Some of Sony’s best phones from the last few years have been members of the smaller Compact range, and it looks like a new Compact handset is about to launch within Sony’s Xperia X family.
At least that’s what’s being rumored, with Sony apparently working on an Xperia X Compact to launch alongside the upcoming Xperia X2… though that phone may end up being called the Xperia Z6 or even Xperia XZ.
Regardless, the smaller Sony phone should be just as exciting as its larger sibling, as the latest rumors suggest the Xperia X Compact will be a high-end handset packed into a mini body. Here’s what we’ve heard so far.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? A new smaller flagship Sony phone
- When is it out? IFA 2016 looks pretty likely
- What will it cost? A lot for a small phone, but cheaper than the Xperia X2
Sony Xperia X Compact release date
Sony is hosting a press conference at IFA 2016, and it’s expected the company will announce the Xperia X Compact at the event, as well as the Xperia X2.
That likely means the Xperia X Compact will be available to buy towards the end of September.
Sony Xperia X Compact design
The leaked renders we’ve seen so far of the Sony Xperia X Compact make it look like it will essentially be a smaller version of the Xperia X, which came with a slightly different design to other phones from Sony.
There are metal edges around the phone, a matte glass back, and unlike the phones in the Xperia Z5 range the Xperia X Compact is not expected to be waterproof, as most of the X range isn’t.
The X Compact is sure to have a smaller, more compact design than the Xperia X or the upcoming Xperia X2, but all we have to go on so far are the renders, so the exact dimensions of the Xperia X Compact are currently unknown.
Sony Xperia X Compact screen
As the phone is a Sony Xperia Compact, the screen is going to be smaller than the 5.0-inch display on the Xperia X. The latest leaks suggest it’ll be 4.6-inches, which would match up with the small screen on the Xperia Z5 Compact.
There’s no information on what resolution the screen will be, and while Sony has experimented with 4K in the past most of the company’s phones are 1080p, so we anticipate the Compact will stick to that rather than upping the resolution.
In fact, the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact only had a 720p screen, so the X Compact may not even be Full HD, but the likely small size of the display means it should still be fairly sharp.
Sony Xperia X Compact camera and battery
There’s no word on the camera setup of the Xperia X Compact, but a leak from TechTastic talks about the Sony Xperia XZ camera and there’s a good chance it will be the same spec as the X Compact’s.
According to the leak the Xperia XZ will have a 23MP sensor, just like the Xperia X. It’ll also apparently have a dual-LED flash and a laser autofocus.
The Xperia Z5 Compact also has a 23MP rear camera, but the X Compact’s selfie shooter could be an upgrade on the Z5 Compact’s.
The XZ (and likely also the X Compact) supposedly has a 13MP sensor on the front of the phone (up from just 5.1MP on the Xperia Z5 Compact), which again is a match for the Xperia X and at least in megapixel count is up there with the highest spec front-facing phone cameras on the market.
For battery, the Sony Xperia X Compact is rumored to have a 2,700mAh cell. That’s small, but this isn’t a big phone and with screens being one of the main drains a huge juice pack may not be necessary.
The battery will likely be charged via a USB-C port, allowing you to plug the charger in either way round, and there may also be wireless charging and fast-charging, which would be nice to see, as Sony hasn’t included these features before.
Sony Xperia X Compact OS and power
With Android 7 Nougat already released we’d hope that Sony would have the brand new software on its upcoming smartphones. But as the launch of the Xperia X Compact is likely to be so soon after the Android Nougat release it may be that the phone runs Marshmallow.
If that’s the case, we’re confident that Sony will update the Compact to Android 7 quite quickly.
The high-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor is rumored to be powering the Xperia X Compact, alongside 4GB of RAM. That’s the same spec as other 2016 flagships, so the Compact could be a real powerhouse.
Sony Xperia X Compact cost
The Xperia Z5 Compact launched at £429/$500 and we’d expect a similar price for the Xperia X Compact when it arrives. The Xperia Z5 Compact isn’t available in Australia, but if it was it would likely have cost around AU$915, so expect that sort of price for the Xperia X Compact if it launches there.
Source: techradar.com
Top Brands
What a blasé subtitle. It should read, YAY! Another Mini Sony Phone!! …given how EVERY other single manufacturer only makes phablets. I'm not a Sony fan, but props to them for actually giving consumers a choice. I'm sick of the oversaturated phablet flagship market.