[4][5] The Japanese version of the Z1 Compact, dubbed the Sony Xperia Z1 f (SO-02F), was unveiled on 10 October 2013 and was released on 19 December 2013 exclusively for NTT DoCoMo.

Like its larger sibling, the Z1 Compact is waterproof and dust proof, and has an IP rating of IP55 and IP58.

[6] The key highlight of the Z1 Compact is its 20.7 megapixel Exmor RS camera, paired with Sony's in-house G lens and its image processing algorithm, called BIONZ.

[7][6] The phone also comes with a dedicated shutter button and has an aluminum unibody design, with a glass front and a plastic rear.

[6] The product white paper for this device was updated in mid-February 2014 to reflect the use of plastic on the rear panel, rather than the initially reported glass.