Why the Sony Xperia Z1 compact is better than the Xperia Z1
Often when a smaller version of a flagship mobile phone is released, we see a watered down version of what was a great handset, but it’s a different story with the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact.
With that in mind, we’re here to tell you why you should invest in the Z1 Compact when it goes head to head with its big brother in our Xperia Z1 Compact vs Xperia Z1 comparison.
The Design
The omni-balance design of Sony smartphones looks great and the Z1 is no exception. in fact we were impressed by the Xperia Z1’s stylish and slick look with its glass back and front, and aluminium strip running around the outer edge of the handset.
But the Z1 Compact pushes the boat out even further; the design is the same, but the Compact features some bright and vivid colours to couple the handset’s excellent design.
Whilst the standard Z1 comes in the very ‘ordinary’ black, white and purple, the Z1 Compact features two fashion conscious colours of lime green and bright pink. They don’t make the phone look tacky by any means and offer a much more delightful appearance in general.
One major issue many users have found with the standard Z1 is just how big and bulky the phone can be for small hands, and with its slimmed down size, the Z1 Compact fights off these flaws to leave us with a much more usable handset.
The Specs
Normally we see ‘miniature’ versions of phones fall down, but this time all the Z1’s impressive specs have been crammed into the Z1 Compact without altering its superb design.
This means you still have the 2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, quad-core 2.2GHz processor and 20.7 megapixel camera you see in the much larger Z1.
In fact, only two specs have been forced to change in the Z1’s downsize: the screen size/display, dropping from 5” to 4.3”, and the phone’s battery, which moves down from 3000mAh to 2300mAh.
Battery life won’t be massively changed though, as the Z1 Compact has a smaller screen, meaning it uses less power than its bigger brother.
The Features
Similarly to the specs, the Z1 Compact boasts all the features that the Z1 has, from the standard Sony applications, to the same waterproof protection.
Both phones can work perfectly underwater (to around 1.5m) without any problems, as long as all of the outer caps are closed, protecting the USB slot and other vital connections.
The Cost
Another massive plus with the Z1 Compact, alongside the points previously mentioned, is the cost.
The standard Z1 will set you back around £550 SIM-free, whilst the Compact comes in £100 cheaper, at £450 SIM-free. The contract options are also cheaper with the Z1 Compact, with deals costing around £2 less each month, adding up to savings of around £50 on a two year deal.
The Result
To sum up, both Sony smartphones demonstrate an impressive piece of tech, with the Z1 Compact being almost identical to the Z1 under the hood, apart from costing less and being far less bulky.
“If you were impressed by the Sony Z1, but didn’t fancy such a big phone, then the Z1 Compact solves all of your problems, cutting the phone’s weight and size without cutting its all-important performance.”