Six things you NEED to know about the Sony Xperia X Compact

Sony Xperia X Compact review: Hands on 

• October release date
• 23-megapixel triple-sensing camera
• 2,700mAh battery (that’s good for a small phone)
• Snapdragon 650 chipset
• 3GB RAM
• 4.6in 720p HD screen

Sony’s Compact smartphones have proved that big doesn’t always mean better – and the Sony Xperia X Compact will be no exception. How do I know this? I got to spend some quality time with it in London before its big Berlin launch at IFA 2016.

Suffice to say, I’m a big fan of this 4.6in phone. Why? Well, while its specifications don’t look like anything special, the Xperia X Compact over-delivers in the one area people really care about: battery life. While the 720p screen and mid-range Snapdragon 650 chip are unlikely to generate much excitement, the 2,700mAh battery suggests that battery life is still going to be a multi-day affair.

And that’s pretty much Sony’s entire play. The Xperia X Compact is a phone for people who don’t need or want the very best specs/features, but are happy to compromise a little in other areas to get a still-great smartphone that’s affordable, compact and long-lasting.

Screen

The 4.6in, 720p HD screen is a long way off rivalling the pixel density of the biggest, most pixel-packed flagships, but it’s more than enough. During my time with the Xperia X Compact, a fuzzy screen wasn’t something I noticed. Is there something wrong with my eyes? Or is 720p more than good enough for a 4.6in screen? I’m willing to bet my favourite chinos on it being the latter.

Battery and performance

The combination of a huge battery, a power-efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 chipset and a sensible 720p screen seems like the perfect blend. The mid-range processor doesn’t have to struggle with the demands of an ultra-high-resolution 2K or 4K screen, so everything from everyday apps to games should run without a stutter. The 3GB of RAM should also make its presence felt, too, and keep things slick and smooth in more demanding applications.

Sony’s engineers have been busily beavering away to add another nifty feature to the Xperia X Compact: Intelligent Battery Charging. This is a feature more commonly found on laptops, and it works by preventing your battery from spending too much time at 100%. Why? Because when the battery is kept at 100% for lengthy periods of time, it does a disproportionate amount of damage – it’s better to keep the battery at 90% most of the time, then add the extra 10% just before you disconnect it from the charger.
This new feature learns your charging cycle – for me this would be 11pm to 7am most nights – and adjusts accordingly. That means I can plug in my phone at 11pm, and the phone charges to 90% just like any other phone. Just before 7am, however, it tops up the final 10% ready for my trip to the coffee machine. Magic.

Design

Personally, I think smartphones are too big. So for me, the Xperia Compact is pretty much the perfect-sized phone. Got a tape measure handy? Then feel free to see how it compares to your current phone – the Xperia X Compact measures a dainty 129 x 65 x 9.5mm. Oh, and it weighs just 135g.

The shape and finish of the Xperia X Compact is the cherry on top – it’s gorgeous. And just like the Xperia XZ (which you can read about by clicking here), it has a flat top and bottom, meaning it can stand when rested on either edge. This probably isn’t the most useful of features, though. It simply looks very, very nice.

So far, so good. However, the new finish – “inspired by ceramic” – is an area where I think its predecessor has the edge. Greasy fingerprints will be an issue here.

The Xperia X Compact features three sets of physical buttons. The customary volume rocker and power button – which doubles as a fingerprint sensor – and also the dedicated camera button. All of which fall under the finger perfectly. It’s great.

Camera

As ever, Sony has really gone to town with the Xperia X’s camera. It’s matched the 23-megapixel triple-sensing camera found in the Xperia X and XZ, but done away with the laser autofocus and reduced the overall sensor size of its XZ teammate.

I took several snaps with the Compact in a light-filled room and the results were encouraging. It will be interesting to see how the camera performs in low-light situations, as Sony didn’t say too much about it in its presentation – it had plenty to say about the Xperia XZ’s low-light abilities, though. We’ll give it a thorough testing once it lands in Expert Reviews’ labs.

Verdict

If you don’t fancy shelling out for a full-priced flagship, your options are a mid-range device from one of the big manufacturers, or grabbing a bargain device from OnePlus or the Nexus ranges. Come October, though, and you’ll also be able to choose the Xperia X Compact. If prices are reasonable, and that camera is as good as Sony claims, this little smartphone could be a shoo-in for one of the best compact phones of 2016.