The Sony Xperia 1 VI is official and it's looking like a welcome refinement of the Xperia 1 V formula. The biggest change is the move away from the staple 4K OLED in its cinema 21:9 aspect ratio and towards a more conventional 19.5:9 1080x2340px panel. The diagonal is still 6.5 inches, but with the new aspect it's actually a slightly larger screen. The display is now brighter too - up from 900 nits to 1,300 nits - and smarter - the LTPO panel variably adjusts between 1Hz and 120Hz, whereas the Xperia 1 V mostly toggled between 60Hz and 120Hz.
This will likely have a positive impact on
battery life - Sony is quick to tout that the 5,000mAh battery will last for
two days of use and our review found it to be marvelous performer. The battery
can recharge 50% in 30 minutes with a 30W charger, and retain at least 80% of
its capacity after 4 years of use thanks to Battery Care and Xperia Adaptive
Charging. Audiophiles will be glad to learn that the Xperia 1 VI brings louder
and balanced full-stage front-facing stereo speakers with reduced distortion.
The 3.5mm headphone jack has a new Premium Audio Circuit for improved output.
As expected, the Xperia 1 VI moves up to
the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with 12GB of RAM. People in Europe can pair the
hardware with 256GB of storage, while buyers in Japan and East Asia will get a
512GB version. Sony finally put a vapor chamber in their flagship phone, which
should help tremendously with thermals. The new FPS Optimizer dynamically
adjusts CPU use and frame rates, depending on the gaming environment.
Let's talk cameras. The Xperia 1 VI's
camera system may sound the same as that of the V but there are fundamental
changes that should make a big, positive difference. The main 48MP 1/1.35"
camera is seemingly unchanged but offers a full-res 48MP mode this year. The
lens is a 24mm f/1.9 optically-stabilized unit. The ultrawide is unchanged as
well - it's a 12MP f/2.2 lens with a 16mm focal length and PDAF.
However, Sony made strides with the zoom
camera. The sensor is the same 1/3.5", but the Xperia 1 VI brings a
longer-reaching 85mm-170mm optically-zooming module (3.5x all the way to 7.1x)
versus the 85-110mm lens of the V. Also new this year is the much closer focusing
for the telephoto camera and even a dedicated tele-macro mode at 120mm - the
zoom camera offers fixed 4cm close focus (2x magnification) with a focus
peaking aid.
Both sides of the phone feature Gorilla
Glass Victus - 2 upfront, version 1 on the back. The back glass has a textual
finish with microfabrication and a frosted finish, just like the previous
model. Textured strips are grooved along the entire aluminum frame, also like
the Xperia 1 V. Sony Xperia 1 VI boots Android 14 at launch and will get three
Android version updates and four years of security updates. The Xperia 1 VI
comes in Black, Platinum Silver, and Khaki Green. It starts from € 1,399/£ 1,299
and will be available from early June.
