Hands on: Sony Xperia 1 camera review

Sony’s latest flagship takes aim at cinephiles with a 21:9 screen and cinematic video recording tools

Sony Xperia 1

Early Verdict

The Xperia 1 is a brave flagship that tries to be different in a world of notches and punch holes. Its 4K HDR 21:9 screen is a statement piece that draws you in, while its Alpha inspired triple camera setup and CineAlta powered video recording tool checks our ‘imaging enthusiast’ box nicely.

Pros

  • +

    Standout screen

  • +

    Premium design

  • +

    Manual video recording

Cons

  • -

    No wireless charging

  • -

    No video editing tools

  • -

    Questionable battery capacity

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To look at, the Sony Xperia 1 instantly stands out from the crowd thanks to its incredibly long screen. While other flagships are only just broaching 19.5:9 displays, and with the help of notches no less, the Xperia 1 is loaded up with a 4K, notch-free, HDR, 21:9 screen.

Combined with a metal frame and a premium finish, not to mention three cameras, it’s a top-tier phone that could prove a candidate for our list of the best camera phones you can get right now, though this is reflected in its premium price. If you’re thinking about picking one up, the Xperia 1 is available at Carphone Warehouse, or through EE, O2 or Sky Mobile, with the Cool Grey edition available exclusively to Vodafone.

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Basil Kronfli

Basil Kronfli is a freelance technology journalist and content creator with a number of specialisms. He started his career at Canon Europe, before joining Phone Arena and Recombu as a tech writer and editor. From there, he headed up and runs Tech[edit], a technology YouTube channel, and has worked alongside this role at Future as a Senior Producer, sharpening his considerable video production skills. 


His technical expertise has been called on numerous times by mainstream media, with appearances and interviews on outlets like Sky News, and he provides Digital Camera World with insight and reviews on camera phones, video editing software and laptops, on-camera monitors, camera sliders, microphones and much more.