Sony has been downsizing its smartphone business over the past few years to improve profitability. There’s still a lot that needs to be done but it seems Sony’s ready to start expanding its mobile business once again.

The Sony Xperia 0 and Xperia 1.1 will lead the way

Sony is allegedly planning to release (via GSMArena) four flagship smartphones in 2020, all of which will apparently support 5G networks as standard, and between 3 and 5 cheaper devices. The first is expected to be called the Xperia 1.1 and should replace this year’s Xperia 1. Little is known about it at this stage but rumors suggest it’ll feature four cameras on the back, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865, a 4K display, and debut in late February at MWC 2020 as the brand’s global flagship.

This product will be joined by the Xperia 3 soon after. Per today’s rumor, the flagship will act as a spiritual successor to the Xperia XZ2 Compact and could pair a triple-camera setup with a Quad-HD+ display. Unfortunately, this particular model might be introduced as an exclusive to Japan due to the lack of interest globally for such a small phone.


As we enter the second half of 2020, it’s suggested Sony will start preparing for two other flagships. Specifically, the quad-camera Xperia 5.1 to replace this year’s Xperia 5 and an all-new ultra-premium flagship dubbed the Xperia 0. This new device is reportedly the official name of the flagship with six rear cameras that Sony is developing.

If that’s the case, consumers can expect to find a 0.5-megapixel Time-of-Flight sensor paired with unspecified 20-megapixel, 48-megapixel, 16-megapixel, 8-megapixel, and 12-megapixel cameras. Additionally, the front of the smartphone reportedly features a 10-megapixel selfie camera and a 0.3-megapixel sensor. Like the other flagships mentioned above, the Xperia 0 should be powered by the Snapdragon 865. It’ll probably be paired with a minimum of 256GB and 12GB of RAM, Android 10, and hopefully a pretty large battery.

The Xperia 9.1 and Xperia 10.1 will act as Sony's mid-range phones

To avoid any confusion with next year’s mid-range smartphones, Sony is said to be planning a little update to its branding. Specifically, the Xperia 10’s successor will be released as the Xperia 10.1 as expected, but the replacement for the Xperia 10 Plus will be known as the Xperia 9.1 rather than Xperia 10.1 Plus.

These phones, which are expected to go official at MWC 2020, may make use of Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 735. This chipset is also expected to power the Nokia 8.2 and would represent a substantial performance jump over the Snapdragon 630 and 636 that are featured inside the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus respectively. Like the company’s premium flagships, both the Xperia 9.1 and Xperia 10.1 reportedly include 5G support as standard. It’s unclear, however, how many cameras Sony has planned for each model.


Also on the way next year is the Xperia 8.1 which, as its name suggests, will replace the recently announced Xperia 8. Once again, Japan exclusivity is expected although this time 5G will be included.

Sony's low-end lineup will include the Xperia L4 and Xperia 100

Sony’s 2020 lineup of smartphones looks set to be completed by two low-end offerings. The first should be marketed as the Xperia L4 and will succeed this year’s Xperia L3. It’s unclear what sort of specifications the phone will bring to the table but recent rumors indicate it’ll be Sony’s only 4G smartphone in 2020.

The other device reportedly in the works is the Xperia 100, a replacement for the Japan-only Xperia Ace. The compact phone will once again be exclusive to Sony’s home market but should support 5G networks this time around.