▷Sony Xperia 1 review: a true top of the range in 21: 9 🥇

Sony Xperia 1 it is the top of the range that the Japanese giant had been missing for too long. A device that amazes thanks to the unusual format - a strange but pleasant 21: 9 - and then conquers you by focusing on excellent performance and a truly complete photographic sector. We talk about it in detail in this review.

Sony Xperia 1: the technical sheet

Before going into the analysis of this smartphone, let's discover its technical characteristics.

Dimensions: 167,0 x 72,0 x 8,2 mm
Weight: 180 g
Display: 6,5″OLED – 1644 x 3840 pixel
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
GPU: Adreno 640
RAM: 6 GB
Memory: 128 GB - expandable microSD
Network: 4G LTE – Dual SIM
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C, GPS, NFC
Battery: 3300 mAh
Rear camera: 12 + 12 + 12 MP
Front Camera: 8 MP
Videos: 4K @ 30 fps
Operating system: Android 9.0 Pie

The 21: 9 that convinces

Aluminum frame, glass back cover and above all an extremely unusual format: this is how Sony Xperia 1 presents itself, a device that is immediately apparent solid, with attention to detail and really easy to hold. Its 21: 9 - which at first glance will remind you of a small remote control - allow you to manage it easily even with one hand, while still giving you all the space you need.

To make it easier to use, there are other small tricks. Among these we find the not always very fast lateral fingerprint sensor, located in the middle of the right profile, the volume rocker, inserted just above, and the key dedicated to the camera. The latter works just like the shutter button on a camera, allowing you to focus with light pressure and capture the image by pressing more firmly.

The upper profile instead houses the hybrid slot for SIM and microSD, a slot that among other things does not need the traditional pin to be opened, while on the lower part we have the speaker and the USB Type-C connector. Unfortunately, no jack but you can console yourself with the adapter that you find inside the package.

The display instead is 6,5 inches, a 4K OLED that supports HDR and DCI-P3 color space. The result? Really amazing, with natural colors and always optimal brightness. Then the very interesting Creative mode which is activated with compatible multimedia contents to further improve its performance.

Finally, I would like to point out the presence of IP68 certification for resistance to dust and water.

[

Power and fluidity

Like the most recent top of the range, Sony Xperia 1 is equipped with a processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 2,84 GHz, flanked by the Adreno 640 GPU, 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory. The latter is expandable, as long as you are willing to sacrifice the slot dedicated to the second SIM. All this of course guarantees you excellent performance in any situation, from opening individual apps to managing the most demanding games.

To accompany it all we find Android 9.0 Pie, enriched with additional features and applications. Among these we find the one-hand mode, the possibility of tapping on the smartphone profile to recall the most used apps and that of creating a series of predefined pairing so as to automatically divide the screen between two apps that you usually use at the same time.

Absolutely good the telephone sector as well as the stereo sound, surprisingly powerful and balanced. Finally promoted the 3300 mAh battery that managed to take me to the end of the day, a nice result considering the 4K display is quite power-hungry.

The possibility of activating the mode should be mentioned Automatic recharge, which analyzes your typical usage and activates fast charging only when needed. On the contrary, when it understands that the smartphone will remain charging for several hours, it will switch to traditional mode in order to preserve the health of the battery.

Cinema Pro mode for real professionals?

Triple rear camera for Sony Xperia 1 mounting a 12 megapixel main sensor, optically stabilized, a 12 megapixel wide-angle lens it's one 2x zoom always gives 12 megapixel. In short, great continuity for a photographic sector that guarantees a lot of quality, a sea of details and an excellent color rendering. I had some problems with the focus for very close objects, while it is excellent with people. In fact, on board we have the‘eye tracking, the same technology used by the cameras of the Japanese giant.

Then there is the HDR, the manual mode and the effects in augmented reality, while the night mode is absent, now present on all the top of the range.

Also good the front camera even if, with its 8 megapixels, it is not particularly surprising. On the other hand, they are rather good videos, which reach 4K and 30 fps. At your disposal you also have the slow motion mode and above all Cinema Pro, a dedicated application that emulates the interface and some options of Sony Venice, the latest generation cinema camera. However, do not expect extraordinary results: the controls present are not many but sufficient to have a little fun and to improvise directors and / or video makers.

Sony Xperia 1: buy it or not?

949 € for this Sony Xperia 1. An important price, this is out of the question, but in my view perfectly justified by the quality of the device and above all by the excellent 4K HDR display that proposes. If this is a glimpse of the future that Sony has in store for us, I am really curious to see what they will offer next year.