The ZL, while having a smaller footprint, it's thicker. Z most likely bigger for being waterproof with the extra port flaps and what not. Both have 5" screen.

OP might want to update the main post. There is no WhiteMagic.

It's the on/off button.

Z no shutter button. The space where a shutter button should be is where the loudspeakers are.

Doubt it's due to waterproof feature. I am currently using the XPERIA Acro S which is also waterproof and it has the physical camera shutter button as well.

If anything, it's due to the size/design constraints or design decision.

I feel your concerns as well, but I will wait until actual reviews are out with tests.

After all, the HTC Butterfly does come with only 2020 mAh battery, even smaller, but yet the phone is bigger than the XPERIA Z, not to mention the construction of the XPERIA Z does allow for it to be waterproof and dustproof.

It could be that the S4 Pro chip is really that efficient that manufacturers don't see the need to place a nuclear reactor on their phones?

Non-removable.

I hear your concerns and agree to an extend. IMHO, I would rather they focus on more powerful but efficient processor/screens/radio chip sets.. I do not want to have to charge my phone for a few hours to get from empty to 100%.

If the XPZ can give me a smooth performance and a full day regular usage on a full charge, I will be happy.

Edit:
Yes, microSD. At least 64gb should would work. Not sure if it has support for upcoming sizes such as 128GB etc.

This post has been edited by Areas Elysian: Jan 8 2013, 12:30 PM

XPERIA Z is waterproof.

As for underwater pictures, have to wait for actual reviewers to test that out. If the screen capacitive touch technology is the same as the Acro S, then no. Acro S's screen goes crazy underwater and it doesn't function. Couple that issue with the lack of a dedicated physical camera shutter release button, you will not be able to take anything while submerged.. Unless you set a timer for 2/10 seconds while above the water and submerge it for the shot.

When you make a phone that thin, and the top part is being take over by the earpiece, main camera module as well as the front camera module, you need the space at the bottom for the loud speakers and vibrator. Just from my observation. Of course, we can only really know once someone rips open a XPERIA Z for us.

Yeah.. you are correct. Sony only finalized the deal towards the end of 2011.

Since most handsets have a 9-15 months cycle from drawing board to prototype and manufacturing, most of the phones in 2012 still spotted the Sony Ericsson green liquid energy flow logo as the would be too far into the development cycle to have the change. Only the last few models in 2012 such as the XPERIA V was without the logo.

Moving forward, all Sony Mobiles handset will only spot the Sony and XPERIA logo.

According to the white papers, there will be two XPERIA Zs out there.

Model C6603 with LTE support
Model C6602 without, only up to HSPDA+

In the white paper for the C6603, it was stated that it will support LTE Bands 1,3,5,7,8,20. In which from what I observe, Band 7 = 2600MHz.

The XPERIA S was announced in CES 2012 as well, with release date end Feb/early March for early market adopters. It came out in Malaysia in the 3rd week of March. XPERIA Ion on the other hand world wide no news during CES.

XPERIA Z has been stated to be out around the same time as the XPERIA S, so I would assume it'll be end March as well. Assumptions only, I have no insider source.

As for the camera button, I have been using the Acro S since its release and have not found any issues with its camera button at all. =\.. and my phone gets spashed on/submerged frequently too..

If you are in a position where you are sharing videos/pictures with a group of people, viewing angles matters as not everyone is able to be at the optimum angle.

I highly doubt "privacy" is can really be used as an advantage to be honest. Poor viewing angle does not equates to poor visibility. It generally just equates to poor colour rendering/saturation. People will still be able to see what you're seeing, just not in all it's glory, that's all.

This post has been edited by Areas Elysian: Jan 9 2013, 04:22 PM

TL;DR
Welcome to the new world of consumerism, where marketers are given the job of implanting the idea into consumers mind to want something a little newer, a little shinier and a little more in fashion. It doesn't mean the best product wins. It is the product(s) that is being pushed into the consumer's mind as being best wins.


Long Version:
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

What is beauty? How can we define beauty? Is there a fixed standard to beauty? Or to what is good, what is bad?

At the end of the day, it is all down to marketing. It is how they market things. Look at Apple for example.

What is the perfect size for a phone and scree? Apple has been marketing 3.5" all these while, dismissing 4". It used to be everyone who worships Apple also preaches the 3.5" inch theory till the cows comes home, always saying 3.5" is the best and that 4" is too big for their hands to use, not comfortable etc.

Magically, as the 5th gen was out with a 4" screen, all these Apple worshipers suddenly grew larger hands, accepting the 4" screen size and praising Apple for coming up with that size.

It does not matter if Sony has the best colour reproduction or if it has the sharpest screen. It all just boils down to what is being marketed as the "in" thing. Market the zero brightness black, high contrast and over vividness enough and everyone will start believing that is how things are supposed to be, overly colourful and painful to the eyes.

Unfortunately, we live in a consumerism society. There used to be a time where products were produced by hand, so the supply was low, and with the demand at a particular level, it drove the price up. As time goes by and mass production came in, supply increased a lot, but demand has not changed much. So because of that, companies will need to make consumer's thinking change. It used to be a time when people buy phones to replace their old broken unusable ones. But now, people are changing just because they want something a little newer, a little shinier, a little more "in fashion".

Where did you get that information from? What is the source?

You have to remember that resolution also plays a different.

That's 5.5" @ 720p vs 5" @ 1080p.. or 267 ppi vs 441 ppi.

Generally the more pixels you have, the clearer your contents will be.

Edit:

Exclusive Construction of New Sony CES Products
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=playe...d&v=3ccFdB91siY

You can see the XPERIA Z being constructed there.

This post has been edited by Areas Elysian: Jan 18 2013, 08:23 AM

Because the element sand is tougher and denser than metal.

I had one on the back of my XPERIA Acro S. Removed it with no problems. It was just a sticker.

Have any of you actually thought that the difference in screen brightness can give the illusion of one screen being more washed out than others? Or that maybe the exposure settings used to record the video/photos favors one over the other with regards to contrast?

That statement is like saying, "Looks like that Ferrari will be using 4 wheels as well, just like the Proton."

TFT is the parent technology. With TFT, there are various types. IPS is one of it. TN is the other. Go read it up:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TFT_LCD