Sony Xperia 1 VI Flagship Is Official With A Sweet Camera Setup And AI Smarts
Sony, as a smartphone maker, is like The Little Engine That Could. It doesn't make much of a blip in total sales and almost every year, people predict that Sony should throw in the towel, but nope—the famed Japanese brand keeps trying, relegating to being a maker of niche smartphones. In the case of the new Xperia 1 VI however, the phone as a package might actually sway shoppers to pay more attention.
Starting with arguably the biggest change: the Xperia 1 VI goes for a more usable (though not necessarily palmable) shape with an odd 19.5:9 aspect ratio body. Filling that viewable space is a 6.5-inch FHD+ 1-120Hz LTPO OLED display that boasts better power efficiency while maximum brightness has gone up a handy 50-percent. Utilizing some AI smarts, the display can adjust contrast and color to boost outdoor visibility.
The Xperia 1 VI is powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with some vapor chamber cooling. Combine both of that with the ample 5,000 mAh battery, and the LTPO display, this Sony phone claims to double video playback time (36 hours) over previous models.
Recent Xperia devices have been strong on the camera front, and it looks to be no different here. The primary 52MP Exmor T shooter is still in effect, but Sony drops a new telephoto in the form of a 12MP OIS sensor capable of 3.5-7.1 times zoom (i.e. 85-170mm focal length). This same sensor doubles as a macro shooter, capable of focusing down to 4 cm and magnifying objects by 2x.
Other improvements include a larger dedicated shutter button, updating the already potent camera app/UI to be more user-friendly than before, plus AI image processing to "prevent overexposed highlights by analysing (sic) the frames and the environmental brightness in real-time."
Last but not least, it's oh-so good to see a 3.5mm audio port in 2024. Sony continues that tradition by attaching a new Premium Audio Circuit specifically for users using wired headphones.
Preorders are available starting today in select markets, setting you back $1,500, with shipping should begin in June. Buyers can choose between Black, Platinum Silver, or Khaki Green colorways.
