When it released its new flagship smartphone X series at the start of the year, many Sony Mobile fans were quick to point out that the Xperia X devices unveiled then were not what they expected to stand up to what the competition was going to bring to the table as the year progressed as far as the best of the best goes.
At the company’s IFA 2016 event, Sony sought to show the world that it can still make devices that can battle it out with Samsung, HTC, LG and Huawei’s finest at the head of the smartphone table. Or so we seem to think of the newly unveiled Xperia XZ since besides a new look, it sports most of the internals the Xperia X Performance already packs.
The Xperia XZ is everything the rumours intimated it would be. Big, imposing and what Sony is hoping would be its flagbearer for what remains of 2016 before we do this all over again next year.
Sony calls the Xperia XZ “the first flagship of the X series”
Fighting for attention with the Xperia XZ is the Xperia Z Compact, another upper mid-range smartphone we were expecting. With a 4.6-inch display, it is now one of the few sub-5-inch smartphones that one can go with in case they are not impressed by today’s big smartphones. With the Z Compact, Sony is also resurrecting its long interest in quality audio. The Xperia Z Compact sports front-facing dual speakers, a built-in LDAC, digital noise cancelling and its S-Force Front Surround (something that was there on the Xperia Z2).
Both devices improve upon the camera found on the first batch of Xperia X smartphones.
Specifications of the two devices are as follows:
| Xperia XZ | Xperia X Compact | |
| Size and weight | 146 x 72 x 8.1 mm, 161g | 129 x 65 x 9.5 mm, 135g |
| Display | 5.2-inch Full HD 1080p, TRILUMINOS | 4.6-inch HD 720p TRILUMINOS |
| Processor | Snapdragon 820 | Snapdragon 650 |
| Memory | 3GB RAM; 16GB/ 32GB internal storage on the single SIM model and 64 GB on the dual-SIM model. Both can be expanded up to 256GB via microSD | 3GB RAM; 32GB internal storage (expandable via microSD up to 256GB) |
| Camera | 23 MP with Triple image sensing technology Predictive Hybrid Autofocus; 13MP front-facing | 23 MP with Triple image sensing technology Predictive Hybrid Autofocus; 13MP front-facing |
| Operating System | Android 6.0 Marshmallow | Same |
| Battery | 2,900mAh | 2,700mAh |
| Network | 3G, 4G LTE | Same |
| Connectivity | USB Type-C, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi, NFC | Same |
| Colour | Forest Blue, Mineral Black, Platinum | Mist Blue, Universe Black, White |
| Other | Fingerprint scanner, IP68 | Same |
