Sony Xperia 1 II Hands-On: Similar Design; Better Cameras; Headphone Jack

Karamchand Rameshwar - Feb 27, 2020

Overall, the Sony Xperia 1 II still has the same OmniBalance design language that Sony has been using on its Xperia devices.

At an online launch event held on 24th February, Sony has officially launched its next high-end Xperia device called Sony Xperia 1 II. This is said to be the successor to the Xperia 1 launched last year with a series of improvements in terms of screen, camera, and performance.

Sony Xperia 1 Ii Review 1 — Sony Xperia 1 II

Overall, I want to talk about the highlight of this year's Xperia 1 II that help the device compete against rivals such as Galaxy S20 or iPhone 11 Pro on the market, but it seems that we do not have too much to say. Compared to last year's Xperia 1, this year's Xperia 1 II is mostly improved on the camera aspect, with the main camera cluster being claimed to have a much larger sensor size, increasing the ability to capture light when shooting in low-light conditions.

The advantage that many people notice on the Xperia 1 II when compared to competitors on the market is the return of the 3.5mm headphone jack. At the launch event, Sony said Xperia 1 II focused on sound quality so bringing back the 3.5mm jack is understandable because, at the present time, the sound quality when transmitted via wireless waves is still not as good as the traditional wired headset.

Sony Xperia 1 Ii Review 2 — Xperia 1 II has the same 6.4-inch screen size with 4K resolution and a 21: 9 aspect ratio.

Sony Xperia 1 Ii Review 3 Compressed — It still uses the traditional OmniBalance design language of Sony.

Sony Xperia 1 Ii Review 4 — The screen bezel of Xperia 1 II is made a bit thinner than its predecessor.

Sony Xperia 1 Ii Review 5 — Triple rear camera cluster with LED flash on the back of the Sony Xperia 1 II. On its predecessor, this camera cluster is located in the middle of the back.

Sony Xperia 1 Ii Review 6 — The lens with T * coating is made by Sony in collaboration with the famous ZEISS brand and fitted to its Xperia devices for the best image quality.

Sony Xperia 1 Ii Review 7 — The right side of the device is the power button mounted with a fingerprint sensor, while the volume rocker is right above.

Sony Xperia 1 Ii Review 8 — At the bottom, the user also has a separate camera button as well as to quickly launch the camera app.

Sony Xperia 1 Ii Review 9 Compressed — The left spine is where the SIM slot is located.

Sony Xperia 1 Ii Review 10 — The bottom is where the USB-C charging port is placed along with the microphone.

Sony Xperia 1 Ii Review 11 — The top edge is where the second recording microphone is as well as the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack

As expected, Xperia 1 II will hit the US market in June this year for $1,099 (around Rs. 78,700). There are two color versions for users to choose, Black and Purple. This price of the Xperia 1 II is up to $150 (around Rs. 10,700) more expensive than the starting price of the Xperia 1 launched last year.

Sony Xperia 1 II price: around Rs. 78,700

Sony Xperia 1 II price in India: Unavailable

>>> Sony Xperia 1 II Launched: Snapdragon 865 & Advanced Quad Rear Cameras