Sony Xperia Z6 release date, news and rumors

Update: Sony's next flagship could actually be called the Xperia XR and it's been leaked in a new set of renders, complete with slim dimensions.

Sony turned it all around with the Xperia Z5, making up for the lacklustre Sony Xperia Z3+ with a far more stable phone. It also benefited from one of the best fingerprint scanners we've seen on a handset and a camera upgrade that made for much clearer photos.

Yet we can't help but feel that Sony could have done even more. There are still missing features and undercooked specs and there's only so many times the company can wheel out essentially the same design, even if it has been increasingly polished.

It's a tough market right now too. If Sony wants to sway people away from the Samsung Galaxy S7, LG G5, HTC 10 - and the upcoming iPhone 7 - it needs to make the very best phone it can.

But making the best phone it can might mean ditching the Z line altogether, as Sony currently seems a lot more focused on the Xperia X range and it's unclear whether we'll get a Sony Xperia Z6 at all.

The latest leaks suggest a mystery new phone is in the works, but whether this is the Xperia Z6, the Xperia X2, or something else altogether remains unclear.

• Check out our Sony Xperia XA review and our hands on Sony Xperia X review

Cut to the chase

• What is it? Sony's next Z-branded flagship
• When is it out? Possibly IFA 2016 in September, if it launches at all
• What will it cost? It'll be expensive, it's a flagship after all

Sony Xperia Z6 or Xperia X2?

The Xperia Z6 is a confusing situation. Sony took to the stage at Mobile World Congress 2016 to announce three new phones; the Xperia X, Xperia XA and Xperia X Performance, followed shortly after by the Xperia XA Ultra. The eagle-eyed among you will note none of these bears the Z6 moniker.

The phones feature premium specs, with the Xperia X boasting a fingerprint scanner and a 23MP rear facing camera much like the Xperia Z5 - but the assumption is they will slide in below the flagship Z line. Or so we thought.

Sony didn't confirm whether these are its new flagship devices - thus killing off the Xperia Z6 and the Z line - and since the launch it's not exactly made the situation any clearer.

Over the course of MWC the question was put to a variety of spokespeople from the company and the message was somewhat confusing.

Jun Makino Senior Product Marketing Manager at Sony Mobile told uSwitch "I can't comment on the future, but we will not be releasing a Z6." He said that Sony is "turning to the next stage, with the Xperia X series".

But soon after, Sony denied this was the case. In a statement to techradar, a Sony spokesperson said "Although we can never confirm about the future possibilities of our product line-up, we can share with you that we have no plan to launch Xperia Z6 at this stage."

Emphasis on the "at this stage" part, suggesting that Sony does plan to announce the Xperia Z6 in the future. That was then followed by a statement to AndroidPIT from Sony Mobile US which said, "The Z series is not going away. We want to make it clear."

But more recently a leaked slide seemingly shows that Sony plans to focus exclusively on the 'X' brand until at least 2018. It may not be genuine of course, but it's looking like we may not see the Xperia Z6 for quite some time. For now the Xperia X2, Xperia XR, or whatever Sony's next high-end phone ends up being called, could be the closest we'll get to it.

Here's our look at the Xperia X and what it means for the Xperia Z6.

Sony Xperia Z6 release date

Sony announced the Xperia X range at MWC 2016 in February, and the handsets started going on sale this summer.

Usually we see an Xperia launch at both MWC and IFA in September, so it may be that Sony has chosen to give the Xperia Z6 a miss in Barcelona and just go for an IFA 2016 launch this year.

That's looking distinctly possible, as Sony has announced an IFA press conference on September 1, while a new phone has recently popped up in a series of leaks, suggesting it could be on the way soon.

But while the handset just about has flagship specs the model number suggests it could be another entry in the Xperia X range - perhaps the Sony Xperia X2 or the Xperia XR as it's now rumored to be called.

In fact a couple of model numbers have emerged, suggesting we might be seeing a whole new range of phones. That could mean an Xperia Z6 and Xperia Z6 Compact, but at the moment it looks more likely that it's new X entries.

A source speaking to cnBeta has previously said that we'd see two Sony flagships this year- one in June and one in October. But even if that's true it's not clear whether the new phone will carry Z branding.

TechRadar's take: A new flagship phone will likely arrive at IFA, but it will probably be called the Xperia X2 or similar. The Z6, if it ever arrives, is unlikely to land this year.

Sony Xperia Z6 design

Hottest leaks:

• A brushed metal back
• A slim build

Early rumblings about the Sony Xperia Z6 suggested it would have a completely new design, with metal playing a big role. The Sony Xperia Z5 and most other Sony flagships have a metal frame with a glass back, so perhaps Sony will be ditching the glass and going all-metal. However, it's possible that this rumor was referring to the Xperia X, which itself is metal-clad.

More recently rumors have referred to a high-end phone with the model number F833X, which suggests it's a member of the X range, but it could be the closest thing we're going to get to an Xperia Z6.

These rumors include a number of leaked photos, showing a phone with curved edges but a flat top and bottom, with a back that's seemingly brushed metal. That flat top and bottom would be a change for Sony, which has rounded them in its recent phones.

We've also seen leaked renders sporting the same design, but with dimensions attached - specifically 146.4 x 71.9 x 8.1mm, which would make it slightly slimmer than the 8.7mm thick Xperia X Performance.

They could well be accurate and they reveal other details like the apparent presence of a USB Type-C port for charging, though the 3.5mm headphone port is thankfully still intact.

What's less clear is if the Xperia X2 will be dust and water resistant. Sony dropped the feature from the likes of the Xperia X and Xperia XA, but it's managed to keep waterproofing intact for the Xperia X Performance.

TechRadar's take: The leaked shots look convincing, but the handset on show is likely to be an X rather than a Z.

Sony Xperia Z6 screen

Hottest leaks:

• 5.1-inch 1080p screen
• 3D Touch

Early Sony Xperia Z6 rumors claimed it would have a 5.2-inch screen, just like the Xperia Z5. That marks it out as separate to the Xperia X phones, as they are all 5.0 inches other than the 6.0-inch Xperia XA Ultra.

However, more recently a benchmark showing off what's likely to be Sony's next high-end phone (whether Z6 or X2) has listed a marginally smaller 5.1-inch 1080 x 1920 display. That 5.1-inch size has since been echoed by another leaker, so it's our best guess at the size.

A 1080p resolution would be lower than most flagships, which are starting to embrace QHD displays, but it would be in line with the likes of the Sony Xperia X Performance. Whatever the case, the display on the Xperia Z6 / Xperia X2 apparently won't be 4K, despite Sony introducing that resolution on the Xperia Z5 Premium.

Whatever the resolution, it may benefit from 3D Touch-like technology if rumors are to be believed.

TechRadar's take: Sony seems quite happy to stick with 1080p screens, while a 5.1 or 5.2-inch size seems believable - pushing it above the original X handsets but not into phablet territory.

Sony Xperia Z6 camera and battery

Hottest leaks:

• High megapixel counts on both front and rear cameras
• 4K video support from both

A leaked benchmark for a mystery high-end Sony phone reveals a 21MP rear camera and a 12MP front-facing one, while someone who claims to have got hold of a prototype reckons it has a 23MP rear camera and a 12MP front-facing one.

23MP seems more likely, given that both the Xperia X Performance and Sony Xperia Z5 have such a sensor, while that 12MP front-facing snapper could actually be 13MP, in line with the Sony Xperia X Performance.

We've also heard that both snappers will be capable of shooting in 4K, rather than just the rear one, while it's clear from leaked shots that the main camera has a dual-LED flash.

We haven't heard any battery rumors yet, but Sony tends to use relatively small yet efficient juice packs, so we'd guess it will be 3,000mAh at most.

TechRadar's take: A 23MP rear camera and 13MP front-facing one just like the Xperia X Performance would be our best guess, as Sony tends to stick to similar camera tech for a while. But some tweaks are likely and 4K footage from the front snapper would help it stand out.

Sony Xperia Z6 OS and power

Hottest leaks:

• Snapdragon 820 processor
• 3GB of RAM

The earliest Xperia Z6 rumors include reference to the Snapdragon 820 chip, which is the minimum we'd expect to see given that it's the main flagship processor of 2016.

More recently we've seen a benchmark listing a Snapdragon 820 chip, coupled with 3GB of RAM and an Adreno 530 GPU. Another leak also mentions 3GB of RAM, so that's looking likely, which is unfortunate as it's a step down from the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and HTC 10, both of which have 4GB of RAM.

Still, it's in line with the Xperia X Performance and Sony rarely puts the most cutting edge tech in its phones.

The benchmark also reveals that the phone will run Android Marshmallow rather than Android Nougat. If it launches in early September that's quite possible, but if we're waiting longer Nougat is likely.

TechRadar's take: Sony seems to have slightly dropped out of the specs race, so a Snapdragon 820 chip and 3GB of RAM seem believable, though if so the Xperia Z6 / Xperia X2 may struggle to stand out.

Sony Xperia Z6 other features

Hottest leaks:

• USB-C
• Stereo speakers

The Sony Xperia Z6 or Xperia X2 is likely to once again have a fingerprint scanner and leaked images also suggest it will have front-facing stereo speakers, while the NFC sensor seems to be present, but at the front rather than the back.

A USB Type-C port has been spotted too, which would be a first for a Sony phone and would allow for reversible USB cables.

TechRadar's take: Sony tends to put a big focus on sound and has used stereo speakers before, so their presence here is likely, while USB-C would make sense too as most brands will start using it sooner or later.

Sony Xperia Z6 rivals

The Sony Xperia Z6 will be up against the biggest flagships of the year, like the Samsung Galaxy S7 and HTC 10. Both of these phones have QHD screens, while the Xperia Z6 will likely just be 1080p. It could also have less RAM, leaving it with a tough fight on its hands.

• Check out our Samsung Galaxy S7 and HTC 10 reviews

It will also have to face up to the iPhone 7. That hasn't been launched yet but is rumored to include a large camera and plenty of power, but no 3.5mm headphone port.

• Check out our guide to all the iPhone 7 news and rumors

Sony Xperia Z6 cost

There aren't any price rumors yet, but we'd expect the cost will be in line with past Sony flagships like the Xperia Z5 and Xperia X Performance, so it's likely to come in at roughly US$700/£525/AU$1000.

• Take a look at the Sony Xperia X

Sony Xperia Z6: what we want to see

1. A new design

Sony has been using essentially the same design on all of its flagships and most of its other phones for years. They have a very rectangular look and in the case of the flagships a metal frame with a glass back.

It looks pretty nice, and back when Samsung was still churning out plastic flagships it could even be considered one of the better designs. However, it's never been mentioned in the same breath as recent Apple or HTC designs and with each year it gets a little staler.

So we'd really like to see a completely new look for the Sony Xperia Z6. We've now seen the company change things up a bit for the Xperia X range, but hopefully we'll get even bigger changes for the Xperia Z6.

2. An improved UI

There was a time when Sony's interface was quite good compared to the competition, but while stock Android and rival UI's have evolved Sony's has stayed much the same.

It has a slightly dated look, a cramped keyboard and often comes bloated with apps. It's in real need of an improvement and hopefully will get one soon. The closer to stock Android it gets the better as far as we're concerned with Sony - unless it can come up with something really revolutionary.

3. A better screen

The Sony Xperia Z5 doesn't have a bad screen at all, but at 1080p it's been dwarfed in resolution by rivals like the Samsung Galaxy S6 and LG G4, not to mention newer phones like the HTC 10.

Pushing the resolution on the Xperia Z6 up to QHD could be the answer, but only if it makes a real difference and doesn't harm the battery life too much - and surely Sony can manage it, given it's stuffed 4K into a smartphone?

Failing that perhaps Sony could improve the screen in other ways - making it stronger like the Moto X Force or more vibrant like Samsung's Super AMOLED displays for example. Anything to give it an edge.

4. Three-day battery life

Sony's flagship phones tend to have good battery life, often boasting up to two days of life. But that doesn't pan out if you're using the phone heavily.

At a minimum we'd love to see two-day battery life when you're actually taking advantage of all the features a smartphone has to offer, but better yet we'd love to see three days of life. With most 2015 flagships struggling to last a single day Sony could have a huge advantage if the Z6 can stretch to three.

5. Plenty of power

The Sony Xperia Z5 uses a Snapdragon 810 chip, which, overheating issues aside, is a powerful processor. But the Xperia Z3+ used the same chip and had the same amount of RAM, so the Xperia Z6 is in need of a substantial upgrade.

Fortunately, an upgrade is just what we're likely to get. The smart money is on the Z6 packing at minimum a Snapdragon 820 chip, which is significantly more powerful than the 810. As it won't be landing before late 2016 it may even use a Snapdragon 823. Hopefully it will also get a RAM boost to tip it over the 4GB mark.

6. Wireless charging and USB Type-C

Sony packed a lot of features into the Xperia Z5, but it lacked both wireless charging and USB Type-C support, which are two things we'd really like to see in the Sony Xperia Z6.

If we don't see them then the company risks getting left behind by rivals - although metal bodies make wireless charging a real hassle.

7. Better speakers

Sony clearly wants its Xperia range to be media marvels, given the Hi-Res audio support and front-facing speakers. But those speakers aren't quite up to scratch, especially compared to the BoomSound ones on the HTC One M9.

So there's work to do here. While smartphone speakers will never come close to even a decent set of portable ones it would be great if the Sony Xperia Z6 has good enough ones to use in a pinch.

8. 3D Touch

One of the early Sony Xperia Z6 rumors is that it will have pressure sensitive screen tech along the lines of the 3D Touch feature found on the iPhone 6S.

It's not completely unbelievable given Apple and Huawei already do it and it could be the next big thing. It could also be a good direction for Sony to go in helping the Z6's screen stand out if it doesn't want to up the resolution, so it's something we'd like to see.

9. Better waterproofing

Water and dust resistance is one of the main selling points of Sony's flagships. But despite Sony often taking its phones into pools and lakes when marketing them, the Xperia Z5 should apparently not be completely submerged or exposed to sea water, salt water, chlorinated water or liquids such as drinks.

So in other words while you can use it in the rain most other water-based activities risk voiding your warranty. That's a shame and we'd love to see a fully waterproof Xperia Z6. One which can be submerged indefinitely and even taken into the sea would be great.

10. A big new feature

More and better, that's the minimum that we expect from any new flagship. But for the Sony Xperia Z6 to really impress and really compete with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and HTC 10 it could do with a killer new feature.

One that we've perhaps not seen before or at least not seen much of. It could be 3D Touch, as mentioned above. Or perhaps an iris scanner that's faster than a fingerprint.

Maybe Sony will go mad and give us a foldable phone with a holographic screen. Probably not that last one, but hopefully something awesome.

Or, if not, then at least maybe charge a little less for the Sony Xperia Z6. The Xperia Z5 was meant to launch at £599 (about US$920, AU$1,249), but even after a pre-release price drop to £549 (about US$843, AU$1,144) it was still one of the most expensive phones around.

• The Xperia Z6 could have the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 to compete with

The successor to the 'budget' iPhone 5C has been rumoured for some time, but it seems like we're edging ever closer as reports surrounding the iPhone 6C begin to intensify. In fact, we're apparently just months away now.

According to Chinese site MyDrivers, phone network China Mobile has inadvertently revealed the iPhone 6C release date in its 2016 roadmap.

This would tie in nicely with the rumoured March event reported earlier this month, where the Cupertino firm is tipped to launch both the iPhone 6C and Apple Watch 2.

Say my name

The roadmap in question does refer to the handset as the iPhone 7C however, although it's unlikely to stick as surely Apple would wait until the iPhone 7 had launched before applying additional lettering.

According to the report the iPhone 6C will boast a 4-inch 1136 x 640 display, A9 processor, 8MP camera, Touch ID and three colour options - gold, silver and black. It's also possible that this is just the network planning for the 'what if this happens?' moments - but the 6C has been an AWFUL long time coming.

It's also claimed to cost around US$500 (around £340, AU$690) - which is cheaper than both the iPhone 6 and 6S, but not a budget offering.

FaceTime, Skype and Facebook Messenger mean it has been easy to video stream conversations with your phone for quite some time. But one of the most popular messaging apps, WhatsApp, has been missing the feature.

But according to German website Macerkopf, the next version of the iOS app will bring in a video calling feature, which will later roll out to Android devices.

You'll be able to make and receive video calls over Wi-Fi as well as 3G and 4G. You'll then be able to switch between both the front and rear-facing cameras.

About time

WhatsApp will also soon add chat head tabs - meaning you can switch between conversations more easily, much like Facebook Messenger – but it's not clear if it will come in the same update as video calling.

Along with a fresh green paint job, the update is expected to hit the App Store in build 2.12.16.2. We're currently on update 2.12.12, but we expect it to land in the coming weeks.

The Android version likely take a bit longer to come out, however, and there's no word on which build will see the new features first.

Facebook owning WhatsApp means none of this is a huge surprise. But these steps make WhatsApp even stronger and a real competitor to the likes of Skype and even Apple's FaceTime application.

• Our best free iPhone apps of 2015

Google is testing out a new feature that could do away with passwords entirely, letting users sign in using their own smartphones.

The feature was revealed by Reddit user rp1226, aka Rohit Paul, who was invited by Google to test out password-less entry as part of an early-access program. Paul then posted a thread detailing the setup and sign-in process, complete with images and a Q&A brief sent by Google.

To use a phone in place of a password, you must first sync up a compatible device with your Google account. Next, when attempting to log on to another device, Google will send a notification to your synchronized smartphone, where the attempt is verified by matching codes displayed on each screen.

Since it replaces memorizing a password, Google highly suggests having some form of security on the smartphone in the form of a lock screen or Touch ID protection. Should the phone wind up lost, stolen, or simply out of juice, Google assures that passwords can still be manually entered.

It is still unclear exactly which smartphones will become compatible with Google's new login method, though in Paul's case, a Nexus 6P was used. Google also mentions in a report by Android Police that it doesn't plan to be through with passwords just yet, as they still function as an additional layer of security against any suspicious-looking attempts on a user's account.

• Google isn't alone. Yahoo has been looking to forgo passwords for a while.

Apple is set to launch the iPhone 7 in 2016 and many of us are expecting the flagship phone to get a design overhaul - but so far it's not clear what will happen.

A new leak suggests it'll include an all-metal design with a bezel-less display, quite a change from the iPhone 6S. Someone allegedly caught the iPhone 7 prototype on camera while it was on the Foxconn assembly lines.

The video shows the phone from a few angles with a look at the innovative display as well as a lack of a physical home button and a main camera that doesn't have a flash LED.

Dropping the bezel

It then ends with someone shouting "Hey" before the leaker bundles the iPhone back into a pocket and the video ends.

That seems pretty suspicious to us: if the leaker was actually caught filming we'd think the file would be forcibly deleted.

Still, it makes for an interesting discussion around how Apple will change the look of the new handset.

Apple is likely to do something with its screen tech to challenge the innovation of the Galaxy S6 Edge, so we can only hope this bezel-less display is something the company is actually working on.

• All the iPhone 7 rumours so far

If you're holding off upgrading your phone because you're waiting for the Samsung Galaxy S7 then good news - you don't have too long to wait, if reports are to be believed.

China Mobile appears to have accidentally let the cat out of the bag, according to posts by Chinese social media users that were picked up by Slashgear.

During a company press conference, it appears that the network flashed up a slide showing the products that were coming to the network soon - and included the S7 pencilled in for March.

If this is accurate, it strongly suggests that we'll catch our first official glimpse of the new phone at the MWC 2016 in Barcelona, which takes place 22-25 February.

Hardly a surprise

This wouldn't actually be massively surprising as Samsung has used MWC as an excuse to wheel out its latest flagship handsets for the past few years.

In fact, if last year's reveal of the S6 is any indication, we can perhaps expect a huge, glitzy Samsung launch event on the evening of Sunday February 21 - immediately prior to the main show opening.

It also wouldn't be an insane prediction we'll see the curved screen Galaxy S7 Edge unveiled at the same time, given the S6 Edge has proved to be so popular.

The same China Mobile leak also suggests that a number of other phones will be released around the same time: Samsung's premium-looks/mid-range-guts Galaxy A5 and A7, and the 2016 Huawei flagship, the Huawei P9 too.

So the only bad news here is for those hoping that the new Samsung flagship landing in January - but come on, that was never likely to happen.

• Everything we know about the Galaxy S7.