Tested: Sony Xperia 1 VI leaves little to be desired

A high-end device like I would never have dreamed of: The Sony Xperia 1 VI is at the top in all areas, from audio to gaming. The only downer: the device is also at the very top in terms of price.

Design and display: The format is now suitable for the masses

New Sony Xperia, new format. Sony has ditched the original 21:9 format. I was initially disappointed by this news. I like the slim, handy film format. But Sony has found a happy medium: The Xperia 1 VI now has a 19.5:9 format, which is only slightly wider than its predecessor and still fits comfortably in my hand. It also actually fits better for everyday functions apart from videos.

The diagonal of the OLED display is 6.5 inches, the resolution 1080 × 2340 pixels. Although the latter is not outstanding, the image still looks sharp, with dark blacks and vibrant colours. The adaptive refresh rate ranges from 1 to 120 hertz.

Camera: Sony has made significant improvements

The Sony Xperia 1 VI has a triple camera on the back. There is also a front camera. Here is an overview of the specifications:

The image sensor ("Exmor T") from last year is also installed in the main camera this time. According to Sony, it is particularly sensitive to light. From ISO 800, it had problems with image noise in our previous test. An AI is now supposed to remove the image noise. (Spoiler alert) In practice, this looks very good below.

The physical shutter release button on the Xperia 1 VI is also practical. I can press it halfway down to focus, and when pressed all the way down it triggers the shutter. This gives me more control when taking photos than using the touchscreen. It is also ribbed for a better grip.

I record videos with the Xperia 1 VI at up to 120 FPS. 4K resolution is possible with up to 60 FPS. Here you can see what I created with just a few clicks in the Sony Video Creator app, including automatic background sound:

Telephoto lens: small drops of water big time

The Sony Xperia 1 VI is capable of focal lengths of 16 mm, 24 mm and 48 mm. Sony has now added an extended telephoto lens with 85-170 mm and optical zoom. Previously, the focal length was only up to 125 mm. The device can even achieve much more via a digital zoom. However, the digital zoom degrades the quality enormously.

The new optical zoom is just at the limit of my quality requirements. At least on the smartphone. On the computer screen, there is a certain amount of blurring at the edges. I can also see flat areas on the large view of buildings. Without any loss of quality, the 3.5x zoom is the best choice.

The telephoto camera is now suitable for macro photography. However, the mode is somewhat hidden, you can find it under the "More" menu extension.

I need a steady hand to get the macro image in focus. However, it's worth it. The results are really exciting. The drop of water on my cactus plant, for example, is amazingly large. I achieve a sharper result with my fluffy carpet. It looks completely different with such large bristles.

Main camera: gadgets at night

The main camera takes very nice pictures. A sunny day is no challenge for the Sony Xperia 1 VI. The colours are fresh, but not too bright. And the image does not look over-sharpened.

The predecessor weakened at night at high ISO. The software is supposed to be able to remove the image noise from such photos. That works well. When I play around with the camera's exposure time and a string of lights as a motif, the camera creates a great atmosphere. I'm impressed by the quality.

I also play with the exposure times. Without a tripod, these shouldn't be too long, of course. At 1/8 second with the main camera, for example, the subject becomes blurred. I still think the image is successful thanks to the depth of field.

The Sony Xperia 1 VI is usually good at bokeh. However, the software does not always help reliably. In an image with several layers and fine details, it can happen that the wrong areas are blurred. In my photo, the main subject, a toucan with fine feathers, is nicely in the foreground. However, the beak is blurred at the tip. I only notice this when I look at it on the computer.

The new camera app: tidy and versatile

The camera app of the predecessor Sony Xperia 1 V was visually modelled on Sony's Alpha camera series. If you had one, you quickly found your way around the app. Otherwise, it took some getting used to. Sony has now redesigned the app for the Xperia 1 VI. It seems tidier to me. I can now find everything quickly and can finally shoot videos in the same app. With the predecessor, this was only possible via a second app, which I had criticised in my test.

The images are saved in 12 megapixels using pixel binning to capture more light. If desired, I can also save images from the main camera with 48 megapixels. However, no presets are possible in this case (automatic photo mode).

In addition to the automatic photo mode, I can find three Pro modes in the app:

• P: Programme automatic. Here I can set the ISO and exposure compensation manually. The shutter speed is regulated automatically.
• S: Shutter priority. Here I can set the shutter speed manually.
• M: Manual exposure. Here I can set the shutter speed and ISO manually.

These options were also available on the previous model. But note that the apertures are fixed. This is why there is no A mode and the exposure can only be controlled via shutter speed and ISO. However, you can do a lot with this.

An additional feature in the app is the option to select a colour mode in advance:

• off (automatic adjustment)
• natural
• vivid (increases contrast and saturation)
• Film (sky, green and contrast emphasised)
• Nostalgic (reduces contrast and brightness)
• bright (soft, transparent)

This is what the different modes look like on a subject:

Hardware: more is not possible

The Sony Xperia 1 VI is equipped with the latest high-end chip - the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 from Qualcomm. It performs very well in the benchmarks with Geekbench 6. Compared to its predecessor Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (in the Sony Xperia 1 V), it is up to 35 per cent ahead (in multi-core). Compared to other models with the same chip, such as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, the values are similar. The Galaxy is Samsung's current flagship.

The Sony Xperia 1 VI with the Snapdragon chip performs exceptionally well in graphics calculations. I use OpenCL from Geekbench 6 for the measurement, and the results here are also comparable with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

In theory, this looks very promising. Our colleague Jan took a closer look at the chip in everyday use and comes to the conclusion that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3's potential has not been exhausted. It is definitely powerful.

Sony leaves little to be desired when it comes to the rest of the hardware. You get 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal memory. If the latter is not enough for you, you can insert a microSD into the card slot. It also offers space for a SIM card and can be opened without tools. The dual SIM device also supports an eSIM.

The two speakers are located on the two short edges of the display. This means the sound comes towards me from the front. And it's surprisingly good and bass-heavy for such a small device. I am satisfied. Otherwise, you can enjoy the music not only via Bluetooth, but also via wired headphones. A jack connection is available for this purpose.

Sony builds all this into a device with IP68 certification. A short dip in fresh water up to 1.5 metres should therefore not harm the Xperia 1 VI.

Battery and gaming: Xperia 1 VI has stamina

A test with 3DMark ("Wild Life Extreme Test") puts the Sony Xperia 1 VI under continuous load during simulated gaming. The 20-minute test also measures the temperature and battery during this time. The temperature rises from 35 degrees to 45 degrees. The device lost a total of 10 per cent of its charge, and the frame rate varied between 5 FPS and 35 FPS.

This is good overall and is sufficient for any mobile games. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra performs similarly here. The Galaxy gets two degrees hotter during this time, but maintains its performance more consistently after 15 minutes. The Sony Xperia 1 VI is therefore quite suitable for graphics-heavy gaming - in games such as "Genshin Impact" or "Asphalt 9", but the device throttles its performance over longer gaming periods to prevent overheating.

About the battery: It is quite large and has enormous endurance. The PCMark software simulated everyday use for web surfing, video editing, reading and the like. The 5000 mAh battery lasts over 18 hours at 75 per cent display brightness. Current high-end devices are far below this, for example the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. There it is only 11 hours. In practice, this time works well. The Sony Xperia 1 VI lasts until the evening of the next day. This means I only have to charge the device half as often as I'm used to.

The battery charges in about an hour, but the power adapter and USB-C cable are not included. For a device in this price range, I find that a bit harsh. At least the cable is almost always included with smartphones. The charging time is okay. The competition is sometimes faster.

Software: less durable

The Sony Xperia 1 VI comes with Android 14 ex works, with software updates for three years and security patches for four years. Other manufacturers are currently scoring points with much longer support: Google promises up to seven years, Fairphone up to ten. According to EU regulations, every device must provide updates for at least five years by the end of 2024 anyway. For such an expensive purchase and powerful hardware, this should be a matter of course.

I hardly find any bloatware on the Xperia 1 VI. I can select or deselect most apps in advance during setup. Practical: Sony includes its own app for video editing. This allows me to create attractive clips from my filmed content almost automatically. The software also adds the appropriate music.

The device is also suitable as a second display for your Sony Alpha camera. In addition to the good display, Sony provides software for the practical feature.