Hands-on: Sony Xperia Z1s for T-Mobile and Sony Xperia Z1 Compact

Sony is expanding their Xperia Z1 family with two newly announced handsets, the Sony Xperia Z1s and the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact. The former is a Xperia Z1 variant headed for T-Mobile, while the latter is a smaller version of the phone that manages to retain a majority of the same specs and features. We had a chance to check out both as part of Sony’s pre-CES press conference.

If you are at all familiar with the Xperia Z1 — or count yourself among those pining for a US release — the Sony Xpera Z1s will look mighty familiar. As far variants go, the most notable change here is 32GB of storage. Otherwise you get an identical device down to a 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 CPU, 5-inch 1080p display, and 20.7MP camera. Save for some T-Mobile badging, the Z1s features an identical build, remaining slim and sleek. Highlighting the powerful Exmor RS imaging sensor, Sony has included a physical camera button, a true rarity on today’s smartphones.

Understanding that not everyone wants or needs a 5-inch display, Sony’s Xperia Z1 Compact takes the same powerful specs of its bigger sibling and places them in smaller package featuring a 4.3-inch display. Some sacrifices are made in this area, reducing resolution to 720p HD, but the Z1 Compact is by no means meant to slot in as a mid-range phone. It keeps the Snapdragon 800 processor and perhaps more impressively the 20.7MP Exmor RS-based camera. The design of the phone mimics the bigger device, as well.

The Sony Xperia Z1s will be available from T-Mobile next week, January 13th, online and in stores by the end of the month. No official release plans have been confirmed for the Xperia Z1 Compact.

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