Here’s how Sony is going to start its 2019.
Sony released quite a few flagships in 2018. Following the Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact at the beginning of the year, those were then followed up with the XZ2 Premium and XZ3.
To kick off 2019, we’re anticipating Sony’s first big flagships to be the Xperia XZ4 and XZ4 Compact.
Will these be the phones that finally turn Sony’s mobile business around, or are we looking at just another duo that’s good, but nothing revolutionary?
Here’s everything we know!
The latest Xperia XZ4 + XZ4 Compact news
January 5, 2019 — Xperia XZ4 screen protector reveals a very tall and narrow display
Ice Universe is one of the most reliable Samsung tipsters around, but from time to time, he also provides great insights into other, non-Samsung phones.
This time around, Ice shared a few photos of a screen protector he received for the Xperia XZ4. The screen itself apparently measures out at 15.2cm long, and when placed next to the iPhone XS Max, it looks even taller and narrower than it.
Exclusive: I received the tempered film of the Sony Xperia XZ4.This phone is too long. After measuring, the length of the XZ4 screen is 15.2cm, which is similar to the length of the iPhone Xs Max. pic.twitter.com/cc39F7tKKs
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) January 5, 2019
Tall, narrow phones aren’t anything new in 2019, but it looks like Sony could be taking things to the next level with the XZ4.
What’s your take on this look?
January 2, 2019 — Benchmark indicates the XZ4 will use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 processor
Benchmark tests are never the most reliable things to base information off of when looking forward to a new phone, but even so, they can still offer respectable glimpses of things to come.
Recently, GizChina came across an AnTuTu benchmark result showing that the Xperia XZ4 will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor.
Its final score for the benchmark came out at 360,000, and compared to the 309,000 and 307,000 scores of the iPhone XS Max and Huawei Mate 20 Pro, respectively, that’s pretty darn impressive.
December 6, 2018 — Sony Xperia XZ4 Compact revealed in high-end renders
Following our first look at the larger Xperia XZ4, we now have leaked renders of its smaller sibling — the XZ4 Compact.
As expected, the XZ4 Compact looks to be a smaller and more, well, compact version of the regular XZ4. The renders show a phone with a small 5-inch display, single rear camera, glass back, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and USB-C port for charging.
The bezels aren’t nearly as thin as they are on the XZ4, instead appearing to be about the same size as the ones found on the XZ2 Compact.
November 27, 2018 — Sony Xperia XZ4 shown with triple rear cameras in first renders
This year, Sony released a few different flagships under its Xperia line — including the Xperia XZ2, XZ2 Compact, XZ2 Premium, and XZ3. Now, as we inch closer and closer to 2019, we have our very first look at the upcoming Xperia XZ4.
Shared by a collaboration between MySmartPrice and reliable tipster @OnLeaks, these CAD-based renders showcase what will likely be the XZ4’s final design. The front of the phone is home to a large 6.5-inch OLED display with very slim bezels and no notch in sight. A USB-C port is used for charging, there’s a fingerprint sensor mounted on the right side of the frame, and no 3.5mm headphone jack.
Moving to the back of the Xperia XZ4, we’re met with a total of three cameras. This is the first Sony phone we’ve seen with a triple rear camera setup, so it’ll be interesting to see how Sony implements the various sensors. It’s also noted that the XZ4’s dimensions will be 166.9 x 72.4 x 8.2mm.
There’s no word on processing specs, storage, battery, price, or anything else for the time being, but considering that we’re anticipating the Xperia XZ4 to be announced at Mobile World Congress 2019 this coming February, we should get more details trickling in quite soon.
Are you looking forward to the XZ4?
All the big details
What will the XZ4 and XZ4 Compact look like?
According to the renders/photos we’ve seen so far, the Xperia XZ4 will be a pretty sleek piece of tech.
The front of the phone should be home to a large 6.5-inch OLED display with incredibly slim bezels, and around back, we’ll be met with three rear cameras and a stunning glass back.
A fingerprint sensor can be found on the right frame, USB-C is used for charging, and unfortunately, it doesn’t look like there will be a 3.5mm headphone jack.
There’s nothing particularly revolutionary here, but it’s a nice evolution of Sony’s 2018 designs.
Moving over to the XZ4 Compact, we’ll be met with a much more subdued-looking phone. The bezels aren’t nearly as slim, the screen’s a lot smaller at 5-inches, and there’s just one camera on the back. We’re not expecting the XZ4 Compact to turn any heads, but for people on the hunt for a truly small Android phone this year, it could be one of the best (if only) options out there.
What specs are we anticipating?
With the Xperia XZ4 being Sony’s first big flagship for 2019, we can look forward to a pretty healthy helping of high-end specs.
Nothing below has been 100% confirmed, but it’s what we’re fairly confident we’ll see based on the latest rumors and reports.
| Operating System | Android 9 Pie | Android 9 Pie |
| Display | 6.5-inch OLED 2880 x 1440 | 5.0-inch |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snaprdragon 855 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 |
| RAM | 6GB | 6GB |
| Storage | 64GB | 64GB |
| Charging | USB-C | USB-C |
| Security | Rear-mounted fingerprint sensor | Rear-mounted fingerprint sensor |
| Dimensions | 166.9 x 72.4 x 8.2mm | 139.9 x 66.5 x 9.3mm |
How much will the phones cost?
If the XZ4 and XZ4 Compact cost anything like their predecessors, they won’t be cheap.
Last year’s XZ2 came in at a steep $799 MSRP with the XZ2 Compact offered for a bit less at $649.
We have no reason to believe that the XZ4 series will cost less, and if anything, they’ll likely cost a little more
When will they be released?
Right now, we’re expecting Sony to announce the XZ4 and XZ4 Compact at Mobile World Congress in February. That’s where the XZ2 series was unveiled, and we think the company will use the worldwide trade show once again to unveil its latest flagships.
