Deutsch
Español
Français
Italiano
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Русский
Türkçe
Svenska
Chinese
MagyarSony Xperia XZ2 Compact Smartphone Review
Things no one expected are still happening in 2018: Not everyone in Germany has a broadband internet connection, robots have yet to achieve world domination and Tesla is still not producing as many electric cars as they would like, but: Sony has found a new design for their smartphones. Few things have changed in the design of Sony flagship phones since 2013 and the Xperia Z; the large bezels at the top and bottom especially have not appeared contemporary recently. This makes the Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact and its 2:1 display with slightly smaller bezels, which we are reviewing here, somewhat revolutionary. Apart from that, things are more evolutionary: Faster SoC, higher resolution slow-motion video, faster LTE connections.
Small and very fast smartphones are a rarity nowadays: Apple's iPhone 8 and Google's Pixel 2 are really the only established representatives of the fast compact class. We are also comparing the Xperia XZ2 Compact with its predecessor XZ1 Compact, since it is just 6 months old. The comparison with the XZ2 is interesting as well, maybe the smaller case leads to increased heat development and thus less performance?
Case – Matte finish and great workmanship
While we praised Sony's case modernization efforts in our Xperia XZ2 review, we also criticized the now very bulky case and the shiny back, especially in terms of its high susceptibility to slipperiness and attracting fingerprints. The Xperia XZ2 Compact seems to have made Sony remember its design tradition and although they still curve the back outwards, they have given it a matte finish on their smaller model. The materials appear very high-quality and the workmanship absolutely matches the high price point of the device. Our test device came in silver-gray; pink, green and black are also available.
The dimensions of the XZ2 are slightly larger than those of its predecessor, which is something the slightly bigger display justifies. 12.1 millimeters (~0.48 inches) at the thickest point and a camera that still protrudes slightly are questionable however. The Google Pixel 2 and the iPhone 8 are significantly slimmer, but have larger measurements otherwise. It appears as if Sony has had to build a thicker smartphone in order to facilitate smaller display bezels. At 168 grams (~0.37 lb), the Xperia XZ2 Compact is not exactly a lightweight smartphone.
Features – Good features, but lacks a 3.5 mm jack
A USB Type-C port can be found on the bottom of the smartphone but searching for a 3.5mm jack is in vain, despite the rather bulky case. Sony states that the designers have opted to remove the jack due to the design overhaul and the general market trends towards wireless headphones. The available port supports USB 3.1 and USB OTG, but no MHL and therefore, no video output. Wireless standards such as Miracast or DLNA can be used to that end.
The smartphone is optionally available as a dual SIM smartphone, although this variant is usually only available without a contract since carriers tend not to want to sell dual SIM smartphones. Our test device is the single SIM variant, where the second slot is only used for a microSD card of up to 400 GB of data storage. It is possible to format the card as an internal storage without any difficulty, although apps cannot be transferred to the card. Here, the 64 GB of internal storage will have to suffice.
Bluetooth 5.0 is a very modern standard that the device is equipped with and one that is only supported by few speakers and headphones, although it is backward compatible. The audio quality during wireless sound transmission is enhanced through aptX HD and LDAC.
Software – Lots of additional software, up-to-date operating system
Chatting is possible with Sony's smartphone. An assistant is supposed to support the user with questions about the phone, although currently, it only responds to predetermined questions. In conjunction with the Xperia Intelligence engine, it provides tips concerning the usage of the smartphone and can even activate or deactivate certain features of the phone in specific situations, provided the user permits it.
Sony's software is based on Android 8.0, our phone has the latest and greatest security patches. Sony does not use stock Android and instead changes and complements many aspects of the software, also adding a few nice animations and a whole bunch of apps for the user. One of the most interesting new features is the 3D Creator, which allows for 3D scans of faces and objects. This works surprisingly well. The data can be sent to a 3D printer and be further processed there.
Communication and GPS - The Xperia XZ2 Compact offers fast Wi-Fi
The Xperia XZ2 Compact barely lacks features compared to the significantly larger XZ2, although Sony did pull the breaks in one respect: LTE download speed peaks at just 800 MBit/s, the Xperia XZ2 is able to reach 1,200 MBit/s. This will not be noticeable in day-to-day use since most LTE networks do not support these kinds of speeds anyway and the bandwidth then also has to be shared with other users. Like its big brother, the XZ2 Compact supports 21 LTE frequencies, meaning that you can travel to the USA or Hong Kong without hesitation and the smartphone will be able to connect to the LTE networks there. In our short test, the reception was excellent and even indoors, we had full signal strength using the German D2 network.
The XZ2 Compact also offers everything the heart desires in terms of Wi-Fi: It supports 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and can therefore use the less occupied 5 GHz band as well. The XZ2 Compact turns out to be very fast in terms of transfer speeds in our standardized Wi-Fi test using our reference router Linksys EA8500. Pages load very quickly when in close proximity to the router and pictures load swiftly. 10 meters (~33 ft) away from the router and through 3 walls signal strength drops to 1/4th, but loading pages remains very fast.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (16.9 - 1368, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Apple iPhone 8 | |
| Google Pixel 2 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Apple iPhone 8 | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | |
| Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact | |
| Average of class Smartphone (32.7 - 953, n=69, last 2 years) | |
| Google Pixel 2 | |
The GPS module, which, by the way, also works with BeiDou, Galileo or GLONASS, cannot locate us indoors. This changes close to the window where the GPS does have reception and in the outdoors it achieves a very good accuracy of within 4 meters (~13 ft).
We took the Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact along with us on a bike ride and also brought the Garmin Edge 500, a professional navigation system, for comparison. The measured distance differs by only 10 meters (~33 ft), which is very good. The XZ2 Compact is not quite able to match the professional equipment, but it still achieves good results, which is why we can definitely recommend the smartphone as a navigation device.
Telephony and Call Quality – Xperia XZ2 Compact with poor voice transmission
As with the XZ2, the Compact model also uses Google's standard Android phone app. Its design is very clear and offers all important telephony features. It is not quite as simple to download a replacement telephony app; most of the available apps simply change the handling of contacts rather than offering actual phone services. VoLTE and VoWiFi are supported, depending on the carrier.
For a high-end smartphone, the sound quality is really disappointing. We were already dissatisfied with the call quality of the Sony Xperia XZ2, but the XZ2 Compact is not even able to match this poor result: At maximum volume, background static is distinctly audible and the headphones boom noticeably. At lower volumes, the quality is better, but our conversational partner still does not really sound present. While the microphone can pick up quiet and loud voices well, it does transmit them slightly indistinctly. The installed speaker is virtually unusable at maximum volume: The permanent static and booming distract too much from the actual voice.
Cameras – Good despite single-camera
The cameras were one of the highlights of the Xperia XZ2, despite only being equipped with a single-camera, it takes very good pictures that are even passable in low-light situations. The XZ2 Compact is fitted with the same camera module, which has a maximum resolution of 19 megapixels and an aperture of f/2.0. Even small details are depicted decently, although other smartphones are slightly better at brightening the image. That said, the XZ2 Compact's brightening convinces in low-light scenarios, even though the surfaces appear noisier than on comparable devices.
The camera app now also allows for native 4K recording. However, many complementary features such as object tracking or Steady-Shot image stabilization are not usable at the highest resolution. 960 frames per second slow-motion video can be captured in 1,080p, but the slow-motion recording is limited to a few seconds. Video quality is decent, the light sensor reacts quickly to changing conditions and we like the sharpness and color accuracy.
The front camera takes pictures with a less spectacular sounding maximum resolution of 5 megapixels, although it is still sufficient. We like the dynamic in dark and bright areas and the color accuracy.
In our test lab, we are also able to test the image quality under controlled lighting conditions. Our test image marginally lacks sharpness, and color areas appear somewhat patchy. This is just nit-picking though, since we do like the representation in general. Color reproduction is slightly too bright in many hues.
Accessories and Warranty - No QuickCharge charger
Aside from the charger and the USB Type-C cable, the smartphone comes with a USB Type-C to 3.5 mm jack adapter. It enables you to connect ordinary headphones to the Xperia XZ2. There is no need for a SIM tool for Sony smartphones, since the SIM trays can be easily pulled out of the case with a finger. However, when changing the SIM card, be prepared for a device restart.
It is infuriating that Sony does not include a QuickCharge charger for the asking price, but instead includes a standard. Those who wish to make use of QuickCharge can either purchase an original charger from Sony for the steep price of 50 Euros (~$60) or pick another QuickCharge 3.0 charger, since the standard is well established. The bigger XZ2 did include the QuickCharge capable charger, which makes the whole thing even more confusing.
Sony smartphones have a 24-month warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.
Input Devices & Handling – Xperia XZ2 Compact with dedicated camera button
SwiftKey serves as the keyboard app, other keyboards can be installed from the Google Play Store, should you wish to do so. This is not really required however, since SwiftKey has good handling and many settings for customization.
The menu buttons can only be displayed on the screen and the fingerprint sensor cannot be used to navigate the menu either. All hardware buttons are on the right side of the case: The volume control, the standby button and the famous camera button, which even has a second pressure point for autofocus.
The fingerprint sensor's handling is comfortable and it unlocks the device quickly. Due to the fact that it is positioned on the back directly below the camera, the finger landed on the lens multiple times, which then, of course, needed cleaning. The placement of the sensor felt slightly more intuitive than on the Xperia XZ2, though.
The touchscreen has an excellent surface, is sensitive even around the edges and allows for precise navigation of the device. There is a gloves mode for the winter, enabling use of the display at low temperatures without getting cold hands.
Display – Color-accurate and very bright display
A 5-inch display has become a real rarity in the high-end segment; only Apple and Google still keep up this tradition, every other manufacturer has transitioned to larger dimensions. The XZ2's IPS screen has a resolution of 2,160x1,080 pixels, the 2:1 variant of Full HD. Since most videos are produced with an aspect ratio of 16:9, there are, for example, black bars to the left and to the right when using the YouTube app, leading to a depiction that, in spite of the nominally 0.4 inches larger display compared to the Xperia XZ1 Compact, is not actually bigger.
The brightness levels are convincing, the smartphone is far brighter than the XZ1 Compact or Google's Pixel 2 with its AMOLED display. The brightness distribution of 87% is slightly less accurate than on all other devices in the comparison, but larger fluctuations in brightness in large color areas are not visible to the naked eye.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 617 cd/m²
Contrast: 1624:1 (Black: 0.38 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.8 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.1
ΔE Greyscale 2.3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
Gamma: 2.32
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact IPS, 2160x1080, 5.00 | Sony Xperia XZ2 IPS, 2160x1080, 5.70 | Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact IPS, 1280x720, 4.60 | Apple iPhone 8 IPS True Tone, 1334x750, 4.70 | Google Pixel 2 AMOLED, 1920x1080, 5.00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -1% | -72% | 8% | -5% | |
| Brightness middle | 617 | 630 2% | 566 -8% | 604 -2% | 396 -36% |
| Brightness | 616 | 632 3% | 560 -9% | 580 -6% | 404 -34% |
| Brightness Distribution | 87 | 96 10% | 98 13% | 91 5% | 91 5% |
| Black Level * | 0.38 | 0.44 -16% | 0.53 -39% | 0.44 -16% | |
| Contrast | 1624 | 1432 -12% | 1068 -34% | 1373 -15% | |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.8 | 1.5 17% | 4.6 -156% | 1.2 33% | 1.7 6% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 3.6 | 4.3 -19% | 9.4 -161% | 2.3 36% | 4 -11% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2.3 | 2.1 9% | 6.5 -183% | 1.6 30% | 1.3 43% |
| Gamma | 2.32 95% | 2.17 101% | 2.14 103% | 2.25 98% | 2.3 96% |
| CCT | 6324 103% | 6513 100% | 8189 79% | 6688 97% | 6483 100% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 2336 Hz | ≤ 29 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 2336 Hz (Likely utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 29 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 2336 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 19035 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
The black value of 0.38 cd/m² is good, black areas appear really dark and deep, with a minimal gray tint being discernible at best. This also leads to a very good contrast ratio of 1.624:1, making colors on the display look stronger and more vibrant. We noticed that the display flickers when the brightness is set to below 30%. However, this flickering is only observable by our measuring devices and is not noticeable by even the most sensitive of human eyes since the frequency is very high.
There are many predefined color schemes, and white balance can even be manipulated manually. We test all predefined settings with the CalMAN software and our spectrophotometer. There are rather large deviations from the reference sRGB color space values without manual calibration, both in terms of color and in grayscales, the professional mode produces the most accurate colors. Our optimized settings eliminate the blue tint, which we saw in all predefined color settings and the display becomes fairly color accurate, although bright grayscales still differ too much to consider the display for professional use.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 17.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 5.2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 12.4 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 30 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (22.3 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 39.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 12.4 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 27.2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 52 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (35.1 ms). | ||
The display really struggles in bright sunlight despite its very high brightness. It is possible to make out the contents of the display, but the smartphone is much more fun to use in the shade. By the way, the light sensor does not turn up the display brightness to its maximum, but it does adjust to the environmental lighting conditions quickly and reliably.
Viewing angles are not a problem either: Display contents are recognizable without any loss in brightness, even at extreme angles.
Performance – Very fast, aside from microSD access
As with the Sony Xperia XZ2, the Compact model is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. The American manufacturer's most powerful SoC to date offers 8 cores and a maximum clock speed of up to 2.8 GHz. With it, the Xperia XZ2 Compact is significantly faster than its predecessor and all other Android devices in our comparison. It still cannot beat the iPhone 8 in terms of processing power. The fact that the physical values in our graphics benchmarks are still distinctly below those of the Xperia XZ2 is noticeable.
Graphics performance results paint a different picture; here the inbuilt Adreno 630 is sometimes ahead, sometimes behind the iPhone, depending on the specific benchmark. However, the Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact is generally very fast here as well.
| AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 | |
| Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact | |
| Apple iPhone 8 | |
| Google Pixel 2 | |
| OnePlus 5T | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (162183 - 242953, n=23) | |
| PCMark for Android | |
| Work performance score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 | |
| Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact | |
| Google Pixel 2 | |
| OnePlus 5T | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (7998 - 13211, n=26) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (9875 - 19297, n=4, last 2 years) | |
| Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 | |
| Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact | |
| Google Pixel 2 | |
| OnePlus 5T | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (7360 - 9868, n=27) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (5279 - 13282, n=27, last 2 years) | |
| Geekbench 4.1 - 4.4 | |
| 64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 | |
| Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact | |
| Apple iPhone 8 | |
| Google Pixel 2 | |
| OnePlus 5T | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (2272 - 2500, n=27) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (783 - 8424, n=78, last 2 years) | |
| 64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 | |
| Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact | |
| Apple iPhone 8 | |
| Google Pixel 2 | |
| OnePlus 5T | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (7754 - 9231, n=27) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2630 - 21505, n=78, last 2 years) | |
| Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 | |
| Google Pixel 2 | |
| OnePlus 5T | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (10876 - 14489, n=25) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2053 - 14785, n=64, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
| T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 | |
| Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact | |
| Apple iPhone 8 | |
| Google Pixel 2 | |
| OnePlus 5T | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (58 - 89, n=27) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=187, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 | |
| Apple iPhone 8 | |
| Google Pixel 2 | |
| OnePlus 5T | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (98 - 152, n=28) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (19 - 497, n=187, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 | |
| Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact | |
| Apple iPhone 8 | |
| Google Pixel 2 | |
| OnePlus 5T | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (33 - 75, n=27) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 161, n=188, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 | |
| Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact | |
| Apple iPhone 8 | |
| Google Pixel 2 | |
| OnePlus 5T | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (54 - 83, n=27) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 331, n=189, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 | |
| Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact | |
| Apple iPhone 8 | |
| Google Pixel 2 | |
| OnePlus 5T | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (21 - 59, n=27) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 143, n=189, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 | |
| Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact | |
| Apple iPhone 8 | |
| Google Pixel 2 | |
| OnePlus 5T | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (32 - 61, n=28) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 223, n=189, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench | |
| on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 | |
| Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact | |
| Google Pixel 2 | |
| OnePlus 5T | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (13 - 37, n=27) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (5 - 110, n=189, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 | |
| Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact | |
| Google Pixel 2 | |
| OnePlus 5T | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (25 - 35, n=27) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2.9 - 166, n=189, last 2 years) | |
| AnTuTu v7 | |
| Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 | |
| Google Pixel 2 | |
| OnePlus 5T | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (246366 - 299878, n=27) | |
| CPU (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 | |
| Google Pixel 2 | |
| OnePlus 5T | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (62210 - 97035, n=27) | |
| GPU (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 | |
| Google Pixel 2 | |
| OnePlus 5T | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (58602 - 128264, n=27) | |
| UX (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 | |
| Google Pixel 2 | |
| OnePlus 5T | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (45765 - 64444, n=26) | |
| MEM (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 | |
| Google Pixel 2 | |
| OnePlus 5T | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (915 - 17441, n=27) | |
Activating the browser and starting some benchmarks results in the Xperia XZ2 Compact and its big brother sitting at the top of all Android comparison devices here too. The Apple iPhone 8 is still even faster.
Demanding HTML5 web pages, such as Google's Interland load quickly and work fluidly.
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Apple iPhone 8 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (27.5 - 414, n=78, last 2 years) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 (Chrome 65) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact (Chrome 66) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (22.5 - 90.9, n=25) | |
| OnePlus 5T (Chrome 63) | |
| Google Pixel 2 (Chrome 62) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact (Chrome 62.0.3202.84) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Apple iPhone 8 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 74261, n=193, last 2 years) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact (Chrome 66) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 (Chrome 65) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (3991 - 18275, n=28) | |
| OnePlus 5T (Chrome 63) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact (Chrome 62.0.3202.84) | |
| Google Pixel 2 (Chrome 62) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Google Pixel 2 (Chrome 62) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact (Chrome 62.0.3202.84) | |
| OnePlus 5T (Chrome 63) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (2154 - 11204, n=28) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact (Chrome 66) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 (Chrome 65) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (414 - 10031, n=167, last 2 years) | |
| Apple iPhone 8 | |
| WebXPRT 2015 - Overall Score | |
| Apple iPhone 8 | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 (Chrome 65) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (96 - 291, n=23) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact (Chrome 66) | |
| Google Pixel 2 (Chrome 62) | |
| OnePlus 5T (Chrome 63) | |
| Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact (Chrome 62.0.3202.84) | |
* ... smaller is better
The Xperia XZ2 Compact turns out to be rather slow when it comes to accessing external memory on the microSD card, our reference memory card Toshiba Exceria Pro M501's potential is far from being exhausted. Internal UFS 2.1 storage access values are within the norm.
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | Sony Xperia XZ2 | Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact | Google Pixel 2 | OnePlus 5T | Average 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 27% | 72% | 7% | 3% | 144% | 390% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 694 | 679 -2% | 668 -4% | 758 9% | 699 1% | 697 ? 0% | 1180 ? 70% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 201.1 | 198.7 -1% | 119.9 -40% | 196.2 -2% | 203.4 1% | 217 ? 8% | 743 ? 269% |
| Random Read 4KB | 153.2 | 149.4 -2% | 113.3 -26% | 173.1 13% | 138.1 -10% | 136.6 ? -11% | 207 ? 35% |
| Random Write 4KB | 16.9 | 17 1% | 17.13 1% | 18.03 7% | 20 18% | 81.6 ? 383% | 217 ? 1184% |
| Sequential Read 256KB SDCard | 18.02 ? | 34.25 ? 90% | 73.3 ? 307% | 68.6 ? 281% | |||
| Sequential Write 256KB SDCard | 17.1 ? | 30.12 ? 76% | 50.2 ? 194% | 52.2 ? 205% |
Games – 60-FPS-gaming ready
We are testing some of the most demanding mobile games available with the app GameBench. The Xperia XZ2 Compact reaches a relatively constant 60 FPS. "Shadow Fight 3" produces the highest variance in frame rate, but it still does not drop below 54 frames, so the game keeps running fluidly. Xperia Actions allows for special instructions in terms of the behavior of the device when starting certain apps. Interruptions can be prevented, for example, background data traffic can be minimized and performance can be optimized. A Sony phone, of course, also comes with the PlayStation app preinstalled, enabling you to, for example, buy games online and start the download to your PS4 remotely.
The controls in games on the Xperia XZ2 Compact per gyroscope and touchscreen work flawlessly.
| Arena of Valor | |||
| Settings | Value | ||
| min | 60 fps | ||
| high HD | 60 fps | ||
| Shadow Fight 3 | |||
| Settings | Value | ||
| high | 60 fps | ||
| minimal | 60 fps | ||
| Battle Bay | |||
| Settings | Value | ||
| half resolution | 60 fps | ||
| half resolution | 60 fps | ||
Emissions – No high temperatures, but throttled performance
Temperature
The case temperatures of the Sony Xperia XZ2 are on a similar level as those of the XZ2 despite the more compact case. The absolute maximum we were able to measure on the bottom front after continuous load was 40.3 °C (~104.54 °F). The smartphone stays slightly cooler while idling at 35.8 °C (~96.44 °F). All of these temperatures are noticeable, but may only become problematic during the summer, when you put the device into your pocket after a long gaming session. The rise in temperature is barely noticeable in day-to-day use.
However, the Xperia XZ2 Compact, much like its big brother cannot maintain its performance during continuously high load: The frame rate dips down significantly after just a short amount of time during the GFXBench battery test, at the end of 30 cycles the performance drops by 25% compared to the performance at the beginning of the test.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 40.3 °C / 105 F, compared to the average of 34.9 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 52.9 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 36.8 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 33.7 °C / 93 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 34.2 °C / 94 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Speakers
We were not quite pleased with the speakers of the Sony Xperia XZ2 despite the fact that they were front-facing and Sony offers a fairly extensive assortment of sound improvement technologies. The Xperia XZ2 Compact shares many of the same traits: Here, two speakers output sound to the front as well, and again we cannot honestly say that we like it. On the one hand speech and singing sounds fairly present, instruments on the other hand fall off clearly and the sound often seems muddy and undefined. The audio enhancements barely improve this.
Those who wish to connect 3.5 mm jack plug headphones can use the included adapter. It transmits sounds to the earpieces without distortions, but it could be slightly clearer too. Sound reproduction via Bluetooth paints a very similar picture.
Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.6% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.2% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 50% of all tested devices in this class were better, 12% similar, 37% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 70% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 23% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%
Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (10.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (24.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 62% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 28% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 76% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 18% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%
Battery Life – Xperia XZ2 Compact with good, practical battery life
Energy consumption
The Xperia XZ2 Compact requires less energy than the XZ2 in almost every scenario, which, considering the smaller display, makes sense. However, the average consumption of our test device is slightly higher than that of its big brother. The XZ2 Compact consumes a rather low amount of energy when compared to other devices as well, although the peak value of 9.03 watts is rather high.
| Off / Standby |   0.03 / 0.2 Watt |
| Idle |  0.42 / 1.54 / 1.57 Watt |
| Load |
4.94 / 9.03 Watt |
    
| |
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact 2870 mAh | Sony Xperia XZ2 3180 mAh | Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact 2700 mAh | Apple iPhone 8 1821 mAh | Google Pixel 2 2700 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -30% | -19% | 4% | -14% | -30% | -16% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 0.42 | 0.72 -71% | 0.58 -38% | 0.54 -29% | 0.99 -136% | 0.862 ? -105% | 0.883 ? -110% |
| Idle Average * | 1.54 | 2.21 -44% | 1.76 -14% | 1.63 -6% | 1.35 12% | 1.728 ? -12% | 1.487 ? 3% |
| Idle Maximum * | 1.57 | 2.22 -41% | 1.81 -15% | 1.67 -6% | 1.37 13% | 2.07 ? -32% | 1.701 ? -8% |
| Load Average * | 4.94 | 4.6 7% | 6.33 -28% | 2.74 45% | 3.25 34% | 4.87 ? 1% | 4.26 ? 14% |
| Load Maximum * | 9.03 | 9.34 -3% | 9.18 -2% | 7.78 14% | 8.56 5% | 9.27 ? -3% | 7.1 ? 21% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
The battery life of the Xperia XZ2 Compact roughly matches that of other high-end devices, but is slightly shorter than that of its predecessor. The smartphone manages to last 10:38 hours in the Wi-Fi test, which means that you can easily make it through a work day with normal use, without a lot of gaming it can last 2 days without charging. Those who only use their smartphone sporadically, may squeeze out an even greater running time.
The smartphone can be charged through QuickCharge 3.0 but an appropriate charger is not included. Standard charging time is slightly above 2 hours for a full load cycle.
| Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact 2870 mAh | Sony Xperia XZ2 3180 mAh | Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact 2700 mAh | Apple iPhone 8 1821 mAh | Google Pixel 2 2700 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -3% | 40% | 2% | -12% | |
| Reader / Idle | 1420 | 1402 -1% | 2655 87% | 1629 15% | 1457 3% |
| H.264 | 692 | 722 4% | 866 25% | 698 1% | 564 -18% |
| WiFi v1.3 | 638 | 679 6% | 736 15% | 585 -8% | 575 -10% |
| Load | 203 | 159 -22% | 266 31% | 202 0% | 161 -21% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict – Compact high-end smartphone for a reasonable price
Sony's small flagship may attract customers for occupying niche alone: There are not that many compact high performance smartphones, especially not at 600 Euros (~$720). The pictures with their strong colors and nice gimmicks such as Super Slow-Motion and 3D scans may serve as additional incentives for potential customers. Luckily, the XZ2 Compact has a matte finish and thus does not have the slippery, fingerprint prone surfaces of its big brother. Otherwise, the differences are few and far between, disregarding, of course, the raw measurements: The maximum LTE speed is slightly lower, which however should be inconsequential in practice and the Compact model comes without a QuickCharge charger, which is completely incomprehensible, especially considering the price. That is it.
Unfortunately the XZ2 Compact adopts the XZ2's bad traits, namely noticeable throttling when under continuous load and the call quality being truly awful at a high volume. The speakers do not sound as well as one would expect from a high-end device either, especially coming from a corporation with a Hi-Fi department as large as Sony's. Furthermore, the fact that the case is as bulky as it is and still does not accommodate a 3.5 mm headphone jack is baffling.
This leaves the Xperia XZ2 Compact as a powerful, stylish device with long battery life, that unfortunately disappoints in the details from time to time. Sony did have the best call quality and well-sounding speakers a few years back, which is something the Japanese company should reconsider.
Sonys Xperia XZ2 Compact polarizes with a corpulent side view and lack of a 3.5mm jack. Those who can live with that receive a very fast phone for a reasonable price that is suitable for small hands as well.
We can give the Xperia XZ2 Compact a purchasing recommendation if you do not make a lot of calls and have no issue with the adapter for normal headphones or the bulky case. In that case, you get a lightning-fast device with good battery life.
Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact
-
09/27/2019 v7
Florian Wimmer
More articles related to this device
Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact (Xperia Series)Related Articles
Pricecompare
