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With the arrival of the Sony Xperia 5, Sony's high-end is already covered for the remainder of the year. but the mid-range remains, which is usually very similar to the company's flagship, but with more basic features and a lower price. During early 2019 we saw the Sony Xperia 10 as an answer to Samsung's Galaxy A range and some Xiaomi terminals. Now comes the Xperia 8. This has mid-range specifications, such as an eight-core Qualcomm processor or a dual camera. However, it inherits one of Sony's most interesting features: the 21: 9 screen.
Practically all the terminals that have been launched in 2019 have a screen format of 18: 9 or more (18.5: 9, 19: 9…). This is because frameless screens require an adaptation to this format, since if they would not be wide and short enough, in this way the format makes the screen longer than it is wide and the terminal is more comfortable in the hand. 18: 9 is an aspect ratio very similar to that used in the film industry, and this also has something to do with these formats: the multimedia content will be better, since on many occasions we can enjoy a series or movie in full screen, without having black frames at the top and bottom. So what is the 21: 9 of the Sony Xperia 8 for? Precisely because 21: 9 is the format that is most used in cinema. The Xperia 1 was the first terminal to include this format. According to the company itself, it was designed in collaboration with the film division, Sony Pictures, and this Xperia 8 inherits this format to better enjoy the content in 21: 9. Platforms such as Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime Video or even YouTube, already have content in this format. In addition to this, with the Xperia 8 and its screen we can use two split-screen apps, or even record in this format.
A 21: 9 aspect has its pluses and minuses. On the one hand, it is a good option if we want to play multimedia content, or even play some games that require more information or content across the screen. However, this format makes the terminal much longer than usual. This makes it very difficult to use the screen with one hand, even if it is a compact panel, as in this case the screen is 6 inches, IPS technology and has a 1080 x 2520 resolution. That is, Full HD +.
SONY XPERIA 8 DATA SHEET
| screen | 6-inch IPS LCD with FullHD + resolution, 21: 9 ultrawide format | |
| Main chamber | Dual camera: - 12 megapixel
sensor - 8 megapixel secondary sensor for Bokeh effect |
|
| Camera for selfies | 8 megapixels | |
| Internal memory | 64 GB | |
| Extension | Via MicroSD up to 512 GB | |
| Processor and RAM | Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor, 4GB RAM | |
| Drums | 2,660 mAh | |
| Operating system | Android 9 Pie | |
| Connections | BT 5.0, GPS, USB Type-C, NFC, WiFi | |
| SIM | Dual nanoSIM (or nanoSIM plus MicroSD) | |
| Design | Crystal in black, white, orange and blue | |
| Dimensions | 158 x 59 x 8.1 mm / 170 grams | |
| Featured Features | Fingerprint reader on the side button, split screen (multitasking) | |
| Release date | To confirm | |
| Price | About 460 euros to change |
Beyond the panel, the terminal has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor, a mid-range chip that works on eight cores. It is accompanied with a 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage. Something fair considering that there are mobiles of the same range that have 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory in their base version. Of course, it complies in terms of connections: NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, 4G VoLT, USB C and headphone jack.
Dual 12 MP camera and 4K recording
We move on to the photographic section, which is another of the remarkable features of this Xperia 8. In this case the company has opted for a dual camera configuration. The main sensor is its own and has a resolution of 12 megapixels. The second lens is deep with a resolution of 8 megapixels. It is used mainly for photographs with portrait mode, although it also allows us to make a 2x zoom. In addition, it has scene recognition. That is to say, the Xperia 8 camera can recognize up to 13 different scenarios (landscape, building, pets, food, plants…), depending on the scene, the camera adjusts some values or others to get the best possible photograph. As for video recording, it allows 4K and slow motion at 120fps.
In design there are no great novelties. The rear is very similar to the previous generation, with the double camera in the center and the LED flash on the top. There are new colors: black, white, a grayish blue and an orange color. It reminds me of the palette of the next Google Pixel 4. On the front we find that elongated screen, as well as a fairly pronounced frame in the upper area that houses an 8 megapixel camera. The fingerprint reader is on the right side and also acts as a power button.
Price and availability
The Xperia 8 has been announced in Japan and will come at a price of 54,000 yen, about 460 euros to change. It will go on sale this October. At the moment we do not know if it will also reach other countries.
