Sony unveiled its latest flagships at the MWC 2018 and the Xperia XZ2 Compact packs high-end specs all around, but it also cuts some corners in terms of features.
Design-wise, the latest Xperia XZ2 smartphones mark great improvements over their predecessors, finally ditching the large bezels for a sleeker and taller display. The Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact share the same design language with slim bezels and an 18:9 aspect ratio, and share most of the core specifications as well.
As the name itself suggests, the Xperia XZ2 Compact comes with a smaller form factor, designed for those who want a high-end smartphone with flagship specs, but without the increasingly larger screens most flagships sport.
Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact Specs
While the larger Xperia XZ2 sports a 5.7-inch display, the Xperia XZ2 Compact has a smaller 5-inch screen with a full HD+ resolution of 2,160 x 1,440 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio, like most recent flagships.
Under the hood, the Xperia XZ2 comes with largely the same specifications as its larger brother, packing a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and 4 GB of RAM. The handset comes with 64 GB of native storage space, a microSD card slot for expandable storage, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, and IP65/IP68 certification for dust and water resistance.
No Headphone Jack
Like the Xperia XZ2 and other recent flagship smartphones, the smaller Xperia XZ2 Compact also does away with the 3.5 mm headphone jack. Users will either have to opt for wireless headphones or get USB Type-C ones. Alternately, an adapter could also make regular headphones with a 3.5 mm jack work with the USB Type-C port.
The Xperia XZ2 Compact comes with the same 19-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front shooter as the Xperia XZ2, sporting neat features. The rear camera can capture 4K HDR footage, full HD slow-motion video, and more. Below the rear camera, the smartphone features a fingerprint scanner for extra security.
The smartphone's HDR display, meanwhile, can transform regular SDR videos into HDR ones with richer colors. As expected, the Xperia XZ2 Compact has a smaller 2,870 mAh battery, compared to the Xperia XZ2's 3,180 mAh unit.
Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact Compromises
While the Xperia XZ2 Compact shares many specs with its bigger brother, it also cuts some corners and will not deliver all of the features of the Xperia XZ2. For instance, the Xperia XZ2's new Dynamic Vibration System is not available on the Xperia XZ2 Compact, and neither is wireless charging.
At the same time, while the Xperia XZ2 sports a metal and glass construction, the Xperia XZ2 comes with a polycarbonate rear casing and a metal frame.
"A firm favourite in the Xperia flagship line-up, the premium compact smartphone takes on even greater things with XZ2 Compact," boasts Sony. "It delivers big screen entertainment in the palm of your hand with its 5" HDR Full HD+ extended display, making it the world's most compact 5" smartphone. With its large screen and powerful stereo speakers it's designed to be the ultimate compact entertainment device."
The Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact will become available this spring in four color options: Black, White Silver, Coral Pink, and Moss Green. Sony will announce pricing and availability details at a later date.
