Sony Xperia 1 VI renders show a couple of steps backwards for the series

The Sony Xperia family of phones has been amongst the most groundbreaking in the Android world. From whacky designs to some ambitious specifications, the last decade of Xperia has given us some really interesting devices. But that might all be about to change if leaked details are to be believed.

The Xperia 1 sits at the top of the family tree for Sony. Over the past couple of years, the range has distilled into the Xperia 1 at the top, the Xperia 5 which is like a mini version of the 1 and the Xperia 10, which is a more affordable option. These devices have all shared a design with one thing in particular standing out: the use of a 21:9 display.

Sony has long justified the use of a 21:9 display because it matches content coming out of Sony Pictures. As a company, Sony has often leant on other Sony brands, talking about things like Alpha for the cameras and Bravia for the display and framing its phones in this way rather than just following the pack.

It looks like the Sony Xperia 1 VI could be about to follow the pack.

The details from Android Headlines and notorious leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer (@Onleaks) suggest that the Xperia 1 VI is going to drop the 21:9 display in favour of 19.5:9. This will see a wider display than previously and a display that's more conventional. The Xperia 1 was previously famed for its 4K display - again with Sony saying that this was to support native 4K movie content - but it now looks like Sony might be moving to a 2K display instead.

This is something of an about-turn for the company. Sony launched its first 4K display on the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium in 2015 and has stuck to its guns since, but it's never been regarded as one of the best Android phones around. The change might be an attempt to reposition the Xperia models in closer competition with the likes of Samsung.

Whether Sony will go all the way and switch up its camera messaging too remains to be seen. Sony has often talked about the Xperia as a smartphone for Alpha users, preferring advanced manual controls over the sort of AI-powered point-and-shoot goodness that's captured imaginations elsewhere in the smartphone world.

There's no word on when Sony might unveil its new Xperia device, but it's a good bet it will be some time in May.