Anybody on the lookout for a decently priced phone that doesn’t skimp on border on the phablet category, Sony’s Xperia X Compact is one of the best options on the market. The newest entrant to the sub-5 inch space of the Android world is a real stunner for a number of reasons, and customers in the UK can now find out why for themselves. The phone is available with or without a plan from Carphone Warehouse, giffgaff, and Mobiles.co.uk, and available directly from O2 and EE. Three UK is notably absent for the moment, as is Tesco Mobile. SIM-free pricing sits at £359.99, or about $478. This is essentially in line with the slightly higher pricing for the Xperia X and the premium pricing on the Xperia X Performance.
While some may argue that the Xperia X Compact is a dumbed-down entry in the Xperia series, it only lacks the power for some of the more advanced operations that a large segment of the market will not engage in. Only slightly hamstrung, the Xperia X Compact sports a decent-for-its-size 720 x 1280 screen measuring 4.8 inches diagonally, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 and 3GB of RAM underneath. Sony’s signature 23-megapixel high-end camera is along for the ride, with a 5-megapixel selfie snapper sitting up front. The whole show is kept chugging along by a fast charge capable 2,700mAh battery, which boasts pretty decent life, thanks to the somewhat meager spec sheet. 32GB of internal storage should be more than enough for most users, when paired up with the phone’s MicroSD slot.
The UK is one of the first markets that the phone has found itself in, with no definite timeline for a release elsewhere at the moment. With the phone being live in the UK, however, it shouldn’t be too long before other markets see it; Sony’s Xperia series typically uses fairly stripped-back software that won’t require much carrier customization to add in all the requisite bloatware. Carriers in some areas, such as the US, may be a bit leery of Sony after the Xperia Z series’ lower popularity, but customers in markets where their carrier doesn’t bite can always grab the unlocked version of the phone.