Sony launches Xperia Z1 Compact, Z1S at CES 2014
by Joshua Ho on January 7, 2014 3:22 AM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Sony
- Mobile
Today at CES, Sony announced the Xperia Z1 Compact. This phone finally fills a slot that has been ignored in the Android device space, which is a phone that is easily used with one hand for the vast majority of people, and is also a high end flagship. While the Moto X also fits in this space, its SoC made it decidedly mid-high range, much like the Xperia S was at its debut.
As always, specs are what determine where a product slots in the high/mid/low ranges, so it’s well worth going over them.
Sony Xperia Z1 Compact |
|
SoC |
MSM8974, 2.15 GHz, Snapdragon 800 |
Display |
4.3”, 1280x720 IPS LCD |
Rear Camera |
20.7MPx, 1/2.3” sensor, F/2.0 aperture, 27mm equivalent focal length, “G lens” |
Front Camera |
2MPx |
RAM |
2GiB |
Battery |
2300 mAh, 3.8V, 8.74 Whr |
Storage |
16GiB internal NAND, microSD slot |
Dimensions |
127 x 64.9 x 9.5 mm, 137g |
Compared to the Xperia Z1, the only notable downgrade would be the battery capacity and slightly thicker design, both non-issues as the smaller screen and lower resolution help to greatly reduce the battery consumption and the increased thickness is offset by the greatly reduced size. Based upon first impressions, the display is noticeably higher quality than the one found in the Z1 as well. But otherwise, the Z1 Compact retains the same camera, IP58 rating, SoC, RAM, and NAND.
Sony also launched the Z1S, a variant of the Xperia Z1 for T-Mobile US. The only notable changes are for radio bands and a bump to 32GiB for internal storage. The Z1S will be available for preorder January 13th, with sales beginning on January 22nd. The Z1 Compact will go on sale globally in February.
Source: Sony
19 Comments
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shaolin95 - Friday, January 24, 2014 - link
haaha Dont try the Ultra or you wont ever be able to turn back..is that AWESOME!I am getting a phone for my GF and I am sure she wont go for an Ultra but I surely hope she at least goes with a 5" display...but we shall see. My perspective is not very weird as looking at a 4.3" screen is like looking at my 1.5" smartwatch (zgpax s5)..looks like a hobbit lol
JoshHo - Tuesday, January 7, 2014 - link
OEMs seem to be going away from keyboards because of thickness, design complexity, increased RMAs and more moving parts to fail, and the improvement in software keyboards.I'm sure there's a market out there for physical keyboards in phones, I'm just not sure if that market is big enough to justify anymore.
Spuke - Tuesday, January 7, 2014 - link
There are still a few keyboard phones out there but they're all low end or feature phones.piroroadkill - Tuesday, January 7, 2014 - link
I agree that there should be more sliders. Sony made a brilliant one... ages ago. The Xperia Pro. I'd love a replacement.Drumsticks - Tuesday, January 7, 2014 - link
Awesome! This is what I've been waiting to see from android for a while. 4.3-4.5" is perfect for me.haukionkannel - Tuesday, January 7, 2014 - link
For me too! If only this would have been IP68, but even now this is a good news!Davidjan - Sunday, January 19, 2014 - link
Cool. It should be like Z1 to add storage with Meenova MicroSD reader: http://goo.gl/2iJ6gfDavidjan - Tuesday, January 21, 2014 - link
Does anyone know if it supports OTG? Then can use Meenova MicroSD Reader to add its storage: http://goo.gl/2iJ6gfFreeFlyFreak - Wednesday, April 16, 2014 - link
I would own this phone if they gave it a user replaceable battery.It is almost perfect, but the battery issue kills it for me.