Could Sony be about to announce an affordable Xperia 1?

Sony Xperia 2? Or something else?

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Sonyhas just released theSony Xperia 1, its top-end phone designed for movie-watching and film-making, but there are whispers of its successor, or spin-off, already and a leaked photo of the product has given these rumors a face.

The photo, posted on Chinese social media platform Weibo by userZackbuksshows a phone that looks a lot like the Sony Xperia 1, except with a camera bump down one side of the rear of the phone instead of the center.

Other than the different placement of the rear camera bump, the leaked image looks a lot like the Sony Xperia 1, leading many to believe the picture shows a spin-off device instead of an altogether new Sony phone.

We’ve heard rumors circulating about a Sony Xperia 1s or 1v, two versions of the Sony Xperia 1 that the company is purportedly working on. We’re not sure where these rumors started, and the company hasn’t said anything on the matter so take this all with a pinch of salt.

The Sony Xperia 1 costs $949 / £849 (roughly AU$1,365), so it’s not exactly an affordable device, and it makes sense that Sony would at leastconsidera more inexpensive version.SamsungandAppledid the same with theSamsung Galaxy S10eandiPhone XRrespectively, and both products seemed to have proved popular.

Whether the leaked photo shows an early version of an upcoming Sony phone, or just a prototype that’ll never see the light of day, it at least suggests there might be another version of the Sony Xperia 1 on the way. Whether that’s the 1s, 1v, or something totally different, we’ll be sure to find out eventually.

Alternatively, this could be an early leak of Sony’s next flagship, perhaps the Sony Xperia 2, but since it looks so similar to the Xperia 1 we wouldn’t be so sure. Whatever happens with Sony’s next smartphone, we’ll be sure to let you know as soon as we do.

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Tom Bedford was deputy phones editor on TechRadar until late 2022, having worked his way up from staff writer. Though he specialized in phones and tablets, he also took on other tech like electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness, mobile gaming and more. He is based in London, UK and now works for the entertainment site What To Watch.

He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist.

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