Sony’s new Xperia 1 IV beat Apple by bringing to market a rugged new generation of smartphones that Apple is still running on the scene.
The innovation is in the phone’s camera which includes 3 rear-facing lenses, adding a 16mm ultra-wide angle, a 24mm width, and most importantly, a completely new real 85-125mm optical zoom lens, unlike anything discovered on any other smartphone. Sony claims it’s the “world’s first real 85-125mm optical zoom lens” on a smartphone.
Why a “real” optical zoom
Sony’s true optical zoom is another because, until now, almost every single “optical zoom” feature of a smartphone would be rather described as a “fake optical zoom. “
Although those fake optical zoom techniques use genuine telephoto lenses to zoom in on the subject, the effect of a sleek zoom among other magnifications is still achieved digitally. Camera nevertheless moves on to the next lens.
Any form of virtual zoom invariably affects the quality of the symbol, as the symbol falling on the sensor will have to be cropped and enlarged through symbol processing techniques. As clever as those techniques are, they can’t adjust to the quality of a true optical zoom that is capable of using the entire sensor domain without cropping or processing further.
In contrast, Sony’s lens works a bit like a zoom on a professional camera where you can physically adjust the lens to any magnification you need without any virtual antics in the scenes.
As impressive as it is, Sony’s new lens is rarely the first real optical zoom lens ever discovered on a smartphone. Think back to 2013 and you’d possibly see Samsung’s Galaxy S4 Zoom, which featured an even tougher 24-240mm optical zoom. Let’s be fair, the vital difference here is that Sony’s periscope lens is fully integrated into the inside of the smartphone’s body, while the Galaxy S4 Zoom’s protruding motorized lens makes it feel more like a compact camera than a smartphone.
So will Apple be worried about Sony’s new flagship?Absolutely not. The Xperia 1 IV is designed in particular for serious photographers, especially users of Sony’s line of high-end cameras, and will have limited appeal for the mass market. State-of-the-art “optical” zoom has never been a priority feature for the iPhone, so I don’t expect Apple to be in a hurry to market its own edition of this technology. But now, thanks to Sony, we at least know it’s possible.
The full specs of the Xperia 1 IV are found in Sony’s recent press release and you can read a full review of the smartphone here on Forbes.
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