The Android 8.0 Oreo update released for the Sony Xperia XZ Premium last week hasn’t been flawless, with user reports indicating that the camera’s RGBC-IR and ToF sensors no longer work as intended, however the good news is that Sony already acknowledged the problem and devised a fix which will be rolled out in the coming weeks. The problem seems to affect only the Sony Xperia XZ Premium Dual SIM variant running Android 8.0 Oreo build 47.1.A.3.254.
According to Sony, the issue stemmed from a software configuration related to the RGBC-IR and ToF sensors in the latest Oreo build, resulting in poor pictures quality and color rendition, as well as slower autofocus in specific lighting and color conditions. Fortunately, Sony claims to have already solved the issue in an updated software version which is currently scheduled for release in November 2017. The OEM clarifies that although it plans to release the OTA update next month, exact release dates cannot be given as they will differ based on mobile operator, region, market and so on. No other details regarding the update or whether it will contain any additional improvements have been revealed. As far as Sony Xperia XZ Premium owners are concerned, they can determine whether their smartphones have been affected by this issue by dialing *#*#7378423#*#* and reading the on-screen values, which should not be negative.
Sony’s latest flagship phone prides itself with its camera capabilities, boasting a 19-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture, electronic image stabilization, and predictive phase detection and laser autofocus. The unit also uses the aforementioned RGBC-IR sensor designed to determine true color using RGB colors and infra-red light, as well as the ToF (time-of-flight) range imaging sensor able to determine distances by measuring the time-of-flight of a light signal traveling between the subject and camera itself. With that being said, it’s unfortunate that one of the best features presented by the Sony Xperia XZ Premium has now been crippled with this latest software release, but fortunately, this isn’t a hardware issue and will be resolved sooner or later depending on how and where the next patch will expand its reaches.