Sony Xperia 1 VI Review: A Familiar Face, But Is It Still Relevant?

Discover the Sony Xperia 1 VI in our review: a powerful phone with familiar features, but does it still stand out in 2024?

Riya Singh October 21, 2024

0 26 6 minutes read

Best Android phone made by Sony is Sony Xperia 1 VI, which is recognizable among enthusiasts. Even with its new screen ratio, it seems familiar.

Phone is unique because of a few good features. It keeps its thickness while offering a large battery, expandable memory, and a headphone port.

These features are appealing for people looking for something different. It also has a great camera, a powerful chip, good speakers and a nice display, just like other high-end Android phones.

However, it is expensive and not very competitive due to some slower features. For example- fast charging isn’t the best and camera processing could be better for low light. Plus, back can scratch easily, even with strong glass.

Some of its appealing features, like the headphone jack and microSD slot, are also found in cheaper phones. These features are becoming rare in more expensive models.

Sony Xperia 1 VI is a beautiful phone but you’ll need to like its unique style to feel it’s worth the price.

Sony Xperia 1 VI Specification

Feature	Details
💰 Price	£1,299
📱 Display	6.5-inch FHD OLED
🔄 Refresh Rate	120Hz
📷 Rear Cameras	48/52MP, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP telephoto
🤳 Front Camera	12MP
⚙️ Chipset	Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
💾 RAM	12GB
📦 Storage	256GB, microSD up to 1.5TB
🔋 Battery	5,000 mAh
⚡ Charging	30W wired, 15W wireless
📱 Software	Android 14
🌧️ Water/Dust Resistance	IP65/68
📏 Size	162 x 74 x 8.2 mm
⚖️ Weight	192 grams
🎨 Colors	Khaki Green, Platinum Silver, Black

Sony Xperia 1 VI Price and Availability

Sony Xperia 1 VI costs £1,299 in the UK and AU$1,899 in Australia. Unfortunately, it is not available in the US.

This price is the same as its predecessor, the Xperia 1 V. In the UK, you get a model with 12GB RAM and 256GB of storage. Some regions offer a version with 512GB of storage. However, since the phone has a microSD slot, you might not need to pay extra for more storage.

Phone was announced in mid-May 2024 and became available in June 2024.

Sony Xperia 1 VI Design

Sony Xperia 1 VI features a classic boxy design that has been typical of Sony since 2012. Its appearance is similar to its predecessor, with some minor updates.

Phone has a textured glass back available in colors like red, silver, black and a subtle green. It has changed from a long 21:9 screen to a more standard 19.5:9 aspect ratio.

Sony uses high-quality materials including Gorilla Glass Victus for the front and back. However, rear panel is prone to scratches. Many users, including myself, noticed scratches appearing on the back even with normal use, which makes it shiny in those areas.

Despite this, the phone has good water resistance with IP68 and IP65 ratings. It can be submerged in water up to 1.5 meters and withstand low-pressure water jets, as long as the SIM tray is properly sealed.

While Xperia 1 VI is a mid-sized phone, its blocky shape makes it feel larger. Fingerprint reader and power button are located on the side but they are slower to respond than in-screen options.

Sony Xperia 1 VI Display

Sony Xperia 1 VI moves away from Sony’s old 4K screens, offering 1080p display with a lower resolution than previous model. While lower pixel density isn’t immediately noticeable unless you look closely, it might matter to those who prioritize high-resolution displays.

Despite this, display is still impressive. It’s bright and adapts quickly to outdoor light. Initially, it reached 720 nits in normal conditions, increasing to 800 nits after an update. Outdoors, it can hit up to 1,300 nits, making it easy to see in bright sunlight.

120Hz refresh rate provides smooth scrolling and phone intelligently drops it to 15Hz when the screen is static to save battery life. While it claims to go as low as 1Hz, I’ve only seen it switch between 15Hz and 120Hz.

Sony Xperia 1 VI Camera

Sony Xperia 1 VI has three cameras: a main camera, a zoom camera and ultra-wide camera. It’s faster and more fun to use than before, with single app that includes Pro mode for manual controls. There’s also a physical button for focusing like a real camera.

Zoom camera now zooms from 3.5x to 7.1x and can focus on things up close, which is great for macro shots. It’s fantastic for outdoor photos and captures quickly. But, images can lose sharpness at full zoom and it’s not great in low light.

Main camera produces nice, natural colors and good detail without over-sharpening. Ultra-wide camera works well in daylight but struggles at night. Sometimes, phone over-brightens parts of a photo and it’s not as good as other phones in low light.

For video, you can record in 4K at 120 frames per second with all three cameras. Front 12MP camera takes good selfies but isn’t very special.

Sony Xperia 1 VI Review: Software

The Sony Xperia 1 VI runs on Android 14 with a custom interface that isn’t overly complicated or intrusive. While the initial look of the app menu might not be the most attractive, with text that seems a bit too bold, the phone allows plenty of customization. You can adjust the scaling of objects and the font size separately, and there’s a Dark mode that offers lighter text on a darker background, which some users may find easier on the eyes.

Unlike Google and Samsung, which are pushing AI features in their phones, Sony’s approach is different. They highlight creativity apps that nod to other parts of the Sony brand. For instance, the Music Pro app acts as a multi-track recorder, functioning as a mini digital audio workstation, whereas most phones offer simple voice recorders. The External Monitor app allows the phone to serve as a screen for Sony’s Alpha-series mirrorless cameras. There’s also a Video Creator app that lets you edit and compile clips into longer video projects.

While these apps are more creative than the bloatware found on some phones, they aren’t fully fleshed out enough to be major selling points. Better alternatives can be found on the Google Play Store.

Sony Xperia 1 VI Performance

Sony Xperia 1 VI is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, one of the most powerful chipsets in 2024. It even surpasses Apple’s A17 Pro, found in iPhone 15 Pro, in certain tests, particularly in graphics performance. Phone handles games like Fortnite brilliantly, delivering a smooth and fast experience.

However, while phone performs well in daily use, it throttles its performance under strain. During stress tests, Xperia 1 VI quickly reduces power to prevent overheating, settling at about 58% of its peak performance. This is noticeable during prolonged gaming or when running demanding apps, making it less ideal for those who want sustained top-tier performance.

Despite this, phone’s speakers are impressive. Stereo pair delivers loud, chunky sound with rich mid-range tones, making it great for listening to podcasts or music without headphones.

Sony Xperia 1 VI Battery Life

Sony Xperia 1 VI is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery which is standard for larger phones but bigger than many ultra-thin flagships. Unfortunately, Sony has stuck to its habit of not including a charger in the box. Phone also charges slower than its competitors, with a maximum charging rate of 30W which is lower than Samsung’s 45W standard. In testing, it reached about 49% charge in 30 minutes and took a full 86 minutes to reach 100%.

While charging speed is underwhelming, the real-world battery life is solid. Xperia 1 VI easily lasts a full day under normal use, but it’s unlikely to last two days unless you’re a very light user. With its bright display and powerful chip, battery can drain quickly during heavy use. Phone also supports wireless charging but at a relatively slow 15W speed.

Sony Xperia 1 VI Value

At £1,299, Sony Xperia 1 VI is one of the most expensive phones on the market. However, at this price point, certain aspects of phone feel lacking. The low-light camera performance, slower charging speeds and lower screen resolution compared to competitors make the high price hard to justify.

That said, some unique features help differentiate Xperia 1 VI such as 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD card slot which have disappeared from many other flagship phones. While these features might appeal to certain users, they may not be enough to make up for phone’s high cost.

Pros and Cons Sony Xperia 1 VI

✅Pros	❌Cons
✅ Great specs	❌ Prone to scratches
✅ microSD slot	❌ Slow charging (under 30W)
✅ Headphone jack	❌ Heavy and bulky design
✅ Good camera performance	❌ No US availability
✅ Excellent battery life	❌ Limited software updates
✅ IP68 water resistance	❌ Lower resolution display

Conclusion

Sony Xperia 1 VI is a flagship phone that will appeal to loyal Sony fans. It’s powerful, with good battery life, strong cameras and features like headphone jack and expandable memory that are rare in high-end phones. However, design isn’t very durable and fast charging is slower compared to other phones in its price range.