Sony Xperia 1 II in for review

26 May 2020
Sony's latest and greatest is finally in our office.

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Rameyuk, 27 May 2020There are reasons why company like Sony is playing safe on ... moreAll I heard is a bunch of excuses for the shortcomings of Xperia 1 II.

BTW how much you get paid for promoting Sony?
Looking for some extra side income during lockdowns.

    Exyvia, 27 May 2020Absence of headphone jack can be deal breaker for people wh... moreUfs 3.1 is more efficient meaning more battery life and simply just better.
    You can do better than 50% in 30 mins.
    3.5 mm ports just waste space that can be utilized for better use.
    The 3.5 mm port will always have alternatives, so no deal breaker without it.

      • K
      • Kurdistan
      • mUJ
      • 27 May 2020

      It's crazy to see how sony has so much online support
      but some how there mobile division loose monay year after year

      where are these people, when the phone get released ?

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • Xre
        • 27 May 2020

        I will only consider the xperia 1 ii if it has as good battery life as the iphone 11 pro max

          Excalibur, 27 May 2020How can absence of headphones jack be a deal breaker... Dea... moreThere are reasons why company like Sony is playing safe on some things.
          5,000 mAh battery would add significant thickness, weight, or even compromising some internal area to make the space. The fact that Xperia 1 II can pack 4,000 mAh for it size is quite an achievement. And more battery capacity doesn't mean anything if the system isn't fully optimised to consume the battery efficiently. good optimised 4,000 can outlast a poorly optimised 5,000.

          120 Hz screen, it's a nice feature to have. But I don't think this is a deal breaker. Sony always focuses on getting the feature right for the consumers. They don't put features in just because they need to follow the trend that other competitors are doing. When Sony puts a feature in, they need to do it right.
          1. Xperia 1 II is a premium phone. It's not designed for gamer phone. That's why it doesn't have the aesthetics of a gaming phone like Asus ROG. Xperia 1 II has some gaming mode with that faux-90 Hz emulation. But this is the same technology that everyone (kinda) loves from their Bravia TV series. I know I love those motion blur on my movies and series. But there's no real benefit (yet) of using 120 FPS screen other than competitive gaming. Which is not the Xperia target market.
          2. Faster refresh rate, means more battery. Especially when it needs to drive 4K on its screen. I know you could say reduce the 4K then, make it 1440p but can drive 120 FPS. But wouldn't that make Sony phone just like every other phone out there? And with battery consumption taking the hit, it won't last as along, and consumers would be unhappy scrolling 120 FPS trying to write a complaint email.

          Quick Charge is not as simple as most people think. If you have a phone that gives a constant high-current, high-wattage power to charge from 0% - 100% in 10 minutes (exaggerated). The battery will degrade so fast that it will stop being able to keep a full charge capacity in a matter of months. This is why Quick charge should only fills 50% of the charge in the first 15-20 minutes, only to drop to a low current for the remaining 50% in the next 2 hours. Ideally, you shouldn't be using Quick charge daily anyway. It's meant to be for when you're in a pinch outside your home and need a quick charge. Daily use, though you should use regular charging overnight that uses an even lower current to fill 100% in 8 hours. That way, the battery doesn't degrade as quickly. Sony's Battery Care feature is awesome in this.

          My point is, just because the trend of flagship smartphone every year is "have this feature", "have that feature". That doesn't mean not having them = bad flagship / not a flagship at all. There's no point in having them, if there are drawbacks from having them in the first place. Sony knows this, and the only time they finally put a feature into the phone, is when they're very confident that it's going to be useful, and doesn't introduce any other drawbacks. Other than that, there's no need to follow the trend, for the sake of following the trend. And I think that's a lesson that everyone needs to learn these days.

            • P
            • Popop971
            • 3bc
            • 27 May 2020

            Rameyuk, 27 May 2020That's too bad.. I do wish they released the phone closer t... moreFirst, I'm 37 years old. Second, last year, I was already ready to buy the Xperia 1, but lack of headphone jack and weak battery life kill it for me. So when Sony announced the Xperia 1 mk II with nearly everything I want, it was my top of the line phone to buy (2nd and 3rd choices where LG V60 and ROG Phone II). The 1200 € price tag was high for sure, and it was the first time I was ready to spend that much on a phone. The next few weeks, I was looking like crazy for picture/video showing what the phone actually looks like with the 3 differents colors (so I know which one to choose). ROG Phone was already at a WAY lower price (like 700 €). It was also close to what I want (good screen, good battery life, good sound with headphone jack) but I find the Xperia 1 II design so much better. And then ... time has passed ... Almost no new informations regarding the phone itself and it release date. Hand-on videos where as rare as headphone jack in nowadays flagship phones ... Competition was rising ... I was even considering take a good phone even without a headphone jack, as long as screen and battery life where good ... Then lockdown because of COVID19. It was even harder to find new infos about Xperia 1 II. All they were talking about is camera again, again, and again ... During this month, phone finally released in Japan ! Finally videos about unboxing, initial impressions, etc ... I was hyped again ! ... But still no release information for Europe. And then ... end of july for US release date, and boom, saw a fantastic deal for a ROG Phone II (450 €), so I bought this one.

            This is what happen when there is too much time between phone announcement and its availability. Hype goes down, competition rise, people changed their mind and just take something else. I'm a customer, and even if I like SONY phones (the XZ1 compact is one of the best smartphone I have ever bought), but I'm not a big fan, so I won't decide to buy or not buy a phone, according to "their rules". So yeah, sorry Sony, but release your phone faster next time ...

              • X
              • XCIV
              • gN{
              • 27 May 2020

              Rameyuk, 27 May 2020Yeah, that's understandable. The last Sony Phone that they ... moreIf the camera is worth it then I'll definitely be considering importing. I hate the duopoly of Apple and Samsung in premium smartphone segment. At least in India.

                SigmaR, 27 May 2020I really like this phone, but I think flagship prices went ... moreI dunno.. it depends on how you justify them. For me, I use my flagship phones for 3-4 years. I've been using my XZ1 for 3 years now and it's still going strong, (despite I'm not getting android updates anymore). If you spend $1,200 on a phone, that you would use for 3 years. doesn't that equate to just $400 a year. It would still be cheaper than getting $500 Chinese flagship every year, (even though you always get a new phone every year). But when I ask myself, do I need to change every year? Or is it just marketing tactics that traps consumer to get addicted to following trends and always being up-to-date?

                  XCIV, 27 May 2020Since there's no official support for Sony mobiles in India... moreYeah, that's understandable. The last Sony Phone that they officially sell in Indonesia was the Z5 Premium. Even so, it wasn't the Dual-Sim version. So I had to get them from retailers that imports the Taiwan models.

                  Truth be told, I've never had issues on any of them, that I also import my current XZ1 phone afterwards, for the dual-sim model.

                  My suggestion would be to get them from reputable retailers with good retailer/international warranty even if Sony isn't officially supporting them in India. Make sure you can check the IMEI number and crosscheck the authenticity of the device. It's a hassle, I know. But it's worth it when you spend so much already.

                  If I'm not mistaken, India's smartphone market has been oversaturated and dominated by cheap and affordable Chinese phones. It's understandable from a business perspective to "why try to sell a phone to a market that won't buy them?" I think a handful of interested people is just not justifiable by the business for the massive logistics needed to make them available for a majority of the people who won't buy them. Too much cost involved and not profitable. And Sony needs to cut back on their losses, no thanks to the oversaturated market.

                  But really, when there's a will. There's a way. If there's no official market selling them. Import them. If enough people are importing them, suddenly the market isn't so saturated at all, is it? Everything begins with one person willing to make that leap, and the more people would follow.

                    • ?
                    • Anonymous
                    • ijB
                    • 27 May 2020

                    Having a 90Hz screen would have made it the perfect and best phone of 2020. I'd buy it at its hefty price if it had 90Hz.

                      Popop971, 27 May 2020Sorry Sony, too late, bought a ROG Phone II at cheap price ... moreThat's too bad.. I do wish they released the phone closer to their announcement date as well. But even if they announce it late July so we all can get them as soon as it's announced, wouldn't you have bought your ROG phone anyway and won't be getting the Sony flagship?

                      Besides, if price was the deciding factor, you'd still get the ROG phone anyway. From where I stand, moving the availability date doesn't give that much of an impact to you.

                      That being said, I don't mind waiting for a long availability. It would actually give enough time to save money, while waiting from what the competitor's will be bringing to the table. By the time competitors have announced and have their phones available for purchase around the same time as Sony's availability. You would have a good base of information to actually make your decision, instead of having buyers' remorse. If I'm already decided on getting Xperia 1 II, I would wait until I get my hands on it, whenever that may be.

                      Maybe it's because I'm in my 30s, I've spent my childhood without internet, where you have to wait for everything that I've learned to be patient, instead of getting my hands on everything instantly.

                        • X
                        • XCIV
                        • gN{
                        • 27 May 2020

                        Rameyuk, 27 May 2020You don't have retailers that import overseas model? I they... moreSince there's no official support for Sony mobiles in India, it would be risky importing. It's just like importing Nintendo Switch and start experiencing drift issues.

                          https://youtu.be/5dIZmWKoRFE

                          5:22 to 6:50 - Xperia 1 Mk II has better sounding speakers than the Galaxy S20 Ultra.
                          It's the result of a proper dual front-firing speakers.

                            XCIV, 27 May 2020Sadly Sony don't sell their phones in India. :cYou don't have retailers that import overseas model? I they don't officially sell them in Indonesia / Australia, but there's always retailers that sell imported models.

                              • A
                              • Anonymous
                              • rJ{
                              • 27 May 2020

                              phinch88, 27 May 2020iPhone 11 pro max $1099 6.5 inch display 1080p hd 3969mAh... moreTrue.Those People Should Try Who Only Buys Apple iPhones As They Think That The Best The Money Can Buy Phones Are iPhone.I Am Sure They Will Be More Happy After Buying This Sony Xperia 1 II.

                                • p
                                • phinch88
                                • 3DR
                                • 27 May 2020

                                iPhone 11 pro max $1099
                                6.5 inch display 1080p hd
                                3969mAh Battery
                                64GB internal memory
                                4g connectivity

                                Xperia 1 mk II $1199
                                6.5 inch 4K display
                                4000mAh battery
                                256gb storage + expandable
                                5g connectivity
                                + free $299 sony headphones

                                Sony all the way

                                  Android Master, 27 May 2020Can't call it complete since it lacks so many things.In comparison to most $1000 flagship phones, this one outplays them all in terms of having all the essential features needed for a smartphone.

                                  Well I guess you're looking for x-ray camera, thermal scanner, induction cooker, food refrigerator, and so many unnecessary things in this phone, so I do understand your struggle of finding a worthy device for yourself.
                                  Don't worry, you can wait for the next 50 years for that to become available though.

                                    Vegetaholic, 27 May 2020The person is obviously delusional. It is definitely the wo... moreAnd this comes from people who say

                                    2010: die Sony...
                                    2011: RIP Sony....
                                    2012: Sony is dying...
                                    2013: Sony is doomed...
                                    2014: last year of Sony...
                                    2015: last Xperia from Sony...
                                    2016: Sony is shutting down....
                                    2017: next year will be Sony last...
                                    2018: 2019 will be Sony last year ...
                                    2019: Please die Sony
                                    2020: I beg you Sony

                                    Just stop already

                                      • Z
                                      • Zaelbusta
                                      • rmf
                                      • 27 May 2020

                                      This smartphone is the best smartphone of 2020.

                                        too bad gsmarena doesnt let us post memes, otherwise I will post the mj pop corn meme, Im here for the comments. people trying to justify sony decisions is way too fun. next is citing some youtubers who agrees with them.

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