2013 has brought us a number of smartphones with big, beefy cameras. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom and the recently announced Nokia Lumia 1020 are accurate examples. Sony reportedly has one under the wraps as well, called the i1 or “Honami.” It is said to have a 20 megapixel camera. Sony Korea CEO Kenji Sakai has been quoted saying that the Honami launch in Korea will probably take place by the end of this year. The report doesn’t contain any information regarding the release of this smartphone in markets such as U.S. or Europe.
Soon after its launch, it is expected that mobile carriers in Japan will start offering the device for sale to their customers. Last week the company sent out press invites for an event on September 4th at IFA 2013 in Berlin, it is widely believed that Sony will officially unveil the Honami at this event. The IFA platform is traditionally used by Samsung to unveil its Galaxy Note phablets, it is expected to do the same this year as well. As far as specifications go, the i1 Honami reportedly has specs similar to the Xperia Z, the differentiating feature is said to be its 20 megapixel rear camera.