Sony Xperia 1 VI review

15 May 2024


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Jeeg, 16 May 2024You had a defective product. No Dubt . I had it for 6 month... moreUntrue. Plenty of threads on the issues I've outlined on Reddit and elsewhere, so not a defective unit. I'm pleased you've had no problems, but don't be so quick to dismiss the experience of others.

I'm a big fan of headphone jacks, SD cards and decent Bluetooth codec support. That's what brought me back to Sony after a few years, as I now commute a lot and decent media playback is important to me. Sadly, my experience with the phone was not great on all but the sound front and then Android 14 made BT connection faulty and it was not fixed when I finally moved to another phone at the end of January 2024.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a fan of Sony's more realistic photo processing (though it can be hit and miss), I like Sony's almost stock OS, but reliability in every day use is so important to me in such a premium purchase. Each to their own.

    Anonymous, 16 May 2024The problem with software updates nowadays is that devs don... moreI think that we've all had good devices ruined by updates. Overheating, battery draining, random shut downs. My LG g 8 was much better before the first update it got. It became very hot, I let it cool, it still works, even with a cracked screen but the battery has been far worse. With android, having to waste time learning a new user interface they force on you is infuriating. Setting the power button default to Google assistant was nasty. They usually remove practical useful features and make you click three times for something you used to be able to do with one. I had to go to developer options and turn off animation because the material you thing makes me nauseous when I scroll. There is no need to stretch text like that. It was fine before with shading. The quick menu was better before. I'm still using Windows 7.

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      • Anonymous
      • bI$
      • 16 May 2024

      Some Anonymous Prson, 16 May 2024Phone and OS updates should be every two-three years instea... moreThe problem with software updates nowadays is that devs don't care about last gen devices. They don't work on optimizations so specs requirements keeps on skyrocketing and old hardware becomes obsolete (looking at you Windows 11). There's the deadline of new stuff every year, then there's the lack of optimizations, and then there's the fact that "new" OSes barely have anything new to justify bricking your perfectly working stuffs.

      I'm fine with 2 OS updates, it's security updates that need to be prolonged. I get decent amount of new features and not having to deal with handicapped performance later on because "battery care and stuff" (average multi-trillion dollar company smh). Heck new iOS on old iPhone barely has features of that of the new phone, they are more like security updates with worse performance than anything lol.

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        • Anonymous
        • atq
        • 16 May 2024

        Battery performance above average and poor benchmark results could indicate throttling to achieve better battery performance.

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          • Suraj Singh
          • Cb8
          • 16 May 2024

          I Think Sony Needs To Introduce Natural And Enhance Mood In Camera Like Vivo ....
          Bcs Zoom Camera Installation Is Better Than S24 Ultra 5x ....
          If They Use AI....Can Give 7x Zoom Photo Better Than Any Other Smartphone As Well As Video.
          And Now Focus On 19:9 Display For Better Viewing Experience.

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            • Anonymous
            • Mxn
            • 16 May 2024

            Jag, 16 May 2024Great phone, but probably too little too late for Sony. ... moreSD card might not be necessary to you, but it's still essential for most people, including myself. I never like the idea of having to connect to the Internet to redownload all the files from the cloud storage when I can easily pop in the microSD card to a new phone in literal seconds.

              Phone and OS updates should be every two-three years instead of yearly. Manufacturing phones is environmentally destructive. The upgrades have become small, features are removed and Android UI keeps getting more user unfriendly. It also screws up working phones. That is something I appreciate about Sony phones. They are more user friendly than a lot of the others. Being able to open the sim/microsd tray without needing a pin is a nice touch.

                Anonymous, 16 May 2024This is the best decision Sony made. 1440p is too much. No ... moreNot if availability in most countries is limited

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                  • Anonymous
                  • nU2
                  • 16 May 2024

                  Nicolas F, 16 May 20244K screen was too much, but what stopped Sony from putting ... moreThis is the best decision Sony made. 1440p is too much. No point losing performance and battery over something unnoticeable. Expensive monitors are 1440p, so why should something as small as a phone be that? 1080p is more than enough.
                  Apple and Samsung fans complaining too much in the comment section because Xperia 1VI threatens their existences.

                    Smithravi, 16 May 2024This should have been a wonderful Xperia 5 VI priced at 1000€That's basically what it is at a higher price. Still, I might actually buy it if it were available in the U.S. I think that I'm one of the few who likes a wide screen

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                      • Anonymous
                      • JH6
                      • 16 May 2024

                      I don't know what you guys tjink, but the cameras don't really impress me.

                      Unfortunately, I got no time to discuss, but the samples of all three cameras don't look like something that I couldn't get with other flagships.

                        ThatOneWeabo, 16 May 2024this should be far cheaper than it is priced, not that grea... moreThe focus on cameras (bad pun not intended) drives the prices up. Real cameras are still far better and unless you can change large lenses on a phone and press a button and have them change shape into a real camera, they are likely to remain that way. People like us forget that phone cameras aren't really there for those of us who appreciate photography and cinema. They are for taking photos of ourselves and posting them on social media. Little attention has been paid to audio quality other than LG and they were beginning to give up on that shortly before they stopped making phones. I am curious about the improved audio circuitry from the headphone jack on the vi. It is one of the reasons I want it, along with a wider screen which is still too narrow for my tastes but preferable to the 5 iii I've been using.

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                          • Anonymous
                          • sXH
                          • 16 May 2024

                          Mr. Anonymous, 16 May 2024"The only reason to choose the Xperia over the Galaxy ... more79 mm is uncomfortably wide

                            Anonymous, 16 May 2024Pretty nice effort by Sony. This will almost be an acceptab... moreI sometimes wonder if we will make it to 2027.

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                              • Anonymous
                              • ILe
                              • 16 May 2024

                              raditz594, 16 May 2024I agree. If you keep a phone for a couple of years the cost... moreEvery 2 years? Damn, I'm on year 6 with my S9. Was looking into an Xperia, but seems like the vi is a downgrade from the v

                                dexton, 16 May 2024Anyone these days use their phone more than anything in the... moreIt is still a lot of money for an electronic gadget built with planned obsolescence. Phone prices went up too much. Again, companies followed Apple. We've become dependent and addicted. These things are also environmentally destructive. It is almost insulting that they no longer give you cables and the charger claiming that this is because they are concerned about the environment. There haven't been significant upgrades for years. Sony is one if the few phone manufacturers that haven't been removing features, although they have removed a few. You get slight camera improvements and a few other things each year but it isn't a lot. If the batteries could be replaced you could use them longer. I am typing from an LG v20. It isn't reliable as a phone but still works fine for other things. Having said that, yes I do want to buy the VI. Maybe I'll risk an international model at some point.

                                  LoneOwl, 16 May 2024Another good phone by Sony with horrible pricing that wont ... moreExorbitant prices and lack of availability is what makes their phones niche items. The phones themselves are fine.

                                    rsh, 16 May 2024consider Xperia 1 V I moved from LG G7 -> Xperia 1 IV... moreThank you. I do prefer a wider screen, though, and was looking foward to better audio quality, although I have yet to read reviews about that. Still, considering the price even if it were available in the U.S. still is off-putting. I'll look into that.

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                                      • NeMo
                                      • SbF
                                      • 16 May 2024

                                      raditz594, 16 May 2024I agree. If you keep a phone for a couple of years the cost... moreFully agree, but two years only support is deal breaker for long run users. Apple support - six years, Samsung - four years, Google 7 years... Also, using dated sensors is not good for marketing of long run like dated G3 from google wouldn't physically hold applications will be issued in seven years, so Apple and Samsung strategy is the best at the moment - Sony is not good at all

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                                        • Anonymous
                                        • M5C
                                        • 16 May 2024

                                        Oh, snap! They have it in deep red. I might sell the X100 Pro and buy this after all...

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