Sony, which has been relatively quiet this year, is widely expected to launch two new smartphones at the event.
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Sony has released “compact” editions of its last few smartphones, usually with specs that are similar to those for its high-end flagship phones. By comparison, the X Compact’s specs are a bit more modest, as the X Compact features a Snapdragon 650 SoC, 5-MP front cam, and slightly smaller 2,700 battery. The Z3 Compact had the same specs as the larger phones, but in a device that was a little more manageable.
Leakster Roland Quandt has revealed that Sony’s Xperia X Compact could be available in three color variants, namely Universal Black, White, and Mist Blue. This is a small phone – the 4.6-inch screen is a rarity these days – but it’s middling in every other department.
Even in low light conditions, Sony says that photos taken using the devices will be colourful and vibrant, thanks to a new laser sensor that is able to adjust colour balances according to where the light is coming from. Unveiled at IFA 2016 in Berlin today, the Xperia X Compact is the series’ fourth addition, bringing the internals of the Xperia X down to a more manageable size. But in place of the metal back on the larger model you’ve got glossy plastic.
It’s thick too, nearly comically so.
As to when you can expect this phones to come into the wild, Sony South Africa expects users to see the phones offered by network operators from October, but the exact date is yet to be confirmed by Sony. “Behind a 4.6” 720p display this chipset would deliver the same graphical performance as a Snapdragon 820 would behind a 1080p matrix. You can spot pixels if you look for them, but the real problem is the lack of oomph in the colours.
It’s worth noting that Sony is calling this the best smartphone camera it’s ever produced. But it will have the Xperia’s XZ’s biggest selling point. There’s also no 4K video recording.
It seems to be a dream camera, really. 13-MP front camera, and 2,900 mAh battery. The CPU is paired with 3GB of RAM and there is 32GB of internal storage along with support for a microSD card (max 256GB). For what it’s worth, we didn’t see any performance issues in our time with the phone.
A fingerprint sensor is tucked inside the home button, which sits on the side of the device – a location that I still find isn’t quite as convenient as the front or back of a handset, but it’s nice to have.
Sadly there is no water and dust resistance rating for the X Compact. The new camera app with manual shutter control is also there.
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Plus, the Xperia X Compact charges up via USB Type-C – a first for a Sony phone.
