The Sony Z5 Compact – it's like a Sony Flagship phone, only smaller. The lil' brother of Sony's new flagship, the camera-focused handset was on display this evening at IFA in Berlin, and we got our grubby paws all over the thing.
Not surprisingly, it's a solid little thing, all glass and metal. Sony's mastered premium build quality some time ago, and the Z5 is a nice mix of glass backing and metal frame that's all the rage among phone makers.
Though it's worth noting that the 4.6-inch phone did feel a little chunky, but perhaps we're just more accustomed to phone makers stretching their legs a bit with a larger, thinner phone design. Sony also still insists on those sharp corners, which you don't really want to catch yourself on.
Still, there's a lot to be said for the company's continued commitment to important aspects like robust battery life and waterproof casing – and the solid chunky design leads one to believe that the handset could probably survive an accidental drop or two.
Kudos to the side power button – it's one of those why-the-heck-not design decisions that many users will likely find themselves preferring – and now it's got a built in fingerprint reader.
The key, of course, is the camera. As advertised, it autofocuses plenty quickly, though we'd like to have had the opportunity to put it through a few more paces. Soon, hopefully.
