Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact review

Introduction

It's once again peak smartphone season and Sony is next to join the annual spring race. But while others do regular and plus-size models, Sony, as usual, is going towards the other end of the spectrum with the new Xperia XZ2 Compact.

You can tell a lot has changed for both the XZ series and the Compact lineup. The Infinity Loop design was retired for good, but Sony also waves goodbye to the analogue audio jack. There are some very welcome upgrades, though, which put the Xperia series in line with the current trends.

We mean a tall screen, not a notch, in case you were worried. The new taller screen increases the diagonal to 5 inches at the expense of bezels without a change to the pocket-friendly footprint. And for the first time in a Compact, the display resolution has been upgraded to 1080p.

Sony's 19MP Motion Eye camera is here to stay, but it has received a new multi-stacking noise reduction feature, a long overdue improvement. There is also 960fps slow motion in Full HD, which instantly diminished one of the Galaxy S9 key-selling features even before it goes on sale.

There are some old Xperia tricks, which are here to stay for better or worse. The camera on the back is still single, though this will probably be for the last time as Sony is said to be introducing its first dual-camera setup this Fall.

The lightweight Xperia UI is here to stay, lighter than ever, and the spirit of the compact beast lives on thanks to the unmatched processing power of the latest, as usual, Snapdragon 845 SoC.

Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact Specs

• Body: Aluminum frame, Polycarbonate back, Gorilla Glass 5 front; IP65/68 waterproof
• Screen: 5.0-inch, 18:9, FHD+ IPS LCD, HDR, 483 PPI
• Rear Camera: 19MP, 1/2.3" Sony IMX400 camera, f/2.0 lens, predictive hybrid laser/phase detection/contrast AF, burst AF, IR sensor for white balance, LED flash, dedicated hardware shutter key, BIONZ for mobile image-processing engine; ISO 12800
• Video Recording: 4K video recording @30fps, HDR video up to 4K, 1080p @60fps, 1080p @960fps, 720p @960fps, Steady Shot; Stereo audio recording; Predictive capture; ISO 4000
• Front Camera: 5MP, 1/5" Exmor RS for mobile, 23mm wide angle lens, 90-degree FOV, f/2.2; 1080p video
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Kryo 385 (8x custom Cortex-A75 @ up to 2.8GHz), Adreno 630GPU
• Memory: 4GB RAM, 64GB UFS + microSD (up to 400GB)
• OS: Android 8.0 Oreo
• Battery: 2870mAh; Quick Charge 3.0
• Connectivity: Hybrid dual SIM (4G), 4G VoLTE, 4CA LTE Cat.15, 4x4 MIMO, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/GLONASS, NFC, USB 3.1 Type-C
• Audio: High-res audio, DSEE HX, LDAC, Stereo speakers with S-Force surround, aptX HD audio
• Misc: Fingerprint sensor, 3D creator scan on back and front cameras, SDR to HDR up conversion

Just like Samsung, Sony also swapped the position of the fingerprint sensor. But while Samsung was busy finally getting it right, Sony was hard at work on finally making it work in all markets around the world, so USA fans rejoice!

It seems there wasn't enough space for the new vibration module that premiered on the bigger XZ2. At least everything else made it over.

Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact Unboxing

No matter where you get it, the Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact will ship within a basic paper box. The accessory bundle on the other hand will differ a lot depending on your local markets and retailer.

Our review unit came packed with a USB Type-C cable, an analogue jack adapter, and a QuickCharge enabled wall charger. Not all markets will be getting that bundled but most of the European countries will surely get one.

Also, our Compact came with a basic audio adapter, but Sony is probably going to include a more versatile Y-style splitter in the retail boxes on most markets so that users can charge and listen at the same time. Also, given the company's track record and ever-growing assortment of audio accessories, you can likely expect to find the Xperia XZ2 Compact bundled with a Sony MH750 in-ear headset on most markets.

So, if you are interested in getting this Compact, we'd advise checking with your local Sony stores and retailers for the actual in-box contents.