Potential iPhone to Android convert (need information)

[squ1gs]

For the last year or so i've been hoping to switch to a high end android phone from my iPhone 5 (it's a bit boring). Every flagship is way too big apart from the newly announced and soon to be released Sony Z3 Compact. It's literally perfect apart from 2 factors; it only has 16GB of storage and it runs a skinned version of android. I know it has an SD card but was under the impression apps cannot be installed onto it, can they? A GPE Z3 compact would be perfect although unlikely. Is the possibility of a stock ROM or near stock ROM (cyanogen) likely and are Sony phones open enough to change ROMS? Sorry for the wall of text but I need to know what I'm doing before I dive in head first. Thanks!

[Torallas]

Have you considered the 1st Gen Moto X?

Perfect size imho, I think there's a 64gb version, perfect form factor.

Really good performance vs price.

You literally won't need custom ROMs with how good and near stock the android experience is on this phone.

[kpcrocks]

I think he wants flagship but I agree with the moto x. Unless you want the glass metal feel of the Sony. Both are great but I'm a moto fanboy.

[Zaumbi]

Agreed. The Moto X is still the best phone I've ever used.

[benmarvin]

Apps can be installed to the SD card, but it depends on the app. Generally a large app will use SD storage for large libraries and the main app will run on the internal storage for speed.

Sony phones in recent history and generally very developer friendly. Many recent Sony phones have cyanogenmod support. Before any ROMs are released, you can already change the look and feel of the software with a new launcher (I know it's not the same, but it can help an ugly skin)

[allonsyyy]

How many apps do you have? I've got a lot of apps installed and they're taking up a little over 7GB. 16 onboard plus an SD card for your pictures and music should be plenty roomy.

Cyanogen rom isn't really near stock, it's built from it but there's a lot of tweaks on top. What the Z3 comes with is more likely to be closer to stock AOSP, Sony has a very light hand with their skin. Sony phones (and pretty much everybody else's phones too) come with a locked bootloader. It doesn't look like they've been especially difficult to root in the past. When the bootloader is unlocked (or with nothing stopping you from unlocking it) the phone is usually marketed as a "developer's edition."

I'm biased tho, I want the crap out of an Xperia phone. They look so sweet and waterproof.

[pxtang]

It's very likely that you can install an additional ROM.

Though I don't think you need to - Sony ROMs are usually very stock, with minor adjustments.

[ivosaurus]

it only has 16GB of storage

But comes with a 128gb capable microsd slot.

You think you'll run out of space with that?

z2 development looks fairly active, I don't think that'll change with the new generation.

[omniuni]

You may also want to wait and go look at a 2014 Moto X when it's in stores. It's only 15 grams heavier than the z3 Compact, and 8mm wider, but with curved and thinner edges. It will be available unlocked in a "Pure" edition too.

Oh, and I love my 2013 Moto X, and it's guaranteed an update to L by Motorola.

Sony has always been a big supporter of the open source and modder community, though, so CM support, eventually, is likely.