The superior auto mode is okay - not quite got to grips with it yet. I do think there is a little bit too much noise ( I think it increases ISO too much and compiounded with the flash can take over bloomed noisey pics) and sharpening artifacts.
I am sure this can be addressed with firmware.
The real issue with me is actually taking the picture and focussing....I'm not 100% comfortable with Auto mode yet.
Manual however is lots of fun!
First thing to do is set Focus Mode - I like Single Focus for portraits and Multi Focus for landscape. Not tried the other modes much.
The beauty of this in manual mode you can hold down the camera button and focus (focus icon goes light blue) and depress camera button to take the shot. I don't think auto does this? This will help take better photos.
Next thing to set is ISO / Film Speed
If it is a sunny bright day with loads of natural sunlight set the ISO low. An ISO of 50 should produce next to no noise artifacts in these conditions (hold the phone steady or you will get blurry shots!)
The darker the environment you are shooting in, the higher the ISO - this will introduce noise (and is common across all photography). Int he UK I would rarely be able to get a decent shot less than 200 
Adjusting this will allow you to take a wide range of shots across many different lighting conditions.
In Manual Mode you can adjust white balance to match your shooting conditions. Because I am in the UK and it is never sunny I tend to shoot outdoor with Cloudy! Adjusting WHITE BALANCE will allow you to get a nice balance exposure that accurately captures the mood and tone of the subject.
To aid with accurate reproduction change the METERING - I like to use Average - but different circumstances may require different settings.
Unlike most phone camera you can also adjust EXPOSURE (cool feature) to compensate for high / low light conditions. You can increase the brighness of an image if you are trying to capture in dark conditions and vice verse. It's a bit of a hack but with some trial and error and help you get great shots.
I'm still playing with the camera, it's a massive step up from my old iPhone 4 but Manual mode is very satisafying.
As with all photography, you have to learn to apply the rules to your kit in order to take the very best shots.
I do feel the Auto Mode needs some improvement as some of these shots are not instantly awesome, sometimes too noisy and I feel taking an auto shot requires better haptic feedback.
Sorry if I have insulted any Pro Photographers with my Photography 101
Great phone and very cool camera that needs a few tweaks to its software / firmware to make it truly great
(BTW I have not tried a 20MB shot yet)
Hi, I like this thread
Currently, the settings I'm using are:
8MP 4:3
Auto ISO
Auto WB
Metering Average
Face Detection / Single Auto Focus
SCN Off
Stabilizer On
I'm still trying to see what produces the best quality but this is what I'm currently satisfied with now. Reason I'm using 8MP 4:3 is because 1.) I don't like 16:9 and 2) Based on my tests, it produces better OVERALL quality than 20MP .. maybe because of oversampling. Sure it has less detail and is slightly smaller, but it produces for me better quality. If you want, you can try yourself shooting at really low-light, one at full 20MP and the other at 8MP
I'm pretty satisfied with the camera, its a good upgrade from my Xperia P. Its almost as good as my Lumix ZS20! The only thing I would like to have on my wishlist is to have a MAXIMUM ISO setting. Currently, I find that the phone prioritizes a fast shutter speed and disregards whether it shoots in ISO 1000-2000. I want it so I can set the maximum is ISO 800 irregardless of the shooting conditions.
I do like 16:9, especially when I am looking at the pictures on my phone itself or on my wide TV.
I simply hate this black borders...
I hope Sony soon will enable 20MPx 16:9 mode, or at least 13-16MPx 16:9.
Would be awesome.
However, I understand the people who prefer 4:3 
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