Sony Xperia 1 VI review: the enthusiast phone that compromised to survive · Doxlore

Sony Xperia 1 VI review: the enthusiast phone that compromised to survive

Posted 16h ago

Sony dropped the 4K screen for a brighter FHD panel and gained a genuinely useful continuous zoom, a fair trade.

Our score: 7.5 / 10

Making peace with reality

For years the Xperia 1 was a 4K, 21:9, headphone-jack phone for a tiny audience. The 1 VI compromised: a brighter, more efficient FHD+ display, a proper 85–170mm continuous optical zoom, and a two-day battery. The purists grumbled; the phone got better.

Still niche, still for a specific person

Manual camera controls, a 3.5 mm jack, a microSD slot, no pre-installed bloat. If that list makes you nod, this is your phone. If it does not, the price is very hard to justify.

The good and the bad

What works

Genuinely useful continuous telephoto
Two-day battery
Headphone jack and microSD
Pro camera app

What doesn’t

Expensive
Niche appeal
Cameras still trail the big flagships on auto mode

Who it’s for

Buy it if you want manual camera control, a headphone jack and expandable storage in one phone.

Skip it if you want the best auto-mode camera or the best value.

Alternatives worth a look

Galaxy S26, a more conventional flagship at a similar or lower price.

The verdict: Finally a phone you can recommend to Xperia fans without a paragraph of caveats, just most of one.

Sources

GSMArena specifications

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Sony Xperia 1 VI review: the enthusiast phone that compromised to survive

Making peace with reality

Still niche, still for a specific person

The good and the bad

Who it’s for

Alternatives worth a look

Sources

0 comments

Similar topics

The best noise-cancelling headphones in 2026

Sony WH-1000XM6 review: the folding hinge is back, and so is the crown

Sony Bravia 9 review: mini-LED that finally worries OLED

Sony A9 III review: the global shutter changes what a camera can do

PlayStation 5 Pro review: for the people who want every pixel

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones vs Sony WH-1000XM6

Similar topics

The best noise-cancelling headphones in 2026

Sony WH-1000XM6 review: the folding hinge is back, and so is the crown

Sony Bravia 9 review: mini-LED that finally worries OLED

Sony A9 III review: the global shutter changes what a camera can do

PlayStation 5 Pro review: for the people who want every pixel

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones vs Sony WH-1000XM6