Sony Xperia Z3 Compact review: Not your usual suspect

12 September 2014
Of all the features that set smartphones apart, screen size is as close to a decider as they get. Counter to the trend of the last decade that saw cellphones become as small as technology allowed, the...

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  • fwM
  • 13 Sep 2014

darkraver, 13 Sep 2014S5mini? Kidding right? Anyways overall with that price a... morenot kidding i mean it ,at least in my country.

s5 mini price will be lower than Z3c price,samsung usually decreases the prices significantly after few months.

a lot of people want a good specification phone with pocket friendly size,s5 mini lies in this category.

in my country dual sim phones are common,the galaxy gear smart watch is desirable,some still uses the 3g video calling.

other things:

unlocking the phone by finger print is easier and faster.

IR remote control is a nice feature to have.

Heart rate monitor can be helpful for some people.

some people prefers super amoled over LCD screens.

the image quality of the 8 mp camera is better than the image quality of the 20 mp camera of the z3c.

    • S
    • Samy
    • fvU
    • 13 Sep 2014

    AnonD-63308, 13 Sep 2014Because they have to have something in the 'Disadvantages' ... moreDo you need a small phone or a small screen? The z3 compact sits in exactly the same shell as the z1 compact, while adding a bigger display. That's a win-win situation. It's still as small as the z1c, and even a bit thinner.

      Anonymous, 13 Sep 2014Great phone, but I think they really should change that camera.They should most definitely not cause the camera is better than those compared of S5 and alpha

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        • AnonD-46252
        • PTG
        • 13 Sep 2014

        AnonD-43136, 13 Sep 2014Just one question - has the z3 compact got stereo speakers? Yes ~

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          • Ankur
          • vGH
          • 13 Sep 2014

          The review states that the phone comes with Gorilla Glass 3-covered screen with a oleophobic coating. Can anyone reconfirm this?

          Further this also means Sony is no longer using that cheap anti-shatter proof film it used on Z1 Compact.

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            • AnonD-63308
            • IVN
            • 13 Sep 2014

            darkraver, 13 Sep 2014Ah, The same story as before with reviews from GSMA abou... moreI agree about the video test. GSMA video sample is not very helpful, because it sits still. Please start recording more realistic video samples, GSMA! Nobody puts their phone on a tripod to record videos!

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              • Anonymous
              • X{h
              • 13 Sep 2014

              Why has gsmarena not updated the Battery life tests section and added Z3 Compact to the list?

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • n63
                • 13 Sep 2014

                Great phone, but I think they really should change that camera.

                  advice, 13 Sep 2014s5 mini,galaxy alpha,iphone 6 are the greatest competitors ... moreS5mini? Kidding right?

                  Anyways overall with that price and quality, no competition...

                  Iphone6 and alpha might be slightly better in few things, although cant name the iphones advantages, but z3c is just better in most things..INCLUDING THE PRICE. ;-)

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                    • AnonD-43136
                    • 39x
                    • 13 Sep 2014

                    Just one question - has the z3 compact got stereo speakers?

                      • a
                      • advice
                      • fwM
                      • 13 Sep 2014

                      AnonD-204006, 13 Sep 2014The greatest competitor of Z3c is definitely Z1c...s5 mini,galaxy alpha,iphone 6 are the greatest competitors for the Z3C....

                        • a
                        • advice
                        • fwM
                        • 13 Sep 2014

                        sony should concentrate on improving the photo and video quality not just increasing the mega pixels,but despite not having the best camera the z3 compact is one of the best phones in the market.

                          And to round it all up:

                          at that price tag....
                          Z3c is a complete and utter winner of them all

                            AnonD-209094, 12 Sep 2014Not according to the vast majority of buyers. According to ... moreNope, with proper hardware and proper UI take like Sonys, Android is by far the best mobile OS. IOS doesnt even come close to android experience in top notch xperias, maybe only comparable in lagfree fluidity of use, but in features...IOS falls way,way behind

                              AnonD-37279, 13 Sep 2014hahahah so funny Sony A 5 MP camera has better performan... moreAh,

                              The same story as before with reviews from GSMA about photo and video
                              Especially the video...
                              Steadyshot and bitrate makes xperia videos look just better than any
                              And camera UI is above any other

                              Reviewer Should do video in movement test, and a photo blind test review to see what shooter people like more...

                                AnonD-5096, 13 Sep 2014Volume and audio quality = Average :-(What kind of conlusion is that!?!

                                It has excellent sound quality, better than any
                                Z1 is extra sound quality, this one even hifi stereo sound and beats any monospeaker and most stereospeakers out there...

                                Loudness is average which is more than enough for normal hearing people
                                Dont judge on loudness before you hear it yourself...

                                  AnonD-77443, 13 Sep 2014I'm getting a Note 4 but this is a great device and may be ... moreSony gave app to SD function in upgrades for some models recently...
                                  The review however didn t say anything about it in z3c....
                                  Would like the reviewer to add that information...yes or no?

                                    • D
                                    • AnonD-63308
                                    • IVN
                                    • 13 Sep 2014

                                    DamijanD, 13 Sep 2014You should remove "No 1080p screen resolution" as... moreBecause they have to have something in the 'Disadvantages' list lol. No 1080p is not a disadvantage. It's actually an advantage to me because it uses less processing and battery power. For this screen size, 1080p is only good for some noobs to boast to their friends.

                                    I also agree about screen toughness, but GSMA never test this thing. Need to wait for some rich bastards to do crash/scratch/drop tests on YouTube.

                                    The disadvantages of this phone to me is that it's still a bit big for a 'mini/compact' phone (4-4.3" would be better), and it doesn't have fingerprint sensor, but Sony is not a dirty copycat like Samesung, so... Yeah, you can't have everything, but almost.

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                                      • AnonD-37279
                                      • 3EV
                                      • 13 Sep 2014

                                      hahahah
                                      so funny Sony
                                      A 5 MP camera has better performance than your 20.7 MP camera
                                      really sony !!!

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                                        • lolol
                                        • JGg
                                        • 13 Sep 2014

                                        good people, 13 Sep 2014Ew i have compare between Sony XZ3C and SG Alpha in gsmaren... morelooks like you have serious eye problems.
                                        z3c is definetly better then alpha maybe even s5.