I have just bought myself a Sony Z3 compact.

The method of charging is a bit awkward .. having to unclip a side cover. This may, eventually break off.

I've been looking online and see that a magnetic charging unit is sold, to make charging easier. has anybody bought one of these and which would they recommend. Some seem pretty cheap.

A docking station is also available, but as I have a full cover, that may not work.

thanks

The official Sony one is superb! Slightly slower charge time, but works with the cover too, assuming the cover has a hole for the charging points.

This one works wonders for me:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnector-X-...arger+magnetic

I can vouch for that. Very strong magnetic connection, as good as a Sony original.

Be aware that not all of the third party clones work anywhere near as good, and fall off if you so much as look at it the wrong way. They're cheaper but end up in the bin as they're useless.

I can vouch for this too, got it for my Z2 last month. Charges nice and quick, and has advantages over the official dock (some cases don't fit the dock, and I believe the dock forces a landscape portrait on the phone (?) ).

Been impressed with this magnetic charging thing, and the Z2/3 phones do feel far ahead tech wise (and androud "skin" wise of the recent Samsung offerings, really looking forward to Z4, and I hope rumours that Sony might be pulling out of phones are incorrect.

Very little is said about the magnetic port on the Xperia range. It might get a small mention in a review, but nobody that reviews the phone seems to think it's something to shout about - yet it's a really, really useful feature and something I miss if using another phone.

I have a couple of these cables, plus two Sony official docks, so I rarely have to open the USB flap.

After 4 months I've decided to get rid of my Z3 compact.

The flappy cover to the charging socket is dreadful, it slides off of any surface known to man, and the battery life is atrocious

Wow! My experience is the exact opposite of yours! Having had N4, N5, moto g, and note 3; the z3c really works for me. Battery life better than note 3 and less intrusive custom software. It even beats the moto g for battery, which is pretty good.

Sliding was fixed with a barely there silicone case. Charging with a magnetic cable and dock.

Regarding cables, I use the same cable as mentioned above and it is far better than two cheaper leads I bought earlier.

I'd agree about the slipperyness of the phone but I have mine in a Ringke Fusion case so no problems there. I charge my phone up once a week so don't know what's wrong with yours.
I also have a magnetic clamp on charging adapter which works well providing you locate it properly. Charges from ca 25% to 100% in just under 3 hours. Best smartphone I've ever had.

Same here, the battery life on mine is superb. On fairly heavy usage I only need to charge it every three days.

I do agree about the slippy/slidiness, but a case fixes that.

When I got my Z3, I placed it on the side of my bath and it started to slide along - quite spooky given I was fairly certain it was level!

It certainly does need a rear 'screen' protector if not a case. Once either are fitted, it's nice and stable.

Battery life on my Z3 (not Compact) is not an issue. Indeed, battery life is very good. My average is 18 hours, usually with 3-4 hours screen on time.

The Z3 Compact I believe can perform better thanks to its smaller/lower resolution display, or at least the same.

I clocked up 2 days 20 hrs and still had 6 hours left the other day on my z3 compact before I charged it. Have mine in a case too