Sony Xperia, 1 foreign media evaluation summary: the configuration is strong, and the side fingerprint is slightly embarrassing.

At this year's Mobile World Congress, Sony released three smart phones, namely Xperia 1, Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus, all of which focus on modern appearance and powerful entertainment performance. The most striking one is Xperia 1, which is the flagship smartphone. How do foreign media evaluate Sony's new machine? Let's take a closer look.

Sony has been trying to make its mobile phone have living space among top Android devices for a long time, so on MWC 20 19, the company is trying a new strategy to make this mobile phone with 2 1: 9 ultra-high screen ratio stand out. Xperia 1 is the successor of Xperia XZ3 released by Sony last fall. But as the name implies, Sony thinks this is an opportunity for Sony's mobile phone brand to reshape its image, so it first attracts users' attention with a novel screen ratio.

Undoubtedly, Xperia 1 and cheaper Xperia 10 and 10 Plus will also have 2 1: 9 screens, which will take the lead in appearance. Xperia 1 uses a 6.5-inch 4K·HDR·OLED panel (said to be the first one on a smartphone). The key here is the aspect ratio. Of course, there are many mobile phones with 6.5-inch diagonal screens on the market, but Xperia 1 is the highest among them.

Although there is a border at the top, there is no Liu Haiping or water drop screen. Counting this and the phone body, the height of the whole Xperia 1 is 6.57 inches (16.69 cm). This size is inconvenient for users who like to put anti-theft jeans in their pockets, and some of them are often exposed. IPhone XS is nearly an inch shorter than it, only 5.65 inches (14.35 cm) tall.

The long screen must be a little different. In fact, it is untenable to say that this design can leave a deep impression on people. Users tend to pay more attention to what functions this phone has for users to make new choices. Sony has some answers to this. The first is more screen content. Many mobile phone screen contents are often displayed in a vertical list, such as SMS, email, Instagram Feed and so on. A higher screen means that you can read and browse more information at once. Sony is also emphasizing multitasking. You can dock an application (such as a map) at the top of the screen, and then use the remaining space on the screen to run another application.

This phone focuses on watching videos and playing games. It looks great in terms of parameters, but whether it is possible in practical application is another matter. A large number of movies are shot at the aspect ratio of the cinema screen, which should look better on a higher mobile phone screen, but the content that people tend to watch on their mobile phones, such as YouTube, is usually not shot at this ratio, which means that there will be black edges when watching this video. Sony also cooperates with game makers such as "Fortress Night" and "Wild Racing" to support higher screens, but unoptimized games will not make full use of the screens.

Of course, Xperia 1 has more than just a screen. The rest of the mobile phone is equipped with top-level hardware specifications: the rear three-camera system adopts12 megapixel sensor, 26mm optical anti-shake wide-angle lens, 52mm optical anti-shake telephoto lens, and 16mm ultra-wide-angle lens. And now the popular Snapdragon 855 processor, 6GB memory, 128GB storage space, waterproof function. Sony is also equipped with a side fingerprint reader, which is a bit disappointing considering that many of its competitors have moved the fingerprint reader to the bottom of the screen. Although Sony has a history of canceling the provision of fingerprint sensors in the United States, it is good that the new mobile phone has this function.

With the launch of the new flagship mobile phone Xperia 1, Sony joined the movie editing software Movie Studio and the mirrorless camera lens to help out. Xperia 1 has a 6.5-inch screen and a 4K organic light-emitting diode HDR screen (3840 1664) with an aspect ratio of 2 1: 9, which is very suitable for watching and editing movies. It is also equipped with a rear-mounted three-lens camera, which is the first smartphone camera to learn from the autofocus function of A7 III mirrorless camera.

Xperia 1 adopts top-level hardware configuration. Although the battery capacity is a little small, the endurance support for top hardware may be weak. Unfortunately, the fingerprint reader is installed on the side, instead of using off-screen fingerprint recognition like the recently released mobile phone.

Xperia 1 has three different focal lengths: 16mm, 26mm and 52mm. They are all12 million pixel sensors, instead of the 40 million pixels popular in flagship mobile phones this year. However, due to the adoption of 1.4m dual photodiode image sensor and RAW noise reduction, it can make up for the low light processing. It inherits the autofocus (eye-controlled focusing) tracking of A7 mirrorless camera, and provides the shooting speed of 10fps through autofocus and automatic exposure.

As for shooting, Sony cooperates with CineAlta engineers, its professional digital cinema camera department. Users can shoot 4K·HDR video in cinetmatic format at 24 fps with 2 1: 9 widescreen. In order to eliminate camera shake, Sony created a hybrid stabilization system, which uses optical anti-shake technology. You can also get eight movie color presets to create different effects.

4K smartphone screens are very rare. Sony has adopted this resolution screen in the 20 15 Xperia X5 Premium and the recent Xperia XZ Premium. However, the latest models use organic light-emitting diode screens instead of liquid crystal screens as in previous models. Sony said that it was also inspired by Sony's expertise in color reproduction of the main display, which is used in leading Hollywood film production. This means that you can get 10 bit color and support professional ITU-R BT.2020 color space. In other words, users will be able to watch movies in a professional way.

However, it is almost impossible to find a video with a ratio of 2 1: 9 on a video website like YouTube, so users will see more videos with a resolution lower than 4K, and black boxes will appear on the screen. Xperia 1 has no screen gap, and the front camera is set in the traditional top frame. Considering the large size and aspect ratio of the mobile phone, compared with Samsung's s 10+ and iPhone XS Max, its height is unbelievable.

Other functions include Dolby Atmos and game enhancer, which can prevent other interferences such as notifications during the game. Sony pointed out that the 2 1: 9 screen will also bring deeper infinite vision, and game manufacturers will cooperate to let users get full-screen game effects.

With the continuous launch of flagship products such as Samsung Galaxy S 10+ and Huawei Mate 20 Pro, the competition in the flagship mobile phone industry has never been so fierce. Sony's latest products used to bring something very special. The emergence of Xperia 1 will also bring different things. The most important thing is the screen, a 6.5-inch screen with an aspect ratio of 2 1: 9. The screen has 4K resolution, and uses organic light-emitting diodes and HDR technology to make the colors look vibrant. Sony's screen is always impressive.

As for the camera, you will find that there are three lenses on the back, a standard zoom lens, a telephoto zoom lens and a super wide-angle lens, which are roughly the same as those on S 10 Plus and Mate 20 Pro. But Sony's mobile team is obviously learning from other departments of the company, because these cameras are all completed under the supervision of Sony's professional camera team. Therefore, excellent color accuracy and creative film mode can be obtained.

Compared with other recent Xperia phones, this is not a huge upgrade. This mobile phone doesn't look very competitive, and there is nothing to be excited about except its appearance and potential camera skills. There is a fingerprint scanner on the side. There is no off-screen fingerprint identification technology here, and it has 6GB of on-board memory, only half of Samsung's top ceramic flagship product 12GB of memory.

Sony's mobile phone names are at sixes and sevens, with various models and weak regularity. Although Mate 20 Pro or G8 ThinQ are not particularly good, Sony's name has always been difficult to understand, and it seems that the company is aware of this. Therefore, its shiny new mobile phone lineup displayed at the 20 19 Mobile World Congress also brought shiny new names.

In addition to the new Xperia 10 mid-range mobile phone (the successor of Xperia XA2 series), this flagship machine is named Xperia 1 instead of Xperia XZ4. In product naming, removing the letter 1 indicates that this Xperia is the first of its kind, marking the old method and new method.

Sony Xperia 1 costs 849 pounds (about RMB 75 18 yuan), which means it is more expensive than the basic version of Samsung Galaxy S 10 (799 pounds). Since this mobile phone will be launched in late spring, there is no exact launch date.

Judging from its most approachable shiny black surface, Sony Xperia 1 is definitely an unassuming flagship product. It eliminates the organic circles of Xperia XZ2 and XZ3 and has a flatter square appearance, which can be traced back to the old OmniBalance design language, although there are many subtle differences.

The front and back are covered with the fifth generation Corning Gorilla Glass, and meet on the polished metal frame with color matching to create a durable and fashionable smart phone. The overall appearance is quiet and confident. Of course, the internal hardware configuration is also very powerful. If black painting is too low-key, Sony also plans to launch gray, white and purple versions. As the flagship mobile phone of 20 19, one of the losses is the side fingerprint sensor. On the contrary, you will find that the traditional fingerprint sensor is set on the right border of the mobile phone.

Let's talk about this screen, which is the first popular accessory of this mobile phone and the first screen of 4K·HDR· OLED on smart phones. Xperia 16.5 "panel has dense pixels, wide dynamic range, strong contrast and reliable efficacy. Not only that, this cinema screen has an aspect ratio of 2 1: 9, HDR reproduction technology, and even adopts the upgrade technology of Sony Bravia TV.

The creator mode of the mobile phone (based on Sony's CineAlta professional film technology) will be started when suitable content is detected, with the purpose of recreating the content on the screen to make it correspond to the creator's vision and original soundtrack as realistically as possible.

The aspect ratio of 2 1: 9 is itself a prominent element of Xperia 1. It is very suitable for enjoying movies and other media in this format. In fact, the representative of Sony quickly pointed out that 6 1% Netflix movies were originally provided in the form of 2 1: 9, which means that there are no black bars on the screen, which can provide an immersive and ultra-wide perspective for the content you choose. However, for general streaming media, it is not so optimistic. The types of content that most mobile users often watch may depend on the traditional aspect ratio of 16: 9, at least temporarily.

Although the overall screen size is large, the excellent size of the mobile phone means that it can keep the phone slim and comfortable, and the screen space can accommodate multitasking. Sony has also extended the elements of the Android 9.0 user experience to use the mobile phone screen more comfortably. Simple navigation is the key. Screen buttons in native applications will never be stretched very high by fingers, close to the top of the UI.

Another important advantage of Xperia 1 is the use of three rear cameras. Only a few Sony mobile phones have dual sensor arrays, so the setting of three lenses makes them stand out in the company's current mobile phone product line. The hardware consists of three12 megapixel sensors, 16 mm wide-angle lens, 26 mm standard lens and 52 mm telephoto lens. When shooting still images and videos, optical image stabilization and electronic image stabilization work together. This phone sounds more suitable for combining two anti-shake functions, because these are Sony's own technologies.

Inspired by Sony Alpha series cameras, this mobile phone adopts BIONZ X mobile version, including processing algorithm, which is similar to the company's existing high-end digital cameras, and Eye AF (Eye Control Focus), which can focus through theme-based eye tracking, up to 10fps, thus realizing autofocus and exposure management. Supporting RAW, f/ 1.6 aperture, 1.4m pixels and noise reduction are also part of this method, which is helpful to improve the low-light imaging effect of Xperia 1.

This phone can shoot 4K HDR video, even at 24fps, and apply color and alpha profile when capturing without degrading the quality. This is also the result of the integration of CineAlta, which takes the form of a dedicated Cinema Pro application, and its own interface is based on the Venice camera used by professionals such as James Cameron.

Considering all these factors, it seems likely that the setting of the three cameras will make Google and Apple dissatisfied with their capabilities in smartphone static and video imaging respectively. If not clear, all these impressive technologies imply that this phone is suitable for geeks, especially Sony geeks.

Sony is proud to push the boundaries of mobile phone design. By this time next year, half of the mobile phones will be on the market, and the aspect ratio of the screen is 2 1: 9, which is a great innovation here. But why use such a tall and long mobile phone? Watching videos and playing games are Sony's main selling points.

Most film directors plan to watch their content with an aspect ratio of 2 1: 9, so Sony thinks this is closer to the original vision of the creators. This is not just a matter of aspect ratio, it is one of the most beautiful screens on any smartphone. It is the follow-up flagship product of Xperia XZ3, but the company decided to shorten its brand name to make it easier to understand Xperia 1 instead of the long-rumored Xperia XZ4.

This is by far the most advanced Sony mobile phone. It adopts many advantages of Xperia XZ3, mixes some elements of Xperia XZ Premium, and adds some extra functions, as well as some functions that we haven't seen on Sony phones before.

In terms of resolution, this is similar to the ultra-clear 4K screen seen on Sony Xperia XZ Premium, but the big upgrade here is the new 2 1: 9 aspect ratio and OLED screen technology, which is the first time we have seen 4K OLED screens on mobile phones. The Xperia 1 is equipped with a 6.5-inch display. Although it may sound big, due to the aspect ratio, the touch of the mobile phone is not big. It is an organic light-emitting diode display, and Sony's own BRAVIA technical department is committed to improving the panel, so it should at least match the display on Xperia XZ3.

The company has adopted an aspect ratio of 2 1: 9 to provide you with a wider display effect when watching movies and photos. The reasoning here is that most movies are made in 2 1: 9, so it makes sense to watch them on mobile phones with the same aspect ratio. If you are watching other content with different aspect ratios, it will appear black bars on the edge of the phone, but the company said that this phenomenon may be rare because almost 70% of the movies on Netflix are obviously 2 1: 9. A lot of content of other streaming media services is also 2 1: 9 aspect ratio.

Movies purchased from Sony's own virtual store can also be played with this aspect ratio, but if you are watching a TV program or movie that was not originally displayed with this aspect ratio, black bars will appear on both sides of the screen when it is played in full screen. We haven't widely used the screen yet, but in the short test of Sony booth, we found that the resolution of Xperia 1 is very high. Movies and games on the display screen are the clearest we see on any smart phone, and we are almost sure that this is one of the best experiences of watching movies on mobile phones. We watched all kinds of contents in the exhibition, including the trailer of the upcoming Spider-Man movie and other videos. I also watched the effect of the chicken-eating game running on the mobile phone, and the wide screen provided a brighter view than when playing on the display of the traditional smart phone.

Due to the aspect ratio, Xperia 1 is much longer than other mobile phones on the market. The sixth generation Corning Gorilla Glass is used to protect the glass panel on the back of the mobile phone. There is a border (not a notch) at the top of the screen to accommodate components such as the front camera. You can choose the black, gray, white or purple version of the phone. It should be noted that Xperia 1 does not have a 3.5mm headphone jack, but it supports IP68 waterproof, so you don't have to worry about the phone being damaged when it falls into the water. There is a fingerprint scanner on Xperia 1, but it is located on the right edge of the phone. There is no off-screen fingerprint identification technology here. If you use your right hand often, it is easier to operate, but if you are left-handed, it may be inconvenient.

If you want to watch more movie space on this widescreen monitor, the 5 12GB microSD card is very practical and can expand the capacity. This phone is also equipped with NFC and Bluetooth 5.0. In terms of audio, Xperia 1 has built-in Dolby Atmos high-resolution audio. According to Sony, these speakers are the best in the history of the company. We saw some 5G phones at MWC, but this phone doesn't support it yet.

Summary:

In a word, Sony finally implanted the power of its brand of games, cameras and movie studios into mobile phones, making Xperia 1 a very high-tech flagship product. Whether this will translate into better sales remains to be seen, but it will be sold in the late spring of 20 19. At present, Sony has not released the listing information in China, but considering the technical level, the price in China should not be too low. Xperia 1 once again shows what Sony technology can achieve on smartphones. Although not suitable for everyone, it may be a good setting for people who want to watch many movies on their mobile phones. This is a bold design choice for Sony, but if you are looking for a flagship mobile phone with a big screen, Xperia 1 may be a good choice.

Advantages:

2 1: 9 aspect ratio screen is suitable for watching movies.

Snapdragon 855 has strong performance.

Support memory card expansion

The three cameras adopt advanced rear technology.

Support IP68 protection level

Disadvantages:

Low battery capacity

There are black edges when watching ordinary scale videos.

The fingerprint reader is located on the side.