The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is a phone that looks to disprove a theory, smartphones don’t need to be bigger to be better.
With rivals like the LG G2, Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and even the Sony Xperia Z1
showing that there is a desire for big screen phones they’ve often
suffered from the sheer logistical issues of having an everyday device
that can no longer be held and used with one hand.
By being smaller then surely it must be a mid-range smartphone? Well at
nearly £450 there’s nothing mid-range about the price and as any Apple iPhone 5s owner will tell you, those 4 inches of screen real-estate don’t come cheap either.
This then is a flagship phone, repackaged into a more compact form
factor and aimed at those who want the portability of the iPhone but
prefer Google Android.
So here’s the question, can the Z1 Compact really take on both the big-screen flagships and fend off the likes of the HTC One Mini and the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini?
Sony Xperia Z1 Compact: Size and build
Taking your first glance at the Z1 Compact and you’ll realise that
this is still a Z1, the design is almost identical to its larger brother
introducing the premium metal build and glass back.
Measuring in at 127 x 64.9 x 9.5 mm and weighing just 137g the Z1
compact is slightly larger than an iPhone 5c and weighs slightly more.
Overall it feels great to hold although that
glass back is going to become a magnet for scratches so if you’re image
conscious we’d recommend a case.
The build quality is as high as you’d expect from Sony’s new Xperia Z range and we reckon it trumps the One mini and the iPhone 5c.
However, the display tends to attract dust and fluff – you’ll rue the
day you left a tissue in your trouser pocket then washed them.
The phone is available in black, white and two new, surprisingly inoffensive shades – pink and lime.
