Sony announces the Xperia 1: super-tall, 4K OLED display, cinematic camera features

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Sony announces the Xperia 1: super-tall, 4K OLED display, cinematic camera features
As expected, Sony also has a few devices for us at this year's MWC. Among them is the Sony Xperia 1. Yep, it's a flagship and it seems the Xperia line has been repranded again. Consider this as the successor as the Sony Xperia XZ3.

All that said, let's see what this new jewel of technology is all about!

Design and display


Sony sticks to its guns of making strictly rectangular phones with straight lines and timeless, simplistic elegance. The Xperia 1 does away with the arched back that the XZ2 and XZ3 had and returns to a simpler flat back construction. Still, the glass panel on the phone's behind curves towards its edges to ensure a softer feel in the hand.

The fingerprint scanner has also been moved — it is now embedded in the power key on the right side of the device, just like it used to be with the old Xperia Z phones.

You will notice that the handset appears to be really, really tall. That's because the 6.5-inch display on the front has an aspect ratio of 21:9, making it an ultra-wide screen able to fit cinema-ready movies.

It's an OLED display, too, with a mind-boggling 4K (1,644 x 3,840) resolution for an extra-crisp image. The phone also offers 10 bit tonal gradation for finer representation of different colors.

Sony Xperia 1 size comparison vs Galaxy Note 9, iPhone XS Max, Galaxy S10+


So, yeah, it's a rather tall phone. It'll probably be hard to reach the notification shade when using the phone with just one hand. To give us an idea of how it compares to other popular phones, size-wize, here's a quick look at how it stacks up next to popular competitors that are in the 6.5-inch screen ballpark:

Sony Xperia 1
Dimensions

6.57 x 2.83 x 0.32 inches

167 x 72 x 8.2 mm

Weight

6.28 oz (178 g)

Samsung Galaxy Note9
Dimensions

6.37 x 3.01 x 0.35 inches

161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm

Weight

7.09 oz (201 g)

Apple iPhone XS Max
Dimensions

6.2 x 3.05 x 0.3 inches

157.5 x 77.4 x 7.7 mm

Weight

7.34 oz (208 g)

Samsung Galaxy S10+
Dimensions

6.2 x 2.92 x 0.31 inches

157.6 x 74.1 x 7.8 mm

Weight

6.17 oz (175 g)

Sony Xperia 1
Dimensions

6.57 x 2.83 x 0.32 inches

167 x 72 x 8.2 mm

Weight

6.28 oz (178 g)

Samsung Galaxy Note9
Dimensions

6.37 x 3.01 x 0.35 inches

161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm

Weight

7.09 oz (201 g)

Apple iPhone XS Max
Dimensions

6.2 x 3.05 x 0.3 inches

157.5 x 77.4 x 7.7 mm

Weight

7.34 oz (208 g)

Samsung Galaxy S10+
Dimensions

6.2 x 2.92 x 0.31 inches

157.6 x 74.1 x 7.8 mm

Weight

6.17 oz (175 g)

Compare these and other phones using our Size Comparison tool.

Stereo sound is back with a punch


Sony has always provided a stereo sound experience on its flagship phones and it does so with the Xperia 1 as well. The company developed a "multi-dimensional" sound in partnership with Dolby Atmos for this device and claims that it'll elevate your mobile media experience. Of course, we can't wait to test it and see how it holds up.

Camera



Yes, the flagship Xperia line now has a triple camera. The three options you are provided with are super-wide-angle, regular, and telephoto lens for your various shooting needs. Sony boasts about its new BIONZ X algorithm, which allows the Xperia 1's Eye camera to focus super-accurately, super-fast, and even keep said focus as you take a burst photo of 10 frames per second.

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All three sensors have a 12 MP resolution, with its main camera having 1.4 μm large pixels and a lens aperture is F1.6. On paper, this all allows for more light to enter the sensor, making for better low-light photography.

Aspiring cinematographers can also have some fun with the new Cinema Pro feature, which sports color management presets and allows you to shoot in 4K HDR at FPS in the wide 21:9 format. The shot is steadied through a hybrid system of optical and digital stabilization.

Hardware and software


On the inside, the Sony Xperia 1 is on par with the other big-hitter 2019 flagships — a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 hums inside, offering the fastest processor currently available for Android handsets, paired with 6 GB of RAM for multitasking overhead.

It sports a 3,330 mAh battery, which might have sounded like something big a year or two ago, but now seems to be on the tiny side. Especially since Samsung and LG seem to have made 3,500 mAh the norm. Still, we'll see how it fares in a battery life test further down the road.

Of course, the Xperia 1 comes with Android 9 Pie on board and a light Sony-made reskin on top with some extra features sprinkled over. Side sense comes back — a small "drawer" sits nestled at the edge of your screen and you can pull it up at any time. This can house favorite apps or toggles as you please. It will also have a shortcut for the split screen feature — something that'll work well on the super-tall 21:9 screen, allowing for each app to have more room.

Price and release


The Sony Xperia 1 will be released in the late Spring of 2019 and will be available in two colors — Purple and Black. Unfortunately, Sony did not reveal any pricing details as of right now.

If the previous flagship is anything to go by, then we are looking at a pretty hefty price. The Xperia XZ3 launched with a $899 price-tag. Looking at the amount of technology Sony crammed into the new Xperia 1, it seems like the company won't be willing to back down from that price easily.

Sony Xperia 1 vs Galaxy S10+, LG V50 hardware comparison


Sony's latest-and-greatest packs a punch — its hardware specs are on par with other popular flagships that were also announced at this year's MWC. To give us an idea how it fares against the competition, here's a quick specs comparison:

Sony Xperia 1 Samsung Galaxy S10+ LG V50 ThinQ

Design

Dimensions
6.57 x 2.83 x 0.32 inches
167 x 72 x 8.2 mm
6.20 x 2.92 x 0.31 inches
157.6 x 74.1 x 7.8 mm
6.27 x 3.00 x 0.33 inches
159.2 x 76.1 x 8.3 mm
Weight
6.28 oz (178.0 g) 6.17 oz (175.0 g) 6.46 oz (183.0 g)
Materials
Back: Glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 6)
Frame: Aluminum
Back: Glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 5)
Frame: Aluminum
Back: Glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 6)
Frame: Aluminum
Resistance
Water, Dust; IP65/68 Water, Dust; IP68 Water, Dust; IP68; MIL-STD-810 certified
Biometrics
Fingerprint (touch) 2D Face unlock, Ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint 2D Face unlock, Fingerprint (touch)
Keys
Right: Volume control, Camera shutter, Lock/Unlock key Left: Volume control, Other; Right: Lock/Unlock key
Colors
Black, Gray, Purple, White Prism blue, Prism black, Prism white, Prism green, Flamingo pink Aurora black

Display

Size
6.5-inch 6.4-inch 6.4-inch
Resolution
3840x1644px, 21:9 ratio, 643 PPI 3040x1440px, 19:9 ratio, 522 PPI 3120x1440px, 19.5:9 ratio, 537 PPI
Technology
P-OLED Dynamic AMOLED OLED
Screen-to-body
82.22 % 88.63 % 82.85 %
Peak brightness
400 cd/m2 (nit)
Features
HDR support, Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 6), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor HDR support, Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 6), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor HDR support, Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 5), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor

Hardware

System chip
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SM8150 (7 nm) Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (7 nm)
Processor
Octa-core
Kryo 485
Octa-core
2800 MHz
Kryo 485
Octa-core
Kryo 485
GPU
Adreno 640 Adreno 640 Adreno 640
RAM
6GB (LPDDR4) 8GB (LPDDR4) 6GB (LPDDR4)
Internal storage
128GB 128GB, available to use: 109 GB 128GB
Storage expansion
microSDXC up to 512 GB microSDXC up to 512 GB microSDXC up to 2000 GB
OS
Android (10, 9.0 Pie) Android (11, 10, 9.0 Pie), Samsung One UI Android (10, 9.0 Pie)

Battery

Capacity
3330 mAh 4100 mAh 4000 mAh
Type
Li - Polymer Li - Ion Li - Polymer
Charging
USB Power Delivery Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, USB Power Delivery, Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging, Qi and Powermat wireless charging, Reverse wireless charging Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, USB Power Delivery, Qi wireless charging

Camera

Rear
Triple camera Triple camera Triple camera
Main camera
12 MP (OIS, Autofocus)
Aperture size: F1.6
Focal length: 26 mm
Sensor size: 1/2.6"
Pixel size: 1.4 μm
12 MP (OIS, PDAF)
Aperture size: F1.5/F2.4
Focal length: 26 mm
Sensor size: 1/2.55"
Pixel size: 1.4 μm
12 MP (OIS, PDAF)
Aperture size: F1.5
Focal length: 27 mm
Sensor size: 1/2.6"
Pixel size: 1.4 μm
Second camera
12 MP (Ultra-wide)
Aperture size: F2.4
Focal Length: 16 mm
Sensor size: 1/3.4"
Pixel size: 1 μm
16 MP (Ultra-wide)
Aperture size: F2.2
Focal Length: 12 mm
Sensor size: 1/3.1"
Pixel size: 1 μm
16 MP (Ultra-wide)
Aperture size: F1.9
Focal Length: 16 mm
Sensor size: 1/3.1"
Pixel size: 1 μm
Third camera
12 MP (Telephoto, OIS, Autofocus)
Optical zoom: 2.0x
Aperture size: F2.4
Focal Length: 52 mm
Sensor size: 1/3.4"
Pixel size: 1 μm
12 MP (Telephoto, OIS, PDAF)
Optical zoom: 2.0x
Aperture size: F2.4
Focal Length: 52 mm
Sensor size: 1/3.6"
Pixel size: 1 μm
8 MP (Ultra-wide)
Optical zoom: 2.0x
Aperture size: F2.4
Focal Length: 52 mm
Pixel size: 1 μm
Flash
LED LED LED
Video recording
3840x2160 (4K UHD) (24 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (960 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (960 fps)
OIS, HDR, Time-lapse video, EIS
3840x2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (240 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (960 fps)
HDR, Time-lapse video, Hyperlapse, EIS, Video calling, Video sharing
3840x2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (240 fps), 1280x720 (HD)
HDR, Time-lapse video, EIS, Video calling, Video sharing
Front
8 MP (OIS, HDR), Video capture: 1920x1080 (Full HD) 10 MP (Dual-Camera, Autofocus, HDR), Video capture: 3840x2160 (4K UHD) 8 MP (Dual-Camera), Video capture: 1920x1080 (Full HD)

Connectivity & Features

Bluetooth
5.0 5.0 5.0
WLAN
802.11 a,b,g,n,ac,dual-band
MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot
802.11 a,b,g,n,ac,ax(Wi-Fi 6),dual-band
MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot
802.11 a,b,g,n,ac,dual-band
Multiple antennas, MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot
USB
Type-C, USB 3.1 Type-C, USB 3.1 Type-C, USB 3.1
Hearing aid compatible
M4/T3 M4/T3
Location
GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning GPS, A-GPS, S-GPS, Glonass, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning
Sensors
Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Hall (for flip covers), Barometer, Step detector, Step counter Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Hall (for flip covers), Heart rate, Barometer Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass
Other
NFC NFC, ANT+ NFC, VoIP, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync

Multimedia

Headphones
No 3.5mm jack 3.5mm jack 3.5mm jack
Speakers
Earpiece, Multiple speakers Earpiece, Multiple speakers Earpiece, Multiple speakers
Features
Dolby Atmos, aptX-HD 32-Bit DAC, Dolby Atmos, aptX-HD 32-Bit DAC, DTS:X Virtual Surround, aptX-HD
Screen mirroring
Wireless screen share
Radio
FM FM
Additional microphone(s)
Noise cancellation

Cellular

4G (FDD)
Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700 a), 13(700 c), 17(700 b), 19(800 Upper), 20(800 DD), 25(1900+), 26(850+), 28(700 APT), 29(700 d), 32(1500 L-band), 66(AWS-3) Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700 a), 13(700 c), 14(700 PS), 17(700 b), 18(800 Lower), 19(800 Upper), 20(800 DD), 25(1900+), 26(850+), 28(700 APT), 29(700 d), 30(2300 WCS), 66(AWS-3), 71(600) Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700 a), 13(700 c), 17(700 b), 20(800 DD), 25(1900+), 26(850+), 28(700 APT), 66(AWS-3), 71(600)
4G (TDD)
Bands 34(2000), 38(2600), 39(1900+), 40(2300), 41(2600+), 46 Bands 38(2600), 39(1900+), 40(2300), 41(2600+), 46 Bands 40(2300), 41(2600+), 46
3G
Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 6(800), 8(900) Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 8(900) Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 8(900)
Data Speed
LTE-A Pro Cat 19 (1600/150 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s LTE-A Pro Cat 20 (2000/150 Mbit/s), LTE-A, HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s LTE-A Pro Cat 20 (2000/150 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s
Dual SIM
Yes
SIM type
Nano SIM Nano SIM Nano SIM
HD Voice
Yes Yes

Regulatory Approval

FCC approval
Date approved: Feb 01, 2019
FCC ID value: A3LSMG975U
Measured SAR
Head: 0.41 W/kg
Body: 1.04 W/kg
Simultaneous Transmission: 1.59 W/kg
Wireless Router: 1.29 W/kg
Phablet: 3.99 W/kg

Buyers information

MSRP
$ 950 $ 1000
In The Box
Data cable, Travel adapter, Ejection pin, USB Connector (OTG), Earphones sound by AKG, Quick start guide, Protective film USB Type-C cable (Quick Charge 3.0 charger), QuadPlay headset

Availability

Officially announced
Feb 25, 2019 Feb 20, 2019 Feb 24, 2019

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