CES is upon us and it’s almost time to see which of the rumoured devices will finally become available to us.

The star of the show could be a mini version of the reigning flagship the Z1. It has undergone some design (and name) updates since it’s debut in Japan but the mini version to the powerhouse Z1 could be shown off at CES in Las Vegas. It’s a 4.3″ screen with a resolution of 720 x 1280p fuelled by a quad-core 2.2 GHz Krait 400. This will be the ‘Amami’.

The 2013 fleet will get an update as the Xperia E and E Dual will be updated to the E1 and E1 Dual as seen when passing through the FCC in the US. This appears to be the mysterious ‘Falcon’.

There are two more rumoured smartphones incoming, codenamed ‘Sirius’ and ‘Canopus’ according to one reliable source. What are these devices?

Read on to find out the details…

Update: Sony has revealed the Xperia Z1 Compact, it matches the codenamed ‘Amami’ model. A new model, the Z1 S is heading to the US, a variant of the Z1 flagship, you can read more here. CEO Kaz Hirai has agreed that the mobile division is considering a Windows Phone, rumours suggest it may be a VAIO branded phone. MWC may show the ‘Sirius’ flagship, read more here. The first wave of Xperias in 2014 continues with the T2 Ultra/Dual and the E2/Dual, the codenamed ‘Falcon’.

Xperia ‘Amami’

First in line is a very exciting yet elusive device – a mini version to the Z1. This handset originally launched in Japan and has been renamed with some slight design changes before being prepared for the international market.

The Z1 s is expected to be the international version and we have yet another version of the device – the Xperia Z1 Mini due to be unveiled at an event in China on January 14th. Check out these leaked images courtesy of Digi-wo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s so special about the handset is that while it retains all the superpower of the Z1, it comes in a more modest package with a 4.3″ screen. The full specs are said to include 4.3″ IPS panel with a resolution of 720 x 1280p, 4G, 16Gb internal memory, 2GB RAM, 20.7MP rear camera, the 1/2.3” sensor size of the Z1, 1080p video recording, 2MP front camera, running a Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 quad-core 2.2 GHz Krait 400 powered by a 2300 mAh battery. It seems like a version of this device, perhaps the Z1 s could be shown to the world at CES.

Check out the video of the Japanese version below:

 

Xperia ‘Falcon’

We know that two smartphones have just been certified with the FCC government body in the US, codenamed ‘Falcon’ and are revealed in the document as the Xperia E1 and E1 Dual. These are clearly updates to the Xperia E and E Dual and follow the update scheme of the Z-Z1. (Via AndroidBlog)

These models will very likely adopt the original Xperia E and E Dual designs with a visual and hardware update.

Xperia ‘Sirius’: Impressive but not a flagship?

Some wonder if the codenamed ‘Avatar‘ and ‘Sirius’ devices are the same smartphone. The rumoured hardware seem extremely similar: 5.2″ IGZO Triluminos Display at 500 PPI, 4K video camera with 3GB RAM and a 20.7 mega-pixel camera. In fact, the mighty specs of the ‘Avatar’ seemed so impressive and combined with a January reveal, appeared to be a new flagship. Sony however directly hinted in their new year message that the Xperia Z1 flagship would not be replaced at the start of 2014 and would continue to reign as the ultimate design for now. If the ‘Sirius’ smartphone is unveiled, however impressive it is not intended to lead the pack of the 2014 devices at least. Sony on the Z1:

 It is our strongest selling smartphone to date and will continue as our flagship into 2014. 

A promising upgrade is expected in the visuals department, as the source at Digi-wo suggests that Sony’s first flagship of 2014, whenever it arrives, is likely to have 2k resolution, with a 4k smartphone expected next year. Our smartphones may be about to make our HDTVs look ugly as 4k adoption is only beginning to roll out. From a design perspective, we know that the ‘Sirius’ and ‘Canopus’ will follow the OmniBalance design, most recently refined with the Z1 pictured to the right.

‘Canopus’ with a Wi-fi only version

The second device, ‘Canopus’ which is expected in May, offers something even stranger, being a wi-fi only device. Perhaps it will be a wearable device, like Smartwatch 3? Maybe even an a media player? Could it be both? Sony’s line of dedicated media players have been travelling similar design lines as the Xperia phones for a number of years now. This could be an iPhone/iPod Touch rival from Sony that they are lining up. The wi-fi version would theoretically have the same hardware as the smartphone version simply minus telephony, exactly like the Apple duo. Maybe?

The codename

Could some of the codenames for these phones be hinting something else? Our astronomy-minded friends at newAndroidnews point out that these two stars are the brightest in the sky. If the device codenamed ‘Sirius’ is released at CES yet is not going to be a flagship, why would it be codenamed after the brightest star in the sky?

First Stop: CES

Sony’s Xperia Twitter account is filled with glossy images and promotions of the Z1, but with no reveals or teasers as we normally see before major reveals. Clearly the January show in Las Vegas will produce handsets designed to join the ranks but not lead them. No matter which devices Sony does eventually expose, we are in for a good show next week as Sony is sure to dazzles us at CES.

 

Discuss:

Were you looking forward to a new flagship at CES? The OmniBalance design from the 2013 handsets is staying, do you like it?