Sony Xperia 2017 UK release date, price, specs and rumours: New Sony Xperia X2 to launch at MWC 2017

Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017 is just around the corner. The gathering of the biggest smartphone manufacturers takes place on 27 February to 2 March in Barcelona, Spain. With Samsung announcing that it will not be showcasing its new rumoured Galaxy S8 handset at MWC 2017, it gives the opportunity to other manufacturers to take the spotlight.

It wasn’t long ago that Sony released the Sony Xperia XZ – in fact, it was only in September 2016 – and it comes to many as a surprise that Sony is planning on bringing yet another smartphone to the market. We’re not complaining, though: here’s everything you need to know about the new Sony Xperia smartphone.

New Sony Xperia flagship name: What will the new Sony Xperia be called?

Sony dropped the Z range of its smartphones at MWC 2016, but kept certain elements of it – such as the 2016 flagship, the Sony Xperia XZ. Given the current naming structure of Sony’s phones, we’d expect it to be called the Sony Xperia X2.

It’s a wild guess, but it’s the best we can think of with the current state of Sony’s smartphones. Alternatively, Sony could completely revamp everything and name it something entirely new!

New Sony Xperia flagship UK release date and price: When will the new Sony Xperia phone come out?

Sony has already sent out invitations for MWC 2017, so expect a phone to be announced between 27 February to 2 March 2017.

We’d expect a global release date within a few weeks of its announcement at MWC 2017. 

If Sony will be launching another flagship device, we’d expect it to be priced at £450-550. Depending on specs, it’s more likely to be close to the Xperia XZ’s UK release price of £549.

New Sony Xperia flagship specs: Full specifications of the new Sony Xperia X2

We expect a small bump in the specs department over the Xperia XZ, or else Sony will disappoint many and will shoot itself in the foot – so we expect great things here. Nothing has been confirmed at this point, so take what you will with a grain of salt.

• Processor: Quad-core 2.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 821
• RAM: 4-6GB
• Screen Size: 5.2in or 5.5in
• Screen resolution: 2,560 x 1,440 or 3,840 x 2,160 IPS display
• Rear camera: 23MP single-lens or 12MP dual-lens 
• Front camera: 13MP single-lens
• Storage: 32GB or 64GB
• Wireless data: 3G, 4G, LTE (Dual-SIM)
• Connectivity: USB Type-C, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11abgn/ac, Bluetooth v4.2 with aptX, NFC, fingerprint sensor 
• Operating system: Android 7 Nougat

The specs above would suggest this would truly compete against the top flagship phones out there.

It’s unknown whether the phone will come with a 1440p or 4K display, but given the lack of real interest in 4K smartphones and the battery it consumes, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if we see a 1440p display instead.

Its camera is the next big question. We weren’t a big fan of its 23-megapixel camera, and with a recent uptake in dual-lens camera smartphones, it could be Sony’s chance to bring a dual-lens camera smartphone to the market too.

Storage is expected at a minimum of 32GB, if not 64GB, and there should also be an expandable storage slot for an additional 256GB of space. This would take the place of the secondary SIM slot, as we expect the phone to be dual-SIM too.

A fingerprint sensor and Android 7 Nougat are both expected to be included. We’d be surprised if either was left out.

Let us know in the comments below if there’s anything you’d like to see or expect to see in Sony’s latest flagship phone.