Earlier today, Sony conducted a virtual event to introduce its latest Xperia smartphones, with the spotlight on the flagship Xperia 1 VI. The device features a new processor, camera enhancements, and a more traditional design.
Design & Display
The Xperia 1 VI adheres to Sony’s minimalist design ethos, showcasing a boxy structure with flat edges and a flat back. The rear sports a pill-shaped camera island, similar to its predecessor.
The most significant design change lies in the display, now adopting a more standard 19.5:9 aspect ratio instead of the previous 21:9 cinema ratio. This adjustment makes the phone shorter and wider than its predecessor.
Sony has opted to replace the 4K OLED display with a 6.5-inch FHD+ (1080 x 2340 pixels) panel. The new OLED screen supports HDR, covers the full DCI-P3 color gamut, and includes X1 for mobile. It offers a 1-120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, and 240Hz Motion blur reduction. Both the display and back are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. Despite the aspect ratio change, the device still features substantial top and bottom bezels.
Performance
Internally, the Xperia 1 VI is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, coupled with Andreno 750 graphics. The chipset is paired with up to 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage, with a 512GB model available in Japan and East Asia. Additionally, storage can be expanded up to 1.5TB via a microSD card. To manage heat, the phone includes a vapor chamber cooling system.
For audio, the phone features full-stage front stereo speakers with enhanced bass, clarity, and sound distribution. It also retains a 3.5mm headphone jack and incorporates technologies like 360 Reality Audio, 360 Reality Audio hardware decoding, 360 Spatial Sound, Dolby Atmos, LDAC, DSEE Ultimate, Qualcomm aptX HD audio, and LE Audio for an immersive audio experience.
The device is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery, supporting 30W USB PD fast charging and Qi Wireless charging. Connectivity options include 5G, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 6E 802.11 ax, and Bluetooth 5.4 LE. For navigation, it supports GPS and GLONASS. Additional features include a USB 3.2 Type-C port, NFC, and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for security. It runs on an Android 14-based operating system, with Sony promising three Android version updates and four years of security support.
Cameras
The standout feature of the Xperia 1 VI is its camera system, boasting a 48MP primary sensor with a 1/1.3.5″ Exymor T sensor. This sensor is the same as last year’s flagship Xperia model, featuring an f/1.9 aperture with Hybrid OIS and EIS support. The secondary camera is a 12MP ultra-wide unit with an f/2.2 aperture and a 16mm focal length. The third camera is a telephoto unit with a 1/3.5″ sensor and an enhanced 85mm-170mm optically-zoom lens, offering 3.5x to 7.1x optical zoom (21.3x hybrid zoom). All rear cameras are equipped with ZEISS T* coated lenses.
The front-facing camera is a 12MP 1/2.9″ Exmor RS mobile sensor with an f/2.0 aperture and an 84° field of view. The camera system can record videos in up to 4K 120FPS. Sony has also updated the camera app on the Xperia 1 VI to be more user-friendly for point-and-shoot photography, while still retaining the Pro mode for advanced users.
Pricing & Availability
The Xperia 1 VI is priced at €1,399/£1,299 and will be available starting early June. It will come in Black, Platinum Silver, and Khaki Green.
