Sony’s just released two new phones and they’re both rather impressive. There’s the flagship Xperia Z3 and the smaller Xperia Z3 Compact, but size isn’t the only difference between them.
There are also differences in design, power, battery life, price and more besides. So if you’re trying to choose between them or just wondering exactly what the differences are we’ve got you covered. Read on for all the details.
The Sony Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact share a similar design. Both have the rectangular and symmetrical OmniBalance design that is shared by so many Sony smartphones and both have tempered glass panels on the front and back.
The main difference is that while the Xperia Z3 has a metal frame, the Xperia Z3 Compact’s is plastic. But it’s not just any plastic, it’s a translucent plastic which creates an effect that Sony describes as ‘liquid reflection’. That means about as much as ‘OmniBalance’, ‘Bravia’ or indeed ‘Xperia’, which is to say not a lot at all, but there’s no denying that it looks good and unique.
Arguably it leads to a design which is not quite as high end as the Xperia Z3, but it’s certainly more eye-catching. The weight and dimensions are obviously different too, with the Sony Xperia Z3 coming in at 146 x 72 x 7.3mm and 152g, while the Xperia Z3 Compact is 127.3 x 64.9 x 8.6mm and 129g. So the Z3 Compact is shorter, narrower and lighter, but not as thin as the standard Xperia Z3.
There are also minor differences in the colours the two phones come in. The Xperia Z3 is available in white, black, green or copper, while the Xperia Z3 Compact comes in white, black, green or orange.
One area which is the same on both is their IP65/68 certification, which means they’re both exceedingly water and dust resistant.
The Sony Xperia Z3 has a 5.2 inch 1080 x 1920 IPS LCD display with a pixel density of 424 pixels per inch, while the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact has a 4.6 inch 720 x 1280 IPS LCD display with a pixel density of 319 pixels per inch.
So the Xperia Z3 has a bigger, higher resolution screen which is also sharper thanks to its higher pixel density. But that extra size means it’s not quite as easy to use one handed and nor will it fit in as small bags or pockets as the Xperia Z3 Compact.
Other than size and resolution they’re much the same, with both delivering bright, impressive images.
The Sony Xperia Z3 has a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor and 3GB of RAM, while the Xperia Z3 Compact has a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor and 2GB of RAM. So there’s no difference in the processor and they even both have an Adreno 330 GPU, but the Xperia Z3 has one gigabyte more RAM than the Xperia Z3 Compact.
Both of them are very powerful handsets, but for that reason the Sony Xperia Z3 is the more capable of the two.
Both the Sony Xperia Z3 and the Xperia Z3 Compact have impressive battery life, but as with so many other things the two aren’t identical. The Xperia Z3 has a 3100 mAh battery, which Sony claims can last for up to 16 hours of talk time, 920 hours of standby time, 130 hours of music playback or 10 hours of video.
While the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact has a 2600 mAh battery, which Sony reckons can keep going for up to 14 hours of talk time, 920 hours of standby time, 110 hours of music playback or 10 hours of video.
So in theory they’re equal for standby and video, suggesting that there’s no real difference in battery drain when the screen is on or the phones are idle. However the Xperia Z3 fares better for talk time and music and has a larger battery overall.
Obviously these two handsets don’t cost the same. The Sony Xperia Z3 retails for £549 SIM free, while the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact is £429 SIM free, so it’s around £120 less, but then the screen is smaller and lower resolution, the battery life is slightly worse and it’s marginally less powerful, so that makes sense.
Overall the most substantial difference between the Sony Xperia Z3 and the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact is the screen. Not just the size, though that obviously is a big difference, but also the resolution and pixel density, with the Xperia Z3 coming out on top in both cases.
The price is another big difference, as you can save yourself over £100 if you opt for the Z3 Compact rather than the Xperia Z3 and then there are more minor differences too, with the Sony Xperia Z3 delivering slightly better battery life and packing in more RAM.
The two phones have slightly different designs too, with the Xperia Z3 using a metal frame while the Z3 Compact uses a translucent plastic one, but it’s subjective as to which of those options is better. Though the Sony Xperia Z3 probably has a slightly better design whichever you prefer, as it’s also slimmer than the Z3 Compact.
There are plenty of things that haven’t been mentioned here, such as camera and features, but that’s because they’re the same on both handsets, so really if you’re picking between the two you’re choosing based on screen size and price.
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