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Title: Sony's new Xperia 1 VII borrows Hi-Fi sound tech from its Walkman

Date: Tue, 13 May 2025 13:30:17 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/s...

Sony's smartphones probably haven't made much money in a long time, but they
do provide a showcase for the company's latest camera and AV tech. A case in
point is the new Xperia 1 VII flagship, a model that borrows Sony's Alpha
camera and Bravia TV tricks and now features Walkman audio technology for the
first time as well.

On the camera side, Sony introduced a new 48-megapixel ultrawide camera (16mm
full-frame equivalent) with a good-sized 1/1.56-inch sensor, significantly
improving the specs of the Xperia 1 VI's ultrawide. That's on top of the main
48MP 1/1.35-inch 24mm camera and 12MP 85-170mm telephoto zoom.

Another new camera feature is AI-powered Auto Framing. It lets you capture an
entire scene with a wide angle, while automatically creating a closeup crop
(vertical or horizontal) of a subject within the frame. That matches
technology already available on Sony's Alpha camera lineup. Other key camera
features include an improved Bokeh mode, real-time tracking and real-time eye
autofocus, "telemacro" photography via the 120mm equivalent lens (with focus
as close as 4cm), pro controls, a dedicated shutter button, live streaming
and "low-light capability in line with full-frame cameras," Sony claims.

As for audio, Sony has upgraded the Xperia 1 VII considerably from the
previous model. It now uses the high-end Walkman components in key areas like
sound resistors. Unlike other smartphone makers, Sony has kept its headphone
jack and improved wired sound via a premium-grade integrated circuit, while
also improving its LDAC wireless audio quality. Plus, the Xperia 1 VII
supports Sony's DSEE Ultimate AI sound upscaling technology, along with 360
Reality audio or Dolby Atmos formats.

The Xperia 1 VII is also taking a cue from Sony's Bravia displays with a new
adaptive brightness feature for the 6.5-inch OLED display. It now has light
sensors both front and back to better gauge environmental light levels and
adjust brightness, contrast and color accordingly.

Other key features include a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor with 12GB of RAM
and 256GB of storage (expandable to 2TB with microSD), WiFi 7, FPS gaming
optimizer, two days of battery life via the new 5,000mAh battery, a vapour
chamber cooler and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for environmental protection. Sony
is even throwing in a free set of its top-end WH-1000XM5 headphones worth
around $300.

Unfortunately there's no sign that the Xperia 1 VII is coming to the United
States. It's now available to order in Europe and the UK for Γé¼1,499 and
£1,399 respectively, or around $1,700.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/s...
fi-sound-tech-from-its-walkman-133017552.html?src=rss

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