Launch date, specs, rumors, worth, and have wishlist

The Sony Xperia 1 V might have solely lately landed on retailer cabinets, however we’re already fascinated with Sony’s subsequent flagship smartphone, tentatively generally known as the Xperia 1 VI. Right here’s what we all know in regards to the next-gen mannequin and what we wish to see from the Xperia 1 VI to make it the finest smartphone cash should buy.

Will there be a Sony Xperia 1 VI?

Sony releases a brand new flagship handset yearly, and except the corporate pulls an LG and instantly hops off the smartphone exit ramp, we absolutely count on there to be a Sony Xperia 1 VI flagship.

In fact, the telephone is all very unofficial at this stage, and Sony may change its ordinary flagship roadmap subsequent yr. Sony has barely tweaked its line-up a lot lately, so issues may proceed on a really predictable path, or we may see a extra vital shakeup to reinvigorate the collection. We’ll have to attend and see.

• Sony Xperia 1 III launch: June 1, 2021
• Sony Xperia 1 IV launch: June 1, 2022
• Sony Xperia 1 V launch: Could 11, 2023

Sony has been pretty per its Xperia launch window, so now we have a good suggestion about what to anticipate right here. Based mostly on Sony’s launch historical past, we’re possible in for a wait till late Spring or Summer time 2024 earlier than we see official particulars on the Xperia 1 VI’s launch date.

That’s nonetheless a great distance away, nevertheless it may very well be even longer earlier than many shoppers can get their palms on the telephone. There’s usually a month or extra of delay between Sony’s flagship announcement and the mannequin touchdown on retailer cabinets in Europe, with an excellent longer wait for purchasers within the US. This era’s Xperia 1 V hit UK cabinets on the finish of June, whereas it didn’t land till late July within the US.

What specs and options will the Sony Xperia 1 VI have?

We’re but to see any Sony Xperia 1 VI rumors at such an early stage. Nonetheless, that doesn’t imply we are able to’t hazard an informed guess on the {hardware} we’ll see inside Sony’s subsequent flagship.

Collection signatures which have come to underpin the model are very prone to stay. Xperia’s long-running 4K 21:9 show side ratio lends the collection a novel look. Likewise, the 3.5mm headphone jack, IP65/IP68 ranking, microSD card slot, and suite of multimedia capabilities underpin the Xperia flagship ethos. We’d be stunned if these don’t return for the 1 VI except Sony is planning a serious overhaul.

broader business traits, a high-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor is nearly sure to energy the telephone, together with just about all different Android flagship handsets all through 2024. Sony can be possible to make use of a few of its newest picture sensors in its new telephone and/or broaden using its high-end IMX888 throughout its ultrawide and telephoto cameras. Count on one other no-holds-barred powerhouse flagship.

• Sony Xperia 1 III: $1,299 / £1,199 / €1,299
• Sony Xperia 1 IV: $1,599 / £1,299 / €1,399
• Sony Xperia 1 V: $1,399 / £1,299 / €1,399

Sony has embraced ultra-premium worth tags for its flagship line, and now we have no purpose to count on any distinction with the Xperia 1 VI worth. Though hopefully, we received’t see a return to the sky-high value of the Xperia 1 IV, it’s theoretically potential with world prices on the up.

Both method, we’re anticipating the Xperia 1 VI to attempt to command a worth that’ll be simply as excessive, if not greater, than the top-end rivals from Apple and Samsung. Brace your financial institution accounts.

Do you have to look forward to the Sony Xperia 1 VI?

With the Xperia 1 V ($1398 at Amazon) solely simply touchdown on retailer cabinets and no actual concrete data on what to anticipate from the 1 VI, Sony followers can’t go incorrect choosing up the present mannequin. If finances is a priority, Sony’s extra reasonably priced Xperia 5 V (£849) is on the market for European prospects, however we’re nonetheless ready on a US launch.

Based mostly on our Xperia 1 V evaluation, there’s one large factor we’d prefer to see from the Sony Xperia 1 VI, nevertheless it’s a little bit of a moonshot. Finally, the collection is in dire want of a revamp, aesthetically, feature-wise, and by way of software program.

The present Xperia 1 V flagship just isn’t a nasty telephone, nevertheless it’s fairly stale. In the event you’ve seen the 1 IV and even the 1 III, you already know what to anticipate. Bar a couple of small upgrades, there actually isn’t rather a lot to inform the earlier fashions aside from the most recent. How Sony balances that towards retaining collection staples is the million-dollar query, however I’ve religion that it may be completed.

It’s time for a brand new look

Sony’s monolithic black slab makes the vary readily identifiable towards the competitors, nevertheless it’s fairly difficult to inform any of its telephones from the previous 5 years aside. That’s not good if you need your newest telephone to look recent and thrilling. Sony tweaked the formulation with a brand new rugged again with the Xperia 1 V, however that hardly shakes issues up meaningfully. If the Xperia 1 VI appears the identical once more, it’ll fall flat.

We’ve had related criticisms about Apple and Samsung up to now and these manufacturers not less than often spice issues up with new colours and design tweaks. On the very least, new colorways would assist catch client eyes. We beloved the occasional purple mannequin up to now and the most recent Khaki Inexperienced is good, however black and silver are the collection go-to’s in most areas. Throw some purple and blues in there to offer prospects a bit extra alternative, particularly at this worth.

However actually, the Xperia 1 VI will want an even bigger departure from the look of previous. Maybe embracing glass or metallic is the important thing, a new-look digicam housing, or possibly even leaving the 21:9 side ratio behind would give Sony extra leeway to play with the shape issue. Failing that, some a lot niftier function shakeups will probably be required to face out.

Sony is aware of construct good {hardware}, however the Xperia software program suite is much much less to write down house about. It’s closely reliant on Google, for one, which leaves the telephone lacking a core identification to name its personal.

That’s not strictly an issue; there’s no level in reinventing the app wheel each time. However a multimedia telephone that depends on Google Photographs for its gallery, sans all of the good Google One options that value additional, leaves me scratching my head. Absolutely Sony can carry its desktop picture modifying capabilities to cell?

There are glimpses of this broader ecosystem potential evident in its Bravia Core, Cinema Professional, Photograph Professional, and Video Professional apps, every of which leverages one other a part of the better Sony juggernaut. However they’re nonetheless decentralized and disjointed of their look, leaving them feeling tacked on fairly than central to the core OS.

Which may sound incorporeal, however when you delve into rival ecosystems from Apple, Samsung, and Google, there’s a consistency that lends weight to the better expertise. On that observe, Sony should enhance its replace pledge at this worth level. Sony declined even to supply a dedication with the 1 V, however its earlier two OS upgrades doesn’t stand as much as the competitors.

Talking of cameras, that is an space that Xperia prides itself on however has traditionally underperformed in comparison with the competitors. The Xperia 1 V righted a couple of wrongs however nonetheless doesn’t stand out sufficient to command its price ticket in comparison with the images capabilities of the far cheaper Pixel 7 Professional.

Sony continues to be awkwardly caught between mirrorless and smartphone images. It leans closely into handbook dials and choices however doesn’t fairly compete with one of the best in terms of the Night time, Portrait, Cinematic Blur, and different options you’ll discover plastered throughout just about each different flagship. They’re all improved of late however Sony may nonetheless use additional refinement.

However embracing the Alpha expertise might be the best way to face out, and Sony lately made some optimistic strikes in that course. For instance, the six colour profile choices launched within the Xperia 1 V give customers that additional selection with out added complication. Likewise, its SLR-like variable zoom tech is one thing you received’t discover anyplace else, and the Alpha viewfinder concept is neat too. It’s these distinctive however easy to make use of extras that hold the Xperia’s cameras attention-grabbing to make use of, fairly than the layers and layers of toggles. Construct on these concepts, and Sony may very well be again in competition for the very finest digicam telephone.