Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

[terminator363]

Hey guys, I've been looking for a new phone and after looking through my options I stopped at the Z3c mainly because of it's size it's IP 68 rated waterproof shell. I found an offer on Craigslist for $450(CAD) and think it's a good deal. Do you guys have any input you'd like to add before I jump to purchase it?

 

[Xenn]

Owner of a Z3 Compact here.

There's a lot of good things going for it, here's some that come to mind straight away:

• Very fast Snapdragon 801 processor (2.46GHz) and is quad-core.
• Plenty of RAM at your disposal (2GB), you won't be running out of it so easy.
• Supports up to 128GB MicroSD cards.
• Uses Sonys UI, which goes for a simplistic look and works very well.
• 4K photos and videos from the back camera.
• Native DualShock 3/DualShock 4 support.

There's more pros to this phone, but this is what comes to mind immediately.

 

[20832]

Owner of a Z3 Compact here.

There's a lot of good things going for it, here's some that come to mind straight away:

• Very fast Snapdragon 801 processor (2.46GHz) and is quad-core.
• Plenty of RAM at your disposal (2GB), you won't be running out of it so easy.
• Supports up to 128GB MicroSD cards.
• Uses Sonys UI, which goes for a simplistic look and works very well.
• 4K photos and videos from the back camera.
• Native DualShock 3/DualShock 4 support.

There's more pros to this phone, but this is what comes to mind immediately.

Plus, you'll have one of the best camera/processing quality in any Android smartphone

 

[Grayfox]

Owner of a Z3 Compact here.

There's a lot of good things going for it, here's some that come to mind straight away:

• Very fast Snapdragon 801 processor (2.46GHz) and is quad-core.
• Plenty of RAM at your disposal (2GB), you won't be running out of it so easy.
• Supports up to 128GB MicroSD cards.
• Uses Sonys UI, which goes for a simplistic look and works very well.
• 4K photos and videos from the back camera.
• Native DualShock 3/DualShock 4 support.

There's more pros to this phone, but this is what comes to mind immediately.

It is like the Z3 but with a 2600mAh battery instead of the Z3s 3100mAh, a 720p screen instead of the 1080p and it doesnt have the barometer sensor.
So it is petty good since all the specs are the same.

 

[sems4arsenal]

I'd go for it too, Sony just released Lollipop too so should aid battery life.

 

[psychoazubi]

The battery is already great without Lollipop. I can use it 2-3 days in normal use. I think this is one of the best features. Go for it!

 

[sesselpupser]

I've been looking at getting a Z3C too, I have yet to find a reason not to. I even went into a phone shop (I know, right?!) yesterday and compared it to my iPhone 4S, my girlfriend's iPhone 6 and a Z3, it's noticeably smaller than the 6 (while the Z3 is bigger than the 6) which is good because I didn't want anything quite that big, hence why I'm looking at iPhone alternatives. When I know I can afford to upgrade I'm going with the Z3C for sure.

 

[Tornado]

It's been at the top of my shortlist too, since it is virtually identical in size (thickness excepting obviously) to my Droid 4 instead of a humongous 5 inch monster. Wish the orange one wasn't so much more expensive than the white and black though.

 

[sems4arsenal]

I still recommend you guys to have a look at the Z3, the size has pros and cons. (for me the pros win)

 

[Grayfox]

I still recommend you guys to have a look at the Z3, the size has pros and cons. (for me the pros win)

The Z3 full size nearly is the same as the compact.
Apart from the size the only other changes are

The compact has a 720p screen instead of a 1080p
The compact has a 2600mAh battery instead of a 3100mAh one
The compact has 2GB of ram compared to the 3GB the normal one has
The compact does not have a barometer sensor like the full size one and who uses a baraometer on a phone?

only real issue is the compact is not a "mainstream" phone so there wont be much choice when it comes to cases.

 

[psychoazubi]

There are enough cases on Amazon

I can easily live with 720p. You can hardly see a difference on such a small screen.

 

[DQuaN]

My girlfriend needs a new phone. I've recommended she wait for the Z4 compact to come out. Only problem is no one seems to know when that is!

 

[Grayfox]

My girlfriend needs a new phone. I've recommended she wait for the Z4 compact to come out. Only problem is no one seems to know when that is!

Seeing as the Z4 has not been released and the compact likes of any flagship phone are 3months after it.

 

[sems4arsenal]

The Z3 full size nearly is the same as the compact.
Apart from the size the only other changes are

The compact has a 720p screen instead of a 1080p
The compact has a 2600mAh battery instead of a 3100mAh one
The compact has 2GB of ram compared to the 3GB the normal one has
The compact does not have a barometer sensor like the full size one and who uses a baraometer on a phone?

only real issue is the compact is not a "mainstream" phone so there wont be much choice when it comes to cases.

pretty big size difference, also is it a lot cheaper since I actually thought it had the same specs just with a 720 display?

 

[terminator363]

it doesnt have the barometer sensor.

Oh damn.. That's the only reason I wanted to buy it. Looks like I have to look elsewhere [/Sarcasm]

My girlfriend needs a new phone. I've recommended she wait for the Z4 compact to come out. Only problem is no one seems to know when that is!

I think most people thought the Z4 was coming out at MWC but Sony released the M4 Aqua instead. I was waiting for the Z4 to get released so the Z3 & Z3c would drop in price. It appears that the Z4 won't come out until September (IFA)

Edit: I actually like the Lollipop Xperia interface (M4 Aqua):

 

[terminator363]

Very weird update.. Sony releases new "J" series today...

 

[Jawehawk]

I too have the Z3 Compact, and acquired it at release as my first smartphone (I know, I'm super late to the smartphone party...)

I don't really have anything to compare it with, but for my needs, it performes great. You don't need bigger resolution than 720 on a phone, and it greatly aids in battery life to not be running in full HD. The size is perfect for it to fit into my pocket, and stability, reliability and price are all pretty great.

 

[InSight]

+1 for the Z3C. Perfect size and performance that matches my laptop. The only downside I found is not very loud music from the audio jack. I plug it in the car stereo and I have to crank it quite high, to get some louder sound out of it.

 

[terminator363]

Just bought it in black

Absolutely love it. And Sony UI isn't bad at all once you play around with it for a while.

Edit: Just wanted to add, I hate the quick settings menu (it's on a separate page from your notifications). I also despise the Sony Xperia keyboard emojiis but love the keyboard. Is there any way to add different emojis to this keyboard??

 

[terminator363]

Update: the phone died when i put it in water. the device swelled up and the back cracked. Going to talk to Sony. /nothappy

 

[Grayfox]

+1 for the Z3C. Perfect size and performance that matches my laptop. The only downside I found is not very loud music from the audio jack. I plug it in the car stereo and I have to crank it quite high, to get some louder sound out of it.

Normally there are multiple audio volumes in android and their maybe a hearing protection function enabled

Update: the phone died when i put it in water. the device swelled up and the back cracked. Going to talk to Sony. /nothappy

I take you you made sure all the doors were closed, the swelling and cracking sound like the LiPo shorting out and swelling due to it.

 

[Korza]

+1 for the Z3C. Perfect size and performance that matches my laptop. The only downside I found is not very loud music from the audio jack. I plug it in the car stereo and I have to crank it quite high, to get some louder sound out of it.

Turn Dynamic Normalizer on in the audio settings.

Update: the phone died when i put it in water. the device swelled up and the back cracked. Going to talk to Sony. /nothappy

Sounds like the doors weren't properly closed.

 

[sems4arsenal]

That escalated quickly

Edit: Care to explain more about the accident, I got my Z2 replaced when it got water damage.

 

[Robin]

Probably the last thing Sony expected you to do out of the box!

None of these devices are actually water proof, they just can stop ingression for a short period of time at a very shallow depth and it's more about preventing damage from spills etc. How much water did you put it in?

 

[terminator363]

Turn Dynamic Normalizer on in the audio settings.



Sounds like the doors weren't properly closed.

Absolutely were. I triple checked the doors before I went in. I also looked at the phone before hand and there were no cracks prior to submerging it.

 

[Ledbetter]

Went in, like a swimming pool?

 

[terminator363]

Went in, like a swimming pool?

Yea, about 15 cm deep in an indoor swimming pool.

 

[terminator363]

That escalated quickly

Edit: Care to explain more about the accident, I got my Z2 replaced when it got water damage.

I went to the pool with a friend and we wanted to test it out (mind you it was only the 4th day of having this phone). We double checked every flap to make sure it was sealed then we tried taking some underwater pictures. The phone did not go deeper than 20cm in the pool. I noticed the screen die (because the notification light was still going off and the volume keys still vibrated). I decided to pull it out and dry it before it got damaged any more. I wrapped it in a towel and set it aside for a few minutes. When I went back to check it there was a tiny hairline crack on the back glass near the camera (but not in the corner). The phone had died completely at this point. I put the phone in my hands and when I felt the screen it kinda felt squishy. When you held it and put a tiny bit of pressure on the screen it would kind of make a squeaky sound.

I'm almost certain the battery shorted out and that's why that happened. I managed to save the sim and SD card.

 

[Jawehawk]

Wow. That's about the same as watching a commercial for a car that claims to be ultra safe in the event of a crash, and then going out crashing in it on purpose... If you accidently dropped the Z3 in a tub with water, and it broke, then you should of course get a new one for free. But in this case, you basically set out to break it. I mean seriously, it's honestly common sense that you keep electronics away from water.

Also, did it ever occur to you that the chemicals in pool water might not be good for the phone? Chlorine, for an example, isn't good for the phone, and the Sony website specifially says to wash the phone off with fresh water, after having been in contact with chlorine.

In short. Unless the tech your're using is specifically designed to be used in a submerged enviroment, use common sense, and keep it away from water!

 

[Dan Hill]

Bought one in January after an Iphone 5 and prefer it. When using it during work breaks, I'd get through half a battery on my Iphone, I don't go below 90% full battery.