Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Since the "best smartphone" is in many ways a matter of personal requirements and preferences, let me briefly describe my own so you can see where I'm coming from. First, I'm one of those rare guys who doesn't have a real side in the Apple/Google smartphone battle. I've happily used Apple devices for a long while, until I got bored of iOS and started my long, expensive, and chronically/unreasonably dissatisfied quest for smartphone perfection. The things I care about in a smartphone are 1) Clean user interface software and design, 2) Clean, solid, premium hardware, 3) Excellent still photography (with good video being a plus), 4) A bright and vivid screen, 5) Battery life. Speed is important, but the specs of almost any flagship will more than do the trick these days, so those are secondary considerations. The things I specifically do NOT care about are the kinds of gimmicky-if-cool sensors and capabilities that make for great ads but never are used in real life. I'd rather a phone have fewer features, but those features be absolutely highly refined, intuitive, smooth, and clean. Also, I'm decently tech-oriented for a consumer, but not enough to root or bootload custom software of any kind. In the past year I've owned and personally used the iPhone 5s, the Nexus 5, LG G2, HTC One M8 and Xperia Z2. My wife owns a Galaxy S5 and loves it, but Samsung is not my thing. I loved the Z2 with some minor exceptions, so I upgraded and I am now one of the proud and the few US owners of the Sony Z3. I own the black version, unlocked, on AT&T in the Chicagoland area. My usage is mainly browsing, productivity and professional, the camera, and watching video. Here are my thoughts after just a few days with the device: 1. The software design is very clean, approaching a near-stock Android experience, but with more skeuomorphic, jewel-inspired Sony lines. And while I would prefer stock Android overall, there are a few additions that give the Sony skin some slight additional functionality. The most prominent of these the app drawer search and design. In the end, however, I have downloaded and almost always use the Google Now Launcher, which has its own special functionality and cleaner, flatter graphics. Still, I would be happy to use the Sony skin if I had to - my only real complaints are the never used and un-deletable Sony apps on the phone, and especially the long-press home button Google Now launcher's addition of Sony's "What's New", which is basically a Sony media store and isn't affected by a third-party launcher. I have used it exactly zero times. I'd rate the overall User Experience at 94/100 points. 2. The hardware design is very nearly identical to the Xperia Z2, with some minor changes in speaker location, waterproofing flaps, and the curvature of the edges. But more importantly, the phone is just that much slimmer, lighter, and rounder...and it makes a big difference. Really. The Z2's main problem was probably it's chunkiness, which, while difficult to discern visibly, is easy to feel in the hand. This phone is beautiful, ergonomic, and makes better use of front screen space than the HTC One M8, the other beauty queen of Android. It's an extremely clean design, to the point that it could be called boring by some. But I love it. Moreover, button presses are silky, and any build lines are non-existent. Hardware design earns it a 96/100. 3. You want megapixels? The Z3's camera has a ton of them. But honestly I really don't care about megapixels past a certain point. So luckily the camera excels in most other ways as well. Exposure is almost always good. Shutter speed is decent, and the autofocus is noticeably quicker than on the Z2. The half-press-focus dedicated shutter button is an amazing and valuable feature. Then there's Sony's touted 12800 ISO setting for low light (nice images), and a wider angle lens that's nice to have. The auto-stabilization is smooth, and the color is very accurate, if a little cool for my tastes after becoming accustomed to the iPhone's mega-warmth. I edit almost every image I use, so exposure and lack of grain are my biggest concerns. The Z3 does a good job with both. Images can be a little grainy on occasion, but not ruinously so. The camera software is basically the same as the Z2 camera with the addition of a few new modes, and honestly the app only moderately intuitive and clean. I would have to say that the iPhone camera app is still the gold standard for your point-and-click consumers like myself. The Sony Z3 app gives you more control, but is also fussier. Video recording is generally good. I don't really care about 4K video, but it sure is pretty. The camera gets a 93/100. 4. I love being able to sink-wash my phone and not worry about dropping it in the toilet. For a clumsy guy who eats a lot of greasy food, this isn't a gimmick. It's a real feature. I always use a case, but the all-glass doesn't bode well for major drops. The nylon end caps are a good countermeasure though, and overall durability gets a 98/100. 5. The screen is absolutely - absolutely! - the best I've used. Fantastic. 4K screen, no. Do I care? Nope, and given battery drain of 4K I'd probably rather stick with 1080P in any case. I held it next to the LG G3 at 1 foot from my eyes - no discernable difference, except the Z3 was brighter. Brightness and colors that pop, both of which this screen possesses in abundance, are the real heroes in my book. Brighter than the S5 or the HTC One, or the new Moto X. This phone is BRIGHT, but colors remain unfaded and vivid. It's truly an outstanding screen. There's some glare from the gloss screen, but the brightness makes it mostly irrelevant. Screen gets a 98/100. 6. Battery life is just a little better than on my Z2, which is to say excellent. That bright screen drains electrons quickly, but I can't turn it down. It's too pretty. There are 2 different power saving modes which I'll use occasionally, especially during travel, and they do really work. 2 days of battery? No, not really - but that's down to my phone habits. With the ridiculous amount of time I spend on my phone, I'm happy to make it to crawl into bed at the end of the day and have 25% battery left for some insomnia-inducing night Netflix. Battery gets 92/100. In summary, yes it It's theoretically possible that you'll find a better phone for you out there. But I'll be darned if I don't love this one. It's beautiful, it's got great software, it never lags even a bit, the screen and the battery are great, and it's already taken some gorgeous photos. I'm proud to own the Sony Xperia Z3, and I have yet to regret buying it, even once. That's something I've never experienced with a phone before. If you're looking for the phone that gets every single important element right, and if you don't care about neat-o features, I have absolutely no reservations recommending this phone to you. UPDATE 10/4/2014: After a full month with the Xperia Z3, I still have no regrets about the purchase. A couple of quick thoughts, though. First, all the core features I love about the phone have continued to impress, with the possible exception of battery life. It's really good, don't get me wrong - but don't expect it to blow you away, especially if you use the phone on full brightness. I get 1 day of battery in my standard heavy use and full screen brightness. Second, I really wish the Sony magnetic charger would work with a case, but I haven't been able to make that happen, which kind of ruins the point. Which leads me to my final point, the extreme lack of accessory options that exist at the moment. Maybe 7 or 8 viable case options on Amazon, and that's it. But don't let me steer you away - I'd still get this phone over any other on the market at this moment.