Sony is reportedly already planning a competitor to the rumored Samsung “Galaxy S4 Zoom.” Codenamed “Honami,” the device is expected to offer a large 1/1.60- to 1/1.5-inch sensor and a Sony G lens that would bring compact camera picture quality to a smartphone.

The information comes from an unnamed source for SonyAlpha Rumors, a website that usually covers Sony camera news. The source claims the device will feature either a xenon or plasma flash with dual LED as well, with an f/2.0 lens and a new “JPEG algorithm” that will provide better pictures that any existing Sony Xperia smartphones.

It’s unclear when the device will arrive, but given that the Xperia Z, Sony’s latest flagship, is just a few months old, we don’t anticipate a new Sony smartphone for a little while yet.

It could be that the Honami was actually planned to be an Android-powered alternative to the Nokia 808 PureView — which offers a similar 1/1.5-inch camera sensor — instead. After all, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom hasn’t been confirmed yet — it’s still just a rumor.

What’s more, the Galaxy S4 Zoom will reportedly be a camera, like the Galaxy Camera, with a built-in phone, rather than a smartphone with a special camera.

• SourceSonyAlpha Rumors
• ViaPocket-lint