Sony Xperia 1, Instead of Xperia XZ4, Could Debut at MWC 2019; Press Render Leaks

Sony Xperia 1 is likely to debut as the next flagship model by the Japanese giant. The new moniker could be related to the handset that was previously reported as the Xperia XZ4. But ahead of any formal confirmation, a press render detailing the Xperia 1 has emerged on the Web. The new model, similar to what was seen in leaked renders of the Xperia XZ4, appears to have a triple rear camera setup. We can safely expect the arrival of the Xperia 1 at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019 later this month.

Prolific tipster Evan Blass, who posts unannounced developments on Twitter using his @evleaks account, has leaked a render showing a new Sony phone that would debut as the Xperia 1. The render shows that the phone has a triple rear camera setup along with an LED flash. The back panel of the handset also suggests NFC support.

The Xperia 1 seems to have a metal build and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. Unlike some of the previous Xperia models, the leaked model doesn't have the fingerprint sensor on top of the power key. Instead, it looks like there is a dedicated placement for the fingerprint sensor -- just between the volume rocker and the power key. There is also a physical camera shutter button.

The leaked device appears to be the model that was previously rumoured as the Xperia XZ4. Also, it is likely to be the successor to last year's Xperia XZ3.

Some previous reports claimed that the new Sony Xperia flagship will come with a 21:9 aspect ratio and include a Snapdragon 855 SoC, coupled with 6GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The new model could also run Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box with a new custom skin on top.

Blass, while responding to a user on Twitter , revealed that the Xperia 1 will have 4K HDR OLED panel. This suggests that the new model will sit alongside other premium models, including the Samsung Galaxy S10+. Also, the new development reminds us of the previous Xperia XZ Premium models that had 4K display panels.

Alongside the Xperia 1, Sony is expected to bring the Xperia XA3 and Xperia L3 at MWC 2019. The company is hosting its MWC event on February 25 to detail its new models.

Will MWC 2019 introduce port-less phones to the world? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.