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While the battle of the LG and Sony flagships was quite interesting, how do the shrunken down versions of those smartphones compare? Here’s a quick look at the LG G2 Mini vs Sony Xperia Z1 Compact!
Both the LG G2 Mini and the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact draw heavily from the design language of their larger siblings. They are, in fact, almost identical, and only shrunken all around.
The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact comes with the same all glass design with the signature silver power button, a dedicated camera button, and the water and dust protection feature that has become a staple of the high-end Xperia smartphones. Similarly, the LG G2 Mini has the unique button layout at the back of the device, which was first introduced with the G2. The only difference between is the two is the move away from the glossy plastic of the G2, to a more matte finish with the Mini version, allowing for a more comfortable grip.
Even though the LG G2 Mini features a much larger 4.7-inch display, compared to the 4.3-inch screen of the Xperia Z1 Compact, the dimensions of both devices are surprisingly quite similar. a testament to the fact that LG continues the push the boundaries of design with its ultra-thin bezel around the screen, while Sony is completely okay with the larger borders around its own.
The LG G2 Mini packs a 4.7-inch display with a qHD resolution (960 x 540) resulting in a pixel density of 234 ppi. The Xperia Z1 Compact on the other hand, stands true to its “no compromise” tag in all respects, including the display, featuring a 4.3-inch 720p display, with a pixel density of 342 ppi.
While the LG G2 Mini display is serviceable, albeit a little bit disappointing, there’s no competition when compared to the Xperia Z1 Compact.
Once again, a comparison between these two smartphones seems a little unfair when it comes to hardware.
Under the hood of the Xperia Z1 Compact is a 2.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, the Adreno 330 GPU, and 2 GB of RAM, making it comparable to even today’s flagships, and the performance will be as smooth as you’d expect. The G2 Mini doesn’t boast the high-end specs of the G2, and instead, comes with a 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor, coupled with 1 GB of RAM, which should be more than enough to handle most tasks.
In the camera department as well, the Xperia Z1 Compact comes with the same 20.7 MP G Lens camera as the Xperia Z1, enhanced with even more software features. The G2 Mini comes with an 8 MP rear shooter which isn’t bad at all, but not in the same league as thee LG G2 camera, or that of the Xperia Z1 Compact.
One thing the LG G2 Mini has going for it is the fact that it manages to pack a slightly larger 2,440 mAh battery, compared to the 2,300 mAh unit of the Xperia Z1 Compact.
When it comes to the software, you get the same minimalistic Timescape UI as always with the Z1 Compact, and while you get the bright and colorful Optimus UI with the G2 Mini, it is packed with software features, and does put it a little over the Z1 Compact, in terms of having features like the Knock Code.
Being an older release, the Xperia Z1 Compact is available with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, with a planned upgrade to Kitkat in the works that should give it some enhancements, while the LG G2 Mini will come with Android 4.4 Kitkat out of the box.
Overall, you get a very stock-like experience with the Xperia Z1 Compact, even with the inclusion of apps like Walkman and Small Apps, compared to the feature-packed user experience with the LG G2 Mini.
LG G2 Mini | Sony Xperia Z1 Compact | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 4.7-inch IPS LCD display with qHD resolution, 234 ppi | 4.3-inch Triluminos IPS display with 720p resolution, 341 ppi |
| Processor | 1.2 Ghz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, Adreno 305 | 2.2 Ghz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, Adreno 330 |
| RAM | 1 GB | 2 GB |
| Storage | 8 GB expandable | 16 GB, expandable |
| Battery | 2,440 mAh | 2,300 mAh |
| Cameras | 8 MP rear camera with LED flash, 1.3 MP front camera | 20.7 MP rear camera with Sony G Lens and Bionz mobile 2 MP front camera |
| Connectivity | WLAN b/g/n, A-GPS+GLONASS, microUSB 2.0, BlueTooth 4.0 LE | WLAN (2.4/5Ghz) a/b/g/n/ac, NFC, A-GPS+GLONASS, microUSB 2.0 (MHL), BlueTooth 4.0 LE |
| Software | Android 4.4 Kitkat | Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, planned upgrade to Android 4.4 Kitkat |
| Dimensions | 129.6 x 66 x 9.8 mm, 121 grams | 127 x 64.9 x 9.5 mm, 137g |
LG G2 Mini First Look and Hands On! 
Sony Xperia Z1 Compact Unboxing and First Impressions And so, there you have it, a first look a the LG G2 Mini vs Sony Xperia Z1 Compact! A recurring theme of this comparison, and a very noticeable fact, is that Sony decided that “Mini” or “Compact” in this case, does not have to mean mid-range. Unfortunately, LG did not get the same memo. While the LG G2 is more than satisfactory by itself, it comes nowhere close to the Xperia Z1 Compact in most aspects.
That being said, both smartphones will also be priced significantly differently. The Xperia Z1 Compact is, for all intents and purposes, a flagship smartphone and it will be priced accordingly. The LG G2 Mini on the other hand, is a mid-range device through and through, and this difference should reflect in the price points of both smartphones as well.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
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