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Sony Xperia Z1 Compact Mobile Review

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S Aadeetya
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Sony has been flirting in the premium smartphone segment where the company has managed to create its own standing with products like Xperia Z and Xperia Z1 among others. But now that the big-sized battle is reaching proportions of no coming back, Sony has decided to make things more saner. In comes Xperia Z1 compact that as the name suggest it is easy to use and offers good viewing angles.

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Petit in size, yet no slouch performer

The smaller version Z1 compact smartphone comes in a 4.3 inch form factor and sports a HD display that still manages to deliver decent colour and content output. Much like the other Xperia devices, Z1 compact is build over uni-body aluminium frame with a glass panel at the back. The phone follows Sony's OmniBalance' design philosophy which is minimalist, yet premium. It is also available in four colours, including lime and pink. Pretty much the same thing just that the size of the phone results in handling which is comfortable than carrying the 5 inch devices and more in tune with Apple iPhone (4 inch sized).

The phone packs the same Snapdragon 800 chipset that has become a mainstay with all flagship devices including Nexus 5. The phone manages to perform well with some minor heating issues that have become a common sight with this chipset. As you can see below (fig), the Z1 Compact comes closer to the nexa-core powered Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo than Lenovo's Vibe Z. We do like the fact that it has a physical button for camera on the right just below the volume rocker and aluminium built power button. Gaming on the Z1 compact poses no issues and be it light games like Subway Surfer or more demanding games like Asphalt 8: Airborne, the phone delivered what it promises.

The phone not only comes with the same chipset as on the Z1 but it also gets the 20.7 MP rear camera also. As we talked about earlier, the camera for outdoor and daylight shooting is pretty much the best in the segment at this price but sadly, the low-light capability is still found wanting. Also, you are confined to clicking pictures at its normal level without zooming in much which leads to pixlated image. Battery life on the Z1 compact sees some improvement, mainly owing to its reduced size.

The phone has enough juice in it to last through a day and nothing more than that (Stamina mode comes in handy). The phone lasted our video playback test for roughly 6 hours battery test, which usually translates into 14-17 hours on single charge. Also, the phone is water resistant and dust-proof. Note: the removable cover MicroSIM, microUSB and microSD is quite fragile and should be handled with care.

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