We finally get our hands on Sony’s Xperia Z1 Compact!

It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally here. We finally managed to track down a review unit of the Xperia Z1 Compact! If you don’t know, the Z1 Compact is a miniaturized version of the Xperia Z1, much like how other brands make smaller versions of their flagships. Of course the Z1 Compact is different in that it has much of the same hardware that made the original sized flagship great, which is a departure from the usual mini versions of other manufacturers. Let’s get this show rolling!

Sony Xperia Z1 Compact

• 2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 processor
• Adreno 330
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB internal storage, with microSD card support for up to 64 GB
• 4.3-inch TRILUMINOS HD IPS display, 1280×720 pixels
• 20.7MP Exmor RS CMOS image sensor with 27mm wide angle and bright F2.0 aperture
• 2-megapixel front camera
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
• 3G, HSDPA, LTE
• Android 4.4 Kit Kat
• 2,300 mAh battery
• Php 25,490

Packaging and contents

The Z1 Compact comes in Sony’s typical smartphone packaging. The box has a picture of the device on the front, while on the back shows the different color options available for the phone. The phone comes in four different colors – yellow (which kinda looks like green), black, pink and white.

When you open the box, you’ll see the device itself, along with a couple of different accessories.

You get the regular charger, cable and headphones. Sony also threw in an OTG adapter, as well as a Premium Services VIP card aside from the regular manual and warranty documentation.

Initial impressions: really feels like a shrunken Z1

While most mini versions obviously look and feel like their bigger brothers, the Z1 Compact really does look and feel like the Z1. The design is unmistakably premium, and most of the impressive hardware specs in the full sized Z1 is replicated on the Z1 Compact: Snapdragon 800 processor, water resistance and 20.7-megapixel Exmor sensor. Sony’s done a good job in squeezing all of these specifications in a body that’s truly more compact than most smartphones today.

Because of its size, the Z1 Compact fits easily in the hands. The overall weight is hefty but not overly so, and gives you an impression that you are holding a premium smartphone in your hand. The quality build is truly impressive, which is typical of Sony handsets. The button layout is identical to its bigger brother, which adds to that overall “honey-I-shrunk-the-phone” feel to the device.

While the display fidelity of the Z1 Compact is obviously inferior to its big brother, it’s still pretty good, especially when you consider the screen size. The display is nice and bright, and has pretty accurate color reproduction.

Almost all the connectors on the Z1 Compact is protected by flaps with rubber flaps on them to keep the water out. Before you dip the Z1 Compact into H20, you have to make sure that each flap is properly closed so that water doesn’t get into the device.

Even though the Z1 Compact is tiny compared to today’s flagships, it’s not a pushover when it comes to performance. The 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor, Adreno 330 GPU and 2GB of RAM means that the Z1 Compact is able to handle almost any game or app that you throw at it. In AnTuTu, it managed to score 33742 points which is pretty impressive, considering its size.

That’s it for this unboxing. Watch out for the review of this smartphone soon.