Sony Xperia XZ, Xperia X Compact Launched at IFA 2016

Sony has announced two new Xperia smartphones, the Xperia XZ and Xperia X Compact, at the sidelines of IFA 2016 in Berlin. The Sony Xperia XZ will be going on sale from early October while the Sony Xperia X Compact will go on sale soon in September, as per the company. No pricing details have been announced for the Xperia XZ and Xperia X Compact so far. The company is expected to reveal the pricing closer to the local launches of the smartphones.

Out of the two, the Sony Xperia XZ is a flagship smartphone and is believed to be in the league of the Sony Xperia X Performance. Sony has also launched a brand new colour variant, Forest Blue, for the Xperia XZ smartphone. The company has also touted that the Xperia XZ has been built of a brand new "trademarked material" by Sony. Both the new Xperia smartphones sport the company's Triple image sensing technology. Sony also says the Xperia XZ is IP65/IP68 certified for dust and water resistance.

In terms of specifications, the Sony Xperia XZ features a 5.2-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) display. Similar to other flagships, the smartphone is powered by a Snapdragon 820 processor coupled with 3GB of RAM and will pack 32GB of on-board storage. The handset supports expandable storage via microSD card (up to 200GB). The new Xperia XZ will ship with the USB Type-C and will support Quick charge.

The Xperia XZ sports a 23-megapixel rear camera with the company's IMX300 sensor and LED flash. The smartphone features Predictive Hybrid AF which can enable to track and predict the subject's next move. It also sports a 13-megapixel front camera. Sony also boasts a new distance sensing with the Laser AF sensor for low light shots. It is backed by a 2900mAh battery.

The Sony Xperia X Compact, on the other hand, features a smaller 4.6-inch HD (720x1280 pixels) IPS display. It is powered by a hexa-core Snapdragon 650 processor paired with 3GB of RAM.

Much like the Xperia XZ, the Xperia X Compact sports a 23-megapixel rear camera with the company's same IMX300 sensor. There is a 5-megapixel front camera. The Xperia X Compact also comes with USB Type-C port and supports Quick Charge 2.0. The Sony Xperia XZ will be available in both single and dual-SIM variants.

Commenting on the launch, Hideyuki Furumi, Executive Vice President, Global Sales and Marketing, Sony Mobile Communications said, "With Xperia we want to assist you when and where it matters most, making your everyday lives more convenient, more effortless, more spontaneous. With Xperia XZ and Xperia X Compact you can capture every moment as you see it, with blur-free images day or night, and with true to life colours thanks to our new triple image sensing technology."