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Future Sony Xperia devices could feature groundbreaking camera technology if the company’s latest demo is anything to go by. The Japanese brand recently announced its latest flagship smartphones, the Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact, both of which offer pretty impressive cameras on the back, with the ability to capture 960FPS slow-motion video being one of their standout features. However, Sony appears to have even more ambitious plans for its future devices, according to its latest prototype.
The prototype itself demos a new dual-camera setup which would be a first for Sony, though it is nothing new in the smartphone market. Nonetheless, it is the prototype’s low-light performance that makes the demo so impressive. According to the company, the dual-camera setup will be able to capture images at a light sensitivity setting up to ISO 51,200, while videos could be taken at ISO 12,800. For comparison, the company’s latest smartphones are capable of capturing photos at ISO 12,800, so the experimental sensors are four times as sensitive when it comes to capturing light. Making all of this possible is the company’s new image signal processor, the Sony Fusion, which uses both cameras to capture an image simultaneously in order to gather more light over the exposure period. It is worth noting, though, that the higher light sensitivity is likely to increase noise significantly, so it remains to be seen how Sony will counteract this with its image processing software. The new camera setup is currently limited to the demo units shown off at MWC 2018, with Sony yet to comment on any potential commercial availability. However, with the prototype appearing to be quite near to the final product, it shouldn’t be too long before Sony’s new flagships boast such tech which would likely be one of their main selling points.
For now, the company’s focus is on marketing its latest Xperia XZ2 lineup, which is set to go on sale on a global level this spring. The new handset duo moves away from Sony’s recognizable OmniBalance design and introduces a new aesthetic called “Ambient Flow” which debuts new 18:9 displays and smaller bezels. On the inside, the Japanese company has included Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 845 processor and 4GB of RAM. No price tags have yet been attached to either the Xperia XZ2 or the Xperia XZ2 Compact.
