The Sony Xperia 1 VI is the very best Sony flagship in years (if you should purchase it)

I really like Sony. When smartphones from corporations like Apple and Samsung zig, Sony inevitably zags, and it’s how we ended up with the Xperia 1 line within the first place.

The collection has constructed its popularity on narrowcasting to Sony loyalists with world-first options that rivals don’t even contemplate competing towards. Nevertheless, that’s beginning to change with the Xperia 1 VI.

It’s nonetheless a killer all-rounder, with the road’s now-signature utilitarian design, a clear, near-stock Android person expertise, and uncommon design quirks, like a bodily headphone jack, twin front-facing stereo audio system, and a bezel-mounted front-facing digicam. However for the primary time for the reason that unique 2019 Xperia 1, concessions have been made on a number of the collection’ defining traits, such because the step down from a 4K decision, 21:9 show to a brighter, squatter 19.5:9, Full HD+ panel. This shift in Sony’s strategy runs a lot deeper, although.

There are, actually, various iterative refinements throughout the Mark VI that present Sony doesn’t wish to solely panda to the die-hards anymore. It’s this better consideration on bettering person expertise and mass attraction, reasonably than breaking new floor, that makes it a greater telephone general.

Should you’ve spent any time with the Xperia 1 V, you’ll be hard-pressed to inform its successor aside from the skin. Whether or not that’s good or unhealthy actually hinges in your fondness for Sony’s function-led design language. A ridged aluminum rail sits between a sandwich of flat Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the entrance and textured Gorilla Glass Victus on the again, making certain the Xperia 1 VI presents what might be the very best grip of any smartphone and not using a case on.

The inset energy button-cum-capacitive fingerprint sensor on the telephone’s proper facet is unorthodox by in the present day’s requirements, contemplating the swathes of in-display readers most telephones use, but it surely’s conveniently positioned, speedy, and dependable. Different rarities embrace a dual-detent knurled shutter button, a bodily headphone jack, and a toolless hybrid microSD and SIM tray you could pry out with a nail — the latter made all of the extra spectacular by the telephone’s IP65/68-certified ingress safety towards mud and water.

At 196 grams, it’s additionally simply on the fitting facet of being comfy to wield for lengthy intervals, even when the departure from the collection’ tremendous slim footprint means the VI is a tad wider than its predecessor.

The show embodies the most important departure that the Xperia 1 VI makes in comparison with its predecessors. The shift in side ratio is slight, however the soar in decision is important, a minimum of on paper. In actuality, the concessions made truly enhance the telephone’s viewing expertise general, so don’t fret.

For the Sony die-hards and the spec-heads, earlier Xperias’ outlandish pixel density was some extent of delight, a dialog starter, and a real novelty in a sea of in any other case similar-spec’d flagship telephone shows, so the choice to drop right down to a Full HD+ panel for the Xperia 1 VI could rub some the improper method. Nevertheless, accounting for the truth that earlier entries rendered most visuals at Full HD decision anyway, the drop down in density has allowed Sony to push in different areas.

That is now the brightest Xperia up to now, with a brand new panel that’s 50% brighter than the display discovered on its predecessor (Sony cites a peak brightness of 1,300 nits), and in follow, the distinction is each noticeable and welcome. Rivals exterior of the Sony line promise even better figures (the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely cites a peak brightness of two,600 nits), however that doesn’t detract from the extra sensible visible improve customers obtain in favor of unmatched pixel density.

There’s additionally the matter of the bezel, which is thicker alongside the highest and backside however permits sufficient room for the front-facing digicam (as on earlier fashions), which means the show itself stays uninterrupted; twin front-facing speaker grilles reduce into them too. Whereas equally skinny bezels are undeniably aesthetically fascinating, I a lot desire the extra useful strategy Sony’s taken right here.

Talking of audio, Sony’s telephones have lengthy been a bastion for cell audio followers, and the Xperia 1 VI isn’t any exception. The apparent advantages of choosing this newest Xperia over the standard suspects (Apple, Samsung, Google) are these “full stage” Dolby Atmos-certified stereo audio system, and the presence of a bodily headphone jack.

Positive sufficient, they dole out impressively well-rounded sound correct via the telephone’s quantity vary, with minimal distortion and outlined stereo separation, even at its peak. This readability and depth imply its audio system sound higher than these on virtually another telephone I’ve examined in latest reminiscence, and that’s with out factoring within the comfort of that headphone jack for 3.5mm purists.

Then there’s every part you don’t see: help for high-res wi-fi audio through LDAC and Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive requirements, in addition to audio upscaling with Sony’s DSEE Final tech. Help for the corporate’s personal 360 Actuality Audio format persists, too, together with the Upmix function for stereo supply audio. Nevertheless, discovering content material that helps the tech stays a problem (Amazon Prime Music, nugs.web, Peertracks, and Sony 360 Actuality Audio Stay look to be your solely choices, proper now), and also you’ll additionally possible need appropriate Sony or Audio-Technica headphones (a few of which you’ll discover in our decide of the greatest wi-fi headphones for Android) to get pleasure from it with; making the barrier to entry for the usual fairly excessive.

Sony’s tackle Android has all the time been conservative and thought of, and the sunshine hand in the case of modification is one thing I recognize. Equally to Pixels and Motorolas, the Android 14-based person expertise on the 1 VI is clear and near-stock, with solely minor tweaks which are all to the good thing about customers. A extra detailed Fast Settings drawer, simpler entry to multitasking through the app switcher and — though activation is a little bit completely different this technology — Aspect Sense, which helps you to shortly entry customizable options and app shortcuts or app pairs.

One ongoing battle for Sony telephones is lackluster software program help. Earlier entries within the collection have been served up with an abysmal two years of OS updates and three years of safety updates post-launch, which was already behind the established order for replace insurance policies.

With the Xperia 1 VI, Sony has a minimum of conceded an extra yr of every, so three subsequent OS upgrades and 4 years of safety, however that continues to lag behind the remainder of the business. Samsung and Google now lead the cost, with seven of each OS and safety for his or her flagship-tier telephones. It’s presumably Sony’s minute market share that stops it from investing within the longevity of its merchandise to the identical diploma, however whenever you’re paying upwards of £1,200 for a telephone, long-term help and the potential impact that has on a tool’s resale worth are key components to think about.

As ever, beneath the hood, Sony hasn’t skimped, instilling the Xperia 1 VI with Qualcomm’s newest flagship cell chip, the identical Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 you’ll discover in present top-tier telephones from the likes of Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi, ASUS, and a handful of different huge names.

Benchmarks place it amongst the present crowd of excessive flyers. Nevertheless, regardless of the welcome addition of a vapor chamber for improved thermals (a primary for an Xperia), the telephone collection’ challenges with sustained efficiency and warmth build-up persist. I by no means bumped into any on-screen warnings about warmth, even throughout prolonged gaming periods (earlier Xperias beloved doing this), however because of the telephone’s design or maybe optimization, I used to be extra conscious of when the 1 VI acquired heat extra readily than different similarly-spec’d flagships I’ve examined. Declining GPU benchmark scores after successive runs recommend throttling is accountable.

Even so, the ability readily available means the Xperia 1 VI is effectively future-proofed, to not point out an amazing gaming telephone, with the corporate’s glorious Sport Enhancer software program readily available to maintain notifications at bay whereas additionally optimizing efficiency.

I simply want the Xperia 1 VI was out there with extra storage exterior of Japan (the place it tops out at 512GB). Positive, it’s one of many few telephones that is still microSD-expandable (as much as 1.5TB), however so far as quick inner storage goes, within the majority of markets, you’re restricted to 256GB, which feels fairly restrictive for a telephone that prides itself on having the ability to seize professional-looking high-resolution video.

The newest Qualcomm silicon, a clear, snappy person expertise, and that not-insignificant generational drop in show decision all mix to grant the Xperia 1 VI one in every of its largest strengths: battery life.

The telephone’s battery {hardware} doesn’t actually deviate from prior entries within the collection, with a 5,000mAh cell, 30W wired charging, 15W wi-fi charging, and help for reverse wi-fi charging, however this newest Xperia’s particular cocktail of elements and software program optimization means it boasts far better longevity than any of its predecessors. Almost ten and a half hours of screen-on time means it approaches iPhone 15 Plus/Professional-levels of use on a single cost, which helps it rank amongst a number of the longest-lasting flagships within the enterprise proper now.

Recharging the telephone isn’t fairly as spectacular: utilizing a appropriate 30W Energy Supply PPS charger repeatedly acquired my take a look at machine to 47% cost in half-hour (simply shy of Sony’s 50% declare), whereas a full recharge took virtually precisely 1.5 hours, each time.

The optics on Sony’s Xperias are all the time attention-grabbing, however for an organization that creates the sensors utilized by the majority of the world’s greatest digicam telephones, its personal gadgets seldom problem its opponents. Which may change with the Mark VI’s digicam setup, not as a result of it switches issues up, however just because it advantages from a gamut of fastidiously curated quality-of-life enhancements over the Xperia 1 V.

You get near-identical underlying {hardware} to its predecessor — together with the bizarre 52MP stacked Exmor T sensor, which crops to 48MP and pixel-bins right down to 12MP, by default. Then there are the 2 12MP Exmor RS sensors; one for the ultrawide and one for the telephoto. It’s right here that the collection’ standout steady optical zoom now reaches additional than ever earlier than, as much as 7.1x, in comparison with 5.3x on the final two fashions, and Sony’s managed to get greater than you may anticipate out of it.

Past straight picture high quality, competent versatility is among the major the explanation why any given digicam telephone could also be a straightforward advice, and as refined as that improved zoom vary might sound, it scores the Xperia 1 VI main factors within the versatility division.

The apparent benefit is you could now shoot throughout extra focal lengths than any earlier Xperia, from 16mm on the ultrawide proper as much as 170mm, with lossless optical zoom out there from 85mm or 3.5x up. There’s additionally the first digicam’s 2x lossless sensor-crop zoom — first encountered on the Xperia 5 V — which all-in offers the 1 Mark VI 5 discrete lossless focal lengths, or seven in the event you embrace the lossy 10x and max 21.3x choices discovered throughout the telephone’s digicam app.

Talking of which, Sony has performed away with the convoluted trio of Photograph Professional, Video Professional, and Cinema Professional right here, as a substitute paring the photographic expertise again right down to a single app. It doesn’t have a UI impressed by the corporate’s skilled Venice cameras, and professional video controls don’t arrive till later into 2024, but it surely in any other case offers you all of the performance you’d anticipate for a telephone of this caliber. To not point out long-requested options, like focus-peaking and help for unbinned 48MP stills, are lastly a part of the equation too.

With the ability to seize as much as a better distance with out loss in optical high quality is an apparent win right here, however the tele expertise on the Mark VI truly goes a lot deeper. For one, this makes for an amazing portrait pictures telephone, with the collection’ signature natural-looking imagery and true-to-life coloration science, supported right here by AI-led depth mapping and picture segmentation rather than the Time-of-Flight sensor discovered on older fashions. The outcomes communicate for themselves.

Flip on Bokeh mode, and also you’ll get pictures with nice edge detection and good, natural-looking depth of area fall-off, with the flexibility to punch up or pull again on the depth impact in real-time utilizing the on-screen slider.

Video seize is arguably one in every of my favourite facets of the telephone’s digicam expertise, not least due to the improved dynamic vary and the flexibility to shoot at as much as 4K 120fps, together with killer slo-mo seize. What’s extra, the telephone’s portrait prowess persists right here, too, with a devoted Bokeh Video mode that works throughout all of the telephone’s major focal lengths. It’s only hamstrung by a Full HD decision ceiling and — in contrast to commonplace video seize — the shortcoming to govern zoom when you hit report.

Whereas portrait capturing (proven above) has extra sensible advantages, Sony has additionally given the Mark VI’s telephoto a celebration piece of types: a brand new telemacro mode. I’m not speaking in regards to the automated Closeup mode that kicks in as quickly as you close to a topic (very like present iPhones and Pixels), however devoted macro capturing; providing 120x lossless magnification, for some really distinctive pictures and video. As with all telephoto sensors, capturing limitations embrace a narrower aperture and the better want for stabilization on the peak of the telephone’s focal vary, but it surely in any other case delivers astounding, if novel, pictures; offered you’ve acquired sufficient gentle.

Throughout the board, the 1 Mark VI employs a little bit further sharpening in comparison with the Mark V, however I’d say the outcomes are higher for it. To not point out, it’s downright sooner to shoot with and makes for a greater all-rounder than we’ve ever seen from the corporate. Try full-sized variations of the digicam samples embedded inside this evaluate (and a number of other extra) at this Google Drive hyperlink.

What are the very best Sony Xperia 1 VI alternate options?

• Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely ($1419.99 at Amazon): It shouldn’t shock you that at this degree, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely makes for the obvious different. It packs in a tuned model of the 1 VI’s core chip (with a fraction extra oomph), sooner charging, a special however equally versatile digicam setup, a brighter, greater decision show, extra storage choices, wider worldwide availability and virtually double the software program help (seven years OS and 7 years of safety updates), all for about the identical worth.
• Google Pixel 8 Professional ($999 at Amazon): Just like the S24 Extremely, the present high Pixel wipes the ground with the Xperia when it comes to replace longevity, and it additionally locations a large deal with one thing the 1 VI barely touches on, AI. The Pixel 8 Professional sports activities {hardware} and software program options devoted to creating AI a helpful side of the smartphone expertise; with the digicam packing in some severe post-capture magic, in comparison with Sony’s extra uncooked (and arguably extra genuine) capturing expertise. It’s additionally lots cheaper.
• Xiaomi 14 Extremely ($989 at Giztop): Though Xiaomi has all the time touted its digicam prowess, its newest and best — the Xiaomi 14 Extremely — is the primary to supply one thing that really might render it the market’s greatest. It’s a nonetheless pictures grasp however the firm has additionally expanded management over video seize, paired with an amazing visible high quality that offers the Xperia 1 VI’s filmic footage a severe run for its cash. Like Sony, you may also increase the 14 Extremely with camera-specific equipment, though they’re extra geared in the direction of stills, in comparison with Sony’s appropriate vlogging additions.