Sony is preparing to launch its first 5G-enabled flagship phone in the United States. But you'll have to pay a hefty price to get it.

The Sony Xperia 1 II, first previewed in February, will begin shipping in the US on July 24. Reservations can be made starting June 1, with the 6.5-inch Xperia 1 II starting at $1,199. [This price is the same as Samsung's Galaxy S20 Plus, making the Xperia 1 II one of the more expensive 5G phones. The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is more expensive at $1,399, but you can also buy 5G phones for much less than Sony's planned price, including the Samsung Galaxy S20 ($999), OnePlus 8 Pro ($899), and OnePlus 8 ($699) available.

Sony is obviously hoping that cameras will make a difference on the Xperia 1 II, boasting a triple camera array with focal lengths of 16mm, 24mm, and 70mm. It also includes a time-of-flight 3D time-of-flight sensor, which allows users to take portrait photos with stylishly blurred backgrounds. [In addition to the camera hardware, Sony touts the Xperia 1 II's autofocus capabilities. This results in faster focusing in darker locations. Sony is also leveraging technology from its Alpha camera line so that the Xperia 1 II can challenge the best camera phones.

The Xperia 1 II's 6.5-inch 4K OLED panel maintains the 21:9 aspect ratio of last year's Xperia 1. This stretched screen is reminiscent of a movie theater screen and provides a more immersive experience when watching videos on a smartphone. In addition to motion blur reduction technology, which means less frame lag for improved picture quality, the phone boasts a number of audio features, from Dolby Atmos sound to 360 Reality Audio hardware decoding for optimized sound.

In terms of specs, the Xperia 1 II is powered by Qualcomm's top-of-the-line Snapdragon 865 system-on-chip, the same chipset found in Samsung and OnePlus 5G phones. a 4,000mAh battery keeps the phone's maintain its power.

Pre-orders of the Xperia 1 II by June 28 will include a pair of Sony's WF-1000XM3 noise-canceling earphones, a great alternative to Apple's AirPods and a small break from the Xperia 1 II's $1,199 price tag. It will.

Sony's new phone will work on GSM networks. This means that it will work fine with AT&T and T-Mobile, as well as wireless carriers like Cricket and Metro by T-Mobile, which use the towers of these two carriers. It also means that if you choose Verizon as your carrier, the Xperia 1 II is not for you.

Sony smartphones have struggled to find users in the United States. However, past Sony phones have also failed to offer an attractive alternative to top-of-the-line Android phones.

The Xperia 1 II does little to address the high price of Sony's phones, but it is clear that Sony is trying to address one area where the Xperia 1 really fell down on the job, this time with an emphasis on the camera. [Sony only previewed the Xperia 1 II at an online event following the cancellation of this year's Mobile World Congress, where it was supposed to debut, so at this point it is It is difficult to judge. However, we look forward to testing the new phone and seeing if the Xperia 1 II's acclaimed camera is up to the task.