Forget the Xperia XZ4 – Sony unveils new Xperia 1 and it's what many have been hoping for

Sony has given fans of the Xperia brand a shock today by not unveiling the expected Xperia XZ4 at its Mobile World Congress event.

Instead of following that current branding, the Japanese tech firm is changing things up with a refreshed name and totally redesigned phone.

The Xperia 1 is Sony’s all-new flagship and it arrives with a swathe of new features and upgrades that could make it one of the best ever Xperia devices.

The first you’ll notice when you get this phone in your hands is the giant 6.5-inch screen which has a tall 21:9 aspect ratio making it perfect for watching the latest blockbusters or bingeing on a night of Netflix.

Sony is boasting that its CinemaWide 4K HDR OLED display features accurate colour reproduction so you get to see content exactly as it was produced by the director.

There’s even an update to the Netflix app which improves the experience when using the popular service on the Xperia 1.

Although not fully edge-to-edge the new display does cover almost every inch of the device meaning the overall size of the phone has been reduced.

To enhance this viewing experience even further, Sony has packed the Xperia 1 with Dolby Atmos audio which should help to bring much-improved sound to this flagship.

And it’s not just on the front of the phone where things have been refreshed as spin the Xperia 1 around and you’ll find a new triple rear camera set-up.

This is the first time Sony has included three lenses on a phone and it means the Xperia 1 can match its Galaxy S10 and Mate 20 Pro rivals when it comes to photography.

The cameras are made up of a standard 12-megapixel lens which sits alongside a wider-angle and telephoto option.

Sony has also enlisted the help of its award-winning Alpha brand with tech from these pro cameras being squeezed into the smartphone.

This means users will be treated to the world’s first Eye AF in a smartphone to bring the sharp focus exactly to the level of eyes.

It also delivers continuous burst shooting with up to 10 fps AF/AE tracking to give you precision focus and optimal exposure.

Low light photography should be improved and there’s a nice feature for anyone who enjoys shooting video on their devices.

Via a collaboration with the engineers of Sony’s professional digital cinema camera division known for its CineAlta brand, the Xperia 1 should offer some nice extras when recording moving images.

You can shoot with natural cinematic tone and further apply expression-based colour management pre-sets with the new Cinema Pro feature.

Users can also create the intended mood from a total of eight different expressions to turn your clips into cinematic stories.

All of this can be shot in 4K HDR at 24 frames per second in 21:9 format.

Other features that are worth mentioning on the Xperia 1 include the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, a 3,300mAh battery and the return of Side Sense technology which allows easy access to your most popular apps.

The horrible fingerprint scanner that graced the XZ2 and XZ3 has also been moved to the side of the phone which should make it much more friendly to use.

If you like gaming on your phone the Xperia 1 has its unique Game Enhancer which optimises the performance and blocks all unwanted notifications, as well as enabling you to record gameplay.

One thing that is worth noting is that Sony has ditched wireless charging on the Xperia 1 which means it can only be refilled via a wired connection.

“We have established a new vision for our Xperia brand to bring our customers experiences beyond imagination,” said Mitsuya Kishida, President, Sony Mobile Communications.

“We are continuing to push the boundaries in pursuit of innovation and our new Xperia delivers genuine technologies with a multitude of professional-grade features for creative entertainment experiences that are only possible with Sony.”

The Xperia 1 is expected to arrive in the coming weeks with a price of around £849.

source: express.co.uk