Sony has just announced two new models in the Xperia X series — Xperia XZ and Xperia X Compact. The company states that the Xperia XZ is the first flagship of the X series. (Sorry! The Xperia X Performance is not a flagship device.)
The Xperia XZ comes with a brand new loop surface design, which is kinda like the earlier Lumia phones. The phone is made of a trademarked material called ALKALEIDO (a.k.a rounded aluminum piece).
The device sports a 5.2-inch Full HD IPS display, which is slightly disappointed as most flagships now have a QHD display. Powering the device is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage, which is expandable via a MicroSD card up to 200GB.
One of the main highlights of the new Xperia XZ is its main 23MP camera with PDAF, laser auto-focus and RGB-IR sensor (for color sensing). However, it doesn’t have OIS, but Sony’s SteadyShot Intelligent Active Mode now uses 5-axis gyroscope measurements to stabilize pictures and videos.
For the first time, the camera now supports manual shutter speed and focus controls. The Xperia XZ also supports 4K video recording and 2x lossless zoom.
Like most Xperia flagships, the Xperia XZ is IP65/IP68 water and dust resistance. The device has a 2,900mAh battery without Quick Charge 3.0 (USB Type-C). The battery also supports Qnovo Adaptive Charging for prolonging its life cycle.
Xperia XZ will launch globally from October 2016, with three color options available — Forest Blue, Mineral Black and Platinum.
The Sony Xperia X Compact is a compact version of the original Xperia X. The device sports a 4.6-inch HD IPS display, which is similar to the Xperia Z5 Compact. Under the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 processor with 3GB RAM and 32GB expandable storage.
Like the Xperia XZ, the Xperia X Compact shares the same loop surface design. It also has the same camera technology as the Xperia XZ — 23MP camera with PDAF, laser auto-focus and RGB-IR sensor (for color sensing), SteadyShot Intelligent Active Mode with 5-axis gyroscope measurements to stabilize pictures and videos, and manual shutter speed and focus controls. The device doesn’t support 4K video recording, though. Selfie wise, the Xperia X Compact has a 5MP front camera instead of 13MP like the Xperia XZ.
The device also has an USB Type-C port and the 2,700mAh battery also supports Qnovo Adaptive Charging for prolonging its life cycle.
The Sony Xperia X Compact will launch globally from September 2016, with three color options available — Mist Blue, Universe Black and White.