Sony confirms: unlocking the bootloader on the Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact can affect camera functionality

Not long ago, it’s been discovered that unlocking the bootloader on Sony’s Xperia Z3 Compact would cause its camera to underperform when it comes to low-light photography. Now, Sony is officially acknowledging this, mentioning that the issue can also affect the Xperia Z3, and other high-end Xperias that run recent software versions.

Unlocking the bootloader on the Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact removes DRM security keys, which, according to Sony, can result in the removal of noise reduction algorithms. Thus, as Sony puts it, “performance when taking photos in low-light conditions might be affected.”

Of course, regular customers are unlikely to unlock their bootloaders anyway, so they won’t have these problems. On the other hand, folks who regularly unlock their bootloaders are well aware that this comes with some trade-offs, though Z3 users were probably not expecting one of the trade-offs to be related to camera performance.

Both the Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact are available to buy in some European and Asian markets, and should also be released in the US and Canada pretty soon. To learn more about the two smartphones, check out our Xperia Z3 review, and our Xperia Z3 Compact review.


source: Sony via Android Police