Sony has announced a "Compact" version of its Xperia Z1, bringing with it many of the flagship features from its bigger brother and setting a new standard in the "mini" smartphone market.

But with the Moto G being the star of the smaller, more affordable, devices at the moment, we thought we'd compare it to the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact to see how it measures up to a device of similar size.

The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact has a sharper display

The Xperia Z1 Compact sports a 4.3-inch display compared to the Moto G, which is slightly larger at 4.5-inches.

But size isn't everything and while the Moto G is bigger, the Xperia Z1 Compact is the winner in terms of resolution. Both devices feature a 1280 x 720 display, but the pixel density of the Sony comes in at 341ppi compared to the Moto G's 329ppi. This means you'll find a slightly crisper and sharper image with the Xperia Z1 Compact, although it probably wouldn't be a big enough difference for the human eye to notice.

READ: Hands-on: Sony Xperia Z1 Compact review

We were impressed with the Moto G's display when we had it in for review, and the introduction of IPS on the Xperia Z1 Compact makes a huge difference in the quality and viewing angles so neither should be ruled out for their display.

The Xperia Z1 Compact is smaller, thinner and lighter

When it comes to physical size, the Xperia Z1 Compact is smaller, thinner and lighter than the Moto G, plus it is also waterproof.

For those counting, the Xperia Z1 Compact measures 127 x 64.9 x 9.5mm and weighs 140g compared to the Moto G, which comes in at 129.9 x 65.9 x 11.6mm with a weight of 143g.

We really liked the feel of the Moto G when we had it in for review, and we thought the smaller size of the Xperia Z1 Compact worked well and was more manageable than its larger brother.

The Xperia Z1 Compact will be faster

Under the hood, the Xperia Z1 Compact is a powerful beast, packing in a quad-core 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor compared to the Moto G's quad-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor.

While we didn't find many things the Moto G couldn't handle during our time with it, the Xperia Z1 Compact will be faster at performing the everyday tasks you throw at it and it is the first mini smartphone to feature the same processor as the flagship which inspired it.

READ: Motorola Moto G review

You'll find better storage capabilities on the Xperia Z1 Compact in that it supports microSD for further expansion up to 64GB, but aside from that both devices are the same in this field.

The Xperia Z1 Compact is available with 16GB internal storage, while the Moto G has 8GB and 16GB options.

The Xperia Z1 camera is a winner

For those that love a smartphone snap, the Xperia Z1 Compact is your winner, featuring the same 20.7-megapixel rear camera and 2-megapixel front camera found on the flagship Xperia Z1.

The Xperia Z1 Compact also comes with all the same camera features as its bigger brother, but there is no need to reject the Moto G just yet.

READ: Sony Xperia Z1 review

While it doesn't have the same megapixel count, featuring a 5-megapixel rear camera and 1.3-megapixel front camera, we weren't disappointed with the Moto G's offering.

You won't get the same quality shots, or the range of features on the Moto G that you will with the Xperia Z1 Compact, but you shouldn't be too disappointed unless you rely on smartphone shots to blow up and frame.

The Xperia Z1 Compact will last longer and is better connected

The usual connectivity features are available on both the Xperia Z1 Compact and the Moto G including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth as you would expect.

However, you will find a few more options with the Xperia Z1 Compact as it offers NFC and Qi wireless charging, as well as LTE support unlike the Moto G.

The battery is also slightly better on the Xperia Z1 Compact, which has a 2300mAh capacity, compared to the Moto G's 2070mAh capacity. Sony claims it will last you over a day, and we wouldn't be surprised if it did given the Xperia Z1 Compact will come with the company's Stamina software.

However, we weren't disappointed with the Moto G's ability to last the majority of the day either. We got around 14 hours from it in normal use so we expect we may get a couple more out of the Sony, but we will let you know when we get it in for full review.

The Moto G is much cheaper and has more colour options

The price of the Xperia Z1 Compact is £449 SIM free if you choose to buy direct from Sony, for 16GB of internal storage.

The Moto G starts at £135 for the 8GB model and increases to £159 for the 16GB model, offering really good value for money.

When it comes to customising options, the Moto G is a winner with multiple interchangeable backs available in a variety of colours, along with matching accessories.

The Xperia Z1 Compact will come in lime, pink, white and black offering a few less options for those that like a change once in a while.

Conclusion

While the Moto G was a winner when it went up against the HTC One mini and the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini, it looks like it could come in second place against the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact.

We love the Moto G for everything it offers and the attached price tag, but the Xperia Z1 Compact is faster, has a crisper display, a better camera, more storage options, better connectivity and the battery should last longer.

But with all that said, the Moto G is a fantastic device for its price, and the Xperia Z1 Compact at £290 more is in a totally different price bracket.

So for those who want a cheap device that does everything well, the Moto G might still be the best option. For those who want flagship specs in a smaller size and are willing to spend more, the Xperia Z1 Compact is a definite contender.

READ: Sony Xperia Z1 Compact vs Sony Xperia Z1: What's the difference?