Let's Talk Tech
The Active uses a lower res camera sensor than the regular GS4, and it’s one we’re very familiar with. First making an appearance on the GS3 and Note 2, this sensor doesn’t hold any surprises, though Samsung’s camera app has improved over the successive phones utilizing this hardware.
It does come with one really neat trick though. How waterproof is your current smartphone?
Let’s take a look.
No joke. Nokia nailed it.
The Lumia 1020’s monster 41 megapixel PureView sensor is an absolute beast. Even when the output is scaled down to 1080p video, you just wont find a phone camera as capable of delivering the kinds of photographic output you’ll receive from this Lumia. Plus it has the first digital zoom which is actually worth using! It’s a whole new tier above what we would normally consider “premier” smartphone optics.
Yet with all of the accolades I can throw at this phone, no camera is perfect. Let’s go hands on with some video samples!
Sony has its work cut out for itself in scratching out a niche in the Android ecosystem. They’ve been releasing quality hardware, and their fan base, while small, is passionate. With the announcement of the Z1, they’re hoping to give the Galaxies and Ones a run for their (customer’s) money.
The Xperia Z1 sports a five inch 1080p “Triluminous” LCD utilizing the same color tech found in Sony’s TV lineup. Under the hood you’ll find a Qualcomm 800 quad-core CPU paired up with 2GB of RAM which should handily outperform the GS4 and HTC One. 16GB of onboard storage is lean these days, but you do have access to an SD card slot to expand. A non-removeable 3000mAh battery should perform decently, but we haven’t seen many real world battery tests of the Qualcomm 800, so the increased battery capacity might get eaten by the more powerful internals.
The camera is a huge 20.7MP job with a 27mm wide angle lens (good for group shots and landscapes) and a fast f2.0 sperture for low light sensitivity. The image sensor is the same size as those found in most point and shoot cameras. Hopefully that combo works out, as there’s no mention of image stabilization on board, and 20 blurry megapixels are no fun. Â If you pull the shot off however, Sony is including software to aid in sharing to your family and friends and favorite social networks.
Also of note, while not a rugged device, it will feature enhanced water resistance like that found on the original Xperia Z. So you folks who drop your phone in fluids (I don’t want to know what you drop your phone in, please don’t tell me) will have a little extra piece of mind that your handset might actually survive a two year contract.
the Z1 will ship with Android 4.2.2 alongside Sony’s custom skin and widgets, and availability is set for “later this month” No word yet on pricing and availability, but it will come in black, white, and purple, so that’s cool.
So many different tactics to improving mobile photography. Galaxy Cameras and Nokia Lumias wow us with their photo and video quality, but often come at the expense of additional bulk. Sometimes you just want to keep your phone as slim as possible, but want the option of a good camera when you need it. That’s literally Sony’s new approach for their pair of camera attachments the QX10 and QX100.
The QX10 is a 1/2.3″ point and shoot style 18.9MP CMOS image sensor with a 10X optical zoom. Lens aperture is a little on the slow side at f3.3, but Steady Shot image stabilization is included to help with low light sensitivity and motion blur. Â The QX10 is available for pre-order for $249.99.
The QX100 is a step up, and includes a 1″ 20MP CMOS sensor. That’s roughly one third the size of an APS-C SLR sensor, which is HUGE for a phone accessory. You lose out on some zoom range, only a 3.6X zoom, but you make up for it with a light absorbing f1.8 max aperture and Steady Shot. This thing should be a low light monster. Pre-order price is $499.99.
Both attachments feature NFC+WiFi pairing, a really novel solution for combining this type of hardware to compatible phones. Currently Sony’s site only shows the Xperia Z as a compatible handset, yet the footnotes claim they’re “Compatible with virtually all iOS and Android smartphones. Smartphone case or protective cover may prevent attachment”.
This is an interesting approach to product engagement. The more open it is, the more likely consumers will play with Sony gear, and hopefully we’ll see more mindshare for Sony phones moving forward.
Full spec sheets for QX100 and QX10.
UPDATE
That was fast folks! The QX10 and QX100 are both already available for pre-order on Amazon. Get shooting folks!