IFA 2017: Leaked Xperia XZ1, XZ1 Compact specs, images and price show Sony won't join industry's dogfight

Sony has a strong presence in the television and gaming console markets globally, but its smartphones are not equally popular. But the Japanese tech giant has been making vigorous efforts to succeed in the competitive premium smartphone market, where rivals Samsung and Apple, have a steady foothold.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium was the company's latest smartphone that takes on the biggies like Samsung Galaxy S8 series, LG G6 and others. But there's more to come. Sony's participation in the IFA 2017 in Berlin has been confirmed, and if the history is any indication, we can expect new smartphones.

Rumours are rife with details about two premium smartphones to be launched by Sony at the upcoming tech show in the first week of September. Sony Xperia XZ1 and Xperia XZ1 Compact are going to be launched with some improvements and attract the global audience with its camera, design and features.

It was widely rumoured that the Xperia XZ1 and Compact would come with bezel-less display, much like Samsung Galaxy S8, in a much-needed effort to let go of the ageing design. But a recent leak by tipster Roland Quandt showed different sides of the Xperia XZ1 Compact, which would argue with earlier claims.

The bezels on the side of the Xperia XZ1 Compact certainly look slim, but the big block bezels on the top and bottom haven't disappeared. The purpose of the leak was to show the new colour option for the new phones, which would give buyers the option to choose from Black, Blue, Silver and Pink.

The leaked photos of the Xperia XZ1 Compact pretty much confirms the overall design. Besides new colours and bezels, the handset gets a dedicated camera button, power button with a fingerprint scanner and volume controls on the right strip of the phone. On the left, there will be a SIM card slot, and its design reveals the phone will be water and dust proof. There are single front and rear cameras, much like the Xperia XZ Premium.

If the rumours are to be believed, Xperia XZ will sport a 5.2-inch Full HD display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5, Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, 4GB RAM, and 64GB expandable storage. As for the Compact model, most specs will remain unchanged except for the 4.6-inch HD display and a smaller 2,800mAh battery.

Both phones will have the same camera configuration – a 19MP rear camera with 960fps slow motion recording and a 13MP front snapper. The software will be Android 7.1.1 Nougat, but Android Oreo will definitely reach the new phones in time.

With these specifications, Sony isn't going to sell its Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact cheap. Sony Xperia XZ1 will be priced at 599 GBP (approximately Rs 49,265) while Xperia XZ1 Compact will cost you 499 GBP (approximately Rs 41,041).