Sony Xperia 1 V Review: Embracing Innovation Once More

(Image credit- Yanko Design) The most effective Sony phone for 2023 is the Xperia 1 V. It serves as an excellent illustration of how Sony's approach to phone design differs slightly from that of the competitors. Maintaining many older items much as they have always been is an important part of this strategy. Although it has a new processor and some other upgrades, this phone is very similar to the Xperia 1 IV. You should be satisfied with your purchase if it was the model from the previous year. A year after the corresponding Xperia 1 IV, the Sony Xperia 1 V went on sale in June 2023. These phones are pricey. As with the last model, you can anticipate paying $1,399/£1,299/AU$2,099 for this one. It features 256GB of memory. There is a 512GB version available in select regions. Given that the Xperia 1 V supports microSD memory cards, the update is less desirable than it would be in an iPhone. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Image credit- CNET[/caption]

Specifications

Dimensions	165mm × 71mm × 8.3mm
Weight	187 grams
Display	6.5-inch 21:9 4K (3840x1644) 120Hz OLED, protected by Gorilla Victus 2
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
RAM	12GB (LPDDR5X)
Storage	256GB / 512GB (UFS 4.0) + microSD (up to 1TB)
OS	Android 13
Primary camera	52MP (48MP effective), f/1.9, 24mm, 84º FoV, 1/1.35-inch Exmor T sensor w/ OIS
Ultra-wide camera	12MP, f/2.2, 16mm, 123º FoV, 1/2.5-inch Exmor RS sensor
Telephoto camera	12MP, f/2.3 to f/2.8, 85mm to 125mm, 28º to 20º FoV, 1/3.5-inch Exmor RS sensor, 3.5x to 5.2x optical zoom w/ OIS
Front camera	12MP, f/2.0, 24mm, 83º FoV, 1/2.9-inch Exmor RS sensor
Audio	Stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack
Battery	5,000mAh
Charging	30W wired, 15W wireless
Colors	Black, Khaki Green, Platinum Silver

Design

The Sony Xperia 1 V features the same monolithic design as all of the company's prior flagship models. It is an off-square slab. Even though it means that this phone doesn't exactly scream "new," Sony is still easily recognizable in a way that other manufacturers outside of Apple can't quite match. Additionally, this design makes the Xperia 1 V and its forerunners appear a little more chunky than their real specifications warrant. This phone, which is 8.3mm thick and only 71mm wide, is quite similar to the Sony Xperia 1 IV from a year ago. The 3.5mm headphone jack connector on the Sony Xperia 1 V is a true rarity in all but the most affordable smartphones today. Instead of an in-screen scanner, it has a side-mounted one. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1300"] Image credit- Trusted Reviews[/caption]

Display

The 6.5-inch OLED screen on the Sony Xperia 1 V shares the same excesses as the series' earlier models: a very tall design and extremely high resolution. With a resolution of 3840 x 1644 pixels, this display is 4K. The OLED panel boasts excellent color and maximum brightness, and by design, it has virtually perfect contrast. The refresh rate of the display peaks at 120Hz as well.

Software and Performance

The Sony Xperia 1 V runs Android 13 and has a simple interface developed by Sony. A number of wallpapers give the OS a distinctive Sony flair. There isn't much here to irritate or offend, though. The Sony Xperia 1 V is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the best chipset available at the time of its release. This is a flagship processor that fixes throttling, one of the main problems with the Gen 1 version.

Cameras

There are three rear cameras on the Sony Xperia 1 V. It's a unique and high-end array, with the 3.5-5.2x 12MP zoom featuring a genuine optical zoom lens being the most striking of the three. As you switch between the two focal lengths, lens elements may be seen to shift. Since smartphones became a thing, just a few phones have had this kind of zoom.

Battery Life

Like the Sony Xperia 1 IV, the Sony Xperia 1 V sports a 5,000mAh battery. Even though this phone's unexplained, sporadic heating up is never going to be a fair indication of battery life. During the review, the phone typically lasted 1.5 days of moderate use and may be trusted for days with moderately high usage. Also read: Sony Xperia 1 V : $1400 phone flaunts a “functional tactile design,” may hit the US in July