After sticking with a similar design for its flagship phones for a good few years now, Sony may finally be ready to come up with something new.
That's according to Sony India's managing director Kenichiro Hibi, who has told The Indian Express that Sony plans to introduce a new generation of smartphones and with it, a new design.
"We have deployed an omnibalance design as long as the X series continue to be available in the market. Also, we are planning to launch new generation of products and you can expect a complete new design from the devices" [sic]
Hibi is all too aware that the flagship smartphone sector is moving to larger 18:9 screens, while Sony phones retain large bezels above and below the display. He didn't reveal information regarding the newly designed series of smartphones, but did say the new flagship would "arrive soon".
It would be safe to assume that Sony will also adopt an 18:9 display to compete with its rivals.
Sony's OmniBalance design has definitely started to feel a bit dated, and with a similar design being used for the majority of its phones, whether they be flagship or mid-range, it's often hard to distinguish them from each other. Therefore a new design should be well received.
Sony occasionally uses CES in Las Vegas to show of new devices at the beginning of the year, so we may see a new phone, or at least hear more on Sony's plans at the 2018 show in January.