Sony has announced a new smartphone range at Mobile World Congress 2016 called the X series. No, you're not getting deja vu, the same name was used for LG's new mid-range smartphones in the run up to the show.
The Sony X series is aiming above the mid-range though, offering three devices called Xperia X, Xperia XA and Xperia X Performance, all of which will focus on camera, battery and design.
The three devices come with the same OmniBalance design Xperia devices are associated with but they swap the glass rear for metal. The X and X Performance have an oblong side power button and smooth curved edges like the Xperia Z5, while the XA features a circular side power button like the Xperia Z3 and Xperia M5.
The top-of-the-range is the Xperia X Performance, but unfortunately it will be destined for Asia only. It sports a 5-inch Full HD display, IP65 and IP68 waterproofing, a 23-megapixel rear camera, 13-megapixel front camera and the Snapdragon 820 chipset. There is also a 2700mAh battery under the hood.
The Xperia X comes with a 5-inch Full HD display, 23-megapixel rear camera, 13-megapixel front camera and it runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 processor. There is 3GB of RAM support, 32GB of internal storage, a microSD slot for storage expansion and a 2600mAh battery capacity for up to two days of life. It doesn't offer waterproofing like the X Performance though.
The Xperia XA also has a 5-inch display, although the resolution drops to 1280 x 720. It offers an edge-to-edge screen though, so where it loses the pixels, it makes up for in design. There is a 13-megapixel rear camera, 8-megapixel front camera and an octa-core MediaTek processor on board. The RAM sits at 2GB, the internal storage at 16GB with microSD support and the battery capacity tops out at 2300mAh.
Both the Xperia X and Xperia XA will come in white, graphite black, lime gold and rose gold for Summer 2016 but prices have yet to be detailed. Prices for the X Performance have also yet to be revealed but it won't be heading for our waters. You can read our first impressions by heading to the Sony hub.
The Japanese company also used the Barcelona show to announce the RM-X7BT in-car Bluetooth commander and Xperia Ear - a wireless ear-piece that will connect to an Android smartphone using Bluetooth.
The Xperia Ear will deliver information such as schedule, weather or latest news, as well as respond to verbal commands. You'll be able to ask it to make a call or dictate a message for example and there is also an accompanying app that will allow you to customise settings, like the information you want to hear. It is IPX2 water resistant and Sony says it will deliver an all-day battery life.
The RM-X7BT allows users to stream music wirelessly as well as activate smartphone functions while driving. It consists of an adapter module for wireless audio streaming and hands-free calls and a commander module for facilitating smartphone functions.
The Xperia Ear and RM-X7BT in-car Bluetooth commander will both be available from Summer 2016 with the new X series smartphones but again, no pricing details have been revealed as yet.