With Xperia Z3 Compact, Sony Bets You'll Like A Smaller Smartphone

As the smartphone market trends towards bigger screens, Sony is betting that some consumers will want one that still fits in the hand, or a pocket. It announced Wednesday that two phones will bear the Sony Xperia Z3 family name, but a Compact model will pack the same high-end tech found in its larger model into a more hand-friendly frame, along with a 4.6-inch display.

Samsung's Galaxy Note 4 is a 5.7-inch whopper, and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is reportedly unveiling two new iPhone 6 models next week with 4.7- and 5.5-inch displays. For consumers looking for a better fit for their pockets and purses, could Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE) have found a niche?

Sony annouced the Xperia Z3 Compact Wednesday at the IFA Trade Show alongside the full-size Xperia Z3. The former sports a 5.2-inch, 1080p display as opposed to the Z3 Compact’s 4.6-inch, 720p screen, but there are few differences otherwise.

Sony is able to offer unique features on both smartphones, including PS4 Remote Play, which enables the Xperia Z3s to act as a separate display for the PlayStation 4 when it’s not in use, as well as a camera capable of taking shots in as high as 20.7-megapixel resolution, much like its predecessor. The Phone 5S, by comparison, offers eight megapixels on its main camera. The Xperia Z3s are also waterproof and dust-resistant.

The Xperia Z3 Compact, like its larger brethren, features a packed into a rounded, aluminum frame. For a full list of the Sony Xperia Z3 compact’s specifications, head over to its page on GSMArena. Sony announced its latest phones alongside two new smartwatches and a slew of other products in Berlin, Germany at the IFA Trade Show on Wednesday.

Sony says it will release both Xperia Z3 models in the U.S. around the same time that the smartphones make their global debut, but exclusively to customers of T-Mobile US Inc. (NYSE:TMUS), much like previous Xperia generations.