The phone offers support for AT&T's and T-Mobile's 4G LTE networks

Jul 9, 2014 11:15 GMT  ·  By

Xperia Z1 Compact, the smaller version of last year’s flagship handset from Sony Mobile, was released in the United States on July 8, and is now available via the company’s online store at $549.99 (€404), SIM-free, in Black, Pink and White.

The mobile phone, available on various markets around the world since the beginning of this year, can be grabbed from the handset vendor’s portal with support for AT&T’s and T-Mobile’s 4G LTE networks, which means that Sprint and Verizon users are left out of it for now.

Although the price tag for this smartphone might seem a bit high, its hardware specs certainly make it be worth every penny.

The phone comes with a 4.3-inch touchscreen TRILUMINOS display with X-Reality for mobile engine capable of delivering an HD (1280 x 720 pixels) resolution.

Moreover, it is powered by a 2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974) processor, paired with 2GB of RAM and Adreno 330 graphics.

Sony also released the Xperia Z1 Compact with 16GB of internal memory, complemented by a microSD memory card slot with support for up to 64GB of external storage.

Additionally, the mobile phone sports a 20.7-megapixel camera on the back, with Exmor RS for mobile image sensor, LED flash, 1/2.3'' sensor size, HDR, 8x digital optical zoom, and full HD video recording capabilities (though 4K video recording was ported to it a few months ago).

The handset also features a 2MP front camera with support for full HD video, which should prove a great option for those looking to make video calls while on the go.

The specifications list of Sony Xperia Z1 Compact also includes 4G LTE connectivity, 3G (HSDPA, 42 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.8 Mbps) capabilities, and the usual Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Bluetooth, and NFC. At the same time, the handset sports a built-in GPS receiver with A-GPS support and GLONASS.

Xperia Z1 Compact is powered by a Li-Ion 2300mAh battery that should be able to deliver up to 18 hours of talk time, or up to 600 hours of standby time.

The same as the Xperia Z1 before it, the smaller handset arrives on shelves with dust- and water-proof capabilities (it is IP55- and IP58-certified), while running under the Android 4.4 KitKat operating system.

The smartphone arrives on shelves with a series of exclusive features and applications coming from Sony itselfs, including 3D Surround Sound, SensMe, TrackID, WALKMAN, Smile Shutter, Sweep Panorama, Info-eye, access to the Sony Entertainment Network, and more.

Those of you interested in grabbing the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact in the US should head over to this page on Sony's online store.