Sony is slowly inching its way to the top of the Android platform. But while Samsung will comfortably remain on top for the next two years, the Japanese manufacturer has successfully ousted Motorola and HTC, and is on its way to overtake LG. One of the upcoming Android phones in 2013 which would surely be good to watch is the rumored Sony Xperia Z1S.

In a report by GSM Arena, the Xperia Z1S seemingly appeared on Sony's website in China for a short period of time. After a while, the page has been taken down which may confirm that the country will harbor the Sony Xperia handset. 

The Xperia Z1S is reported to be the international sibling of the Japanese-exclusive Xperia Z1F which was released in the Asian country several weeks ago. According to several benchmarks, the smaller Xperia packs exactly the same internals as the current flagship, but encased by a smaller display. 

As a result, the screen's lower demand for processing and power actually made the phone 'better' than its bigger sibling in terms of performance. That's what most Sony fans are awaiting for. 

While the brief appearance may seem promising, let us take note that China usually gets handsets which are exclusive in its market. That means an international version of the Xperia Z1 mini would still be uncertain.