Sony Xperia XZ2 Allegedly Leaks In Photo Ahead Of MWC 2018

Shortly after Sony teased it would announce a new flagship Android phone during mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018, a prototype for one of its upcoming phones leaked online. The leaked image allegedly shows the prototype of the Xperia XZ2 Compact.

The image of the Xperia XZ2 Compact was shared by a user named “Grisha” on Xperia Blog. The XZ2 Compact (right) is said to just be a prototype and that the final version of the device will have thinner bezels. The handset is being shown alongside the Xperia Z5 Compact (left).

Just based on the image, it appears as though the XZ2 Compact will have a thicker body. Most importantly, its back appears to have some sort of curved covering seemingly making it fit better in the palm of the user’s hand. This would fall in line with the teaser that Sony published yesterday.

The upcoming Xperia XZ2 and the Xperia XZ2 Compact will be the first time in the last five years that Sony will be abandoning its “OmniBalance” design. Although the chocolate bar design for Sony’s Xperia phones may seem attractive to some, it hasn’t really caught on with consumers who would much rather prefer iPhones or other Android smartphones. Sony’s Xperia phones have also been lagging behind industry trends like “bezel-less” displays and dual cameras, as pointed out by Android Authority.

The user that shared the image of the prototype claimed that the final version of the Xperia XZ2 Compact won’t have the 3.5mm headphone jack. Another thing that sets the handset apart is that its fingerprint scanner will be located on the back of the handset. Sony’s most recent Xperia phones had their fingerprint scanners located on the side doubling as the power button.

The image of the alleged XperiaXZ2 Compact also show that it will have three buttons on one side. Based on their sizes, it looks like the largest one will be the power button, while the smaller ones could function as a physical camera shutter and a programmable button of some sort. It’s important to point out that’s just speculation at this point.

Not much else is known about the Xperia XZ2 and the XZ2 Compact, but previous rumors claim that the devices will feature an 18:9 aspect ratio display. The regular XZ2 will likely be the bigger variant between the two, while the XZ2 Compact will most certainly be smaller.

Sony is expected to announce its new Xperia XZ2 phones during MWC 2018 on Feb. 26 in Barcelona, Spain.