Sony Launches Xperia XZ1 & XZ1 Compact With 960FPS Slow-Mo & 3D Pictures

Sony has just its flagship XZ1 and XZ1 Compact smartphones at the Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (IFA) Exhibition. They replace the XZ and X compact from last year with better specs and build quality and feature a design similar to the XZ Premium.

Xpera XZ1 & XZ1 Compact

Both smartphones have similar specs with minor differences.

Design and Display

The XZ1 features a full metal build while the display on the front uses Gorilla Glass 5, making it a very sturdy device. The XZ Compact on the other hand uses the Gorilla Glass 5 on the front but instead of the metal back, it’s replaced by a special glass fiber material. Sony refers to it as the “loop surface” design since the phone’s look squarish but have a much more rounded feel in hand.

The XZ1 has a 5.2-inch, 1080p HDR display whereas the smaller variant features a 4.6-inch 720p display. While it is only a 1080p panel, it is still one of the best 1080p panels you can get. It still has TRLUMINOS, X-Reality technologies from Sony – which can be defined as a Quantum Dot display and Sony’s software optimisation.

Hardware

In terms of hardware used, both are exactly the same. They feature the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset along with 4GB of RAM. The storage differs, however, with the XZ1 sporting 64GB of UFS internal storage while the Compact model has 32GB. Both phones come with dedicated micro SD card slots.

Camera and Battery

Camera is still the strongest part of the Sony smartphone lineup. You get the sharp 19MP 1/2.3″ Exmor RS sensor. This sensor made the news when Sony announced it with the XZ Premium. It features hardware RAM which allows it to capture frames even before the hardware shutter key is pressed.

Some advanced features also include the ultra slow motion 960fps HD video capture. Predictive Capture focuses and captures photos before and after the user presses the shutter, and allows the user to choose from the best available image.

Predictive Hybrid focus is among the fastest in the market with a focus speed of only 0.2 seconds. It makes use of laser AF,phase detection AF and contrast AF to speed up focus time. The phones also feature a light spectrum detector.

It also has the new autofocus burst feature that refocuses between burst shots. The selfie camera is a 13MP, 1/3.06″, Exmor RS sensor with a 22mm wide angle with f/2.0 aperture on the XZ1. The Compact comes with an 8MP sensor which can switch to ultra wide selfie mode with an FOV of 120 degrees.

They also share the same battery size, 2,700mAh. While the battery may seem low on paper, Sony reckons that it will last a full day thanks to its excellent battery saving techniques. Sony has also used it Qnovo technology which makes sure that the batteries do not degrade due to regular use.

Color options for the phones include Black, Snow Silver, Horizon Blue and Twilight Pink.

Sony Xperia XZ1 Specifications

• CPU: Quad-core 2.45 Ghz + Quad-core 1.9 Ghz Kryo
• GPU: Adreno 540
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
• OS: Android 8.0 Oreo with Xperia Launcher and Apps
• Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE; separate Dual SIM model
• Design:
  • Dimensions: 148 x 73.4 x 7.4mm
  • Weight: 155 g
  • Loop Surface Design
  • IP 68 Water & Dust Resistance
  • Stereo Speakers
  • Fingerprint scanner
  • Quad DAC
• Display:
  • 5.2″ Triluminos display, 1080p resolution (424 ppi)
  • Dolby Vision/HDR10 compliant
  • Corning Gorilla Glass 5
• Memory:
  • RAM: 4 GB
  • Internal: 64 GB
  • Card Slot: Yes, up to 2TB
• Camera:
  • Primary: 19MP, 1/2.3″ Sony IMX400 camera, f/2.0 lens, Predictive hybrid laser/phase detection/contrast AF, IR sensor for white balance, LED flash. 4K video recording, 720p @960fps, 5-axis Steady Shot EIS; Stereo audio recording, 3D Creator application
  • Secondary: 13 MP, f/2.0, 22mm, 1/3″ sensor size, 1080p
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi ac, NFC, GPS, Bluetooth 5.0, LTE
• Battery: 2700 mAh; QuickCharge 3.0, QNovo Battery Saving Technology
• Colors: Black, Warm Silver, Venus Pink, Moonlit Blue
• Price: TBA

Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Specifications

• CPU: Quad-core 2.45 Ghz + Quad-core 1.9 Ghz Kryo
• GPU: Adreno 540
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
• OS: Android 8.0 Oreo with Xperia Launcher and Apps
• Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE; separate Dual SIM model
• Design:
  • Dimensions: 129 x 64 x 9.3 mm
  • Weight: 140 g
  • Loop Surface Design
  • IP 68 Water & Dust Resistance
  • Stereo Speakers
  • Fingerprint scanner
  • Quad DAC
• Display:
  • 4.6″ Triluminos display, 720p resolution (319 ppi)
  • Dolby Vision/HDR10 compliant
  • Corning Gorilla Glass 5
• Memory:
  • RAM: 4 GB
  • Internal: 32 GB
  • Card Slot: Yes, up to 256GB
• Camera:
  • Primary: 19MP, 1/2.3″ Sony IMX400 camera, f/2.0 lens, Predictive hybrid laser/phase detection/contrast AF, IR sensor for white balance, LED flash. 4K video recording, 720p @960fps, 5-axis Steady Shot EIS; Stereo audio recording, 3D Creator application
  • Secondary: 8 MP, 13mm, 1/4″ sensor size, 1080p
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi ac, NFC, GPS, Bluetooth 5.0, LTE
• Battery: 2700 mAh; QuickCharge 3.0, QNovo Battery Saving Technology
• Colors: Black, Snow Silver, Horizon Blue, Twilight Pink
• Price: TBA