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Sony Xperia Z3 5.2" $227.04, Z3 Compact 4.6" $212.79 @ Pars Mobile eBay; M5 5.0" $230.84 Delivered (Grey Stock)

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Sony Xperia Z3 5.2" $227.04, Z3 Compact 4.6" $212.79 @ Pars Mobile eBay; M5 5.0" $230.84 Delivered (Grey Stock)
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johnn on 24/04/2017 - 18:46 ebay.com.au (1450 clicks)
Last edited 25/04/2017 - 18:11 by 2 other users
C5AUS

SONY Z3 & Z3 COMPACT SOLD AS NEW BUT ACTUALLY REFURBISHED AS MENTIONED BY PSEACT. The Sony M5 Seller looks okay but I would still be wary

G’day folks, I’ve got a great deal for y’all on some nice rectangular-cellular-mobular-electronicular-thingabob..ulars. The catch is they’re from a relatively unknown Japanese startup- I think it’s pronounced Sow-knee? Or is it Soh-ney? Sorny? Sun-why?

Anyway, I was doing a large amount of research for a RCMET (phone) for my old man and figured I wouldn't let this info go to waste and share it with the OzBargain community :)

Sure there's been plenty of budget RCMET deals of late but his criteria was a bit more specific, namely:

Essential:
- Max budget of $200-250
- Screen size of 4.6 - 5.2" (720p minimum)
- Good quality camera
- Water & dust-resistant/proof
- Android

Desired:
- B28
- Black/not-white (giggity)
- Relatively easy to setup (i.e. don't need to flash a rom, get rid of malware, perform pagan rituals to get it started)

If you're wondering why camera quality and waterproofing is so important- my father is in his mid 60's and this will literally be the only photographic device he uses. He may also drop it in the toilet.

Continuing on, these two criteria ruled out OzB's favourite Xiaomi range (I've used the Redmi Note 3- the camera is garbage, even in good lighting. Maybe the Note 4X is better but it'd have to be at least 2-3x better to be considered). It left me having to search far and wide for RCMETs that fit the bill, and I realised the Sony flagship/mid-rangers of yesteryear were perfect.

Yes they are a bit dated now and official software support has definitely ended but Snapdragon 801 is still a great chipset, 2-3GB is on par with similarly priced RCMETs released today, being flagships they often have extended custom rom support if you're so inclined, and I must say they are still very good looking rectangles.

Sony Xperia Z3 D6653 $227.04 (after eBay 5% code)
5.2" 1080 x 1920 IPS LCD
Snapdragon 801
3GB RAM
16GB Internal Memory
IP68 Certified - dust/water proof over 1.5 meter and 30 minutes
20.7 MP, f/2.0 Rear Camera
2.2 MP, f/2.8 Front
upgradable to Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)
D6653 model has B28
Glass/metal body, released Sept 2014

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact D5833 $212.79 after code
4.6" 720 x 1280 IPS LCD
Snapdragon 801
2GB RAM
16GB Internal Memory
IP68 Certified - dust/water proof over 1.5 meter and 30 minutes
20.7 MP, f/2.0 Rear Camera
2.2 MP, f/2.8 Front
upgradable to Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)
D5833 model has B28
Glass/metal body, released Sept 2014

Sony Xperia M5 E5653 $230.84 after code
5.0" 1080 x 1920 IPS LCD
Mediatek MT6795 Helio X10
3GB RAM
16GB Internal Memory
IP68 Certified - dust/water proof over 1.5 meter and 30 minutes
21.2 MP, f/2.2 Rear Camera
13 MP, f/2.0 Front
upgradable to Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow)
E5653 model has B28
Plastic body, released Sept 2015

GSMArena has a good specs comparison of the three

The links to eBay sellers I've provided are all from HK (or parading to being from Victoria but really, from HK) so the normal grey stock caveats apply- will take a few weeks to ship, forget about the warranty, the device kinda smells foreign. These are the cheapest, reliable eBay listings I could find for RCMETs with B28- there are cheaper listings for devices designed for other markets, e.g. you can get the Xperia Z3 Compact for as cheap as $205.20 (with ebay code).

Original C5AUS eBay deal

Mobile Mobile Phone RCMET Rectangle Sony Android

Related Stores

eBay Australia
eBay Australia
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eBay Australia pars-mobile
eBay Australia pars-mobile

closed Comments

  • johnn on 24/04/2017 - 18:48
    +39

    Yes I know this probably could've been a forum post. But:

    1. Let's be real, hardly anyone reads the forums
    2. I spent a lot time writing this all up
    3. Getting a few green pluses would make me oh-so happy
    • 0p on 25/04/2017 - 04:28
      -1
      1. Getting a few green pluses would make me oh-so happy

      The mods should really implement voting in forums…
      I hate to be that person but…
      here is an excerpt from the "rules" wiki…-

      Are you guilty of sockpuppeting? (Voting)

      have you….

      been asked by someone to vote on their deal(s)?
      been offered incentives to vote on a deal(s)?
      decided to vote on someone's deal(s) who you know or a company you are associated with?
      If so, do not vote. Not only will your voting result in a ban on your account, it will also result in a ban for that store from posting on OzBargain in the future.

      • johnn on 25/04/2017 - 12:47
        +1

        Hah! Well technically I didn't ask people to vote in the deal- I just said any votes would make me happy :)

        Tbh after finding out the Z3 seller is dodge I feel a bit embarrassed- OzB deserves better. The M5 seller seems okay but comparatively it's not as good a deal

    • spychiatrist on 25/04/2017 - 20:38

      +1 for the effort posting OP

  • CarnivalMonkey on 24/04/2017 - 18:52

    google glass issues with the z3 and z3 compact. I had 2 z3 one cracked while charging and the 2nd cracked while sitting on kitchen bench. They were not the only Sony phones that had the issue. they were just disappointing after how great the xperia S and z1 and z2 were.

    • johnn on 24/04/2017 - 18:58
      +11

      Not to discredit your comment at all but you can google any phone and it's certain to come up with some sort of issues.

      I owned a Z3 for a bit of time, have had plenty of friends with the Z3 compact, and the only issues that have arised have been due to user error (i.e. dropping the phone, submersion in salt water).

      Just as an aside, I currently use the LG G5 and no my phone hasn't bootlooped (touch wood), camera glass hasn't cracked, phone hasn't combusted. In many cases YMMV :)

      • PVA on 24/04/2017 - 19:06
        +2

        have to say the same. Our family had three orginal Z model, never had a screen crack and they were meant to be the bad model. had a z3 and it didnt get a cracked screen,even after it was bent from being tackled playing footy and it was in the pocket.
        now have a z5 and no cracked screen.none of the phones even had a case on them either.

        our son has an LG G3, never had the boot loop problem. battery did go flat and stopped the phone booting up but a new battery fixed that - phone is still fine.(he did break the screen by dropping on concrete though)

        • montorola on 24/04/2017 - 19:23
          +2

          phone is still fine

          Thinking of hungry jacks? =p

      • CarnivalMonkey on 24/04/2017 - 19:08

        the main point is z3 is a risk and people considering one should google it and check xda and local sites (whirlpool had a fair few people with same issue).

        after the z3 I have gone elsewhere and there were issues that came up and covered under warranty which Sony refused for the z3, z5 despite multiple issues with glass front and back.

        • johnn on 24/04/2017 - 19:16

          Fair point- it is very disappointing to hear that Sony refused to cover the glass issues under warranty.

          Perhaps I should only be recommending the plastic-backed Sony M5 then haha

        • PVA on 24/04/2017 - 19:28

          @johnn:
          why not just look at something newer like the XA https://www.mobileciti.com.au/sony-xperia-xa-4g-lte-13mp-5-0… https://www.mobileciti.com.au/sony-xperia-xa-4g-lte-13mp-5-0…
          $267 / $245 and its an Australian model, brand new.
          I have bought from MobileCiti before and they were great.

        • johnn on 24/04/2017 - 19:32
          +1

          @PVA: Yep I saw the XA- good budget phone and you can pick up the Vodafone prepaid model for $149 at Coles starting Wednesday.

          Deal was posted a few days ago from memory, and some claim it can be unlocked for free too.

          Not waterproof though, chipset is the slower Helio P10, and the cameras aren't as good

        • PVA on 24/04/2017 - 20:54

          @johnn: but a massive difference that's it's Australian and buying for a trustworthy store.

      • callum9999 on 24/04/2017 - 19:45
        +2

        It's a particularly big issue with these Sony phones though, so is relevant to bring up.

        As long as we're throwing out anecdotes I've had 4 Z3 Compacts - the first got a small hairline crack in the corner after I dropped it, breaking the entire touchscreen. The 2nd got really hot while charging and cracked (only on its second charge). The 3rd got really hot while charging and cracked. The proximity sensor on the 4th has just broken, so I can't call anywhere that requires button presses (e.g. most menus when calling customer services).

        The fact I keep getting the same one shows how much I love it, but it's definitely the most fragile phone I've ever seen in my entire life! (I've never broken/had a phone break before this)

    • turk182 on 24/04/2017 - 18:59
      +4

      agreed. my z3 compact cracked twice without dropping… im too hurt so no more sony for me

    • esandjay on 24/04/2017 - 19:04
      +2

      My wife and my brother have z3 for 2± years now, no glass cracking, my kids drop my wife phone a lot, no problem so far.

      • DarthAntz on 24/04/2017 - 20:45
        +1

        yep almost two year with the z3 compact, no issues. great camera, 2014 phone though. 2 other people i work with got the same phone at the same time, and theyve had screen issues and replaced under warranty.

    • [Deactivated] on 24/04/2017 - 20:02
      +4

      This is getting way to many upvotes. Like previous comments glass breaks for no reason. Battery wasn't that great either.

    • Make it so on 24/04/2017 - 20:18

      I had heaps of software issues on the Z1. Camera crashes, battery drain after updates, etc.
      My Xiaomi has been heaps better and with a much better screen.

    • pandas on 24/04/2017 - 20:30
      +1

      Bought a Z3 Compact for my wife over 2 years ago when baby 1 was born. Besides the battery not holding up so well these days, shes very happy with it as she has smaller hands.

      Trust me, its been through a hard life and have been chucked a few times by bubs and have never had a cracked screen.

  • shaybisc on 24/04/2017 - 19:10

    Z3 has NFC

    • johnn on 24/04/2017 - 19:13
      +1

      All 3 listed phones have NFC actually!

    • PVA on 24/04/2017 - 19:17

      yes.

  • PSEACT on 24/04/2017 - 19:11
    +6

    Just a warning. I bought the compact and despite it being listed as new, it was a refurbished unit in a sealed box. Didn't even have the pull out tag with an Emei number.

    Not new grey stock. These are units pieced together with parts.

    PS I managed to get them to refund but after a bit of a lengthy process where I had to agree not to post a comment on their store

    • johnn on 24/04/2017 - 19:14

      From this seller? I looked at their feedback and hadn't seen anything indicating refurbished resold as new?

      • PSEACT on 24/04/2017 - 19:16
        +1

        Yeah mate. And a friend purchased from a different seller and got the same kind of thing. I'm pretty sure genuine new stock isn't available anywhere anymore (they are pretty old units now). I loved my original compact and tried hard to find a new one with no luck.

        • johnn on 24/04/2017 - 19:21
          +2

          Damn, then I guess this is too good to be true then. That really sucks- eBay needs to get it's sh*t together and root out these dodgy practices.

          I'm hoping the M5 deal is still legit though- at least it's a newer phone so I could imagine that having stock leftover

    • jlogic on 24/04/2017 - 19:40

      Too many of these sellers now. Was enlightened by another user with YouTube videos of refurbished or pieced together phones being made to look new even with shrink wrap.

  • werty98 on 24/04/2017 - 19:15

    Too good deal from a random eBay seller

  • PVA on 24/04/2017 - 19:15

    Its a good phone. there has been 3 models since then though so its nowhere near the latest.
    And grey model from a seller with not a huge rating and only been an Ebay memeber since late last year (I also thought ebay ratings had to be higher to be a post, need to be an Ebay Top Seller).
    Was the 6653 the Australian model?

  • O15 on 24/04/2017 - 19:25

    Three and a half years since the Z3 came out and no one has released a better looking phone.
    Even Sony's design has gone to shit.

    • [Deactivated] on 24/04/2017 - 19:32
      +1

      Two and a half years.

      • O15 on 24/04/2017 - 21:14

        You right.
        For some reason I thought Z3 was 2013. 2013 must have been my ZR.

  • donnot on 24/04/2017 - 19:25

    Great deal! To anyone buying, I'd highly recommend getting a cheap front and back tempered glass protector (easily found on eBay, such as this one) as the back glass especially is prone to cracking.

    It's a great phone (I now have a Z2 which has almost identical specs, but a slightly lower-clocked SD801 and no B28, and it flies on Android 6.0, and is overall much faster in day-to-day use than the HTC One M9 I was using briefly). Screen is also very bright.

  • [Deactivated] on 24/04/2017 - 19:26
    +1

    Have the phone. Works okay. Few frustrating issues with it though, such as the screen cracking after being dropped. Got a replacement one through insurance, which developed this fun issue after less than 6 months where the edge of the screen developed a yellowy-orange tint which was constantly visible, specifically near the charging port. Sent it in to Sony for repair under warranty, they got that company (who everyone seems to hate) to fix it, who did so. Said it was something to do with the glue that holds the screen on melting as a result of the heat produced from charging the phone.. Got the phone repaired, and then about 6 months later, the exact same fault reappeared, albeit with a larger sized tinted area. I've just given up on trying to fix this phone now, and put up with its faults. Looking forward to whatever phone I decide to upgrade to.

    • 87percent on 24/04/2017 - 19:51
      +1

      I would never buy a grey import Sony phone. While I admit they are good phones, they're so problematic. I had a Z1 and a Z3 and both were repaired under warranty (they use FoneBiz) 3 times each

  • John Kimble on 24/04/2017 - 19:53

    I have a Z3 Compact from Telstra. Had it replaced under warranty because the headphone jack stopped working only a few months from purchase. The replacement one just today started to intermittently stop working also.

    Battery doesn't seem to last a day at all (light to moderate use)

    The rubber seal on micro USB port cover starts to come off if you don't use a dock.

    Android (not specifically phone model related), having to keep moving back apps to external memory when they get updated is annoying. Starting to run out of internal memory is annoying.

    No issues with the glass.

  • MountFranklin on 24/04/2017 - 20:12

    Great phone. Never cracked screen for 2years+. Warning for grey import - I cannot get picture SMS with Telechoice as the phone doesn't support the 4G picture SMS - A little googling and it was a common thing with grey import z3

    • [Deactivated] on 24/04/2017 - 20:29

      Probably didn't set up APN for MMS properly. Usually these overseas models need you to manually input APN details.

      • MountFranklin on 24/04/2017 - 22:36

        Yup did all that. Everything else works.
        On 4G my phone would tell me that there is a mms to download but wouldn't download it - I would have to switch on to 3G to receive it

      • MountFranklin on 24/04/2017 - 22:55

        This is what the actual problem was: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/3975288/redir
        Unable to receive mms on the 4g band - phone didn't support that specific 4G mms band
        Occurs with many grey mobiles.
        So it isn't an APN setup issue

  • farnkie on 24/04/2017 - 21:06

    I've been looking at the Sony Xperia M4 Aqua for quite a time. Should I be getting the Sony Xperia M5 instead of the M4 Aqua?

    • scupper on 25/04/2017 - 00:37

      Don't get the M4 Aqua. It's slow as molasses, despite the technical specs, and overheats easily.

    • wei13 on 25/04/2017 - 07:02

      We have an au stock m4. 8gb internal storage makes it real hard to use. Camera now has a delay not sure why. No updates received either.

    • johnn on 25/04/2017 - 12:43

      M5 is a much better phone.

      From memory it has 1080p screen vs 720p on the M4, faster chipset, double the internal storage 16gb vs 8gb, better camera, etc

      Just better all round I'd say

  • champstarr on 24/04/2017 - 21:37

    Had both z3 and z3c only problem is the notification bar won't slide down on the z3c after a year or two. Known problem but Sony won't do anything about it.

  • Tex Texan on 24/04/2017 - 21:57
    +1

    I've just started looking for a new phone for Mrs Tex who recently cracked her Oppo F1. Very similar criteria to your old man, particularly the size so it can fit in her lady bag things.

    Rather than 2+ year old tech, what about the recently released Xiaomi Redmi 4x with 5" screen and available in 3GB ram model (have to search carefully as often the Redmi Note 4x, which has a 5.5" screen, will come up). Does not have Band 28 but ticks a lot of other boxes.

    http://www.geekbuying.com/item/Global-Version-XIAOMI-Redmi-4…

  • drummajor on 24/04/2017 - 23:39
    +1

    Great phone but buyer beware… I had a Z3 crack in my pocket. Got it replaced under warranty. Cracked again whilst charging. Got it fixed by a screen repair specialist and I could never receive a phone call again - they said it had sensor issues.
    I did the same with a Z3 compact. Got it fixed twice. Same sensor issues.
    I'll never buy a Sony phone again.

  • 0p on 25/04/2017 - 03:34
    +1

    Black/not-white (giggity)

    Have a look at the Xperia XA
    FOR $149

    • winterseed on 25/04/2017 - 04:00

      XA isn't waterproof.

      • 0p on 25/04/2017 - 04:13

        Anything's waterproof with a case…
        And to be honest there aren't any mid range/lower end phones with ip67…

  • 0p on 25/04/2017 - 04:23
    -2

    Why the XA is for you-

    -By 0p

    Essential:

    ✔️Max budget of $200-250

    • It costs $149

    ✔️Screen size of 4.6 - 5.2" (720p minimum)

    • Its screen is 720p+

    ✔️Good quality camera

    • Great ~12? MP Camera

    ✔️Water & dust-resistant/proof

    • Use a case

    ✔️Android

    • planned upgrade to 7.0(Nougat?)

    Desired:

    ✔️B28

    • Yes and B38 too!

    ✔️Black/not-white (giggity)

    • LOL… Only black available…(from vodafone)

    ✔️Relatively easy to setup (i.e. don't need to flash a rom, get rid of malware, perform pagan rituals to get it started)

    • Sony+Local stock=PeaceOfMind

    :)

    0p

    • johnn on 25/04/2017 - 12:40
      +1

      Yep, I'd already looked at the XA and after the comments about the dodgy Z3 seller I'm very much leaning in that direction.

      Checked it out in store too and it looks a good rectangle

  • winterseed on 25/04/2017 - 04:46
    +1

    The M5 is my phone since January, I'm pretty happy with it. I like the camera even after having a Galaxy S7 for a while although it doesn't always get the focus right. It's surprisingly decent in low light. I paid $272 from DWI ebay.

    My main worry was the reported spontaneous reboot issue (apparently caused by a bad early batch of batteries) but I haven't had that problem on Virgin in Mount Gambier. Seems like significantly newer stock.

    Dropped it from about 80cm onto the road getting out of the car, scuffs and dings on the corners but the glass is fine. Doesn't seem like it hurt it. Numerous drops onto carpet since then with no dramas. Seems like I drop this phone a lot more than my last, probably because it's bigger, but it takes it well.

    Battery drain on standby is impressive, it might lose about 8-10% in 24 hours at a guess. Battery goes pretty quickly playing video or games and it's SLOW to charge.

    No issues that I can think of related to being a grey import. MMS, 4G, etc. all fine. Mine's an E5653.

    I've had the camera give me an 'unable to save to SD card' error a couple of times which crashes the camera app, not sure what the go is there.

  • onetrickpony on 25/04/2017 - 13:25
    +2

    Bought my M5 from an Aust retailer in September last year. Had a few rare issues with it turning itself off, then in December it got really hot one day, then just died. Was repaired under warranty. Got it back, then after a week, I found I could only get signal standing under the Telstra tower. It was fixed under warranty again, then after 2 weeks of randomly turning on and off, it overheated again and died. This time Sony replaced it, and so far its fine. The Aust stock has a 2 year warranty, and Sony were good to deal with. I bought it knowing there may be issues, but would be wary of a grey import model, when its working properly its actually a great phone!

  • gboard21 on 25/04/2017 - 20:44

    OP why have you crossed out the z3 and z3 compact links

    are the sellers not reliable, what does this mean

    was considering buying one since i want a second good android phone thats cheap around the $200-250 mark

    thanks

    • johnn on 25/04/2017 - 22:23
      +1

      Yes sorry please don't buy from them- as PSEACT mentioned above:

      Just a warning. I bought the compact and despite it being listed as new, it was a refurbished unit in a sealed box. Didn't even have the pull out tag with an Emei number.

      Not new grey stock. These are units pieced together with parts.

      Sure it's an okay price for a refurbished product but seeing their dodgy practices I would avoid them completely.

      For a good budget second phone I'd now recommend the Sony Xperia XA that's $149 from coles starting Wednesday 26/04. It's locked to vodafone but quite a few users here report it being free to unlock

      • sunnygc on 26/04/2017 - 09:49

        Any ideas or suggestions on how to unlock the Sony Xperia from Coles?

        • johnn on 26/04/2017 - 09:53

          Reports from the previous deal say it can be unlocked for free directly from the Vodafone website :)

        • sunnygc on 26/04/2017 - 11:17
          +1

          @johnn: Just bought the XA and unlocking it was a breeze as you suggested. All good. Thanks.

  • [Deactivated] on 26/04/2017 - 14:27
    +1

    OP please be careful with listings - bought an Xperia Z3, then looked at feedback and the dude is padding his account (profanity) hardcore. Now i look at the real reviews and they're all neg/neutral.

    I can't afford to buy shitty products and am very annoyed.

  • striker5950 on 27/04/2017 - 13:24

    is the XA from coles dual sim?

    • ultraviolet on 28/04/2017 - 15:44

      It is single SIM model F3115 that also covers band 28 according to GSMARENA. Mine from Coles was unlucky having to pay for unlock code.

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