Sony, eager to be first out of the gate, announced two flagship smartphones in early January, the Xperia Z and ZL. They’re both gorgeous, but just about every review of them on the internet notes that they have horrible viewing angles. That and they use a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro, which there’s nothing wrong with, but come on, this is 2013, everyone is using the new Snapdragon 600.
Which brings me to today’s leaked images. Sony is likely going to refresh the Z and ZL later this year. The new Z is rumored to be called the Xperia A and the new ZL is allegedly going to be called the UL. Awkward names withstanding, what’s important are that images of the UL have apparently hit the internet, and they show a tweaked design language that’s obviously more rounded. Gone too is the “butt flap” that made the otherwise beautiful Xperia ZL look a bit ugly.
Besides the new processor and the new visage, what else should the UL have? The rumors say it’ll have a smaller 4.6 inch 1080p screen, which is pretty insane considering that would push out nearly 480 pixels per inch. I’m sure the technology exists to make screens that sharp, but I didn’t think we’d see them that soon.
If you really like Sony though, then the phone you should really be looking forward to is project “Honami”. It’s supposed to be the first “real” Sony phone after the Sony Ericsson buyout that puts the Japanese company’s best foot forward. We’re talking 5 inch 1080p screen, 20 megapixel camera, and a design that makes you remember how Sony used to be dominante back when you were growing up.