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The mother of all Xperia 1 VI leaks is here to spoil Sony's official announcement event

By Adrian Diaconescu

Published: May 14, 2024, 7:20 AM

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Android Sony

The mother of all Xperia 1 VI leaks is here to spoil Sony's official announcement event

The big day has (almost) arrived for the seemingly very few hardcore Sony fans who continue to care deeply about the company's Android handsets, but while waiting for tomorrow's official Xperia 1 VI announcement, you can now feast your eyes on... pretty much all of the phone's details and features.

That's right, it looks like the already oft-leaked device has been leaked even further on Twitter the social network formerly known as Twitter, leaving almost no important question unanswered ahead of its formal launch event... aside from the always crucial pricing matter.

A revised design with the "brightest Xperia display ever" at its center

As rumored numerous times over the last few months, the Xperia 1 VI is moving away from the 21:9 aspect ratio that made its forerunners look like virtually no other mobile devices on the market. The new 19.5:9 aspect ratio is identical to what the Galaxy S24 Ultra offers, for instance, which doesn't sound great for Sony's brand identity.

Then again, Xperia phones have always excelled in the display performance department, and this next-gen flagship will probably be no exception, promising a "visually stunning" user experience with state-of-the-art technology "inherited from the esteemed Bravia 9" TV and a new Sunlight Vision mode for better visibility in tricky outdoor lighting conditions.

Much like the aforementioned Galaxy S24 Ultra, the Xperia 1 VI also aims to leverage ultra-advanced LTPO tech to adjust your content viewing experience from 1 to 120Hz refresh rate and thus both keep things as smooth as you need in all scenarios and save power whenever possible.

Interestingly, it appears that the Xperia 1 VI will downgrade its predecessor's industry-leading 4K resolution to Full HD+, which sounds bad but should also greatly help battery life without impacting the real-life video playing experience much. While the exact pixel count is currently unknown, FHD+ phones tend to do a perfectly adequate job of streaming high-res movies and games at very similar quality to 4K flagships.

Besides, this downgrade could help Sony reduce the price of its new ultra-premium phone compared to the extravagant Xperia 1 V, so you may want to wait for that puzzle piece to fall into place before discarding the Xperia 1 VI's potential to appeal to the masses.

All that you need in a high-end phone and more

Okay, perhaps the Xperia 1 VI doesn't look special or unique in any clear way, but it's also no pushover by any measure of the word. Priced adequately, this bad boy seems to have everything it takes to bid for the title of best Android phone in 2024, from a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor to a 5,000mAh battery rated at two whole days of endurance between charges (with the help of that frugal but also high-quality screen), and three different 48MP cameras.

That's right, all three rear-facing snappers are equipped with 48-megapixel sensors, with the secondary lens taking care of ultra-wide-angle photography and the tertiary camera supporting telephoto zoom technology ranging from 85 to 170mm. In short, the Xperia 1 VI seems prepared to capture the sharpest and clearest images and videos in pretty much all scenarios and conditions.

Of course, it remains to be seen how the three Zeiss-powered cameras will actually perform out in the real world, and we'll also need to rigorously review the new phone to verify Sony's bold promises of delivering "unparalleled audio" performance. A new speaker module will take care of the latter aspect, and worry not, as the 3.5mm headphone jack is remarkably still here to stay.

Tipping the scales at 192 grams and measuring 8.2mm in thickness, the Xperia 1 VI is actually not that different from its predecessor while easily beating the Galaxy S24 Ultra in both those departments. Its "elegant" color options will include black, platinum silver, khaki green, and red, although we highly doubt all four of those are headed for all global markets. There are no words on charging speeds yet, but we do know wireless charging will be (unsurprisingly) supported, and the same goes for "battery share" functionality.

A "vapor chamber cooler", FPS optimizer, audio equalizer, game enhancer, and 240Hz "touch scanning rate" are just a few of the technologies set to squeeze the best gaming capabilities out of the Xperia 1 VI's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, although once again, we'd urge you to wait for our review before expecting too much from these fancy-sounding but potentially gimmicky features. Either way, Sony could definitely have a real winner on its hands here... if it finally gets the price point right, which we should find out tomorrow.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.