Sony Xperia 1 VI review

15 May 2024


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  • O
  • Osiris
  • JhV
  • 16 May 2024

Rip Sony, it was a good ride!

    Anonymous, 15 May 2024For what? On my S23 Ultra, 1440p is barely noticeable, and ... moreEveryone is different I guess. To my eyes, the difference between FHD and QHD is noticeable enough for me to wanna upgrade to QHD.

    If it was 6.1", FHD might pass the test as being very sharp. But at 6.5", I would definitely feel the resolution is lacking, at least for me. Others might not be as picky.

      So, overall: best batterylife in class, best speakers in class, headphone jack, sd card, no screen puncholes, excellent cam setup with numerous focal lenghts, extreme macro and 7x optical zoom on a phone.

      On the other hand just FHD+ res, and a bit underwhelming 7x zoom optics for night scenarios.
      But hey, natural bokeh at that zoom range is a plus IMO.

      I think its overall an excellent smartphone proposal. Pricy, but excellent.

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • xjH
        • 16 May 2024

        AcademicBarzo, 16 May 2024Yes, I have. I've owned many Xperia phones and did ow... moreLooks like things still havent improve much in Sony software department. My last Xperia was the ancient XZ and I encountered a few issues that made me gave up on Xperia under Sony.

        While updates arrived promptly during my XZ days, the bugs that existed out of the box were hardly ever rectified. I also encountered issue of features being inexplicably removed after a factory reset. All the software annoyances and Sony service center in my area refusing to honor the warranty for the front panel peeling off seemingly out of nowhere was the last straw for me.

          • K
          • Kungfu62
          • fr9
          • 16 May 2024

          Why do I find Sony phones so beautiful. Wish they were sold in my country.

            • K
            • Kerr
            • LhZ
            • 16 May 2024

            I was once a Sony Xperia user but now a Google Pixel fan but I've always wished Sony could tempt me back. Once again, Sony have trumped hardware wise, camera optics, battery life, screen, sdcard, headphone jack and hallelujah front facing good speakers. But from past experience, I just don't trust it software wise especially for the premium price they insist on charging. Can I rely on getting a good point and shoot photo shot in any condition like with a Pixel? Will Sony address any bugs with a timely patch? On past experience, sadly no.

            If Sony ever made the phone hardware for Google's software genius, it would be game over.

              • S
              • Sss
              • CbI
              • 16 May 2024

              This is the kind of battery life you get when you underclock the flagship chips, but people will still ask qualcomm to focus on efficiency whenever a new chipset launches.

                • S
                • Ss
                • CbI
                • 16 May 2024

                YUKI93, 16 May 202417:27h of active battery rating? I know Sony always excels ... moreDont know why you mention active cooling, if anything it just reduces battery life just by existing.

                  17:27h of active battery rating? I know Sony always excels at battery optimization, but that is nuts! It's only 11 minutes behind the ZTE nubia Red Magic 9 Pro with 6500mAh battery and active cooling. Just imagine how much the active battery rating would be on an Xperia 5 with a smaller 6.1" screen.

                  The new Camera app UI looks normal, but I actually like what Sony has done with the Pro mode. It keeps all the Photography Pro app features without making it look too cluttered. Speaking of UI, hats off for bringing back the old drop-down Quick Action's legacy design. I never like the current Material You design, even on last year's Mk5. It still looks ugly today.

                  As for the camera's photo quality, there's not much change from last year's Mk5. I did see better processing algorithm on the Mk6, especially with the brighter whites and highlights, but Mk5 can still deliver great photos. Having said that, I'm really impressed with the 7.1x zoom's photo quality, at least on daylight. While it retains the usual natural realistic details, it definitely needs a bigger sensor to make up for the rather subpar lowlight photos. Sony missed a huge opportunity here to rework the 2021 Mk3 Xperia 1/5's 1/2.9" periscope telephoto camera. That would be the kind of upgrade I love to see on next year's Mk7.

                    • ?
                    • Anonymous
                    • PxV
                    • 16 May 2024

                    look like it has the best battery life among all 8gen3 phones.

                      • J
                      • Jag
                      • pYd
                      • 16 May 2024

                      Great phone, but probably too little too late for Sony.

                      I have been an Xperia user on and off for many years, only leaving to go to LG while they lasted. The reasons are many but in order: headphones socket, SD Card, camera doesn't boost detail or colours, best camera interface for photographers including shutter button , pleasing android interface. The down side was price, battery life, and the lack of "night vision" capabilities.
                      Now they've fixed those, this is the one.

                      However the rest of the market has stopped saturating colours unrealistically, and now have so much memory the SD Card is not as necessary for me.

                        • ?
                        • Anonymous
                        • JH0
                        • 16 May 2024

                        YUKI93, 16 May 2024No surprise given the rather small sensor size. The 2021 Mk... moreThe periscope camera of the Xperia 1 III captures slightly less light per exposure time from a distant object due to the smaller focal length/f-number ratio (5.18mm vs 5.43mm), when you use the maximum zoom setting.
                        And even in perfect light conditions (where the sensor area gets relevant), when you use the Xperia 1 VI at its maximum zoom setting, distant objects use a larger sensor area due to the higher focal length (19.01mm vs 14.5mm).

                          finally an experia phone worth buying.

                            • N
                            • Nein
                            • wYF
                            • 16 May 2024

                            Anonymous, 16 May 2024So they downgrade from unique 4k to stupid 1080p that you ... more4K fitted in a 6.5 inch display is not only a stupid overkill (You don’t even notice the difference) but also a batter life killer. If you happened to have read the Xperia I V review you will know that majority of the the times, the phone shows media in FHD or 1080p and only bumping up to 4K for movies and other very specific things.

                              • N
                              • Nein
                              • wYF
                              • 16 May 2024

                              Anonymous, 16 May 2024Well done. Now people cannot watch any content without bl... more19.5:9 is closer to 16:9 (Which is a very common aspect ratio in videos) than 21:9 so you would actually get thinner black bars unless you’re watching movies on it

                                123, 16 May 2024The telephoto lens(and 50mm) seems good enough according to... moreNo surprise given the rather small sensor size. The 2021 Mk3 Xperia 1/5 also has a periscope telephoto camera but at a much larger 1/2.9". It's a huge missed opportunity for Sony to rework the 1/2.9" camera sensor with variable zoom.

                                  Leanzazzy, 16 May 2024I really like most of the enthusiast features of this phone... moreThe micro SD slot and headphone jack are features I most want in a phone and the led notification and OR blaster are/were useful. The camera obsession with phones has become ridiculous and is one of the reasons, along with corporate greed, that phones have become as expensive as they are. If you want a camera, buy a camera and be content with mediocre photos of you want to take a picture of something snd only have your phone with you. I appreciate the shutter button on the Sony phones but even if they were comparable to a real camera, it's still not the same as holding one in your hand, feeling in control of it, looking through the view finder. I used to enjoy old film photography.

                                    • 1
                                    • 123
                                    • 7ux
                                    • 16 May 2024

                                    The telephoto lens(and 50mm) seems good enough according to Sony's official website, however, when you look into it, you are likely to think of it as unusable. The level of details is obviously too low, just as those smartphone camera five years ago.

                                      Anonymous, 15 May 2024I'm guessing you never used an Xperia so you shouldn&#... moreYes, I have. I've owned many Xperia phones and did own the Xperia 1V. I got rid as it was a terrible experience. Glitchy screen refresh, black screen from unlocking when using the always on display, etc. Not a flagship experience. Matters got worse when it moved to Android 14. Same issues persisted and it introduces problems with BT connection and stability.

                                      So. hence my comments about software and firmware.

                                        I really like most of the enthusiast features of this phone, but they really need to improve the thermals and sustained performance - literally the most important part of any flagship phone.

                                        A longer update cycle would also be nice, especially as Samsung & Google are both offering 7 years, which is crazy (in a good way).

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