Sony Xperia 1 officially announced with 4K OLED display and cinematic camera features

Sony had a few devices on display at MWC 2019, including the Xperia 1. It looks like the company has decided on a new branding strategy for their newest Android flagship which succeeds the Sony Xperia XZ3.

Design

The Sony Xperia 1 features a 6.5-inch OLED display with a 1,644 x 3,840 pixel (4K) resolution. The phone also offers 10-bit tonal gradation to better represent different colors. The display on the device is very tall, giving the device a 21:9 aspect ratio, which makes it perfect for cinema-ready movies.

For its design, Sony has done away with the arched back on the Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ3, returning to a simpler flat back construction. However, the glass panel on the back of the phone curves towards its edges to ensure a softer feel in the hand.

The fingerprint scanner has been moved from the back of the device and is now located on the power key on the right side, similar to Sony's design on its older Xperia phones.

Audio

Sony has prided itself at providing great audio experiences on their Xperia handsets, and have continued that trend with the Xperia 1. The company has developed a "multi-dimensional" sound in partnership with Dolby Atmos for this device and claims that it'll elevate your mobile media experience.

Camera

The Xperia 1 features a triple camera setup, which consists of a 12MP primary sensor with 1.4 μm large pixels and an F1.6 aperture, a 12MP super-wide-angle sensor, and a 12MP telephoto lens. The primary camera is built to allow more light into the sensor, which should result in better low-light photography.

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.

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.

The front of the device hosts an 8MP camera for selfies. Those who are not fans of the notch will be happy to know that there isn't one here.

Hardware

Sony has outfitted the Xperia 1 with a 3330mAh battery, which seems somewhat small when you consider the screen size and features it has to handle. It is however powered by the energy efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset, which is paired with 6GB of RAM for a smooth user experience.

Software

The Xperia 1 runs Android 9 Pie out of the box, which has been customized with Sony's own interface. Sony exclusive features like Side Sense makes a return - a small "drawer" which sits at the edge of your screen with customizable shortcuts like favorite apps. The handset also has a shortcut for the split screen feature, which should work well with the 21:9 screen.

Release and Availability

The Sony Xperia 1 will be released in the late Spring of 2019 and will be available in purple and black. Unfortunately, the price of the handset hasn't been revealed by Sony at this time.