The Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact is a rare breed - it's small on the outside, but big on the inside. Packed with all the latest hardware and having only a small screen to power, Sony’s latest super-mini may very well be the performance champion to beat. But whenever there is a superhero, there is a villain lurking in the shadows. So yes, the Compact has its own battle to fight that’s not all about size or speed.
Three years ago, the first Xperia Z1 Compact did the unthinkable, taking the then flagship apart and putting it back together into a smaller, nimbler package. Economy? Absolutely not. It was the performance package.
Sony eventually pulled the brakes with the X Compact last season but the XZ1 Compact is trying to make up for it and get back in the fast lane: the latest Snapdragon 835 chip, the flagship-grade Sony IMX400 camera with 960fps slow-mo vids, the elegant waterproof design, and Android Oreo right out of the box.
With a screen that size, the XZ1 has no business in the resolution race and the performance has the biggest gain. The XZ1 Compact is shaping up to be what the iPhone SE was to loyal Apple users and we can't wait to take this little beast out for a spin.
Although the Compact series have clearly evolved over the past few years, the screen resolution is still stuck at 720p. It's not that 319ppi is dismal but Sony should’ve moved on to 1080p instead of risk slipping behind the curve.
The generous screen bezels are something the entire Xperia XZ lineup needs to deal with. We wonder if they’re less annoying on a smaller scale, or is it one of those things that are easier for a mini to get away with than a flagship.
Anyway, the real question is, can the XZ1 Compact sell the super-mini concept to enough people in the times of borderless displays and pretty compact five-inchers? Let’s see.
Tip us
1.7m 126k
RSS
EV
Merch
Log in I forgot my password Sign up