Sony Xperia 1 review

08 June 2019
Sony has completely revamped its Xperia series yet again, and this year the common denominator is the cinematic screen. Every new Xperia smartphone gets a 21:9 panel for the most immersive viewing experience, but the Xperia 1 is special. It is the Xperia Premium reborn, with a large 6.5" OLED 4K HDR display and today we'll get to know it better.

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  • everett2000
  • HCv
  • 10 Jun 2019

Anonymous, 10 Jun 2019Mr LQv, Sony has high noise and good details in good light,... moreWhat utter nonsense - there's plenty of reason and you give a good one yourself by mentioning the Galaxy S10. The GS10 does NOT provide good detail with low noise. That's the whole point! Have you cropped an S10 image recently?

Here's something everyone reading this can do: Open two browser tabs and split screen both to equal. Now select the S10 review on GSMA and the X1 review. Find the photo's taken in good light and select the castle shot. Crop. Look at the pattern in the panel around the clock - hell look at ANY of the detail at that crop. You're going to see noise on the Sony but you're also going to see all that fine detail that Samsung throws in the bin - and there's a lot of it!

Sony has not over-reduced noise because it exterminates the kind of fine detail that gives a good photograph texture. Samsung cameras smear out the finest detail, delivering plastic-looking images that - while fine for Instagram - are nowhere near as detailed as either the Sony or the Pixel 3.

Sony has chosen to keep fine detail scrappy for a reason and I support that reason: it gives images texture and depth.

    Anonymous, 10 Jun 2019There’s no test don’t yet by Dxomark, but camera aren’t tha... moreHe is spreading a fake news then.

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • ss1
      • 10 Jun 2019

      dirknelson, 10 Jun 2019Where's the link?There’s no test don’t yet by Dxomark, but camera aren’t that good still has same issue as old Xperia camera issue.


      https://youtu.be/GLafRGFcjnw

        Andre, 09 Jun 2019The new king of Dxomark mobile fotografi.Where's the link?

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • XNk
          • 10 Jun 2019

          Anonymous, 09 Jun 2019These tests are done with Stamina turned OFF .... What a pathetic excuse. Other brands also have similar stamina modes, not only Sony. Do you offer the same excuse for them too? Should this website do battery tests with stamina on for all models from now on?

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • XNk
            • 10 Jun 2019

            Anonymous, 10 Jun 2019Photos without noise do not exist. Not even a jpeg from A7R... moreMr LQv, Sony has high noise and good details in good light, Samsung has low noise and good details in good light. There is no excuse for high noise in good light.

              • R
              • RockD
              • I@H
              • 10 Jun 2019

              You gave high rating but with a lot of cons??? How is that possible? Shouldn't the list of cons affect the rating?

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • LQv
                • 10 Jun 2019

                Turn on Stamina and you get at least 20% more from Xperia.

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • LQv
                  • 10 Jun 2019

                  Anonymous, 10 Jun 2019Am I seeing noises even in the day shots? Look at the model... morePhotos without noise do not exist. Not even a jpeg from A7R3.

                  Phones have to choose between noise + details or no noise + no details ...
                  Sony choose the first, samsung choose the second.

                    • ?
                    • Anonymous
                    • Gfx
                    • 10 Jun 2019

                    Am I seeing noises even in the day shots? Look at the model faces. There are noticeable noises dots happening. Yucks. Sorry Sony. Your camera is not to my liking. Still prefer Huawei cameras.

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • Ngx
                      • 10 Jun 2019

                      Andre, 09 Jun 2019The new king of Dxomark mobile fotografi.No, sony doesn't pay enough money for marketing

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                        • HuCCi
                        • Led
                        • 10 Jun 2019

                        i'm only one who thinks this is the best design of 2019 ?

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • EFP
                          • 10 Jun 2019

                          Anonymous, 09 Jun 20193 to 6 month from now and price will drop to $600 lol.Xperia XZ3 released September 2018 at $799, 8 months later it's $599.

                          So the Xperia 1 dropping $350 in 6 months is unlikely.

                          LOL

                            everett2000, 09 Jun 2019I know! And people STILL leave it all over the place :P ... moreI have 3 dogs do the math :)
                            Price is cheaper than I thought, screen is the best in the market for sure, audio seems not bad either. As design back of the phone is so ugly but can be fixed with a Dbrand like sticker easily. Better choice than P30 Pro about same price, my thoughts. Well done :)

                              • e
                              • everett2000
                              • HCv
                              • 09 Jun 2019

                              androidbrick, 09 Jun 2019Maximum penalty 1000 £ for dog shit? :) Wow. Amazing... moreI know! And people STILL leave it all over the place :P

                              Got it on contract so it's about the same as the monthly cost of my last phone. Overall it's £830 ish.

                              But GSMA have this one right: this phone is worth every penny. The camera is seriously good: less noisy than a Pixel with around the same resolved detail - noisier than an S10 but with far more resolved detail (The S10's algorythm just flattens all of the detail. I've never rated the camera's on Sammys for this reason - plastic and fake. And the colours are always way over the top). P30 Pro? Probably still the better camera if you can sacrifice 2mp of detail but the X1 is, to my eyes, top two. Any arguements I'll point straight at my flickr feed below - it's a brilliant camera: well coloured, plenty detailed, well exposed and very versatile. And 1080p video stabilisation is absolutely class leading.

                              As for the rest: nothing touches that screen for watching movies. Throw on a 4K HDR nature video from YouTube, pop it into Creator Mode and just bathe your eyes. It's insane how lovely that panel is - even with the slight colour shift at angles.

                              I can't go back to 16:9 aspect ratios now, either. This is a tremendous aspect ratio. I thought I'd struggle to get used to it but now I can't imaging living without it.

                              Cinema Pro is veeeeery interesting. I'm only tinkering but you can deliver some amazing footage. It's missing stabilisation, sadly, so you're reduced to using a tripod. But you'd absolutely be able to record a quality short film on the thing, with a seperate editing app.

                              Audio? It sounds very nice - though I get where GSMA are coming from with the technicalities. I'm fully expecting that the wireless headphones I'm getting (pre-ordered) will sort the slight issues out, as they'll be independently amped.

                              But it's easily a top teir phone. Perhaps the second best smartphone camera on the market, easily the most immersive screen, great stock-like software and it feels,... different. Like Sony have gone "You know what, they're all doing that: lets do what we do best: media".

                              Thoroughly recommend it.

                                • A
                                • Andre
                                • PRW
                                • 09 Jun 2019

                                The new king of Dxomark mobile fotografi.

                                  everett2000, 09 Jun 2019No other phone camera could capture this. https://flic.kr/p... moreMaximum penalty 1000 £ for dog shit? :) Wow.
                                  Amazing quality for both photo and video indeed, how much did it cost?

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                                    • YNOS LOL
                                    • nHh
                                    • 09 Jun 2019

                                    3,330mAh in a baguette? LOL

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                                      • Cir90
                                      • pGX
                                      • 09 Jun 2019

                                      Anonymous, 09 Jun 20193 to 6 month from now and price will drop to $600 lol.El S10 + In Vodafone after 2 months they throw it in your face for € 10 a month in 24 months

                                        Gaming performance, battery life and heat test, so far 8 hours of high graphics gaming, now keep arguing experts.
                                        https://youtu.be/b4a_3-yr4G0