After arriving in Spain, we have spent a few days testing the Xperia 1 II, or Mark II, the best mobile phone in the history of Son. This phone has a specialized focus on what Sony knows best how to do: cameras, cinema and multimedia. And it more than meets.

Technical characteristics

• Body
  • Dimensions: 166 x 72 x 7.9 mm.
  • Weight: 181 grams.
  • Colors: Black and Purple.
• screen
  • Type: OLED.
  • Size: 6.5 inches
  • Resolution: 4K HDR | 21: 9
  • Refresh rate: 90 Hz.
• Main features
• Memory
  • Internal: 256GB + 8GB RAM
• Cameras
  • Rear:
    • 12 Mpx 1 / 2.6 »Dual-PD AF 16 mm
    • 12 Mpx 1 / 1.7 »Dual-PD AF OIS 24 mm
    • 12 Mpx 1 / 3.4 »PDAF OIS 70 mm
    • 3D iTOF for depth measurements
    • ZEISS lenses
  • Lead: 8 Mpx.
• Connectivity
  • 5G
  • WiFi 6
  • GPS
  • GLONASS
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Bluetooth
• Sensors
  • Fingerprint reader
  • Accelerometer, proximity sensor and compass
• Gaming: 21: 9 Gaming Support, Elite Gaming, Gaming Mode
• Others: Stereo front speaker, Dolby Atmos, 360 Reality Audio
• Waterproof IP65 / 68 certified
• Battery
  • 4,000 mAh
  • Wireless charging: Yes

The Sony Xperia 1 II is a high-end, and this means that …

• It has the best processor of the moment: Snapdragon 865, accompanied by 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. You will not have performance problems at any time.
• 5G connectivity: It is present in all the high-end of 2020 and the Sony model was not going to be an exception. It is not that it is a great attraction in Spain unless you are from Vodafone and live in one of the areas with coverage, but it is there.
• It has all the extras you can expect: wireless charging, NFC, IP 68 water resistance, Wi-Fi 6 support.
• The build quality is superb: It is true that all mobiles today are made of metal and glass, but that does not mean that they all have the same build quality or materials. This team’s grip feels like a solid block.

However, it does not follow all trends

• The mobile screens are increasingly elongated, with formats that have left out 16: 9 to go betting on formats between 19: 9 and 20: 9. Sony, far from following the trend here Sony is one step ahead, being one of the manufacturers that has previously opted for 21: 9, the most elongated screen format of a mobile phone.
  • Being such an elongated format, the 6.5 inches deceive a lot and it is one of the most comfortable high-end mobiles to hold.
• This phone has frames on the top and bottom, very small frames, yes: Sony continues to be a continuation in this regard, and denies experiments such as mechanized cameras, notches or holes in the screen.
  • Far from being an advantage or a disadvantage, it is a design decision, and depending on our tastes it may be a good or bad decision. On a personal level, I consider that it is the best option that Sony could opt for given the purposes of this terminal.
• Fingerprint reader: Sony has opted for a fingerprint reader on the side power button itself. The reader in practice has not proven to be more effective than the integrated ones on screen, and the technology is not superior either.
• Physical button for the camera: Sony is still betting on a physical button dedicated to the photo camera. In this mobile, this button is even more important, although we will talk more about it in more depth.

The most cinematic screen on a mobile

The screen of the Xperia 1 II is unique in its kind. It is a 6.5-inch OLED panel. It has an aspect ratio of 21: 9, which makes it an extremely elongated mobile, and also the screen of this more compact diagonal.

We have OLED technology and 4K resolution, a resolution that only Sony has added to their phones (and has been doing so since the Xperia Z5 Premium). Does such a high resolution make sense on such a small screen? At the pixel density level, we would say no, because lower resolution screens already provide us with a definition in which each pixel is indistinguishable from another.

However, we do not perceive that it has a great impact on performance, what is noticeable from the first moment is the quality of viewing and colors. Sony has added two video modes, the standard (focused on bright colors) and a mode called Creator mode.

This mode is signed by CineAlta, Sony firm specialized in professional video cameras for the film industry. This mode is compatible with the BT.2020 color gamut and has a 10-bit color depth to support HDR content. It is intended to offer the most accurate colors in the industry, displaying content as conceived by film directors.

The settings allow us to use the creator mode automatically for specific applications, but in our experience of use we ended up using it all the time. The precision and naturalness of the colors is superb, and in this mode the screen of the Xperia is enjoyed like no other.

The speakers also have exceptional audio quality. Both speakers are located on the front of the phone and are the best speakers that we can enjoy on a smartphone. Of course, at high volume levels the rear glass rumbles slightly.

We have back to the headphone jack, making it the only high-priced mobile with this connection. Hi-Res sound is supported and Sony includes wired headphones that sound exceptionally well in the package.

As a third complement we have the Sony dynamic vibration system. This system includes a vibration motor that emits pulses synchronized with the loudest sounds, giving a more immersive feeling in movies, series and games, being able to calibrate the intensity in four levels. This technology is one of the best additions that Sony includes in its high-end Xperia.

The most Pro camera, in photography and video

The Xperia 1 II has the following cameras:

• Rear:
  • 12 Mpx 1 / 2.6 »Dual-PD AF 16 mm
  • 12 Mpx 1 / 1.7 »Dual-PD AF OIS 24 mm
  • 12 Mpx 1 / 3.4 »PDAF OIS 70 mm
  • 3D iTOF for depth measurements
  • ZEISS lenses
• Lead: 8 Mpx.

From the outset, the company has taken the approach from a more traditional photographic perspective, with the 16mm camera being an ultra wide angle, the 24mm camera a standard wide angle and the 70mm camera a telephoto lens. All three sensors have ZEISS lenses, plus the wide-angle and telephoto lenses have optical stabilization.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the Xperia 1 II is its ultra-fast focus, using technology from the Sony Alpha 9. This approach is capable of pointing directly at our eyes to take pictures of people and animals.

Photographs taken by the Xperia 1 II.

At the quality level it is a great camera, and it stands out for having great precision in terms of brightness and color, although where it stands out the most is when we use its two special applications.

Pro Camera

Camera Pro brings the experience of Sony cameras to our mobile. It is a professional mode that from the first moment brings the interface and usability of the Alpha to our mobile.

This application takes advantage of the ultra-long format of the Xperia 1 II to offer direct access to all the photography parameters. It is designed for us to hold the phone horizontally and shoot with the physical camera button, which will delight photography enthusiasts.

If you love using cameras in Pro mode, the Sony camera is the most purist, and the one you will love the most.

Cinema Pro

And we have a third camera application, this one specialized in professional video. At the interface level it is similar, and it is also designed to offer us access to all the settings and at the same time offer a preview of what we are recording.

It has the following professional video filters: VENICE CS, Mate / AZ60AM60, Brill./AZ20AM60, Warm / AM80, Dark / AZ100, Cold / AZ60, Clear / AM40, Black and light black.

What I liked the most about this camera is the possibility of changing the focus during the recording itself through a slider that appears during it. Thanks to the ultra-fast approach, we can vary between near and far in the same recording. Like in movies, when they blur first the person who is close and then the one who is far away. Sony’s result is unrivaled in the mobile industry.

As an added bonus, the phone has artificial intelligence to reduce wind noise while recording with the integrated microphones. An extra that is not bad.

One of the layers that Android respect the best

The Xperia 1 II has Android 10 and a customization layer that respects the purity of Android to the fullest. From the beginning we find the classic Android buttons, although we can change to the standard gestures system.

From the start it’s great, as we don’t have to go through menu complications or tweaks to other layers of customization that load up the pure Android experience. However, this does not mean that there are no additives that improve the user experience.

• With such a long screen, the split screen mode has much more prominence. We have a specific mode for this, and also a multitasking adapted to the two applications.
• The music application has a fantastic design, in addition to having extras such as integrating the covers on the screen Always on or to be able to access our music library that we have on Google Drive or that of our computer in a simple way.

• The mode Always on It has customization, and it’s fine.

• The battery settings are enhanced with the classic STAMINA mode, but we also have extra settings to help the battery degrade as little as possible.

• We have a game optimizer that without being the best, offers a good experience.

As against, there is a detail that we do not like at all, and that is that although we have dark mode integrated in the system like any mobile with Android 10, we can only activate or deactivate it from its button, there is no option to program them for day and night .

A great mobile that is not for everyone

For better or for worse, the Sony Xperia 1 II is unique and exceptional in all the functions in which it excels. The screen is a delight to watch movies on mobile or listen to music. Sony has taken care of the multimedia section with excellent results.

If you love photography and video recording from a more technical point of view, the Xperia 1 II is an incomparable mobile and you will love it. It is not for all users, as the professional camera modes require minimal mastery on photography.

Beyond these aspects in which Sony reaches the registration of honor, the Xperia 1 II is a high-end terminal with a unique design and all the features you expect. However, it is a mobile that costs 1199 euros, it is not for all budgets, far from it.

If you can afford to spend such money on a mobile phone, you know that what Sony is offering here is not offered by any other mobile phone, and it is decisive, since its originality classifies it to an enthusiastic multimedia audience. Both in content consumption and in their creation.