Xperia Z1 Reign Short Lived as Sony Prepping Xperia Z2 Successor

The problem with Android devices is that their lifespans are usually shorter than one year. Given that most American customers are stuck in a two-year contract, choosing an Android device at launch would mean that there may be two or three new devices that would get released before the customer they are able to renew their device. The situation may be the same with the launch of the Xperia Z1, which was largely known by its Honami code name prior to its debut at the IFA trade show earlier this month.

Just weeks after the Xperia Z1‘s debut, it’s now rumored that Sony is already working on a successor in the form of the Xperia Z2. Though details are still up in the air, and a release date for the Xperia Z2 is not known, given that the specs of the two devices are very similar it may signal that the Xperia Z1′s reign as Sony’s flagship may not last long.

As shown: The Waterproof Xperia Z1.

The Xperia Z2 is scheduled to debut about four months after the debut of the Z1 as the Xperia Z2 is expected to be announced in early January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. If the Xperia Z1 doesn’t ship soon, it may look stale when it’s finally available for purchase if the Z2 gets announced soon after.

Both devices are expected to be powered by the same high-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, the same CPU that is landing inside the LG G2 as well as the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 in select markets like the U.S. Additionally, like its predecessor, the rumored Xperia Z2 is said to feature a screen with the same full HD 1080p resolution based on Sony’s vibrant Triluminos display technology. Where there is conflicting information right now is how big the Z2′s display will be.

One leak suggests that the Xperia Z2′s screen to measure 5.2 inches diagonally while a second leak suggests that the display will have a 5.5-inch screen size. It’s unclear if either leak is accurate. For comparison, at 5.5 inches, the X2′s display would measure the same as the Galaxy Note 2′s screen, but at 5.2-inch, the display is not much bigger than the 5-inch display on the Xperia Z1.

As far as the camera goes, the Z2 will boast the Z1′s excellent 20.7-megapixel camera with a larger-sized sensor. The Z1′s camera sensor is the same size as a point-and-shoot camera, which is much bigger than the sensor of a typical smartphone camera, save for niche devices like Nokia’s Lumia 1020 and the Nokia 808.

An improvement that the Z2 will bring to the camera would be a Xenon flash module according to a posting on Phone Arena. The Xenon flash would allow the camera to capture colors more accurately while being able to freeze motion for fast-moving subjects.

Additionally, the Z2 will debut with Android 4.4 KitKat.

Given these improvements and a mere four months longer to wait, it’s unclear if Xperia Z1 customers will buy that phone instead of the Xperia Z2. In addition to the Z1 and Z2, Sony is also rumored to be toying with a smaller device called the Xperia Z1 Mini, or Honami Mini.