Sony Xperia X Series 2017 news, rumors, and release dates

Sony Xperia X Series 2017 news, rumors, and release dates

Sony had quite a 2016, but its 2017 looks to be even more exciting. So far, we’ve seen the Sony Xperia XZs, XZ Premium, XA1, and XA1 Ultra.

Despite those releases, rumor has it that potentially even more phones are right around the corner — and we’ve already started hearing about them. Sony reportedly has three other handsets in the pipeline: the Xperia XZ1, XZ1 Compact, and X1. Although we don’t know much about them just yet, it’s believed they could debut at this year’s International Franchise Association Conference in Berlin in September.

While initial reports suggested Sony was also prepping a successor to last year’s Xperia X and X Compact, the company confirmed during its yearly investor meeting that it will be discontinuing that line to focus instead on true flagships and midrange models. The Xperia X was positioned as Sony’s “Premium Standard” family — devices offering nearly high-end internals without the high-end price tag.

Here’s everything we know about Sony’s upcoming devices, as well as pricing and availability information for those that have already been revealed.

Sony Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact

The Xperia XZ1 is pegged to be Sony’s next flagship, and leaked specifications, courtesy of German site Review.ge by way of Playfuldroid, would support that claim. The XZ1 will reportedly feature a 5.2-inch 1080p display, driven by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 system-on-chip. The device will pack 4GB of RAM as well as a 3,000mAh battery, also according to the rumors.

The code name for the XZ1 is said to be “G8341,” and a device bearing that designation has popped up on Geekbench. It boasts the same specifications as mentioned in the Review.ge report, but is also said to be running Android 7.1.1 Nougat. The listing shows a single-core score of 1,909 and a multi-core score of 6,459. The news comes from Playfuldroid.

In classic Sony fashion, the XZ1 is expected to launch alongside a smaller device packing similar power. The XZ1 Compact, as it is called, will feature the same processor and memory as its larger sibling, only with a 4.6-inch 720p display and a 2,800mAh battery.

Recently, an Antutu benchmark shared by Pocketnow revealed specs for a Sony device named “G8441” that resembles the XZ1 Compact. The hint is in the display resolution and processor: The benchmark cites a 720p display and Snapdragon 835 chipset. A pairing of such a low-resolution screen and premium system-on-chip would not make much sense unless the device was very small, and Sony has a precedent for shoehorning top-of-the-line silicon into its Compact series of devices.

Otherwise, the phone is said to feature 4GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage, as well as a pair of 8-megapixel cameras. Whether that refers to two at the back in a dual-sensor arrangement, or one in the rear and another in the front, is unclear. Interestingly, the device also appears to be running Android 8.0, which has yet to be released and is still in the developer preview stages. If true, you can expect the regular XZ1 to also launch with version 8.0 onboard.

Both of these phones are rumored to launch at the upcoming IFA Conference in Berlin, alongside yet another product: The Xperia X1. Sony has announced it will hold a pre-IFA event on August 31, so expect more news there.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium

Sony launched the Xperia XZ in September but soon launched a follow-up at MWC in the form of the Xperia XZ Premium. The new device has quite a lot to offer in the specs department, and could come at a decent price for a flagship, too.

The latest news surrounding the phone is that we now know it will be available for pre-order starting on June 12, and available for purchase a week later on June 19. You’ll be able to get the phone through all the usual channels — including Best Buy and Amazon — and the device will start at $800, which is quite a price to pay.

Under the hood, the device features the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, making it one of the first devices to do so. Accompanying that chip, the device offers 4GB of RAM and a nice 64GB of storage — however that storage can be upgraded with the MicroSD card by up to 256GB. The rear-facing camera sits in at 19-megapixels with an f/2.0 aperture, while the front-facing camera comes in at 13-megapixels, also with an f/2.0 aperture.

When it comes to the display, the phone has a 5.46-inch screen with a resolution of a massive 3,840 x 2,160 and a 807 pixels-per-inch.

Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra

The Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra is a slightly higher-powered version of the standard XA1, however the two phones share many of the same specs. For example, the device does feature a MediaTek Helio P20 processor, along with 4GB of RAM. When it comes to storage, the phone offers 32GB — although once again you’ll get a microSD card slot to add as much as 256GB of storage.

Once again, the camera has a 23-megapixel sensor, while the front-facing camera has been upgraded to a 16-megapixel shooter. We now know that the phone will be available for pre-order on June 12, and will be available for purchase on June 21. We don’t yet know exactly how much the device will cost. Here’s what we thought of the phone when we got our hands on it.

Sony Xperia X1

The X1 is purported to complement the XA1 and XA1 Ultra released earlier this year as another of Sony’s midrange offerings. The primary difference may be the silicon powering the device: while the XA1 and XA1 Ultra pack MediaTek’s Helio P20 processor, the X1 will reportedly receive Qualcomm’s just-revealed Snapdragon 660. With 4GB of RAM, the X1 could be much more powerful than those two phones.

Otherwise, the X1 will reportedly contain a 5-inch 1080p screen as well as a 2,800mAh battery. All the phones expected to launch at IFA have been linked to new camera technology that will allow “full pixel continuous shooting,” according to the Review.ge report.

Sony Xperia XA1

While the Xperia XZ series is Sony’s flagship lineup, the Xperia XA is decidedly more midrange. The Xperia XA1 has a 5.0-inch display with a 720 x 1,280 resolution, and under the hood it’s powered by a MediaTek Helio P20 processor, coupled with 3GB of RAM. When it comes to storage, the phone features 32GB — however it does have a MicroSD card slot for more storage if you so choose.

Then comes the cameras, and the rear-facing camera has a 23-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture, while the front-facing camera’s sensor sits in at 8 megapixels.

The Xperia XA1 will cost $300 unlocked, which is quite pricey for its features — especially when you consider cheaper competitors like the new Moto G5. It will release in the United States on May 1, and can be pre-ordered immediately from Amazon and Best Buy. Other retailers, such as Fry’s and B&H, will also carry the device. You can read our first take hands-on report here.

Sony Xperia XZs

The Xperia XZs may not be as high-powered as the Xperia XZ Premium, but it still has quite a lot to offer. For example, the phone features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 — which is Qualcomm’s 2015 flagship processor. Sony has coupled that chip with 4GB of RAM and either 32GB or 64GB of storage.

The rear-facing camera on the Xperia XZs is the same 19-megapixel shooter as the XZ Premium, while the front-facing camera comes in at 13-megapixels. The display on the phone may not be as important as the XZ Premium, but it’s still relatively nice with its 1,080 x 1,920 5.2-inch display. The phone is available as of April 5, and costs $700. Check out our hands-on report here

Updated: Added possible benchmarking details about the Xperia XZ1 Compact.

(Why?)

Published at Fri, 28 Jul 2017 17:59:36 +0000