Sony Xperia Z3 Compact Philippines Price and Release Date Guesstimate, Full Specs, Key Features

The follow-up to the widely successful - and my personal favorite - Sony Xperia Z1 Compact powerhouse, 2014 Sony Xperia Z3 Compact represents the very best of the legendary Japanese company's smartphone business to date in a small but incredible package.

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

True to its name, Sony Xperia Z3 Compact is more like a condensed version of the bigger Sony Xperia Z3 co-flagship, flaunting the same key strengths and unique features sans the larger display. For whereas the regular variant comes with massive 5.2 inch Full HD Triluminos IPS panel, the Compact only has 4.6 inch HD screen with the same display technology.

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

Their innards are also practically similar except for the amount of RAM. The two handsets are powered by a Quad Core 2.5 GHz Krait 400 and Adreno 330 GPU based Qualcomm MSM8974AC Snapdragon 801 chipset (just like that of Samsung Galaxy S5) and have 16 GB of internal storage that you can easily beef up using the microSD card slot supporting up to 128 GB. But while Sony Xperia Z3 has 3 GB of RAM, the Compact version only has 2 GB.

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

Users will enjoy the same OmniBalance design identity highlighted by scratch-resistant tempered glass front and back panels 'sandwiching' a svelte tough translucent plastic frame (mimicking the look of aluminum on the larger Sony Xperia Z3) with rounded sides and corners, the IP68 water-proof certification for preventing water ingress when submerged 1 meter deep for 30 minutes, and the 20.7 MegaPixel autofocus camera module replete with LED flash, 1/2.3” ExmorRS mobile sensor, BIONZ mobile processing engine, and the new 25mm wide-angle G Lens.

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

According to Sony, "The 1/2.3” ExmorRS for mobile sensor and BIONZ for mobile processing engine work together to give you photos and videos in sharp and vivid detail. Plus, you can fit more into every shot with the new 25mm wide-angle Sony G Lens. If you’re capturing a photo of a stunning sunset, take advantage of the world’s first ISO 12800 sensitivity in a smartphone for better detail, even in low light. Shooting a video? Sony’s new and improved SteadyShot technology with Intelligent Active Mode compensates for your movements, analysing dozens of backwards and forward frames, to predict your next steps and make panning smoother and images more stable."

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
Sony Xperia Z3 Compact in Mandarin Orange (Photos by Rozetked of Up-House)

So why is Sony employing this new strategy of offering flagship level features and specs in two packages with different sizes? Well, quoting Mr. Kunimasa Suzuki - President and CEO of Sony Mobile Communication, “At Sony Mobile, ‘flagship’ now means offering a choice to consumers of enjoying a large screen Xperia Z3 for immersive entertainment or a more compact, lighter Xperia Z3 Compact that doesn’t ask you to compromise on features. Consumers demand and deserve greatness from their smartphone – in design, camera and battery life. That’s precisely what we aim to deliver with Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact, at the same time as delivering leading innovations such as unique Sony camera experiences and, for the first time, PS4 Remote Play (which allows you to pair the phone with the PlayStation 4 and use Compact's screen in playing games instead of opening your TV) in two beautifully designed, fully waterproof smartphones.”

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact the right flagship for you? I think that if you're not keen on carrying a handset with a large footprint like the regular Sony Xperia Z3 but you want the same top-notch design, construction, water-proof build, imaging capabilities, and internal hardware, then Compact should be perfect for you. I know a lot of 'power users who don't really like their phones to have a display bigger than 5 inches as it can be a hassle to hold and use with one hand or to keep in their jeans' front pocket; I would say this version is made specifically for them.

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

When is it arriving in the Philippines and how much will it sell for locally? As of today, we've yet to hear word from Sony Mobile Philippines regarding Sony Xperia Z3 Compact's availability in the country. But I was informed, though, by a trusted source it's definitely landing here within Q4 2014. I'm guessing we should start seeing it in store shelves in Pinas within the second or third week of October with suggested retail price in the range of Php 26,000 to Php 27,500 or roughly the same as that of Sony Xperia Z1 Compact upon launch earlier this year.

Update as of October 14, 2014 - Sony Xperia Z3 Compact has just been formally announced in the Philippines via an exclusive media event held at Century City Mall in Makati City. The official SRP of the handset is Php 30,990 and it should store shelves nationwide within the last week of October 2014.

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specs Table (TSTST)
Name Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
Type Slate Form Factor (Full Touchscreen)
Price Category Upper Midrange (Flagship Level)
Dimensions127.3 x 64.9 x 8.6 mm
Weight 129 grams
Available Colors Black, White, Green, Mandarin Orange
Operating System Android 4.4.4 KitKat skinned by Sony's Xperia UI
Display 4.6 inches (~319 ppi pixel density), 720 x 1280 pixels, Triluminos, IPS LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, X-Reality for mobile – Sony’s intelligent super resolution technology which analyzes each image and optimizes the quality to deliver super sharp videos, Shatter-proof and scratch-resistant glass,
Processor Quad Core 2.5 GHz Krait 400 CPU, Adreno 330 GPU, Qualcomm MSM8974AC Snapdragon 801 chipset
RAM 2 GB RAM
Internal Storage 16 GB, expandable via microSD card slot, supports up to 128 GB
Camera Main: 20.7 MegaPixels, autofocus, LED flash, BSI Sensor, 1/2.3'' sensor size, 25mm wide-angle G Lens, ISO 12800 sensitivity
Features: Geo-tagging, Touch Focus, Face Detection, Image Stabilization, HDR, Panorama
Front: 2.2 MegaPixels, BSI Sensor
Video Capture 2160p 30 frames per second, 1080p @ 60fps, 720p @ 120fps frames per second for main camera, video stabilization, Full HD 1080p for front camera
Audio and Video Playback MP4, H.263, H.264, MP3, eAAC+, WAV, Flac player
Ports microUSB v2.0, TV-out (via MHL A/V link), 3.5 mm audio jack
Connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP, ANT+, EDR, 3G HSDPA, 42 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.8 Mbps; LTE, Cat4, 50 Mbps UL, 150 Mbps DL
GPS Yes, with GLONASS and A-GPS
Sensors Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity, Gyroscope
Network 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, 3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100, 4G Network LTE800 / 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 / 2600
SIM Card Type microSIM
Battery Non-removable Li-Ion 2,600 mAh battery
Uptime Up to 920 Hours of Standby, 110 hours of Music Play, 14 Hours of Talk Time
Value-Added Features Triluminos Display with Live Colour LED and X-Reality, X-Reality for mobile, PS4 Remote Play, S-Force Front Surround, Top-notch Imaging Capabilities, IP65 and IP68 Certified Dust and Water-Resistant
Announcement September 3, 2014 - IFA 2014 in Berlin
Philippines: October 14, 2014 at Century City Mall in Makati City
Availability TP Guesstimate: October 2014
Price TP Guesstimate: Php 26,000 to Php 27,500
Official: Php 30,990