The Sony Xperia 1 V was the company’s flagship for 2023, featuring the Exmor T image sensor, 70% larger than the sensor on the Xperia 1 IV. Today, the brand launched the Xperia 1 VI, the flagship phone for 2024. While Sony usually refrains from making significant upgrades in its phones compared to last year’s models, that’s not the case this time. The Sony Xperia 1 VI has some significant changes compared to the previous year’s model, even though the overall design language remains the same.
The most noticeable design change is a different aspect ratio than the predecessor. The Sony Xperia 1 series is known for displays with tall 21:9 aspect ratios. That will change with the Xperia 1 VI, as it has a screen with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. Sony has also gone from a 4K display on the Xperia 1 V to a Full-HD+ panel on the Xperia 1 VI.
The display size is still 6.5 inches, but the peak brightness is now 1300 nits, versus 900 nits. It is an LTPO panel, so the refresh rate can go as low as 1Hz when needed. For comparison, the display on the Sony Xperia 1 V could go as low as 60Hz.
These changes are pretty significant if the battery life is concerned.
Speaking of the battery, the size and charging speed are the same as last year—5,000mAh + 30W charging. The phone still has a 3.5mm headphone jack and uses a new speaker module, which should offer even better audio quality than the speakers on the Xperia 1 V.
Under the hood, the Sony Xperia 1 VI uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. While it may sound surprising, the Xperia 1 VI is the first phone in this series to have a vapour chamber for thermal management.
Let’s talk about the cameras now. The phone has a triple camera setup on the rear. The primary camera uses a 1/1.35″ 52MP Exmor T for mobile sensor with an f/1.9 aperture lens and OIS. The phone also lets you shoot 48MP photos using the primary sensor. The ultrawide camera is the same as last year – a 1/2.5″ 12MP Exmor RS for mobile sensor with a 123-degree FOV lens.
The telephoto camera has a 1/3.5″ 12MP Exmor RS for mobile sensor, an 85-170 mm lens, and OIS. For comparison, last year’s model had a telephoto camera with an 85-125mm lens. So, the new lens offers optical zoom from 3.5x to 7.1x. The telephoto camera also lets you take macro shots.
All three rear cameras support 4K HDR 120fps video recording. The camera module has a ZEISS T* coating to reduce reflections.
Finally, the selfie camera has a 1/2.9″ 12MP Exmor RS for mobile sensor. The selfie camera can shoot 4K 60fps videos.
The phone has Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection on the front and back and is IP68 certified. It also supports a microSD card up to 1.5TB. The phone runs on Android 14 and will receive three OS updates.
The Sony Xperia 1 VI comes in three colors: Black, Platinum Gray, and Khaki Green. The price in Europe is €1,399, while in the UK, it is £1,299. This is the same pricing as the Sony Xperia 1 V.