Sony Xperia Z1 Compact: Thoughts After a Full Weekend With Sony’s Smaller High-End Phone

At CES 2014, we struggled to find interesting mobile-related stories outside of wearables because, well, there just weren’t any. Unless you consider Sony’s Xperia Z1 Compact, which is the Japanese electronics manufacturer’s take on a smaller phone, just not one that necessarily falls into the “mini” category. With the Z1 Compact, you are looking at high-end specs packed into a phone that is much smaller than other flagships of today. And I say “flagship,” because it certainly stands up to other flagships, outside of its 720p display.

I picked one up last week even though it currently is only available overseas because as I just mentioned, it was one of the only interesting products to come out of CES. The thought of a high-end smart phone in a small package is something I find incredibly appealing, probably because it reminds me a bit of the thought process behind the Moto X. We also wanted to get ahead of this device, as Sony is almost guaranteed to release it in the U.S. six months from now.

So after spending an entire weekend with the phone, what are my current thoughts? I’ve captured them all in the clip below. Let’s just say that I think you’ll be surprised, especially since we haven’t spent all that much time with Sony products over the years.

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