It’s an open secret now that Sony is prepping to launch three Xperia smartphones at IFA 2017. Sure, the smartphones have been through several leaks and rumors, even revealing some of the possible specs of the devices. However, there still exist many uncertainties when it comes to the design and other key aspects of the phones. Of the three handsets, Sony will launch this year, two of them – Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact – will deliver brand new design and high-end specs.
Sure, Sony’s current flagship – Xperia XZ Premium is a pretty good phone when it comes to performance and features. In fact, the main highlight of the phone is its 4K HDR display. The display is just brilliant, although it’s a bit of an overkill for a 5.5-inch device. And, one of the other features we loved in the XZ Premium is the Super Slow-Mo – it can shoot slow motion videos at a whopping 960 frames per second. Now, to compare, Apple’s latest flagship, the iPhone 7, can shoot slow-mo videos at just 240 fps.
But, there’s one prominent feature that the XZ Premium lacked – an all-screen front design. Instead, the smartphone came with a year old design that has huge bezels on the top and bottom. At least, we can all agree on the fact that XZ Premium looks ugly when compared to other flagships in the market. On the other hand, the Galaxy S8 features a gorgeous design backed by an Infinity display. This has indeed disappointed many hard-core Xperia fans out there, who were expecting a new design from their favorite company. Speaking of which, the phone features the same old classic Sony design, which has indeed become old and boring.
But, it’s all going to change soon! Or at least, that’s what the rumors have to say. Sony has apparently taken the criticisms and negative consumer reactions, and is prepping to launch a series of Xperia phones to take over the current leaders of the industry – Samsung, and Apple. According to several reliable sources, Sony is ditching the old design for a new all-screen front design.
Rumors are pointing out that at least two of the forthcoming Xperia phones – presumably the Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact – will be designed completely anew from the ground up. However, both the phones will lack a 4K display, and instead, they will come with a 1080p display. Quite disappointing, if you ask me! But so what? The new Xperia phones will be much thinner with a relatively smaller capacity battery providing the same battery life as the XZ Premium, if not better!
If we are to by the rumors, the Xperia XZ1 will be backed by a 3000 mAh battery. Besides that, the new Xperia phones will run the latest Android 8.0 ‘O’ out of the box. Quite a feast for the Xperia fans! However, Sony has promised the update for the XZ Premium users, and will start rolling out the update out as soon as they complete tweaking it for the best user experience.
Apart from these, GeekBench listing has revealed that both the Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact will pack Galaxy S8-grade specs. Yes, we are talking about the Qualcomm’s high-end chipset Snapdragon 835 and 4GB RAM making their way into these forthcoming flagships.
Several rumors have almost confirmed the launch of three new Xperia phones on August 31st this year. Sony will launch a mid-range phone, dubbed Xperia X1, alongside the flagship devices.
Update:
A picture allegedly showcasing the rear panel of the device has leaked online. And, there’s an interesting thing about this leak. It shows that the panel will have an extra large hole for inserting the flash light. Now why is that, we don’t know for sure. But apparently, it is a known fact that the forthcoming Xperia XZ1 should have a Laser AutoFocus and RGBC-IR sensor, although the two of this teeny hardware wouldn’t need a hole as large as that to sit comfortably. But, don’t you worry about it as we are about to hear all the nitty-gritty details regarding the handset from none other than the horse’s mouth on August 31st.
The Rumor Talk is a recurring column by Android Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief, Abhin Mahipal. It is essentially a round up of all rumors and leaks surrounding an upcoming device, coupled with his own opinions on the same.
