Coming in at 5.4-inches, Apple's iPhone 12 mini is one of the smallest premium smartphones on the market, and has received a broadly positive reception amongst its owners, despite reports of lackluster sales compared to Apple's larger iPhone 12 models.
The reason for the smaller margin of iPhone 12 mini sales compared to the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max is likely a sign of a change in the way people use their smartphones, combined with rapidly evolving market forces, particularly in China, where Apple has recently made further inroads and where larger devices have historically been more popular.
The size of the iPhone 12 mini harks back to the early days of smartphones – the original iPhone had a 3.5-inch display, for example, while devices above 4 to 5 inches were considered "phablet" territory just a few years ago. However, times have changed, and with phones now increasingly used for video consumption and gaming, larger devices have become the norm.
Yet whether because of its pocket convenience, conduciveness to little (and perhaps younger) hands, or its ability to be used singlehandedly, the continued lure of the smaller form factor device remains, and it's not a desire limited to Apple users, either. Since the launch of the iPhone 12 mini, many people have been left wondering if another smartphone company might step up to the plate and offer an equivalent rival Android offering.
Enter, Sony.
Serial leaker Stever Hemmerstoffer (@Onleaks) on Sunday revealed newly leaked images of the company's upcoming Compact Xperia, a 5.5-inch device that's smaller than its 2017 predecessor, the popular but relatively short-lived 5.7-inch Xperia XZ1.
Measuring 140 x 68.9 x 8.9mm, it's slightly larger than the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini (131.5 x 64.2 x 7.4mm), but whenever it launches, it will be the standout contender for the smallest Android phone on the market, given current similar rivals.
Consider that the Pixel 5, which some see as Google's equivalent to the iPhone 12 mini, comes in at a not-insignificant 6-inches (measuring 144.7 x 70.4 x 8mm), while the Galaxy S20 – the smallest in Samsung's latest lineup – is nearly an inch larger than Apple's device.
Returning to Sony's yet-to-be-released 5.5-inch Xperia Compact successor, the phone has a flat display that's surrounded by thick bezels and a chin, while an 8-megapixel selfie camera lies within its water-drop shaped notch. On the rear is a dual-lens setup in a vertical array featuring a 13-megapixel main camera.
A fingerprint sensor is embedded in the power button – similar to Touch ID on the latest iPad Air – and a 3.5mm mini jack sits in the top of the phone for those who prefer wired headphones.
Other than that, not much else is known about the new Xperia Compact, suffice to say that it appears to be a direct response to Apple's decision to resurrect the small form factor phone. In which case, its relative success or failure in the Android market will be interesting to compare to the iPhone 12 mini's apparently mixed fortunes against Apple's other flagship 2021 offerings thus far.
