Sony's upcoming Xperia smartphone is set to be released on August 24, but it will probably not be available in the US.

      Sony/YouTube

      Following the announcement of its flagship Xperia 1 VIII in May, Sony is preparing to reveal another device. The company has confirmed its next Xperia launch event set for August 24. Although the specific device to be announced has not been disclosed, indications strongly suggest it will be the mid-range Xperia 10 VIII.

      When to tune in and the hints from leaks

      The event will be live-streamed on YouTube at 11 AM Japan time on August 25, allowing viewers in the US to watch at 10 PM ET or 7 PM PT on August 24. While Sony has not released further details about the upcoming announcement, recent leaks provide substantial insight.

      A Geekbench listing for a device codenamed Sony XQ-GH54 indicates it will feature a Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset alongside 8GB of RAM—similar to last year’s Xperia 10 VII. If this is accurate, there won’t be an upgrade to the chipset this generation, continuing a trend seen with the Xperia 10 IV and Xperia 10 V.

      An earlier FCC filing from July provided additional information, revealing features like a 3.5mm headphone jack, Wi-Fi 6, and compatibility with four LTE bands. The Xperia 10 VII from last year included a 6.1-inch 120Hz OLED display and a 5,000mAh battery, specs that could persist in the forthcoming model. This is a fairly modest configuration compared to the Xperia 1 VIII, which was equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip and a telephoto sensor significantly larger than that of its predecessor.

      US consumers likely have little reason for optimism

      It seems that Sony may once again bypass the US market, despite earlier indications of a broader release. IMEI database records identified earlier this year for both the Xperia 1 VIII and Xperia 10 VIII did not list a distinct US model number, implying that the upcoming mid-range phone might not be released in the US.

      Sony’s livestream on August 24 is expected to reveal details on pricing, specifications, and availability. If the leaks are correct, the Xperia 10 VIII could be a modest update of the Xperia 10 VII, rather than a device that merits an immediate preorder.

      Pranob is an experienced tech journalist with over eight years dedicated to covering consumer technology. His work has been…

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