A worse video than usual, but had to be quick. Just wanted to showcase low light video following a fast moving object & having to follow it.

The camera is quite capable tbh. So anyone second guessing the video capabilities - Don't :)

Conditions:

- Low light

- Plane flying quite fast

- I wasn't ready

- Had to follow the plane with a 5.8x zoom and sub-optimal conditions.

Took a hiatus and got a little son. :-)

Really nice shot of a bumblebee.

2.9x zoom

Early morning in Sweden, 03.40. Beautiful sunrise.

So, after a lot of hassle I did get my phone approximately 3 weeks later than supposed, it is what it is, getting some freebies from Sony due to them fucking up my order etc.

But I figured, because I've been posting a lot here, that I could do a super average Joe review for other average Joes here 😄

I am not a reviewer, I just enjoy photographing and listening to music, so I will be adding this song (give it a listen, just found it this week on my discover weekly) so that you can listen to something nice whilst reading below!

Vesna - Kontaktees

Charging & Battery: Steady Over Speedy

Look, it’s not going to win any speed-running trophies. It’s not touching the 90W madness of the Chinese brands, and it even lags behind Apple and Samsung's 45W top speeds.

But honestly? I usually charge at the end of the day, and utilizing Sony’s "Battery Care" adaptation has made this a total non-issue for me. If you throw anything stronger than a 30W block at it, it gets a little warm, but that’s pretty much par for the course with flagship cameras and hardware anyway. I get to 80% in about 45 minutes, which is perfectly fine in my book. I’d rather be proactive about my battery’s long-term health before heading out anyway. Still, now that Samsung has finally embraced 45W, Sony could easily step up to a 45W or 60W standard.

Screen: Clean, Unbroken, and Built to Last

Coming from the Mark VI, I really don't get what reviewers are crying about. I’ve used an iPhone 16 and a Galaxy S25 before, and sure—those displays get a bit brighter. But let’s be real: pushing extreme brightness means burning through your battery and begging for eventual screen burn-in. I completely get why Sony plays it safe here.

Besides, the "Creator Mode"—which pulls straight from their Bravia TV tech—is an absolute cheat code. Movies just look incredibly visually pleasing.

Best of all? The screen is completely continuous. No camera punch-holes, no island "pills" floating in your content. I absolutely love it. Being 35, maybe it's just some old-school nostalgia talking, but it rules :D

Selfie Camera: Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Since there's no punch-hole, the selfie camera is tucked into the bezel—but let's be honest, it's pretty weak. It can film in 4K30, but the photo processing is way too aggressively HDR'd.

I basically never take selfies, so I’ll let my girlfriend summarize this one:

>

I have to agree. If you're a heavy selfie taker, do not buy this phone. Seriously, it's a waste of your money.

Gaming: Snappy Performance, Shitty WiFi

This thing is incredibly snappy! I play Call of Duty on high settings, and whenever I experience a lag spike, I know it's just my own shitty home WiFi acting up again.

Every single game I’ve thrown at it has run beautifully, including some of the heavier-hitting titles available on Netflix. But I always end up back on CoD on the highest settings, and it stays perfectly fluid. It doesn't get super hot, either. Granted, I only game for about 20 to 30 minutes in a single daily session, but heat has been a complete non-issue.

Everyday Usage: Fast, Smooth, and Mostly Hassle-Free

Day-to-day use is remarkably snappy. No hiccups, no random restarts, and zero weird system errors. Once, the native camera app lagged for about 4 seconds—which was super random—but it has never happened again. Of course, because it’s Android, camera quality inside third-party apps like Instagram is still pretty mediocre, but that’s a platform issue, not a Sony one.

The side fingerprint sensor is fast, but a word of warning: make sure you wipe your hands. I've had it refuse to unlock because of sweat, water, or food residue. After the gym, I always have to make sure my fingers are bone-dry. I suppose wanting cleaner hands is technically a healthy habit, but it does get annoying when you just want to unlock your phone.

My only major pet peeve? The lack of a native Sony gallery app. It really rustles my feathers. If anyone has a solid recommendation for a clean, feature-rich gallery app, please let me know—I’d gladly try it out!

Camera (Back): For the Intentional Shooter

As you might have seen from the zoom, manual, and quick "point-and-click" photos I've posted, this system is a beast.

For quick point-and-click shots, it’s easily on par with Apple and Samsung. You just have to find a preset you like (or build your own using the AI features), tinker slightly with the lighting/color, and shoot. The autofocus is ridiculously fast. I’m constantly telling my friends to watch it work, and my girlfriend is frankly tired of hearing me hype it up. Honestly, I'd say the autofocus on photos and videos is on par with, or even better than, the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Where I spend most of my time, though, is shooting between 85mm and 170mm in manual/pro mode. I love shooting from "afar" to capture genuine, candid moments. The results are incredibly crisp (even if Reddit compression does my uploaded pictures and videos dirty compared to how they look on the actual device!).

On the video front, the lack of a true LOG profile sucks, and the stabilization still trails behind Apple and Samsung. That said, I've noticed shooting in 4K30 works quite well—oddly enough, especially when using the 2x crop.

Sound Quality: A good old Mp3 player in your pocket!

The sound quality is outstanding, and it integrates brilliantly if you use Sony headphones. It’s an easy 10/10. My only minor gripe is that the volume feels a bit too low on anything under the 30% threshold, but once you crank it past that, it is incredibly clean and powerful.

Summary: The Verdict

You get stock Android, exceptional rear cameras, and a great everyday experience. Just skip it if you're obsessed with selfies or want to shoot smooth video while running around.

Took them yesterday!

Great lighting conditions!

Did some macro shots. Manual macro but everything else is auto!

I quite fancy it. Not sure what I think of the 'auto' macro though. I use manual for mostly everything except video (because I suck at that :-D)

Snapshot (auto camera) of a plane & a church through foilage. 5.8x zoom!

It's quite capable, even though some spec sheet warriors want you to think otherwise.

Another one. Attaching my settings also!

5.9x zoom

F /2.8

1/200 ss

Iso 32

Non swedish/germanic speakers lol, translating off the board:

Lighting level (I guess)
Warmths
Toning
Contrast
Saturation

From left to right :) I find it beautiful during dusk!

So here are the zoom options from 1x -> 5.8 -> 10x in low light!

f/2.8

1/160 s

5.9x zoom (16,18 mm)

ISO 32

Haven't really tried it out during the day but dusk and dawn is pure perfection with the light!

So.

4k

60fps

2x zoom

Someone asked about the auto focus and if it's better than on the previous model - Yes indeed it is!

Quite fast, same applies to human subjects although I do not share those videos due to peoples integrity 😄

Maybe I can shoot some city scape video tomorrow.

ƒ/2,8
1/125
16,18 mm
ISO 125

Kind of zoomed in, early in the morning, but still a crist and really good picture.
Really starting to like it more and more, the camera is a step up from the mark 7, which I didn't really think it would be.

Will be trying to shoot more "city-scape" shots the next few days!

Settings:

4k
120 fps
2.9x zoom

Kind of impressed by the video capabilities, although still a bit jittery compared to the Samsung Ultras stabilization.

I just got this phone this week and will be posting videos of me learning it lmao*.

Hoping upload will be in good quality, otherwise I would gladly take input on how to upload crisp videos the easiest way!

Really like how fast the camera actual focuses on objects.

* I came from a Mark 7, so not "learning" in the sense of being a total noob, just learning how to take nice videos using pro mode :)

Another one! No filters or anything as usual :)