Sony has announced two new smartphones: the Xperia XZ1 and Xperia XZ1 Compact. Shown at IFA in Berlin, the phones sit just below the company’ flagship, the XZ Premium.
Both phones are capable of 3D scanning objects and faces using the processing power of the handsets with no internet intervention necessary. An on-board app, 3D Creator, is Sony’s in-house algorithm for the scanning of 3D objects. The company claims users will be able to capture high-resolution 3D scans in just one minute.
The app uses the four scan modes; head scan, face scan, food scan and freeform scan. Each mode runs the user through an on-screen guide, so there's more than enough hand-holding for those new to the process. Once scanned, Sony thinks there will be a strong market for people wishing to share their efforts (each 3D file is about 2MB) with friends on messenger apps, upload to 3D communities such as Sketchfab, or create avatars for use in third-party apps, or just send to a 3D printer "to make it into a memorable keepsake".
While I remain unconvinced this will be anywhere near the killer app Sony Mobile thinks it will be, the process is undoubtedly simple and hassle-free. In the demo I saw, scanning someone's head and face took seconds and resulted in a reasonable likeness being reproduced and manipulated in three dimensions.
Sony has stated that these new handsets running Android Oreo complement, rather than replace, the Premium. Both the XZ1 and the Compact feature Sony's 19MP Motion Eye camera tech and a memory-stacked Exmor RS image sensor to help with the 3D image generation. This means that these two models can deliver the impressive super slo-mo recorded at 960 frames per second, as seen in the Premium.
As well as the new 3D feature, there have been tweaks to the predictive capture feature on the camera, too (now on be default in the settings), which not only detects movement but also smiles. This means that when you take a shot the phones' cameras will present you with four images: one you took plus three more it thinks might be better or the shot you were after but missed.
A new autofocus burst mode also captures 10 frames per second for up to 10 seconds – so up to 100 shots at a maximum of 19MP resolution (17MP is the default, though). These pictures can then be converted into a film, should you wish. It should be noted the XZ Premium will get these upgrades, too, when the latest Android update hits.
As seen previously with Sony handsets, there is little drop in spec between the large and compact versions of its phones – which is to be applauded – but let's break the rest of the features down phone-by-phone all the same.
The XZ1 has a 5.2-inch Full HD HDR screen powered by its 2,700mAh battery, which uses Sony's Smart Stamina power-management system aimed at extending usage life. A 13MP front camera with a 1/3in sensor and a display flash should be sufficient for selfies. Hi-res audio is on the Xperia XZ1, including DSEE HX, which upscales your files to "near hi-res". New stereo speakers with "S-Force Front Surround" offer 50 percent more sound pressure than previous Xperia models, apparently - they are indeed loud for phone speakers.
Powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 with X16 LTE, the phone should be good for downloads speeds up to 1Gbps. There's USB 3.1 for file transfers 10 times quicker than USB 2.0, with a transfer speed of up to 5Gbps.
Sony has chosen not to update its design here, and it's already strange to see phone launches still with dedicated home buttons, rather than have them as part of the screen itself. This perhaps dates the handsets a little. But the XZ1 is super solid, with that loop surface metal body. It is also water resistant, dust-proof and has a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 cover on the display for those looking to be careless with their mobile. You can choose from four new colours: Moonlit Blue, Venus Pink, Warm Silver and Black.
The Compact boasts all the features of its bigger brother, including the battery, apart (obviously) from its 4.6in screen and lower-spec 8MP front camera. This front cam however can toggle between 80 and 120 degrees field of view (which can also be used in video) so selfie group shots should be possible. Being Cat 15, the XZ1 Compact hits download speeds of up to 800Mbps.
All the IP65/68 water resistance, Hi-Res audio, DSEE HX upscaling, LDAC, Digital Noise Cancelling and ClearAudio+ wizardry is there too, but the main design difference is that instead of the metal loop body, Sony has swapped this out for glass fibre reinforced with plastic. The colours on offer are slightly different, too - Black, White Silver, Horizon Blue and Twilight Pink.
Sony is making both the Xperia XZ1 and Compact available around the world from September 2017, both will ship with Android 8.0 Oreo.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
