Sony is perhaps the only smartphone-maker that can pull off a 4K display in a smartphone. After launching the world's first 4K-display smartphone back in 2015, Sony launched its second such 4K-display device — the Xperia XZ Premium — earlier this year.
And now, a leak confirms that Sony is working on its (and the world's) third 4K display smartphone, which could possibly be the 2018 Xperia flagship smartphone and the successor of the Xperia XZ Premium (REVIEW).
The user-agent profiles (UAProfs) listings of two upcoming Sony smartphones belonging to the H81XX series have been spotted online. The two phones — the H8116 and the H8166 — are simply variants of the same device.
Going by the leak, the H8116 and the H8166 will likely be placed in the premium category and will feature a 4K display with a resolution of 2,160 x 3,840 pixels. This particular detail suggests that Sony's 2018 flagships won't adopt the 18:9 aspect-ratio screens, despite the fact that the Japanese manufacturer is said to be working on a major redesign for its 2018 lineup.
The leaked UAProfs suggests that Sony's 2018 flagship will stick to a conventional 16:9 aspect-ratio display. But this does not necessarily mean the upcoming Xperia flagship will have thick bezels around the display. It might launch with a near bezel-less design, but one without the taller aspect ratio.
According to Android Headlines, Sony's rumoured "Mirai" design language is expected to bring slimmer bezels and more rounded corners, which will be very different from the company's current "OmniBalance" design, though Sony still doesn't seem to be interested in the tall 18:9 displays.
The latest leak also reveals that the H81XX lineup will run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box and feature Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity.
Apart from the premium H81XX devices, Sony is also said to be working on a mid-range series called the H82XX, which is speculated to succeed the Xperia XZ1 (REVIEW) and Xperia XZ1 Compact successors.
The handsets bearing model numbers H8216, H8266, H8276 and H8296 will also be launched with Android Oreo but will feature FullHD displays with a resolution of 1,920x1,080 pixels.
Sony is expected to launch its 2018 devices at the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC) that is slated to begin in late February.
