Xperia Z1 Compact... finally the holy grail for "normal sized" phone enthusiasts?

SE-Naz · 16 Sep 2013 at 09:02

Would love a powerful mini handset that can be handled easily enough.

If done well I reckon this would sell like hotcakes, as NOT everyone wants big phones...

Em3bbs · 16 Sep 2013 at 09:34

Richdog said:
Meh, Snapdragon 600 at a minimum please... I want it as future-proof as possible so it doesn't feel like a dog 1.5 years down the line (like the SII did).

How weird, I just got my S2 going again this week for XBMC (it has a smashed screen) and I was just thinking how snappy it was for a 2 and a half year old device.

Richdog · 16 Sep 2013 at 12:03

I also have an S2 (well, I did until last week when it died), and it is certainly starting to show its age now (modded clean ROM too), lags and chugs a bit when there's a lot going on, whereas my SIII is smooth in comparison when doing the same stuff. The S2 is one of the greatest phones ever made, but it's still an older platform and CPU so you can't expect miracles forever.

Nexus18 · 16 Sep 2013 at 13:12

Richdog said:
Meh, Snapdragon 600 at a minimum please... I want it as future-proof as possible so it doesn't feel like a dog 1.5 years down the line (like the SII did).

I would be very surprised if the moto X feels like a dog in 1.5 years time (the one S, XL etc. feel just as fast as the GS 4 and HTC one etc. and they are now about 1 and a half years old), it will be just as fast, if not faster than the current top end phones just like it already is in real world usage.

The GS 2 is about 2 and a half years old now and as other people have said above it still runs well (number of friends have one) and am sure if you stick on an AOSP based ROM I bet it would fly along with there only being a few milliseconds difference between it and last years phone.

Perhaps it was the custom ROM that you were trying?

Skilid · 16 Sep 2013 at 13:30

I still think it's funny we call 4.3" 'mini'...

grudas · 16 Sep 2013 at 13:44

Richdog said:
Its obviously going to be the same design as the Z1 but shrunk, so take away the bits from that list that the Z1 doesn't have, like alu body etc

eh? xperia z1 has alu body/frame w/e you want to call it

Myshra · 16 Sep 2013 at 14:06

EliotG said:
I still think it's funny we call 4.3" 'mini'...

It's no 65/8310 I'll give you that

The problem with going back to a screen size from a few years ago is that like most things, markets change with their consumer requirements and no company can afford to be behind. The high end features larger screens with good displays, now in figures that consumers have been taught to love (eg 1080). You are sending a mixed message to the consumer if your high end phone includes a screen size from a midrange device. These phones are designed to appeal to those not in "the know" but the masses and the masses like big shiny things

I applaud them for trying but if you manage to shrink your high end device into a smaller form factor I'd worry the company is impacting themselves at considerable cost to miniaturise when it's not really needed right now. I do think we have probably reached peak size so to speak with the S4 type form factor (I think the note exceeds general acceptance but has a niche), i pray it is not pushed further.

sarge78 · 17 Sep 2013 at 00:06

Richdog said:
Meh, Snapdragon 600 at a minimum please... I want it as future-proof as possible so it doesn't feel like a dog 1.5 years down the line (like the SII did).

Check out anandtechs moto x review, they do a SoC comparison to the quad core 1.9ghz S4. Hint: there's FA difference. The quad throttles after a few seconds and even ends up being slower...

The S2 feels like a dog due to the limited memory? Also Kriat was the first cpu that made Android flawless, the S800 should be a bit faster thanks to the newer TSMC node but it shouldnt change the general performance.

mjones1 said:
I doubt they would release two phones since the Nexus 5 is only slightly larger overall. Making two devices so close together is a bit silly.

A 4.3" phone without big bezels is roughly the same size as the iPhone, something like the N4 is quite a bit bigger.

Rimsy · 17 Sep 2013 at 01:09

grudas said:
Sony design

and you've got a top end MINI phone IMO.

As in a sharp edged rectangle that looks nice sat on your desk but is terrible to actually hold/use? Yeah not sure that's a selling point tbh

Richdog · 17 Sep 2013 at 08:35

Nexus18 said:
The GS 2 is about 2 and a half years old now and as other people have said above it still runs well (number of friends have one) and am sure if you stick on an AOSP based ROM I bet it would fly along with there only being a few milliseconds difference between it and last years phone.

Perhaps it was the custom ROM that you were trying?

The ROM was fine and for the most part silky smooth, I have owned an S2 for years (since it was released, till one week ago), and have tried many ROMs and mods, so really I do know what I'm talking about when forming my own opinions. If you think it is as silky smooth when running intensive apps and transitioning between intensive apps as the new phones which are 2-3x more powerful then that's fine I'm not arguing with that, but as gentlemen we'll just agree to disagree.

grudas said:
eh? xperia z1 has alu body/frame w/e you want to call it

Ahh, alu frame... meh, ok, not quite HTC One-esque, but will provide good structural tension I guess.

sarge78 said:
Check out anandtechs moto x review, they do a SoC comparison to the quad core 1.9ghz S4. Hint: there's FA difference. The quad throttles after a few seconds and even ends up being slower...

The S2 feels like a dog due to the limited memory? Also Kriat was the first cpu that made Android flawless, the S800 should be a bit faster thanks to the newer TSMC node but it shouldnt change the general performance.

I'm sure the Moto X is a great phone now, and the SOC may be only marginally behind the 600/800, but in 2 years we don't know where Android will be, and I fail to see why you would not put greater than a 600 SOC in there considering it is current tech and readily available.

kona786 · 30 Sep 2013 at 14:43

16GB, S800, 2300mah and 127 x 64.9 x 9.4 mm

http://www.gsmarena.com/alleged_official_documentation_gives_xperia_z1_mini_specs-news-6878.php

grudas · 30 Sep 2013 at 14:49

good move from sony of thats true!

not just take Z1 and make it a bit smaller(its bigger than my oppo 5 and that IMO has big bezels)

kona786 · 1 Oct 2013 at 12:49

S4 Mini for comparison: 124.6 x 61.3 x 8.9 mm, 107 g

Z1 Not much larger :cool:

muon · 1 Oct 2013 at 19:08

Sweet I can get a new phone. I thought I'd have to keep my Nexus 4 forever.

Warp279 · 12 Oct 2013 at 16:22

Saw this image

Z1 mini:
127mm × 65mm × 9.4mm
140 grams
4.3 inches, 1280 × 720
16GB Internal + sdcard
2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800, 2GB RAM
20.1 MP camera

Android 4.2.2

Richdog · 12 Oct 2013 at 16:39

Its now official... The Sony Z1f!

Same specs as the Z1, barring a smaller 720p screen.

Seems viewing angles are again an issue though...

Story here http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/9/4822676/sony-xperia-z1f-cameraphone-announced-in-japan

Very annoying that Sony make a phone with fantastic specs like this, and yet spoil it with screen issues. Still very tempting though.

EDIT - It may be Japan only, doh!

grudas · 7 Jan 2014 at 11:17

Sony Xperia Z1 Compact - First PROPER "mini" phone?

check this out -;

http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_z1_compact-5753.php

first proper mini phone? great spec all around, good camera, good cpu.. WIN WIN as long as they get the screen tech right this will be a nice option for those with girly hands.

Richdog · 7 Jan 2014 at 12:00

Finally, its announced for the EU! http://www.androidauthority.com/sony-xperia-z1-compact-331116/

Sony announces the Xperia Z1 Compact, a ‘no comprise’ 4.3-inch handset

At tonight’s Sony press conference, the Xperia Z1 Compact was finally officially unveiled. As excepted, the handset is essentially just as powerful as its bigger brother, only in a more condensed from with a lower-resolution display.

The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is certainly a welcome addition in a world where most “miniature” handsets tend to deviate far from the specs found in the phones they are named after.

Specs and features

The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact packs a 720p 4.3-inch display and the same Snapdragon 800 CPU found inside the Z1. The design similar to the previously released Japanese Xperia Z1f, though a few things have been changed around a bit.

Here’s the full skinny on what to expect from the Xperia Z1 Compact:

2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPU

Adren 330 GPU

2GB of RAM

20.7MP camera with Sony G-Lens and Bionz mobile

2MP front-cam

Video recording:1080p @ 30fps video capture, both cameras

Storage: 16GB with microSD for expansion

Battery: 2300 mAh

4.3-inch Triluminous IPS display with 720p resolution, 341 ppi

WLAN (2.4/5Ghz) a/b/g/n/ac, NFC, A-GPS+GLONASS, microUSB 2.0 (MHL), BlueTooth 4.0 LE

Dimensions: 127 x 64.9 x 9.5 mm, 137g

Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, planned upgrade to Android 4.4 KitKat

2,300 mAh battery

multi-touch input, proximity sensor, FM Radio, built-in accelerometer

Black, White, Pink, Lime, Yellow

As you can see, the Xperia Z1 Compact really is a beast, from its high-quality camera to its CPU and beyond. Sure, the display might not be as impressive as the Z1, but it’s still more than capable of providing a solid visual experience.

This may well be my next phone, but I will wait and see what the Sony Z2 Avatar is like first!

Saundie · 7 Jan 2014 at 14:14

I am probably going to end up getting one of these to replace my Acro S - the extra battery life alone will make it worthwhile for me.

MLAM · 7 Jan 2014 at 15:10

This will be significant for the smaller handset market as everyone has mentioned other companies "Mini" handsets are watered down versions of the bigger one.

I can foresee a lot of Galaxy S2 users switching to this potentially as it very similar in size.