At a time when phone screens keep getting bigger and bigger (and bezels smaller), Sony is bucking the trend with its latest flagship phones.
The Sony Xperia XZ1 features a 5.2 inch full HD HDR display, while the Xperia XZ1 Compact is a 4.6 inch phone with an HD display.
Both feature Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processors, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, 2700 mAH batteries, and waterproof cases. And both will be among the first phones to ship with android 8.0 Oreo.
Sony says the 5.2 inch Sony Xperia XZ1 will be available in select regions starting next week, while the 4.6 inch Xperia XZ1 Compact is coming in September.
Another new feature coming to both phones is a 3D Creator app, which Sony says can let you scan an object in 180 or 360 degrees in less than a minute to create a 3D model. For example, you can scan your face, add it to the body of an avatar, and share yourself as a dancing dinosaur on Facebook.
Or you can scan your dinner and send it to a 3D printer to immortalize your latest dining experience instead of just posting it to Instagram.
Sony will offer the phones in “white silver,” black, blue, and pink color options.
Here’s a run-down of some key specs for each model:
Sony Xperia XZ1
- 5.2 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixel HDR display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor
- 4GB RAM
- 64GB storage + microSD card slot (up to 256GB)
- 19MP Exmor RS rear camera with 960 fps video capture and 4K video recording support and 5-axis stabilization
- 13MP Exmor RS front-camera with 22mm wide angle lens
- IP68 water and dust resistance
- USB Type-C
- 2700 mAh battery with Qnovo adaptive charging and Quick Charge 3.0
- Fingerprint sensor on the power button (not available in all markets)
- LTE Cat16 with up to 1 Gbps download speeds
Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact
- 4.6 inch, 1280 x 720 pixel display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor
- 4GB RAM
- 64GB storage + microSD card slot (up to 256GB)
- 19MP Exmor RS rear camera with 960 fps video capture and 4K video recording support and 5-axis stabilization
- 8MP Exmor RS front-camera with 18mm wide angle lens
- IP68 water and dust resistance
- USB Type-C
- 2700 mAh battery with Qnovo adaptive charging and Quick Charge 3.0
- Fingerprint sensor on the power button (not available in all markets)
- LTE Cat15 with up to 800 Mbps download speeds
If you’d been following leaks and rumors about this phone, you might have seen pictures suggesting that the XZ1 would have a fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone rather than the power button. It looks like those rumors were wrong… which means that US customers may still not be able to use the fingerprint sensor on these phones.
According to The Verge, both phones are coming to America, with the Xperia XZ1 launching September 19th for $700 (unlocked), and the Xperia XZ1 Compact coming October 4th for $600.
Wish they’d undo their decision to dull down the Sony logo. Back in the Z1/Z2/Z3 era it was high contrast, and also on the back. Now it just says Xperia on the back, and both that logo and the Sony logo on the front are dim and hard to see. It’s like they’re ashamed of their own brand!
Hope the XZ1 Compact follows the example of its X Compact predecessor and sees significant discounting during the holidays.
It’s about time, near flagship specs and a 4.6in screen. Finally, I might be able to retire my Z3c.