Smartphones Sony Xperia XZ1, XZ1 Compact and XZ1 Dual - advantages and disadvantages

The Sony Xperia XZ1 has updated specs to help it compete with other premium phones. Certain performance features have been carried over from the still fresh XZ Premium phone. And if the 5-5-inch XZ Premium seemed a little bulky, then this smartphone may well be exactly the right option.

With this model, Sony has taken a good step forward. Users will note the more comfortable handling of the 5.2-inch frame, the updated Snapdragon chipset and the excellent MotionEye camera. The Sony Xperia XZ1 is a smartphone of choice for music lovers and gamers alike. Camera technology is also one of the best tools for capturing memorable moments. In this article, we will also consider other options for the 2017 Xperia Sony XZ1 phone models XZ1 Compact and XZ1 Dual. Many users are lost when choosing a smartphone and track the rating of high-quality smartphones among both budget and premium series.

Basic equipment Sony Xperia XZ1

In recent years, the design of Sony smartphones has come close to a certain characteristic pattern. Undoubtedly, there have been some changes in the materials used, be it metal or glass, while finer details are often revisited. Nevertheless, if we compare models of flagship Sony Mobile devices over the past few years, we can see a clear similarity between them.

We note right away that the parameters of the Sony Xperia XZ1 and Sony Xperia XZ1 Dual have the only difference - the presence of a separate slot for a memory card, so it makes no sense to describe the Dual option separately.

Display and multimedia

The Sony Xperia XZ1 has an excellent 5.2-inch IPS screen with a Full HD LCD display with a resolution of 424 PPI. Glass Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and plus an oleophobic coating. That is why the screen is protected as much as possible and gives an excellent image without drops and creases in the picture.

At first glance, it is not much different from the display of last year's Xperia XZ model. The diagonal remained the same and the screen resolution did not change. Full HD visual effects keep your images and videos beautiful and sharp. The Trilumino display has HDR10 and Multi-touch support.

Of course, it's not as clear cut as the visuals produced by Quad HD competitors, or of course the 4K panel found on the XZ Premium. That said, the 1920×1080 pixel resolution is great for watching movies on the go, offering high levels of detail paired with reliable brightness levels.

Ease of use

The Xperia XZ1 is yet another subtle evolution, though the basic template remains the same. Yes, all the same short frames around the display, and they significantly increase the overall volume of the smartphone. Still, while not cutting edge designs like the Galaxy S8 and Note 8, users still love the range because Sony phones are so unique.

Compared to the XZ Premium, this new phone is definitely much better suited for one-handed use thanks to its smaller size. However, it was still the final design of the Premium outline rather than the boxy design of the Xperia XZ.

Sony's Xperia XZ1 offers nice curved edges that definitely feel better in the palm of your hand and feel nice and comfortable to hold in your hand. The Sony Xperia XZ1 phone is a great flagship phone, sort of a hybrid of last year's Xperia XZ and the ultra-powerful XZ Premium.

Camera

The rear camera on the Xperia XZ1 protrudes slightly from the surface, one of the design changes - fewer lines than before. This smartphone will give you a great multimedia experience on the go. It is also worth noting the technological settings of the camera - the lens captures beautiful photos and helps to make great home videos.

It comes with a 19-megapixel rear camera with features such as intelligent phase detection and laser autofocus adjustment, equipped with LED flash, face/smile detection, panorama shooting and HDR.

Hardware platform and software

Sony, when launching its flagships, both budget and premium models, always uses the most up-to-date software in the “stuffing” and the Sony Xperia XZ1 model is no exception. Snapdragon 835 shell, 64 GB internal memory and 4 GB RAM, expandable memory up to 256 GB via MicroSD, NFC, USB 3.1, Bluetooth with AptX and more. Maybe not the maximum set, but very sufficient.

In operation, the smartphone is fast, there are not even the slightest delays. Sony's proprietary shell works great and the latest Android 8.0 operating system also plays a role here.

Memory

The smartphone is equipped with 4 GB of RAM and built-in internal storage of 64 GB. It is possible to expand up to 256 GB (micro-Sd card).

Expandable microSD, up to 256 GB (uses SIM 2 slot) - Dual SIM model only

Battery

The Sony Xperia XZ1 smartphone is equipped with a 2700 mAh battery, which is average for power under heavy use.

Case materials and buttons

The phone shows body dimensions of 129 x 64 x 9.3 mm, so it has a light weight - only 140 grams. This model traditionally has a metal back panel and glass in front. The body colors have been updated and also differ from previous releases of the metalwork.

The panel is matte smooth, smooth transition to the side faces with plastic end caps. The shape, as before, is rectangular, but the smartphone is very convenient to use.There is no discomfort from the shape and the phone does not slip in the hand.

There are no complaints about the location of the physical keys, there is an update - there is a small key above the on / off button to adjust the volume.

The fingerprint scanner is combined with the unlock button and the whole structure is pressed into the side face. In order for the scanner to react, you must first press the unlock button. Usually, the system immediately recognizes the fingerprint.

The smartphone supports additional features such as active noise cancellation with a dedicated microphone, fast battery charging (Quick Charge 3.0), certified IP68 - dust / water resistance over 1.5 meters and 30 minutes.

Protection against moisture and dust

Currently, most of the flagship mobile phones have full protection against moisture and ingress of both dust and liquid. Ratings of quality phones show that such models can be dropped in the bath or used if necessary during a downpour. This smartphone is no exception. The IP68 rating means it can be soaked for about 30 minutes in a meter and a half of water. Although it looks like Sony has improved the display's sensitivity more when this phone is wet. If in conventional smartphones even a slightly wet screen is mostly unusable, since it captures all touches on the glass, which are not really there. And the Xperia XZ1 phone works fine, and even with the display covered with water. It's amazing.

Of the shortcomings noted by users of the Sony Xperia XZ, it stood out that the phone scratches very easily. This metal cap looked pretty worn after only a couple of weeks. Luckily, this device, the XZ1 model, seems a lot more solid.On the plus side, the Xperia XZ1 has a sleeker body and is no longer a massive evolution of previous models when it comes to design, although the solid unibody body looks wonderful and is completely water resistant. On the downside, while the company adds a different look to all Sony phones, those short bezels seem a bit old-fashioned these days.

• The Sony Xperia XZ1 does not have an FM radio;
• No Java
• No wireless charging;
• Battery medium;
• The design is outdated;
• There is no temperature sensor.

• The Sony Xperia XZ1 comes with the latest Android OS, v8.0 (Oreo);
• It supports hybrid dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by);
• The performance is very smooth, no lag;
• Supports almost all connections such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB, 3G, 4G, NFC;
• Supports sensors such as fingerprint (side mounted), accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, barometer, compass, color spectrum;
• Build quality is excellent;
• Big and loud stereo speakers;
• Camera 19 MP.

Available colors to choose from

• Black;
• Warm silver;
• Color Venus Pink;
• Moonlit Blue color.

Simplified Compact model - an alternative solution

Current models include about thirty phones in the company today. The latest trends in Sony Xperia smartphone updates include a gradual reduction in body size and thinner bezels around the display. And those screens that were previously considered too bulky and inconvenient today are already compact. But still, not everyone prefers large phone models.

Sony recently launched an excellent model of the Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact smartphone on the market, which is more affordable and can be a great alternative to the quality stuffing XZ1. The Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact delivers top performance in a relatively small package.

Camera

This smartphone is equipped with a high-quality 19 MP main camera with LED flash. In addition, the camera has an EIS (gyroscope) and there is a laser detection of autofocus. Among the additional features of the camera, it is worth highlighting geo-tagging, touch focus, face / smile detection, there is also panoramic shooting and HDR. Thanks to such camera characteristics, the Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact smartphone produces amazing high-quality photos as a result. Video recording is possible in 4K format. Equipped with a superb 8MP front camera.

Features of photo and video shooting

The manufacturer equipped the Xperia XZ1 cameras with a special sensor and built-in memory. This will allow you to shoot video at a frame rate of 960fps. And this is a very high level - not all professional cameras can shoot at such a frame rate, and competitors among phone manufacturers did not even dream of it at all. Official thematic videos also look impressive.

Normal shooting, as before, everything is perfectly coordinated.

With each new release, the updated Sony models shoot even better than the previous ones. Shooting with the camera of the device in natural light gives a pretty good result, but if you look closely at the frames separately, then the color accuracy and focusing may raise some questions.

Screen

This smartphone is IP68 certified, which means it is dust and moisture resistant.Under water at a depth of more than 1.5 meters can safely stay for 30 minutes.

The touch screen in this model has a color resolution of 16 megapixels, a display diagonal of 4.6 inches. This is perfect for games, and for watching videos and movies, and just for viewing information in web browsing.

The phone offers a multi-touch feature. Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protects the display.

Software and Performance

The Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact includes the latest Android 8.0 (Oreo) operating system, is equipped with a fast processor and performs remarkably well in performance tests. There are no hiccups in the operation of the smartphone.

Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact, albeit a simplified model, is also a flagship. So inside it has almost the same software "stuffing" as more premium models - an 8-core processor, like in the XZ1 - Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and performance is provided by 4 GB of RAM. Of the differences - the amount of internal memory has been reduced twice - 32 GB instead of 64. Otherwise, the same AC Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC.

Of course, it is difficult to load such a smartphone so that it can tense up. When testing, performance and responsiveness are maximized. Overheating was not observed.

Memory

The Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact comes with good expandable storage via the microSD slot, up to 256GB. There is a built-in memory of 32 GB, and support for 4 GB of RAM, which again has a positive effect on multitasking.

The smartphone is equipped with a single SIM card (Nano-SIM) or there is a variant of this model Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual standby).

The Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Dual SIM is also known as the Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Dual with dual SIM slots.This model represents such sound signals as Vibration, MP3, WAV ringtones. The Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Dual is equipped with a loudspeaker and good stereo speakers. The phone has a 3.5mm jack, 24bit/192kHz audio, and has excellent active noise cancellation with a dedicated microphone.

Communication options

Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact provides WLAN communication such as Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, dual band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot, Bluetooth 5.0 connections, A2DP, aptX HD, LE, technology GPS, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS and includes NFC function.

The smartphone offers an HTML5 browser, as well as built-in fast battery charging (Quick Charge 3.0) and a quality Xvid / MP4 / H.265 player.

In the pre-installed programs, an MP3 / eAAC + / WAV / Flac player stands out, as well as a document viewer and an excellent photo and video editor.

Audio settings

Nice to distinguish this model of stereo speakers, as in the past in previous Xperia flagships. Not very loud, but watching videos with these speakers is still more pleasant. The audibility of music in the headphones is excellent, the sound is of high quality, on a par with popular flagships.

Regarding telephone conversations, there are no complaints about the sound - a good volume reserve. Audibility in the speakers also does not cause any particular problems. The vibrating alert is average, it will not always be felt.

Offline work

Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact is equipped with a non-removable Li-Ion battery with a capacity of only 2700 mAh. However, it does not have any particular difficulties with battery life. When testing a smartphone, he showed an average indicator of work per day - an actively working display of 6-7 hours.

• Housing materials;
• OS Android 8.0 (Oreo);
• stereo speakers;
• Autonomous battery operation;
• Enough RAM;
• Clear and bright display;
• The phone's screen has fairly large viewing angles;
• Fast response of the fingerprint scanner;
• fast charging;
• Excellent LED flash;
• Great shots even in low light
• Interesting features in customizable camera modes;
• Slow motion;
• This model offers access to almost all connections such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, USB, 3G, 4G and NFC.

• Old design;
• Minor software errors;
• The light sensor is poorly adjusted;
• Cold display;
• Less built-in memory.

Summarizing

Sony Xperia XZ1 can be considered a kind of "cosmetic" update. The manufacturer is moving in the right direction - correcting outdated shortcomings of past models, while adding new exclusive features, but these changes are definitely slowly being implemented. The price may indeed seem slightly overpriced, although in reality the cost of the XZ1 is at the average level.

It gives the impression of a good and practical gadget. Nevertheless, it loses out among competitive models in terms of design, and you can find a more convenient smartphone. Lovers of simplicity and angular shapes should like this model.

The color reproduction of the IPS-matrix is ​​​​at a high level. The only thing that Sony has observed is that the display is too cold. The smartphone has the ability to configure three color profiles - "Professional" and more saturated "Standard" and Super-vivid mode.

As a smaller analogue of the flagship, the XZ1 Compact turned out quite well. And despite the angular body, lower screen resolution and single SIM, the phone shows excellent performance results and is stable.