Sony Xperia Compact might not be real
It may be Japan-exclusive
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One of the most anticipated phones of 2021 is theSony Xperia Compact, a rumored small-form sibling to the upcomingSony Xperia 1 IIIthat’d scratch the itch of many mini-phone fans. We might, however, be in for some disappointment on that front.
As reported byAndroidNext, a leaker on Chinese media site Weibo has stated thatSony’s upcoming 5.5-inch phone (the Xperia Compact) won’t get a global launch. In fact, this leaker thinks the phone is actually a follow-up to 2019’sSony Xperia Ace, and will probably only be on sale in Japan.
It’s not clear where this leaker got their information, but sadly the leak does make sense: the Sony Xperia Ace was a Japan-only compact phone with mid-range specs, as we’ve heard the Xperia Compact has.
Sorry, compact phone fans, but we’d recommend setting your expectations a bit lower.
Death to compact phones
With the launch of theiPhone 12 mini, there was a hope that more Android phone makers would make compact phones too.Appleis seen as popularizing features other phones have, and some expected Apple’s new small-size phone would kick off a new trend.
The Sony Xperia Compact was seen as the flagship of the new trend - Sony already has a history of mini-mobiles, and was deemed the most likely to put out a new such phone. It seems like that won’t be the case anymore, though.
With many smartphone makers making huge phablet phones with giant screens and bodies, there’s a dwindling number of new phones that cater to people with smaller hands, or who just don’t want huge devices to lumber around everywhere.
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So while Sony apparently isn’t the chosen one, hopefully another Android maker will fill that void instead.Googleseems a likely choice, as its phones are (relatively) small, but we’ll have to wait and see. And you never know, maybe this leak was wrong.
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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