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Today at Mobile World Congress 2019, Sony is giving us a look at the future of its Xperia device lineup. The company introduced three new devices, the Xperia 1, Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus. While all of the devices are pretty interesting, the standout here is the Sony Xperia 1 and its 6.5-inch 4K OLED display with an aspect ratio of 21:9.
The display on the Xperia 1 is a world’s first according to Sony. Never before have we seen a 4K OLED display on a smartphone. The 21:9 display ratio might sound familiar, that’s because its the same aspect ratio that movies are displayed in at a theater. We’d seen rumors about a Sony phone coming with an extremely tall display, but we were wondering why Sony would do such a thing. Well, now we have our answer— Sony wants you to be able to watch movies on your device in their natural aspect ratio. When movies are converted to 16:9, you either get big black bars on the top of the top and bottom of the picture or studios must use a technique called pan and scan. Pan and scan is pretty popular because it fills up the entire screen, but studios must select what areas of the movie to cut off. If you can find 21:9 versions of your favorite movies, the Xperia 1 will be a great option for viewing.
The camera is seeing a significant improvement as well. We’re treated to a triple camera setup with a 12 MP main sensor, a 12 MP ultrawide sensor and 12 MP zoom lens. Sony says it has incorporated technology from its Alpha interchangeable lenses into the Xperia 1. “The algorithm enables the world’s first Eye AF (Auto Focus) in a smartphone to bring sharp focus exactly at eye level and delivers continuous burst shooting with up to 10 fs AF/AE tracking (Auto Focus and Auto Exposure), giving precision focus and optimal exposure.
The focus on multimedia doesn’t stop with the display and the camera. Sony has also included Dolby Atmos sound and an enhanced gaming mode that optimizes performance and blocks unwanted notifications while you game. The rest of the specs include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, 6 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage, and a 3330 mAh battery.
We don’t yet have a release date for the Sony Xperia 1 beyond the “late Spring 2019” estimate that Sony has provided. It’ll come in Black and Purple in the United States with select other markets also getting the device in Gray and White. Shockingly, Sony hasn’t provided pricing details, but we can’t imagine this will be competing with the OnePlus 6T and Honor View 20 for the budget flagship crown.
Sony Xperia 10 and Sony Xperia 10 Plus
If you’re looking for something a little more wallet-friendly, Sony has also introduced the Xperia 10 and 10 Plus. The devices both feature a “sleek borderless design” and the same 21:9 display aspect ratio from the Xperia 1. However, the 10 and 10 Plus will only see a resolution of 1080p and will not support HDR, nor are they OLED opting rather for IPS LCD displays. The Xperia 10’s display spans 6 inches, while the Plus reaches out to a hefty 6.5 inches.
As for cameras, the Xperia 10 features a 13 MP + 5 MP camera setup. While Sony doesn’t explicitly state it, the second camera sensor is there for depth sensing and to provide better Bokeh in portrait photos. The 10 Plus ups the game a little bit with a 12 MP + 8 MP camera that features a 2x optical zoom. Both phones come with an 8 MP front-facing camera for those selfies.
Sony Xperia 10 Plus
The devices have similar specs with the Xperia 10 run by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 SoC clocked at 2.2 GHz, along with 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory. The 10 Plus bumps up the processor to a slightly more efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC clocked at 1.8GHz, with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. Both phones feature always-on fingerprint sensors and microSD card support up to 512 GB, while the Xperia 10 has a 2,870 mAh battery and the Xperia 10 Plus’ battery measures in at an even 3,000 mAh.
As opposed to their big brother, we do have a solid release date for the 10 and 10 Plus. You’ll be able to get your hands on the devices on March 18 and both devices are certified to work on Verizon’s LTE network. Sony and Verizon are teaming up for the launch and offering a $250 pre-paid Mastercard when you switch to Big Red and activate a new 10 or 10 Plus at Verizon.com. You’ll be able to pick up the Sony Xperia 10 in Black and SIlver in the US with select markets getting Navy, Pink (Xperia 10 only) and Gold (Xperia 10 Plus only) available as well. Oh, and as for price? The Sony Xperia 10 will be priced at $349.99 and the Xperia 10 Plus will run you $429.99.
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