Four real-life images depicting what’s said to be the shell of the upcoming Xperia XZ1 surfaced online on Tuesday, having originally been shared by one industry insider from China. The photographs that can be seen below indicate that the rumored device will sport a sizeable camera module in the top-left corner of its rear panel which seems to be significantly larger to the one found on the Xperia XZ Premium. The shell itself also heavily hints at an all-metal design of the upcoming handset, in addition to having a larger LED flash opening than the one found on Sony Mobile’s Android flagship that was announced earlier this year at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain. Much like the Xperia XZ Premium, it seems that the primary imaging system of the upcoming flagship will also rely on a single sensor. Finally, the newly leaked panel suggests that Sony is still adamant to continue pursuing its OmniBalance product design philosophy which strives for symmetry, with the module itself boasting a relatively rectangular shape without aggressively rounded corners.
According to previous rumors pertaining to the device, the Xperia XZ1 will sport a 5.2-inch display panel with a resolution of 1,920 by 1,080 pixels and a conventional aspect ratio of 16:9. Despite its smaller form factor and a downgraded screen, the handset should otherwise be comparable to the original Xperia XZ Premium, with numerous sources claiming it’s set to be powered by the Snapdragon 835, Qualcomm’s latest and most powerful mobile system-on-chip (SoC). Other recent rumors point to a 19-megapixel main camera module and a 12-megapixel secondary one, both of which are said to ship with support for 4K video.
The Xperia XZ1 is expected to be unveiled in the run-up to this year’s IFA trade show that’s scheduled to start in Berlin, Germany, on September 1. Apart from the compact flagship, the Japanese original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is also rumored to use the upcoming event as an opportunity to launch the Xperia XZ1 Compact and Xperia X1. All three smartphones are said to be planned for September release, though their price tags are yet to be revealed.
