Sony Xperia 1 II received the External monitor app from the Xperia Pro with the Android 11 update

You know how one of the best features of the $2,500 Sony Xperia Pro is that it can act as an external monitor for digital cameras? Well, now the Xperia 1 II can as well – the feature was added as part of the Android 11 update.

No, the Mark II phones didn’t suddenly grow an HDMI port, that remains exclusive to the Pro phone. However, an HDMI to USB-C adapter will do the trick and one of those doesn’t cost much (especially compared to the Pro’s price premium).

The External monitor app has the same features as on the Pro, here are the highlights:

This change was discovered by Reddit user shenfan0613. This feature can also be seen in the video below by Sony Taiwan:

It’s not yet clear if the Sony Xperia 5 II will receive the External monitor app as well. XDA-Developers believes that yes, it will get it, and offers this press release as evidence. It is about a firmware update for the Sony ZV-1, which allows users to connect an Xperia phone as an external monitor with the following clarification: “Using an Xperia 1 II or Xperia 5 II upgraded to Android™ 11. Update availability varies by region (As of February 2021).”

Anyway, the Xperia 1 II and 5 II only have the “slow” sub-6 5G, unlike the Xperia Pro, which also has mmWave. Still, that should be fast enough to add live streaming to your digital camera. And again, you’ll have to supply your own HDMI to USB-C adapter.

Source | Via