Leaked Xperia Z1S could be international version of the Xperia Z1F

Leaked Xperia Z1S could be Sony’s international version of the small, powerful Z1F

By Andy Boxall October 21, 2013

Check out our review of the Sony Xperia Z1S smartphone.

You may recall Sony announced the Xperia Z1F recently. If not, here’s a reminder. The phone is a smaller, more company version of the Xperia Z1, meaning it has a 4.3-inch, 720p display instead of its big brother’s 5-inch screen. However, it still has the same Snapdragon 800 processor and 20.7-megapixel camera, making it one of the most powerful “mini” devices about. Sadly, the Xperia Z1F is only due for launch on the NTT DoCoMo network in Japan.

This could change in the near future though, as the rest of the world may get a version of the Z1F called the Xperia Z1S. A hint of Sony’s plans comes from the @evleaks Twitter account, where a picture of a Sony smartphone was published under the Xperia Z1S name. It doesn’t look identical though, as you can see from the picture below, as the pink Xperia Z1F has a more rounded chassis than the black Xperia Z1S

Xperia Z1S Leak — Image used with permission by copyright holder

However, if it is genuine, and a carbon copy of the Z1F, it’ll great news, as for a while it looked like we wouldn’t get the Xperia Z1F at all. However, before we all start jumping for joy, there’s still a chance Sony fans in America won’t get to play with the Xperia Z1S. Sony CEO Kaz Hirai recently said the company would be concentrating on releasing its smartphone hardware in Japan and Europe, and would look at the U.S. and China in the future.

The situation may have been clarified soon afterwards though, as Sony put the new Xperia Z1, Xperia Z1 Ultra, and the Sony SmartWatch 2 up for sale through its U.S. online store. So, Hirai may have only been referring to Sony striking deals with networks – something it hasn’t really done in America – while still providing the opportunity to buy unlocked phones directly.

Will this be the fate of the Xperia Z1S? We’ll have to wait and see, as the phone is still unofficial. The Xperia Z1F is set for release before the end of the year in Japan, so if an international counterpart exists, its debut can’t be far away.

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