Sony Xperia 1 II flagship phone will roll out in US, here’s when

Sony has a new flagship smartphone offering in the form of the Xperia 1 II. We first heard about the model back in February as Sony Mobile’s biggest gamble yet. It launched with powerful camera specs and technology. The Sony Xperia 1 II 5G model was listed for pre-order in the US. And just over the weekend, we learned about its camera potential visible in a series of videos. Sony Xperia 1 II as a flagship phone is officially coming to the United States. Pre-sale will begin next week on June 1 but will only start shipping on July 24.

We believe the brand can still make it big in the market. It usually comes up with innovative technologies and applies them to phones. It doesn’t just spend much on marketing and promotion.

The Sony Xperia 1 II is priced at $1,199.99. Now that is very expensive. Although we know of other phones in the same price range, we’re just surprised Sony is this aggressive. You can’t blame the brand though because the phone boasts a very premium, DSLR-level camera system.

The phone features Sony Alpha AF technology, triple camera array (6mm, 24mm, 70mm), ZEISS optics, and ZEISS coating. The latter allows impressive rendering and contrast by simply reducing reflections. As with most Sony Alpha cameras, the Xperia 1 II uses Alpha interchangeable lens camera tech. Expect auto-exposure and continuous autofocus even with high-speed shooting at 20 fps. Real-time Eye AF is also available. It’s a feature that locks focus on the subject’s eye for portrait shots. It is also great in low light environments.

To review the camera features, the Sony Xperia 1 II boasts an autofocus system, 3D iToF sensor, 1/1.7″ Exmor RS, Photography Pro function, and manual controls (burstmode, shutter speed, exposure control, autofocus area, ISO). For video recording, you can trust the Cinematography Pro by CineAlta. For better audio when recording, Sony promises to reduce noise and wind interference.

Other specs and features of the Sony Xperia 1 II include Dolby Atmos sound, motion blur reduction technology, 360 Reality Audio system, 3.5mm headphone jack, Bluetooth wireless connectivity, and DSEE Ultimate for artificial intelligence. The phone comes with a large 6.5-inch 4K HDR OLED screen, 21:9 aspect ratio, 4000mAh battery, and better touch sensitivity. The phone can connect to PlayStation 4’s DUALSHOCK 411 Wireless Controller system. Take advantage of the Game Enhancer mode and Snapdragon 865 for easier power management. Pre-order before June 28 and you can get a free pair of the Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless noise-canceling earbuds.