The Xperia Z3 Compact is a cut-down version of Sony's latest flagship

Sony may've decided against making a pint-sized variant of its previous leading device, but not this generation. The company's announced at its IFA press conference the Xperia Z3 Compact, a smaller version of the new flagship also revealed today. Here's the thing to remember about the smaller variant -- it packs the same quad-core 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 chipset under the hood, 20.7-megapixel rear camera (complete with Sony's Exmor RS sensor) and the same sort of rounded waterproof chassis as its big brother. It's the screen that differs most dramatically -- we're looking at a 4.6-inch Triluminos display running at 720p, a pretty significant step down from the 5.2-inch 1080p panel that graces the full-size Z3. Yeah, we know, a 720p screen seems downright passé these days, but it might be a small price to pay for someone tired of all these pocket-busting phablets floating around out there. Of course, you can also expect that slightly less impressive screen to drive the Z3 Compact's price tag down, though at this point we're not entirely sure how much cheaper it'll be than the Z3 when it launches this fall.

Update: Check out our hands-on for a deeper look.