If you fancy yourself a new phone and love the idea of the water resistant 4G Sony Xperia Z1, but wasn’t enthused by the big 5 inch size, there’s good news coming in a smaller package.
Launched at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the Z1 Compact is pretty much a smaller version of what Sony created in its Z1 released at the end of last year.
It’s not completely the same, and we don’t expect it to be given the smaller size, but you’ll find similar tech here, with a 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, 4G LTE connectivity, Google Android 4.3 “Jelly Bean,” support for microSD, and that massive 20 megapixel camera that showed up in the Z1.
The screen is smaller, dropping from a 5 inch Full HD to a 4.3 inch HD display, and helping the Z1 Compact reach its “compact” size, but the good news is that Sony’s water and dust resistance is still here, an important note given that Samsung will this year be adding its own form of ruggedisation into the flagship Galaxy S5 it plans on releasing shortly.
But resistance to the elements is only one part of the equation, as Telstra — which has the exclusive for the Z1 Compact for a good 60 days — has Blue Tick certified the handset, meaning it will work in rural and regional Australia, offering better mobile coverage than phones that haven’t been designated Blue Tick approved.
“The Xperia Z1 Compact is an impressive device,” said Andrew Volard, Telstra’s Director of Device Management, adding that “the thing that impresses me most about this handset is it is compact without compromising on the great features seen in the larger Xperia Z1.
“As it has earned the Telstra Blue Tick accreditation, our customers can connect with the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact in more places and enjoy all the features of this smartphone on Telstra’s superfast 4G mobile network.”
Pricing for the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is set to $552 outright in either black, white or pink, with plenty of plan options too, and an availability say of March 18.
