Sony’s upcoming smartphone lineup has made its first not-so-subtle appearance in the GSMA IMEI database, and its digital footprint tells us quite a bit, even if the company isn’t revealing anything.
The Japanese outlet S-Max has spotted two Sony Xperia handsets on the GSMA IMEI database: the Xperia 1 VIII and the Xperia 10 VIII, each with its unique allocation code.
Don’t hold your breath for a launch in the U.S.
The model numbers for the Xperia 1 VIII (flagship) are listed below.
- PM-1520-BV – XQ-GE54
- PM-1521-BV – XQ-GE74
- PM-1525-BV – XQ-GE44
On the other hand, the model numbers for the Xperia 10 VIII (mid-ranger) are as follows.
- PM-1533-BV – XQ-GH44
- PM-1534-BV – XQ-GH54
- PM-1535-BV – XQ-GH74
The last two digits of the model number indicate the country where the devices can be launched. So, “44” could be for the Japanese units, “54” for Europe, and “74” for the Xperia’s Asian units (outside Japan).
Now, the suffixes bring both good and bad news. The good news is that the purported Sony Xperia phones could get a near-global launch, including key markets like Japan, Europe, and Asia. The bad news, however, is that there’s no clear sign of a US-specific model.
What’s rumored under the hood
It looks like Sony may once again skip America’s carrier stores, a repeating theme in recent years that has annoyed and frustrated the Sony fans in the region. For the uninitiated, the company hasn’t launched a flagship in America since the Xperia 1 V came out in 2023.
Given the little we know about the smartphone’s specifications, the Xperia 1 VIII could feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC, Qualcomm’s latest and greatest mobile chipset. On the other hand, the Xperia 10 VIII could be based on a Snapdragon 6-series chipset, prioritizing battery endurance.
Besides, we should get the company’s tall 21:9 displays, pro-oriented photography and videography tools, and a clean Android experience. More details about the 2026 Xperia lineup should surface soon, as the company probably wants to release them around spring to early summer.