IFA 2014: Sony confirms Xperia Z3, Z3 Compact and Z3 Compact Tablet

It may be only five months since the launch of the Xperia Z2 but already Sony has seen fit to upgrade its top dog smartphone, with the launch of the new Xperia Z3. Sporting a 5.2in full HD display, it's joined by a smaller sibling, the 4.6in, 720p Z3 Compact, and a new, 8in tablet, the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact.

The flagship phone and the new tablet both support high-resolution audio, the first Sony mobile devices to do so, while the tablet claims to be the world's slimmest and lightest compact tablet.

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As you'd expect, Sony incorporates technology from the rest of its AV business in to its new portable devices. Aside from high-res audio support, the Z3 claims to 'upscale' lower quality compressed files using its new DSEE HX technology to make them sound better. We'll reserve judgement on the "near high-resolution quality" claim. The phones also come with a set of noise-cancelling headphones.

On the display side of things, the new Xperia phones use Sony Triluminos technology, as seen on the company's TVs, alongside various picture processing technologies borrowed from the TV division.

The PS4 hasn't been neglected, with all three devices incorporating PS4 Remote Play, allowing the phones to control your PS4 on your TV, or for your to use a PS4 remote to play games on your phone or tablet should your TV be otherwise engaged.

Sony claims "the world's best camera and camcorder in a smartphone" on the Xperia Z3, thanks to improved sensors, lenses and picture processing and editing technologies.

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The Z3 Tablet Compact also supports high-res audio and sports many of the same features as the phones, from the Triluminos display, here on an 8in Full HD screen, to PS4 Remote Play.

A quad core 2.5 GHz processor with 3GB RAM sees the tablet head straight to the top of the power pile based on specs alone, while again dual cameras promise to borrow the best bits from Sony's camera knowhow and squeeze them in to a tablet.

We're on the ground in Berlin where Sony is launching the products so look out for our hands-on first impressions on the site very soon.

HANDS ON: Sony Xperia Z3 review

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Joe Cox
Content Director

Joe is Content Director for T3 and What Hi-Fi?, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for more than 15 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff, and the Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).