Not one but two lots of Sony Xperia Z2 screenshots have leaked in the last 24 hours or so. The first set, posted on the XDA Developers forum, is from an old build as it's running Android 4.3 and it mostly just serves to show some changes to the UI.
However the second set, revealed by XperiaBlog, claims to be from an Android 4.4.2 KitKat build and is far more revealing.
The camera has seen some upgrades since the Sony Xperia Z1, as the screenshots show that the Xperia Z2 supports 4K video recording and a 'Timeshift video' feature, which allows you to record video at a high frame-rate and apply slow motion effects.
The screenshots have revealed a bunch of other new features on the Xperia Z2 as well, such as the ability to wake the screen by double tapping it (as you can on the LG G2), use the touchscreen while wearing gloves and adjust the white balance of the display.
Smarter than your average phone
Then there are a couple of new 'smart' controls. Smart backlight control sounds a lot like Samsung's Smart Stay feature as it ensures that the screen stays on when you're looking at it.
While Smart call handling allows you to answer calls by bringing the phone up to your ear, reject them by shaking the device or mute the ringer by flipping the handset over. We've seen other manufacturers implement these features on their handsets and Sony now appears to be following suit.
It also looks like the Sony Xperia Z2 will have not one but two home launchers to choose from. There's the standard one, called 'Xperia Home' and another called 'Simple Home', which gives it a simplified layout while increasing the size of fonts and icons.
The screenshots show that the Xperia Z2 will also give users some control over the notifications screen and status bar, as you can pick exactly which apps display notifications and choose which icons to display in the status bar.
Then there's a 'What's New' feature, which you seemingly access by swiping up, in much the same way as you'd access Google Now. By the looks of things though it just highlights new features and content from Sony.
That covers the big changes, but the screenshots also show an enormous number of small changes and additions, such as a new 'Printing' option under system settings and a built in answering machine with a selection of greetings to choose from.
As if we weren't already excited enough about the Sony Xperia Z2 all this suggests an almost overwhelmingly feature packed handset. There shouldn't be long to wait for it now either, as the Xperia Z2 may break cover at MWC 2014.
- After more information on the Sony Xperia Z2? Look no further.
