Casing the best compact smartphone in the world: the Sony XZ1 Compact

Fans of The Phones Show will have seen my glowing report on the Sony XZ1 Compact - it's old fashioned in many ways, thanks to a 16:9 screen (i.e. BEZELS!) and it's 'old school' size, but it's a cracking handset that does everything (including having a headphone jack and stereo speakers) and yet fits in the smallest of pockets.

I even made the confident statement that its aluminium and reinforced plastic construction meant that it didn't need a case.

'Need'. Regardless, a case is till a good idea, especially if you're venturing into the great outdoors or live a rough and tough life. Which is where these two options come in, I'll link to the Mobile Fun pages that they were sourced from.

Both are highly recommended, though the second is undoubtedly my favourite, as you'll see.

Roxfit Gel Shell Slim, £15

The idea here is to be as minimal as possible, with ultra clear back to 'show off the phone' and with opaque outer rim with corner reinforcements, to protect the XZ1 Compact against drops:

In my case, my XZ1 Compact was white and this 'Snow silver' case was a good match, all looking rather handsome together:

Maybe a little too much writing on the back now, mind you - did we really need 'Made for Xperia' on the clear back, Roxfit? I think not!

The fit and finish is terrific though, around all jacks and features (e.g. camera and laser focus). As with all good cases, once it's 'on' it feels part of the phone. The TPU used for the outer edges is both glossy and grippy at the same time, it's just perfect.

Overall, I'd give this a 9/10 - recommended for anyone wanting to add protection to the Sony XZ1 Compact without going over the top or spoiling the phone's good looks.

Official Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Style Cover Stand, £30

'Folio' cases are something of a 'marmite' genre - you either love them or hate them. Me, I want to love them but the sheer bulk often put me off. Yet this first party Sony cover in (I think) neoprene has swayed me - it's terrific.

The difference here is, aside from the natural perfect fit and finish (this is the official Sony design), the use of neoprene means a much, much thinner material then the usual faux-leather-over-cardboard that is often used by cheaper folios. So you're only adding a couple of millimetres over and above the phone itself.

In situ, the phone/case combination 'just works'. You do have to authenticate with your thumb (on the XZ1 Compact's side) before opening the folio though, ideally, as you need some leverage on the body of the phone with  your middle finger in order to easily use the fingerprint sensor with your thumb.

Or you can just open the folio cover to see the lockscreen, since there are small sensors somewhere in the cover that tell the phone to power up when opened and then to turn off when closed. All very clever. Or, if you're very clever too, you'll be using Android's Smart Unlock facility when (e.g.) at home, meaning that you can just open the folio to see the full UI. 

It's very much up to you!

The top and bottom are left open, so you get easy access to headphone jack (top) and USB Type C jack (bottom).

Despite the extra couple of millimetres of thickness, I rather like the way the camera and its sensors, normally so exposed, are neatly framed and recessed, away from danger.

One of the unique advantages of a folding folio system, as here, is that it can form the basis of a 'stand' for watching media. And thanks to the clear screen and rather good stereo speakers, this is exactly what I often tend to use the XZ1 Compact for. The neoprene 'hinge' is supremely flexible and also very grippy, meaning that you can set the phone at any angle, to suit personal preference (again, something you don't get on cheaper cases):

A cracking case, I'm giving it the full 10/10, I can't think of any way of improving it. Yes, it's a little pricey, but then so was your smartphone and this is a perfect companion.

PS. You can see the full range of cases for the XZ1 Compact here at Mobile Fun.