Six months after it was initially announced, Sony has finally released the Xperia Z1 Compact in the United States. The handset will not be available via any carrier but instead users will directly have to shell out $550 to buy it unlocked from Sony’s own US web store.

If you are looking for a flagship handset with a screen size that is less than 5-inches, the Z1 Compact is perfect for you. The handset sports a dust and water resistant (IP58) design, a Snapdragon 800 processor clocked at 2.26GHz, 2GB of RAM, a 20.7MP Exmor R camera at the rear, a 4.3-inch 72op display and a 2300mAh battery.

The handset is fully compatible with AT&T as well as T-Mobile’s LTE network. Sprint and Verizon users though should strictly stay away from this phone. Software wise, the handset will ship with the very latest version of Android — KitKat — out of the box with Sony’s own Xperia UI on top of it.

If interested, head over to Sony’s web store to purchase the Xperia Z1 Compact for $550 in either Black, White or Pink.

• SourceSony