Sony Xperia Z3 Compact Smartphone Review

A small smartphone David comes out to meet the phablet Goliaths.

Design

Sony wasn't kidding when it named its tiniest phone the Z3 Compact—it's virtually the same phone under the hood as the larger Xperia Z3. It's got the same processor, a similarly large battery (2,600mAh), the same camera sensor—even the same aesthetic design. This is fantastic news for anyone who wants a phone, but doesn't need a 5-inch screen. Smaller phones are rarer and rarer these days, and the Z3 Compact gives you everything a flagship should have in an unbelievably tiny casing. It's the extremely rare case of having your cake and eating it too.

It's the extremely rare case of having your cake and eating it too.

The Xperia Z3 Compact has the same glass body casing as its bigger brother, which can be a pain. Setting the phone on a flat desk seems to unlock its latent ability to be completely frictionless, and the phone will often slide right off if someone calls. If you can get beyond that (or buy a case), the phone is a delight to hold, as even small hands can easily cradle the device.

If you've ever lost a phone to the toilet or rainy day, take heart: The Z3 Compact can survive up to 30 minutes underwater, provided you don't take it swimming in saltwater often. Just be sure to keep the flaps that guard the sensitive microUSB, microSD, and SIM card slots are securely placed, and your phone can go just about anywhere.

 Much like its bigger brother the Z3, the Z3 Compact looks a little dated. From the strangely busy Sony Android skin to the largely featureless rectangle of the exterior, it's not clear why the Z3 looks so unfinished. It seems like Sony belongs in an episode of Hoarders—keeping everything it can from previous iterations of Android. It even retains the original Nexus S' live wallpaper among the default options. It definitely hits the nostalgia button, but after so many years it's a bit more of a mystery than a good thing. sony-xperia-z3-compact-review-tour-front.jpg sony-xperia-z3-compact-review-tour-back.jpg sony-xperia-z3-compact-review-tour-sides.jpg PreviousNext

In use

Once you get past how everything looks, many of Sony's additions start to make sense. For example, the endless amount of modules for the camera that unlocks items like 4 K shooting, augmented reality video modes, and others really make the most of the special hardware found on the Z 3 Compact. While this might not be the most polished device, it's very easy to overlook the rough edges when you consider the phone's abilities in comparison to the rest of the market.

For starters, that battery is crazy. At 2,600mAh, it's only a bit smaller than the cell in the iPhone 6 Plus. Considering the Z3 Compact is a much smaller phone, it's not hard to see that this is about as sane as using a chainsaw to cut butter. Idle drain is negligible, and the even when you lean on your phone heavily, the Z3 Compact powers through it. Against our initial expectations, it lasts even longer than the Xperia Z3, the previous battery life champ. On the side of the phone is a physical shutter release button that will open the default camera app when you press it. While it's a small touch usually reserved for Windows phones, it does turn the Z3 Compact into a true point and shoot that's incredibly simple to use. I found that the default camera app is preferable to Google's, though your mileage may vary if you prefer apps like Instagram or VSCO. This is not the device you want if you're going to be using your smartphone as a mobile media station. After a while, you'll begin to find all sorts of goodies and features once you've started exploring the system apps and Play Store. For gamers, 

The Remote Play feature for Sony's Playstation 4 allows you to use your phone as your primary display for your games. You can even clip a PS4 controller to the phone with an optional accessory. However, this is not the device you want if you are going to be using your mobile as a portable media station. The fact of the matter is: it's just too small to enjoy certain forms of media. For example, you'll be zooming in and out all the time on comic books, video will be super small (and near-unwatchable with 4:3 content), and eBooks will be scaled in very weird ways. PreviousNext sony-xperia-z3-compact-review-design-camera.jpg A 1/2.3" camera sensor is much bigger than the ones found on many other smartphones. sony-xperia-z3-compact-review-design-headphone-jack.jpg A beefy headphone jack 

Can take some punishment. sony-xperia-z3-compact-review-design-strap-lug.jpg Cellphone charms might be all the rage overseas, but you probably won't use this strap lug in the US. sony-xperia-z3-compact-review-design-handle.jpg If you loathe huge screens, the Z3 Compact will be a Godsend to you. sony-xperia-z3-compact-review-design-thing.jpg A microSD card slot allows you to increase your storage on your phone. sony-xperia-z3-compact-review-design-pocket.jpg The Z3 Compact is quite tiny, and easily fits in a pocket. sony-xperia-z3-compact-review-design-earpiece.jpg The earpiece effectively hides several sensors. PreviousNext