That beach looks good enough to eat (credit: RBMen)
It's been a long and leaky road for the Sony 'Honami,' rumored to be the Xperia i1, but it could finally arrive in the coming weeks.
Mark your calendars - according to Bloomberg Sony's next Xperia flagship will launch at an event on Sept. 4, just before IFA 2013 kicks off in Berlin.
The site says the Xperia Honami will feature tech borrowed from both Sony televisions and Sony cameras, including Bravia TV picture enhancement chips and sensors from Cyber-shots.
Meanwhile, some photos allegedly taken with the Honami appeared online over the weekend at RBMen (via Xperia blog), providing a hint of what that camera can do.
A beach shot at sunset shows off some impressively deep blacks and vibrant hues, while photos of some friends apparently at dinner look more like your standard camera phone shots.
The photos reportedly appeared on Picasa, the Google photo app that revealed they were taken with the Sony C6903, Honami's rumored model number.
But they weren't even shot with the device's full 20 megapixels - these were apparently taken with the Honami's camera set at just 8 megapixels.
With all the leaks, it may feel like there's nothing left to learn about the next Sony Xperia phone, but we'll keep an eye out for announcements in the coming weeks anyway. That's our job, after all.
A new Xperia on the horizon (credit: Gadget Helpline)
The most recent flagship handset to come out of the Japanese firm was the Sony Xperia Z at the beginning of this year and while it's only be around for eight months it's apparently time for a new model, the Xperia i1.
We're hearing the Sony Xperia i1 is lined up for a special launch at IFA 2013 in Berlin, and there's been a whole host of rumours, leaks and speculation surrounding the smartphone.
Originally touted under the codename Sony Honami, the chatter on the internet now surrounds the rather peculiar i1 moniker - a name we're not particularly impressed with.
We've cast an eye over all the various reports on the web surrounding the Honami/Xperia i1 and pulled the best bits together below to give you an overview of the handset.
Sony Xperia i1 release date and price
Initially the Sony Xperia i1 release date was pegged for July, but that has been and gone, so all eyes are now firmly on IFA 2013.
Apparently the Honami will make its way to market in at least one country before the year is out - with South Korea supposedly in line for some Xperia i1 loving.
The Xperia i1 release date now appears to be pretty much set for September 4, the date of Sony's press conference at IFA 2013 in Berlin, after a teaser was leaked online.
The leaked event teaser (credit: Xperia-Digi-Wo)
In terms of price the trail is pretty cold, but considering the Xperia i1 is set to be the next flagship device from Sony we'd expect it to carry a lavish price tag putting it up against the Galaxy S4, HTC One and Lumia 925.
Sony Xpeira i1 display
Early reports pointed towards the Xperia i1 sporting a 5-inch, full HD display, very much like the screen found on the Xperia Z.
The 5-inch display has been reported in a number of other leaks as well, adding more fuel to fire and in the screen department at least it doesn't appear that Sony is going to advance anything. We just hope it doesn't suffer from the same washed-out appearance of its predecessor - but given the Sony Xperia Z Ultra packed Triluminous technology to improve it's appearance, fingers crossed the same will happen here.
Sony Xperia i1 camera
With no big surprises in screen spec the major upgrade the Xperia i1 looks to be getting is in the camera department.
The Xperia Z currently sports a pretty decent 13.1MP snapper, but the Xperia i1 is rumoured to go one better and pack a meaty 20MP Cyber-shot camera on its rear.
It's not just photos which may well turn out to be huge on the i1, with leaked slides from a Sony presentation hinting at a 4K (4000 x 2000) video recording capability - something which may find its way onto the Xperia i1.
If this turns out to be true than the Honami would be the first smartphone to capture film in the 4K format - although the full HD screen wouldn't be able to do your recordings justice.
Various screenshots claiming to be from the Xperia i1 camera app have also made their way online and apparently reveal updated camera software.
Credit: Xperia Blog
Some clever folks over at XDA Developers reckon they've managed to port the camera app from the Honami handset to over Xperia smartphones, bringing a raft of new features with it.
Credit: Xperia Blog
New features, which have been confirmed in a second report, include AR-effect (an augmented reality mode), info-eye for visual search and Timeshift Burst which allows users to choose the best photo out of a series of shots - so very similar to mode found on BlackBerry 10.
Another feature which could worm its way onto the Xperia i1 is Social Live, giving you the ability to live stream video to Facebook. This sounds like a pretty massive gimmick, but if Sony can pull it off it will be a very interesting feature.
Either way it will be an improvement on the 1.5GHz quad-core chip in the Xperia Z, and it would also make the Xperia i1 more powerful than the Galaxy S4 and HTC One.
2GB looks pretty much nailed on to be accompanying the quad-core processor in the Xperia i1, while an Adreno 330 GPU should give the handset enough grunt for the more graphically intense games.
Internal storage is a little disappointing with a number of leaks stating 16GB, although what's actually available will be less as the operating system will take up a fair whack.
At least there's some comfort in reports pointing towards a microSD slot, which makes the internal storage less of an issue.
Sony Xperia i1 operating system, battery and more
Rather surprisingly very little has been said about the operating system which will adorn the Xperia i1, but perhaps that's because it's obviously going to be sporting a recent incarnation of Android.
While Android 4.3 is the latest version of Google's platform on the market it's currently limited to Nexus devices, so the sensible money would be on the Sony Xperia i1 arriving with Android 4.2.2 on board.
Sony is reportedly stuffing a decent battery into the Xperia i1, with two reports pointing towards a 3000mAh power pack. Hopefully that will see it last a whole day with decent usage.
Connectivity wise you can apparently expect to see Wi-Fi and Bluetooth line up alongside 4G and NFC, but it doesn't look like the Xperia i1 will share the same dust and water resistance as the Xperia Z. This seems unlikely given the 'rugged' tag is one Sony is keen to push, so we'd expect this to be perfectly happy when accidentally dropped in your washing up.
For the audiophiles among you there's good news as the Xperia i1 is touted as having a Walkman audio chip stuffed inside it to enhance your tunes, although it's still worth investing in a decent set of headphones.
Sony Xperia i1 looks
There have been a number of photo leaks claiming to show off the Xperia i1 in all its glory, and if they are accurate it will look pretty similar to the Xperia Z.
At first glance it's not really possible to tell the two handsets apart, with the device in the images below keeping to that strong Sony design which has been implemented on the Z and Z Ultra.
Images showing the side of the Xperia i1 appear to reveal a metal band running around the side of the handset, and shows a dedicated shutter key alongside the oversized power/lock button and volume rocker.
Credit: JustAMP
The rear of the Xperia i1 in this photo seems to have a matt, plastic finish which looks a little cheap, so we're hoping this is just an early prototype and not the finished design.
The one thing we know for sure is that iPhone 5S will come with iOS 7
Some new holes cut into a leaked shell supposedly intended for the iPhone 5S suggest that the handset will feature a fingerprint scanner.
French site Nowhereelse.fr has some photos of what its sources tell it is the iPhone 5S shell, and it features a separate cut-out near the home button casing on the bottom of the handset.
The fingerprint scanner rumour is nothing new. We've heard word from various sources over the past few months - in fact, ever since Apple bought mobile security firm Authentec for a huge chunk of cash back in July last year, there has been talk of the iPhone 5S being the first iPhone to feature one.
Fingerprint scanners seem set to be the next big smartphone buzz-feature, as mobile payments see security becoming more and more important on our mobile devices.
Today's photos also have bigger holes on the top of the handset on the rear panel, which suggest that Apple may be planning a camera sensor upgrade and dual LED flash.
Too legit to quit
Whether the casings are legit or not is hard to tell, but Nowhereelse.fr doesn't have a bad track record when it comes to component leaks.
Either way, we'll find out the truth on September 10 when Apple is apparently set to unveil its new iPhone to the world.
HTC could be about to lose a whole chunk of street cred as reports emerge that hip young headphone-maker Beats wants to sever ties with the smartphone maker.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Beats Electronics' (of Dr. Dre fame) is considering buying out HTC's 25% stake in the firm as it looks to expand its options in the market.
Beats Audio technology has proudly sat inside HTC's handsets ever since the Sensation XE, bringing improved audio performance - especially in the bass department - via headphones and then the internal speaker on later devices.
People "familiar with the matter" told the WSJ that Beats Electronics is looking to replace the Taiwanese firm with a new investor who can provide money for future growth, which would see HTC lose its tie-ins with the audio firm.
Windows drift
It's not the first time the Beats/HTC relationship has hit the rocks: last summer, Beats bought 25% of its shares back from HTC, prompting rumours that HTC would drop Beats integration from its phones, chatter that the company branded "categorically false".
There's more bad news for HTC: Digitimes claims that the firm may drift away from Windows Phone 8 as its share of the already-fairly-small Windows Phone market has dipped.
HTC has apparently seen its global Windows Phone market share drop below 5%, with Samsung taking second place after Nokia, and thus is mulling the decision to focus more on its Android outfit.
Handsets such as the HTC 8X and 8S failed to make much of a splash in the market, while the Android based HTC One has received a strong reception and managed to put the manufacturer back on the mobile map.
We have spoken to HTC regarding both reports, but a spokesperson for the company told us "HTC doesn't comment on rumour or speculation" - so no real shock there.
It looks like Samsung's idea of creating "mini" versions of top phones is rubbing off on others with HTC launching the One Mini and new reports suggesting Sony is planning a similar onslaught with the Honami Mini.
Over recent months there's been a lot of talk surrounding the Sony Xperia i1, previously known as the Sony Honami, so it was only a matter of time before the rumour mill kicked into action on a pint sized version.
Information on the Honami Mini popped up on the Esato forum, with the details posted by "randomuser" apparently revealing a 4.3-inch 720p display, 2.2GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, microSD slot, 20.7MP camera and 2400mAh battery.
If these reports are true - and we can't verify that - then Sony could well be planning the mini version we've been waiting for. The power of a top end smartphone in a smaller, pocket friendly design.
It would smash the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini and One Mini, which both suffered a major downgrade in features from their bigger brothers.
Identity crisis
There appears to be some confusion over the name of the cut down mobile though, with the forum member noting it currently sports the codename Ray 3.
This reminds us of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray, but apparently there's no relation between the two - though there's still the issue of the Honami name which appears to be a codename in itself. Could it finally arrive as the Xperia i1 Mini?
The Sony Xperia i1 is expected to break cover at IFA 2013, but if you're hoping to get a look at the Honami Mini you may be out of luck, as randomuser claims it will arrive "only by December or January next year."
