Sony Xperia 1 VI

A microSD card slot and 3.5mm jack mark this flagship out, but the price is too high

- RICHARD PRIDAY

Sony’s Xperia range has had a unique look from the start, but this year the familiar frosted glass back and ridged edges hide a major change. Until now, all Xperia 1 phones included narrow 21:9 aspect ratio displays. With the Xperia 1 VI, Sony has rejoined the herd with a 6.5in, 120Hz OLED screen that fits the typical 19.5:9 smartphone profile.

The screen has also lost its other unique feature: a 4K resolution. While the 1,080 x 2,340 pixels you’ll find here mean a drop in ppi, few people will notice the difference in practice, and I think the new design works better – especially as this “Powered by Bravia” panel delivers such superb colours and detail for films. And its Sunlight Vision feature even outshines the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (see issue 354, p58).

The Xperia’s screen still has noticeable bezels, though, especially at the top where the selfie camera is housed. Compensation comes in the 3.5mm headphone jack, a toolless SIM card tray (through which you can also add a microSD card to complement the 256GB of storage) and a separate shutter/camera shortcut button.