • ProjectZero on 02/10/2014 - 15:56

          Thanks guys, so from the two post, it points out that the pros for a HTC is the stereo speakers and the build quality.

          Maybe it's because I'm used to mono speakers, does the mono vs. stereo speakers make a difference for calls?

          The thing is, I do listen to FLACs at work, as such, I always have a set of Headphones with me. Do I need the phone to have stereo speakers to properly support stereo audio? I thought that wouldn't be the case.

        • elektron on 02/10/2014 - 16:22

          @ProjectZero:

          Stereo speakers don't make any difference for call quality as calls are transmitted in mono.

          If you only listen to music in headphones then having high quality speakers will make no difference to you.

          If you listen to a lot of FLACs with decent headphones, then the Sony would be very a good fit. They do have the Walkman legacy in their DNA after all. Their ClearAudio+ feature has even been praised by audiophiles who normaly frown at DSP.

          BTW, all of these phones have stereo speakers with the exception of OPO, which only has two mono speakers.

        • Poimandres on 03/10/2014 - 15:37

          @elektron:

          I would be cautious of Sony phones/players depending on your headphones. If you have a set of headphones that take a bit of juice to drive you might find the Sony phones to quiet. I have an Xperia Z (OG) and it doesn't drive my 80 ohm Beyer DT250's well enough, but does drive my Sennheiser MX980 earbuds well (thanks Ozbargain!)

        • elektron on 03/10/2014 - 15:52
          +1

          @Poimandres:

          I think you'll find that any headphones that are 80 ohm or higher may require an external amp to drive them, including MacBooks.

          I have not seen any information regarding the Z3 requiring Sony headphones other than having preset sound profiles for various models of Sony headphones, but this is more of a value-add rather than a handicap.

        • PVA on 04/10/2014 - 13:28

          @ProjectZero:
          Sony Z3 is stereo speakers as well.

  • allegiance86 on 02/10/2014 - 17:25
    +7

    I've had iPhones, HTC's, Samsungs and Nokias in my phone history and none of them have been as good as my Sony Xperia Z2 in all honesty. Build quality is fantastic, links to my ps4 and can chat with people, use it in the shower to listen to spotify (water runs directly on it with no dramas), sounds is great too.

    • cypher67 on 02/10/2014 - 22:33
      +2

      What else do you use the phone for in the shower?

    • PVA on 04/10/2014 - 13:30

      I have music playing in the shower as well via the Sony phone.

  • twig on 02/10/2014 - 22:43
    +6

    If you're currently using a Samsung, then there is no bloatware on the Z3 in comparison.

    Source: Own a Z1c and played with a Z3c for about an hour

  • SpaceNinja on 02/10/2014 - 23:32

    No phone can match the power of mighty note series, s-pen rocks.
    Also much criticized touch-wiz is the only flavor of android supporting split screen and floating windows.
    All these features + big screen boost the productivity manifolds.
    Of-course, if you don't need these features then go for either of other 2 based on how much you are willing to spend.

  • jzdhgkd on 03/10/2014 - 02:27
    +6

    From what I've read Sony really picked up their game with the Xperia series. I still own a 2013 Moto G, but here's my opinion:

    Z3 has pretty much everything that every other flagship has except for the S-Pen and QHD display (which apparently on the Note4 is BEAUTIFUL!)

    Z3 comes with some pre-installed apps and these are as usual non-removable without root. Good news is Sony are thinking of releasing stock Android roms for their devices (http://www.androidauthority.com/sony-more-aosp-roms-531948/) and have historically been very friendly to unlocking etc if that matters to you at all (http://developer.sonymobile.com/unlockbootloader/unlock-your…). This is in stark contrast to the Samsung's locked down nature i.e. Knox.

    Z3 is high up there in the battery rankings, even beating the Note3 (http://www.gsmarena.com/battery-test.php3) We'll have to wait for some reviews on the Note4's battery life I think.

    I notice you seem interested in the stereo speakers of the HTC One M8. The Z3 has these too whereas the Note4 has a single speaker at the back.

    In regards to cameras the Z3 should be very good, however the Note4 now has optical image stabilisation. I haven't seen any images, however OIS in DSLRs can make a huge difference, so that might be something to read up on when people start posting reviews.

    The only real downside of the Z3 is the lack of removable battery (unless you really think you'll use that S-Pen)

    Good luck choosing :P

    • elektron on 03/10/2014 - 15:40

      Not sure if the removable battery is a downside though - hasn't stopped the iPhone from being a hit. The battery on my HTC One X is also non-replaceable and has not been an issue in the 2.5 years I've had it.

      I have to say, the Z3 (or Z3C) does look like the closest thing to a perfect phone at the moment.

      • Jebediah_Kerman on 03/10/2014 - 20:23

        It's not really a big issue, but in my opinion, removable battery is preferable.

        I had a Nokia n9, the lock/power button broke. The phone could still be unlocked by tapping the screen, though the phone couldn't be turned off.

        It also had a bug where after a couple days of use, it would receive no signal. To fix this it just needed to be reset. The only way to reset it with a broken power button was to let the battery drain so it turned off, then charge it, and it would reset. I would have loved a removable battery at that stage lol.

        Plus, of course if the battery goes crappy in later life it can be easily replaced with removable battery.

  • Mobe1969 on 03/10/2014 - 06:15
    +4

    Sony is a light layer on top of basic android and NOT bloated. And they are pretty open and work with developers. Unlike samsuing. I mean sony even have an open dev web site and community. They do seem to update pretty well. My XZ is on 4.4.4

    Oppo I can't really comment on.

    Samsung - all I head on the android forums is people complaining on how bad and bloated touchwiz is

    • plmko on 03/10/2014 - 17:45
      +1

      There are a few bloatware apps, mainly preinstalled things to cover the lack of in-house features like Evernote, however they can be uninstalled. Overall it's not very intrusive.

  • ProjectZero on 03/10/2014 - 19:28
    +1

    Thanks for all the feedback guys, I might go visit a sony kiosk to test out the Z3 and might just wait for the nexus X and note 4 to come out before making the final decision.

  • clickchen on 04/10/2014 - 00:25
    +2

    I'd pick Z3
    - Wireless PS4 Play
    - Amazing battery life
    - Water proof, dust proof
    - Elegant design
    - Far less bloatware compared to Samsung
    - Sony tends to update their flagship phones promptly
    - Great fun with the camera app and decent picture quality

    • ProjectZero on 05/10/2014 - 23:24
      +1

      I tried the Z3 at a sony kiosk the other day, it feels really responsive and solid. Nice looking and whilst not as slim as some of the newer phones all i can say to that is meh…

      The only thing I don't like is the colour choices though, so black or white might be my pick, the green and copper with black looks awkward as hell lol.

  • Mobe1969 on 04/10/2014 - 04:26

    Not many comments on the oppo. I occasionally think of the other fringe makers like huwei but kind of have the feeling with the firmware it comes with, maybe a couple of updates

  • arislan on 04/10/2014 - 13:18
    +1

    There's not a lot of bloatware with Sony phones. My wife has a z1. Also, have you considered LG G3? It beats the OPO pretty much on most spec and has less bloat than even Sony. But if you really have to chose between the 3, z3 is the obvious choice, unless you really really need the big screen on the Note 4. I don't think OPO can really compare if you do not take into account the price. OPO was really meant to be value for money. For the price you pay, the specs and the phone is the best, but given you are not comparing the price and stacking it against premium priced phones, it kinda falls short.

  • neonlight on 04/10/2014 - 14:42

    LG G3 beats them all and cheaper

    Sony Z2 suffers from self cracking screen, Z3 might be the same.

    • PVA on 05/10/2014 - 21:50

      the LG suffers from cracked from near the charge port.

      • neonlight on 07/10/2014 - 13:52

        At least its not bendgate or any worse than self cracking screen.

  • Tea-Aholic on 04/10/2014 - 21:41
    +5

    I have had the Note 2, Note 3, Sony Z, Z1 and Z2 so I can vouch here for the two brands.

    Sony is better in every aspect. I.E.:

    Build quality: Glass and metal vs plastic. Not only that but waterproof too.

    Camera: Sony has the best camera I've ever used in a phone. I think the one's on iPhone are great too, but that 1/2.3 inch sensor in the Sony seriously has "point-and-shoot" look to them, IE quite a decent quality jump from the mobile sensor feel from most phones. I don't know how to explain it, but it's like how a P&S camera takes just overall nicer photos than a mobile phone. You get that same quality from the Sony.

    Display: I am in the same boat as you. Despite the fact that the Z and Z1 had awful TN displays, the Z2's IPS display is absolutely brilliant and on par with the best displays from HTC and LG. The only thing is that the black levels are much much better on the Note AMOLED but the rest of the colours look really off on the Samsungs. Apparently they have improved it on the Note 4 but I still prefer the LCD look compared to AMOLEDs.

    OS: Here is a huge one in software terms. To me, AOSP and Sony's UI for Android is my preferred choice. Sony's UI is very very light, looks very similar to stock Android with just little gloss over the top. I hate how Sony changed the navi icons at the bottom but I got the AOSP buttons from a theme you can change so it's not a big deal to my aesthetically OCD self.

    Talking about navigation buttons, Samsung uses that awful three button "menu" "home" and "back" key when all other Android phones use the "back" "home" and "multitask" keys. The Samsung one is confusing, because not all Android screens have a "menu" to go to and since they are hardware buttons on the Samsung, there is no way telling whether or not there is a submenu whereas on the Sony and any other phone with onscreen buttons, the menu button appears alongside the navigation icons. Other than that the Samsung's UI is incredibly skinned so much from the stock UI that it takes away the Android experience.

    These are just the major gripes I had with both the Note 2 and Note 3, there are too many things that Samsung does that annoy me and my experience with Android. I find that other Android manufactures give a much more pleasant experience.

    To me, the top phones you can't go wrong are:
    - iPhone
    - Sony Z2 onwards (Z3 also)
    - LG G2 onwards (G3 recommended in you can afford)
    - HTC One/M8 (although not a huge fan of the camera system on there but rest is great)

    There are more like the Oppo but I can't comment since I've never seen yet alone try it.

  • TRENT86 on 05/10/2014 - 19:19
    +1

    I love the look of the Note Edge and with a 2.7ghz processor I'm keeping my eye on that one

    • ProjectZero on 05/10/2014 - 23:25
      +1

      I did think of the note edge at first, but I get the feeling that it will be awkward to hold due to the curved edge on the right side.

  • 10101010101 on 16/10/2014 - 17:23

    I've had the Sony Xperia Z Ultra and my wife has a Z2 - both are fantastic phones and Sony probably has the best stock-like firmware out there. Fairly minimal bloat and the additions are probably quite useful most of the time. Currently using a OPO and it is also a great phone, especially for the price. The OPO camera is AWESOME! Highly underrated by many reviews which were probably based on old firmware. The latest 38R firmware gives you DNG RAW camera support using the built in camera app which delivers very high quality shots. Even the JPGs from the Auto mode or HDR mode look very very good - possibly better than the Z2 in some instances (although I haven't played with the Z2 a lot).

    I am however thinking of jumping over to the Note 4 simply due to the fact that it's available from Virgin on a $57/month deal with 2.3gb data and some calls. I'm currently paying $30/month for minimal calls and 2.5gb data so I figure for an extra $27/month I get a flagship phone. To be honest, I was a little disappointed with Sony's minor update with the Z3 and therefore can't really justify the price for a minor upgrade over the Z2.

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