Upcoming Sony Phones 2014: Japanese Phone Maker Unveils Its Newest Flagship With Slightly Better Specs Than Xperia Z2, Thinner, Lighter, More Compact

Even before the IFA event in Berlin, we already knew that Sony would be unveiling one of its upcoming Sony phones for 2014, and it's none other than the newest flagship, the Xperia Z3. 

For the past weeks, we have been reading and hearing reports that the new Android device would not be a major improvement to the current Xperia Z2 smartphone as far as specs are concerned. It looks like those rumors are spot on. 

According to the report by GSM Arena, the Sony Xperia Z3 will pack the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset, the same 2GB RAM, the same display size at 5.2 inches with Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, and the same 20.7MP camera. 

However, there were some notable changes as well including a faster quad-core CPU clocked at 2.5GHz, up from just 2.3GHz of the previous version. The phone's edges are also more rounded compared to previous Sony Xperia flagships. 

In the report, Sony managed to trim 1mm from its dimensions, and cause the smartphone to weight 11 grams lighter. The Japanese manufacturer has also joined the metal frame revolution started by Samsung as the Xperia Z3 gets one to complement the glass front and back. 

Aside from the Xperia Z3, the Japanese manufacturer also took the wraps off of its 'mini' counterpart, which gets slightly lower specs. The Xperia Z3 Compact gets a 4.7-inch display with HD (1280 x 720) resolution, 2GB of RAM and the same 20.7MP primary shooter. 

The 'mini' phone comes with more color options than the flagship, which is a given considering the Z3 Compact is promoted for a younger market. 

Lastly, Sony also announced an entry level handset, dubbed the Xperia E3 which it boasts as the cheapest LTE-powered smartphone. The Android-running handset packs a 4.5-inch with 480 x 854 resolution display, quad-core CPU running at 1.2GHz, a 5MP primary camera, and 8GB of internal memory.