Sony has made the right move with the launch of a compact version of its flagship Xperia Z1.

The compact version was received with positive reviews. The Sony Xperia Z1 was launched in September 2013 while Xperia Z1 Compact was released in January 2014. Users who plan to buy either a Sony Xperia Z1 Compact or an Xperia Z1 handset, here are the specification and price comparison for these devices in Australia:

Display And Size

Sony Xperia Z1 Compact and Xperia Z1 are strikingly similar on many ways, but their screens set them apart. Sony Xperia Z1 comes with a comparatively bigger screen size of 5 inches while the Compact version has a display of 4.3 inches. The bigger Z1's screen is a triluminos LCD capable of displaying more natural colors relative to traditional LCD panels whereas theh Compact version uses IPS technology for its screen. The images displayed in both Z1s appear sharper and richer. The resolution of Z1 Compact is 720 x 1,280 pixels with a pixel density of 342 ppi whereas the bigger Z1 has a screen resolution of much higher 1,080 x 1,920 pixels with a pixel density of 441 ppi. Both the phones offer light and proximity sensor.

Xperia Z1 has a thickness of 0.33 inches when compared to Xperia Z1 Compact with 0.37 inches. The Compact version weighs 137 grams, which is much lesser than the bigger counterpart Xperia Z1, which weighs a whopping 170 grams. Also, both phones are water- and dust-resistant (IP58 certified).

Hardware, Software And Storage

Both Xperia Z1 and the Compact versions are powered by a quadcore, 2200 MHz, Krait 400 processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset) with 2 GB RAM. Unlike Samsung's Mini version, Sony's Compact version did not cut down on the processor specification. One of the few differences between these two devices is that Xperia Z1 Compact ships with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean out of the box, whereas the Xperia Z1 comes with Android 4.2.2. But both phones can be expected to get Android 4.4 KitKat in the near future. Both phones sport 16 GB of internal storage housing a microSD slot which is expandable up to 64 GB.

Camera

Both Xperia Z1 Compact and Z1 house a 20.7 MP rear-facing camera (LED flash) with an aperture size of F2.0. Both phones have 2 MP front-facing camera. The notable features of both cameras include digital image stabilization, panorama, HDR mode, touch to focus, face and smile detection, geo tagging and self-timer option. Hence, there is no compromise in the camera specification between the two devices. Xperia Z1 series capture superior images both in broad-daylight and in low-light conditions when compared to many of their rivals.

Battery

This is where the Compact model gets a drop in specification from its larger version. Sony Xperia Z1 has a better battery of 3000 mAh, while the Compact version houses a relatively lesser 2300 mAh battery unit. Z1 Compact gives 10 hours of talktime while Xperia Z1 gives 13.83 hours of talktime. Even with a comparatively lesser battery unit, Sony Xperia Z1 Compact can last for about 18 hours of 3G talktime while the bigger Z1 can only last up to 15 hours of 3G talktime. But when it comes to standby time, the bigger Xperia Z1 wins hands down with 35 days of standby time on 3G network while the Compact version provides 25 days of 3G standby time.

Sim

Both phones support single micro-sim.

Color

Sony Xperia Z1 comes in three shades: white, black and purple whereas Xperia Z1 Compact comes in black, white, pink and lime green shades.

Connectivity

Both phones support Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n 5GHz, TV-Out, USB charging and NFC.

Price

Sony Xperia Z1 is priced at around AU$549.95 while Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is priced at around AU$539.95 in Australia.