The new Sony Xperia 1 II (Mark 2) sees Sony revamp its popular flagship model for the new decade, while its new mark II moniker ushers in Sony’s new naming strategy. The phone continues in the same vein as the Xperia 1, with emphasis placed on its movie-making capacity, potentially carving out a new niche for the electrical powerhouse.
Sony Xperia 1 II Release Date and Price
Sony Mobile usually issues such details on the Monday of the Mobile World Congress, but the renowned mobile trade show was recently cancelled due to the coronavirus. However, Sony announced its phone via an online press conference on that date but provided only a loose ‘late Spring’ timeframe for the phone’s release.
They were vague regarding its price too, although we expect the new flagship to release at a similar price point to the 2019 version, which launched at £849 in the UK.
Design rumours
The reported design reflects the original Xperia 1, aside from a couple of customer-influenced updates. These modifications come in the form of a repositioned camera and a returning 3.5mm headphone socket that’ll support numerous audio platforms including Sony 360 Reality Audio, DSEE Ultimate, HiRes Audio, and Dolby Atmos support from the stereo’s front speakers.
As it stands, the Xperia 1 II will be available in two colours: black and purple.
Camera Rumours
Camera specifications at a glance
- 12MP, 1/3.5in, f/1.7 OIS main
- 12MP, 1/2.6in, f/2.2 OIS ultra-wide
- 12MP, 1/1.7in, f/2.4 OIS telephoto
- Time-of-flight sensor
- 8MP front camera
The triple Zeiss lens camera is packed with innovative features, including Photo Pro mode, which shares a visual layout akin to the Sony Alpha 9. Sony’s Alpha cameras are renowned for rapid focusing speeds, which it’s keen to incorporate into this handset (purported to be 60 frames a second) – if this is true, it’d mean the subject should always be in focus. This feature is likely to be complemented by real-time eye focusing, which detects a subject’s eyes and ensures they’re in focus, making quickfire pics of friends and pets more precise than ever. It’ll be accurate in low light too, thanks to its in-built time of flight sensor.
As we’ve alluded to, the Xperia 1 II looks set to become a favourite among filmmakers, thanks to the advanced video functions found in the in-built Cinema Pro app. The headline feature, however, is the 20fps autofocus-enabled burst mode, which includes subject tracking through the burst, so you’ll never miss a moment.
Specification rumours
Display
The Xperia 1 II is rumoured to have a 6.5-inch OLED display set in 21:9 aspect, again, making it ideal for budding filmmakers. The OLED display also boasts ‘motion blur reduction’ and aims to deliver 90Hz display quality. It’s 3840 x 1644 4K resolution will also be HDR compatible.
Hardware
Chipset
There’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset under the hood, powered by 8GB RAM and backed by 256GB storage.
Battery
The 4000mmAh battery isn’t huge, but this minor gripe is offset by the phone’s slim build and Qi wireless charging option, which purportedly charges the battery to 50% in 30 mins with the 21W PD charger. We also expect it to include Sony’s renowned optimisation features, such as Stamina Mode and adaptive battery care.
Modem
The supercharged X55 modem delivers instant 5G connectivity.
Is the Xperia 1 II on your wish-list for 2020? Check back in with us to get it covered once it’s launched – or see what other Sony phones we insure!