Sony rumored to launch four Xperia flagships next year

[Humza]

Rumor mill: Sony's most recent quarter might be one of the worst in its history when it comes to selling smartphones, but the company refuses to give up the segment and could be planning to release as many as four flagships next year, if leaks are to be believed.

Sony's smartphone business has been in a steady decline for many years now. Even the company's latest crop of phones like the Xperia 1 and Xperia 5, have failed to turn the tide as the company managed to sell just 600,000 Xperias in its latest quarter (Q2 FY19), a figure that's down by a million units when compared to the same period last year.

Nevertheless, a new leak from Japanese website Android Next suggests that Sony could be revealing four new flagship models in 2020. These would be called the Xperia 0, Xperia 1.1, Xperia 3 and Xperia 5.1.

All phones are expected to feature the latest Snapdragon 865 SoC and 5G connectivity, with the Xperia 0 being the highest-end model. This phone will boast six cameras on the back, a 5K display on the front and is being seen as a successor to the Xperia XZ3. The Xperia 0 is rumored to make an appearance at IFA 2020.

Meanwhile, the Xperia 1.1 and 5.1 are reportedly the successors to Sony's latest lineup and could be unveiled at next year's MWC in February. Both models will have four rear cameras with the Xperia 5.1 getting a QHD display as opposed to the Xperia 1.1's 4K screen.

The last model is the Xperia 3 which is likely to be a successor to the XZ2 Compact. Although no announcement date or linked event has been mentioned for this phone, it's expected to be the smallest one in 2020's Xperia range and will feature a triple camera setup on the back and a QHD display.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/82832-sony-rumored-launch-four-xperia-flagships-next-year.html

 

[Vulcanproject]

The XZ2 Compact was a stupendous small phone and Sony need to replace it with another.

High end hardware crammed in a small form factor is something Android hasn't really had for years outside the Sony compact lineup, so another is very welcome.

 

[Skjorn]

You can have 4 flagships? I'd say the 5k one is the flagship.

 

[Adi6293]

If my XZ Premium lasts me sill next year I might just upgrade it with Xperia 0

 

[Dyson Parkes]

If my XZ Premium lasts me sill next year I might just upgrade it with Xperia 0

My XZ Premium is still going strong - Sony made good phones. Probably why the business started failing - no 'planned obsolescence' or having to replace every 2 years for current software meant things lasted longer than competitors.

 

[RaXelliX]

The XZ2 Compact was a stupendous small phone and Sony need to replace it with another.

High end hardware crammed in a small form factor is something Android hasn't really had for years outside the Sony compact lineup, so another is very welcome.

XZ2 Compact was a failiure. Bad design coupled with bigger size. The last true Compact was XZ1C.
Besides I doubt Sony will produce another compact outside Japan.

 

[Vulcanproject]

XZ2 Compact was a failiure. Bad design coupled with bigger size. The last true Compact was XZ1C.
Besides I doubt Sony will produce another compact outside Japan.

It wasn't a failure at all. It was the only viable small, ~5 inch Android phone in the world with the full performance SD845 chipset at that time. Not to mention you could get it for only about $550 to boot when larger flagships with comparable hardware were $200 more expensive. It didn't even sweat keeping up with a Galaxy S9 in performance or battery life!

It was a very good phone and by far the best choice for compact, powerful Android. XZ1 dated quite quickly, because it still only had a 720p screen. Only the XZ2 appeared to replace it at the same form factor.

Sony were never likely to replace it quickly, but I will take anything that high end in a small form factor. Everyone else has given up on performance phones in that segment, which is a crying shame for variety in the market.