14 DAY TRIAL // Unveiled a few days ago, Sony Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact are among those high-end smartphones that offer decent specs, so don’t expect any impressive stuff like QHD display or newest chipsets.
Instead, Sony thought it would be wise to continue to offer customers products that do not make any compromises. There’s no doubt that a QHD display on the Xperia Z3 would have sounded nice for the PR department, but that would have put more pressure on battery life.
This is why Sony has decided to go with a 5.2-inch FHD (1080p) IPS display that features TRILUMINOUS technology for the Xperia Z3. The smaller version, the Xperia Z3 Compact packs a smaller 4.6-inch HD (720p) IPS display.
They also come with 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processors inside, but the Xperia Z3 packs 3GB of RAM, while the Xperia Z3 Compact has 2GB. Both smartphones are waterproof thanks to the IP68 rating certification.
The same 20.7-megapixel camera with autofocus, LED flash and 4K video recording is included in both Xperia smartphones, so whichever you pick you should be able to take state-of-the-art pictures.
The only other difference would be the fact that Xperia Z3 is powered by a 3100 mAh non-removable battery, while the Xperia Z3 Compact features a slightly smaller 2600 mAh battery.
We had the pleasure to get some hands-on time with the Xperia Z3, so here are some of our impressions. First of all, the Xperia Z3 feels great in hand thanks to the slightly curved edges.
The previous flagship smartphones feature a rectangular form factor, but Sony decided to adopt a slightly different approach with the Xperia Z3. It’s also worth mentioning that the frame edges are made of metal-alloy, which gives it a more premium look. It’s very thin at 7.3mm and the back side is made of Japanese glass.
Moving on to Xperia Z3 Compact, the smartphone is smaller than the Xperia Z3, but thicker at 8.6mm. Unlike the Xperia Z3, which features rounded edges, this one has concave edges made of plastic. The back side is made of Japanese glass, but it’s lighter than the Xperia Z3 by a lot.
Performance-wise, we haven’t noticed anything unusual, so expect these Xperia high-end smartphones to run any game or app your throw at it.
Below you can check out some of the hands-on photos we have taken during our visit at IFA 2014, in Berlin, Germany. What do you think about Sony’s new Xperia Z3 flagship smartphone? Is it worth upgrading from the Xperia Z2?
