Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Update 02/04/2019: Its been more than two years and this phone is still my daily driver. The lack of new comparably sized Android phones and the fact that this phone hasn't skipped a beat since I've bought it has kept me a happy camper. I recently purchased the White US version of the X Compact for $350 after a great two years with this phone’s grandfather the Z3C. After debating whether to purchase the X Compact, Galaxy S7, Google Pixel and Honor 8, I’m quite happy with my decision to choose the X Compact. There have been some extremely critical reviews of the device - discrediting it as no longer being the compact flagship, but for the niche market that enjoys small-form factor android phones, the device is top of class. This review will highlight some of the unique features that I’ve encountered as well as addressing some of the harsh criticisms I’ve seen in other reviews. Design: I’ve always been a fan of Sony’s clean and minimalist design language for its Xperia line and this phone is no exception. In a market where every phone seems to have a utilitarian brushed metal or flashy, shiny design, the white model of this phone is a refreshing change. The looped edges (which are very akin to the Lumia Windows Phones) and small size of the device offer the perfect dimensions for one handed operation without performing a balancing act with your fingers. The 2.5D curved glass that seamlessly loops into to back of the unit offers a unique feeling I’ve never experienced. The phone also does a great job of catching the light in interesting ways and it's been the first phone I’ve used that has literally turned heads when walking down the street. Build: Many people have been really harsh on this phone for having a plastic rear. While it is true that it can be easily scratched, I think Sony has gracefully addressed one of the biggest complaints of their previous lines while keeping true to their design aesthetic. Let me explain: the two predecessors to this phone, the Z3C and Z5C both had glass panels on the rear of the phone. While elegant and more scratch resistant than plastic, the phones were prone to spontaneous cracking, even while in a case. Sony could have gone the route of using a metal back, but at the cost of poor reception or having a plastic chin (like the Xperia XZ). Ultimately, it would go against their clean slab design language they’ve retained for the previous lines. As someone who has always used his phone with a case or a skin, having the plastic back is not a problem. Another pain-point with this phone has been the lack of waterproofing - a feature that the Xperia phones have become iconic for. After seeing videos online of people testing the waterproofing and conducting my own tests, I can confirm that this phone is in fact waterproof. I can’t make any claims for the actual ingress rating, but I’ve been able to use my phone in the shower everyday since purchase without problems. My theory is the Sony omitted waterproofing as an official feature because they knew that labor costs of warranty claims would not be cost effective for the volume sold to the US and UK markets, where larger devices reign supreme. If that isn’t evidence enough, the X Compact in Asian markets have the waterproof rating where Sony has more resources to make warranty claims and where smaller devices are more popular. Update 01/05/2017: I took the phone with me to the Caribbean decided to take the risk by using it while diving. The phone performed wonderfully and took stunning videos. The only downside was that it didn't seem to have the same touch rejection that the official waterproof phones have so the screen had random touch events while it was under water due to the salt water triggering the capacitive touch sensor. The final pain-point I’ve seen with this phone is the fact that the US version does not have a fingerprint scanner. It does indeed have a fingerprint scanner, but because of a patent conflict with Hewlett-Packard, Sony had to disable it for the US markets. If you’re willing to get your hands dirty with android development, you can actually download and install the signed, UK firmware of the phone to enable the fingerprint scanner. As a plus, since the firmware is official and signed by Sony, you will not lose your warranty if you conduct the procedure. And boy, what a fingerprint scanner it is. The scanner is extremely accurate, placed in the perfect position and unlocks my phone before I can even pull it out of my pocket. As for the rest of the phone, the device has the signature dual front facing speakers that are a huge improvement from the Z3C speakers. They won’t wow anyone with their loudness, but they’re perfect having crisp clean audio for sharing media with friends. The camera button is always welcomed and has a tactile dual click to allow focus lock before capture when taking pictures. The volume controls, on the other hand are in an awkward place. Sony has a tendency to place the volume buttons close to the camera shutter for use as a zoom keys, but I’ve noticed that I more often than not pinch the screen to zoom in so I would love to see those keys moved to the upper-left side of the device. Display: This is hands down one of the most gorgeous displays I have ever used. I’ve held this phone up to a Google Pixel (which has an AMOLED screen) and this device can go toe-to-toe with the Pixel’s Brightness and Saturation despite having a LCD panel screen. It's absolutely incredible how beautiful the display is. The colors are juicy and watching movies on the device is an absolute pleasure. That being said, unfortunately because it is an LCD panel it cannot achieve the absolute blackness that an AMOLED screen can. It’s not noticeable enough to bother me, but I can see how that could be an issue for people coming from AMOLED devices. Many people have been hyper-critical of the fact that this phone uses a 720p display in 2016. A 720p display is perfect for a display this size. iPhones have had similar resolutions for years without any complaint. Here is a comparison with the current generation iPhone handsets: iPhone SE: 4.0inch Screen at 1136 x 640 (320 pixels per inch) X Compact: 4.6inch Screen at 1280 x 720 (319 pixels per inch) iPhone 7: 4.7inch Screen at 1334 x 750 (326 pixels per inch) Yes, you can get Android phones with 400+ pixels per inch, but why have a screen that is more demanding on performance and battery life if you can’t even discern the individual pixels with the naked eye? Sony has realized this and chose the optimum screen for the form factor. Performance: Many people have criticized the fact that this device uses a Snapdragon 650 Processor instead of an 820 like its big brother. I think Sony chose this processor for a couple reasons. The smaller resolution of the X Compact means that similar rendering performance can be achieved with a scaled back processor. The 650 is also more power efficient than its big brother, which allows it to achieve the ludicrous battery life that the Compact line is known for. Yes this phone might not have the same raw performance numbers as some of the other top of the line phones on the market, but I have yet to experience any hiccups in any applications I’ve tried. And at the end of the day, isn’t that what really matters? Photo Quality: This is still one of the primary reasons why I buy Sony phones. Sony devices have one of the most powerful imaging devices for android - if you know how to dial in the settings. The 23 MP Camera allows for fidelity I’ve never been able to achieve in any phone I’ve tried. The camera app has all of the controls you’d expect from a DSLR, but in a compact size. One of the biggest improvements from the previous camera app is the ability to control shutter speed now. Also, compared to the Z3C, the automatic mode is much better at finding the right settings for the current scene. Handheld and low-light pictures are also much clearer thanks to the new laser auto-focus and improved capture speed. I can speak for the camera all day long, but I’ll just attach some pictures so you can see for yourself. Battery: This is the most battery efficient smart phone I’ve ever used. My usage habits typically involve using GPS and streaming music on my way to work, checking social media, news and dating apps throughout the day, photo taking in the afternoon and casting media in the evening. I would consider myself someone with heavy use with the exception of playing 3D games. I’ve been able to go from 8am to 10pm with over 40% battery left without any active battery saving features. I’ve always been a huge fan of Sony’s built in battery saving features. I’ve tested the device with Stamina Enabled for the full duration of the battery and a more normal usage pattern, and it is a breeze to get up to 3 full days of use. If you want to stretch it even further, you can turn on Ultra Stamina Mode which turns off all your apps sans the basic. With that mode enabled, my phone has predicted that it can go up to 2 weeks. The phone also supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 and comes included with a QC 3.0 charger out of the box. Software: Sony’s build of android is almost entirely stock save a couple of power saving features and minimal bloatware. The included Sony’s apps have varying degrees of use. Sony makes one of the best Album apps I’ve used but apps like LifeLog, Xperia Lounge and What’s New I could do without. As for the third party software, Sony actually includes some useful ones including Amazon Shopping and Swiftkey. Luckily if there is anything you don’t like, you can easily disable any apps you don’t like. Accessories: One of the biggest downfalls for the device is the accessory support. Two things I usually buy when I get a new phone are a tempered glass screen protector and a Ringke Fusion Case. Because of the negative reception to the phone and low volume, many of the common accessory manufacturers have elected to pass up this device in their production line up. In my attempts to find a tempered glass screen protector, I’ve been unable to find any that have a complete adhesive hold to the entire screen; the screen protectors either omit the curved edges or they only attach from adhesive on the edges, leaving a noticeable air gap between the screen and protector. Thus, I’ve had to resort to using Skinomi’s TPU screen protector in the interim which doesn't offer the same drop protection, but offers adequate scratch protection. Ringke does not have any plans to make their Fusion case for this device, but fortunately I was able to find the MicroP TPU case which achieves some similar design aesthetics as the Ringke cases. TLDR: Pros: - Beautiful design - Small form factor phone - Gorgeous display - Fast fingerprint sensor - Unofficial but present waterproofing - Insane battery life - Great camera Cons: - Very little accessory support (Cases / screen protectors) - Activating fingerprint sensor requires some tinkering - Volume buttons in an awkward location for use with volume Verdict: The Xperia X Compact is one of the best options if you’re looking for a small form factor phone with an excellent camera and battery life. This phone does have its fair share of nuances that make it less approachable than offerings by Samsung, Xiaomi and Google, but with a little work you can turn the device into an absolute pleasure to use.