Yes, Sony still makes smartphones, and its latest flagships Xperia 1 V Designed for both photographers and vloggers. It features a new back-illuminated (BSI) stacked sensor along with features aimed at content creators found in Alpha series cameras.
The Xperia 1 V has a new image sensor called “Exmor T for Mobile” designed to be faster and work better with computational imaging (AI), while offering “nearly twice the low-light performance” of the Xperia 1 IV. As you would expect in a flagship, it offers other high-end features such as the Snapdragon 8 Gen2 Mobile Platform, a 6.5-inch 4K 120Hz OLED HDR display, and a 5,000mAh battery that allows up to 20 hours of continuous 4K playback, up to 12 GB of RAM and more.
In doing so, Sony promises “best-in-class” gaming performance, thanks to a Game Enhancer function that provides visual and audio support. It also allows gamers to broadcast their games live on YouTube.
Obviously, the main feature is the camera system. Sony said its 24mm, f/1.9, 52MP main camera features a 1/1.35-inch (about 12mm diagonally) Exmor T-type sensor that is 1.7 times larger than the Xperia 1 IV’s. It also comes with a 12MP ultrawide camera and 85-125MP optical zoom 12MP, the same as the one on the Xperia 1 IV. The 12MP front camera has a 1 / 2.9 inch sensor.
Die-hards will be able to shoot video and photos using the Pro modes, which allow for full manual control. Chief among them is the professional photography mode designed for creative control. It also allows live broadcasts while allowing content creators to view viewer comments in real time.
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If you set it to basic mode, you get a good dose of computational photography seen in other Android phones. This includes night mode and color settings for themes like flowers and blue skies. It also offers real-time autofocus and eye tracking, along with high-speed continuous shooting at up to 30fps with auto exposure and autofocus enabled.
For vloggers and content creators, it now features the same product view setup found on Sony vlogging cameras like the ZV-E1. The new sensor also promises to improve skin tones, thanks to the extra saturation available on the sensor. It also has a new voice priority microphone positioned near the rear camera that can pick up sounds even in crowded outdoor settings.
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One great feature that might justify the price alone for many videographers is the ability to use the phone as a monitor for select Sony Alpha cameras. The Xperia 1 IV can do that too, but the new model offers multiple display options with waveforms, gridlines and zebra stripes usually only found on professional field monitors. You can also control settings and record content on phones, features that weren’t available before. Meanwhile, the phone’s microphones can pick up audio while monitoring audio via the Xperia 1 V headphone jack.
As with previous Xperia models, the price here is the price. the Xperia 1 V starts at $1,400 (in khaki or black) with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage (upgradable via microSD slot). That’s a lot of money for most smartphone users (even mainstream buyers) but it can make sense for avid content creators, photographers, and more.
Alongside the Xperia 1 V, Sony also unveiled a more mainstream smartphone, the Xperia 10 V. It is powered by the Snapdragon 695 chipset and offers a 6.1-inch 1080p OLED display that is 50 percent brighter than before, but only refreshes when 60 Hz. The camera system features a 48-megapixel 1/2.0-inch primary sensor with a wide lens, along with 2x zoom and an ultrawide snapshot. Other features include a 5,000mAh battery and up to 6GB of RAM. It has a price of 449 euros in Europe, with sales starting in June. Pricing/availability in the US not yet available.
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