Based-on user experience using Sony Xperia Z smartphone after upgrading to Android Lollipop.
After 34 hours experienced using Android Lollipop on owned Sony Xperia Z type C6603, owners self feel the looks, performances, features, and battery on Xperia Z. First off all, I would like to share that Sony's firmware or system update never gave notification to its user's. So, I found out about the update accidentally hit the Xperia Update apps icon. Once apps opened, I found that on system tab had 1 update.
Lollipop update information said that, we need 1,2GB disk free on internal memory and needs PC Companion for download and installation. After a while to download, installed, optimizing apps after reboot, and Lollipop layouts appear.
Layout
First thing came out is the lock screen notification bar, new things that brought up in Lollipop. In home screen, I astonishing with size of apps icons, it's bigger than Kitkat icon sizes. When accidentally I rotate the phone, instantly the home screen automatically rotate too, even though my Xperia Z not on charging dock.
Layout that change drastically are notification area and setting shortcut, that we need to pulldown from top area of screen, recent apps tabs, three main hover buttons, and material design on every window layout. Dialer and contact had major changes, the fonts bit larger and now the recent call place in top side of the screen, while alarm and clock is not as rigid as Kitkat.
The changes apply on Android Lollipop it also made us to adjust on how we interact with Android earlier. But, overall the design itself is reflected on how Android smartphone should be in a first place.
Performance
Well, 34 to 38 hours of using Android Lollipop I'd say adequate for start to see early performance of my phone. I'm not able to see any performance degradation between before and after I'm using Lollipop. Based-on kind of performance issue(s) when using every apps, but that kind of tests is not reliable to say scientifically approved, so I try to get my antutu score bluntly with every single apps on it.
The antutu test conducting with my Xperia Z fully charged (approximately 99%) battery, none apps running (no recent apps), and fresh boot. Surprisingly, the result I get it is better with Android Lollipop than with Android Kitkat. As you already know that in antutu benchmark chart results, Sony Xperia Z are comparing close to Asus Zenfone 5 (check the image), and as is for today score my device is better than Zenfone 5 (not discredit to other smartphone device, just for benchmark and personal use).
Lollipop on Xperia Z C6603 is running smoothly without any bugs that I able to encounter. Runs and dismissed every single apps, independently or simultaneously with maximum 4 to 7 apps recent apps already running, still not buggy or lagged.
Even I tested with running my games on my device, Marvel Future Fight and Modern Sniper together, switch over between those games while on gameplay. I find very interesting that, after game paused Marvel Future Fight not having any lags, that wouldn't happen back then in Kitkat.
I'm very curious about this and tested again, this time my Marvel Future Fight with my WPS Office, Google Drive and Google Chrome browser with 5 tabs opened. In Kitkat based experience, this kind of situation will have an issue with game performance or worse part, game restarted while I was pausing the game while switch over to any other apps. Result is matched with my expectations, the game is not restarted either having any lags after unpause, but there's some issues while switch back to game after a while using other apps. The game displayed zoom in and only half screen, at first I thought the game will be crash, but it didn't. Perhaps just need to adjust to new Android runtime engine ART architecture, while this game is installed in system based on Kitkat.
Well, I suppose its reflected to antutu score after all, it is better than Kitkat for performance. Perhaps, I will find more performance issue(s) or bugs along the way.
Features
Enough with performance and looks, Android Lollipop isn't just facelift upgrade. Now we're talking about a whole bunch of features that stuffed inside Lollipop.
- Notification
The notifications bar, whether on lock screen or on notification bar from top side of screen had been changes drastically from Kitkat. Especially the lock screen notification bar, we never seen it on any versions of Android, either from official stock ROM Android or official stock ROM OEM from partners handset. We could try them through custom ROM or installed custom launcher from Google Play Store, but I’m not sure it really resemblance with the official Android ones.
Notification bar also had major changes, the notification is grouping by each kind of notification on each apps, even though these already implemented on previous Android but not like this. Why? because each notification bar could be managed, by tap and hold any notification bar until you see the ‘i’ icon, then tap the ‘i’ icon. On the next window, we’ll see setting for these notification, how we treat them either want to block or made into priority notification.
- Priority notification
While we could manage every notification setting by tap and hold the bar, on the Setting > Sound and Notification > Apps notifications will have same results. Not only based on apps, the notification could be block or made into priority, but notification from our Contacts could be treats the same. With menu interruptions on Setting > Sound and notification, we could make priority notification on Calls, Event and reminders, or Messages and we could add which contact or people could interrupt us, is it anyone, contact only, or starred contact only.
Not just that, we got the downtime for interruptions too, just like Sony Xperia Smart Connect, the difference is no need to setup what kind of accessories to attach with time.
- Lock screen
Like I said before, the lock screen are changes, not only added with notifications bar also with access direct to Phone Dialer from lower left corner swipe to opposite direction or Camera from lower right corner or simply unlock the screen, just swipe it from bottom upright.
Every notification could be access direct too, double tap the notification that we need to see, or swipe down the selected bar just to flash read the notification content. We also could managed the notification content to be revealed direct on lock screen, or to be hide it or not display at all, sleek right?
Every notification could be access direct too, double tap the notification that we need to see, or swipe down the selected bar just to flash read the notification content. We also could managed the notification content to be revealed direct on lock screen, or to be hide it or not display at all, sleek right?
- All-in-one Tabs
These kind of features perhaps wanted for someone, but not me. Android Lollipop gave these features so Chrome browser tabs or Factory browser tabs could be access directly from recent apps module.
You could pick or close it without need to open the browser you opened before. After a few hours try to adjust with these features, I still prefer the old one, that browser tabs are belong to browser and recent apps just display recent apps I’ve been using. Not much adjusting am I?
You could pick or close it without need to open the browser you opened before. After a few hours try to adjust with these features, I still prefer the old one, that browser tabs are belong to browser and recent apps just display recent apps I’ve been using. Not much adjusting am I?
- Multiple users with multiple desktop
Another features I’ve been waiting for ages, is this. Introducing multiple users account for Android with multiple desktop, the missing pieces in here, that I couldn’t make which apps in main account could be access by other account nor I couldn’t crack it yet.
I can access it by pull down the notification bar and tap the user photo or icon, another way is from Setting window. In new user account, the user granted to use phone with any means of necessary, has their own desktop and apps. But device access still on main user, by granting them Call access or Network access.
I can access it by pull down the notification bar and tap the user photo or icon, another way is from Setting window. In new user account, the user granted to use phone with any means of necessary, has their own desktop and apps. But device access still on main user, by granting them Call access or Network access.
Battery
After almost two days using Lollipop environment, running apps, browsing through the Internet, texting, instant messaging, and telephone, Sony Xperia Z has develop heat. This situation I had it pretty often while browsing the Internet with 4 tabs or more opened. I never had this kind of heat level with Kitkat, although Kitkat also making my battery device heat, but just warm on my skin.
This situation is different when I'm using the other apps, such as office apps, email client, my installed games, utilities apps or telephone. This is weird, because how these two Operating System consume battery resource seems become opposed. Other than that, battery life seems not to different between Lollipop and Kitkat. Normally, I depleted battery power for 7 hours-ish back then, nowadays it's still around 7 hours-ish (plus few minutes maybe). I used WiFi on working hours (9.00am to 5.00pm) at the office, mostly and mobile data (4G/LTE and HSPA+) the rest of the day.
Beside of battery life matter, the one thing that peoples almost forgot is, how long that need to charge the battery to its full capacity? For the third time I've been charged my battery, every conditions of charging now display status of how many percentage battery power now while shutoff and display how many hours/minutes it takes to reach full charged.
For first time charging, it takes 1 hour 44 minutes from 16% battery left. Second time charging from shutting down, it takes approximately 2 hours 6 minutes, and last time I charging my Xperia Z from 8% and it takes 2 hours 2 minutes to full charges. I think the results almost the same as I've been charge the battery all this time using Kitkat or previous firmware.
Conclusion: Weirdos and Advantages
Many peoples reported on their Xperia devices when using Lollipop (Z3 and Z2) are inflicted many bugs or errors, but I haven't been able to encounter any of those kinds of bugs. But, I experience with battery heat occur often and intense, animation sometimes sluggish or slow when pulling down the notification bar, and gaming display half of screen at switch back for few second or so.
Advantages using Lollipop, that I’ve been felt are the apps runtime much better, any responses to interact with apps much better, the UI also made me comfortable enough, and the multiple users features is what I desired from smartphone. The competitors had did it, why Android not YET implemented on their Operating System, then the answer it’s in Lollipop.
