Sony launches the Xperia 1 VI, replaces 4K display with FHD+ screen

It has been about a year since the Xperia 1 V launched, and right on time, Sony is releasing its successor — the Xperia 1 VI. This year, Sony took a slightly different approach to the Android phone, which may prove to be a controversial decision. We’ll get into that and more as we tell you everything you need to know about the Xperia 1 VI.

Design

The Xperia 1 VI comes with a similar design as previous entries in the series, but features a frosted finish back panel. However, the 2024 handset is a little shorter than last year’s model, measuring 162 x 74 x 8.2mm. This change comes at the expense of the aspect ratio, which is now 19.5:9 (previously 21:9). As was eluded to earlier, Sony made a controversial change to the new Xperia 1, and that change is to the display.

The company has decided to drop the 4K display in favor of a FHD+ OLED screen. It appears the tech giant found that 4K was not great for camera shooting or gaming due to power constraints. However, this FHD+ display is powered by new color reproduction tech from BRAVIA, which uses AI to improve contrast, color, and clarity. In addition, the screen has a variable refresh rate between 1-120Hz, offers 50% more brightness than last year, and is more energy efficient than before.

Cameras

There are three rear cameras that use Exmor T sensors. This camera setup consists of a 16mm ultrawide camera, a 24mm main camera, and an 85mm to 170mm variable telephoto camera. As for the front camera, you can expect a 24mm lens. The main camera supports 48MP shooting for the first time, while the telephoto shooter has an optical zoom of 3.5 to 7.1.

Unlike other smartphones these days, Sony seems to have avoided fitting AI into unnecessary places. One of the few places you will find AI features on this phone, however, is in the cameras. To that respect, Sony has implemented AI processing to assist with delivering picture quality equivalent to full-frame cameras. This means dampening the noise and providing a wider dynamic range in low light.

Along with that, Sony is using AI to give the Xperia 1 VI AF tracking. The firm says that AI-powered AF tracking ensures consistent and accurate tracking, optimizing image capture in a diverse set of environments.

Something surprising is that Sony decided to do away with the Photography Pro, Videography Pro, and Cinema Pro apps in favor of consolidating them into a single, more user-friendly app. However, there is a Pro mode for video coming in the next Android update that provides detailed controls for video capture.

Specs

Sitting inside the Xperia 1 VI is Qualcomm’s latest SoC, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Along with that, you get your choice of 12GB of RAM with 256GB of storage or 12GB of RAM with 512GB of storage. And for additional storage needs, the handset supports microSDXC expansion up to 1.5TB.

Powering the device is your typical 5,000mAh battery, which Sony claims can last up to two days. The Xperia 1 VI also supports Qi wireless charging, as well as battery sharing.

Gaming and audio

Of course, what’s an Xperia if it doesn’t have solid audio and gaming features? On the gaming side, the Xperia 1 VI is getting an FPS optimizer that is said to dynamically optimize CPU usage and frame rate depending on what you’re playing. Just as important as anything else, the touch controls have been refined to offer three different tracking speeds and two levels of tap accuracy. And to keep the phone cool, Sony gave the phone a new vapor chambor.

For audio, the 3.5mm headphone jack makes its return for another year. You also get full-stage stereo speakers that are balanced left and right for symmetrically balanced playback. Sony says it has made significant enhancements to reduce distortion at high volumes and optimize low-frequency output. There’s also an assortment of the latest audio industry technology like the DSEE Ultimate, 360 Reality Audio, LDAC, Hi-Res wireless audio, Bluetooth LE audio, and Snapdragon sound.

Xperia 1 VI: Price and availability

The Xperia 1 VI will be available to buy in early June for approximately £1,299/€1,399, with pre-orders starting now. Unfortunately, the Xperia 1 VI will not be coming to the US, as confirmed via The Verge.