Sony may be the last brand you think of when buying a new Android flagship. Despite launching impressive phones with promising specs, Sony phones are let down by poor execution, a steep price, and limited availability. Yet, the company created a niche following for its Xperia smartphones.
The company has a new flagship for 2024: the Xperia 1 VI. It packs major changes and gets rid of some longstanding Xperia traditions in favor of a better user experience. Here’s everything we know about the Sony Xperia 1 VI.
Sony Xperia 1 VI: Design and specs
Bye, bye tall boy design!
Leaks indicated Sony was planning some big design changes for the Xperia 1 VI. And they were accurate, with the Japanese company ditching its ultra-tall 21:9 aspect ratio design with its latest flagship Xperia. While the phone still looks like an Xperia, it packs a traditional 19.5:9 aspect ratio display. This makes two-handed typing easier but at the expense of one-handed typing no longer being as comfortable as previous Xperia phones.
With the ultra-tall display gone, the Xperia 1 VI is noticeably shorter and thinner, measuring 162 x 74 x 8.2mm.
Sony claims the rear Gorilla Glass Victus panel has a textural finish with the “convex microfabrication of hard glass, alongside a frosted finishing” for better grip and improved scratch resistance.
Another major change on the Xperia 1 VI is the display. Sony typically uses a 4K HDR panel on its flagship phone, making it stand out from the crowd. But with its newest Xperia, Sony switched to a traditional 6.5-inch FHD+ OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. The company claims the panel has a 240Hz touch scanning rate, 100% DCI-P3 coverage, and 10-bit tonal gradation. It uses Gorilla Glass Victus 2 as a cover glass for improved drop protection and scratch resistance.
We never found the 4K panels on previous Xperia phones worth the hype (or power consumption), and the switch to a lower-resolution OLED panel is a practical one. Sony says it is up to 50% brighter than the Xperia 1 V while being more power efficient.
Barring these two major changes, the Xperia 1 VI packs the same design elements as previous Xperia phones, including an IP65/68 dust and water resistance rating. Like its predecessor, the Xperia 1 VI sports a dedicated shutter button, though it’s bigger than before for better usability.
Sony Xperia 1 VI
The Sony Xperia 1 VI is the company’s 2024 flagship, packing significant changes. Gone is the ultra-tall display in favor of a more traditional 19.5:9 OLED panel with 50% higher brightness. It also sports upgraded internals and a new telephoto camera for better imaging.
- SoC
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
- Display type
- OLED, 120Hz
- Display dimensions
- 6.5-inch
- Display resolution
- 1080 x 2340
- RAM
- 12GB
- Storage
- 256GB, 512GB UFS 4.0
- Battery
- 5,000mAh
- Charge speed
- 30W
- Charge options
- Wired, wireless
- Ports
- USB-C
- SIM support
- Nano SIM, eSIM
- Operating System
- Android 14
- Front camera
- 12MP f/2.0
- Rear camera
- 48MP f/1.9 main sensor, 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide, 12MP f/2.3-f/3.5 telephoto with 3.5x – 7.1x zoom
- Cellular connectivity
- 4G LTE, 5G
- Wi-Fi connectivity
- Wi-Fi 7
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 5.4
- Dimensions
- 162 x 74 x 8.2 mm
- Weight
- 192g
- IP Rating
- IP65/68
Sony’s flagship phones have always packed high-end hardware. The Xperia 1 VI is no different. It uses Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip paired with 12GB RAM and 256GB or 512GB storage. There’s also a microSD card slot that can accept microSDXC cards up to 1.5TB.
The Xperia 1 VI retains a 3.5mm audio jack, and Sony uses a new Premium Audio Circuit for even better performance. The stereo speakers are also better, with reduced distortion at high levels.
I’m gleefully reliving my iPod days with this slick Sony DAP that runs Android
It’s nice to get back to an audio experience where I control the content quality
A beefy 5,000mAh cell provides juice to the internals for a claimed two-day battery life. Thanks to a new display, vapor chamber heat dissipation, and other power efficiency improvements, Sony says the Xperia 1 VI can provide over 36 hours of continuous video playback. That’s nearly double the runtime of its previous Xperia flagship. With fast charging support, you can juice up the battery to 50% in 30 minutes.
Other phone specs include Wi-Fi 7 support, Bluetooth 5.4, 5G, eSIM, dual nanoSIM slots, Qi wireless charging, reverse wireless charging, NFC, and support for advanced audio codecs like LDAC and Bluetooth LE audio. It also supports DisplayPort over USB-C.
You can get the Xperia 1 VI in black, platinum silver, and khaki green shades.
Sony Xperia 1 VI: Software
Same old software policy
Every company is jumping on the AI buzzword, using it for all key features they introduce in their flavor of Android. However, Sony is bucking that trend, and you won’t find any eye-catching AI features on the Xperia 1 VI. The phone runs Android 14 with Sony’s relatively simple skin on top.
Sony’s software upgrade policy has always been its Achilles heel, and this trend continues with the Xperia 1 VI. The phone will get three OS upgrades and four years of security patches, less than the Google Pixel 8 and Samsung Galaxy S24 series.
Sony could have at least promised five years of OS updates for its 2024 flagship, as three years for a phone this expensive is a big letdown.
Sony Xperia 1 VI: Cameras
An impressive new telephoto shooter
The Xperia 1 VI retains the same 52MP 1/1.35″ Exmor T sensor with f/1.9 aperture as its predecessor. It has an effective resolution of 48MP, a 24mm focal length, and a pixel pitch of 2.24µm when capturing binned 12MP photos. The 12MP ultrawide camera is also the same: a 1/2.5″ Exmor RS sensor with an f/2.2 aperture and 16mm focal length. There were rumors that Sony would switch to 52MP Exmor T sensors across all rear cameras on its new flagship, but that’s not the case.
Sony is using a new telephoto camera. The 12MP 1/3.5″ Exmor RS periscope sensor features a focal length of 85 mm to 170 mm and delivers 3.5x-7.1x optical zoom. This shooter has telemacro support with a minimum focusing distance of 4cm.
On the front, the Xperia flagship houses a 12MP f/2.0 camera with support for 4K 60fps recording and S-Cinetone for mobile.
Camera hardware is only one part of the equation. Xperia phones have always focused on offering the most manual controls possible in their camera app. With its 2024 flagship Xperia, Sony has given its camera app a makeover, making it easier to use. All pro controls must be moved to the Pro mode for a cleaner UI experience. With Creative Look, you can access six presets to give your photos or videos extra oomph.
The Xperia 1 VI uses AI for Human pose estimation, as seen on Sony’s Alpha cameras, to detect and identify your body and head positions for accurate autofocus. Other notable upgrades include shooting 48MP pictures from the primary camera, improved video HDR, and recording in 4K 120fps resolution from all three rear cameras.
Sony Xperia 1 VI: Price and release date
Pricey, like all previous Xperias
In the past, Sony has announced its flagships in May, with availability beginning in July. The Xperia 1 VI arrived on schedule, debuting on May 15 in the UK and Europe, a couple of days ahead of the company’s special event on May 17. The phone will go on sale starting June 3, with Sony offering attractive pre-order offers in the launch markets.
There’s no word on US availability. Since Sony phones have always launched stateside a few months later, the Xperia 1 VI could follow the same trend.
As for price, the Xperia 1 VI costs a whopping €1399 or £1299. That makes the phone more expensive than the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Pixel 8 Pro, two of the best Android smartphones.
Sony takes a step in the right direction
But it still has a way to go
With the Xperia 1 VI, Sony has taken some steps in the right direction. Ditching the ultra-tall display in favor of a wider 19.5:9 FHD+ OLED display is a smart decision, as it improves battery life. The revamped camera app, which is more straightforward to use, and the new telephoto camera are also a welcome addition.
Sony still needs to fix many things. The phone’s steep pricing and limited availability are the biggest factors restricting its reach. The Japanese giant must also improve its software update policy to make a mark in the smartphone market. Unless Sony addresses these drawbacks, its Xperia lineup will remain a niche option in the Android ecosystem with limited takers.
Sony Xperia 1 VI
The Sony Xperia 1 VI is the company’s 2024 flagship, packing some significant changes. Gone is the ultra-tall display in favor of a more traditional 19.5:9 OLED panel with 50% higher brightness. It also sports upgraded internals and a new telephoto camera for better imaging.
