You may not have seen it launch so many new models lately; however, technology giant Sony still continues to produce smartphones. Its latest model is, as expected, the flagship Xperia 1 V designed for photographers and vloggers alike.
The new Xperia 1 V features a new bulky, back-illuminated (BSI) sensor alongside features found in the company’s Alpha series cameras aimed at content creators.
Sony says the Xperia 1 V has a new image sensor called “Exmor T for Mobile” designed to work faster and better in AI-powered photography, roughly doubling the low-light performance of the Xperia 1 IV. As you would expect from a flagship phone, it offers many high-end features such as Snapdragon 8 Gen2 processor, 6.5-inch 4K 120Hz OLED HDR display, 5,000mAh battery allowing up to 20 hours of continuous 4K playback, up to 12GB of RAM and more. .
Sony also promises, in its own words, “best-in-class” gaming performance with this phone, thanks to the Game Enhancer function that provides audio and visual support. It also allows players to livestream their games directly on YouTube.
Xperia 1 V camera features
Still, it can be clearly seen that the most key feature of the phone is the camera system. Sony says the main 24mm f/1.9 equivalent 52-megapixel camera has a Type 1/1.35-inch (about 12mm diagonally) Exmor T sensor, which is 1.7 times larger than the Xperia 1 IV’s sensor. It also has an ultra-wide 12-megapixel camera like the Xperia 1 IV and an 85-125mm 12-megapixel optical telephoto zoom. The 12 megapixel camera on the front houses the Type 1/2.9 inch sensor.
Users who want a purer photography experience will be able to capture videos and stills using professional modes that allow full manual control. Chief among these is the Photography Pro mode, designed for creative control. It also offers a live stream support while allowing creators to see viewer comments in real time.
When you use the basic mode, you can get a good AI-assisted imaging as in other Android phones. There are many options such as night mode, color settings for subjects such as flowers and blue skies. It also offers high-speed continuous shooting up to 30fps with autoexposure and AF enabled, as well as real-time eye autofocus and eye tracking capabilities.
For vloggers and content creators, the Product Showcase setting, which can be seen on Sony’s vlog cameras like the ZV-E1, also carries over to the new phone. In addition, the new sensor promises to offer better skin tones thanks to its extra saturation. Alongside these is a new audio priority microphone placed near the rear camera that can pick up sounds even in busy outdoor environments.
A great feature on its own to justify the price of this phone for video lovers is the ability to use the phone as a monitor for certain Sony Alpha cameras. While the Xperia 1 IV has the same capability, the new model offers multiple display options with waveforms, grid lines and zebra stripes normally only found in professional field monitors. There are also features that were not available before, such as the ability to control settings and save content on phones.
As with previous Xperia models, price may be the most important factor with this phone. With 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage that can be upgraded via the microSD slot, the Xperia 1 V starts at $1,400 in the US. This price can be a significant limiter for most smartphone users.
Xperia 10 V also introduced
Alongside the Xperia 1 V, Sony also introduced the Xperia 10 V, a much more generic smartphone. Using the Snapdragon 695 chipset, this phone offers a 6.1-inch 1080p OLED display that is 50 percent brighter than its predecessor but only has a 60Hz refresh rate. The camera system has a 48-megapixel Type-1/2.0-inch main sensor with a wide lens, as well as a 2x telephoto and ultra-wide lens. Other specs include a 5,000mAh battery and up to 6GB of RAM.
The price of this model in Europe is 449 Euros and sales will start in June.