Sony Xperia fans will be hoping to see some shiny new devices being unveiled in 2018.

The Japanese technology firm usually reveals a raft of upcoming smartphones at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

This year's show opens its doors on February 26 and, with Samsung already confirming its new Galaxy S9 will be there, Sony will surely want some big news of its own to announce.

Sony has already given a glimpse of some of its new phones with the unveiling on the Xperia XA2, XA2 Ultra and Xperia L2 at CES last week.

These are what Sony calls its super mid-range devices but there was no word on any new flagships, which look likely to be saved for MWC.

It's currently unclear what will be revealed but rumours suggest an Xperia XZ2 could be on the cards.

If true, here's five things we think Sony needs to include to make this a world-beating smartphone.

EDGE-TO-EDGE DISPLAY

Almost all of the Xperia’s rivals now offer edge-to-edge displays and it’s time Sony joined the all-screen party.

Not only do the chunky bezels around the sides of a smartphone make it look terribly outdated but it also means you get a smaller screen in a device that’s physically larger.

Both Apple and many Android devices of varying price now include these stunning displays and Sony must bring this design to its next range of Xperia devices if it’s not going to fall further behind.

Some concept images of the new XZ2 have already appeared online and show a phone with an edge-to-edge screen that covers almost the entire font of the device.

Time will tell if Sony has finally decided to include this latest display technology.

DUAL-LENS CAMERA

One thing Sony has always been incredibly good at is producing top-notch cameras.

With the Japanese tech giants years of expertise in the photographic industry it’s no surprise that Xperia smartphones always offer users the ability to take very decent pictures.

However, one thing that Sony is yet to offer on its smartphones is a dual-lens rear camera.

Double cameras have become commonplace with all of the big manufacturers bringing this tech to their flagships.

Samsung is even taking this a step further by also offering a dual-lens snapper on the front of its newly announced A8 smartphone.

Dual cameras are good because they offer the ability to add effects such as DSLR-style depth of field which helps add a professional feel to images.

It’s thought Sony will finally bring a dual-lens camera to its next smartphone and it could be one to watch out for.

ADD WIRELESS CHARGING

Being able to fill your phone with power wirelessly is becoming a standard feature on many of the world’s best devices.

All of Apple’s latest iPhones now include wireless charging and Samsung has had this feature for a while.

It’s a nice added bonus although there may be a simple reason why Sony won’t bring it to their next range of Xperia devices.

To achieve wireless charging the phone needs to be covered in glass and that makes it far less robust than Sony’s current aluminium design.

Apple and Samsung’s phones have both failed to impress during drop tests and Sony may not want to take that risk just for the sake of wire-free charging.

KEEP THE HEADPHONE PORT

Sony has long been famed for its excellent audio quality and fans of the Xperia brand will no doubt be hoping that the firm doesn’t follow in the footsteps of Apple and Google by ditching the headphone port.

It’s a contentious issue with some clearly bothered by the lack of the headphone socket whilst others are seemingly happy to connect their cans via Bluetooth.

However, some companies are still adamant that wired headphones still offer the best sound quality with OnePlus recently revealing why it was keeping this popular port saying: “When we surveyed the OnePlus community, 70 per cent of users told us that their priority was sound quality.

"On the whole, wireless earbuds aren't there yet to provide the same quality of audio." .

COMPETITIVE PRICE

With companies such as OnePlus producing top-end smartphones for under £450 the competition is fierce.

It’s unlikely Sony’s next flagship will be cheap but if they can keep their prices lower than rival flagships it might help to give them the edge.