IFA 2014: Sony Xperia Z3, Z3 Compact and Z3 Tablet Compact announced

Sony has just taken the wraps off its next flagship device, the Xperia Z3 and joining it is the Xperia Z3 Compact and Xperia Z3 Tablet compact. Let us take a look at what each of the device is offering:

Sony Xperia Z3

Sony Xperia Z3

The new flagship comes in just 6 months after the launch of the Xperia Z2. It comes with a slight upgrade under the hood over the last generation in the form of a 2.5 GHz quad core Snapdragon 801 processor, a 3GB RAM and an Adreno 330 GPU. It gets the same screen as the last one which is a 5.2 inch full HD unit. It sheds off 11 grams of weight over the last generation and loses 1mm of thickness as well.

It makes use of Sony DSEE HX audio technology for an enhanced audio experience and its build quality surely makes you look twice at it.

Sony Xperia Z3 Specifications

• 5.2-inch Triluminos display with Live Colour LED and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It is powered by the X-Reality engine.
• 2.5 GHz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, Adreno 330 GPU, 3GB RAM
• Android 4.4.4 KitKat
• 16GB of internal storage which can be expanded further by 128GB
• 20.7MP rear camera with Exmos RS sensor and a 2.2MP front facing camera. The rear camera supports 4K video recording while the front one supports full HD video recording.
• IP65/IP68 certified for water and dust proofing
• It tips the scales at 152 grams and its thickness stands at 7.3mm
• 4G LTE /3G HSPA+, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS with GLONASS, MHL 3.0 and NFC
• Black, white, green and copper colours
• 3100 mAh Battery with STAMINA mode which allows for usage for a longer duration

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

Xperia Z3 Compact

The successor to the Xperia Z1 compact packs in quite a punch for a device of its size. It gets a 4.6 inch 720p display which is an up from the 4.3 inch unit of the Xperia Z1 and gets a bigger battery too (2,600 mAh from 2,300 mAh). Sony has tried to keep the essence of making it a mini version of the flagship by carrying over almost everything in the hardware department.

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact Specifications

• 4.6 inch Triluminos display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels with the X-Reality engine powering it.
• 2.5 GHz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor
• Adreno 330 GPU
• 2GB RAM
• Android 4.4.4 KitKat
• 16GB of internal storage which can be expanded further by 128GB
• 20.7MP rear camera with Exmos RS sensor and a 2.2MP front facing camera. The rear camera supports 4K video recording while the front one supports full HD video recording.
• IP 65/68 certified for water and dust proofing
• Its thickness stands at 8.9mm and weighs 129 grams
• 4G LTE /3G HSPA+, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS with GLONASS, MHL 3.0 and NFC take charge of connectvity
• Black, white, green and orange colours
• 2600 mAh Battery with STAMINA mode

Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact

Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact

Sony likes to call its the “slimmest and lightest waterproof tablet” and it is basically a Sony Xperia Z3 packed into a tablet. It will be one of the better tablets when it goes on sale. The tablet will pose quite a lot of threat to the likes of the Nexus 9 and the next generation of iPad Mini. It has an 8 inch display with Contrast Enhancement. It comes with a matte rear finish and ditches the glass panels of the Xperia Z3 for it.

Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact Specifications

• 8-inch display, 1920 x 1200 pixels
• Android 4.4.4 KitKat
• 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, Adreno 330 GPU, 2GB RAM
• 16GB of internal storage which can be expanded further by 128GB
• 8.1MP rear camera and 2.1MP front camera
• IP 65/68 certified for water and dust proofing
• Its thickness stands at 6.4mm and weighs 270 grams. This weighs pretty less when compared to many and slim waistline makes it really easy to hold it.
• Black and white colours
• 4500 mAh Battery which provides upto 13 hours of video playback

The three devices will be launched in October globally and their pricing will be one of the key factors determining their success.

IFA 2014: Sony Xperia E3 and Xperia E3 dual announced with 4.5-inch screen

Sony has just launched the Xperia E3 and Xperia E3 dual at their IFA 2014 event. The E3 Dual as the name suggests is just the dual-SIM version of the regular Xperia E3.  The Xperia E3 will be a mid-range Android smartphone aimed at the likes of the new Moto G. It comes with 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor coupled with Adreno 305 GPU and 1GB of RAM. It brings LTE connectivity on a budget.

• 4.5-inch LCD display,  854 x 480 pixels, capacitive multitouch
• Android 4.4 KitKat
• 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, Adreno 305 GPU, 1GB RAM
• 4GB of internal storage, microSD card slot (up to 32GB)
• 5MP primary camera with autofocus and LED flash, VGA front-facing secondary camera
• dual SIM, 4G LTE, 3G HSPA+, Bluetooth v4.0, Wi-Fi, GPS with A-GPS and microUSB v2.0 port
• 2330 mAh battery, STAMINA Mode
• Colours: Black, White, Lime and Copper

It will succeed the Xperia E2 and will look towards bringing 4G LTE experience on a budget. Let us see how things pan out for it in the future.

Xperia Z Ultra, Z1, and Z1 Compact owners get KitKat updates

Sony announced that Android 4.4 KitKatupdates are out for its Xperia Z Ultra, Z1, and Z1 Compactsmartphones. Also, KitKat will grace owners of the Xperia Z, ZL,Tablet Z, and ZR in mid-May, while those owning the older Xperia T2Ultra, E1, and M2 are promised chocolatey goodness as well.

The current Android 4.4 updates offer aserving of KitKat's performance and UI tweaks along with Sony's ownworks on the platform. For example, the Status Bar and Quick Settingsmenus have been reworked to become clearer and more intuitive. Also,the new launch animation and live wallpaper have been borrowed fromthe Sony PlayStation 4 and will up the game for the home andlock-screens. 

Furthermore, Sony's native Android apps, such asMessaging, MyXperia, Smart Connect, Small apps, TrackID, TrackID TV,Sony Select, Smart Social Camera have received updates as well, whilethe Media apps (Walkman, Album, and Movies) are now integrated withSony Entertainment Network and PlayMemories. The update should bringa better UI and faster download speeds.

Finally, Sony's Xperia Themes withdownloadable UI packs from Sony Select will let you customize up to280 items from the Xperia Android interface in a variety of styles.

If you have received the update, feelfree to share your experience with it.

source: XperiaBlog via AndroidCentral

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Sony Xperia T2 Ultra might not be launched in the UK. Xperia M2 could land there in April

If you’re looking to buy a Sony Xperia T2 Ultra in the UK, you may not be able to find the device there anytime soon. British retailer Handtec received word from Sony to remove the SIM-free T2 Ultra from its online store, without getting any details on a possible availability in the future.

The Xperia T2 Ultra is not even listed on Sony Mobile UK’s website, so it doesn't look like it's in the company's plans for Great Britain. Even so, according to Carphone Warehouse, the new, extra-large 6-inch smartphone should be available to British customers sometime in April. Clove is another retailer that expects to have the T2 in stock starting next month, saying that this will cost around $500 (

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Counterclockwise: HTC HD2, Galaxy S4, Xperia Play

15 March, 2014 | Comments (20) | Post your comment

Tags: Misc

Welcome to this week's edition of Counterclockwise � our weekly article that looks back in time at what happened in the last few years. Updates are a big issue this week, but we'll also look back at a true legend and scratch our heads at Sony's failure to rule the Android game market.

Rumor has it...

Mid-March 2013 was a busy time � Samsung had decided to launch its Galaxy S4 flagship then and our news section from then is littered with leaks about the phone. There was even a full review up before the S4 went official the following day.

But before Samsung lifted the curtains, Phil Schiller (then SVP of marketing at Apple) took a few swipes at the Samsung flagship saying it will run "a year-old version of the operating system". He turned out to be wrong, Android 4.2 was the current version and that's what the Galaxy S4 came out with, but he did touch on the subject of OS updates which is still a hot issue for Android.

We'll be back to that in a minute as there are other interesting rumors from that week. Back then everyone was looking for a mysterious Motorola X Phone � a Google-sanctioned powerhouse. This one wasn't it, but it turned out to be the Moto X, which it's heralded as one of the best Android experiences out there all the while sidestepping the cult to specs.

Meanwhile, leaks suggested Nokia was planning to go back to aluminum bodies and xenon flashes with the Lumia 928. That proved to be partially false though � the Lumia 928 for Verizon did indeed have xenon, but it was the GSM Lumia 925 that had an aluminum frame (but no xenon).

Updates available

Updates are handled differently by the different platforms. Apple controls iOS with an iron fist and updates roll out on schedule, sometimes even ahead of schedule � in mid-March 2011, Apple released iOS 4.3 two days earlier than planned.

It doesn't always go smoothly even for Apple - a year later, Apple was on the next major version and was rolling out iOS 5.1. This update overwhelmed Apple's servers with demand initially, but eventually everyone got to download it.

Android is much more dependent on carriers and the multiple versions of the same device complicate things further. The start was simpler though, in March 2009 the first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1, was receiving Cupcake � the first major update.

It enabled an on-screen keyboard, which is what made the next phone in line, the HTC Magic, possible.

Three years later in 2012, phones were moving on to Android 4.0 � the Samsung Galaxy S II got it and HTC put out a long list of phones that will get it. Android 4.0 introduced Holo � the new look and feel of Android. The 4.x branch is still the current major version of Android but we've had four 0.1 updates since then.

It feels like things have accelerated for Android � the three Jelly Beans and now KitKat brought plenty of important updates.

Windows Phone has picked up even more speed. To put things in perspective, March 2012 was when we first heard of WP7.5. That branch was eventually discontinued in favor of Windows Phone 8, which is closing in on Android in terms of hardware support.

High resolution screens and fast chipsets are already available, while the upcoming WP8.1 update will add dual-SIM support too (very important for the entry-level where Windows Phone is the strongest). The 8.1 update is also supposed to bring an action center (notification area with toggles) and a digital virtual assistant (Cortana).

Surprisingly, Symbian was still getting updates in March 2013. The Nokia 808 PureView and 701 received a minor fix for telephony issues that some users were experiencing. The once king of smartphones was still alive just a year ago, but it's already fading from memory.

A legend is born

The HTC HD2 was unveiled in late 2009 and in March 2010 it arrived on T-Mobile USA. The carrier called it "Larger than life entertainment powerhouse" and back then it was. The HD2 followed in the footsteps of the Toshiba TG01 with a large 4.3" screen and fast 1GHz processor. It was also a very compact phone for its screen size.

The phone launched with Windows Mobile 6.5 but since the modding community took over, it has run Windows Phone 7, Android (there are KitKat ROMs available) and even Ubuntu (there were sweet triple-boot setups available too).

The community is still very active and someone ported the Nokia X software to the phone. There are even Jolla and Firefox OS ROMs too. At this point it's easier to list the OSes that aren't available for the HTC HD2. Just so we're clear, Windows RT would not be on that list.

Android, the game platform?

Sony has a long list of products that have become household names and PlayStation is one of the most famous. The company did make an attempt to translate this success to its new darling, Android. The Xperia Play was getting ready to launch in Spain back in 2011 and looking at the price tag we almost choked.

Price wasn�t the only reason the Xperia Play went the way of the Nokia N-Gage. The slide-out controller was nice, but the single-core, first-generation Snapdragon just wasn�t up to the task of 3D gaming. Dual-cores with newer Adrenos were coming out and Bluetooth controllers were already a thing.

When that didn�t work out, Sony tried doing PlayStation in software � any Xperia with enough oomph under the hood could run bespoke games. In 2012, Sony added the PlayStation store to its then flagship, the Xperia S.

Android is picking up as a game platform with several consoles, the most famous of which is the Ouya, but NVIDIA (the well-known GPU maker) has one too. Google might (might) be working on one too (the company bought controller-maker Green Throttle Games) and it's all happening without Sony.

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- reader commentsGoldenbllsI loved the Xperia Play, I had the white version. Playing games is just not the same on my current Xperia Z, I miss the game pad like hell. The on screen keyboard just isn't the same, I've bought games and just got over them quick just because the ...

Reply2014-03-16 13:0139xW...or better yet they should do what they have done with their old uiq phones they had where it had detachable keyboard but here instead they do that with controller

Reply2014-03-16 10:53390Lgtfour88HD2 is certainly legendary. Using it as second phone. Just flashed kitkat on it and running Xperia theme. Still scoring 2700+ on Antutu. Wish newer Sense version can be ported but I think it cannot go passed Sense 3.5 at the moment. Thinking about ne...

Reply2014-03-16 06:44bxbiRead all commentsPost your commentTotal reader comments: 20
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New images surface of the Sony Xperia T2 Ultra

We've seen a number of images showing off the Sony Xperia T2 Ultra. Today, we have some new images that show both a black Xperia T2 Ultra Dual (XM50h for China Unicom) and a white Xperia T2 Ultra (XM50t for China Mobile). Sony has toned down the specs to make this a more affordable phablet with a 6 inch screen and resolution of 720 x 1280. A quad-core 1.4GHz Snapdragon 400 powers the handset, which includes 1GB of RAM and 8GB of native storage. A microSD slot is available if more memory is required. A 13MP snapper is on back and a 3000mAh battery keeps the lights on. Android 4.3 is pre-installed. The color options are Sony's typical purple, white and black.

Earlier reports had the Sony Xperia T2 Ultra coming to the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe and China priced at

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First Sony Xperia T2 Ultra camera samples appear

With manufacturers shifting their focus to China, early access to upcoming products for locals is becoming more and more commonplace. The Sony Xperia T2 Ultra is case in point, as Chinese ePrice have managed to get their hands on two units of the new Sony phablet. After snapping a handful of photos of the two devices, our Chinese colleagues went out for the obligatory point-and-shoot stroll, and we've got you the results.
Before we get to those, lets have a quick recap on the hardware that made those possible. We've got a 13-megapixel shooter complete with an Exmor RS sensor for mobile, a combo that Sony boasted is "best-in-class". You can judge for yourself, but do keep in mind that what we have here are actually images snapped at 8.7-megapixels (3920x2204), likely the result of shooting in 16:9 aspect ratio (and not 4:3). While this is far from a final verdict, we'd say that the results are a mixed bag. Anyway, check them out.
First Sony Xperia T2 Ultra camera samples Fullscreen More popular slideshows

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Sony Xperia T2 Ultra headed to T-Mobile?

When Sony announced the Xperia T2 Ultra in January, it said that the handset would be available in markets like Asia and Africa. But it looks like the new giant Xperia will also be released in the US.

According to notorious leakster

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Sony Xperia Z2 has Sony's "best ever smartphone display", here's the technology behind it

This year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona saw the announcement of Sony's best smartphone to date, namely the Sony Xperia Z2. It is the successor to last year's Xperia Z1, and as such, the new flagship handset brings a number of improvements both in terms of hardware specifications and software features. Today, however, we'll focus our attention on just one of them in particular

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How to port the Xperia Z2 Smart call handling feature to the Z1 and Z1 Compact

Sony took its sweet time, but with the Xperia Z2 you are finally able to answer a call by just bringing the phone to your ear. The feature is enabled from the Smart call handling set on the Z2, and has been present on phones from other manufacturers for a while now...
Even though it's on the Z2, enterprising contributors over at XDA-Devs, have managed to port Smart call handling to the Xperia Z1, and Z1 Compact. Needless to say, your device needs to be rooted first, and recovery installed, which is pretty straightforward. Still, if you don't know what these actions are, better lay off the porting for now. Here's what you need to do: 
1. Download the Intelli_sign zip file, and flash it to your device in recovery mode2. Download the Gesture.2.apk file, sideload it, and install3. Start the Gesture app, enable the Smart call handling feature, and start answering calls by just raising the phone to your ear
source: RyokoN (XDA-Devs) Share: Discuss13 Tweet

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Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet hands-on: A remarkably slim, light and powerful 10.1-inch Android slate

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If you’re in the market for a 10-inch Android tablet, your options are fairly limited. Samsung has a wealth of slates to choose from, but if you dislike TouchWiz and feel the Nexus 10 is starting to show its age, there’s one device that’s always been worth considering: Sony’s Xperia Tablet Z.

Tablets are still in high demand, so it’s no surprise that Sony came back to Mobile World Congress this year with a follow-up called the Xperia Z2 Tablet. It doesn’t look too different from its precursor, but the changes inside make this full-size Android slate an altogether different beast.

Sony goes skinny

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Xperia Z1S a lifeline as Sony treads water in US

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Hands On With The Xperia Z1S, And The Water Salad Test

Next StoryIntel’s Vision: Wearables Everywhere In A Post-Windows WorldFacebookTwitterLinkedInXperia Z1S Water Resistance Test

The Z1S is a brand new Sony Xperia smartphone the company unveiled at CES 2014. It has the same 5-inch screen as the Z1, but it’s fatter and heavier because of its 3,000 mAh extended battery.

All of which is fine, but the only real test that matters is how the water resistant phone deals with submersion. So for our hands on, we set up an informal TechCrunch CES 2014 Gadget Lab with a very scientific salad, and some research water.

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CES 2014: Sony Xperia Z1 Compact crams in flagship power with a lower price

Sony Xperia Z1 Compact crams in flagship power with a lower price | News | TechRadar --> Mobile version2014-01-07T10:40:00ZMagsNewsletterRSS FeedsFollow @TechradarA Future Site ▼ TechRadarmobile-phonesSearch the siteSearch term:Log inJoinLog outHomeReviewsVideosPhonesTabletsCamerasComponentsComputingCar TechNewsDealsBundlesSave on broadband TrendingCES 2014PlayStation 4iPad AiriPad mini 2Nexus 5Windows 8.1Xbox OneThe Tip OffHomeNews by technologySony Xperia Z1 Compact crams in flagship power with a lower priceSony Xperia Z1 Compact crams in flagship power with a lower priceCES 2014 Compact in name, not natureBy John McCann 7th Jan 2014 | 01:00Comments TweetOh, and it also comes in four colors!Related storiesSony Xperia Z1 Compact vs HTC One Mini vs Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini vs iPhone 5CArchos 45 Helium and 50 Helium 4G lift off with stock Jelly BeanAlcatel One Touch Idol X+ arrives with eight cores of power

Step aside HTC One Mini and Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is here... and it's got a spec sheet which will blow your tiny circuit boards.

Following in the footsteps of other cut-down flagships, Sony has mustered up the Xperia Z1 Compact, but as well as borrowing the name from the Japanese firm's high-end handset it also sports several other key elements.

For starters there's the same 2.2GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 4G support and microSD slot that'll you find in the Sony Xperia Z1.

Read our hands on: Sony Xperia Z1 Compact review

The screen is, unsurprisingly, smaller at 4.3 inches and the full HD resolution of the Z1 has been downgraded to 1280 x 720 on the Xperia Z1 Compact.

Camera credentials

There's more good news round the back of the handset, as nestled into the rear cover of the Xperia Z1 Compact is Sony's impressive 20.7MP camera with G Lens - consider its Samsung and HTC rivals don't get over 8MP (plus they're both dual-core), and you can see the spec-gulf widening..

As seems to be tradition with Sony's smartphone these days the Xperia Z1 Compact is also dust-resistant and waterproof, plus there's a dedicated shutter button on the side and the almost obligatory ability to use the touchscreen whilst wearing gloves.

The sticking point for the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact could be its price, as it's unlikely to be as cheap as the One Mini or S4 Mini - but we'll have to wait and see on that one.

Sony has confirmed that the Xperia Z1 Compact release date is set for February and the handset will be available globally.

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Hands-on review: CES 2014: Sony Xperia Z1 Compact

Hands on: Sony Xperia Z1 Compact review | Phone Reviews | TechRadar --> Mobile version2014-01-07T10:40:00ZMagsNewsletterRSS FeedsFollow @TechradarA Future Site ▼ TechRadarmobile-phonesSearch the siteSearch term:Log inJoinLog outHomeReviewsVideosPhonesTabletsCamerasComponentsComputingCar TechNewsDealsBundlesSave on broadband TrendingCES 2014PlayStation 4iPad AiriPad mini 2Nexus 5Windows 8.1Xbox OneThe Tip OffHomeReviewsPhonesMobile phonesHands on: Sony Xperia Z1 Compact review TweetHands on: Sony Xperia Z1 Compact reviewHands OnSpecificationsBest PricesComments Hands on: Sony Xperia Z1 Compact reviewForGreat innardsVibrant screenAgainstHeftier designMore expensive than 'mini' phones Hands on: Sony Xperia Z1 Compact review Is the solution to the Z1 conundrum to make it smaller? By Gareth Beavis 7th Jan 2014 | 01:000 Comments

Sony might be late to the 'mini phone' party, but it might have just taken the lead with this impressive phone.

The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is an odd phone for a number of reasons - but not many of them negative.

For starters, this isn't a handset that's meant to be based on the larger model but been stripped of functionality - with the Z1 Compact, there's pretty much the exact same internal make up as seen on the Sony Xperia Z1.

Consider that for a moment: that means you're getting the 20.7MP G Lens sensor, a Snapdragon 800 quad-core chipset, the same metallic surround and all the waterproofing you could want.

Well, provided you don't want to plummet to a depth of over a metre, and for no longer than 30 minutes, of course.

On top of that the same Bravia and TriLuminos technology has been wedged into the screen, which has been upgraded to include the same in plane switching (IPS) LCD technology as seen on the Sony Xperia Z Ultra.

This is a massive move, as anyone who's played with the Z1 and original Z will have noted that the screen can look washed out even when viewed head on, and even worse when you tilt the phone. As a result colours look amazing on the Z1 Compact, making it a real upgrade over its bigger brother in this respect.

Of course, there is that pesky notion of physics to deal with, meaning that the smaller phone will have to have a tinier screen - although it's still an iPhone-busting 4.3-inches on offer. It's sadly been dropped to 720p, which means a PPI of 340.... again, higher than that seen on the iPhone 5S.

It begins to bring the question of how Apple can charge so much for its flagship phone to the fore once more - while there isn't a final Sony Xperia Z1 Compact price, it's going to be up to three tiers below the iPhone 5S with arguably superior technology on board.

It's not as well designed as Apple's offering, or even the HTC One Mini, as although the metallic chassis is back from the Xperia Z1 (and feels better in the hand, as the compact dimensions of the Z1 Compact make it fit much more nicely in the hand) it still has an element of chunk about it, as the rounded metal gives the impression of higher heft.

It's not a terrible thing, and I like it more than the larger variant. The screen sharpness isn't a problem either - anyone that can tell the difference in the resolution when using the phones generally has eyes that should be certainly donated to science.

One of the other big changes is to introduce colour to the party, with the Z1 compact available in white, black, pink and yellow. The hue is embraced throughout the design, and is even pushed into the metal itself, making it feel much more premium than if you just shoved a third party cover on the top to create the same effect.

The battery may cause some problems again, despite Sony's cries of its excellent Stamina mode –the Xperia Z1 was all that long-lasting despite having one of the best chipsets on the market, and with a battery reduction to 2300mAh some users might experience battery drain a little ahead of what they might expect.

That's not really a fair assumption to make at this point though, as with Android 4.2 on board (yet to be confirmed for final release) things could have been tweaked and optimised a-plenty and therefore working a lot better even with a reduced power pack.

Beyond that, there's not very much that's different with the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, as it works in precisely the same way as the Z1, which means the speed under the finger is insanely good, the web browsing is beyond what I'd have expected and the music service, with the Music Unlimited offering built right in, is something that should be more lauded than it is.

And as I mentioned, video really looks killer on the Z1 Compact thanks to that improved screen - I've become used to using the larger screened phones so everything seems a little more squashed down, but considering that the main target of the Xperia Z1 Compact is going to be the upgrader from an iPhone or another handset from two years ago, the screen size won't be that much of a miss.

You can tell Sony is looking to make its name as a the leader in changing over from one phone to another, as it's introducing the Sony Xperia Transfer Mobile - a service that will allow you to connect to another phone and in an instant see all your contacts, messages, calendar entries and media, and switching them across to your new handset.

This will be possible even with the iPhone, and while I've heard several murmurs of other manufacturers interested in the same thing, it looks like Sony has made the jump first.

The most impressive part of Xperia Transfer Mobile is that it will scan your old Android or iPhone and work out which apps are on there - and will match it to the current catalogue to allow you to port over.

This will be in the form of a list of links, but is really only useful to iPhone defectors, as if you've properly backed up your Android phone then Google will auto-download your apps anyway.

Early verdict

I've seen the rise of the mini phone die and then become reborn again - what's interesting is that three years ago Sony Ericsson was really making waves in this area, with the likes of the Ray showing that a decent smartphone didn't need to cost the Earth, so it's odd to see that the company took so long to get back into this arena again.

But with very few compromises to talk about, there's definitely a different vibe going on here - the Compact isn't a Mini, if that makes any sense. Sony didn't want to go down the route of the Xperia Z1 Mini as that confers the notion that this phone is a diluted version of the original.

While it's not fair to say that, it's still very close to something like the HTC One Mini, which is only marked as different to this handset thanks to only having a dual-core set up.

But with the range of colours, the larger amount of technology and the fact it's waterproof, Sony may have entered the 'compact phone' market just at the right time - to the point where I'd worry about anyone wanting the Z1 any more.

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