Review says Sony Xperia 1 VIII AI Camera Assistant hurts photos

In short: A reviewer at The Verge says Sony’s AI Camera Assistant on the Xperia 1 VIII usually makes photos look worse and can slow the camera down.

What happened

The Verge tested Sony’s new Xperia 1 VIII phone for a week and focused on a feature Sony calls the AI Camera Assistant. The assistant appears inside the normal camera view while you are about to take a photo. It shows a small preview of what the picture would look like if you accept one of its suggested changes.

Unlike some other “coaching” tools, it does not explain how to frame a shot or what to focus on. The review says it mostly applies strong changes to basic settings like brightness, color tone, and contrast. Think of it like a filter that shows up before you press the shutter, rather than an edit you do afterward.

The reviewer also says the suggestions show up inconsistently. They did not appear on the selfie camera, and often did not appear in situations like shooting into bright light, looking at a blank wall, or taking close-up “macro” shots.

The Verge reports that the feature can also hurt performance. The camera app sometimes opened slowly, froze when switching lenses or applying suggestions, and the phone could overheat. Turning the assistant off seemed to reduce those issues.

Why it matters

Many people buy phones based on camera quality, and “AI” features are often marketed as a way to get better photos with less effort. If an assistant mostly adds harsh filters and makes the camera slower, it can get in the way of capturing everyday moments quickly.

Source: The Verge AI