Sony's Xperia 1 II smartphone wants to make its movies - 20 Minutes
- With its Xperia 1 Mark 2, Sony is throwing all its know-how into a high-end smartphone.
- 4K screen in 21: 9 aspect ratio, on-board “pros” software for photos and videos are part of its DNA.
- But at 1200 euros, the new generation Xperia 1 remains a tool for discerning users and may have difficulty attracting a wider clientele.
Barely on the smartphone market since the invasion of terminals flying the Chinese flag (Huawei, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Oppo, Realme…), the Japanese Sony is keen on its status as a premium brand. With its new smartphone Xperia 1 II (mark II), the manufacturer wants to highlight its DNA. Screen quality, photo and video quality are among the arguments of this high-end and 5G terminal that 20 Minutes was able to test. However, is Sony doing better than its competitors?
A smartphone in Cinemascope format
From the outset, the Xperia 1 II stands out with the length of its screen. In 21: 9 format, it remains very angular for a vintage 2020 smartphone, a year when screens with curved edges are rather deconfined. Thus well-hung, it remains more suited to viewing cinema films in Cinemascope format than to classic 16: 9 videos. While a Cinemascope film (21: 9e) will naturally see its black bands disappear at the top and bottom of the image to be displayed full screen, it will be necessary to zoom in if we want to "fill" the screen with 16 videos. : 9th. At the risk of losing part of the image ...
A (very) large OLED and 4K screen
Measuring 6.5 '' / 16.51cm diagonally, the Xperia 1 II's screen has light black borders at the top and bottom, allowing it to hide its 8-megapixel front camera.
It is OLED and displays a 4K definition (3840 x 1644 pixels). We are once again doubtful as to the relevance of viewing 4K content on a smartphone where, unless it is bionic, the human eye will not see the difference ...
Still, we like this screen. Its excellent contrasts and soft luminosity make it a very serious partner for watching videos, but also hearing them! Sony has thus housed two speakers under the panel. This tandem with very directional stereo sound allows a good immersion. Coupled with Sony's dynamic vibration system, the experience is interesting for video games. Thus, the smartphone vibrates very slightly in tune with the sound surges of the displayed program. And by activating Dolby Atmos, the sound undoubtedly gains in width, the sound field widening significantly. Note that Sony, which had removed the mini Jack 3.5 headphone jack on its Xperia 1, is reinstating it here. Understand who wants.
Pro photo and video in the viewfinder
A photo trigger made its appearance on the edge of the device thought of as an expert camera. In addition to its classic Camera application, the manufacturer offers its Photo Pro software. Activated, this allows you to take control of most of the settings. Choice of mode ("P", "S", "A", "Auto"), sensitivity, exposure compensation, white balance, with or without Autofocus ... Not to mention the choice of lens (16mm, 24mm, 70mm) made possible by the trio of back-mounted photo sensors *.
A wise photographer will find his little ones there. A simple amateur risks floundering a little before succeeding in immortalizing an image that lives up to his expectations. Beware of discouragement. While this change from fully automatic to manual mode is still a little violent, the Xperia 1 II still allows you to learn your lesson ... provided you give yourself the necessary time.
It is in the same spirit that Sony embeds a second software called Cinema Pro. Here again, the idea is to offer the public video capture tools similar to those used by professionals. While it is obviously possible to shoot in 4K HDR (up to 60 images / second) and in stereo, the videographer can also choose a filter for its sequences, its lens, its ISO sensitivity, its focus mode, etc. . The whole is obviously coupled with a video editor to make edits, but it remains much less intuitive than iMovie, Apple's solution for editing movies.
In search of identity
If you take the trouble, the results obtained both in photo and video by the Xperia 1 II can be seductive. But they quickly reach the technical limits of the device.
The optical zoom of the smartphone does not exceed 2x (3x in digital) and its sensors do not exceed 12 megapixels. Admittedly, the main sensor is larger than usual (1 / 1.7 '', against 1 / 2.6 '' for the Xperia I), but this is not enough for the stored images to swarm with so many details. other smartphones more generously endowed ... and much cheaper. At 1,200 euros (256 GB / 8 Gb) with an autonomy of 2 days thanks to its 4000 mAh battery, the Xperia 1 II joins the band of the three telephony moguls whose selling price flirts with 1,200 euros: Apple and his iPhone 11 Pro Max; Samsung and its Galaxy S20 Ultra; Oppo and its brand new Find X2 Pro. But it looks like an unclassifiable UFO that will have to find its audience.
* 12 megapixel ultra wide-angle (16mm equivalent; f / 2.2); 12-megapixel telephoto lens (70mm; f / 2.4); 12-megapixel wide-angle (24mm; f / 1.7).
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