Xperia Z3 compact photos leak, could be Galaxy Alpha competitor

[Transcendence]

We’ve seen some photos and heard rumors about what we can expect from Sony’s Xperia Z3. As we reported earlier, it looks to be nearly identical to the Xperia Z2 – so Sony Xperia Z2 users need not worry about the new smartphone for now.

As Sony has done before, it’s now bringing a “little brother†to the Xperia Z3, a phone that’ll likely cost less than the Z3. The Xperia Z3 Compact name has been leaked in photos that show a clear label of the phone, alongside of various phone parts.

 

One photo shows the microSD card slot, a signature feature for any Android smartphone that looks to succeed these days. Another photo shows the 20.7MP camera that we know will return to the Xperia experience in the Xperia Z3. Sony first implemented the 20.7MP camera in the Xperia Z1 and seems content to maintain the 20.7MP camera – although we’d like to see the megapixel count jump. At the moment, however, Sony’s camera surpasses every other Android smartphone in terms of megapixel count, so it’s likely the case that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it†applies here.

 

We don’t have any other details from the photos, though rumors point to the Xperia Z3 compact having a 4.6-inch liquid crystal display (LCD) with 720p screen resolution. Since the company wants to sell a more affordable version of the Xperia experience, 720p is the preferred display of choice rather than 1080p. Another reason as to why Sony would maintain a 720p display for this device is that the Xperia Z3, the Compact’s larger brother, will feature a 1080p display. Sony decided not to opt for a 2560 x 1440p display in the Xperia Z3, from what we’ve heard.

 

The 4.6-inch display makes sense, too, seeing that the Xperia Z3 – which has been leaked in photos beside Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 – looks to be a little over 5 inches. As with Samsung, Sony doesn’t want to cannibalize sales and overlap its smartphone offerings. Note 4 rumors tell us that Samsung wants to keep the Galaxy Note 4 display at 5.7 inches diagonally because its Galaxy Mega series contains 5.8-inch and 6.3-inch screens.

 

According to the rumors and photos, then, Sony wants to maintain a competitive price on the Xperia Z3 Compact so that it can go head-to-head with Samsung’s own Galaxy Alpha that’ll feature a 4.7-inch Super AMOLED display with 720p resolution. Of course, the Galaxy Alpha will feature an 8MP instead of Sony’s 20.7MP camera, so photographers at heart may very well look to Sony’s device. The Snapdragon 801 makes sense, too, considering that Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 (a high-end device in a different category than the mid-end Xperia Z3 Compact) will contain the Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chip.

 

We’ve also heard that Samsung and processor chip maker Qualcomm have struck a deal whereby Samsung will get a discount (who’s ever heard of that?) on the Snapdragon 805 for the Galaxy Note 4. If even Samsung needs a discount (and the company’s sales figures, have seen better days), then placing an 801 processor into the Z3 Compact will save Sony and Z3 Compact users money as well.

 

You can expect Android 4.4.3 or Android 4.4.4 KitKat with this device since Google doesn’t look to reveal Android L (Android 4.5 or Android 5.0) until October. With Sony’s Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact announcements in September, as well as Samsung’s Galaxy Alpha and Galaxy Note 4 announcements a little earlier than IFA (when Sony will reveal its devices), Android 4.4.4 KitKat will be the most recent Android update.

 

And yet, at the same time, we’re still waiting on the Verizon Sony Xperia Z phone that we’ve seen leaked by Sony, then pulled from Google+. Sony’s 20.7MP camera leads the pack and ties with Samsung’s 16MP ISOCELL camera, but Samsung will continue to outsell Sony until it mass-produces the Xperia Z line for not only international but also American markets.