Sony Xperia Z1 Compact vs iPhone 5s and Moto X: specs comparison

27comments
Sony Xperia Z1 Compact vs iPhone 5s and Moto X: specs comparison
The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is finally here, and it’s the first Android smartphone to pack the latest and most powerful Snapdragon 800 system chip in a ‘mini’ sized form factor. While most current Android flagship hover around a large 5” screen size that is not perfectly convenient for single handed use, the Z1 Compact is able to shrink it down to 4.3 inches.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 system chip with a full-on 2GB RAM, however, is not the only highlight of the Xperia Z1 Compact. It also packs the same excellent 20.7-megapixel camera that the flagship Xperia Z1 had, and that’s great news.

You might still be wondering, though, whether there are downsides to making this phone this small?

There are a few trade-offs we ought to mention, but few of them will be real downsides. The first is the fact that the Xperia Z1 Compact is a hair thicker than the Z1 at 9.5mm. That’s more than the average, but this does not make the new ‘mini’ chubby by any means. Also, the smaller, 4.3” screen size dictated a lower resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels. That might seem like a downgrade from most 1080 x 1920-pixel flagships of today, but in reality the smaller screen justifies the lower resolution decision, and pixels look very sharp at 342ppi. The battery has also shrunk in size to fit the smaller chassis, and it’s now a 2300mAh unit on the Z1 Compact. Sony claims that the smaller screen consumes less power, and - even with a smaller juicer - it’s capable of delivering similar battery longevity.

For all other technical details, and how they compare against the Xperia Z1’s closest rivals - the similarly sized and specced iPhone 5s and Moto X - take a look at the table right below.

Sony Xperia Z1 Compact Motorola Moto X Apple iPhone 5s

Design

Dimensions
5.00 x 2.56 x 0.37 inches
127 x 64.9 x 9.5 mm
5.09 x 2.57 x 0.41 inches
129.3 x 65.3 x 10.4 mm
4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 inches
123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm
Weight
4.83 oz (137.0 g) 4.59 oz (130.0 g) 3.95 oz (112.0 g)
Materials
Back: Aluminum
Resistance
Water, Dust; IP58
Biometrics
Fingerprint (touch)
Keys
Right: Volume control, Camera shutter, Lock/Unlock key Right: Volume control, Lock/Unlock key Left: Volume control, Other
Colors
Black, Pink, Green, White Black, Brown, Green, Blue, Red, White Gold, Silver, Space gray

Display

Size
4.3-inch 4.7-inch 4.0-inch
Resolution
1280x720px, 342 PPI 1280x720px, 316 PPI 1136x640px, 326 PPI
Technology
IPS LCD AMOLED IPS LCD
Screen-to-body
61.72 % 70.63 % 60.82 %
Colors
16 777 216 16 777 216
Peak brightness
500 cd/m2 (nit)
Features
Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor

Hardware

System chip
Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro MSM8960 Apple A7 (28 nm)
Processor
Quad-core
2200 MHz
Krait 400
Dual-core
1700 MHz
Krait
Dual-core
1300 MHz
Cyclone
GPU
Adreno 330 Adreno 320 PowerVR G6430
RAM
2GB (LPDDR3) 2GB (LPDDR2) 1GB (LPDDR3)
Internal storage
16GB 16GB, available to use: 12 GB 64GB
Storage expansion
microSDXC up to 64 GB not expandable
OS
Android (5.1 Lollipop, 5.0 Lollipop, 4.4.4, 4.4.2, 4.3) Android (5.1 Lollipop, 4.4.4, 4.4.3, 4.4.2, 4.4, 4.3, 4.2.2) iOS (12.x, 11.x, 10.x, 9.x, 8.x, 7.x)

Battery

Capacity
2300 mAh 2200 mAh 1570 mAh
Type
Li - Ion

Camera

Rear
Single camera Single camera Single camera
Main camera
20.7 MP (Autofocus, BSI sensor)
Aperture size: F2.0
Focal length: 27 mm
Sensor size: 1/2.3"
10 MP (Autofocus)
Aperture size: F2.4
Focal length: 30 mm
Sensor size: 1/2.6"
Pixel size: 1.4 μm
8 MP (Sapphire crystal lens cover, Autofocus, BSI sensor)
Aperture size: F2.2
Focal length: 29 mm
Sensor size: 1/3"
Pixel size: 1.5 μm
Flash
LED LED Dual LED
Video recording
1920x1080 (Full HD)
HDR, Continuous autofocus, Video light, EIS
1920x1080 (Full HD) (60 fps) 1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (120 fps)
Time-lapse video, Picture-taking during video recording, EIS
Front
2 MP, Video capture: 1920x1080 (Full HD) 2 MP 1.2 MP, Video capture: 1280x720 (HD)

Connectivity & Features

Bluetooth
4.0 4.0, Yes 4.0
WLAN
802.11 a,b,g,n,ac,dual-band
Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct
802.11 a,b,g,n,ac,dual-band
Hotspot
802.11 a,b,g,n,dual-band
Hotspot
USB
microUSB, USB 2.0 microUSB, USB 2.0 Lightning
Hearing aid compatible
M3/T3 M4/T4
Location
GPS, A-GPS, Glonass GPS, A-GPS, S-GPS, Glonass GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning
Sensors
Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Thermometer, Barometer Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass
Other
NFC, ANT+, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync NFC, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync UMA (Wi-Fi Calling), Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync, AirDrop

Multimedia

Headphones
3.5mm jack 3.5mm jack 3.5mm jack
Speakers
Earpiece, Loudspeaker Earpiece, Loudspeaker Earpiece, Loudspeaker
Features
Album art cover, Background playback, Music recognition, Custom equalizer Album art cover, Background playback Album art cover, Background playback
Screen mirroring
DLNA,MHL,MirrorLink,TV-out TV-out
Radio
FM, Stereo, RDS
Additional microphone(s)
Noise cancellation, Video recording

Cellular

4G (FDD)
Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800 DD) Bands 13(700 c), 5(850), 4(AWS-1), 2(1900) Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 8(900), 13(700 c), 17(700 b), 18(800 Lower), 19(800 Upper), 20(800 DD), 25(1900+)
3G
Bands 5(850), 8(900), 4(1700/2100), 2(1900), 1(2100) Bands 5(850), 8(900), 4(1700/2100), 2(1900), 1(2100) Bands 5(850), 8(900), 4(1700/2100), 2(1900), 1(2100)
Data Speed
LTE Cat 4 (150/50 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS LTE, HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS LTE Cat 3 (100/50 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS
SIM type
Micro SIM Nano SIM Nano SIM

Phone Features

Notifications
Haptic feedback, Music ringtones (MP3), Polyphonic ringtones, Vibration, Flight mode, Silent mode, Speakerphone Haptic feedback, Music ringtones (MP3), Polyphonic ringtones, Vibration, Flight mode, Silent mode, Speakerphone
Other features
Voice dialing, Voice commands, Voice recording Voice dialing, Voice commands, Voice recording

Regulatory Approval

FCC approval
Date approved: Jan 25, 2014
FCC ID value: PY7PM-0640
Date approved: May 10, 2013
FCC ID value: IHDT56PA1
Date approved: Sep 20, 2013
FCC ID value: BCG-E2642A
Measured SAR
Head: 1.43 W/kg
Body: 1.00 W/kg
Simultaneous Transmission: 1.58 W/kg
Wireless Router: 0.96 W/kg
Head: 1.21 W/kg
Body: 0.65 W/kg
Simultaneous Transmission: 1.52 W/kg
Wireless Router: 1.08 W/kg
Head: 1.18 W/kg
Body: 1.18 W/kg
Simultaneous Transmission: 1.58 W/kg
Wireless Router: 1.20 W/kg

Buyers information

In The Box
Apple EarPods with Remote and Mic, Lightning to USB Cable, USB Power Adapter, Documentation

Availability

Officially announced
Jan 06, 2014 Aug 01, 2013 Sep 10, 2013

Get a Motorola Razr 2025 for just $199.99!

Switch to a 2-month Total 5G or 5G+ plan with Total Wireless and score this foldable deal.


We may earn a commission if you make a purchase

Check Out The Offer
Did you enjoy this article?
Еxplore more with a FREE members account.
  • Access members-only articles
  • Join community discussions
  • Share your own device reviews
  • Manage your newsletter choices
Register For Free
Loading Comments...

Latest Discussions

by Doug Fresh 123 • 3
by DomtheCuber • 4
by la19CSK • 5

Recommended Stories

FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless