(Pocket-lint) - The Sony Xperia Z1S mini has just graduated from rumour to strong possibility after this photo of it appeared online.

We’ve already seen a leaked shot of the handset along with a brief appearance on the Sony homepage. But this is the first time the handset has been seen in a real-world photo.

The Sony Xperia Z1S, as the mini will be known, is the most exciting mini handset yet as Sony is rumoured to be cramming in full sized specs. That’s right, the only difference should be the screen which is not only a 4.3-inch display but may also be an IPS. It will be powered by the mighty Snapdragon 800 quad-core, backed by 2GB of RAM and an impressive 20.7-megapixel camera. All that and it’s running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. So rumours say.

Based on these specs we would imagine this handset will arrive as a top-end smartphone with a price that reflects that. Presumably it will also be entirely waterproof like its big Z1 brother.

For those who want a smaller handset and have always had to compromise on power this is a very exciting prospect. Apple recently released its iPad Air with the iPad Mini with Retina display sporting exactly the same specs. Perhaps this is the way things are going now with all large flagship phones and tablets being backed by a smaller, but equally powerful option. We like this idea very much. What do you think?

Writing by Luke Edwards.