Sony’s latest flagship smartphone which goes by the name Sony Xperia 1 II (pronounced as Mark Two), will be available for purchase in the United States from 24th July carrying a massive price tag of $1,199.

Along with that, the company has also confirmed that the device will be up for pre-orders from 1st June. Those who pre-orders the smartphone before 28th June will be getting a free pair of Sony WF-1000XM3 noise-canceling earbuds.

The highlight of the smartphone is its triple-camera setup on the back which is developed by the engineers who made Sony A7 III and other popular mirrorless cameras. The phone’s camera setup includes three 12-megapixel sensors — wide, ultra-wide, and zoom.

Sony says that the smartphone can shoot up to 20fps in burst mode with features like autofocus and auto-exposure enabled. This makes the phone an ideal candidate for capturing action and sports events.

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Further, the camera can do human/animal eye-tracking and also offers features like Pro Mode, Movie Settings, and more. On the front side, the device comes with an 8-megapixel snapper with an f/2.0 aperture

The Sony Xperia 1 II features a 6.5-inch 4K HDR OLED screen that comes with a 21:9 aspect ratio, making it taller than other flagship phones available in the market. Under the hood, it is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC along with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage with support for expandable storage up to 1TB.

The phone runs the Android 10 operating system and is powered by a 4,000mAh battery that comes with support for 21W fast charging and wireless charging. Although the Sony Xperia 1 II is the company’s first 5G smartphones for Europe, the U.S. variant supports LTE bands. But Sony has said that it will soon launch Xperia Pro 5G in the United States with support for high-speed mmWave 5G technology.

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2020 is an important year for Sony. The consumer electronics giant is set to release numerous products which include the much anticipated PlayStation 5 and its Xperia lineup of smartphones; one of which is the successor to Sony Xperia 5 that is now expected to arrive with a new punch hole selfie camera.

According to a new report, Sony Corporation has applied for a design patent back in its home country, Japan. The patent is for a new graphical user interface and was published in the WIPO Global Design Database on 19th December 2019. In the patent, two color renders are included for a smartphone on which the UI is showcased. It reveals a number of details regarding the smartphone like a chin on the bottom of the device. On the top, however, the bezels are so narrow that there will be no room for a selfie camera.

Furthermore, the renders patented also illustrates the frame and borders of the upcoming Xperia smartphone. This leads to speculation of the device sporting a punch hole display selfie camera on the front. Notably, Sony could also opt for a pop up camera but that is unlikely for the OEM. The reason being that the company highly values its water-resistant handsets with IP ratings. Sony Xperia Z was the first waterproof smartphone and the company might not skip such an integral feature for a flagship device.

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Additionally, when the renders are compared to existing Xperia smartphones, it is seen that the device’s aspect ratio and form factor is identical to Sony Xperia 1 which was the top model for 2019. The patent also reveals other key information like “Monday, February 25”, which was the announcement day of the previous flagship smartphone from the company. MWC 2020 kicks off on 24th February 2020, so we can expect to see more details regarding the device on the second day.

Unfortunately, finer details regarding the upcoming flagship smartphone are currently unknown. However, it is rumored that the Sony Xperia flagship will feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 SoC. This would make the handset the first Sony 5G smartphone. Xperia 10 is also likely to get a 5G successor as a Geekbench test showcased a 2020 Xperia model equipped with a Snapdragon 765G processor for a 5G mid-range smartphone.

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(Source)

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We knew Sony’s smartphone division was having a hard time but we never thought it was this bad. The Japanese tech giant has just revealed that it managed to sell only 600,000 smartphones in Q3 2019. That’s an extremely low figure for a company as big as Sony. In fact, it’s even less than half of what it sold last year (1.6M) in the same period.

600,000 sales in a quarter is a minuscule figure in the smartphone world, where companies like Xiaomi manage to sell the same amount in a minute! In fact, even newcomers like Realme have managed to ship 16 times this figure in the last quarter!

Sony’s performance is lower than its own estimates. The company initially expected to sell 5 million units in the fiscal year starting April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020. However, in Q2 2019, it decided to revise this estimate to just 4 million units. And after seeing the weak sales performance in the previous quarter, it has now revised this figure to just 3.5 million units. To be honest, this is still an optimistic estimate. In the previous two quarters starting April 1, 2019, Sony has sold just 1.5 million units in total. So, it will have to sell a lot of smartphones in 2019’s holiday period to take the total up to 3.5 million by the end of March 2020.

Sony’s smartphone portfolio remains limited this year. Its most recent releases include the Sony Xperia 5 and the special Xperia 1 Professional Edition. So, it is relying on the older Xperia 10 lineup and the Xperia 5 series to push its sales in the current quarter.

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(Source, Via)

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Sony’s Xperia 1 flagship with an unusually tall 21:9 aspect ratio went on sale earlier in June. Now, the same phone is getting a special Xperia 1 Professional Edition in Japan. The new edition retains the bare specifications of the regular version but makes a few tweaks to help professional photographers and e-sports players. 

To start, the 6.5-inch 4K display on the device comes with support for 10-bit color depth and Illuminant D65 color profile. Each Xperia 1 Professional Edition unit is adjusted according to the D65 equivalent color profile to ensure the utmost color accuracy. Further, the phone can now display the home screen in the horizontal orientation to aid the regular workflow of video producers.  

The Professional Edition also allows you to add IPTC metadata to photos taken with the Xperia 1 right out of the box. There’s also a pre-installed Imaging Edge Mobile photo transfer app that enables Sony camera users to transfer photos and videos wirelessly to the phone. Finally, the Xperia 1 Professional Edition comes with support for LAN connectivity via a USB Type-C based Wired Lan adapter.

As for the specifications, the phone retains identical hardware as the regular Xperia 1, which includes Snapdragon 855, 12MP triple cameras, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and a 3330mAh battery.

This special edition retails for 157,000 yen ($1448) after-tax, which asks for a hefty premium (50 percent more) than the regular version. 

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(Source, Via)

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Sony has used its G-lens series as the main camera for its smartphones right from the Sony Xperia Z1 that came out in 2013 to Xperia XZ3 from 2018. Leaked information that had surfaced last month had claimed that Sony may have replaced the G-lens with ZEISS MILVUS lenses for the triple camera sensors available on the Xperia 1 premium flagship phone that was announced in February this year. According to Sumahoinfo, they have learnt from a staff from Sony’s Thai factory that Sony will be replacing G-lens with Carl ZEISS lenses for its smartphones.

The images of the triple camera sensors of the Sony Xperia 1 that had surfaced last month had revealed that the Japanese tech giant had used a pair of ZEISS 12-megapixel lenses and a 12-megapixel sensor from Samsung. The publication has claimed that some of the employees from the Thailand plant have also claimed that Sony has used ZEISS lenses instead of G-lens on Xperia. Hence, it appears that forthcoming premium smartphones from Sony may not feature a G lens.

The ZEISS lens is said to be as good as G-lens. Hence, there may not be any significant improvement in the imaging quality with the usage of ZEISS lenses. That being said, the probable reason why the camera performance of the Xperia 1 is being praised is because of the addition of new camera functions, claims the publication.

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Sony is reportedly working on Xperia 2 flagship phone. The CAD renders of the phone were released by @OnLeaks in the previous month. The successor of the Xperia 1 is also expected to arrive with triple camera setup. Now that the company has reportedly starting ZEISS lenses on its smartphones, the Xperia 2 may not feature a G lens. Sony is yet to release an official statement to confirm that it has switched to ZEISS lenses for its smartphones.

The Japanese tech giant is known for using the IFA tech trade show platform for announcing its new phones in the second half of the year. Probably, the company may announce the Xperia 2 phone at the IFA 2019 event in September. Rumors have it that the Xperia 2 may come with a 6.2-inch CinemaWide display that offers 21:9 aspect ratio. It could be powered by Snapdragon 855 chipset and 6 GB of RAM.

(source|via)

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Just as expected, Sony‘s latest flagship phone – the Xperia 1 has gone on sales in several countries across Europe. The model is sold by Amazon in Germany, Italy, and the UK (in addition to Clove). The flagship device is also available in the Netherlands via a third-party retailer. The Xperia 1 comes with a staggering €949 in Europe. The phone is also expected to go on sale in the US in July bearing an almost similar price tag. The device is bundled with an exclusive gift of a 64 GB microSD card on Amazon. While in the Netherlands, Belsimpel offers the Sony Xperia 1 with a couple of gifts such as the Sony WH-1000XM3 wireless headphones with Active Noise Cancelling that sells for €380. The retailer will also be giving out a PD Fast Charger that costs €59.

The Xperia 1 features a super tall 21:9 4K HDR OLED display, which Sony claims is a first for a mobile device. The back panel is made of glass which gives it a premium look. The device is powered by a Snapdragon 855 processor with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

Can we really agree with Sony that the price tag befits the Xperia 1? Not really. While the display may be a marvel, there are several options you can get for almost half the price of the Xperia 1 such as the OnePlus 7 Pro, Mi 9, Mi Mix 3 5G, OnePlus 7, Lenovo Z6, Vivo iQOO, APEX 2019 etc. Besides, the device doesn’t even have an in-display fingerprint sensor. Rather, it utilises a side-mounted fingerprint. In addition, for such a powerful display resolution Sony crammed a 3300mAh battery under its hood which we think is rather inadequate. So, you may really not get an extended usage period with the 4K display. Follow our source links to visit the official stores where the Xperia 1 is sold.

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(source 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

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In the previous week, Sony had announced the Xperia 1 flagship phone in China. Some of the exciting features of the Xperia 1 include 4K HDR display, triple rear cameras and Snapdragon 855 chipset. Today, the company has officially confirmed its pre-order and release dates.

In China, the Sony Xperia 1 pre-sales will begin tomorrow at 10:00 AM (local time). The shipments of the pre-ordered units will begin at 10:00 AM on June 6. The smartphone is priced at 6,299 Yuan (~$913) in China and its color editions are Fog Gray, Night Black, Snow White and Purple.

Sony Xperia 1 Specifications and Features

The Xperia 1 comes with an impressive 4K HDR 6.5-inch CinemaWide OLED display. The display that is powered Bravia TV and Master Monitor technologies carries support for 4K resolution of 3840 x 1644 pixels. The elongated display is protected by Gorilla Glass 6.

The Snapdragon 855 mobile platform fuels the phone with 6 GB of RAM and 3,300mAh battery. The handset includes support for 18W fast charging through USB-C. It comes with a microSD card slot and a native storage of 128 GB. The Android 9 Pie OS is preloaded on the device.

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The triple camera setup present on the rear shell of the phone has a 5-axis OIS Dual Pixel PDAF enabled 12-megapixel main sensor, a 12-megapixel telephoto sensor with 5-axis OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF and 2x optical zoom along with a 12-megapixel superwide lens. The handset includes a selfie camera of 8-megapixel.

The Sony Xperia 1 lacks a 3.5mm audio jack on the device and it comes with side-mounted fingerprint reader. It carries support for Wi-Fi 802.11ac, dual 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC. The Japanese firm will begin the sales of the Xperia in the U.S on July 12.

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Through an unveil event in Beijing today, Sony has launched the Xperia 1 flagship phone in China. The major highlights of the smartphone include 4K HDR display with 21:9 aspect ratio, Snapdragon 855 and triple rear cameras. The handset has arrived in China with a price tag of 6,299 Yuan (~$910).

Sony Xperia 1 Specifications and Features

The Xperia 1 flaunts a marvelous 6.5-inch OLED 4K HDR CinemaWide display. It is the world’s first smartphone to offer an aspect ratio of 21:9. The display is powered by the company’s Bravia TV technology and Master monitor technology to deliver more contrast and clarity with accurate color reproduction. The Xperia 1’s display offers 4K resolution of 3840 x 1644 pixels and it is protected by Gorilla Glass 6. Like the previous flagship phones from Sony, the Xperia 1 also comes with an IP68 rated water-resistant and dustproof chassis.

The Snapdragon 855 mobile platform fuels the smartphone along with 6 GB of RAM. It is equipped with an internal storage of 128 GB and it also features a microSD card slot for more storage. It runs on Android 9 Pie OS along with the company’s own UI. It is backed by a 3,300mAh battery that carries support for 18W rapid charging.

The rear shell of the Xperia 1 has a triple camera setup that includes a 12-megapixel main sensor with Dual Pixel PDAF and 5-axis OIS, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with Dual Pixel PDAF, 5-axis OIS and 2x optical zoom and a ultrawide lens of 12-megapixel. The Xperia 1 has a front camera of 8-megapixel. The smartphone comes with exciting photography features like Eye Autofocus, burst shooting up to 10 fps, better low-light photo shooting,

The Xperia 1 lacks support for 3.5mm audio jack. Its other features include side-mounted fingerprint reader, Dolby Atmos support, 4G VoLTE, dual-SIM, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS and USB-C.

• Read More: Sony Xperia 2 CAD renders reveal thin bezels and triple rear cameras (Video)

Sony Xperia 1 Price and Availability in China

In China, the Xperia 1 carries a price tag of 6,299 Yuan (~$910). The Japanese firm will begin the pre-sale of the phone on May 21. It will be available in four colors like Fog Gray, Night Black, Snow White and Xia Zi (Purple). The company had previously confirmed that it will be releasing the Xperia 1 in the U.S. on July 12.

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Sony was once known for its innovative Xperia flagships. However, over the past few years, the company’s charm has waned, all thanks to its safe design and standard specifications. But this year, at MWC, the company is looking forward to getting back our attention, with the brand new Xperia 1. Yes, as the name suggests, this is a brand new flagship series from the company, backed by a really tall design. Ideally, it should be the successor of the Xperia XZ3, but considering the name, it looks like the company wants to start afresh.

So what’s so fresh about the Xperia 1?

First, it is the world’s first 4K OLED HDR smartphone. Sony isn’t new to 4K displays. Their XZ Premium series have had 4K displays, but they were all LCD. This one’s a 4K OLED HDR display. Plus, the display isn’t the usual 16:9 or 18:9 or even 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The company has decided to take things to the next level by using an extremely tall 21:9 cinematic aspect ratio. This would make the Xperia 1 quite unique in its design. It would be significantly taller and thinner than existing smartphones in the market. The display supports 10-bit colors and professional ITU-R BT.2020 color space.

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Despite its taller than usual stance, there are some practical advantages of such a design. First of all, you can see more content on the screen while reading or browsing. This would amount to less scrolling. Further, you can multitask with ease and even pin apps on top as you’ll still have plenty of real estate down at the bottom. And of course, given the 21:9 aspect ratio, movies will be a treat to watch, provided you get them in the same format.

But such a tall screen will also have a few disadvantages. For example, if you have small hands, it would be extremely hard to navigate with just one hand. Sony does have a one hand mode for your rescue but considering its size, you might end up using this feature all the time. Another thing, it would be really hard to fit your phone in your pocket. A 6.5-inch display isn’t huge by today’s standards, but Xperia 1 is not just tall because of its 21:9 aspect ratio. It has a significant bezel (notch haters may rejoice) on the top that adds to its size. So, it’s not going to be your everyday smartphone that fits snugly in your jeans pocket.

Coming to the specs, you get the new Snapdragon 855 processor with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. You have a side mounted fingerprint (so no in-display sensor like recent flagships), 3300mAh battery and a water-resistant body. Yes, the battery isn’t very large, especially considering the 4K OLED screen on board. So, battery life is one area where the phone might take a hit, but let’s wait for some real world tests.

The camera setup is set to match today’s flagship standard – three 12MP lenses featuring one 26mm wide angle setup (OIS), one 52mm telephoto setup (OIS), along with one 16mm superwide lens. Low light photography should be stellar, thanks to its 1.4μm dual photodiode image sensor, f/1.6 aperture, and RAW noise reduction. The Xperia 1 is also the first smartphone to feature Eye Autofocus, a feature borrowed from the company’s Alpha mirrorless camera series. It also supports 10fps continuous burst shooting.

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While 21:9 content might not be easily available right now, Sony says that it’s working with makers of games like Fortnite and Asphalt Racing to support its tall display size. However, standard video content from other platforms like YouTube would still have black bars on the sides.

Sony has given a late Spring release for the Xperia 1 flagship in Black, Purple, Gray, and White colors. No word on its pricing yet but considering Sony’s history and policy, don’t expect it to come cheap.

Alongside the Xperia 1, two other models were also announced at MWC 2019 with 21:9 display — the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus, both featuring LCD displays.

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It was recently revealed that the Sony Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus are the new names of the rumored Xperia XA3 and Xperia XA3 Plus phones that are expected to go official at MWC 2019. Since then the rumor mill is speculating that the Xperia XZ4 flagship phone may also go official with a different moniker. It is expected to arrive as the company’s first smartphone with triple rear cameras. Few hours ago, popular leakster Evan Blass shared a render of the purple colored Sony Xperia 1 smartphone with three rear-mounted cameras. Hence, it appears that the Xperia XZ4 will be hitting the market with a new name of Xperia 1.

The new image reveals that the purple colored Xperia 1 will be equipped with a tall aspect ratio. Previous reports have revealed that it will be equipped with a 21:9 aspect ratio screen. The exact size of the display could be 6.5 inches. There is no rear-mounted fingerprint scanner on the device. This indicates that the upcoming Sony flagship phone will have a side-mounted fingerprint reader. The buttons placed above it could be for controlling volume whereas the key positioned below it could be the power button. There is another button present towards the bottom of the right edge. This could be a dedicated key for launching camera.

Xperia 1's pretty sexy in purple. pic.twitter.com/G0FkyzBXxv

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) February 21, 2019

Rumors surrounding the phone claim that it won’t be featuring a 3.5mm headphone jack. Based on previous rumors it can be said that the rear-mounted camera module may feature a telephoto lens of 16-megapixel with f/2.6 aperture, a 52-megapixel primary sensor with f/1.6 aperture, and a 0.3-megapixel 3D (Time of Flight) sensor.

The Snapdragon 855 SoC is rumored to power the flagship phone along with 6 GB of RAM. It may come with 128 GB of storage. The handset may include a big battery of 4,400mAh capacity. It may come preinstalled with Android 9 Pie OS.

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The Xperia 1 may get unleashed alongside the Xperia 10, Xperia 10 Plus, and Xperia L3 smartphones on Feb. 25. The Xperia 1 could be priced around 900 euros (~$1,020). The Xperia 10 and 10 Plus are expected to be respectively priced at 349 euros (~$395) and 429 euros (~$486).

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