At the beginning of this, Sony introduced the Xperia 1, a high-end smartphone with a unique 21: 9 CinemaWide display. It was during this time the Sony revealed models – the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus. Although the devices were announced in February, it took some time before they were available in the market. The Japanese manufacturer will likely introduce a top model in the year’s second half. This device is expected in one month, when IFA 2019 starts in Berlin, Germany. Probably it is Sony Xperia 2.
However, there is still some uncertainty about the name. The Sony Xperia XZ3 was released in 2018, which was also a high-end smartphone. Incidentally, this device was not followed by the Xperia XZ4, but by the Xperia 1. There is a probability that Sony decided to have a name change to give the device a completely new design. The elongated display is a real eye-catcher and also stands out immediately among all other smartphone models.
Sony S-Cinetone
On 28 June 2019, Sony Corporation applied for a trademark with the USPTO (the United States Patent and Trademark Office) for the name S-Cinetone. A month later, on July 29, 2019, the same trademark was also applied from Germany, after which the application was entered into the EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office) database.
The following description is included with the Sony S-Cinetone trademark; ‘smartphones; digital cameras; cinematographic machines and equipment ‘.
First of all, the trademark indicates that Sony intends to also apply the new 21: 9 screen ratio in the future. In other words, there is a possibility that the Sony Xperia 2 (or whatever this smartphone may be called) will also have a cinema ratio.
The specifications indicate that the brand wants to focus more on cinematography. Earlier it was rumored that the Xperia 2 would not have a dual camera, but a triple camera. Afterward, a photo of a smartphone case with a cut out for a triple camera got leaked. However, it’s not yet clear as what is the use of the extra lens. There is a possibility that the trademark for S-Cinetone is for this feature.
Will cinematography become the new trend for smartphones?
A so-called Cinema Pro mode is already available on the Xperia 1, which gives users manual control over video recordings. For example, different filters can be applied, and you can also change settings such as ISO, shutter speed, white balance, and the focus point. The Xperia 1 also records videos in a maximum resolution of 4K UHD @ 30fps.
Regarding the specifications of the Xperia 2, the smartphone will probably get a smaller display than before. A 6.1-inch display reportedly replaces the 6.5-inch screen. Whether the 4K resolution is retained is still unknown, but this seems plausible given Sony’s history. In 2015, the company already released the Xperia Z5 Premium, as the world’s first smartphone with a 4K UHD screen resolution. Furthermore, the Sony Xperia 2 will be powered by a Snapdragon 855 processor with 6GB RAM. Furthermore, there is the talk of a 3,000 mAh battery that will also support wireless charging.
Sony is not the only smartphone manufacturer that sees a future for high-quality video recordings. Last month Huawei registered a trademark for the name cine-lens, probably meant for the Huawei Mate 30, this flagship smartphone is expected to hit the market in October 2019. There is a good chance that other manufacturers will also focus on cinematography. A few years ago, Sony was also the first to add a slow-motion function to its smartphone models, and now all top models are equipped with this functionality.
