Although Sony Mobile just recently released its new flagship, the Xperia Z5, some observers are already checking out information about the next lineup iteration. There are no confirmed details yet about the Xperia Z6.
However, rumors have already started appearing online, the most prevalent ones speculating on at least five iterations under the new lineup, and that the Z6 might appear early next year.
According to Blorge, Sony Mobile was rumored to be expanding its Xperia Z lineups starting with the Z6. Reportedly, aside from the two standard models -- the base model and a Compact -- the Xperia Z6 will come out with an additional Z6 Mini, Z6 Plus, and Z6 Ultra.
While the upcoming Xperia Z6 lineup is slated to be a premium flagship, there will be differences in the iteration, and not just in display sizes. The industry follower added that the Z6 Mini (with a 4.0-inch display) will be the least powerful of the lineup and will only feature a Snapdragon 620 processor. The other four, meanwhile, will reportedly use the new Snapdragon 820 chipset.
Meanwhile, there are conflicting reports on when Sony Mobile plans to unveil the new flagship. According to previous speculations, the company will be launching the new iterations early next year.
Android Standard mentioned that some industry followers have received invites to a Sony presscon prior to the 2016 CES event, and were expecting that the new lineup will make its appearance there. However, there were rumors that instead of the Xperia Z6, Sony might unveil an addition to its current lineup with a debut of the Xperia Z5 Ultra.
If the Xperia Z5 Ultra outing is proven true, then the upcoming follow-up will make its way towards the second half of 2016, as stated by fansite Xperia Sony. The industry follower cited a recent presentation by T-Mobile in Poland, saying that in the event – while not directly mentioning the Xperia Z6 – the mobile carrier stated that two new Xperia smartphones will be coming out after June.
