Sony launches £850 smartphone with 4K screen for film lovers

The new Sony Xperia 1 - Sony

Sonyis targeting film lovers with the launch of the "world’s first" smartphone with a 4K OLED screen.

The flagship Xperia 1 phone features a high-definition 4K screen that uses organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology to provide high-quality images on screen.

OLED is used in modern televisions to make images look better-defined and to improve the depth of dark colours.

The 6.5-inch screen has a 21:9 aspect ratio, making it well-suited to watching films on the device as the screen more closely resembles the shape of a cinema screen.

Sony’s new flagship smartphone also features a triple lens rear camera system and support for Dolby Atmos high-end sound quality software.

The company said that the device is expected to go on sale for £849 in the UK in late spring.

This isn’t the first smartphone to include a 4K display, however. Sony originally included the technology in its Xperia Z5 Premium phone in 2015. But the new Xperia 1 will be the first smartphone to combine a high-resolution 4K display with OLED technology.

Mitsuya Kishida, president of Sony Mobile Communications, said during the Mobile World Congress technology event in Barcelona that the Xperia 1 is the start of a change in approach for the company.

"We have established a new vision for our Xperia brand to bring our customers experiences beyond imagination,” he said.”

"We are continuing to push the boundaries in pursuit of innovation and our new Xperia delivers genuine technologies with a multitude of professional-grade features for creative entertainment experiences that are only possible with Sony."

Sony’s launch of the new smartphone comes less than a month after the business announced a drop in sales in its smartphone division. Earlier in February, Sony’s smartphone unit reported sales of 137.2bn yen, a large drop compared to 217.5bn yen in revenue for the same quarter in 2017.

A slowdown in sales in Europe, Japan and Latin America was blamed for the drop in Sony’s smartphone revenue.