What you need to know

• Sony's rumored successor to the Xperia Ace 2 has leaked in full.
• The upcoming Xperia Ace 3 will supposedly have dimensions nearly similar to the iPhone SE 2022.
• It will also apparently have a boxy design like Apple's recently unveiled compact phone.

Sony might be going after Apple, but not in the flagship phone segment dominated by Samsung and mostly Chinese brands. The Japanese tech giant is reportedly working on another compact device, dubbed the Xperia Ace 3, to challenge the new iPhone SE 2022.

The phone appears to resemble Apple's iPhone SE lineup in terms of design, with its boxy appearance. This is according to renders shared by renowned leaked @OnLeaks on Twitter.

And here comes your very first look at the Japanese #iPhoneSE3 competitor, the #Sony #XperiaACE3! (360° video + gorgeous 5K renders + display size + rear camera specs + dimensions)On behalf of @Zollege_Ed -> March 10, 2022

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The successor to last year's Xperia Ace 2 will supposedly have a 5.5-inch flat display like its predecessor, though the resolution is unknown. It's an indication that compact Android phones may still have a niche at a time when most other smartphone brands are churning out large-screen devices.

Apple is, of course, an exception, with the company releasing tiny handsets every year in the form of its iPhone SE lineup.

The latest in that range is the iPhone SE 2022, which comes in at 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm. According to Zollege (opens in new tab), the Xperia Ace 3's dimensions come close to that at 139.7 x 68.6 x 9.1mm.

The renders also reveal a teardrop notch for the selfie camera, while a thick bezel sits at the bottom. The phone will presumably drop the 2MP depth sensor found on its predecessor in favor of a single 13MP rear camera.

Zollege also claims the phone will be powered by Qualcomm's 5nm-based Snapdragon 888 5G chipset. If this is true, it'll mark a big upgrade from the Xperia Ace 2, which includes MediaTek's 12nm-based Helio P35 processor.

It might also include a 4,500mAh battery, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

That said, the Xperia Ace 2, Sony's smallest phone so far, was released exclusively in Japan. So don't hold your breath for the global launch of its successor, assuming it makes its debut this year.

Sony could launch the device as early as June at a starting price of ₹24,999 (roughly $325) with 5G support. It will also reportedly include either 128GB or 256GB of internal storage with 6GB of RAM.

Otherwise, you might want to consider some of the best small phones (opens in new tab) available globally if a compact handset is your thing.