The Sony Xperia Z1 was, and is still my favourite phone. So much so, I put my money where my mouth is and bought one after we gave away the review unit as part of a competition here late last year. You can see our review of the Xperia Z1 HERE. My only gripe with the Z1, and it kinda still is, is it’s size! I love everything about it, but it’s just a touch to big. When doing the review, there was rumours of a smaller Z1 with the same spec, but until recently they were that, rumours.
Now we know those rumours were talking about the Xperia Z1 Compact. As we’ve previously covered, the Z1 Compact shuns the trends of ‘mini’ flagships and opts to make Sonys current flagship, well, more compact. There are only 2 areas where the phone had to make a ‘compromise’, and I’m using that word very loosely. The screen is, obviously, smaller. It’s a 4.3inch IPS 720p screen. The other thing is the battery. Instead of 3000mAh, it’s not 2300mAh. BUT, in saying that, given that the screen is smaller, has fewer pixels to push and a more power efficient IPS panel, we’re seeing reports of the Z1 Compact easily outlasting it’s bigger brother and so much so has the best battery life of any phone in it’s segment!
SO, the question was, when will we be able to get this phone in Ireland. Well, thankfully, the answer is now! Until April 1st 2014, it’s exclusive to Meteor and eMobile and can also be got in Carphone Warehouses nationwide. It’s available from 19euro on bill pay and 459euro on Pay as You Go. If you ask me, that’s a pretty good price!
We hope to have our review up very very soon, but for the time being, here’s the full press release and if you’ve any questions, feel free to get in touch!
PRESS RELEASE:
Sony Mobile Communications (Sony Mobile) today announced the availability of the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact Android smartphone in Ireland, available exclusively with Meteor and eMobile until the 1st April.
Launched by Irish Rugby Union star Peter Stringer at the flagship eircom and Meteor store in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, the Xperia Z1 Compact offers the power and premium features of Sony’s flagship smartphone, Xperia Z1, packed into a stylish and durable waterproof form that fits neatly into your hand. It will be available in black and white from €19 on contract or €459.99 Pre Pay from Meteor and eMobile, through eMobile and Meteor stores, www.meteor.ie and the Carphone Warehouse following which, it will be available across all other Irish operators.
Xperia Z1 Compact is designed for those who want a ‘mini’ size without compromising on the flagship features including: Sony’s leading camera technologies “G Lens”, “Exmor RS for mobile” and “BIONZ for mobile”; a high quality 4.3 inch TRILUMINOS™ HD display and X-Reality™ for mobile; premium dust-resistant and waterproof2 (IP55/IP58) design; the fastest processor; and a wide range of ‘one-touch’ accessories.
Available in a range of vibrant colours including lime and pink, within a solid aluminium frame, this compact powerhouse is as beautiful as it is durable. For those wishing to escape from other operating systems – or just to ensure their content, apps and contacts are seamlessly moved to their new device – Xperia Transfer Mobile provides simple phone-to-phone synchronisation.
“Meteor is delighted to offer the new Xperia Z1 Compact as an exclusive to our customers until 1st April. It continues our long tradition of being first to market with the latest mobile technology ensuring that Meteor customers are always ahead of the curve. This cutting edge handset offers the full Sony experience in a more compact size,”
comments Garry Doyle, Retail Sales Director, eircom.
“I know eMobile and Meteor customers will be excited to be the first in Ireland to see the famous Sony capabilities in a compact smartphone, as well as leading screen and sound technology and a premium durable and waterproof design – everything the discerning smartphone user needs and wants today!”
Russell Keating, Sony Mobile added
“The Xperia Z1 Compact represents the latest technological innovations from Sony including the best in class camera, brightest and highest resolution screen and access to all the Sony content services. Using premium materials the Xperia Z1 Compact ensures it can be used in all conditions, even under water. We are very proud to launch this compact powerhouse in the Irish market with eircom.”
The world’s best camera in a compact smartphone
Xperia Z1 Compact sets a new standard in premium smartphones. It features Sony’s proven camera technologies to deliver the same level of performance and quality that you would find in a conventional compact digital camera – all in a beautifully crafted compact smartphone. The 20.7 megapixel camera phone is matched with 1/2.3-type CMOS image sensor Exmor RS for mobile, Sony’s award-winning G Lens and intelligent BIONZ™ for mobile image processing engine resulting in superb photo quality.
Thanks to this unique combination of technologies, you can capturebeautifully sharp and bright images even in low light conditions when a flash won’t do. High shutter speeds and 3x clear image zoom prevent shots from being blurred while allowing you to capture from a distance, so that you never miss the moment. Superior Auto helps you shoot perfectly, with intelligent scene recognition technology to capture incredible images in an instant with no complicated settings. And because it’s both waterproof and dust-resistant, this durable and versatile smartphone fits neatly into your life, so you can use it anytime, anywhere.
Unique social camera apps to enhance your camera experience
The Xperia Z1 Compact comes pre-loaded with a suite of innovative Xperia Camera Apps to take your photography experience to a new level:
- Timeshift burst: Captures an impressive 61 frames in just two seconds so you get the perfect shot first time, every time.
- Info-eye™: An innovative visual search using your camera to provide information on landmarks, books and wine amongst others.
- Social live: Broadcast your videos live via Facebook and get your friends’ comments right on your screen for the ultimate interactive sharing experience.
- AR effect: Have some creative fun with your pictures with SmartARTM augmented reality animations
In addition to these great pre-installed social camera apps, there’s a whole range of extra apps for you to enjoy including Wikitude Places, Evernote, VI Sports and more. Simply go into your camera viewfinder, turn on Superior Auto and then click on ‘+Apps’ to see all the latest apps to enhance your smartphone experience.
World’s best battery performance in a premium compact smartphone5
Xperia Z1 Compact offers ultra-fast performance and breathtaking graphics, thanks to the latest Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 800 processor with 2.2 GHz quad-core CPU and 4G LTE for amazing speed. The Xperia Z1 Compact also includes a 2300 mAh battery which provides outstanding, class-leading battery performance, despite its compact size.
Sony’s Battery STAMINA Mode helps you stay connected for longer, as it automatically turns off functions to save power when you don’t need them and restarts them when you do. So now you can leave the charger at home and never have to worry running out of power when you need it most – the Z1 Compact takes everyday demands in its stride.
Enjoy the best colour and sharpness
Built with Sony’s latest BRAVIA® TV technologies optimized for mobile, the Xperia Z1 Compact incorporates a 4.3” TRILUMINOS™ HD Display for mobile, for a wider palette of rich, natural colours. Sony’s exclusive X-Reality™ for mobile is an intelligent super resolution technology that finds and reproduces any lacking pixels, so you’ll always be able to enjoy the clearest and sharpest videos.
Sony’s media applications
Xperia Z1 Compact offers seamless access to both online and offline entertainment with these integrated Sony’s media apps:
- PlayMemories Online6 – a cloud-based image and video service that is integrated into the Album application. A new ‘All Sync’ feature enables users to instantly auto-upload all of their photos without storage limitation7.
- “WALKMAN” and Movies applications provide access to more than 22 million songs on the “WALKMAN” app through Music Unlimited8 and more than 150K movies and TV series on the Movies app through Video Unlimited8 from Sony Entertainment Network.
- TrackIDTM TV9– enhances your TV-viewing experience as it lets you search, share and explore information from broadcasted TV shows such as cast & crew, biographies, filmography or show related Tweets.
Can you check if the unit has flash bleed?
http://www.xperiablog.net/2014/02/04/xperia-z1-compact-owners-reporting-problems-with-flash-bleed/
Hey William,
As soon as we get a review unit (or I buy one myself) we’ll get check that for sure. Saw that report last night. It seems to be more the ‘Lime’ and the ‘Pink’ variants, but will run tests on any model / colour we can get our hands on!
Cheers. Was going to get one on o2 but it seems I have to wait another two months before I can
Looks that way. But might be worth checking with the Carphone Warehouse. I’ve read the release a few times about and kinda sorta reads like you’ll be able to get on any network from them, but only online / in store from meteor / eMobile!
Yeah I read it that way too as phone will probably be unlocked.
But I have 20%discount with o2 online to use and don’t have any with cpw. So will have to wait for o2 as I will be buying prepay.
will the z1 compact be available in all colours,
as the z1 compact doesn’t have a flash will it be possible to download a torch app?
Hey Martin,
As the press release states, it will be available in its various vibrant colours.
Also, don’t know where you read the Z1 Compact doesn’t have a flash, because it does. You can clearly see it in the photos above! The only ‘Z’ phone I’m aware of that doesn’t have a flash is the Xperia Z Ultra. But that’s more a phablet than a phone!
Hope that helps.
Tony