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By using the success of the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact as a blueprint, Sony has gone surprisingly far off-course. It had a tough, waterproof build and turned it into a more premium body that looks swell, but scratches easily and, well, isn't waterproof. The screen is only 720p and the ever-so-slight downgrade in chipset is a bit confusing, too.
As with the entire X-series of Xperia phones so far, we're mystified by some of these changes. On top of that, the launch price for the X Compact was high at $499 (£359, not currently available in the AU). Although you can find it much cheaper these days, Sony's latest small phone begs the question: who exactly is it for?
Who's this for?
For those with small hands or a longing for a device that can easily fit in one hand and comfortably into a pocket.
Should you buy it?
If you have money to burn, then perhaps. However there are many, many Android smartphones available for less cash that do a better job at balancing the value factors, like build quality, features and specs.
By no means is the Sony Xperia X Compact a bad phone. It got a boost of RAM and a slightly more efficient chipset over last year's model, and USB-C support. But these enhancements, while nice, have come at the expense of what made us love the excellent Z5 Compact so much. Sony's hoping you won't notice, but it's hard not to.
