14 DAY TRIAL // Sony has already been the underdog in the smartphone market. Its Xperia lineup has never been able to compete with major players like Samsung, LG and Huawei, but the Japanese company hopes to change that in the coming years.
If Sony's mobile division continues to exist as part of the Japanese conglomerate, many changes will be made to ensure the upcoming Xperia smartphones succeed. The Xperia X Performance lineup's lukewarm reception suggests that Sony really needs to change something fast.
These changes aren't likely to start this year, though. In fact, let's just say that the big changes will most likely start to happen from 2018.
According to a report from Japanese online publication Nikkan, Sony plans to launch an Xperia premium smartphone that will feature OLED display.
The OLED smartphone will be released in 2018, but it's unclear when exactly it will be announced. Sony usually launched its flagship smartphones in February at Mobile World Congress (MWC) and in September at IFA trade fair.
OLED displays are considerably better than LCD panels
The report also mentions that only flagship Xperia smartphones will feature OLED displays next year, the rest of Sony's handsets will continue to pack LCD panels.
The OLED displays could be similar to those used by Sony in its recently announced A1 series TVs, but some modifications might be required.
Unlike the standard LCD display Sony uses in its smartphones, OLED panels offer better black colors and high level of contrast.
Unfortunately, by the time Sony plans to launch its first Xperia smartphone to boast an OLED display, other handset makers like Samsung and LG might have already released foldable smartphones.
Hopefully, Sony has a couple of other aces under its sleeve, since the addition of OLED display in its flagships might not be enough to appeal to a large audience. Stay tuned for more on this one.