Sony (NYSE: SNE) launched two new smartphones on Thursday which can capture 3-D images which could pave the way for augmented reality (AR), gaming, and 3-D printing applications.
The company says 5.2-inch Xperia XZ1 and 4.6-inch XZ1 compact are the Japanese electronics giant's latest devices launched into the increasingly competitive market, just days ahead of Apple's latest iPhone models are expected to be released.
Key specs include: Camera that can take super slow motion video, like the company's flagship XZ Premium; A predictive capture mode that allows users to see images that were taken just before a person actually presses the capture button; A display that supports High Dynamic Range (HDR) content from both Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. HDR content essentially boosts the contrast making content look more vibrant, and: A Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor with 1 Gigabit download speed capability
The standout feature on the smartphone is the ability to capture images in 3-D. A user opens the camera and can walk around a subject, such as a person's head or a plate of food. The software is then able to render a 3-D image of that, which can be edited.
A user can then place that 3-D image into Sony's augmented reality app. Currently, the company is looking for developers to create new applications for this. One possibility could be the ability to send the image to be 3-D printed.
Sony shares approached mid-morning Thursday better in price by 25 cents to $39.45
