Hot on the heels of the Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet coming exclusively to Verizon, we have more Sony Mobile news for US fans. Revealed at CES 2014, the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact has been touted as doing compact the right way by offering big features in a small form. Let’s be honest, a lot of us still want a great camera and fast phone but aren’t necessarily interested in carrying a phone the size of a tablet. Unfortunately for those in the US, the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact simply hasn’t been an option for them. Until today.

Starting today, you can purchase the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact directly from Sony. Due to its lack of carrier support, you’ll be shelling out $550 for the smartphone. On the upside, it means it comes fully unlocked from Sony, allowing you to take it to any GSM carrier with no contracts. It’s worth noting though that the LTE chipset in this particular product doesn’t bode well for those eyeing AT&T but T-Mobile should be no problem.

The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact comes in your choice of black, pink, or white and features a 4.3-inch Triluminous display with a 20.7-megapixel camera and 800 Quad-core 2.2 Ghz processor with 2GB RAM. Those wanting to know more about the Xperia Z1 Compact can read our full breakdown here.

Discuss:

Is the lack of official carrier support a deal breaker for you or do you prefer manufactured unlocked phones?

[Via Sony]