Sony's Xperia XZ2 line has been on the market for barely three months, but it seems the company could already be gearing up to roll out a successor.
On Tuesday (Aug. 28), Sony teased an Xperia-related announcement from its official Twitter account. The short video embedded in the tweet mentions the date Aug. 30, as well as the hashtag #SonyIFA. The IFA conference just kicked off in Berlin earlier this week, and runs until Sept. 5.
If it is indeed the Xperia XZ3 that Sony plans to unveil at the IFA stage, we actually have a fair idea of what to expect.
We've received a couple leaks of the device thus far — somewhat surprising, given Sony's short turnaround — and they mostly pertain to the handset's design.
Remember that crazy 48-MP image sensor Sony announced a few weeks ago? It's expected to debut in the XZ3, based on a Geekbench spec sheet obtained by Japanese blog Sumaho Info. The IMX586 sensor would allow the XZ3 to take incredibly crisp shots in the daytime, while its pixel-binning tech should let more light in for dark scenarios.
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Sony also tells us the IMX586 is capable of capturing 4K video at 90 frames per second, and it's relatively compact compared to sensors found in other flagship handsets.
In an image shared by MySmartPrice on Aug. 24, renders of a device with Xperia branding show off a series of color options, including burgundy and a dark teal. Sony is expected to offer the XZ3 in these hues. But what's more interesting is the phone's striking similarity to the XZ2: the curved, polished glass back is still present, as are bezels of similar size to what we see on the current generation device.
There's only one camera at the back of this XZ3 render, and the rear-facing fingerprint sensor once again looks to have been placed quite low. Previously, Sony has claimed that unusual design choice maximizes comfort, but we found it caused more harm than good when we reviewed the XZ2 back in May.
Another render produced by OnLeaks and CompareRaja and reportedly based on official CAD renders shows off the black variant from both sides. From this image, it's clear to see that Sony has followed the lead of many phone makers now by rounding the corners of the display — although the company is apparently continuing to resist the trend toward notches. Also, note the bit of trim on the bottom of the backside surrounding the USB Type-C port. It's a small change, but it's present in all the leaks shown above, and it adds credence to their legitimacy.
We're very excited to see what that new camera can do, and seems like we may get our first hint tomorrow. Tom's Guide is covering all the news from the IFA show floor, so be sure to check back on Thursday to find out what Sony has in store.
