Sony Xperia 1 IV to gain a periscope telephoto camera
New details about the upcoming Sony Xperia 1 IV reveal a quad camera setup, with at least three 48 MP modules.
The details come from a reliable source via Weibo, and were extracted from an engineering machine that is currently producing prototype models of the upcoming flagship from Sony.
Allegedly, the Sony Xperia 1 IV will have a 48 MP wide 1/1.28" camera, 48 MP ultrawide 1/2.43" camera, 48 MP telephoto 1/2.43" camera and undisclosed periscope telephoto camera.
The 48 MP ultrawide and telephoto cameras will use pixel binning technology to output 12 MP photos. Pixel binning is a common technique with flagship phones, using algorithms to merge multiple pixels to improve light capturing techniques, which is particularly useful for low light shots.
Although details about the periscope telephoto were not mentioned by the source, previous rumours suggested the Sony Xperia 1 IV will use quad 48 MP cameras.
The current Sony Xperia 1 III also features a quad camera setup, however there is a 0.3 MP ToF camera instead of a periscope telephoto camera. Furthermore, the 3 other cameras have smaller 12 MP sensors.
The upcoming iPhone 14 is also rumoured to be the first Apple device to feature a periscope telephoto camera. Both Sony and Apple will likely have to pay Samsung a fee, as they own most of the patents surrounding the technology.
There are rumours Sony will announce the Xperia 1 IV as soon as next month. The Japanese technology giant has been struggling with its smartphone division in recent years, with increased competition from Chinese manufacturers such as Xiaomi and Oppo. A more regular release cycle will mean Sony can adopt newer technology at a faster rate compared to their competitors, and hopefully boost sales.