Sony launches the premium Xperia XZ1, Xperia XZ1 Compact at IFA 2017

Sony’s party at the IFA 2017 event started with the Xperia XZ1 and the Xperia XZ1 Compact, both of which will adorn the latest and greatest of Sony hardware in 2017. The Xperia XZ1 is the more premium offering from the Japanese giant taking cues from the Xperia Premium. While the other is the continuation of the “Compact” line up that come with great battery life.

The Xperia XZ1 shares similarities like the Snapdragon 835m and the 19 MP Exmor RS camera lens with its forerunner. While the 5.2 inches Full HD TRILUMINOUS screen is a step down from its premium sibling. The overall design of the phone is the same, it is made up of two-piece unibody metal instead of three-piece. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 5. The handset comes with a side-mounted Sony style fingerprint reader and IP68 certification. The Xperia XZ1 has 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of fast UFS storage and microSD support. Sony has fitted in a 2,700 mAh battery that is capable of Quick Charge 3.0.

Sony uses the large top and bottom bezels for stereo speakers. It also offers Clear Audio+ and DSEE HX tweaks to please audiophiles. The rear camera like we said is borrowed from its premium sibling. Both the new phones sport the 19 MP 1/2.3″ Exmor RS sensor with a RAM buffer. Features like 960 fps and predictive capture are also thrown in. The front camera is a 13 MP sensor with f/2.0 aperture and a22 mm wide angle 1/3.06″ Exmor RS sensor. Four colors are available to choose from: Black, Warm Silver, Moonlit Blue and Venus Pink.

Xperia XZ1 Compact

The “Compact” line has always focused on a phone with a small footprint and great battery life. And the XZ1 Compact refocuses on those principles. It has a 140-gram body with a 4.6-inch 720p display. The phone shares identical chipset, RAM, stereo speakers, and rear camera with the XZ1. The battery capacity is also the same.

Talking about the differences, it doesn’t have a metal body, instead, it has what Sony calls “Loop Surface”. It is just a plastic compound, It doesn’t support HDR, screen resolution is even lower. For connectivity, LTE is rated at Cat. 15 and which on the XZ1 is Cat .16. Otherwise, the Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi setup is the same and NFC is also same.

Taking a look at the selfie camera of the phone, the XZ1 Compact has an 8MP 1/4″ ExmorRS sensor with a super wide-angle lens on top. It has an FOV of 120 degrees. The Xperia XZ1 Compact comes in a different color palette: Black, Snow Silver, Horizon Blue and Twilight Pink. Both the phones are expected to sport Android 8.0 Oreo.

While we don’t know the release date, industry sources say the XZ1 can be expected in September globally around the second week. Soon after, the XZ1 Compact will be made available globally.