The last thing we heard from Sony and its Xperia line was the arrival of Sony Xperia 5 IV, was announced in September. It’s a smaller version of Sony Xperia 1 IVwith a 6.1-inch display, but a new leak suggests an even more compact device is on the way from this particular series of phones.
Unconfirmed information was posted on the Chinese social networking site Weibo, reported at Notebookcheck.net (opens in a new tab)just about an upcoming Xperia phone with a 5.5-inch display and a modest, mid-range set of internal specs.
Thoughts suggest that this phone could be the successor to the Sony Xperia Ace III, which was only launched in Japan. However, this time there are rumors that the rest of the world will also receive the handset.
Appeal specifications
In terms of specifications, the leak lists a Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, and a 4,500 mAh battery. The 5.5-inch display will apparently have a resolution of 2520 x 1080 pixels, with the phone also offering 18W wired charging speeds.
If that’s really how the Sony Xperia Ace IV came to be, it’s a significant leap over its predecessor. The Sony Xperia Ace III comes with a 5.5-inch display, 1496 x 720 pixels, a Snapdragon 480 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a 4,500 mAh battery.
The Xperia Ace III first launched in June 2022, so the same month of 2023 looks like a good bet for when the next phone could arrive – and we’ll of course let you know if Sony Officially launching this new phone or not.
Analysis: compact phone for people
There isn’t much out there for those who prefer a more compact phone. If the Sony Xperia Ace IV is indeed real and does indeed come with a 5.5-inch display, then it will be one of the smallest handsets available on the market.
We know that there is no iPhone mini this year: rumors are iPhone 13 mini just didn’t sell enough units for Apple to demonstrate an iPhone 14 mini. However, it looks like the iPhone 14 Plus do not change in bulk one in two.
Considering the majority of phones these days have screen sizes over 6 inches, it seems that consumer demand for these smaller handsets is really low. The success or otherwise of the Sony Xperia Ace IV would be another indicator.
Probably foldable phone is the answer: a nice large display to use when they’re unfolded, but also something relatively small to tuck in a pocket or bag. Now, all we need is for the prices of these foldable phones to drop far enough to attract mid-range phone buyers.
