Sony Xperia 1

Not to be confused with Sony Ericsson Xperia X1.

Sony Xperia 1

File:Xperia 1.jpg
Brand	Sony
Manufacturer	Sony Mobile Communications
Type	Smartphone
Slogan	View, capture, and create like a pro
Series	Sony Xperia
First released	Expected release, June 2019
Predecessor	Sony Xperia XZ3
Related	Sony Xperia XZ1 Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
Compatible networks	2G 3G 4G LTE
Form factor	Slate
Dimensions	167 mm (6.6 in) H 72 mm (2.8 in) W 8.2 mm (0.32 in) D
Weight	180 g (6.3 oz)
Operating system	Android 9.0 "Pie"
System-on-chip	Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
CPU	Octa-core (1x 2.84 GHz Gold Prime, 3x 2.42 GHz Gold, 4x 1.8 GHz Silver) Kryo 485
GPU	Adreno 640
Memory	6 GB LPDDR4X RAM
Storage	Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 64 GB 128 GB
Removable storage	microSD, expandable up to 512 GB
Battery	Non-removable 3330 mAh
Rear camera	12 MP (Sony IMX445), f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/2.6", 1.4µm, predictive Dual Pixel PDAF, 5-axis OIS 12 MP (Samsung ISOCELL S5K3M3), f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, predictive Dual Pixel PDAF, 2x optical zoom, 5-axis OIS 12 MP (Samsung ISOCELL S5K3M3), f/2.4, 16mm (ultra-wide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm
Front camera	8 MP (Samsung ISOCELL S5K4H7), f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4", 1.0µm, 1080p@30fps (5-axis gyro-EIS)
Display	6.5 in (170 mm) 4K (3840 x 1644) HDR OLED Super AMOLED, ~643 pixel density, Gorilla Glass 6
Sound	Stereo speakers (hybrid)
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz) Bluetooth 5.0 USB-C NFC GPS with Assisted GPS Galileo GLONASS BeiDou
Data inputs	Sensors: Accelerometer Barometer Fingerprint scanner (side-mounted, always on) Gyroscope Proximity sensor Color spectrum sensor
Model	J8110, J8170, J9110
Codename	Kumano (PF13)
Website	Official website
References

The Sony Xperia 1 is an Android smartphone manufactured and marketed by Sony. Part of Sony's next generation of flagship Xperia series, the device was announced to the public at a press conference held at the annual 2019 Mobile World Congress event on February 25, 2019. It is the world's first smartphone with an ultrawide 21:9 aspect ratio 4K HDR OLED display dubbed CinemaWide, and Sony's first triple lens camera system featuring Eye AF eye-tracking technology seen in the company's Alpha line of professional-grade cameras.

Hardware

Design and Build

The Xperia 1 is designed around the new 21:9 aspect ratio display, a rework from the previous "Ambient Flow" design seen in the Xperia XZ3. It consists of a 7000-series aluminum alloy chassis that has a curved edge all around the device, a 2.5D scratch-resistant front and curved-edged back glass panels made of Corning Gorilla Glass 6, resulting in a more squarish but symmetrical design aesthetic, reminiscent of the classic "OmniBalance" design language of old Xperia Z-series flagships. The most defining change in the Xperia 1, as it was in the Xperia XZ2 trio and the XZ3, are the placement of the camera on the back. It is centrally aligned on the upper half of the device, as opposed to being placed on the top-left side like in previous Xperia devices. The NFC antenna is placed on the left-hand side of the new triple-lens camera system, housed in a raised module with chrome beveled edges surrounding it, along with the color sensing (RGBC-IR sensor) and the single LED flash up top.

The front houses the 6.5 in (170 mm) ultra-wide OLED display with a slight curve corners and very minimal bezels on both sides, and a significantly slim (when compared to the XZ3) but asymmetrical top and bottom bezels. On the top bezel are the earpiece that acts as part of the hybrid dual-stereo speaker setup, the 8 MP front-facing camera, ambient light and proximity sensor and a notification LED. The hybrid SIM tray lives on the top of the device, with a sealed pull-out type cover for added ingress protection. The bottom bezel has shrunk significantly and is blank, omitting the company logo entirely, with the second part of the stereo speaker relegated to the bottom along with the lone USB Type-C port and primary microphone.

The fingerprint sensor is now re-positioned back to the right-hand side of the device as with previous XZ Series devices, and is now activated even in the US markets. This is possible, in part, because it no longer serves as a power button unlike before; that is now a separate one just below the scanner. To mitigate this, scanner is now an always-on affair, meaning frequent use of the device doesn't need a press of the power button every time to unlock, a single tap on the fingerprint sensor will do. Directly above the fingerprint scanner is the volume rocker, which is quite reachable without much finger extension, and below the power button near the bottom edge is the 2-stage camera shutter button, very rare in smartphones nowadays and a unique staple of Xperia devices ever since.

The Xperia 1's dimensions are 167 mm (6.6 in) in height, with a width of 72 mm (2.8 in) and a depth of 8.2 mm (0.32 in) and weighs approximately 180 g (6.3 oz). It is rated IP65/IP68 dust/water-proof up to 1.5 m for 30 minutes. The device comes in 4 colors: Black, White, Gray and Purple.

Performance

The Xperia 1 is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset, built on a 7 nm process technology with 8 Kryo 485 processors in a 1 + 3 + 4 configuration (1x 2.84 GHz Gold Prime, 3x 2.42 GHz Gold, and 4x 1.8 GHz Silver), 6 GB of LPDDR4X RAM and an Adreno 640 for graphics rendering. It has the option of a 64 GB or 128 GB UFS internal storage and comes in a single-SIM or dual-SIM versions depending on region, with both featuring 5CA LTE Cat.19 of up to 1.6 Gbps download speeds. It also has microSD card expansion of up to 512 GB in a hybrid SIM 2 slot setup.

Display

The Xperia 1 showcases the world's first 6.5 in (170 mm) 21:9 aspect ratio 4K HDR OLED display officially called CinemaWide, with a 1644 x 3840 pixel resolution and 643 ppi pixel density. In a more practical approach, the display resolution on regular usage and throughout the UI only is at 420 ppi, which is still considered sharp and is especially beneficial for the battery. The full 4K resolution only triggers automatically when a compatible content is displayed on-screen.

The Xperia 1 also has a new system-wide color setting feature, called "Creator mode", alongside the "Standard" and "Super-vivid" modes. When activated, the Xperia 1 tries its best to display accurate colors as close as possible to the original intention of the content creator. It has a BT-2022 certification for the HDR, which is more versatile than HDR10. The display itself supports the wide color space ITU-R BT.2020m as well as DCI P3 and Illuminant D65. It does however require the source to be encoded with the proper color info to take advantage of the feature. The device also has the new X1 for mobile engine borrowed from their BRAVIA TV line, optimizing content that is not natively-created for the high contrast and color pallete of the OLED panel.

Camera

Triple-Lens Camera System

The Xperia 1 further improves and upgrades the previous Motion Eye camera from the XZ3 with a Sony-first Triple lens camera system. It is composed of the primary 12 MP 1/2.3" Exmor RS for mobile memory-stacked Dual Photo Diode (2PD) sensor with a 1.55 μm behind an f/1.6 aperture, 26 mm "regular wide" lens; a second 12 MP 1/3.4" RGB sensor with a 1.55 μm behind an f/2.4 aperture, 52 mm lens and 2x optical zoom for "telephoto"; and a third 12 MP 1/3.4" RGB sensor with a 1.55 μm sitting behind an f/2.4 aperture, 16 mm 135° "ultra-wide-angle" lens. They are paired with the RGBC-IR color spectrum sensor that assists the white balance of the camera by providing additional light data from the surrounding conditions of the scene, and a single LED flash. The front selfie camera has a 1/4" 8-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 lens and SteadyShot with Intelligent Active Mode (5-axis stabilization).

The Xperia 1 is capable of capturing 4K HDR video, and the two sensors (primary and telephoto) are optically-stabilized, a first for an Xperia device, dubbed Optical SteadyShot. It has an Intelligent Active Mode where it works alongside the standard electronic SteadyShot (5-axis EIS + OIS) for better video stabilization. Exclusive for the Xperia 1 is the BIONZ X for mobile image-processing engine, borrowed from Sony's Alpha professional cameras. This brings pro camera Alpha technologies to the Xperia line for a more professional approach to mobile photography.

First and unique for the Xperia 1 is the new fast Eye AF. It is an intelligent focusing system that focuses and locks into a subject's eye for an impressively-accurate subject tracking. It can accurately calculate and measure the distance of the subject it is currently tracking from the device, and, through machine learning, can also remember the particular person's eye if he/she was either blocked by view or moved out of the frame for a while and then back in.

An additional camera feature is Cinema Pro, which is a video capture application designed in collaboration with Sony's CineAlta division and squarely aimed at cinematography enthusiasts. Other unique camera features of the Xperia 1 include an Autofocus burst with up to 10 fps of AF/AE tracking, Predictive Hybrid Autofocus, an Anti-distortion shutter and RAW image file recording with RAW noise reduction.

The Xperia 1 also has Predictive Capture. When it detects fast-paced movement, the camera automatically captures a maximum of four photos before the shutter button is pressed, and lets the user select the best one afterwards. This is done without any user intervention and is possible due to the same built-in DRAM chip on the image sensor used in capturing the 960 fps super slow-motion videos.

Battery

The Xperia 1 is powered by a non-removable 3,330 mAh lithium-ion battery. Charging and data transfer is handled by a USB-C 3.1 port with support for USB Power Delivery. It also has Qnovo adaptive charging technology built-in which allows the device to monitor the cell's electrochemical processes in real time and adjust charging parameters accordingly to minimize cell damage and extend the battery unit's lifespan.

Battery Care

The Xperia 1 also comes with Battery Care, Sony's proprietary charging algorithm that controls the charging process of the phone through machine learning. It recognizes the user's charging habits for a certain period and automatically adjusts itself to the pattern, for example an overnight charge, by stopping the initial charging to about 80-90 percent, and then continuing it until full from where it left off the next day. This effectively prevents the unnecessary damage to the battery's cells from excessive heat and current due to overcharging, further increasing the battery's life span.

Audio and Connectivity

The Xperia 1, like the Xperia XZ2 that started it, has the standard 3.5 mm audio jack omitted in favor of wireless. To make up for the removal, it has improved wireless audio connectivity along with LDAC, an audio coding technology developed in-house by Sony which is now a part of the Android Open Source Project, that enables the transmission of 24bit/96 kHz High-Resolution (Hi-Res) audio content over Bluetooth at up to 990 kbit/s, three times faster than conventional audio streaming codecs, to compatible audio devices. It also comes with Dolby Atmos for a better sound reproduction.

Other connectivity options include Bluetooth 5 with aptX HD and Low Energy, NFC, 4x4 MIMO antennas for fast WI-Fi and cellular upload/download speeds, dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, GPS (with A-GPS), GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo satellite positioning. The Xperia 1, like most high-end smartphone nowadays, has no FM radio.

Software

The Sony Xperia 1 is launched with the latest Android 9.0 "Pie" operating system, along with Smart Stamina battery saving modes and Sony's proprietary multimedia apps. It features an improved Side Sense. It works through a pair of touch-sensitive areas on either side of the phone. A tap or slide triggers various actions set by the user, most of which configurable including the sensitivity of the touch areas. Another feature by the Side Sense is Pair shortcut which, upon launch from the Side Sense window, will trigger a split-screen setup with the selected pair of user-customizable apps instantly.

Further reading

• Lars Rehm (25 February 2019). "The Xperia 1 is Sony's first triple-cam phone and comes with a 21:9 display". DPReview. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
• James Day (25 February 2019). "Sony Xperia 1 hands-on review: A 4K OLED HDR display in a flagship phone for the first time". Stuff. Retrieved 2019-05-20.