New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS): Sony is reportedly planning to launch a member of the premium 'Compact' line of phones in 2021 with a 5.5-inch Xperia model to compete with the iPhone 12 mini.

The new device is expected to feature dimensions of 140 x 68.9 x 8.9 mm (5.5 x 2.71 x 0.35 inches), making it just a bit bigger than the iPhone 12 mini (which measures 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.4 mm or 5.18 x 2.53 x 0.29 inches), reports The Verge.

The new Xperia Compact is also said to offer an 8MP selfie camera in a teardrop notch, a dual-camera setup with a 13MP main camera on the back.

A fingerprint sensor is embedded in the power button - similar to Touch ID on the latest iPad Air - and a 3.5mm mini-jack sits in the top of the phone for those who prefer wired headphones.

It may not be a flagship, but rather an entry-level device powered by Snapdragon 480 chipset.

The new device is expected to succeed the Xperia XZ2 Compact that was launched during MWC 2018. Back then, the Xperia Z Compact series was probably the only strong Android contender to pack flagship specs in a small size.