Search results for: “Sony”

Sony ‘Silently’ Introduces New PlayStation 4 Pro Which Is Much Quieter

It has been two years since the launch of the PlayStation 4, and Sony has introduced a version which is quieter than the old models. The new PlayStation 4 bearing the model number CUH-7200 is significantly quieter. Now this may not seem like a big deal to people who have never owned a PlayStation before but it is. PlayStations are extremely noisy and can reach an unbearable decibel when used.

A few websites did a test on the new PS4 Pro and compared it to the older one. The new PS4 reportedly runs a bit hotter than the original model, but its fan remains a lot quieter. A reputed gaming website also recorded the decibel count. The new Sony PlayStation 4 Pro recorded 48 decibels at its loudest, compared to 55 decibels in the original. PlayStations have been known for their loud noise and the ‘Jet Engine Effect’ which can be extremely distracting for gamers. This move from Sony is a welcome change. They are generally loud because they generate a lot of heat and thus the fans have to work a lot to cool it down, causing a lot of noise. Playing games like Marvel’s Spider-Man and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey which have high graphics requirements makes the PS4 extremely hot and noisy.

Also Read: Red Dead Redemption 2 Online Release Announced

One More Thing

Another significant change includes a new power adapter. It is a figure eight power adapter, like the ones used in Xbox models. There is very little else that has changed. Some websites have also reported that the PS4 Pro will be bundled with Red Dead Redemption 2. The Red Dead Redemption 2 PS4 Pro bundle is currently available for $ 399 on Amazon. With Black Friday and Christmas coming up, there will be massive discounts on gaming consoles. Since both models look similar, it is best to check the model number before buying.

November 9, 2018
Sony PlayStation 4 Crashing Due to Malicious Messages

Sony’s PlayStation 4 is reportedly crashing due to a malicious message, according to several users. These crashes are happening due to a message containing a string of characters and are freezing the PS4. In some cases, the PlayStations are requiring a factory reset due to this issue as well.

The Reddit user, who reported the issue first, said that he was playing Rainbow Six: Siege. His console bricked when a player sent him the message from a dummy account making his system crash. According to him, one user did not have to reset. It did not affect him as his PlayStation messages were set to Private. Sony is yet to respond to this issue. It would be wise forPlayStation 4 users to meanwhile not receive or open these malicious messages. The rise of bots and malicious messages have become a real issue in the phone as well as the console industry. How Sony handles this issue will be interesting to see. Speculations are doing the rounds that this is done by some users to get an edge over others in a game by DDOS-ing other players.

PlayStation 4, which saw it’s launch in 2013-14, is also reportedly receiving an update very soon which allows users to change their details. The PlayStation Network Online ID Preview Program will also start this year. According to the company, the first change will be free, with further changes costing €9.99/£7.99 for those who do not have a PS Plus account. We hope Sony rolls out a permanent fix for the message issue with the update or before that.

According to another Reddit user the following step solves this issue, for now:

Go to Settings > Account Management > Privacy Settings > Enter your password > Personal Info | Messaging, and set Messages to either Friends (if you trust them) or No One.

October 15, 2018
Sony WH 1000X M3 Launched in India : Unboxing Video

Sony has launched their new WH-1000XM3 around-ear headphones in the Indian market. The headphone is the latest addition to Sony’s 1000X family of headphones. This is an upgrade from their previous WH-1000XM2 headphones. With the new headphones, Sony has added many new improvements from the outgoing generation. The new headphones have better Noise Cancelling performance, among other features.

Also read: Top Xiaomi Products With Discounts During Amazon & Flipkart Sale

Features

The Sony WH-1000XM3 is a pair of Bluetooth headphones that have built-in active noise cancellation. With this feature, the headphones can neutralize the unwanted background noise while enjoying their favorite audio. Sony has equipped the headphones with the QN1 which is a noise cancelingProcessor developed by the company. Sony claims the new processor has four times better performance than it’s predecessor.

The headphones have 40mm drivers with LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer) diaphragm. The LCP diagram can reproduce the full range of frequencies up to 40kHz and can handle heavy beats.

The headphones have a Quick Attention Mode which allows the user to know what is going around them. The user can place their hand on the right earcup which will instantly decrease the volume and they can check their surroundings. The right earcup has a touchpad to control various functions with simple swipe gestures. To control volume users can simply swipe up or down on the touchpad and right or left swipe changes the audio track.

Design & Specifications

The headphones have Bluetooth 4.2 technology and have NFC for easy connection with supported devices. It only has two physical keys that can control options like power on/off and Bluetooth pairing. The headphones weigh at 255 grams and are available in two color options: Black and Platinum silver.

Battery

Sony claims the headphones have a battery backup of 30 hrs. They can be charged from zero to full in 2-3 hours and also have Quick charge capabilities. With 10 minutes of Quick charge they can give a 5-hour audio playback.

Inside The Box

Packaged along with the headphones are a bunch of accessories. They include a Type-C charging cable, an auxiliary cable for line in, an in-flight adapter and a case for securely carrying the headphones.

Price

The headphones have a price tag of Rs. 29,990/-. They will be available both online and offline starting from 18th October.

Check out our unboxing video of the Sony WH-1000XM3

October 10, 2018
Sony Xperia XZ3 Images Leaked Showing Entire Design

The Sony Xperia XZ3 has been the subject to a lot of attention and hence a lot of “leaks”. With the most recent leak containing an image which shows the entire phone- from the front and the back. If this latest image is to be believed, then we sure are in for some surprises from Sony. The rising incidents of leaks, counting this one has many guessing that Sony is going to make a big announcement at the upcoming IFA 2018.

The images show something that defy two of the biggest trends in the flagship smartphone segment right now. The Sony Xperia XZ3 apparently lacks a notch or a dual camera setup, rendering it very close to the Xperia XZ2 in design. The device has not-so-thin bezels at both the top and bottom. The back houses a single camera lens and the fingerprint scanner. We can also see that the sides of the display might go edge-to-edge.

Alleged spec sheets of the device are out, which gave us an insight to what the device packs. The Xperia XZ3 will house a Snapdragon 845 SoC with an Adreno 630 GPU. It has a 5.7-inch Full HD screen which will be protected by Gorilla Glass 5. The big question this spec sheet raises however is that of the camera setup. A Japanese website put out the spec sheet and has been continuously leaking tremendous amounts of information about the device.

The latest images show a single camera setup while the spec sheet talks about a dual camera one. We had seen a dual camera setup in the Xperia XZ2 premium, not including it in the XZ3 will be a step backwards for Sony. Google however has proven with the Pixel that a dual camera setup isn’t require for amazing performance.

Also Read: Sony Xperia XZ3 With 18:9 Aspect Ratio And Running Android 9 P Spotted On Geekbench

While the anticipation for the device is high, the leaks might tell a whole new story. Considering this leak, we are getting a device which is extremely similar to the XZ2, launched in February this year. This could mean either of two things. We are not getting a new flagship from Sony and it is an upgraded version of the Xperia XZ2. This is possible because the design and features are to similar for a new phone and also the fact that the XZ2 is fairly new.

Another explanation could be that the leaks are wrong and what we are getting is completely different. This can be true because if Sony is making another flagship device, it would not bring out one with just a few minor upgrades. Considering the state in which Sony’s smartphone market is in right now, we hope that a much better phone is coming our way.

August 25, 2018
Sony Xperia XZ3 Leaked Renders and Benchmark Suggest 48 MP Camera

Sony might release the Sony Xperia XZ3 in its IFA 2018 press conference scheduled for 30th August. However, before the launch, the leaks for the smartphone reveal that it might have an all glass or at least a glass back design and no headphone jack. We speculate that this smartphone could feature the Corning Gorilla Glass 6, which launched on 18th July.

There is no doubt that Sony is one of the top camera sensors manufacturers. Many smartphone brands use these sensors for their devices. However, its own smartphone lineup has not been doing so well. While the company had a relatively profitable year in 2017, the profits made were because of the price cuts. Sony does not lack behind when it comes to bringing innovation with its smartphones. With the Xperia XZ2, Sony became the first brand to introduce a 4K HDR display on its device, along with 960 fps slow-motion video recording capabilities. Even with such innovative features, Sony has not been doing well in the market. The reason could have something to do with the lack of design changes in its smartphones. The new leaked renders for the Sony Xperia XZ3 also seem to hint at the same design the company followed with the Xperia XZ2 lineup.

Left: Xperia XZ2, Right: Xperia XZ3

If the image above is anything to go by then, the company has again decided not to dwell into design changes with the Sony Xperia XZ3. Apart from curved edges on the display not much seems to have changed in the new smartphone.

Xperia XZ3

While this image shows the device in a black colour variant, other renders reveal white/silver variant as well. What is worth noting, is that in any of the renders, we could not find a headphone jack. Apart from the design, this is also something that the smartphone has in common with its predecessor. The renders of the Sony Xperia XZ3 also show that the smartphone has a single rear-facing camera. Right below the camera, you will find the fingerprint sensor.

Xperia XZ3 Renders

It is clear from the renders that the design changes will be to a bare minimum if any. What remains to be seen is what new features the Sony Xperia XZ3 would bring which we haven’t already seen in 2018. Although very little is known about the smartphone but we speculate that it will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Chipset and have AI capabilities in its camera. A benchmark with a model number H8416 has appeared on GFXBench featuring a camera with whopping 47MP resolution. We expect this to be the Sony flagship cameras for future smartphones, and yo may see major brands utilise this. Sony recently launched the 48MP IMX586 sensor which could be this very sensor.

Sony has suffered in the market due to poor pricing decisions, especially in a price sensitive market like India. The company also has been late to the market with its smartphones. And lastly, the specifications Sony chooses for its devices are seldom up to the mark, especially the design. If the company can make the necessary changes, it can potentially give the likes of Samsung and Apple a run for their money.

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July 25, 2018
Sony Xperia XZ3 With 18:9 Aspect Ratio And Running Android 9 P Spotted On Geekbench

In February 2018 at the Mobile World Congress, Sony finally unveiled a smartphone with an 18:9 aspect ratio. Since then, the company has launched a few budget devices and even announced another flagship device, the Xperia XZ2 Premium. The next in line will be the Sony Xperia XZ3 and it has been leaked a couple of times in past few days. A new Geekbench listing reveals the possible specifications of the upcoming flagship device.

According to the listing, the Sony Xperia XZ3 will carry the model number H8416. Under the hood, the smartphone will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 since it is the latest flagship chipset on the market right now. This claim is further solidified by the listing according to which, the Adreno 630 will handle the graphics for Xperia XZ3.

Interestingly, this will be the first Sony smartphone with a 2880 x 1440 px resolution. The listing reveals a 5.9 inch display which has become increasingly common among smartphones these days. The resolution also indicates that the device will have a top and bottom bezel and Sony would not go the notch route. This will be a good news for the notch haters.

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As has been with Sony smartphones in the past, the Xperia XZ3 also appears to be running the latest version of Android. The smartphone will launch later this year which means it could be one of the first few smartphones to run Android 9 P out of the box. This will be a great move by Sony especially considering how Android smartphones are criticised for running on older software, unlike Apple iPhones.

Most of the details in the Geekbench listing corroborate with previous leaks except in the optics department. The listing reveals a 19MP rear-facing camera. It is possible that the software didn’t recognise the secondary sensor, which is believed to be 12MP. Another possible reason could be that the software was run on an early pre-production unit that skips the secondary sensor.

It is still early days for the Sony Xperia XZ3 but, the leaks appear to be inline with each other. These are usually telltale signs of accuracy, however, it is still adviced to take this information with a pinch of scepticism.

June 20, 2018
Sony Announces The Last Of Us Part II, Marvels Spider-Man And More Games At E3

The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2018 in ongoing in Los Angeles, California. After a massive Xbox press conference, the onus was on Sony to steal the spotlight. However, Sony did not announce 50 titles, instead, it had a rather short event and announced a few but, crucial titles for the Sony PlayStation. There were some follow-ups, some new titles but, no major announcements from the Japanese tech giant.

The Last of Us II

One of the most popular survival games, The Last Of Us gets a much-anticipated sequel. The Last Of Us II is gory, horrific, and spectacular. The gameplay trailer released by Sony showcases the advanced graphics that will surely grip any player. As was with the first one, we expect the Last of Us II to have a brilliant soundtrack as well.

Death Stranding

The 8-minute trailer of Death Stranding, developed by Kojima Productions has quite a few stars in it. In the trailer, you can see Norman Reedus, popular for his portrayal in The Walking Dead ripping off his toenail. The game is studded with stars like mads Mikkelsen who played Dr Hannibal Lecter in the famous TV series Hannibal. Guillermo Del Torro will also contribute his likeness to another character through facial and body scanning.

Marvels Spider-Man

We knew this announcement was coming and yet, there was a sense of excitement around it. After the roaring success of Avengers: Infinity War and the audience’s rekindled love for the friendly neighbourhood, the timing was perfect for the new Spider-Man game. The seven-minute-long trailer showcases the game’s most exciting aspect, web swinging. The trailer also shows some great actions scenes where the Spider-Man fights famous supervillains in the Marvel Universe. The game comes out in September which isn’t too far!

Resident Evil 2

In 2015, Capcom announced that it was remaking Resident Evil 2. Three years after that announcement, we finally have the first look at the gameplay of the new game. The game is already up for pre-order and goes on sale in January.

Control

https://youtu.be/euBPEYR1HSo

This is a very interesting game from Remedy. The creators are known for being the brains behind popular titles like Quantum Break and Alan Wake. The gameplay trailer has a few interesting time-control combats. The visuals are trippy and the concept is very cool.

Sony has announced a few interesting titles here. They’re not close to the quantity of Microfost’s but, the buzz around these titles will be great. Which title are you looking forward to?

June 12, 2018

Three New Sony Bluetooth Speakers Launched In India Starting Rs. 7990

Three new Sony Bluetooth Speakers have been launched in India at a starting price of Rs 7990. All the three Sony Bluetooth Speakers are available across India starting today (16th April 2018). The Sony SRS-XB21 is priced at Rs 7990 and is available in Black, Blue, Red and White colour variants. The Sony SRS-XB31 costs Rs 9990 while the Sony SRS-XB41 will retail for Rs 13990. Both of these Sony Bluetooth Speakers will be available in Black and Blue colour variants while the Sony SRS-XB31 will also retail in a Red colour.

Sony claims that these speakers, with the new DSP (Digital Signal Processor), can produce a three-dimensional sound which makes for a better music listening experience. The Live Sound mode essentially produces a music concert-like sound as the sound is spread across vertically as well as horizontally. As is evident in the name, these Sony Bluetooth Speakers concentrate a lot on the bass and have a very bass-heavy sound.

Another interesting feature of these speakers is the build quality. All the three speakers are IP67 rated for water and dust resistance which goes well with Sony’s whole party-related theme for the speakers. Keeping the party mode in mind, these speakers also multi-colour line lights and
flashing strobe lights with speaker lights.

All the three speakers have the same Bluetooth version 4.2 and NFC. What differs is the size and weight of the three speakers which in turn means the sound reproduction will be better in the more pricier speaker.

Specifications	Sony SRS-XB21	Sony SRS-XB31	Sony SRS-XB41
Price	Rs 7990	Rs 9990	Rs 13990
Bluetooth	4.2	4.2	4.2
NFC	Yes	Yes	Yes
Amplifier Type	S-Master	S-Master	S-Master
Dimensions	193 x 72 x 65 mm	231 x 87 x 81 mm	291 x 104 x 105 mm
Weight	530 grams	890 grams	1.5 kilograms
Frequency Range	2.4GHz/ 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz(44.1 kHz sampling)	2.4GHz/ 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz(44.1 kHz sampling)	2.4GHz/ 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz(44.1 kHz sampling)
Colours	Black, Blue, Red and White	Black, Blue and Red	Black and Blue

April 16, 2018

Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium With 4K HDR Display Launched

Sony kicked off 2018 with the launch of two flagship smartphones, the Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact, both running on the latest Snapdragon 845 chipset. About two months later, Sony has now unveiled the new Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium with a few significant upgrades. The Xperia XZ2 Premium will be available later in the summer but, its pricing details have not been revealed yet.

The Xperia XZ2 Premium has the new curvy design that Sony showed off with the XZ2 and XZ2 Compact. It is a departure from the rectangular boxy design that Sony smartphones have sported for a long time.

One of the biggest upgrades over the Xperia XZ2 is the display. The Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium now has a 5.8 inch IPS LCD display with a 4K resolution. The regular Xperia XZ2 has a 5.7 inch IPS LCD display with a 2160 x 1080 px resolution. The Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium also supports HDR. Sony also introduced a new vibration system with the XZ2 at Mobile World Congress. The feature basically provides a rumble feedback to match whatever is happening on the screen.

Powering the Xperia XZ2 Premium is a 3540 mAh battery with QuickCharge 4.0 and wireless charging. The 3.5mm headphone jack is also missing, which seems to be the new norm.

For the first time ever, Sony has also introduced a dual-camera setup on a smartphone. The primary camera is a 19MP RGB Exmor RS sensor with an f/1.8 aperture while the second lens is a 12MP Monochrome sensor with an f/1.6 aperture. This implementation is different from the likes of Apple and Samsung which have used a telephoto lens for portrait mode shots.

Sony claims that apart from the monochrome lens helping in better black-and-white shots, it will improve low-light photography as well. During still photography, the XZ2 Premium can reach a maximum ISO of 51,200 and for shooting videos, as high as 12,800. To avoid graininess in the pictures with such high ISO, Sony claims its “AUBE fusion image signal processor” can combine the data of both sensors, optimize for low light, and reduce noise. Features like portrait mode and monochrome bokeh shots will be introduced via a software update in Q3 of 2018.

There are no details about a possible launch of the Xperia XZ2 Premium in India. However, we expect the phone to launch in India end May or early June.

April 16, 2018
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium

Sony has officially launched the Xperia XZ2 Premium, which the first dual camera smartphone from the company. The smartphone also boasts a 5.8 inch 4K display with HDR support. The smartphone runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Octa-core chipset with 6GB RAM. The Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium is also the first smartphone to offer ISO 51200 sensitivity.

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April 16, 2018
Sony PlayStation 5 Might Launch In Late-2018

Sony and Microsoft right now, dominate the gaming console industry, with Nintendo recently joining the fore. The Nintendo Switch with its portability and power has become extremely popular in some markets. Now, it appears that Sony might launch its next-generation of the gaming console, the PlayStation 5 in late-2018.

Sony PlayStation 4

The PS 5 could launch in late-2018 and will be powered by an AMD chipset. This chip will have a lot of deeper VR advantages. Interestingly, these will be custom-made AMD Zen chipset on the Navi architecture. It is worth noting that the source of this report has had decent success in similar leaks about the PlayStation 4, Microsoft Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

However, a contradicting a report by an industry analyst appears to have quashed this rumour. According to Michael Pachter, a release later this year for the PS5 is very unlikely. In fact, Pachter believes that Sony PS5 will most likely ship sometime in 2020. However, he also doesn’t rule out the possibility that it could release in 2019. He says:

25% [probability] next year and 75% in 2020.

Sony is known for waiting a long time between generational launches. The gap between the first PlayStation and the PlayStation 2 was notably a little over five years. Meanwhile, the gap between the between the PS2 and PlayStation 3 was roughly six years. And then the gap between the PS3 and the PlayStation 4 was seven years. This means that a 2018 launch of the PlayStation 5 would create a gap of 5 years, which seems highly unlikely.

April 7, 2018
Sony Xperia XZ2 To Launch In India On April 16th

UPDATE: The event is for an audio product not the launch of an Xperia smartphone.

Sony could launch its new flagship smartphone, Xperia XZ2 in India. The company has sent out press invites for an event on the 16th of April. The Xperia XZ2 has also been listed on Sony India’s official website which means that the company could indeed launch the device in India.

This is a great move by Sony which launched its previous flagship, the Xperia XZ1 back in September 2017 in India. The new Sony Xperia XZ2 has top of the line specifications and a much-needed design shift to a modern 18:9 aspect ratio. The price of the smartphones will be of utmost importance in a price-sensitive market like in India. Globally, the Xperia XZ2 retails for US$ 799 (Rs 51000 approx.). Now, the Xperia XZ1 was launched in India at price of Rs 44990, and a similar price will be expected for the new flagship smartphone.

Apart from an 18:9 aspect ratio, Sony has made a few significant design changes with the Xperia XZ2. The Xperia XZ2 has a curvier back as opposed to the block design found on the previous Sony flagship phones. The fingerprint sensor also has a new placement this time around. Instead of housing the sensor inside the lock button, the company has moved it to the back of the smartphone. Sony has retained a single camera setup on the back like Google did with the Pixel 2 devices.

Sony Xperia XZ2 Specs

The Sony Xperia XZ2 has a 5.7 inch IPS LCD display with a 2160 x 1080px resolution.

The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. The storage is expandable up to 400GB via a microSD card. Sony has used 3D Gorilla Glass shielding for the back panel. This also means that the Xperia XZ2 comes with support for wireless charging. The smartphone is also IP68 rated for water and dust resistance.

The Xperia XZ2 has a 19MP primary camera with an f/2.0 aperture. In the world of Huawei P20 Pro and its triple camera setup, the Xz2 might seem a bit archaic. But, it could perform well like the Google Pixel 2 smartphones so, we will leave it to that until we test out the device. Interestingly, it has a feature that even the mighty Samsung Galaxy S9 doesn’t have. The XZ2 is capable of recording 1080P video at a whopping 960fps, while the Galaxy S9 only records 720P videos at 960fps. On the front of the smartphone is a 5MP shooter with an f/2.2 aperture.

The phone has a slightly bigger 3180 mAh battery with fast charging capability.

April 3, 2018
Sony Xperia XZ2 Tablets To Launch Soon

Sony has not launched a flagship tablet since 2015. Most of the brands have been doing the same, due to decreasing tablet sales number. However, Sony might reconsider its decision on the same, by launching a flagship tablet in 2018. According to a report, the teardown of Sony’s camera app has hinted towards two tablets from the Japanese smartphone maker. The company is most likely to launch an 8 inch and a 10 inch tablet. These devices might launch under the Xperia XZ2 moniker, which was launched at MWC 2018.

Sony is expected to launch these tablets in the summer of 2018 along with the Xperia XZ2 Pro. The Xperia XZ2 Pro is expected to be the most premium offering from the company, which might have a 4K resolution display with flagship class hardware. Apart from Huawei and Samsung, not many smartphone makers have launched premium Android-powered tablets in the recent past. This is mainly because Apple has been dominating the tablet industry with its iPad lineup. In fact, Apple has a 23% market share in the tablet industry.

Sony Xperia Xz2 tablet Specs

The leak does not mention any specifications. However, going by the flagship device standards, it is likely to launch a device with at least 1080p resolution. Under the hood, the device is likely to be powered by a Snapdragon 800 series processor. Additionally, we might see different variants of these tablets with Wi-Fi or LTE capabilities.

As this leak was seen on camera application, the devices are likely to have a camera similar to the Sony Xperia XZ2. If that so, this could be the first tablet to support slow motion 960fps video recording. However, considering this as a tablet, these devices will have a mediocre camera and a massive battery, which can last for a complete day or two. These tablets are likely to run on Android 8 Oreo.

March 26, 2018
Sony Xperia XZ2/ Xperia XZ2 Compact

The Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact were launched at Mobile World Congress 2018. The devices are the first from Sony to feature an 18:9 aspect ratio and the new Ambient Flow design. Apart from the Galaxy S9 and Asus 5Z, these are the only two smartphones launched at MWC 2018 to be powered by the Snapdragon 845 chipset.

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March 17, 2018
Sony Removed The Headphone Jack Because “Everyone Was Doing it”

Sony launched the Sony Xperia Xz2 and Xz2 Compact at MWC 2018. Starting with these smartphones, the company has changed a lot of things on its flagship smartphone series. The devices no longer look like a slab of metal or glass, as the devices flaunt a new Ambient Flow design. In fact, these are the first batch Sony smartphones to feature 18:9 aspect ratio display. However, when everything was going well with these smartphones, the brand ironically decided to ditch the 3.5 mm headphone.

Sony Xperia XZ2

Sony’s Blog

This is part of the shift to our new Ambient Flow design language. In order to create the beautiful seamless design, our designers needed to remove the headphone jack. Plus, we’re aware of the major market trend toward wireless headphones over wired headphones.

Sony is trying to convince us that the removal of headphone jack has helped them to achieve this form factor. On the contrary, the Sony Xperia Xz2 is one of the thickest flagship smartphones that has been launched in 2018. Sony’s “ambient flow” design has taken a bit of inspiration from the HTC U11 and U11+. However, instead of a glossy finish, Sony has opted for matt finish.

The trend of removing the 3.5 mm headphone jack started with the Apple iPhone 7. The company moved one step closer to a completely port-less iPhone and has continued to exclude the headphone jack ever since. However, at the time of the launch, the decision was met with a collective disdain. In fact, Google mocked Apple during the launch of the Pixel and Pixel XL. However, that soon changed and Google even removed the headphone jack from its Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Over the past year and a half, companies like HTC, Xioami, and Nokia have started shipping their flagship smartphones without a 3.5 mm headphone jack. In fact, OnePlus, Samsung and LG seem to be the only major smartphone makers still interested in keeping the headphone jack relevant.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 is a great example of a flagship smartphone design with a headphone jack. The smartphone comes with a slim form factor. OnePlus’s co-founder Card Pie recently did a poll on Twitter regarding the requirement of the headphone jack. As usual, the crowd went with the first option with almost 88 percent of them saying yes. This could be a hint that the OnePlus 6 will indeed retain the headphone jack.

https://twitter.com/getpeid/status/973745407208468485

Conclusion

It is fair to say that industry trends exist for a reason. While Apple’s decision to remove the headphone jack was panned at first, many smartphone makers have come around the idea since then. Sony, even though late to the party, has also jumped aboard the idea that wireless is the future. Sony itself makes some of the best wireless headphones on the market right now. So, it does make sense for the company to push consumers toward wireless headphones.

March 14, 2018