The recently-unveiled Sony Xperia Z1 compact is now available for purchase in the UK as well, directly from the Sony Mobile Store.

Sony recently started taking pre-orders for its new Xperia Z1 Compact smartphone in Europe, and the handset has now officially gone on sale in the UK.

The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is available from the Sony Mobile Store UK for £449. The price includes taxes and is for the unlocked smartphone, without any contract ties.

As the name itself suggests, the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is designed as a smaller, more compact version of the popular Xperia Z1 powerhouse. Unlike other "Mini" versions of flagships from other companies, however, Sony's Xperia Z1 Compact doesn't compromise high-end specifications to accommodate the smaller form factor.

The smartphone comes with a 4.3-inch HD display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 and packs the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor under the hood, coupled with 2GB of RAM. The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact further boasts the same high-end 20.7-megapixel Sony Exmor RS camera found on the flagship Xperia Z1. A 2,300 mAh battery will provide a good battery performance, and the handset comes with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean out of the box.

Moreover, just like the flagship Xperia Z1, the smaller Xperia Z1 Compact is waterproof, allowing users to use it even underwater for up to 30 minutes and take stunning aquatic photographs. In fact, the company markets the Xperia Z1 Compact as "the best of Sony in a compact, waterproof smartphone."

The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is available in the UK in four color options: black, white, pink, and yellow.

If paying £449 for the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact unlocked doesn't sound too good, you can also check offers to purchase the smartphone on-contract with a mobile operator. Sony lists Phones4U offers for the handset on Vodafone, EE, T-Mobile and Orange on its website. The price will vary based on the plan you choose. The lowest price for a plan on which the Xperia Z1 Compact would be available for free is with Vodafone and comes in at £29 per month for two years. Check out the Sony Mobile Store for more details and offers.