8.3 Score
Sony Xperia 1 Series has remained almost the same for the past 5 generations with proper improvements and not to forget, they sold something no other smartphone brands dared to: a raw purist creator phone that behaves as neutral as a proper tool. But this year, the brand chose to take a road that they have never taken and made a phone that’s more phone and less Xperia. Find out more in our Sony Xperia 1 VI review.
Sony Xperia 1 VI Review
What Changed
The Display, Ratio and the Experience
Starting with the display spec because boy it changed a lot. Gone are those 4K HDR Display which is so beautiful to look at and so crisp, and it’s been replaced with a FHD+ display and still touts 120Hz support.
It does get better because the FHD+ Display Sony opted in for is now an LTPO panel, which means you get that variable refresh rate as compared to the fixed 120Hz on the 4K display from Mark V. Interestingly enough, the brightness on this FHD+ display is 2 times brighter than the 4K display – which I appreciate a lot. Despite the slight tradeoff, you get a much better experience with the display – which is something I am okay with.
It’s time to bid farewell to the 21:9 aspect ratio from Mark V, for a new 19.5:9 aspect ratio which you will find with the Xperia 1 VI. As someone who is a huge fan of the Panavision aspect ratio, in fact, if you watch our YouTube videos, you will realize we are so fond of that ratio that, is no longer there with the Mark VI. I was a fan of the tall and narrow display because when you split the screen, you get two proper usable halves, which I am going to sorely miss a lot.
The newer ratio is wider and shorter, so you feel like you are using an almost normal display with such a ratio but since Sony has still opted in for that rather unique 19.5:9, you still have an entertainment-centric display. Typing on this new ratio is nicer as the wide display does give you room to type comfortably, although one-hand use is somewhat out the window – again a feature I appreciated with the 21:9 aspect.
But the ratio is not all bad here, as they still have not gone for a full display on the front and retained the nice stereo speakers on the front. A rarity on smartphones these days if you will. If you are coming from an older Xperia 1, you will need to get used to the new ratio but it’s not a challenging one.
Ridiculous A+++ Battery Life
Just changing the display to an FHD+ LTPO 120Hz panel made a world of difference with the Xperia 1 VI – in fact, this is what I mean when I say “A+++” battery life. Up till Xperia 1 V, the 4K display, which requires a lot of power to drive, would last a whole day at most – which I felt was alright. But this time around, the Xperia 1 VI doubles the battery life and gives close to about 15-18 hours of battery life. It’s now a proper almost 2-day smartphone, which is nuts.
You might wonder, what I used the phone for: the usual, social media, games, camera, entertainment and communications. During my time using it, I was actually under the weather and had the most time with this phone. Honestly, I don’t mind getting stuck with this phone – it spent more time in my hands than plugged into the charger. In fact, the standby time on this phone is pretty stellar too. With Stamina and their own battery protection, your battery is safe from long charging too.
Completely Revamped Camera App
Sony has completely ditched the 3 separate apps for its camera (Photo Pro, Video Pro and Cinema Pro) which was available up till the Xperia 1 V and has revamped the entire camera experience into one app. This makes sense as they are trying to be appealing enough to normal users too. In fact, as much as I loved their previous generation application, the majority of the users around me who saw the app got pretty overwhelmed – which I can understand.
Now, the app looks pretty barebones, with everything straightforward too. Open the camera app, and immediately you see the focal length, shutter button, camera flip, gallery and some toggles on the top: 2 permanent ones (Flash and Google Lens) and one that changes on a case-by-case basis (Night Mode, Macro etc.,). When you do tap and focus, the camera app gives you individual control for tone and exposure – which is neat.
Tapping the gear icon gives you access to Aspect Ratio, Timer, Flash and Menu. At the bottom, with the three circles overlapping gives you access to creative modes. I am happy to report that this allows the camera to go out of that Neutral Sony mode which they offer and provides the colour options to shoot however you like it. It does set the camera to be much more friendly.
You do have other modes like Bokeh, Video, Slow, Telephoto Macro, 48MP, Bokeh Video, Live Streaming, Panorama and Pro.
The Pro mode experience isn’t quite the same as the Photo Pro but, it has a very “ZV” series-like simplicity going on but the features it touts, it’s no joke. You get all those nitty-gritty controls. Outside, you have Exposure, Aperture, EV and ISO. Tap the Fn and it gets crazier: Drive Mode, AF Mode, Focus Area, DRO, Metering Mode, Face/Eye AF, Creative Look, Flash, White Balance, File Format and Peaking. On the top, you have the ability to switch between M (Manual), P (Program Auto) and S (Shutter Speed Priority). It even shows histograms, and other smaller details like storage, resolution and so on.
New Periscope Optical Zoom (85-170mm) (vs. 125mm)
For the most part, the camera setup remains almost the same for the primary and ultrawide sensors as its predecessor and you get that new Exmor T experience here too. But the Periscope camera gets a huge upgrade from 125mm on the V to a variable setup that goes from 85mm all the way to 170mm respectively. You can check out the photos taken with it below.
Camera Experience
Sony has gotten the hardware part figured out for a long time now, but the software part is where they tend to feel less confident. The Pro app on Xperia 1 V was getting near perfect and to nuke that for one app that does all is great but the experience feels like it’s starting from square one. One of the places you can notice it is when you use the telephoto to shoot images.
The camera does get all jittery and this is with OIS, which is concerning. Not something we experienced with the 1 V’s Photo Pro app. But this is easily fixable with an app update. Secondly, since it now focuses all the way up to 170mm, you would either need a steady set of hands or a tripod to take good photos out of that focal length. Periscope camera gives you that optical quality which digital can never offer. But this also means you will encounter some hazy shots as it periscope camera has one downside, the ability to capture sharp-as-a-tack images.
But despite that, the Exmor T primary sensor and the other ultrawide sensor shoot phenomenal neutral images that give you the room to edit however you like post, through Lightroom or any of your preferred apps. The low light performance from this camera is crazy because the details are well-preserved. One thing we didn’t notice but learned from another review is that the photos taken with the VI are a lot brighter than V and this happens to be because of Sony’s own Imaging algorithm to produce such images.
Sadly, we don’t have the Xperia 1 V to compare side by side. But if this is something you are keen on us covering, let us know. That said, the camera app requires a bit of tweaking and I hope that they keep this app around and improve upon it. I do want Sony to give Xperia 1 VI users the option to download the Cinema Pro app because I love the video capabilities of that app.
Clean Android with Extreme Granular Control
We all know how Android is, and how smartphone manufacturers add their own flavour/experience to make it unique. Sony’s approach to making their phones super clean to use is one I appreciate all the time. But, this time it gets a lot interesting. Usually, you would find most of these features tucked away in the ever-messy Developer Mode but Sony has incorporated all those granular settings into the main settings, in such a way that you get complete control and customize it to however you like.
We will show you some of the screenshots compiled below because it’s actually a lot to take in.
Goodbye Dynamic Vibration
Sony used to have a feature called Dynamic Vibration where your phone vibrates according to the content you watch, listen or play. That feature is gone and while I don’t use it at all, there are a bunch of previous Xperia owners who actually love the feature and miss the lack of it with the Xperia 1 VI. Not sure why Sony removed it but I reckon it isn’t a practical feature and more gimmicky. But either way, I won’t be missing it.
What Stayed?
The Micro texture Back from the V is here
If you loved the “micro-texture” on the back of the Xperia 1 V, well, you are getting the same back texture on the VI which I love. Funny enough, it’s actually a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus with the texture and it doesn’t feel like glass at all. You will have a great time holding the phone without the case as it’s extremely grippy, fingerprint-free and feels great. The side of the phone has these ridges which makes it easier to hold too. Not to forget, it’s flat as well.
The Design Language remains “Very Sony”
Sony products have this “Kando” design language that they are extremely proud of and it’s a design that I love with no questions. In the sea of products where brands try to make a “minimalist” product and overdo it, Sony knows how to keep the design clean, classy and bespoke, all at the same time. You’d either love their design choice a lot or you won’t. I happen to fall on the “love” side more.
All their buttons on one side make it easier to control without the need to switch hands. Be it if you are a leftie or a right-handed user, it’s super friendly to use. The volume rockers are thin, the power button which doubles as a fingerprint sensor is recessed into the body and the textured two-step button activates the camera. I have to say, the fingerprint sensor this time around is dead fast. I have unlocked the phone by accident one too many times.
The Sony Xperia 1 VI comes in two colours: Black and Olive Green. We have the Olive Green and it’s one of those subtle colours that doesn’t give away that easily until you place it under a light. Then you will appreciate the shade of green it has.
Conclusion
Despite all the changes, some you could say is a downgrade but for the right reasons, the price of the Sony Xperia 1 VI is relatively the same as its predecessor when it came out. At RM 6,499, I can’t help but be a wee bit bummed because Sony had a little bit of that unique proposition that no one had with the V.
I personally miss the 21:9 aspect ratio display because when you split the screen, it gives you two usable halves. But despite some of the choices, the Sony Xperia 1 VI still has that purist magic who wants to make the best art with it. Sony’s hardware has never been an issue, it’s the software, more specifically the applications they make to go well, that leaves a lot to be desired. The revamped camera app is great but some improvements are required, as it feels like they have never done an app before when their V says otherwise.
But once they have gotten that part right, you best bet – this is a powerhouse for creators and a force to be reckoned with.
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