14 DAY TRIAL // Japanese mobile phone maker Sony Mobile is expected to announce a new large smartphone in the not-too-distant future, but also appears set to include it in its entry-level lineup, at least this is what a recent benchmark listing suggests.
The handset has been spotted in the GFXBench database with model number D2203 attached to it, which is the same device version that was seen on the Indonesian Postel site last month.
Rumor has it that Sony will actually release at least three different versions of the smartphone, and that they will come with the model versions D2202, D2212, and D2203 attached them.
These model numbers suggest right from the start that the phone will be aimed at the entry level of the market, and the hardware specs revealed for it via the aforementioned GFXBench listing appear to confirm that.
Apparently, Sony will release the phone with a 6.1-inch touchscreen display capable of delivering an FWVGA (480 x 854 pixels) resolution, as well as with a 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (MSM8926) chipset with Adreno 305 graphics inside.
The mobile phone will also arrive on shelves with 1GB of RAM inside, as well as with 4GB of internal memory, though users will most probably be able to expand it via a microSD memory card slot.
Moreover, the upcoming handset is expected to sport a 5-megapixel camera on the back, supposedly with HD video recording capabilities, as well as with a VGA front camera for making video calls while on the go.
According to the benchmarking listing, the new phone will be released with the Android 4.4.2 KitKat operating system loaded on top right from the start, though we assume that it will also arrive on shelves with various exclusive Sony applications and software customizations.
As a recent post on XperiaBlog reads, chances are that Sony will focus mainly on Asia with the launch of this new mobile phone, in an attempt to compete against cheap, large Android handsets released by vendors in emerging markets such as China and India.
Unfortunately, the handset hasn’t been officially confirmed as of now, and it remains to be seen what name it will sport when that happens, and which markets out there will receive it.
Details on when it might be released and on the price tag that it should feature are missing as well, though chances are that Sony will reveal all of the necessary info on the matter before the end of this year, so stay tuned.