Both smartphones will be available globally beginning this fall

Sep 3, 2014 17:13 GMT  ·  By

Sony Mobile has just unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z3, as well as its smaller sibling, the Xperia Z3 Compact. Both Android smartphones were previously rumored to be launched at IFA 2014 in early September, so neither comes as a surprise.

Even though the Xperia Z3 does not come with Qualcomm’s latest chipset, it does offer the highest waterproof rating (IP65/68), which means it’s water resistant over 1 meter and 30 minutes.

As expected, Sony Xperia Z3 sports a 5.2-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display that supports full HD (1080p) resolution and features shatter proof glass coating.

The second smartphone unveiled by Sony at IFA 2014, the Xperia Z3 Compact has the same high waterproof rating, but comes with a smaller 4.6-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display that supports HD (720p) resolution and features shatter proof glass coating.

On the inside, both smartphones have the same hardware configuration, which means they will be equipped with 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processors and Adreno 330 graphics processing units.

However, while the Xperia Z3 is packed with 3GB of RAM, the Compact version is armed with only 2GB of RAM, which is more than enough to run any application or game you might throw at it.

The Xperia Z3 also features either 16GB or 32GB of internal memory, but Xperia Z3 Compact comes only in a 16GB variant. Both smartphones offer users the option to further expand storage up to 128GB via microSD card slot.

When it comes to camera, it appears that Sony did not make too many improvements, as both smartphones are packed with impressive 20.7-megapixel rear-facing cameras that feature autofocus, LED flash and 4K video recording.

They also come with 2.2-megapixel front-facing cameras, which are good enough for selfies and video calls. The secondary camera can also capture full HD (1080p) videos.

Connectivity-wise, Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact offer a plethora of options, including LTE Cat 4 (150Mbps download), 3G HSPA (42Mbps), Bluetooth 4.0, NFC (Near Field Communication), Wi-Fi, microUSB and GPS with A-GPS support and GLONASS.

Sony Xperia Z3 is powered by a high-capacity 3100 mAh battery, which should provide up to 890 hours of standby time (740 hours in 3G mode) or up to 14 hours of talk time (16 hours in 3G mode).

On the other hand, the Xperia Z3 Compact drains energy from a slightly smaller 2600 mAh battery, which is rated by Sony for up to 880 hours of standby time (920 hours in 3G mode) or up to 12 hours of talk time (14 hours in 3G mode).

According to Sony, a dual-SIM version of Xperia Z3 will be available in select markets as well. Speaking of which, the Japanese handset maker has announced that its flagship smartphone will be available in black, white, copper and silver green beginning this fall, while the Xperia Z3 Compact should go on sale in white and black around the same timeframe.

Sony Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact (10 Images)

Sony Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact
Sony Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 CompactSony Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact
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