The Sony Xperia 1 VI Is The Minimalist Mobile Dream And Comes With A Better Display
Sony was one of the first brands I really latched onto in the mobile space but over the years, the company’s dominance faded away, mainly because the phones weren’t able to keep up, particularly in the camera department (ironic since Sony has a huge spot in mobile sensor development).
The Xperia 1 series hasn’t caught my eye since because of some very odd choices, but it seems like things might be different this year, so let’s talk about it.
The Design
The first thing to take note of when it comes to the Xperia 1 VI is that the design looks mostly the same, despite some notable changes going on under the hood. To be honest, that’s a good thing because the series never had a bad design from the start.
The back panel and front are both flat and covered with Gorilla Glass Victus (though the front fittingly has the newer implementation). The back panel has a frosted finish and a very minimal texture to it that improves grip. The aluminum frame is also mostly flat and also keeps grip in mind, with ridges that run all along the frame.
Quite notably, the phone has noticeable chin and forehead bezels, with the top one holding the selfie camera. It seems Sony refuses to embrace the cutout style.
The Screen
The display is one of the bigger points of upgrade (though some may disagree) in this phone. The Sony Xperia 1 line has used screens with 21:9 aspect ratios, an unusually tall choice since the series was introduced. For many, this was awkwardly tall to make use of. Well, that now comes down to 19.5:9, which is more like it.
The screen also completely drops the 4K maximum resolution that the lineup has had since inception (Sony is still the only phone company to have done this) and goes for a simple FHD+ panel instead. It measures 6.5 inches and is now a 120Hz LTPO OLED display. Plus, the maximum brightness is now 1,300 nits, from 900.
The screen is much better now even though some numbers go down, and with the addition of LTPO and the switch to FHD, the battery life will be much better.
The Hardware
It’s no surprise that a phone like this comes with a great hardware configuration. You get a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with 12GB of RAM by its side. There is a 256GB storage option and a 512GB option. You also get a microSD slot to expand your storage. It also seems Sony plans for this phone to be more accessible to the mainstream audience and a vapor chamber has finally been added as well as new FPS Optimizer tech, which should make this better for gaming.
It also comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack (Sony doesn’t seem keen on following trends, both the good and bad ones) which has what the company calls a “Premium Audio Circuit” which should equal better sound for the audiophiles. The battery is a 5,000 mAh cell that can charge at 30W when wired.
Finally, regarding connectivity, you get Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, and USB Type-C 3.2. It runs Android 14, and Sony promises three major OS updates.
The Cameras
For many, the cameras are where it’s at. The Sony Xperia 1 VI has a 48MP f/1.9 main sensor with OIS that offers 24mm and 48mm focal lengths, which isn’t too different from last year. The ultrawide is a 12MP f/2.2 with a 16mm focal length, which is the same as last year.
The 12MP zoom camera is a different game though. You can now zoom from 3.5x to 7.1x, which is the equivalent of 85mm to 170mm. You’ll also be able to focus from closer than before and you get something of a macro mode with that too. The selfie camera is a 12MP f/2.0 module that can record 4K at up to 60fps.
On the rear cameras, you get Zeiss T* coating which should help reduce glare and reflections on the camera. You can also record 4K at various frame rates, including 24, 25, 30, 60, and 120fps.
Pricing And Availability
The Sony Xperia 1 VI is launching in Europe and Asia for now and will cost €1,399 (~$1,520). That’s still expensive, but Sony flagships have been very expensive in recent years. This might be the major reason why the phone won’t explode in popularity, despite more accessible specs. You’ll be able to get the phone in Black, Khaki Green, Scar Red, and Platinum Silver.
