Mediocre at best: DxOMark takes issue with the rear and selfie cameras in the Sony Xperia 1

Sony aimed high with the Xperia 1, with it using its 21:9 aspect ratio display to distinguish it from other flagships. However, while the Xperia 1 has an excellent display, its cameras underwhelmed during our tests. Now, DxOMark has drawn a similar conclusion, having performed extensive camera tests and analysis. In short, the cameras in the almost US$1,000 Xperia 1 fall well short of other comparably priced flagships.

While the Xperia 1 has triple rear-facing cameras like many other flagships, DxOMark found them severely lacking in its standardised tests. Likewise, it found comparable issues with the 8 MP and f/2.0 front-facing camera with which Sony equipped the Xperia 1.

The differences in image quality become clearer when comparing the Xperia 1 against other modern flagships too. While there have been questions around the impartiality of DxOMark, the rear-facing cameras in the Xperia 1 score more than 20 points fewer than the Galaxy Note 10+, which we are currently reviewing. Moreover, DxOMark gives the front-facing camera in the Xperia 1 78 points, putting it on par with the Google Pixel 2 and well behind the Pixel 3, Galaxy Note 9 and even the OnePlus 7 Pro.

Setting your questions about DxOMark aside, it is incomprehensible that Sony has equipped the Xperia 1 with worse camera sensors than the Sony sensors that its competitors use. Surely the IMX586 would have been a better choice? Go figure.