Is the current flagship being upstaged by a non-flagship?

The mini version of the Z1 flagship, Xperia Z1 f recently became available in Japan. An international version is widely expected to become available soon, possibly revealed very shortly at CES. This international version is expected to be the Z1 s and the only difference from the Japanese launch version is likely global network compatibility.

Sony fans in Japan have been comparing the Z1 and it’s mini brother to see if Sony has improved on anything. They have, the display it seems. But they may have enhanced the screen too much to remain just the mini version. Images from owners suggest a striking display superiority of the mini…over it’s larger, flagship brother… Is the difference consistent?

Check out the other comparisons and see for yourself…

Some models of Xperia handsets have produced displays that disappointed somewhat in quality. When compared to rival models, Sony handsets have sometimes performed poorly in contrast sharpness, colour saturation and viewing angles. Owners of the Xperia S and even the Z1 complain about this. These images from smartphone enthusiasts in Vietnam below give the clear impression that the Xperia Z1 Mini decimates the flagship in all of these areas.

Take a look for yourself and tell us what you think:

Mini form, maxi surprise?

The key reason for the difference may be the superior IPS (In Plane Switching) screen used by the Z1 f. It reminds of the a type performance of performance of a high-resolution SAMOLED. There is no guarantee that the same display used in the Z1 f Japanese version will be used in the international Z1 s model. Different suppliers of models are often used for smartphones. But it likely will use the same display and even if it doesn’t, this will still cause a stir in Japan.

For this writer, viewing angles never mattered, since watching YouTube videos from a 90 degree angle has never been important but colour saturation, sharpness and contrast is very much desired. For too long Sony smartphone displays have been called ‘washed out’.

This presents a problem for Sony. Firstly, if these images are accurate representations then it might be difficult to sell the Z1 flagship at a more expensive price if the whole internet is spreading this comparisson. Secondly, loyal flagship owners will be angry to see their hot device upstaged by a non-flagship. On a positive note, if this is to be the standard of the next fleet of Sony smartphones, then we all have another reason to upgrade to the 2014 models.

(Source: sonyviet.vn)

Check out our coverage of Sony’s 2014 handsets, including much more on the Z1 f / s.

Discuss:

Is this good or bad news? Does your Xperia display lack disappoint?