Features to Look for When Sony’s Xperia XZ2 Handset Debuts at MWC 2018

When Mobile World Congress kicks off from Barcelona on Feb. 26, Samsung won’t be the only smartphone making news with its latest smartphone models, the Galaxy S9 and S9+. Sony hopes to grab attention on the first day of the show by announcing the Sony Xperia XZ2 smartphone. Sony has only offered vague hints about the features it’s building into the Xperia XZ2. But a number of credible market rumors have surfaced in recent weeks that sketch out what the handset will look like. The rumors indicate the smartphone will come with a high-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor in a frame that has been redesigned for a large screen. These two features alone suggest the Xperia XZ2 is designed to compete directly with Samsung’s Galaxy S9 and Apple’s iPhone X. Read on to learn more about what features we’ll likely see in the Xperia XZ2.

Sony’s upcoming Xperia XZ2 will undoubtedly come with a big screen. But there’s some debate over whether the display will measure 5.7 inches or 5.8 inches. Either way, look for it to come with at least a 4K resolution and an 18:9 aspect ratio to match some of its top competitors.

According to market rumors, the Xperia XZ2 will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, which is will also make its debut at MWC. The Snapdragon 845 is Qualcomm’s most powerful mobile CPU to date and will enable the Xperia XZ2 keep pace with the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, which will both run on the processor.

Look for a significant redesign of the earlier Xperia XZ handset. According to some reports, the device will come with a curved display design instead of the typical flat and straight lines of the earlier model. The device will also reportedly have a larger screen-to-body ratio and minimized bezels. Since Sony hasn’t significantly updated the basic Xperia design in years, a refresh is in order.

According to most rumors Sony will retain the fingerprint security sensor it built into the current Xperia XZ model, but won’t add new features such as iris or face scanners. While some of its chief competitors offer such technology—in some Android handsets at least—they haven’t worked that well and don’t deliver the level of reliable performance available in the iPhone X’s Face ID.

According to reports, Sony is planning to offer up to 4GB of RAM in the Xperia XZ2. The company will likely provide 64GB of storage in its base model. While that’s not market-leading, it should be sufficient for the vast majority of apps and services users are likely to run on their handsets.

Sony is an industry leader in the production of image sensors for smartphone cameras. It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that the company plans to employ those sensors in the Xperia XZ2. Details are scant, but most reports say the Xperia XZ2 will offer outstanding photo and portrait image quality.

Sony is expected to protect the Xperia XZ2 display with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5. The company is also ratcheting up the handset’s resistance to dust and water intrusion, according to reports.

Considering every other high-end handset released in the coming months will run on Google’s Android Oreo, it’s perhaps no surprise the rumor mill believes the Xperia XZ2 will ship with the latest version of Google’s mobile operating. All of the standard Google apps will come bundled with the operating system, but it’s unknown whether Sony-designed software will also be available.

Sony hasn’t confirmed a price tag, of course, but several reports suggest the Xperia XZ2 will be expensive. A recent report from Swedish publication Swedroid said Sony will price the handset at $985. That’s possible, however, but Sony might process it a bit lower as it tries to compete aggressively with the new Samsung Galaxy S9 models.

Some recent reports have said that Sony will begin selling the Xperia XZ2 in early March. However, other reports have said that the Galaxy S9, which is believed to have a March 16 release date, will hit the market. In any event look for Sony to ship it in the next several weeks.