Sony XperiaZ3 Compact

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OmniBalance with a twist

The Sony Xperia Z3 Compact is the mini variant of the Xperia Z3

Features Sony’s OmniBalance design, and adds rounded translucent plastic

edges

The back panel is made of toughened glass, while durable corners safeguard it

from drops

IP65/68 certified for dust- and water-resistance, can be submerged in up to

1.5 metres of water for 30 minutes

DE

SIG

N

Decent display, but fails to dazzle

Features a 4.6-inch display, making it ideal for one-handed use

720p resolution results in a pixel density of 319ppi

Features Sony’s X-Reality mobile engine and a Super Vivid Mode

The display is smooth and responsive, and supports a Glove Mode

Brightness and sharpness are on the lower side, but viewing angles

are good

DIS

PLA

Y

Snap to your heart’s content

Features a 20.7MP primary camera with an Exmor RS sensor, and a 2.2MP front shooterRear camera can shoot 4K videos and supports ISO 12,800Several new camera modes such as AR Fun, Multi Camera, Face In and Live on YouTubeCamera resolution has to be toned down to 8MP to use the Scene and HDR modes

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Takes excellent daylight shots

Dedicated camera shutter key is useful, and enables taking underwater snapsPrimary camera takes excellent daylight shots, although colours appear slightly toned down when transferred to a PCLow light photos are grainy, while night shots tend to display light leaksFront camera is fixed focus but can take a good selfie

Low Light

Sunlight

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ME

RA

Same ol’ Sony

The Z3 Compact runs

Android 4.4 KitKat

with Sony’s custom UI

on top

Features the usual

additions, such as a

custom lockscreen,

widgets, a quick

settings tab alongside

the notification bar,

and slide-out tab in the

app drawer

Small Apps is

accessible via the

Recents key and lets

you open small floating

windows of select apps

US

ER

INT

ER

FAC

E

Tons of pre-loaded apps

Simple Home changes

the homescreen to an

easy to use layout

Several pre-loaded

third-party apps,

including AVG Antivirus, OfficeSuite, NeoReader, Kobo, Evernote and LINEAlso a ton of Sony’s

own apps, like Sony

Select, PartyShare,

Socialife, TrackID,

Lifelog, Sony Music,

Sony LIV and LIV

Sports, to name a few

US

ER

INT

ER

FAC

E

A zippy little performer

Handling performance is a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor,

paired with 2GB of RAM and an Adreno 330 GPU

Races through both day-to-day and intensive tasks, with no lags or freezes

A beast for gaming, although the small screen can hamper the experience

Out of the 16GB of onboard storage, a tad over 11GB is user available

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Hello, two-day battery life

A 2,600mAh battery

fuels the device

Battery life is excellent,

lasting well over a day

for regular use

Lasted 10 hours and

45 minutes in our

video loop battery drain

test

Sony’s STAMINA mode

and Ultra STAMINA

mode are on call to

extend usage

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AN

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At a glance…

4.6-inch, 1,280 x 720 pixels (319ppi)2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processorAdreno 330 GPU2GB RAM16GB in-built storage with microSD slot20.7MP primary camera with flash, 2.2MP front cameraAndroid 4.4.42,600mAh batteryWi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, USB OTG, NFC, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA

Pros and Cons

Great build, classy looksCapable daily driverImpressive battery lifeGreat pair of cameras

Underwhelming displayToo many pre-loaded appsSteep pricing

Pricing & Verdict

Price: Rs 44,990

“The Xperia Z3 Compact is already being hailed as an “iPhone 6 killer”, thanks to its similar proportions. It’s a truly powerful device, scoring on almost every aspect barring the slightly underwhelming display. Our only concern is its steep pricing, which might ward off potential buyers. If you don’t mind shelling out the big bucks though, the Z3 Compact is an excellent choice.”