This happens every single year. While the tech world drools over flagships from the big boys such as Apple and Samsung, Sony emerge from the shadows, drop off a powerful device and then fade into the background.
This year’s dark horse is the Sony Xperia XZ Premium.
You guys have read everything there is to know about the Samsung S8, the HTC U 11, the LG G6 and other 2017 launches, now here’s what makes the Premium, truly premium.
At first glance, it’s one large, solid device wrapped in glass - Gorilla Glass 5 to be specific. It’s a large phone measuring 15.6cm with a 5.5-inch screen. The second thing you would notice is that its screen is vivid and clear, that’s because it’s the world’s first smartphone with a 4K HDR display.
But what does that actually mean? 4K high-dynamic range displays offer resolution that’s four times better than your usual high definition displays. This will offer you much more depth and richer colours. In simple terms, that ‘1080p60’ quality option you click on YouTube? Well, 4K is 2160p60 and two levels above that.
What makes the Xperia special is that while manufacturers are including this technology into televisions and monitors – Sony chucked it into a smartphone.
If you though that’s the best feature about the device – you’re mistaken. Its camera is absolutely crazy.
While I would like to tell you guys about how its predictive capture shoots four images before you press the button, (or its intelligent exposure controls for low-light photography, or its hybrid autofocus and 5-axis image stabilisation, or even its manual mode and shutter speed controls), I want to talk about its super-slow motion video recording.
Sony have fitted a 960 frames per second (fps) sensor into the device. Allow me to explain. Normal video cameras found on your average smartphones shoot slow motion clips at a maximum 240fps video at 720p. This one is close to one thousand frames per second.
Pre-orders in the UAE have already closed for the device. It will be available in stores across UAE from the second week of June at Dh2,699.
