Sony Xperia line could be getting optical image stabilisation

There's been a flood of news coming out of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which means it can be all too easy to miss some of the smaller revelations. Case in point: optical image stabilisation for the cameras in Sony's Xperia range.

The revelation comes courtesy of a demo video from ON Semiconductor taken in Barcelona. During the demonstration, Solutions Development Manager Arthur Gonsky says his company's OIS technolgy is available in a number of handsets, including Sony Xperia phones.

There's no Optical Image Stabilisation in the Xperia Z3 - so does that mean we can expect it to feature in the upcoming Xperia Z4? Let's hope so, because camera shake can really ruin a great shot.

Shake it up

OIS, for the uninitiated, uses hardware components to counteract camera shake. Digital image stabilisation, on the other hand, uses some software trickery to reduce blur and isn't quite as good.

For example, the iPhone 6 uses DIS whereas the iPhone 6 Plus uses OIS. It's a very useful feature to have on your phone, but it can push the price up, which is why most manufacturers decide to leave it out of the equation.

We won't know for certain until the Xperia Z4 is actually in our hands and after it was a no-show at MWC there's no guarantee of when that will be. Keep your eyes on the camera specs when it finally does see the light of day.

Via Xperia Blog

TOPICS
David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

Latest in Sony Xperia Phones
Sony Xperia 1 VI
Sony Xperia 1 VI review: an old-school flagship that demands some compromise
A hand holding the Sony Xperia Pro-I phone
Sony’s rumored Xperia Pro C could have a surprise design that makes it more like a compact camera
Sony Xperia 1 VI camera
The Sony Xperia 1 VI has landed, with a big zoom and a high price
A Sony Xperia 1 V from the front
Sony Xperia 1 VI leak reveals new camera app and more features borrowed from Alpha cameras
A photo of the Sony Xperia 5 V smartphone
Sony Xperia 5 V review: Saved by the camera
Sony Xperia 5 V colors press image
Sony Xperia 5 V announced: release date, features, and everything you need to know
Latest in News
A young woman is working on a laptop in a relaxed office space.
I’ll admit, Microsoft’s new Windows 11 update surprised me with its usefulness, providing accessibility fixes, a gamepad keyboard layout, and PC spec cards
inZOI promotional material.
inZOI has become the most wishlisted game on Steam, but I wouldn't get too caught up in the hype
Xbox Series X and Xbox wireless controller set to a green background
Xbox Insiders are currently testing a new Game Hub feature that looks useful, but I've got mixed feelings about it
A stylized depiction of a padlocked WiFi symbol sitting in the centre of an interlocking vault.
Broadcom warns of worrying security flaws affecting VMware tools
Nespresso Vertuo Pop machine in Candy Pink with coffee drinks and capsules
My favorite Nespresso coffee maker just got a fresh new makeover, and now I love it even more
Microsoft Surface Laptop and Surface Pro devices on a table.
Hate Windows 11’s search? Microsoft is fixing it with AI, and that almost makes me want to buy a Copilot+ PC