On the heels of releasing the Xperia X Performance smartphone a few months ago, Sony is back with another couple of handsets. At IFA 2016, Sony announced the Xperia XZ, which is being called the true flagship of its new X series of smartphones. The company also announced a new smaller handset, the Xperia X compact. Combining preferred aspects of both the X and the Z smartphone lines, the XZ flagship banks on power and an advanced camera to woo customers. The Compact, on the other hand, hopes to speak to those who still prefer a tinier (and likely less expensive) device.

Let's take a look at the Xperia XZ first: at a glance, it's nearly identical to the Xperia X Performance, but it has a few small differences. The edges have what Sony calls a "loop surface:" the top and bottom edges resemble long, flat ovals, while the rounded sides bulge out just slightly. The water-resistant handset is made of a specially treated metal with an aluminum base, giving it a satin-like finish. Sony likes color, so the XZ will be available in a new "forest blue" as well as black and platinum.

Sony's big focus with the XZ (and the X Compact as well) is a refined camera. The company spent a lot of time updating the main camera, adding more sensors and updating existing features. While Sony's smartphone shooters already have image stabilization, the XZ's 23-megapixel camera has X and Y shift shake to create a five-axis image stabilization. A new RGB sensor helps accurately white balance photos so colors come out more true to life, leaving behind any overly warm or cool hues. Sony even improved its hybrid autofocus by giving the XZ a laser autofocus, which uses laser technology to glean how far away a photo's subject is in order to properly focus and reduce blur.

The front-facing camera has improved noise reduction thanks to pixel thinning, but the rear camera gets most of the updates in the XZ and X Compact. The XZ can shoot 4K video, but the X Compact doesn't have that feature just yet. The X Compact also has a 5MP front-facing camera, which is less than the 13MP front shooter on the XZ.

Sony is also pushing the new handsets' efficiency. Both make use of Qnovo adaptive battery charge, which monitors the smartphone's battery to avoid excess charging. There's also a Sony app called Smart Cleaner that gives you tips on how to more efficiently use your smartphone in order to maximize speed, performance, and battery life. Speaking of batteries, the XZ has a 2,900 mAh battery, while the X Compact holds a 2,700 mAh battery.

The two biggest features that set the Xperia XZ apart from the $699 Xperia X Performance are its slightly larger battery and advanced camera. The other differences of note are the XZ's slightly larger 5.2-inch FHD display (the X Performance has a 5-inch FHD screen) and its USB Type-C charging port (the X Performance uses microUSB). Otherwise, both have the same Snapdragon 820 CPU, 3GB of RAM, and maximum of 64GB of flash storage that can be expanded to 256GB. Sony hasn't released pricing info yet for the XZ or the X Compact, but a representative told me the XZ will likely be more expensive than the X Performance.

Considering the X Performance was blasé at best, it's going to be hard to justify an even higher price tag for a handset that's not incredibly different. People who spend most of their time taking smartphone photos may be persuaded by Sony's camera updates, and someone who values efficiency over all else might want to give the new battery-saving features a try.

As for the Xperia X Compact's specs, it has a 4.6-inch HD display and a maximum of 32GB of flash storage with the option to expand via microSD. It has the same 3GB of RAM as the XZ and uses a USB Type-C port to charge. It will also be available in Sony's color of the season—blue—but in a more icy hue than the forest blue of the XZ. Because it's made from cheaper materials, the Compact is not water-resistant.

The Xperia X Compact will be available in the US on September 25, while the Xperia XZ will come to the States on October 23.