Did you know that the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is the smallest smartphone to be powered by powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoC? Join us as we take a visual tour of the shrunken sibling of the Sony Xperia Z1 and see whether it can carve a niche for itself in the crowded market.

1. Sony Xperia
Z1 Compact
Review in pictures

2. Handy proportions and Sony’s signature design
• Features Sony’s
OmniBalance design with
unibody construction
• Glass back attracts
fingerprints and smudges
• The left side is home to a
micro-USB port, microSD
card and micro-SIM slots,
whereas the right has all
the buttons
• Akin to its brethren, the
Z1 Compact is dust and
water resistant, thanks to
IP55/58 compliance

3. Mini display with excellent output
• Staying true to its name, the handset sports a 4.3-inch
display with 720p resolution
• The images and text come out really well on the screen
• Navigation buttons are present on the screen itself
• Glove mode is extremely useful for using it while wearing
gloves

4. Snapper has a ton of features…
• The device has a 20.7-megapixel
camera with Sony G Lens and
Exmor RS optics backed by BIONZ
processing engine
• The preset modes include
Superior auto and Manual
• Info-eye throws up info about the
location you’re at and scans QR
codes
• Timeshift burst shoots 60 images
at once, allowing you to pick the
best
• AR effect adds fun elements to
your images with augmented
reality

5. … but fails to deliver the goods
• Almost zero shutter lag
• Capable of shooting full
HD videos at 30fps
• However, the images lack
detail and don’t really
impress, despite the
shooter’s powerful specs
and features

6. Sony’s software additions make Jelly Bean
more tasteful
• The device ships with
Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
• Promised upgrade to
Android 4.4 KitKat
• Custom UI offers a lot of
useful features such as
quick toggles and Small
Apps
• Small Apps open mini
version of commonly-
used apps without exiting
your main task

7. There’s a lot packed in there
• my Xperia can help in
tracking the device, and in
case it’s lost, will allow you
to wipe the data
• Smart Connect lets you
initiate an action when
headphones or charger are
connected to the phone
• Preinstalled apps from Sony
like Walkman and Album
replace default apps
• Third-party apps such as
Bigflix, Facebook and LINE
come preloaded

8. Blazingly fast performance
• The Xperia Z1 Compact boasts top-of-the-line internals
• It’s powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core
chipset clocked at 2.2GHz
• For graphics, it has an Adreno 330 GPU
• The processor is complemented by 2GB of RAM
• 16GB onboard storage expandable via microSD

9. Battery that lasts really long
• Fuelled by a 2,300mAh
battery
• Can last a day and a
half between charges
• Sony has added a
couple of battery
optimisation
techniques to enhance
the battery life by
turning off battery-
draining features

10. At a glance
• 4.3-inch, 1,280 x 720 pixels
(342 ppi)
• 2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm
Snapdragon 800 processor
• Adreno 330 GPU
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB in-built storage with
microSD slot
• 20.7MP primary camera with
flash, 2MP front camera
• Android 4.3
• 2,300mAh battery
• 2G/3G (micro-SIM), Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth, GPS and NFC

11. -
• Average camera
• Steep pricing
Pros and cons
+
• Ideal for one-
handed usage
• Powerful hardware
• Good battery life
• Dust- and water-
resistant

12. Price: Rs 32,999
Pricing and verdict
“At a time when the world is going for devices with
large displays, the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is a
refreshing change. It offers top notch specs in a
compact size, though the pricing is on the higher side
and camera doesn’t justify the hype. Still, worth a look
if you covet great performance in a handy package.”