Sony branded smartphone teaser hints at new handset release

Sony Austria / Switzerland teased an image of a device with the Sony logo on its Facebook page, leading to speculation that it is up for a CES 2012 release.

The font of the logo on the gadget suggests that it is a Sony product, not a Sony Ericsson one. The only other detail seen clearly in the picture is a long button atop the device, a design quite like that of the Walkman Z.

No other information was put up with the image which is, true to its teaser form, itself incomplete. All the company said was that it is a new device. Experts are of the belief that it is a new smartphone model.

Xperia Blog compared the teaser image with that of the Walkman Z, and the similarity is striking. Smartphone enthusiasts believe that Sony is working to bring the design and features of the popular Walkman to a new smartphone.

Unfortunately, since the image on Facebook doesn’t resemble any of the past leaks we have seen of rumoured Sony devices, it’s hard to decipher the specs and features of this new device. It is safe to assume, however, that since the upcoming CES 2012 is the next big event in the tech world, Sony’s new gadget will be officially unveiled there.

After breaking away from Ericsson, Sony has its work cut out for itself this year; the firm has to carve out a niche for itself as an independent smartphone maker. With this new handset and other rumoured devices like the Nyphon in the making, it might be able to do just that.