Sony Xperia 1 II

I can’t recommend the Xperia 1 II to any but the most devoted Sony world devotee. The high $1,200 price combined with the strange lack of 5G in the US makes it a confusing device at best. Phones that include now-standard flagship features like high refresh rate screens and stronger auto-mode photos can be had for hundreds less. With the Xperia 1 II, Sony has finally found the right direction for its smartphones. Now it just needs to move a little further without tripping over its own price tag.

Finally, a Sony flagship worth buying (if you can afford it).

It packs a nice design, plenty of clever touches (headphone port on a flagship feels almost novel at the point) and great software. Save for the £1000/$1000 price, this is Sony’s best phone for a number of years.

I think this phone is best suited to tinkerers—folks that don't mind fiddling around with settings to get the display calibrated exactly right, messing the equalizer to tune the audio to their liking, or futzing with the camera controls to grab a better shot. If that's not you, look to phones like the Pixel 4 or iPhone 11, which have equally great cameras that don't require you to do as much work to get a stunning result.

The Sony Xperia 1 II is the full package as smartphones go, but it isn’t for everyone. Its large size and particular quirks make it something of a niche device, but if you’re looking for a phone with a great rear camera, unbeatable display and a battery that will last you a whole day, you’ve got it here.

Combines a cinephile-grade display with camera smarts taken straight from Sony's Alpha division to great effect. Outright image quality might not be the best, but this feature-packed flagship is still one of the most photographer-friendly handsets around.