The Xperia 1 VI won’t shake up the landscape much, like its predecessor did, and that is a good thing. That doesn’t mean you should rush out to buy it, though.
Verdict
While the Xperia 1 VI is impressive in so many ways and easier to recommend than its predecessor, the former’s removal of this unique 4K screen makes it hard to justify opting for this phone over other cheaper rivals.
Design & Build
Design
Sony has, historically, done things a little differently in terms of smartphone design. Of course, the past few generations of Xperia phones have been characterized by tall, narrow constructions that were really designed to fit 21:9 widescreen content, with a 4K display.
The Xperia 1 VI is Sony’s 2024 flagship, and it drops that formula with a far more traditional 19.5:9 aspect ratio and Full HD+ resolution, bringing it more into line with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
The Xperia 1 VI is shorter and wider than usual, making it easier to hold and use single-handedly, even though at 192g, it weighs a bit more. This is one change that has taken a turn for the better regarding user experience but has reduced the distinctiveness of earlier designs of the Xperia series.
Build
It comes in three colours, Platinum, Black, and Khaki Green, the last of which is really striking. There’s a sort of textured matte finish on the back that seems to help with fingerprint smudges and produce a better grip. At the same time, the glass construction makes the phone very fragile—a minor drop significantly damaged it during testing.
The Xperia 1 VI still has IP65/IP68 water and dust resistance, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. More importantly, its vibration motor provides excellent haptic feedback, which further improves the overall user experience.
Screen & Speakers
The 6.5-inch Full HD+ OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate is basically a step down from the former 4K screen. At the same time, it is a very versatile and practical screen equipped with LTPO technology that allows for adaptive refresh rates for better battery life. This panel is really bright and hits as high as 723 nits, making it perfectly visible under any lighting conditions.
It also features dual stereo speakers, which give clear, balanced sound with decent bass—at least at lower maximum volumes and a bit easily prone to noise creation. Adding a 3.5mm jack and supporting Hi-Res LDAC audio over wireless, audiophiles are catered for, too.
Performance
Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and 12GB of RAM, performance is not a weakness of the Xperia 1 VI. Everyday tasks and demanding games go off without a hitch. Though, the phone does have some heating issues during heavy tasks or when charging.
On the inside, it ships with 256GB storage that can be expanded up to 1.5TB via microSD. Other options for connectivity include WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, 5G, and NFC.
Camera
The Xperia 1 VI has a main camera of 50MP, a telephoto lens of 12MP that does 3.5-7.1x optical zoom, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and lastly, a 12MP front camera. The result is highly detailed and lifelike photos.
Performance for the telephoto is very impressive for zoom and macro shots. Still, it performed at par with regular ones in low-light conditions, and the camera system, in general, fell short of the best available on the market.
The camera app on the phone condenses many features from Sony’s older Photography Pro, Video Pro, and Cinema Pro apps into a single, more user-friendly package.
Battery Life & Charging
Thanks to the 5000mAh battery, the Xperia 1 VI will easily last two to three days with use. That said, the 30W wired charging is really slow compared to rivals and takes 80 minutes to fully charge. Further, it supports 15W wireless and reverse wireless charging.
Software & Updates
The Xperia 1 VI has near-stock, with Android 14 onboard and little in the way of bloatware. Sony is promising three years of OS updates and four years of security patches, which once more is passable but behind some rivals.
See the market experience of Sony Xperia 1 VI.
Price & Availability
This puts the £1,299 price tag of the UK variant directly against some top models, including Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra, Xiaomi 14 Ultra, and iPhone 15 Pro Max—all leading contenders in the premium flagship market. For many, these rivals represent better value for their money.
Should You Buy the Xperia 1 VI?
The Xperia 1 VI makes a big design change for Sony to appeal more to the mainstream. It ticks all boxes on performance, battery life, and zoom and macro photography. However, its price tag is a little too much to handle, overheating and really slow charging are other drawbacks. With this kind of competition, probably most people will find better elsewhere.
Quick Summary
Pros
- Stellar performance
- Really good battery life
- Best-in-class zoom and macro photography
- Bloat-free software experience
Cons
- Very expensive
- Thermals could be better
- Charging speed is slow
Specifications
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
- 12GB RAM
- 256GB storage (expandable up to 1.5TB via microSD)
- LTPO OLED display 6.5-inch, 1080 x 2340 with a refresh rate of 120Hz
- 48MP main camera, OIS
- Telephoto camera 12MP with 3.5x-7.1x optical zoom, OIS
- 12MP ultrawide camera
- Front camera: 12MP
- Battery capacity: 5000mAh
- Charging: 30W wired, 15W wireless, and reverse wireless charging
- Networking: 5G
- Dual stereo speakers
- Wi-Fi: 7
- Bluetooth: 5.4
- NFC
- IP65/IP68-rated water resistance and dust resistance
- Android 14
- Dimensions: 162 x 74 x 8.2mm
- Weight: 192g
That’s all we know about Xperia 1 VI