Reportedly set for unboxing on September 29, Google's LG Nexus 5 2015 will tussle with rival smartphones near its 5.2-inch screen profile and one that easily comes to mind is the handy Sony Xperia Z5 Compact that will sport a 4.6-inch display panel.
The Z5 Compact is the smallest of the latest Sony Xperia flagships, the balance composed of the Z5 Premium and Z5 Regular, but in spite of its diminutive size it can surely give the new LG Nexus 5, also known as Nexus 5X an interesting fight.
In fact, in a one-one-one showdown there are many areas that the Z5 Compact will emerge as the winner. What follows are five of them:
Build and design
Sony built the Z5 Compact using a mixture of metal and glass. Glass not only covers the front panel but also the back plate, specifically in frosted glass finish. Rimmed around the device edge is a metal material that only highlights the compact device's premium make.
The Nexus 5X, on the other hand, also has glass on the outside but still uses a material that flagship device makers are starting to shun - plastic. So when the two rivals are sitting side by side, the Z5 Compact will easily stand out as the better handset all the more with its signature Sony design philosophy.
Platform specs
Bannering the Nexus 5 2015 platform is the pure Android 6.0 Marshmallow, definitely its biggest edge over other Android devices, that is brought to life by a 6-core Snapdragon 808 with 2GB of RAM.
The Android on the Z5 Compact is skinned, a letdown for many Android fans, but Sony is compensating by firing up the handset with an 8-core Snapdragon 810 chip that is tapped to 2GB of RAM. In terms of speed and snap, the small Z5 gets the better score.
Killer camera
On the camera front, the Z5 Compact is no doubt a killer with this confirmed menu - a 23MP main shooter laced with phase detection, LED flash, HDR and video capture at 2160p@30fps. The front facing camera is equally compelling with its 5.1MP sensor, assuring users that the kit is a top-class selfie recorder.
As for the Nexus 5X, nothing is definite at the moment though rumors are saying that the shooting package will be headlined by a two-tone LED flash and laser auto-focus for stability in capturing photos. The sensor menu remain in the speculative zone as there are report that claim the main shooter is only 8MP that is paired with a 2MP secondary cam. But a combo of 13MP rear and 5MP front is still expected.
The storage edge
The latest word points to two storage configurations for the Nexus 5X - 32GB and 64GB but there are claims too that the memory options could be as low as 16GB and 32GB. Whichever will come true, it's nearly confirmed that the Nexus 5 2015 is without a microSD slot, erasing any prospect of memory expansion.
At the moment, Sony is known to retail the Xperia Z5 Compact in only 32GB configuration but the pocket monster can surely chew in and store files as it will unbox with a slot for extra memory that is said to accommodate up 200GB of additional space.
Superior protective features
One feature that is exclusive to the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact on release date, which the LG Nexus 5 2015 will surely skip, is its built-in protection against dust and liquid. The Z5 Compact is resistant against dust and water intrusions, billed to resurface intact after dunking into 1.5-meter deep water for up to 30 minutes.