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Problems I found with the Z1 were less than stella battery life, camera which under delivered on its promise (although by no means a poor camera, its actually very good) and I had a few question marks around its size, those extra bezels were just a leap too far for me - the Z1 felt awkward in the pocket as a result. So you can understand why I took note when Sony announced the Compact was on its way.
Same old, Same old new stuff
Pretty much all the hardware that's in the Z1 is in the compact minus the screen and the battery, of which one drains the other so I was quite happy to see that battery draining screen gone. The chip set has been pretty much left untouched as memory size has too, of course that waterproof body is still in full effect. One thing that also came across is those over-sized bezels, there is slightly less of them but still they are big.
To cut to the chase, the experience is pretty much exactly the same as the Z1 - the UI skin feels the same, the camera feels the same; with a few tweaks on low noise which is most welcome, the premium feel is still there in that sexy body.
The screen doesn't feel like its been dumbed down in size and quality, the display is still rich and in fact has better viewing angles then the Z1 despite its lower dpi and 720p res spec.
One of the big selling points of this phone is the battery, for a "mini" its way out in front in its class, and here is where it beats its big brother by a country mile. While I ran our own 'not so lab tests', the Z1C managed an average of 11 hours of bashing the battery with YouTube, e-mail, some browsing, and social media activity. On screen time broke 6+ hours easily each time when I was active with the handset.
Comparing the Z1 to the Z1C, I can honestly say I would pick up the Compact every time. Its practical, the camera is slightly better and there is no looking for the power supply within 4 hours of using the active screen, there have been some bloggers claim silly numbers with the Z1 - oh it lasts me 7 hours etc, seriously thats the biggest load of BS I ever heard, and maybe they are on Sony's payroll. However the Z1C in part is something the Z1 should have been. Practical, fast and stylish and most of all actually last all day.
Sony have done very well making this less of a mini and they have been smart NOT to call it a mini, but a compact. Having all the same USP as its big brother is quite an achievement - the only issue I have is thinking is anyone going to make the mental leap of paying flagship prices for a compact ?! Maybe so.
This over view of the Z1 Compact is just that, the Sony rep kindly left it with me for a few days, so no long term until I get to have one full time.