There's a new trend in the smartphone world with many companies launching a "mini" version of their flagship smartphones. Sony is up next with the impressive Honami Mini.
Samsung started a new trend in the Android smartphone space when it released the Galaxy S3 Mini in 2012. It was, as the name implies, a smaller version of the Galaxy S3. The company followed up by releasing the Galaxy S4 Mini this July, which featured a 4.3-inch display, Galaxy S4 design, and mid-range specs.
After HTC saw big success with the HTC One, it also put a plan into motion to bring a mini version of the smartphone to the market. The company announced the HTC One Mini in July and, just like Samsung, used a 4.3-inch display on the smartphone and included mid-range specs. A new report claims Sony will be the next Android smartphone maker to launch a "mini" smartphone, but unlike the Galaxy S4 Mini and HTC One Mini, the Honami Mini will include high-end specs that match the flagship smartphone.
Sony is expected to announce its next flagship , the Xperia i1 'Honami,' at this year's IFA trade show in September. The smartphone has some very impressive specs, including a 5-inch 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) TRILUMINOS display, the latest quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor and a high-end 20.7-megapixel camera. According to a new report from GSMInsider, Sony will also announce the Xperia Honami Mini and it will be a true "mini" version of Sony's upcoming flagship smartphone.
According to the report, the Xperia 'Honami' Mini is codenamed Ray 3 and will use a 4.3-inch 720p TRILUMINOS display. It will also keep the Snapdragon 800 processor and feature the same high-end 20.7-megapixel camera with F/2.0 Sony G Lens from the Xperia i1 'Honami'. The smartphone will reportedly include 16GB of internal storage, 2GB of RAM, and also a microSD expansion slot for expandable memory. The Honami Mini will use a non-removable 2,400 mAh battery instead of the 3,000 mAh battery expected in the Xperia i1 'Honami', but this is likely due to the smaller display and smaller overall size.
If this report is to be believed, while Sony is following the new trend, it will differentiate its smaller offering by making it a "mini" based only on screen size and not lower-end specs. However, we'll have to file this in the rumor category for now.
