Sony's Xperia Z1 Compact is a cracking little Android

We're seeing miniature versions of flagship phones before from the likes of Samsung and HTC. But these were merely watered-down versions of their namesakes that in reality were nothing like their full size brothers. Sony Xperia Z1 Compact however, packs the same supercharged processor and the same 20-megapixel camera as the top model, but wraps it into a more pocket friendly 4.3-inch body. Size aside, the Z1 Compact is almost identical to its 5-inch brother. Has the same all glass fronts and back with a gorgeous one-piece aluminum band running around the edge. The same chunky power button poked out of the side and there's a dedicated camera shutter button below. It looks brilliant and feels just as good to hold. Although with glass on both sides, you want to keep it safe from keys in your pocket. Like its brother, it's completely waterproof, so don't worry if you drop this in the bath or your pint. Inside there's a 2.2 gigahertz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor-- the same powerhouse quad-core chip found in the regular Z1, which provides a ton of power for gaming and for photo editing. It's a big step above the jewel courtships found inside the Galaxy S4 Mini or the HTC One mini. The 20.7-megapixel camera on the back meanwhile packs and loads of pixels, letting you digitally zoom in without losing too much quality. It also comes with a bunch of shooting modes including burst mode, panorama, and manual control, letting you get some great snaps in a variety of conditions. The screen is one aspect that doesn't quite standout to its larger sibling. It has a 720 rather than full 1080p resolution which might seem a little disappointing. Bear in mind though that a smaller screen needs fewer pixels to remain sharp. In fact, I found the compact screen to be extremely crisp with no fuzziness around icons or small texts. With good colors and great viewing angles too, it's a generally excellent display. The Sony Xperia Z1 Compacts provides loads of power and a great camera with a stunning waterproof body. You'll be enlisting after a top end android phone, but it's preferred the more pocketable size of the iPhone, the Z1 Compact is definitely the phone to go for. It is without doubt the best compact android phone around. I'm Andrew Hall for CNET and this is the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact.