Sony’s Xperia Z3 is currently running Android 4.4.4, with Android Lollipop 5.0 just around the corner. Preliminary bugs were addressed in the latest update, which had the build number 23.0.1.A.5.77. If anyone has not updated their phone, I would recommend them to do so immediately as the latest update has addressed almost all known bugs. The following tips and tricks are also compatible with the Z3 Compact.
Audio Tips and Tricks
Audiophiles are going to love the vast list of customizations one can enjoy with the Sony Xperia Z3’s Walkman player. For instance, you can use the Dynamic Normalizer in order to minimize the volume difference between songs or videos. You can select from a set of pre-defined settings for headphones and change settings according to the headphones you are using to get the most out of them. You can upgrade the audio quality of compressed music files to near high-resolution audio using DSEE HX. You can select from the different presets of the equalizer to find one that suits you. You can also turn on the Surround Sound presets which can give you the impression of being in a studio or a club. You can also virtually reproduce realistic surround sound by turning on S-Force Front Sound, which can be found in Settings – Sound – Sound Effects. You can also change the microphone sensitivity.
Display Tips and Tricks
The Sony Xperia Z3 features a 1080p IPS Live Color LED display using Triluminos technology and the X-Reality Engine. Sony allows you to customize the display in some impressive ways. You can set the white balance of your device so that it soothes your eyes. Not only that, you can select either the Super Vivid Mode and X-Reality for Mobile to make colors stand out and make images clearer, respectively. You can also choose to select the Smart Screen Rotation option, which automatically detects your motion and determines when to rotate the screen according to the way you are holding your device. There is also a glove mode which increases the touch sensitivity so that one can use the device while wearing gloves in winter.
Keyboard Options
Normally, you would use third party keyboard apps in order to do type while swiping. The Xperia Keyboard has that option built in and can even very accurately predict the words you are going to type. Additionally, if you like one handed operations, you can opt for the One-Handed Keyboard setting.
Accessibility Options
Various accessibility options can be accessed through the menu. For instance, you can activate the Talk Back feature which provides spoken feedback to help users with poor vision. It describes what you touch, and helps you to select things accordingly. Another handy feature for low vision users is the Magnification Gestures, which allows you to zoom in to see small details.
Developer Options
Sony has always been a developer friendly company, and that can be seen in their software as they keep their user interface very close to the stock Android experience. You can find a ton of developer options on the device too. To see the developer options, open “About Phone” in the settings and click on Build Number four times in a row. After that, you’ll see a ton of developer options ranging from Force Rendering the GPU on 2D Images to USB Debugging. It’s worth noting that you should only turn on or off any settings if you have experience with what they do or are a developer yourself. Normal users should stay away from all of this. The hidden service menu can be opened by typing in *#*#7378423#*#* on your keypad, and that will allow you to manually check the workings of your device.
Call Settings
With the advancements in smartphones these days, we often forget about the most basic feature of a phone: to make calls. I would like to praise Sony for their effort in this area, as they offer a large variety of call settings. You can suppress the background noise during calls or you can enable Slow Talk, which will slow down the speech of the person you’re talking to. Sony also bundles in an answering machine which can record messages when you cannot take a call.
Personalization Settings
What good is a smartphone if you can’t personalize it the way you want? Sony’s Xperia Z3 features a vast list of personalization settings. You can change the theme of your phone. You can download various third party themes from the Play Store as well. Then there is Simple Home, which will transform your phone’s home screen to allow for easier usage. There are some other interesting settings too, namely Smart Call Handling and Smart Rotation.
Power Management Settings
One area in which no other phone can match the Sony Xperia Z3 is its superb battery backup. It offers very deeply integrated battery saving options which could help you keep your phone running longer than normal. For instance, the Stamina Mode contains an Extended Usage option which restricts the device performance to increase the battery time. Also, with Stamina Clock, you can save power if you are frequently using the device to check the time. Then there is an Ultra Stamina Mode which will extend battery stamina significantly, and that can be used if you know you won’t be able to charge the phone for a long time. It limits the functionality of the phone to only a few basic functions like calling and messaging.
Post a Comment