In preparation for the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Sony has released a video teaser for its next Xperia smartphone. With the device likely to be revealed in full during the company's CES press event at 5PM on January 5th, the video reiterates the number 5 more than once, and, just to make sure the point about Android 5 is missed by no one, even includes a big red lollipop. In spite of the Xperia Z3 only being a few months old, having launched this September, Sony looks set to replace it with a new, even thinner handset, which the teaser suggests will place an emphasis on vibrant and colorful visuals — whether with new display technology or an improved camera.

"Welcome to the New World"

The cool thing about this video is that all the hints are subtle but recognizable with a bit of thought — such as the nod to mobile gaming represented by the shadow fight between a dragon and a knight — and the Xperia Blog has spotted a reflection of the new Xperia intentionally left lingering in a closeup shot of a human eye. Zoom-enhancing that frame doesn't tell us much more about the phone that is to come, though it's pretty safe to assume that Sony will be looking to Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 810 to power it.

P.S. — On second thought, perhaps Sony isn't teasing an entirely new device here at all. The Japanese company only offers the Xperia Z3 through Verizon and T-Mobile in the US, and its teaser title of "Welcome to the New World" could indicate that the January 5th announcement will be about bringing the Z3 to more American carriers, most likely with an upgraded version of the handset running Android Lollipop and destined for AT&T.