What you need to know

• The image may reveal the camera design for the Sony Xperia 1 V.
• The image shows a Zeiss-branded triple camera sensor, but no ToF sensor.
• Sony may unveil the flagship during MWC 2023 in late February.

Samsung may have just unveiled the Galaxy S23 series, but we’re expecting February to be full of new phone launches, and Sony could be among them. A new leaked image may have revealed a part of the upcoming Xperia 1 V flagship, showing several visual changes to the camera design.

The image was posted on Weibo (via android Authority ) by a user who claims the image is of the Xperia I V. From the image, we can see that Sony may be sticking to its tried and true triple camera lineup. The design has stuck to several flagship generations. However, there are a few differences that may point to some improvements in the camera system.

The image shows that the Zeiss T* brand is still available. However, the 3D ToF (Time of Flight) and RGB-IR color sensors present in the last few Xperia 1 models are missing. The former captures depth information, while the latter helps the phone adjust the white balance more precisely.

It’s unclear why these aren’t available, but it suggests that Sony’s camera system has improved enough that they’re no longer needed. After all, ToF sensors were all the rage at one time, but are rarely seen on android phones these days.

The leak hints at changes to the main and ultra-wide sensors, although they haven’t explained what that means. After years of hitting 12-megapixel cameras on the Xperia 1 line, could we finally see higher resolutions on a Sony flagship? The latest android phones have opted for Sony’s 50MP IMX sensor with pretty good results, and Sony also has the 1-inch sensor seen on phones like the Xiaomi 13 Pro. It would be great to see the company use these sensors in its smartphones.

Apart from imaging, Sony may also include a new rear microphone taken from the Xperia Pro-I, which is used to capture high-quality audio for vlogs.

The image doesn’t reveal much and the leaker isn’t very confident in the information provided, so for now we’ll have to take it with a grain of salt.

The Xperia 1 IV went on sale in May 2022 and was released at the end of the year. However, it is possible that Sony could announce the Xperia 1 V at MWC 2023 later this month. If so, we can probably expect a hefty price tag and a long wait for the phone to actually hit the market.