Sony Xperia 1 smartphone - pros and cons

At the MWC 2019 exhibition, one of the well-known manufacturers of modern digital and mobile technology, Sony presented a new product of the current year - the flagship smartphone Xperia 1. Although formally the device is a continuation of the top-end XZ line, it received not only a new name, but also a radically updated appearance. and improved performance. This article provides an overview of the features of the Sony Xperia 1 smartphone, its advantages and disadvantages, and the estimated cost.

Completion and design of the device

Considering that the flagship novelty presented in February 2019 has not yet been released to the general market, there is no exact information about its delivery set. It is assumed that along with the device itself, the box will contain:

• user manual;
• a special clip for removing the SIM card;
• USB cable and 18W AC adapter.

As you know, when releasing smartphones, Sony does not give priority to their design, so any model has its own distinctiveness. Sony Xperia 1 becomes an exception, but only in a relatively very unusual format in the form of an elongated device with an elongated aspect ratio of 21: 9, which makes it the longest flagship among such devices. At the same time, like the previous models, the smartphone has a similar design with frames, without modern cutouts and holes.

Also, the appearance of the smartphone is characterized by the following features:

• body made of tempered Gorilla Glass 6 and aluminum frames;
• weighing 180 g and dimensions: length 167 mm, width 72 mm, thickness 8.2 mm;
• separate buttons for turning on the device and the fingerprint scanner located on the left side of the case;
• the presence of functions of protection against dust and moisture IP 65/68 (up to 1.5 m for 30 minutes);
• color palette in the form of black, white, gray or magenta (violet) housing.

In addition, on the top of the front panel of the device there is an earpiece, a peephole and a selfie camera flash, and on the back there is a triple module of the main camera. At the top there is a receiving speaker and an input for connecting a charger.

Sony Xperia 1 technical overview

Display

The Sony Xperia 1 features a 6.5-inch (98.6 sq. Cm) CinemaWid 4K HDR OLED display. In fact, it occupies about 82% of the total usable area of ​​the front of the device. Manufacturers have provided for the presence of an oleophobic coating (protection against dirt) and a protective (against mechanical damage) coating in the form of Gorilla Glass 6.

Due to its elongation (21: 9), the screen has high performance, as it is perfect for watching movies in the appropriate format without black bars and for games, increasing the size of the scene space by 70-80%.

The maximum screen resolution is 1644 by 3840 pixels, and the density is about 643 ppi. With built-in BRAVIA 4K upscaling and HDR remaster image correction, you can adjust the brightness, clarity and sharpness of your video, even when watching it online.

The Xperia 1 display also features:

• Creator mode, used in professional CineAlta cameras, for high-precision color reproduction;
• 10-bit color depth (8-bit with 2-bit for smooth transition), which allows displaying many shades without layering;
• a high contrast ratio of 1,000,000: 1 for deep blacks without compromising the naturalness of other colors;
• professional color standards: DCI-P3 100%, BT20201 and D65 White Point.

The presented smartphone model supports "multitouch" - there are up to 10 simultaneous touches.

Hardware platform and software

Like most flagships, the new Sony is equipped with top-end hardware, which is represented by a smart modern eight-core Qualcomm SDM855 Snapdragon 855 processor with a 7 nm process technology and support for Snapdragon Elite Gaming technology. The octa cores of the Xperia 1 CPUs operate: one at 2.84 GHz, three at 2.42 GHz, and four at 1.8 GHz. Also, the device is equipped with high-quality graphics Adreno 640.

The new smartphone model of 2019 is characterized by high memory performance. So, the device is equipped with RAM with a maximum value of 6 GB and built-in storage with the ability to store up to 128 GB. In addition, the device provides for the option of expanding memory up to 512 GB using a microSD card, for which there is a hybrid slot.

Sony Xperia 1 runs on the modern version of the Android 9 Pie (Xperia UI) operating system, which provides the device with high functionality. For fans of active games, there is a built-in Game Enhancer application that allows you to simultaneously launch several programs from one window, record them and block notifications, as well as apply online tips.

A feature of the flagship is the presence of the Side Sense function, developed on the basis of artificial intelligence technology. She analyzes the process of using a smartphone, selects programs depending on the user's preferences, his location, time and other factors. Therefore, it is possible to simultaneously launch two applications in separate windows.

Cameras

Like any smartphone, Sony Xperia 1 is equipped with two cameras: the main one, which is located on the back of the body and a selfie, located above the display. The rear camera provides an LED flash and is represented by three modules:

1. Frame resolution 12 MP, 26 mm, f / 1.6 optics, 1 / 2.6-inch matrix with memory for mobile devices, equipped with a 78-degree wide-angle lens, 1.4 μm pixel size, 5 OIS axes. Video capture resolution 2160p @ 24 / 30fps HDR.
2. Frame resolution 12 MP, 16 mm, f / 2.4 optics, 1 / 3.4-inch matrix with a pixel length of 1.0 μm and a wide-angle lens of 135 degrees. Video shooting resolution 1080p @ 60fps.
3. Frame resolution 12 MP, 52 mm, optics f / 2.4, matrix 1 / 3.4 inches with a pixel length of 1.0 μm, equipped with 2x optical zoom and telephoto lens, 5-axis OIS. Video capture resolution 1080p @ 30fps (5-axis gyro-EIS).

The flagship's three-module camera has a large number of possibilities. Among them: hybrid opto-electronic image stabilization for video shooting, eye AF, 2x optical and 5x digital zoom, bokeh effect, super slow motion video 1080p @ 960fps, panoramic and HDR mode, focus and exposure at up to 10 frames / s, 3D model constructor and a number of others.

Unlike the main module, the front camera of the smartphone has a resolution of 8 MP (24 mm), a matrix of 1 / 4.0 inches, aperture of f / 2.0, a pixel size of 1.12 microns and a wide-angle lens of 84 degrees. Video capture format - 1080p @ 30fps (5-axis gyroscope-EIS). Selfie Shooting includes HDR, SteadyShotTM, Portrait Effects, Display Flash and 3D Model Builder.

The presence of high photo resolution and built-in dual photodiode technology, which provides fast autofocus in low light conditions, speaks of how well the smartphone takes pictures at night. An example of a photo, both from the main module and the selfie camera of the flagship Xperia 1, can be viewed on the official Sony website.

Battery life

A reliable, but "miniature" non-removable Li-Ion battery with an average capacity of 3330 mAh is responsible for the autonomy of the flagship, although given the impressive dimensions of the device itself, manufacturers could equip it with a more powerful battery.

It is assumed that the built-in Battery Care function (protects the smartphone from overcharging) and support for Smart Stamina technology (calculating the remaining charge and optimizing power consumption to increase the operating time of the smartphone) are able to compensate for the lack of autonomy. There is also a fast power supply mode USB Power Delivery (USB PD), but there is no wireless charging.

Sound and multimedia

The flagship Xperia 1 assumes a hands-free mode, provided by stereo speakers. At the same time, the device is not equipped with a standard 3.5 mm jack for connecting wired headphones. Therefore, for audio listening, you will need an adapter for USB Type-C or a wireless headset (among the equipment compatible with the new product, the SBH82D wireless Open-ear headset is offered on the Sony official website).

Smartphone sound is reproduced with Dolby Atmos technology, designed specifically for cinemas, it is multidimensional, filling the surrounding space and providing a realistic video experience. In addition, Hi-Res Audio and DSEE HX (Compression Lost Data Recovery) technology provide excellent audio sounding close to the original. High quality sound for wireless listening is obtained thanks to the built-in state-of-the-art LDAC codec.

The device is capable of playing audio 24 bit / 192 kHz in formats:

• AAC (AAC-LC, AAC +, eAAC +, AAC-ELD);
• ALAC;
• AMR-NB and AMR-WB;
• DSD;
• FLAC;
• MIDI;
• MP3;
• PCM;
• Opus and Vorbis;
• WMA;
• MPEG-H.

The Sony Xperia 1 is equipped with dynamic vibration and active noise canceling during microphone use. As for video, the smartphone is capable of playing M4V, MKV and MP4, and it also supports such graphic formats as BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG. However, the device is not equipped with a built-in FM radio.

Communication and external connections

Sony's new flagship offers a range of modern communication standards:

• GSM (2G 850/900/1800/1900 MHz);
• CDMA (2G and 3G EVDO BC0 / BC1 / BC6 / BC10);
• TD-SCDMA (3G B34 / B39);
• UMTS (3G 800/850/900/1700 (AWS) / 1900/2100 MHz);
• 4G LTE (on almost all Russian frequencies).

The device supports VoLTE using Category-20 DL / Category-20 UL, the maximum data rate: download - 2000 Mbps, transmission - 316 Mbps. The possibility of working in 5G is also assumed.

Xperia 1 manufacturers have provided the following wireless interfaces:

1. Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, dual-band (2.4 GHz + 5.0 GHz), hotspot, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct.
2. Bluetooth version 5.0 provided with modern A2DP, aptX HD and LE codecs.
3. Navigation Apps: GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Beidou and Galileo.

Wireless use of Internet services is provided by the built-in Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 modem. Like almost all popular smartphone models, Sony's 2019 flagship novelty is no longer equipped with an infrared port, which is gradually becoming obsolete functions of mobile devices.

For the convenience of users, the smartphone has a voice assistant Google Assistant, as well as modern browsers HTML5, CSS and JavaScript. The device is capable of sending not only SMS messages, but also MMS, Email, Push Email and IM.

The device is designed to use both one Nano SIM and two SIM cards that fit in a hybrid slot. It should be remembered that the dual sim mode does not work in all versions of the smartphone and not in every region.

Scanners and sensors

For the convenience of users, the Sony Xperia 1 smartphone is equipped with a number of sensors:

• accelerometer;
• gyroscope;
• barometer;
• electronic compass;
• game and geomagnetic rotation vectors;
• magnetometer;
• pedometer;
• sensors for light, proximity, color spectrum, ambient light, Hall, steps and strong movement.

The device is also equipped with a fingerprint scanner located on the right side of the device, with which it can be quickly unlocked. Based on the front camera, a face scanner (Face ID) is provided.

Pros and cons of a smartphone

• Classic (no trendy fringes, drop-shaped cutouts and holes in the screen), but stylish design.
• Easy-to-use device (weight only 180 g).
• An elongated OLED display (the longest among modern flagships) with an aspect ratio of 21: 9 and 4K HDR resolution, which not only gives a unique appearance, but also improves the quality of video viewing, increases the size of pictures in games and allows you to work on several tasks simultaneously in two open windows.
• Durable Gorilla® Glass 6 and IP65 / 68 protection.
• Creator mode for accurate color reproduction based on CineAlta technology used in professional cameras.
• The modern high-performance Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor and the latest Android OS 9.0 Pie.
• Fast responsive fingerprint scanner.
• NFC support.
• Triple module of the main camera with high rates of photo and video resolution, equipped with high-quality flash and a number of technologies (autofocus, double zoom, noise reduction, high-speed continuous shooting) for professional shooting. Thanks to this, the smartphone is able to produce clear images captured when the lens hits the sun or subject movement.
• Dolby Atmos cinematic multi-dimensional sound.
• With built-in Hi-Res Audio, stereo speakers and DSEE HX technology, it delivers original sound.
• Game Enhancer providing access to all the user's games in one application.

• Oversized even for a 6.5-inch display.
• Low built-in memory in the minimum version (only 64 GB) and the ability to connect a memory card only through the hybrid slot.
• Low battery capacity of 3330mAh (higher performance battery available for 8.2mm body).
• With the announced support for 5G communication, there is no possibility of connecting it in any device modification.
• There is no wireless charging option for the device.
• There is no standard 3.5 mm headset input, which requires the use of a special adapter or wireless devices.
• There is no FM radio.

Release date and device price

Despite the fact that the flagship Sony Xperia 1 is already officially unveiled in February 2019, the exact date of its release on wide sale is still unknown. Modifications to the device are expected to hit the market in May 2019.

There is also no exact information on the price. Considering how much the previous generation of the flagship XZ3 line costs (the average price is 60 thousand rubles), we can say with firm certainty that this device does not fall into the budget category. It is assumed that its starting cost will be about 1,000 EUR (approximately 74,000 rubles).

Outcome

Summing up, we can say that in general, the new Sony smartphone Xperia 1 turned out to be an interesting but controversial product: with a unique design, updated functions and an improved camera. The presented smartphone model is equipped with powerful hardware, a modern version of the OS and a gorgeous OLED display with 4K resolution. But, at the same time, it has many significant disadvantages, including inconvenient dimensions and a low indicator of autonomy.

But the popularity of Sony's flagship models lies not in the presence of super-class features, but, first of all, in the use of modern powerful processors and maintaining the classic minimalism in design. Therefore, the Xperia 1 will definitely be a godsend for conservative users who don't like devices with trendy bells and whistles like the iPhone X.