With a few exceptions, the rumors and leaks were correct. Sony officially presented its latest Sony Xperia 1 VI camera flagship with a significantly expanded optical zoom camera, telemacro function, and many Sony Alpha features.
During the launch of the Sony Xperia 1 VI, not all previously leaked information proved accurate. Contrary to rumors, the device does not feature three 48-megapixel sensors. Instead, it retains the same specifications as its predecessor, the Xperia 1 V, with a primary 1/1.35 inch Exmor-RS 48-megapixel sensor and two 12-megapixel sensors for ultra-wide and telephoto lenses, all of the same dimensions.
Display downgrade
With this, we would also like to say a word about the biggest downgrade in Sony Xperia history. With the Xperia 1 Mark 6, Sony is not only giving up its iconic 21:9 display format but the 4K resolution, which has long been celebrated as a unique selling point, is also gone. Instead, there is only a 6.5-inch Full HD + OLED, i.e. a display with 2,340 x 1080 pixel resolution, which is said to be 1.5x brighter than its predecessor. “Sunlight Vision” will use AI to increase the image quality in sunlight. Thanks to the LTPO backplane, the 19.5:9 OLED also saves power through variable refresh rates between 1 and 120 Hz.
Optical Zoom into Wonder
According to the interview that leaked yesterday, Sony argues for the significantly lower resolution with references to the competition, which often only delivers their QHD panels with a 1080p setting. Of course, this also increases the battery life. Sony promises two days of battery life for the 5,000 mAh battery in the Xperia 1 VI. The focus of the new Xperia flagship is the still unique optical zoom camera – now also with telemacro capabilities.
It now offers an extended variable focal length range between 85mm and 170mm equivalent, i.e. up to around 7.1x zoom with an aperture between F/2.3 and F/3.5. With the predecessor, the optical range ended at 125mm and F/2.8. In addition, Sony now supports a cropped zoom at 48mm with the 48-megapixel sensor, a 16mm ultra-wide angle is also available, and the Zeiss T* coating ensures images that are as artifact-free as possible.
New camera app and AI features
Strange but true! Sony is introducing a new, user-friendly camera app to replace Photography Pro and others (see video below). Sony is enhancing its Xperia camera by incorporating AI enhancements and features from the Sony Alpha series. This upgrade ensures object tracking, even if the face and eyes are not visible to the camera. There is also a suitable video from Sony about this.
Sony Xperia 1 VI Price, pre-order deal, and release date
Despite the display downgrade, the Xperia 1 VI still costs £1,299 on Amazon.co.uk, and get WH-1000XM5 headphones for free. Memory has been upgraded to 12 GB from 8 GB, while onboard storage remains unchanged at 256 GB. You can expand the Xperia 1 with a micro SD slot, unlike the competition that has removed this feature.
Sony Xperia I VI specifications
- Display: 6.5-inch (1080 x 2340 pixels) FHD+ OLED HDR Display with 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 1-120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz Motion blur reduction, 240Hz Touch scanning rate, Creator mode “powered by CineAlta”—Inspired by Master Monitor color reproduction, DCI-P3 100%, ITU-R BT.2020 (REC.2020), Illuminant D65 White point, 10 bit tonal gradation, X1 for mobile, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection
- CPU: Octa Core Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 4nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 750 GPU
- RAM+ROM: 12GB LPDDR5X RAM, 256GB (UFS 4.0) internal memory, expandable memory up to 1.5TB via microSD card
- OS: Android 14 (3 OS upgrades and 4 years of security updates)
- Rear camera: 48MP main camera with Exmor T sensor for mobile, 1/1.3.5″ sensor, f/1.9 aperture, Hybrid OIS/EIS, 12MP f/2.2 aperture 1/2.5″ 123° 16 mm ultra wide-angle camera, 12MP f/2.3 (85 mm 28° FoV) to f/3.5 (117 mm 15° FoV) 1/3.5″ Exmor RS for mobile telephoto lens, 3.5 to 7.1x equivalent optical zoom, 21.3X hybrid zoom, ZEISS T* coating, Real-Time Eye AF (Human, Animal), Real-Time Tracking, 4K video recording
- Front camera: 12MP selfoe camera with 1/2.9″ Exmor RS mobile sensor, f/2.0 aperture, 84° wide-angle lens, 4K video recording
- Features: Side-mounted Fingerprint sensor, 3.5 mm audio jack, 360 Reality Audio, 360 Reality Audio hardware decoding, 360 Spatial Sound, Full-Stage stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, DSEE Ultimate, Stereo Recording, Qualcomm aptX HD audio, Dual SIM (nano + eSIM), Water resistant (IPX5/IPX8), Dust proof (IP6X)
- Connectivity: 5G (sub-6GHz) / 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 6E 802.11 ax (2.4GHz / 5GHz) 2 x 2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.4 LE, GPS/ GLONASS, NFC, USB 3.2 Type-C
- Battery: 5000mAh Battery with 30W (USB PD) fast charging, Xperia Adaptive Charging, Battery Care, STAMINA Mode, Qi Wireless charging, Battery Share function
- Dimensions:162 x 74 x 8.2 mm
- Weight: 192g
