Sony Mobile released the Xperia Z5 lineup late last year, and the new Xperia premium flagships were made available in the U.S. yesterday. This leads observers to predict that Sony Mobile may forego a Mobile World Congress launch of the next premium flagship lineup, the Xperia Z6.

According to Yibada, although the annual MWC serves as a showcasing event for flagship iteration launches, Sony Mobile may be thinking that it is still too early for the Xperia Z6 to appear. Instead, the industry follower predicts Sony Mobile will still have a smartphone presence at the MWC, but instead of premium flagship iteration, the tech manufacturer will reportedly switch to a mid-range smartphone launch. Allegedly, Sony Mobile will be launching the Xperia C6.

Whereas the Xperia Z series serves as the top-tier lineup of Sony Mobile, the Xperia C products are more of entry-level devices. However, owing to its above-average specs in both design and internals, the Xperia C-series enjoys a following.

The report also mentioned that aside from Sony Mobile making an Xperia C6 announcement at the MWC, the tech giant is also said to be focusing on the Xperia Z5 lineup first. Aside from finally launching in the U.S., the Xperia Z5 flagship was also recently refreshed, with Sony Mobile releasing Gold and Pink color options, as well as releasing a Snapdragon chipset variant with 3 GB of RAM.

Meanwhile, it is speculated that Sony will be adding the new Xperia Z6 in the mix by having a late 2016 unveiling, possibly by Sepember.

Although it may still be some months before the new Xperia Z lineup appears, speculations about the Xperia Z6's tech specs already float online. According to AndroidPit, the Xperia Z6 will be one of the main competitors in the premium flagship battle, along with Samsung's Galaxy S7, which is rumored to appear at this year's MWC.