IFA 2017: Sony Xperia XZ1 Packs Android 8.0 Oreo And 3D Scanning

Sony has taken the wraps off three brand new smartphones at IFA in Berlin.

The Japanese electronics giant has struggled to compete in the Android smartphone space against the likes of Samsung and various Chinese manufacturers, but hopes its latest set of mobiles will help it secure more market share.

Like a number of its stablemates, the Sony Xpera XZ1 makes use of imaging and audio technologies from other parts of Sony’s business, such as the MotionEye camera from the Cybershot range.

Sony Xperia phones

This, combined with an advanced image sensor, allows for super slow motion video, predictive capture and autofocus burst.

There’s also a powerful 12 megapixel front facing lens paired with a display flash for selfies, as is the norm these days.

Sony Bravia TV technology enhances the 5.2 inch display, while the speaker promises up to 50 percent more sound pressure than previous Xperia models and noise cancelling of up to 98 percent when used with compatible headphones.

Underneath, the device packs a Qualcomm 835 processor with support for up to 1Gbps LTE, 4GB of RAM, 65GB of internal storage (with support for up to 256GB via a MicroSD slot), USB 3.1 and Smart Stamina battery management.

Outside boasts a ‘seamless’ metal body, Gorilla Glass protection and water resistance, and will be available in four colours – blue, pink, silver and black.

The Xperia XZ1 Compact has many of the features of its bigger brother, such as the speaker and MotionEye camera, but has a smaller 4.6 inch display.

Finally, the less advanced Xperia XA1 Plus, also made its debut at IFA. It is focusing on its colourful design and entertainment capabilities to win users over.

Differentiator?

All three will ship with the latest version of Android, 8.0 Oreo, making them one of the first non-Google phones to get the upgrade, which will also be rolled out a number of existing Xperia handsets.

These are the Xperia X, Xperia X Performance, Xperia XZ, Xperia X Compact, Xperia XZ Premium, Xperia XZs, Xperia XA1, Xperia XA1 Ultra and the Xperia Touch

Analysts suggest Sony is unlikely to make significant gains with its latest devices, but believe the Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact do have one key differentiator – the ability to scan images and turn them into 3D objects.

“This unique attribute could well make the device stand out from the crowd as it allows for four modes of capture – face, head, food and free form – which can then be edited, saved as files, made into avatars, and sent to print,” said David McQueen research director at ABI Research.

“This ability to capture, edit and manipulate 3D images – all of which is done on the phone – provides a pleasing user experience, which is a notable step up from other attempts at harnessing 3D on the smartphone. While there are obvious social networking and fun elements to be gleaned from the application, there are also other possible opportunities in areas such as security that could also be exploited once this 3D ecosystem starts to gain traction.”

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