Sony Xperia Z3 Compact vs. Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini Specs, Price Review: Features Comparison

By Virnelli Mercader, Christian Post Contributor Friday, February 13, 2015

When it comes to smartphones, sometimes, bigger isn't always better. It's always good to be able to use just one hand to hold and navigate the phone, especially if you're a multitasker. This is why smaller versions of popular smartphones are always worth a second look, like the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact and the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini.

With the Xperia Z3 Compact, you get all the care and attention Sony gave to the Z3, just in a more petite package, while the Galaxy S4 Mini has some of the S4's standout features.

Here, we compare the two devices.

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Design:
The Xperia Z3 Compact has the same aesthetic as its predecessor, with the same glass front and back and Sony Xperia branding. The phone measures 5 x 2.56 x 0.34 inches and weighs 4.55 ounces. It's completely waterproof, and it can be submerged in up to 4.9 feet of water for 30 minutes. A camera shutter button on the edge of the phone allows you to take pictures underwater.

The Galaxy S4 Mini takes its design cues from the S4, with the same rounded edges, silver sides, and plastic backing in white or black. The phone measures 4.9 x 2.4 x 0.4 inches and weighs 3.8 ounces.

Features:
The Xperia Z3 Compact has a 4.6-inch display with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels, while the Galaxy S4 Mini has a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 960 x 540 pixels.

The Sony handset has the superior camera, which is a 20.7 megapixels shooter. The Samsung phone's main camera is at 8MP. For the ubiquitous selfie, the Sony phone also takes better pictures — it has a 2.2MP front-facing shooter versus the Samsung's 1.9MP camera.

The Xperia Z3 Compact comes with 16GB internal memory, while the Galaxy S4 Mini comes with 8GB storage. However, both phones come with a microSD card slot, allowing you to expand the Sony phone's storage to 128GB and the Samsung phone's memory up to 64GB.

Price:
Off contract, the Xperia Z3 Compact costs $488.99, while the Galaxy S4 Mini costs $218.