Sony Xperia XA (2017) Outed Ahead Of MWC? Video Leak Shows Familiar Phone Design, Android 7.0 Nougat OS

Loyal Sony fans who have been waiting for the Japanese company to drop more details about its upcoming smartphones are in luck this week. One of the devices that Sony will be showcasing at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona has already made an appearance online ahead of the February exhibition. The Xperia XA gave a good impression to consumers despite its mid-range status last year. Hence, Sony is planning to impress more people this year with the release of the Xperia XA (2017).

Just this Friday, YouTube channel TechLover HD shared a video showing what appears to be a prototype for the new Xperia XA. Based on its appearance, consumers shouldn’t expect a drastic change in the form factor of the handset. The large top and bottom bezels are still there to irritate people who are more invested in bezel-less phones.

The prototype that TechLover HD got has the model code G3121. It isn’t clear if Sony is debuting the device with this code. The leak doesn’t mention anything about the specs and features of the smartphone, but the video title claims the upcoming Xperia XA (2017) is sporting a 23-megapixel back camera. Should this be the case, Sony is doing a big jump from the 13-megapixel rear shooter of the original Xperia XA.

The handset in the video appears to be running on Android 7.0 Nougat, and it even has the Jan. 5, 2017 security patch installed. This means either the prototype is a recent one, or that it’s a old prototype with an updated software. When the original Xperia XA was launched, it debuted with Android OS v6.0.1 Marshmallow, so it won’t be surprising if the successor will run the latest OS available at present.

According to Android Headlines, the phone in the video leak seems to have more of a matte color on the sides and at the back. The tech news site pointed out that this is the trend Sony is embracing this year for its Xperia X series of devices.

Sony is expected to unveil five new devices at MWC this year. The company’s press conference is scheduled to happen on the first day of the trade show. It’s quite likely for Sony to only introduce smartphones and tablets at the exhibition, for it has already outed its other products at CES 2017 this January.