Sony Xperia 1 VI release date predictions and its pricing, features, and specs
Believe it or not, Sony still makes phones, and the Xperia lineup has been growing in numbers in the past couple of years. We're at the Mark VI threshold now, and judging by the leaks and rumors surrounding the upcoming Xperia 1 VI, there'll be some changes.
The rumor mill never stops, and according to the latest leaks, we will get a phone that's pretty different from all the Xperia models since the big redesign we got with the Mark I. Today, we're going to summarize everything we know about the Xperia 1 Mark VI and try to see if Sony has something up its sleeve. Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming Sony Xperia 1 VI.
The rumor mill never stops, and according to the latest leaks, we will get a phone that's pretty different from all the Xperia models since the big redesign we got with the Mark I. Today, we're going to summarize everything we know about the Xperia 1 Mark VI and try to see if Sony has something up its sleeve. Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming Sony Xperia 1 VI.
Latest Sony Xperia 1 VI news
Possible Sony Xperia 1 VI unveiling date leaked on social media
Case designer reveals that Sony's next flagship phone is imminent
Can ditching the 4k tall screen for a more mainstream display help the Sony Xperia 1 VI get more buyers?
Xperia 1 VI rumored to do away with the 2 things that make Sony phones unique
Sony Xperia 1 VI, Xperia 5 VI, and Xperia 10 VI's first details leaked
Sony Xperia 1 VI rear camera specs leak; phone will be unveiled next month at MWC
Sony Xperia 1 VI release date
- 17 May, 2024
We expected Sony to announce the Xperia 1 VI at MWC this year, but the announcement never came. If we take a quick look at the dates of Sony's previous announcements, we kinda see that what happened is not out of the ordinary.
Yes, the first two Xperia 1 models were announced in late February, but since the gap between announcement and market release was big and hurting sales, Sony decided to change the schedule. Thanks to the latest leak, we have the exact date of the Xperia 1 VI announcement. The leaker zackbucks posted on Chinese network Weibo a small poster revealing that the Xperia 1 VI will be announced on May 17, 2025 during some "Xperia special event."
| Device family | Announcement | Market release |
|---|---|---|
| Sony Xperia 1 | February 25, 2019 | May 30, 2019 |
| Sony Xperia 1 II | February 24, 2020 | May 22, 2020 |
| Sony Xperia 1 III | April 14, 2021 | August 25, 2021 |
| Sony Xperia 1 IV | May 11, 2022 | June 11, 2022 |
| Sony Xperia 1 V | May 11, 2023 | July 28, 2023 |
| Sony Xperia 1 VI | May 17, 2024* | July, 2024* |
Sony Xperia 1 VI price
When it comes to pricing, Sony has a reputation for going overboard with its flagship Xperia phones. The Xperia 1 IV, for example, carried a whopping $1,600 price tag when it landed back in 2022.
After a backlash from fans and reviewers and poor sales, Sony decided to try and rectify the price situation, lowering the price of the Xperia 1 V to $1,399. Even though this was far from cheap, it was a step in the right direction.
Now, with the redesign we expect, we might also get another price cut for the Xperia 1 VI. The exact price of the phone is still a mystery, but we don't expect it to be more than what the predecessor costed, $1,399 specifically. For what it's worth, we might get it even lower if the rumors about Sony removing features from the Xperia 1 VI turn out to be true.
After a backlash from fans and reviewers and poor sales, Sony decided to try and rectify the price situation, lowering the price of the Xperia 1 V to $1,399. Even though this was far from cheap, it was a step in the right direction.
| Phone model | 128GB of storage | 256GB of storage | 512GB of storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xperia 1 | $949 | - | - |
| Xperia 1 II | - | $1,199 | - |
| Xperia 1 III | - | $1,299 | $1,399 |
| Xperia 1 IV | - | $1,599 | $1,699 |
| Xperia 1 V | - | $1,399 | - |
| Xperia 1 VI | - | $1,399* | - |
* - anticipated prices
Sony Xperia 1 VI camera
The camera system has been one of the most exciting areas of the past couple of Xperia 1 flagships. Sony has done some real innovation, bringing along the true continuous zoom periscope system and the Exmor T dual layer transistor pixel sensor.
That's why everyone is very excited about the Xperia VI and its rear cameras. According to the latest leak, the phone will sport three cameras on its back, all of them using 48MP Exmor T sensors.
The main one of the trio of Exmor T mobile sensors boasts a size of 1/1.4 inches, a pixel size of 1.12 μm, and an aperture of f/1.4. The main camera also supports full-pixel dual-PD autofocus and 2x zoom via sensor crop.
The ultrawide camera is believed to have a 1/2.7-inch sensor with a pixel size of 0.6μm and Sony's 2x2 On-Chip Lens (OCL) technology, which enhances sensitivity, capture resolution, dynamic range, and speed.
The telephoto uses the same sensor as the ultrawide, but the periscope lens system above can move between 70 and 135mm focal length equivalent. This is different from the first generation of the system, which offered 70–105mm, and the latest one doing 85–125mm.
Sony Xperia 1 VI expected camera system:
That's why everyone is very excited about the Xperia VI and its rear cameras. According to the latest leak, the phone will sport three cameras on its back, all of them using 48MP Exmor T sensors.
The main one of the trio of Exmor T mobile sensors boasts a size of 1/1.4 inches, a pixel size of 1.12 μm, and an aperture of f/1.4. The main camera also supports full-pixel dual-PD autofocus and 2x zoom via sensor crop.
The telephoto uses the same sensor as the ultrawide, but the periscope lens system above can move between 70 and 135mm focal length equivalent. This is different from the first generation of the system, which offered 70–105mm, and the latest one doing 85–125mm.
Sony Xperia 1 VI expected camera system:
- Main: 48MP Exmor T, 1/1.35" (1/1.43" in 4:3)
- Ultrawide: 48MP Exmor T, 1/2.7", between 14 and 18mm (most likely 16mm)
- Periscope zoom: 48MP Exmor T, 70-135mm (3x-6x zoom range)
Sony Xperia 1 VI storage
Some of the first leaks about the Xperia 1 VI concern the memory situation and, most importantly, the RAM involved. There was no mention of the storage variants, but the fact that there will be two RAM configurations points toward at least two onboard memory variants.
We can extrapolate the storage configurations from the past generations and this latest rumor about the RAM, but we still don't know for sure what the situation will be. We expect the Xperia 1 VI to have at least 256GB of base storage and another 512GB variant. But whether or not we will see a 1TB version, we can't say at the moment.
Sony Xperia 1 VI storage capacity:
We can extrapolate the storage configurations from the past generations and this latest rumor about the RAM, but we still don't know for sure what the situation will be. We expect the Xperia 1 VI to have at least 256GB of base storage and another 512GB variant. But whether or not we will see a 1TB version, we can't say at the moment.
- 256 GB
- 512 GB
- 1TB?
Sony Xperia 1 VI design
There's a big change expected in the design department for the Xperia 1 VI. According to the latest leak, Sony will radically change two distinct features that the Xperia lineup is known for. Both concern the display, and one of them will lead to an inevitable design change.
The rumor says that Sony will change the display aspect ratio for the Xperia 1 VI from the 21:9 that we're all familiar with to a more Samsung-like 19.5:9. This leak was corroborated by another post on OnLeaks, showing some renders of the device, and also citing its exact dimensions, 161.9 x 74.5 x 8.4mm.
This will consequently make the device shorter and possibly wider if the screen sizes are carried over. The tall and narrow footprint of Xperia phones was a characteristic that made Sony phones stand apart from the competition. However, outside of watching movies in 21:9 cinema-like format, this form factor has proven to be rather impractical for other day-to-day tasks.
Apart from the new dimensions, we don't expect the materials and other design elements to change all that much in the new Xperia 1 VI. We will most likely get the same squarish design with glass front and back and a pill-shaped camera bump.
The rumor says that Sony will change the display aspect ratio for the Xperia 1 VI from the 21:9 that we're all familiar with to a more Samsung-like 19.5:9. This leak was corroborated by another post on OnLeaks, showing some renders of the device, and also citing its exact dimensions, 161.9 x 74.5 x 8.4mm.
This will consequently make the device shorter and possibly wider if the screen sizes are carried over. The tall and narrow footprint of Xperia phones was a characteristic that made Sony phones stand apart from the competition. However, outside of watching movies in 21:9 cinema-like format, this form factor has proven to be rather impractical for other day-to-day tasks.
Apart from the new dimensions, we don't expect the materials and other design elements to change all that much in the new Xperia 1 VI. We will most likely get the same squarish design with glass front and back and a pill-shaped camera bump.
Sony Xperia 1 VI display
Sony was the first company to put a 4K screen on a phone with the Xperia Z5 Premium back in 2015, and now it seems that we're about to transition to lower resolution with the Xperia 1 VI. The rumor that suggested Sony will switch to a 19.5:9 aspect ratio contains another piece of information about the display of the Xperia 1 VI. It's going to be a 2K display, rather than a 4K one.
Information about other display features and specs is scarce at the moment. In the past, Sony used OLED screens with no cutouts and notches and a high refresh rate, but these panels were not LTPO and were not able to switch dynamically. We suspect the exact resolution of the display will be around 3,120 x 1,440, closer to what the Galaxy S24 Ultra sports.
There's a possibility to see this feature on the Xperia 1 VI, along with improved brightness, as this is the display feature most manufacturers are focused on nowadays.
Information about other display features and specs is scarce at the moment. In the past, Sony used OLED screens with no cutouts and notches and a high refresh rate, but these panels were not LTPO and were not able to switch dynamically. We suspect the exact resolution of the display will be around 3,120 x 1,440, closer to what the Galaxy S24 Ultra sports.
There's a possibility to see this feature on the Xperia 1 VI, along with improved brightness, as this is the display feature most manufacturers are focused on nowadays.
Sony Xperia 1 VI battery
There's no information about the size of the battery inside the Xperia 1 VI at the moment. We can only assume that Sony will try to keep the 5,000mAh cell from the previous generation, which might prove difficult given the change in size.
We expect the phone to retain the wired and wireless charging speeds of its predecessor, namely the 30W fast wired charging and up to 15W wireless. While not amazing, especially compared to flagship phones from the Far East, these speeds are somewhat on par with those of other, more conservative manufacturers.
We don't expect a charger inside the retail box, Sony has gone to such lengths that the company even removed the cable from the box of the Xperia 1 Mark V. This trend isn't going away anytime soon, so we will probably get the Xperia 1 VI in a recyclable cardboard box.
We expect the phone to retain the wired and wireless charging speeds of its predecessor, namely the 30W fast wired charging and up to 15W wireless. While not amazing, especially compared to flagship phones from the Far East, these speeds are somewhat on par with those of other, more conservative manufacturers.
Sony Xperia 1 VI features and software
The world is AI now, and all major phone manufacturers try to cram in as much of it inside phones as they can. Sony normally uses a pretty clean Android distribution with a few bonus features to make the most of the 21:9 display, but nothing too radical.
It will be interesting to see which way the company will go with the Xperia 1 VI in terms of software and AI in particular. Would we see Xperia AI? There's a strong chance we would. But at the moment, we don't have anything on this subject, sadly.
Another big talking point in the industry in the past couple of months has been software support. Google started a trend with the seven years of major OS updates on the Pixel 8, and Samsung followed in its footsteps.
Xperia phones have always lagged behind when it comes to support, sticking to just two years of major OS updates, which, on a phone that costs $1,600, is rather disappointing. We have to wait and see if changes to the software support cycle are going to be made for the Xperia 1 VI debut.
It will be interesting to see which way the company will go with the Xperia 1 VI in terms of software and AI in particular. Would we see Xperia AI? There's a strong chance we would. But at the moment, we don't have anything on this subject, sadly.
Another big talking point in the industry in the past couple of months has been software support. Google started a trend with the seven years of major OS updates on the Pixel 8, and Samsung followed in its footsteps.
Xperia phones have always lagged behind when it comes to support, sticking to just two years of major OS updates, which, on a phone that costs $1,600, is rather disappointing. We have to wait and see if changes to the software support cycle are going to be made for the Xperia 1 VI debut.
Sony Xperia 1 VI hardware and specs
The Xperia 1 VI, being a true Sony flagship, will come with the latest Snapdragon. No surprises here, the phone will sport a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with ample RAM to support it.
One of the leaks points toward two RAM configurations: a 12GB and a 16GB version. We expect the 12GB variant to go with 256GB of onboard storage, while the 16GB variant might be reserved for the 512GB model or a version with 1TB of storage (not implausible).
There are other specific parts and features that make an Xperia phone what it is, and the microSD card slot is one of them. We don't have information on whether Sony is going to axe this, but it's not out of the question, especially if the company plans to introduce a 1TB version of the Xperia 1 VI.
The headphone jack is another part Sony has been nostalgically sticking to in the past couple of Xperia generations, and we hope it stays on the Xperia 1 VI, but again, with the big redesign, it might go as well.
Last but not least, the side-mounted capacitive fingerprint scanner has been on Xperia phones for many years. This may or may not be replaced with an under-display variant, but there is nothing concrete on this front for now.
One of the leaks points toward two RAM configurations: a 12GB and a 16GB version. We expect the 12GB variant to go with 256GB of onboard storage, while the 16GB variant might be reserved for the 512GB model or a version with 1TB of storage (not implausible).
There are other specific parts and features that make an Xperia phone what it is, and the microSD card slot is one of them. We don't have information on whether Sony is going to axe this, but it's not out of the question, especially if the company plans to introduce a 1TB version of the Xperia 1 VI.
The headphone jack is another part Sony has been nostalgically sticking to in the past couple of Xperia generations, and we hope it stays on the Xperia 1 VI, but again, with the big redesign, it might go as well.
Last but not least, the side-mounted capacitive fingerprint scanner has been on Xperia phones for many years. This may or may not be replaced with an under-display variant, but there is nothing concrete on this front for now.
Should I wait for the Sony Xperia 1 VI?
- You should wait for the Sony Xperia 1 VI if you want to see what Sony has up its sleeve and you're excited about the change that's coming to the Xperia in terms of design, features, and price, most likely.
- You should not wait for the Sony Xperia 1 VI if you're either a die-hard Sony fan and like Xperia phones as they are now, or you don't care about them and would rather stick to more popular brands such as Samsung or Apple.
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