A set of images depicting protective cases that are said to belong to the Xperia XA2 and the Xperia L2 leaked online earlier this week, providing a number of hints in regards to what consumers can expect from Sony’s upcoming Android devices. The two handsets will both sport single-lens camera setups and may actually mark a departure from Sony’s tradition of installing side-mounted fingerprint readers into its devices, the leak suggests. Instead of embedding a scanner into the power button situated alongside the right edge of the two phones, the Japanese tech giant may instead opt for a more conventional, circular sensor centered approximately a third of the way down the rear plates of the devices, as evidenced by the cutouts featured by the leaked silicone cases.
A USB Type-C port will also be found on the Xperia XA2 and Xperia L2, as will a single bottom-facing speaker and a 3.5mm headphone jack, according to the same source. While the Tokyo-based original equipment manufacturer is widely expected to start adopting bezel-free mobile displays over the course of this year, the Xperia L2 and Xperia XA2 may still be made in accordance with the established OmniBalance design language characterized by regular-sized bezels and 16:9 screens that are likely to support nothing higher than an FHD resolution. The Xperia XA2 is rumored to be a part of a new series that will also include the Xperia XA2 Ultra, much like the lineup Sony introduced last Spring when it debuted the Xperia XA1 and Xperia XA1 Ultra. As both of those devices were mid-rangers, their successors are likely to compete in the same market segment, though they might drop MediaTek’s chips in favor of Qualcomm-made silicon, as per recent reports.
Should the Xperia XA2, Xperia XA2 Ultra, and the Xperia L2 follow in the availability footsteps of the handsets they’re meant to succeed, they’re likely to make a late February appearance in Barcelona, Spain, where the Mobile World Congress expo will be taking place. Besides a number of mid-rangers, Sony‘s MWC 2018 conference may also see the company finally introduce the widely rumored “Mirai” aesthetic that’s said to revolve around minimal bezels but may not fully embrace 18:9 (2:1) display panels like most other all-screen smartphones did so far.
