Xperia 1 On DxOMark Gets An Unflattering Score

Sony is a brand that is best known for the PlayStation, its TVs, and its cameras. Because of the latter, you'd think that its smartphones would inherit one of the best imaging sensors in the market. But thanks to some in-fighting, that was not the case though Sony's new execs have promised things will be better moving forward. Unfortunately, that was not the case and, based on DxOMark's review, the Xperia 1 isn't it either.

The Xperia 1 is Sony's first smartphone to finally get the company's own top of the line digital imaging technologies. Still not its best, mind, just not its worst either. It has a triple camera system that includes a 12 megapixel dual pixel sensor with the Eye AF feature that Sony debuted on its dedicated digital cameras. You'd think it would help the phone achieve decent scores. DxOMark squarely says no.

The site doesn't have much to say about the Xperia 1's positive traits. It does seem to excel in the autofocus department, given that Eye AF technology. Colors are rendered well, too, with much shading. Unfortunately, it notes that HDR doesn't kick in consistently and, when it does, leaves images underexposed. That is true for both indoor and outdoor scenes, sadly.

Unfortunately, that strong AF may have been overdone in videos where refocusing happened unnecessarily to create a jarring effect. Panning also produces some judder although stabilization is fortunately quite decent.

With an average score of 91, the Xperia 1 doesn't even come close to last year's flagships. Its closest rivals are, in fact, the Xiaomi Pocophone. That is a significantly cheaper phone that does have 2018 specs to boast. It may not score that high either but the value for money is higher than the Xperia 1. It definitely doesn't bode well for Sony's credibility in the smartphone market, or whatever's left of its brand.