Sony unveiled “only” Z1 mini versions at CES 2014 (check out the Z1 Compact above) – although these aren’t your regular dumbed down mini devices bearing the names of flagship models – but the company may have new next-gen devices in the works, set to debut later this year.
Most likely future Xperia versions, these are codenamed Sony Sirius (the 2014 flagship smartphone) and Sony Castor (a new tablet), with the former reportedly scheduled to arrive at MWC 2014. The news comes from famed @evleaks, who has been accurate with most mobile-related prediction/leaks.
Sony Sirius (2014 flagship) tipped for MWC debut: 5.2-inch display, MSM8974AB SoC, and a home on Verizon in the US.
— @evleaks (@evleaks) January 7, 2014
The Sony Sirius will apparently pack a 5.2-inch display, a MSM8974AB SoC – a fancy way of saying the handset will pack a 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor that should offer better performance than the 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 model found in other Android devices – and Verizon support. That last part is certainly interesting, suggesting that T-Mobile may be joined by Big Red in the USA when it comes to selling subsidized mobile devices.
Interestingly, the Sony Sirius has been mentioned in a previous rumor we kept tabs on, with that report suggesting the device would arrive at CES 2014, something that did not happen. Furthermore, the same story said the phone would include the new Snapdragon 805 CPU and mentioned a 5.2-inch display with 2560 x 1440 resolution. We’ll note that the Snapdragon 805 CPU is set to equip late 2014 devices, and we would expect Sony to unveil at least a new flagship in the first half of the year to take on similar devices from Samsung, HTC and others. Therefore, it seems unlikely to see an Xperia model with a Snapdragon 805 inside in the first half of the year – although that’s just speculation from our part.
Sony Castor: an MSM8974AB-powered tablet, in 4G and Wi-Fi flavors.
— @evleaks (@evleaks) January 7, 2014
The Sony Castor on the other hand may or may not be Sony’s next-gen flagship tablet – it’s not clear from the tweet above. It’s also not clear whether the device will be unveiled at MWC 2014 alongside the Sirius or not. @evleaks says the device will also pack the same 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPU and arrive in Wi-Fi-only and 4G LTE flavors.
We’ll be back with more details about Sony’s new mobile devices once we have them, meanwhile keep in mind that these are just rumors at this time.