Sony Xperia C6: Specs to expect from the Xperia C5 Ultra successor at a possible MWC 2016 launch

Sony has sent its invitation for its Mobile World Congress event long back but there are no clear indications yet on which product it is likely to launch on 22 February. Unlike Samsung and LG whose Samsung Galaxy 7 and LG 5 are definitely expected at the MWC, it is still not sure whether Sony will launch the Xperia Z6 or the Xperia C6 model.

Given that the company just made the Xperia Z5 in the US available and with latest reports indicating a delayed plan for the Xperia Z6, the Xperia C6 is turning out to be the main contender for the MWC launch. While the Z series has been a reflection of the company's flagship line, the C series caters more to the mid-level and budget smartphone market demand.

With less than two weeks to go for the MWC 2016, we take a look at some of the key features one can expect from the Xperia C5 successor:

Design and Look

The C6 is expected to be modelled around the Xperia C5 Ultra, which sports a near bezel-less display. Sony has often been criticised for its devices lacking innovative design and a bezel-less display may pep things up for the company's mobile division. The screen size as of now is speculative but a majority of the leaks suggest a 5.5-inch display meaning that it may be smaller in size than the C5.

A recent tweet by @OnLeaks presented a draft version of what the Xperia C6 may look like based on the leak schematics that also show that the device will be available in at least three different colours, a trend that most C series models have had so far.

The resolution for display on the device will definitely not have 4K display like the Xperia Z5 Premium given that the C6 is aimed at a mid-level pricing that will not be able to bear the cost of a 4K panel. A 1080 resolution display is what seems most likely. Sony like LG uses LCD panels for its screens and it seems more likely that it will continue to do so for the C6.

Processor, RAM, Storage and OS

For the C5 Ultra there were two variants — a dual sim and a single sim one. For the C6 we may see something similar although leaks have suggested a dual-sim possibility as it is a feature that has received positive feedback for most mid-level and budget smartphone models.

The processor for the device is said to be an octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 chipset expecting to clock at 2.0GHz, an upgrade from the C5 Ultra, which clocked at 1.7 GHz. There are no details on the RAM or ROM expected from the device but looking at the C5 Ultra, which had a 2GB RAM, the C6 can be expected to have a 3GB RAM. Something beyond it may not be cost effective for the phone if it looks to be moderately priced.

As for the ROM, Sony gave us 16GB internal memory the last time with an expandable memory card slot for the C5 Ultra, which suggests that it may bump up the internal memory or even have two variants with different capacities like many other mid-level models that other manufacturers have.

As for the OS, like most Android launches in 2016 the C6 too will come pre-installed with the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow version of the OS. Xperia Z5, the company's last major launch, has started to receive the Marshmallow update a few days back.

There are no strong reliable reports on the camera specifications for the upcoming device but given that Sony is the leader in mobile phone cameras we expect something better each time they introduce a new smartphone model. In fact the C5 Ultra was poised as a 'selfie' phone to many consumers as both the rear and front cameras had the same benchmark of 13MP and featured Exmor RS sensors that help in noise reduction.

The main challenge for Sony will be the pricing as mid-range has slowly started to transform into the new high-end range given the entry of players like OnePlus and Xiaomi. Even the earlier so-called mid-range models of Sony were steeply over-priced for the specifications they offered in comparison to its competitors.