Sony Honami smartphone specs leaked on the web

Sony is working on a new smartphone that will come packed with a new JPEG engine, as well as a bigger image sensor, in order to raise the stakes in the mobile photography industry.

With Olympus announcing that it will stop making V-series point-and-shoot cameras, it becomes more clear that consumers are turning their attention and budgets to smartphones, rather than buying a cheap low-end camera.

Sony is rumored to launch a new Honami smartphone, which will feature the controls and branding of the RX100 camera.

Sony will release a Honami smartphone and a new JPEG engine soon

Sony is showing signs of noticing the trend, therefore it is looking to add bigger and better image sensors in its mobile devices. One upcoming device is codenamed Honami, just like the new JPEG engine that the company is currently developing.

The PlayStation-maker has received a lot of criticism from photographers, who say that JPEG images captured with Sony cameras pale in comparison with the ones taken with Nikon, Canon, and Fujifilm shooters.

Honami JPEG engine will also be added into NEX-7 replacement

As something needs to be done, Sony is working on a new JPEG technology, called Honami, and it appears that we will see it in two gadgets later this year. One is the successor of the NEX-7 camera, while the other one is the aforementioned smartphone, which will be powered by the Android operating system.

Sony has previously tried to insert one of its key brands into the mobile lineup, but the PlayStation phone failed miserably. However, the company is looking to do it once again, as the “H2 phone” will feature CyberShot branding.

Sony Honami spaces include Xenon flash and RX100 manual controls

The Sony Honami smartphone will also feature a 2/3-inch image sensor, as well as a Xenon flash for improved lighting. According to inside sources, that is not all, as the H2 will also come packed with manual controls, similar to those found in the RX100.

The handset is shaping up nicely, but it makes people wonder just how big it will be. Adding a large sensor, a Xenon module, and manual camera controls will take up considerable space, so it remains to be seen how Sony will cope with the limited room.