Sony Xperia Z1 Compact Phone Review

Key Features: 20.1 megapixel camera; Snapdragon 800 processor with 2GB RAM; 4.3-inch 720p screen 341PPI; microSD; Android 4.3

Manufacturer: Sony

The Sony Xperia Z1 is a handsome beast of a phone. Made of glass and metal it looks all business but a 5-inch screen and dimensions that surpass even the angular Xperia Z means it's a phone for those with large hands, or those happy with using a phone two-handed.

Step forward the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact – the 4.3-inch little brother to the Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z Ultra.

Watch the video hands on of the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact:

This isn’t a "mini" version of the Z1 in the same way as the compromised Galaxy S4 mini and HTC One mini are. There's a reason Sony has called it the Z1 Compact and not the Z1 mini - very few concessions have been made. The Z1 Compact has all the chops of the standard Z1, but it doesn’t require the thumb juggling most 5-inch phones do. It’s a phone for the person who wants flagship standards but doesn’t get on with the ever increasing screen sizes on offer.

While Sony didn’t get it quite right with the Xperia Z Ultra (who really needs a 6.4-inch phone without a digitiser stylus?) it certainly appears on the right track with the Xperia Z Compact.

SEE ALSO: Our daily CES 2014 news update

The Xperia family of phones: Z Ultra on the left to the new Z1 compact on the right

It comes with the same solid 20.7 megapixel rear camera as the Z1 and the same lightning-fast 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 processor that's supported by 2GB of RAM. You also still get 16GB of internal memory and a microSD card slot. In our hands on time with the phone it zipped through menus and apps. 

Waterproof microSD card slot - check. There's 16GB of internal memory too

Sony has trimmed the resolution of the screen to 1280 x 720, or 720p, down from the full-HD screen on the Z1. The smaller screen size means it’s not particularly noticeable though – you’re still getting 341PPI, which is more than the 326PPI on the iPhone 5S.

The screen is bright and colourful, and uses many of the clever technologies the boffins at Sony’s TV department have learned over the years. Viewing angles are also excellent as we’d expect from an IPS screen, but it still comes with the obligatory plastic screen protector that gathers more greasy fingerprints than a KFC bargain bucket.

The screen is bright and colourful but gathers grease marks easily

With the same machined aluminium frame and toughened glass back as the Z1, the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact looks exactly like its sibling. In fact from a distance and without a scale marker you really can't tell the difference. That is, of course, unless you’re looking at a lime or pink Z1 compact. These two new colours are both surprisingly tasteful, down to the carefully coloured shaved aluminium edges of the frame. The other available colours are black and white. The purple version of the Z1 doesn’t make it to the Z1 Compact.

The lime and pink Xperia Z1 Compacts are surprisingly tasteful

In hand the Xperia Z1 Compact doesn’t feel like a very small phone, it’s chunky, but feels solid and just about the right size for one-handed use. You won’t have to crane your thumb to reach the top left corner to type in a web address (if you’re right handed) as you would on the Z1 and the softly rounded corners help it nestle comfortably in your hand.

At 140g it’s heavy for a 4.3-inch phone and is 1mm thicker than the Xperia Z1. It’s actually heavier than quite a few 5-inch phones – the Galaxy S4 and Nexus 5 are both 10g lighter. That’s not to knock it, though. It’s still not a chore to hold and we’re happy to sacrifice some weight for the way the premium materials feel in hand.

Add to that the IP55 and IP58 dust and waterproof ratings and a 2300mAh battery (that’s the same as the Nexus 5 but with a lower res and smaller screen, which should translate to better stamina) and we can forgive the love-handles.

It’s clear that Sony has put one phone in the crosshairs with the Xperia Z1 Compact and that’s the iPhone 5S. Two key reasons iPhone owners don’t shift to Android is the larger size of flagship devices and the hassle of setting up a new phone in a new ecosystem.

The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is aimed squarely at the iPhone 5S

Sony has tried to make this transition as pain-free as possible. If you have a NFC capable Android you can simply tap the phones together and transfer everything across using a Sony app called Xperia Transfer.

iPhones lack NFC so Sony will be bundling a USB to microUSB adapter in with every Xperia Z1 Compact allowing you to connect and transfer data using an iPhone’s charging/data cable.

Not only will it copy contacts, notes, reminders etc automatically, it will also look at your iOS apps and try to find their counterparts in the Play store. We’ve not had a chance to try this yet, but we’re intrigued to see how well it works in practice.

We don’t know yet how the Xperia Z1 Compact will be priced other than that it will be cheaper than the Z1. Bearing in mind the high specs and premium build materials we don't expect it to be much cheaper, though.

The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact release date will be some time in the latter half of February. It will initially run Android 4.3 but will get an Android 4.4 KitKat update set for March.

Sony is giving people what they want – a flagship spec Android phone with a hand-friendly size. The range of four-colours is sure to enthuse those who like their phones to be fashion statements and the Z1 Compact retains the Xperia waterproof USP.

Sony should have ignored the phablet market and made this phone before the Z Ultra – better late than never, though. The Xperia Z1 Compact may well fill a major niche and sell like hot-cakes. Our initial thoughts are that it deserves to do well.

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