Sony has officially unveiled its latest Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact flagships earlier this week and both smartphones are now available for pre-orders in the United Kingdom and some other European countries. The larger Sony Xperia XZ1 costs £599 (roughly $775), while the smaller Xperia XZ1 Compact retails for £499 (about $645). Both handsets are currently available for pre-orders in the UK from Carphone Warehouse and they will start shipping later this month. The smartphones come SIM-free and unlocked, and will also work on GSM networks in the United States. To further sweeten the deal, Carphone Warehouse is also throwing in a free pair of Sony h.ear on 2 noise-canceling wireless Bluetooth headphones for customers who place an advanced order on either handset.
The Sony Xperia XZ1 and Xperia XZ1 Compact come as successors to last year’s Xperia XZ and Xperia XZ Compact, adding a number of notable upgrades. This time around, the Xperia XZ1 and Xperia XZ1 Compact share most core specifications, including the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of native storage space expandable via a microSD card, and a 2,700 mAh battery. Nevertheless, there are also some key differences between the two; the Xperia XZ1 has a 5.2-inch Full HD (1080p) display with HDR and boasts dual-SIM support, while the Xperia XZ1 Compact has a 4.6-inch HD (720p) screen and is a single-SIM device. Both smartphones have the same 19-megapixel main camera, but the Xperia XZ1 has a 13-megapixel front shooter, while the Xperia XZ1 Compact comes with an 8-megapixel wide-angle lens on its top bezel.
Both the Xperia ZX1 and the Xperia XZ1 Compact support 3D scanning and feature IP68 certification which guarantees water and dust resistance. The handsets also come with Gorilla Glass 5 protection to make their display panels more durable. The smartphones will launch with the latest Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box, boasting a slew of advanced software features and improvements over Android Nougat. The Xperia XZ1 comes in Black, Moonlit Blue, Warm Silver, and Venus Pink color options, while the Xperia XZ1 Compact is available in Black, Horizon Blue, Snow Silver, and Twilight Pink variants. The Xperia XZ1 will start shipping on September 22, while the Xperia XZ1 Compact will begin reaching customers one week later, on September 29.