announced Sony announced the Xperia 1 Mark IV, a feature-packed smartphone that puts the needs of videographers first, and the world’s first smartphone with a true optical zoom lens that can shoot between 85mm and 125mm.
The Xperia 1 IV will be available in September 2022 for about $1,600. It is specifically designed for content creators.
Sony explained that most smartphones are designed to do everything well, but a few are designed to do a subset of specific tasks very well.
Sony is trying to make a phone that’s designed to perform a subset of professionally defined tasks. Xperia 1 IV is designed for photo and video content creators with its array of cameras, advanced camera features and live streaming capability.
The new Sony smartphone has three rear cameras, all of which are 12-megapixel:
- The first is a 16mm wide-angle lens with an f/2.2 aperture and a 1/2.5-inch sensor.
- The second is an ultra-wide 24mm lens with an f/1.7 aperture and a 1/1.7-inch sensor that also has image stabilization in the form of Sony’s SteadyShot optical stabilization. Below this camera is the iToF 3D sensor.
- The third is a Periscope lens that features a lens measuring between 85 and 125mm with an aperture between f/2.3 and f/2.8 with a 1/3.5-inch sensor that also features Optical SteadyShot stabilization.
This zoom lens allows any focal length between 85mm and 125mm and works just like a full size zoom lens. Sony says it is the first of its kind.
While it shows how the camera is arranged, the company keeps the mechanism that moves the camera secret, to some extent confirming the technological breakthrough.
In addition to all three cameras featuring the same 12MP resolution, they all also share a 120fps rate, which means that all the rear cameras are capable of 4K recording at up to 120fps.
Sony unveils the world’s first smartphone with true optical zoom
All three cameras are also equipped with Sony’s real-time Eye AF capabilities and real-time tracking capabilities.
These technologies have appeared in recent Xperia smartphones, which were originally developed for the company’s Alpha range of cameras.
AndThe company says it uses a 3D iToF sensor and AI subject detection to allow precise AF and tracking in low light.
Sony also states that the Zeiss cameras have been specifically calibrated for the Xperia 1 IV. While coating improves contrast by reducing reflections for all rear camera lenses.
In addition to the rear cameras, the front camera has also been improved. It also features a 12-megapixel camera with a larger 1/2.9-inch sensor.
Thanks to this sensor, the Xperia 1 IV can shoot 4K HDR video and 12MP photos from the front camera.
Sony has provided the phone with a 6.5-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 4K with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. AndThe company says it delivers smooth graphics performance in conjunction with an Adreno 730 GPU and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor.
As for memory, Sony offers a 12GB RAM-only version with 256 or 512GB storage. Storage space can also be expanded through a microSD slot.
The phone runs on Android 12 with a 5000 mAh battery that supports 30W fast charging and wireless charging. The Xperia 1 IV has a 3.5mm headphone jack, and there are front-facing stereo speakers.
For wireless audio, this is among the first phones to support the new Bluetooth LE Audio technology, in addition to the usual LDAC.
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