Sony might be announcing three new phones at CES 2018

Like you, we’ve been waiting for Sony to revamp its smartphone design for some time. The recently released Sony Xperia XZ1 hinted that something big was coming, and now the leak of the Sony Xperia XA2 represents the tide beginning to wash over.

It seems that the XA2 that will not just see a slight, but meaningful design overhaul. The Sony Xperia XZ2 Ultra and Sony Xperia L2 will don a new look that’s still uniquely Sony, all while potentially addressing some points in need of much love.

While Sony usually saves its big smartphone announcements for Mobile World Congress in late February, this new fleet of phones could surface as early as next week’s CES 2018, according to VentureBeat.

The purported Sony Xperia XA2 shown in various colors

Credit: VentureBeat

Digging into the changes

The upcoming XA2 is rumored to boost its screen size from five inches to 5.2-inches while maintaining its 1080p screen resolution. On the inside, the XA2, along with the rest of Sony’s 2018 low and mid-range phones, will utilize the Snapdragon 630 instead of MediaTek chipsets.

In addition, it and the palm-stretching XA2 Ultra will receive a boost in camera optics quality, with each boasting a 21MP rear sensor that’s capable of 4K video capture, but only the XA2 will get a 7MP selfie camera. Don’t fret about the XA2 Ultra, as it will get two 15MP selfie cameras, noted to be 4K-capable as well.

The front and back of the leaked XA2 Ultra

Credit: VentureBeat

Other than being loaded with Android Oreo, not much else has changed – that is, until you look at their backs. Sony looks to have done a bit of much-needed rearrangement on its new phones, shuffling the fingerprint sensor to the back underneath the rear-facing camera. A supremely comfortable spot. 

Sure, some may like the biometrics integrated into the power button, but as we’ve noted before, that was excluded in some regions where Sony’s phones are available. Hopefully, this will be a worldwide feature going forward.

Lastly, this report confirms the existence of the Sony Xperia L2, the new low-end phone coming soon. Unlike the others, this 5.2-inch device may not arrive with Android Oreo pre-loaded and will reportedly feature a 720p display.

We’ll be at CES 2018 soon, so if these phones are unveiled, it will only be a matter of time until we see them for ourselves. So, stay tuned.

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Cameron Faulkner

Cameron is a writer at The Verge, focused on reviews, deals coverage, and news. He wrote for magazines and websites such as The Verge, TechRadar, Practical Photoshop, Polygon, Eater and Al Bawaba.