Sony has finally officially launched its flagship Xperia 1 smartphone in the UK, but attention is already turning to what the brand has in store for us next. And it could include two of the biggest smartphone trends of 2019.
If these rumours are to be believed, Sony is working on a Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X alternative called the Xperia F. This would be Sony’s first foldable phone and it would also come packing 5G.
The report goes on to claim that the phone will be released in 2020, so unless Sony unveils a 5G flagship before the year is up this might end up being the brand’s first foray into next-gen connectivity.
Related: EE 5G phones
One classic Sony feature reportedly coming to the Xperia F is the 21:9 display we’ve seen so far on the Xperia 1, Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus. This is clearly something Sony is very proud of and it looks like it’ll continue to use it to differentiate itself from the crowd. This long display will also help the folding mechanic, which is said to fold vertically.
While folding phones have become a big mobile trend in 2019, neither of the two announced devices have had a smooth start. Samsung’s Galaxy Fold, which was meant to be commercially available now, was delayed due to issues early reviewers were having with the display. Samsung halted the launch and has not yet revealed when we might see the Fold hit shelves.
Then there’s the Huawei Mate X. We loved this foldable when we first laid eyes on it in February and felt Huawei had a design that felt a lot more natural than Samsung’s. Since then Huawei has had issues with Google and been banned from certifying new products with an Android license. Whether this has any effect on when we might see the Mate X remains to be seen.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
