LG isn’t the only one revealing new smartphones ahead of the official start of IFA. Sony also has some smartphones to showcase, the first two being the Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact.
The XZ1 and XZ1 Compact are the newest additions to Sony’s Xperia flagship family. The main differences between the two are its screen sizes, as Sony is typically pretty good about keeping similar specs despite differences in physical size. The XZ1 features a 5.2-inch Full HD HDR display, and the XZ1 Compact features a 4.6-inch 720p display.
Both devices pack a powerful punch with the Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 19-megapixel Motion Eye camera on the back. Both also have the same 2,700 mAh battery capacity. The devices differ when it comes to the front-facing camera, however; the XZ1 features a 13-megapixel camera, and the XZ1 Compact features a wide-angle lens 8-megapixel shooter.
The devices also have different amounts of internal storage. The XZ1 features 64GB of storage, while the XZ1 Compact features 32GB of internal storage, but both have microSD card support. In addition to microSD, the XZ1 can actually utilize two SIM cards at the same time in lieu of a microSD card. Both devices will be the first smartphone to ship with Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box.
Like many other manufacturers, Sony is taking its smartphone camera performance to the next level. As previously mentioned, the XZ1 duo uses the Motion Eye camera system seen in the Xperia XZ Premium that debuted earlier this year. The cameras also include features like Sony’s Predictive Capture, which snaps photos a few seconds before you physically press the shutter option and gives users a selection of up to four different shots. The cameras also have the ability to record Super slow-motion video at 960 frames per second. Although the cameras don’t feature OIS, Sony has implemented their SteadyShot technology for electronic image stabilization.
Probably the most unique new feature in the XZ1 duo is 3D Creator, which allows users to scan objects and turn them into various 3D creations, from stickers to avatars to live wallpaper. Users will even have the option to use 3D printers with 3D creator.
Sony’s Xperia smartphones also have the added benefit for PS4 users to use PS4 Remote Play, which is a pretty cool feature (for some games, anyway) from my experience.
The Sony Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact come with a lot of updated features and specs, but the one thing that remains unchanged is its design. Although the device looks sleek with an aluminum unibody finish, Sony’s Xperia flagships continue to look almost identical to each other year after year, which normally doesn’t warrant much of a reaction but probably will this year with slim bezels becoming the latest trend. Additionally, the U.S. won't get a fingerprint sensor, which has become a pretty important feature in smartphones over the past several years. Another downside to the Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact is that they don’t appear to be officially supported by any U.S. carriers, but the XZ1 Compact will support T-Mobile’s Wi-Fi calling and VoLTE.
Both devices will be available in black, blue, pink, and silver, and will be sold unlocked from both Amazon and Best Buy on October 4th. The XZ1 will cost $699 full price and the XZ1 Compact comes in at $599 full price.
