Sony Xperia XZ3 preview: Everything we know so far

TIME FOR AN UPGRADE?

Time sure flies in the smartphone world. It was just this past February that Sony unveiled the Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact, and now the rumour mill suggests that we’re just weeks away from seeing the Xperia XZ3. Could that possibly be true? Turnover after six months seems mad, but while the Xperia XZ2 was a fine flagship, it didn’t set the market on fire. Leaks and rumours suggest Sony intends to release a more refined package with some big perks in the mix, and maybe it’ll be enough to turn the tide in favour of Sony again. Curious? Here’s everything we’ve heard so far.

WHEN WILL THE SONY XPERIA XZ3 BE OUT?

It seems wild, but rumours point to an IFA 2018 unveiling on 30 August. If true, that would be just six months after the XZ2 (shown) showed up at MWC in February. Should that pan out, then we expect that the phone would release sometime in September or October. It’s a rough time to try to launch a new flagship, however, with the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, Apple’s new iPhones, and Google’s Pixel 3 all set to release in quick succession.

HOW MUCH WILL THE SONY XPERIA XZ3 COST?

In mid-July, accessories site Mobile Fun felt so strongly about its Xperia XZ3 information that it put the phone up for pre-order at a price of £749.99, so roughly around $990 in the United States. That listing is no longer on the site, but it’s our first hint at a potential price point for the handset. Given the £699/$799 starting point for the Xperia XZ2 and some new tweaks to the formula, we think it sounds absolutely spot-on.

WHAT WILL THE SONY XPERIA XZ3 LOOK LIKE?

Leaked specifications and unofficial renders suggest a build with a very similar footprint to that of the XZ2, unsurprisingly, albeit with a bit less bulk. Those purported specifications show the exact same height and width, albeit with a thickness of 10.1mm instead of 11.1mm. It’s a small difference, but probably one you’ll feel while gripping the thing. And from the front, the unofficial renders suggest a more curvaceous approach along the lines of the Galaxy S9, although it’s unclear whether the screen itself curves or just the side bezels. In any case, it’s just alluring enough to make the end result more appealing.

HOW MUCH POWER WILL THE SONY XPERIA XZ3 PACK?

The Xperia XZ2, like some other top-end Android phones this year, used the current octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-a-chip. Unsurprisingly, the XZ3 will reportedly do the same. It may be another six months before the Snapdragon 845’s successor starts popping up in finished handsets, and it’s the best Android option outside of Samsung’s own Exynos chips. Leaked specs suggest 6GB of RAM, however, which is more than the plenty-capable 4GB tally seen in the Xperia XZ2. More RAM should ensure fewer hiccups, although again, everything was pretty smooth on the XZ2 for us.

WHAT KIND OF CAMERAS WILL THE SONY XPERIA XZ3 HAVE?

Leaked specs suggest another 19MP main camera on the back, albeit this time flanked by a 12MP secondary sensor. It’s seemingly the same setup as the Xperia XZ2 Premium, which uses a f/1.8 (that’s wider than on the standard XZ2) 19MP camera with a f/1.6 monochrome camera. If that really is what’s on the Xperia XZ3, then it sounds plenty promising. But will it be strong enough to hang with the Huawei P20 Pro, or perhaps the incoming Google Pixel 3 – the successor to last year’s best camera-phone? On the other hand, a more recent leak suggests a single 48-megapixel back camera instead, and it matches up with the new IMX586 mobile sensor that Sony just recently announced.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE SONY XPERIA XZ3?

Just a few things. The leaked specs suggest models with 64GB or 128GB internal storage, with microSD card support up to 400GB for expandable storage. The specs also show a 3,240mAh battery pack, which is just a tiny bit more than see in the Xperia XZ2 (3,180mAh). That should make a negligible difference in uptime, and the XZ2 was already pretty impressive in daily usage. The unofficial renders show a back fingerprint sensor in roughly the same spot as before, so we shouldn’t see any major changes there – and no in-display sensor for this phone. Lastly, the leaked specs mention Android Oreo 8.1 rather than Android 9.0 P, which will launch its final version sometime in the coming months.