The Xperia Z2 Compact has made an appearance on Chinese social networking site Weibo, courtesy of a user named alfred520. These images reveal that the smartphone will bear resemblance to its bigger sibling in terms of design, albeit in a smaller and “compact” package.

One of the images from the inside reveals that the handset could be water resistant as well, much like most Xperia flagships from the past year, as there appears to be rubber covering on the back cover to prevent water from seeping in.

Given what we’ve seen from the Xperia Z2, it’s fair to assume that the Z2 Compact will feature relatively similar hardware including the improved 20.7-megapixel G Lens sensor, a Snapdragon 801 chipset, 2 or 3GB of RAM and a 1080p display. But since the Xperia Z1 Compact came with a 720p display unlike the bigger sibling, Sony could well use a 720p panel for the Z2 Compact too.

We’re yet to get official word on the smartphone from Sony, but leaks like these are usually good indicators of an imminent launch. What’s your take on a mini Xperia Z2 launching merely months after the Xperia Z1 Compact broke cover?