Four wild new Sony phones rumored for 2018 release

A new set of Sony phones might change the companys fortunes with full-body displays and under-screen fingerprint readers. That is, if these images prove to be indicative of actual products. While a surprising number of blogs are reporting the images you see here as photographic proof of the existence of these devices, we're not quite so ready to take these images at their word – not at first, anyway.

The first batch of images – and all the rest – come from Georgian site VORTEX. With the skills this team of creators possess, I'm not at all shocked to find that they've made a hefty number of articles with rendered images to match. The first batch is a set of phones from Sony with shiny parts and top-level specs.

The renders are by designer/writer ბექა ცინცაძემ, who also works with Review.GE – also in Georgia. It is with renders from ბექა ცინცაძემ that VORTEX publishes a bit of work on the devices at hand. They suggest they have exclusive access to information about the phones, and are publishing stories with the renders – which are unofficial, I must reiterate – based on said info.

SEE TOO: The Sony Xperia XZ2 and the iPhone X effect

These devices are said by VORTEX to be "OnePlus 5T-like killers." They're tipped by the same source to include fingerprint readers, one on the lesser of the two on the back of the device. The other scanner would rest under the display of the higher-end display.

The more expensive and premium of the two devices shown above is rumored to come with a 4K display. That's not impossible, as Sony's released 4K smartphones before. This device is also said to come with a dual camera setup (as the images show), as well as a Snapdragon 845, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage.

Rumors surfaced earlier this year of Sony releasing a new set of phones with a new design philosophy. The name of said newness was rumored as such: Sony Xperia Mirai. This would replace the Sony Xperia Omnibalance design language the company's been working with for several years.

The rumor then, all the way back in September, was that the designs Sony might bring to Mobile World Congress 2018 would be "considered" for full final release in the year 2018. In other words – they might not become real for consumers at all.

Sony Xperia Alpha 4K

Another set of images shows what might just be the amalgamation of the two devices shown above. It's not entirely clear, based on the info VIA VORTEX. I wouldn't put it beyond Sony to release multiple smartphones with almost identical specs with different names.

This device would have a 16:9 format 4K display, a display that covers a whopping 80% of the front of the phone. Inside this device would potentially be 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage (as with the device(s) above.) This smartphone is said to come with a set of speakers, both facing forward rather than downward.

Here's where things get dicy – again – as the primary source for this info suggests two separate set of details on the device's camera. One possibility is a 2x set of cameras with 24-megapixel sensors, in both. The other possibility is in a set of specs for Sony's Alpha smartphone here showing the device's camera:

• 12 RGB + 3MP Monocrome sensors

• 1.55 micron pixel size

• PDAF Autofocus 120 Shot Per Second

• 1GB DRAM memory

• FHD resolution Slo-Mo video with 1000 hp per second

• HS-Stacked mode of shooting for SHQ format photo

MWC 2018 full set

The full setup is said to be four smartphones – two mid-tier devices, and two flagships. These devices are tipped to be coming to Mobile World Congress 2018, all at once. It could ALSO be that these four PLUS the Alpha device might be coming – but again, none of this is 100% confirmed.

Premium A

• Display: 5.5-inch 4K "HDR" screen with 80% screen-to-body ratio

• Processor: Snapdragon 845

• RAM: 8GB

• Internal Storage: 128GB

• Cameras: 19MP and 12MP, F/1.7, optical and electronic stabilization, 4K video at 60fps, 1080p video at 240fps, and 1080p video at 960-1000fps.

• Battery: N/A

Premium B

• Display: 5.2-inch FHD (1080p) "HDR" screen with 74% s-to-b ratio

• Processor: N/A / possibly same as Premium A

• RAM: 4GB

• Internal Storage: 64GB

• Cameras: N/A

• Battery: 2900mAh (wth?)

Mid-Tier A

• Display: 6-inch FHD (1080p) screen with 78% s-to-b ratio

• Processor: Snapdragon 630

• RAM: 4GB

• Internal Storage: 64GB

• Cameras: 23MP main, 16MP front-facing

• Battery: 3500mAh

Mid-Tier B

• Display: 5-inch HD (720p) screen with 72% s-to-b ratio

• Processor: Snapdragon 630

• RAM: 4GB

• Internal Storage: 32GB

• Cameras: N/A

• Battery: N/A

We'll have to wait and see how this one pans out. If Sony does indeed change the way they approach smartphone design, it would not be a surprise to find their sales increase in the USA. If they decide to ramp up their public image in the USA, cross your fingers for high quality software in the high-quality hardware we already know Sony manufactures.