SONY

Xperia 1 VI: New leaks reveal camera upgrades and ditching of iconic 21:9 display for smaller Xperia 1 V successor

It is now clear what Sony's next flagship smartphone will look like. Rumoured to be launching later this month with the Xperia 10 VI, the Xperia 1 VI will be available in three colour options with various changes from the current Xperia 1 V, including an upgraded telephoto camera and a 19.5:9 display.

Fresh information about the Xperia 1 VI has appeared online, this time from multiple sources. Arguably the biggest disclosure of the two is the publication of over 45 promotional images, all of which we have embedded below. However, MSPowerUser has also shed light on some potential specifications for the Xperia 1 V (curr. $858 on Amazon) successor.

Specifically, MSPowerUser asserts that Sony will bring several camera upgrades to the Xperia 1 with its sixth-generation model, contrary to previous expectations. According to the website, the Xperia 1 VI will utilise a new 'Exmor T for mobile' stacked CMOS image sensor as its primary camera, which will deliver a 24 mm equivalent focal length. Additionally, the new sensor is said to provide a 2x in-sensor zoom to 48 mm.

By contrast, the device's dedicated telephoto camera is rumoured to offer between 85 mm and 170 mm equivalent focal lengths, compared to 85 mm to 125 mm on the Xperia 1 V. Thus, the Xperia 1 VI should be capable of continuously zooming between 3.5x and 7x rather than 3.5x-5.2x for the Xperia 1 V. MSPowerUser adds that the former will possess a 16 mm ultra-wide-angle camera too, which matches the equivalent focal length of the ultra-wide-angle camera inside the Xperia 1 V.

The camera changes extend to software, with Human Pose Estimation technology borrowed from the Alpha 7R, as well as a single camera app that replaces Cinema Pro, Photography Pro and Videography Pro. Unsurprisingly, Sony is claimed to have upgraded the Xperia 1 to Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which powers various other modern flagships like the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Xiaomi 14 Ultra. MSPowerUser states that the high-end chipset will be complemented by an unchanged 5,000 mAh battery capacity, though, plus a new 'high-performance audio chip' with associated circuitry improvements.

All these changes will be packaged in a shorter housing, too. Allegedly, the Xperia 1 VI will adopt a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, with Sony finally moving away from the 21:9 aspect ratio it has used across its Xperia series until its fifth-generation products. Moreover, the shorter OLED display is expected to be 1.5x brighter than the one in the Xperia 1 V, while also offering 1 Hz-120 Hz refresh and 240 Hz touch sampling rates. Potentially, Sony could unveil the Xperia 1 VI alongside the Xperia 10 VI later this month during an Xperia 'special event', which Sony has scheduled for May 17. Whenever the Xperia 1 VI actually arrives, @MysteryLupin and Android Headlines have confirmed that it will be available in three colours with matching official cases.

mundophone