MWC 2020 may have been canceled due to novel coronavirus fears but Sony has stuck to its launch schedule. The Japanese giant held the Xperia smartphone launch online today to take the wraps off its first-ever 5G smartphone, the Xperia 1 Mark II (or Xperia 1 Mark 2 / Xperia 1 II). We also saw the company unveil a new Snapdragon 665-backed mid-range device, the Xperia 10 Mark II (or Xperia 10 Mark 2 / Xperia 10 II) at the event.
Note: Before we take a look at the specs, let me make it clear that I will refer to the two new devices as Xperia 1 II and Xperia 10 II.
This is Sony’s 2020 flagship smartphone, so it’s powered by the latest Snapdragon 865 chipset from Qualcomm. Xperia 1 II is also Sony’s first 5G smartphone. It includes Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X55 modem onboard but supports only sub6-GHz networks. It means Sony hasn’t baked extra antennas to support mmWave networks. The chipset is coupled with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. Xperia 1 II runs Android 10 out-of-the-box.
Sony Xperia 10 Mark II: Specs and Features
As for Xperia 10 II, Sony has made minor upgrades across the board. You get the same build and display as the original Xperia 10 from last year. It’s simply the camera system that’s now aligned vertically and has been moved to the left edge instead of being at the center of the rear panel. You still get a physical fingerprint sensor, which also doubles as the power button.
Price and Availability
Xperia 1 II will be available in three attractive color variants – Black, White, and Purple. Xperia 10 II will be available in four attractive color variants – Pastel Green, Black, Blue, and White. Sony hasn’t announced the pricing details today but both of the devices will start shipping from Spring 2020 onwards, as announced in the live stream.
