Smartphones are getting bigger, but not everyone wants a larger phone, that’s the thought that crossed my mind when I first held the Sony Xperia Compact.
Not only does the Xperia X Compact excel in one-handed use, but the lower specs do not negatively impact it either.
First impression
The glossy body of the device reflects – literally. The front and the back have a mirror-like quality, which is a bit off-putting. However, it does feel very comfortable in the hand – albeit quite slippery – and it is one-hand-operation wonder. So, does Sony’s latest compact do justice to the concept of a smaller phone that is still packed with great specs – let’s take a look.
Hardware and display
The device is equipped with a Snapdragon 650 – also used in its bigger sibling, the Xperia X. Interestingly, it doesn’t have an IP rating, which is strange because it’s a feature that was pioneered by Sony. The 4.6” Xperia X Compact is equipped with a display resolution of 720p (HD), which isn’t too bad, but a step up to 1080p (FHD) would be welcomed.
Build
The build of the Xperia X Compact is very disappointing. It’s made completely of plastic – many of Sony’s competitors have managed to add a metal body without having to push up the price. I also feel that the plastic body – unless you have a case – gives the phone slipperiness that is very frustrating; I had to be mindful of my grip on the device. Not only that, but it’s also a fingerprint magnet which means that you’re going to have to get a case for it.
GSMArena comments that “the choice of material coupled with the dimensions gives it a more youthful look, as opposed to the more authoritative and mature XZ.” I completely agree with this statement.
Another issue that I have is with the thickness of the device, which clocks in at nearly 1cm –
by today’s standards, that’s pretty chunky, especially since it’s marketed as part of the Compact range.
Design
This is another aspect of the Xperia X Compact that fails to pique my interest. While the curved edges do make it feel quite pleasing in the hand, it’s the overall design that bothers me; it feels bland and trite, essentially, whether it’s the flagship XZ or even XA Ultra, Sony has simply not embraced the realm of innovative design compared to other brands.
UI
The interface is near stock Marshmallow with a few useful Sony modifications, including app search, power saving modes, resource manager. The proprietary multimedia suite is hard to beat in terms of features.
Connectivity and battery life
In terms of mobile data speed, the X Compact boasts LTE Cat. 6 – 300Mbps down, 50Mbps up along with HSPA as a backup – 42.2Mbps/5.76Mbps.
Local connectivity includes dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, as well as Bluetooth® 4.2 with aptX and NFC. There is also a FM radio with RDS, which is not present on the flagship.
Sony Xperia phones are known for their excellent battery life and the X Compact lives up to this legacy. The 2700mAh battery is identical to the one found in the Z5 and provides just over 11 hours of above average usages – including watching an HD video or two and the occasional game. If you’re a light user, then you can expect to get up to 2 days on a single charge.
Camera
Now this is where the XC makes a statement; it has a camera that shares the same specs as the high-end XZ. It boasts the impressive 23 MP with phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and a LED flash. The features include: 1/2.3″ sensor size, geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR, panorama.
However, the selfie camera is where the problem lies. The 5 MP shooter is the lowest-resolution in the whole X-series range, which I find confusing – why has Sony downgraded it from the 5.1 MP, f/2.4, 1080p with HDR found in the Z5 Compact? It’s a mystery.
Video
The Xperia Compact is able to shoot 1080p@30fps, 1080p@60fps; I was hoping that Sony would equip the device with 4K video-recording capability. Nevertheless, I filmed inside – and outside; I was pleasantly surprised by the results.
Audio
I was quite disappointed with the audio quality of the device. Even though it is equipped with front-firing stereo speakers, the sound is not very loud and becomes distorted when turned to the maximum level.
Final words
After considering all these factors, I have to say that this is by no means a “bad” phone. While it is lacking in certain areas, it excels in others. So, for those of you that enjoy a compact device, it is definitely worth considering – it is Sony after all!
Pros: Front-firing stereo speakers; Snapdragon 650 SoC; 23 MP camera with predictive hybrid auto-focus
Cons: Not waterproof or dustproof; No 4K video recording capability; Low-res selfie camera
Key specs
- Size and screen type: 4.6” IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colours
- Resolution: 720X1280 pixels
- OS: Android OS, v6.0.1 (Marshmallow), planned upgrade to v7.0 (Nougat)
- Chipset: Qualcomm MSM8956 Snapdragon 650
- CPU: Hexa-core (4×1.4 GHz Cortex-A53 & 2×1.8 GHz Cortex-A72)
- MicroSD card: dedicated slot expandable up to 256 GB
- Internal storage: 32 GB
- RAM: 3 GB
- Rear camera: 23 MP, f/2.0, 24mm, phase detection autofocus, LED flash
- Front camera: 5 MP, 1080p
- Video: 1080p@30fps, 1080p@60fps
- Loudspeaker: Yes
- 3.5mm jack: Yes
- NFC: Yes
- USB: v2.0, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector; USB Host
- Sensors: Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass, color spectrum
- Non-removable Li-Ion 2700 mAh battery; Fast battery charging (Quick Charge 3.0)
- Talk time: Up to 11 h (2G) / Up to 14 h (3G)
Verdict: 7/10
Sony Xperia X Compact available from R6,299 (Special Import)
