Sony's pocket-friendly Xperia Compact could be making a return this year

[Humza]

Rumor mill: According to tipster Steve Hemmerstoffer over on Voice, Sony is reviving the Xperia Compact series with an upcoming 5.5-inch model, filling the gap for small-sized Android smartphones that's been around for a couple of years now. There's little known in terms of specs, some of which are noticeable in renders and reveal a minor design update over 2018's Xperia XZ2 Compact.

Sony was among the last Android OEMs to discontinue small-sized smartphones in a market normalized these days by 6.0-inch+ devices. However, it now looks like the company is reviving the Xperia Compact series following the release of the iPhone 12 Mini.

Although Apple's decision to drop the in-box charger with its latest iPhones ignited a controversial trend for the industry, Android users will likely be more welcoming towards pocketable smartphones making a return, given that this category hasn't been attended to properly for quite some time.

One upcoming candidate would appear to be Sony's 5.5-inch Xperia Compact, which according to renders posted on Voice, is a bit larger overall than the iPhone 12 Mini - 140 x 68.9 x 8.9mm vs 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.4mm - and bears the same signature boxy design we've been seeing since the original Xperia Z from 2013.

Unlike a few of its predecessors that packed flagship specs in a smaller footprint, this upcoming model will reportedly be a mid-tier device featuring an 8MP selfie shooter in the teardrop notch and a dual-camera system with a 13MP primary lens on the back. It'll also have Sony's usual ergonomic touches like a dedicated camera button, a fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button, and a 3.5mm jack, which recently returned on the high-end Xperia 1 II.

Although a mid-spec pocketable Android won't be able to compete with the iPhone 12 Mini in terms of performance, it remains to be seen if Sony's pricing and Android experience for the Xperia Compact can help it succeed in the sub-6-inch market that's barely seen any new Android entries other than the Google Pixel 4a and a few budget Nokias. Here's hoping that more Android OEMs cater to this nearly deserted category.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/88393-sony-pocket-friendly-xperia-compact-could-making-return.html

 

[Vulcanproject]

Being mid tier probably won't work. The loyal followers of Sony's compact line expect high end specs.

The main USP of the XZ2, XZ1 and the Z compact forebears were the fact they had the same high end chipsets as bigger more expensive rivals. The biggest punch in the smallest package.

I personally owned many of those phones. They were great. Probably walk past a mid tier chipset model though.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Being mid tier probably won't work. The loyal followers of Sony's compact line expect high end specs.

The main USP of the XZ2, XZ1 and the Z compact forebears were the fact they had the same high end chipsets as bigger more expensive rivals. The biggest punch in the smallest package.

I personally owned many of those phones. They were great. Probably walk past a mid tier chipset model though.

I always wanted one years ago. Still kinda do, I like small phones.

I dont NEED high end specs. My moto z play with a now nearly 5 year old snapdragon 625 runs android just fine. Unless you are playing the latest 3d games we reached the point of good enough years ago. Slowness today is usually due to terrible UIs.

What the compact would need isntead of high end specs is another selling point: battery life. Demand for higher battery life is strong, and catering to it has benefited both apple and motorola. If Sony puts in a larger battery and makes the device thicker to allow it, ala the OG Z compact, that would likely be a hit. Oh, and sony needs to ADVERTISE it FFS. Nobody in america even knows sony makes phones.

 

[mrvco]

I'll be curious to see how this compares to the Xperia 5 ii. As interesting as the 5 ii is to me, $949 is still way too much considering Sony's half-hearted interest in the US market and a phone with no official carrier support.

 

[nismo91]

Let's face it. anything that came out from sony mobile isn't going to remotely rival iphone mini. samsung could probably stand a chance if they make a successor to S10e - without the compromise. I would probably get the S10e if they offer 256gb version and it came with on-screen fingerprint scanner like the S10 and S10+ variants. couldn't care less about the display resolution and telephoto camera.

edit: it seems that 256GB is available on certain regions. what a shame.