Sony Xperia 1 Series

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon SD 8 Gen 1, Qualcomm Snapdragon SD 8 Gen 2, Qualcomm Snapdragon SD 855, Qualcomm Snapdragon SD 865, Qualcomm Snapdragon SD 888 5G
Graphics Adapter: Qualcomm Adreno 640, Qualcomm Adreno 650, Qualcomm Adreno 660, Qualcomm Adreno 730, Qualcomm Adreno 740
Display: 6.50 inch
Weight: 0.178kg, 0.1814kg, 0.185kg, 0.186kg, 0.187kg
Price: 949, 1200, 1299, 1399 euro
price: 67%, performance: 89%, features: 88%, display: 88%, mobility: 76%, workmanship: 88%, ergonomy: 87%, emissions: 94%

 

Sony Xperia 1

With the majority of mobile devices nowadays being more than capable of accomplishing mundane day-to-day tasks, the demand for watching high-quality videos on smartphones has seen a rapid increase in the industry. Sony decided to capitalize on the leisure aspect of its customers’ lifestyle by bringing them an impressive theater experience with something which can be held in our hands. The introduction of the Sony Xperia 1 wows the entire world for being the first ever smartphone device to feature a 21:9 CinemaWide 4K HDR OLED display. Before we dive further into what the 21:9 CinemaWide display has to bring to the table, it is to be noted that Sony has implemented the mobile image processing engine from Sony’s very own BRAVIA TV technology. This processing engine is capable of projecting more colors, details and greater contrast on the Xperia 1. The engine itself greatly compliments the overall effectiveness that the 21:9 CinemaWide has to offer in terms of graphics, which includes but is not limited to, streaming content on globally renowned streaming platforms such as YouTube and Netflix. The promise of an immersive movie theater experience does not stop there. Courtesy of the collaboration with Sony Pictures Entertainment, the incorporation of Dolby Atmos in the Xperia 1 simulates an authentic – if not similar – screening experience with amazing audio produced by multi-dimensional sound that flows around the user. Content creators are not omitted from the grandeur of the Xperia 1’s new and outstanding features. The new Creator mode through the all-seeing triple lens of the device’s camera can now emulate the awe-inspiring beauty of everyday life through the integration of Master Monitor tuning, a color reproduction feature used in leading Hollywood studio productions by moviemakers and filmmakers alike. The Xperia 1 has a 10 bit equivalent display that can showcase a myriad of colors without banding. The high contrast ratio of 1,000,000 to 1 enables images and graphics to present deeper levels of black, while presenting colors in a more refined and natural light. Content creators can utilize the Creator mode to produce high-quality videos with the same parameters and color settings widely used by professionals. The Sony Xperia 1 is not solely designed for leisure – the wide 6.5-inch screen gives users more room to multi-task while still being able to balance out work and entertainment at the same time. The Side sense, a rather intuitive and intelligent AI which keeps tracks of activity and usage frequency, can bring up a split screen quickly and easily with just three taps away. This subtle consideration spares users the fuss of ransacking through apps after apps in order to accomplish several important tasks on their smartphones. The Xperia 1’s groundbreaking creation borne from the collaboration with Sony Pictures Entertainment has granted us an insight into an otherwise uncanny film screening experience. The model comes with a seamless design, sporting a metallic frame with a glass front and back, which accurately embodies its appearance for being a revolutionary benchmark in modern smartphone history. The Sony Xperia 1 comes in the colors black, white, and grey, but should the clientele feel a little eccentric, purple is a readily available option to bring even more color into their life. Hands-on article by Jagadisa Rajarathnam

Specifications

Notebook: Sony Xperia 1
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon SD 855
Graphics Adapter: Qualcomm Adreno 640
Display: 6.50 inch, 21:9, 3840 x 1644 pixels
Weight: 0.178kg
Price: 949 euro
Links: Sony homepage
 Sony notebook section

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Average Score: 80.73% - good

 

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Sony Xperia 1 II

Sony has released its latest smartphone, Sony Xperia 1 II (pronounced Mark 2) which is the follow-up to last year’s Sony Xperia 1. While last year’s Xperia 1 was rated as a quality phone, Xperia 1 II has definitely been updated with a bigger and taller 21:9 ratio display. The 6.5 inches HDR OLED panel screen is a perfect treat for watching films on the go while improving the overall user experience. The model caters for a 4K (1644 x 3840) resolution. The 5G incorporation within the model also supports better streaming such as Netflix for those movie lovers out there. While its predecessor Sony Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 decided to remove the 3.5mm headphone jack similar to the footsteps of Apple and many others, Sony has made the decision to bring back the port in Xperia 1 II. This model features the headphone jack on the top edge. Sony stated that the reason for the return of this feature was to cater for both wired and wireless headset options for users. Wired headphones often provide better-quality sound as it does not have Bluetooth interference. The Hi-Res audio is capable of incorporating up to 192 KHz and also has a cinematic audio mode which had been created in collaboration with Sony Pictures Entertainment. The ultra-wide screen, stereo speakers and a headphone jack has made this smartphone a mobile cinephile and definitely a gamer’s dream come true. The Corning Gorilla Glass 6 protects the phone on both the face and rear with a fingerprint sensor located on the right-hand side of the phone. Users have the option of unlocking the phone using their fingerprint which definitely saves the time of unlocking to access the phone.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 that has been incorporated within the Xperia 1 II is the same chipset as found in Samsung Galaxy S20. The processor provides better gaming experience for the users while increasing the overall smartphone performance. It also offers some strong performance and ability to cope with all the tasks that most other top-end phones could do. The phone carries 8GB of RAM along with a 256GB of internal storage which gives more space for users to store photos and files. As far as the camera is concerned, it includes a 12-megapixel main sensor, a 12-megapixel telephoto one, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide one along with a 3D time of flight sensor which is stated to be able to offer ‘ground-breaking autofocus technology’. It incorporates the technology which was developed by Sony for its Alpha range of cameras with the aim of providing the best shot through stronger autofocus. In terms of its battery, Xperia 1 II has definitely been upgraded with a larger battery of 4000mAh as compared to the smaller 3300mAh battery which was incorporated within Xperia 1. This boost provides a much more improved battery life along with fast charging of up to 50 percent within 30 minutes. This model comes in two colours namely black and purple for users to choose from.

Specifications

Notebook: Sony Xperia 1 II
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon SD 865
Graphics Adapter: Qualcomm Adreno 650
Display: 6.50 inch, 21:9, 3840 x 1644 pixels
Weight: 0.1814kg
Price: 1200 euro
Links: Sony homepage
 Sony notebook section

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Average Score: 81.98% - good

 

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Sony Xperia 1 III

Specifications

Notebook: Sony Xperia 1 III
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon SD 888 5G
Graphics Adapter: Qualcomm Adreno 660
Display: 6.50 inch, 21:9, 3840 x 1644 pixels
Weight: 0.186kg
Price: 1299 euro
Links: Sony homepage
 Sony notebook section

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Average Score: 82.58% - good

 

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Sony Xperia 1 IV

Specifications

Notebook: Sony Xperia 1 IV
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon SD 8 Gen 1
Graphics Adapter: Qualcomm Adreno 730
Display: 6.50 inch, 21:9, 3840 x 1644 pixels
Weight: 0.185kg
Price: 1399 euro
Links: Sony homepage
 Sony notebook section

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Average Score: 81.52% - good

 

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Sony Xperia 1 V

Specifications

Notebook: Sony Xperia 1 V
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon SD 8 Gen 2
Graphics Adapter: Qualcomm Adreno 740
Display: 6.50 inch, 21:9, 3840 x 1644 pixels
Weight: 0.187kg
Price: 1399 euro
Links: Sony homepage
 Sony notebook section

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Average Score: 81.79% - good

 

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Comment

Sony: Sony Corporation is one of the largest Japanese electronics companies. The company was founded in 1946 under a different name and initially produced rice stoves. The company launched the first transistor radio. In 1958, the company was renamed Sony. Sony is a combination of the Latin word sonus (sound) and the English word sonny (little boy). Today, its core business is consumer electronics. The company is engaged in the development, design, manufacture and sale of electronic equipment, instruments, devices, game consoles and software. Sony operates in the following segments: Gaming and Network Services, Music, Images, Home Entertainment and Sound, Imaging Products and Solutions, Mobile Communications, Semiconductors, Financial Services and Others.

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Non demanding games should be playable with these graphics cards.

Qualcomm Adreno 640: Graphics chip for smartphones and tablets that is intergrated within the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC. Qualcomm claims that it is 20% faster than the Adreno 630 in the Snapdragon 845 SoC and offers 50% more compute units (ALUs).

Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.

Qualcomm Adreno 650: Graphics chip for smartphones and tablets that is integrated within the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC. Qualcomm claims that it is 25% faster than the Adreno 640 in the Snapdragon 855 SoC and offers 50% more compute units (ALUs). For Android it should be one of the fastest graphics cards in 2020.

Qualcomm Adreno 660: Graphics chip for smartphones and tablets that is integrated within the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC. Qualcomm claims that it is 35% faster than the Adreno 650 in the Snapdragon 865 SoC and offers a 20% better power efficiency.For Android it should be one of the fastest graphics cards in 2021.

Qualcomm Adreno 730: Graphics chip for smartphones and tablets that is integrated within the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC. Qualcomm claims that it is 30% faster than the Adreno 660 in the Snapdragon 888 SoC. For Android it should be one of the fastest graphics cards in late 2021.

Qualcomm Adreno 740: Graphics chip for smartphones and tablets that is integrated within the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. Qualcomm claims that it is 25% faster than the Adreno 730 in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and first benchmarks show that the GPU can beat the Apple A16 iGPU (previously the fastest smartphone GPU). 

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.

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Qualcomm Snapdragon:

SD 855: High-end SoC for smartphones that was introduced in late 2018 and manufactured in 7 nm at TSMC. Integrates one “Prime Core” based on a modified ARM Cortex-A76 architecture clocked at up to 2.84 GHz. Three more performance cores are also based on the A76 but clock up to 2.42 GHz. Furthermore, four energy saving cores are integrated that are based on the ARM Cortex-A55 architecture and clock at up to 1.8 GHz. In addition to the processor cores, the SoC integrates a X24 LTE modem (up to 2 Gigbit download), a new Wi-Fi modem (Wi-Fi 6 ready, 60 GHz mmWave), Hexagon 690 DSP with new Tensor cores for AI processing, a Spectra 380 ISP with an integrated computer vision engine and an integrated LPDDR4x memory controller.

SD 865: High-end SoC for smartphones that was introduced in late 2019 and manufactured in 7 nm at TSMC (improved N7P). Integrates one “Prime Core” based on a ARM Cortex-A77 architecture clocked at up to 2.84 GHz. Three more performance cores are also based on the A77 but clock up to 2.42 GHz. Furthermore, four energy saving cores are integrated that are based on the ARM Cortex-A55 architecture and clock at up to 1.8 GHz. In addition to the processor cores, the SoC integrates a WiFi 6 modem (including 60 GHz mmWave support), a Hexagon 698 DSP (up to 15 TOPS) and a Spectra 480 ISP. The integrated memory controller now supports faster LPDDR5 memory with up to 2,750 MHz. LTE is not included anymore in the SoC, but the external Snapdragon X55 5G modem has to be used.

SD 888 5G: High-end SoC for smartphones that was introduced in late 2020 and manufactured in 5 nm at Samsung. Integrates one “Prime Core” based on a ARM Cortex-X1 architecture clocked at up to 2.84 GHz. Three more performance cores are based on the A78 but clock up to 2.42 GHz. Furthermore, four energy saving cores are integrated that are based on the ARM Cortex-A55 architecture and clock at up to 1.8 GHz. In addition to the processor cores, the SoC integrates a WiFi 6e modem, a Hexagon 780 DSP (up to 26 TOPS of AI performance) and a Spectra 580 ISP. The integrated memory controller now supports faster LPDDR5 memory with up to 3,200 MHz. 5G is now included in the chip with the Snapdragon X60 modem.

SD 8 Gen 1: High-end SoC for smartphones that was introduced in late 2021 and manufactured in 4 nm at Samsung. Integrates one “Prime Core” based on a ARM Cortex-X2 architecture clocked at up to 3 GHz. Three more performance cores are based on the A710 but clock up to 2.5 GHz. Furthermore, four energy saving cores are integrated that are based on the ARM Cortex-A510 architecture and clock at up to 1.8 GHz. In addition to the processor cores, the SoC integrates a WiFi 6e modem, a Hexagon DSP (for AI acceleration) and a Spectra ISP. The integrated memory controller supports fast LPDDR5 memory with up to 3,200 MHz. 5G is now included in the chip with the Snapdragon X65 modem.

SD 8 Gen 2: High-end SoC for smartphones that was introduced in late 2022 with a fast prime core based on a ARM Cortex-X3 architecture clocked at up to 3.2 GHz. Two more performance cores are based on the A715 and also support only 64 bit applications. The two additional A710 cores support also 32 bit applications as do the power saving Cortex-A510 cores. In addition to the processor cores, the SoC integrates a WiFi 7 modem, a Hexagon DSP (for AI acceleration) and a Spectra ISP. The integrated memory controller supports fast LPDDR5x memory with up to 4,200 MHz. 5G is included in the chip with the Snapdragon X70 modem.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.

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» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.

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No weight comment found (one expected)!

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81.77%: This rating is slightly above average, there are somewhat more devices with worse ratings. However, clear purchase recommendations look different.

» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.