Sony's Xperia 1 VI and Xperia 10 VI are All About Zooms and Oomph

Sony Xperia 1 VI gets extended continuous zoom

Starting with the premium flagship Xperia 1 VI, Sony is switching to a more conventional display aspect ratio of 19.5:9 from 21:9, which also results in a stouter form for the IP68-certified device. While shorter, the OLED display is still measured at 6.5-inch wide and comes with a downgraded resolution from 4K to FHD+.

However, the Japanese company is not leaving without any enhancements to the display. It touts that the new AI-powered Bravia panel is 1.5 times brighter than in the predecessor while being the “brightest” Xperia display yet. In addition, it is protected by a Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front, Victus 1 with a “haptic” finish at the back, and features a variable refresh rate at 1 to 120 Hz along with a 240 Hz touch sampling rate.

Despite Sony retaining the familiar triple camera module, it is giving the Xperia 1 VI new zoom levels for both the primary and telephoto snappers. The 48 MP main now has two-step optical zoom levels at 1x (24 mm) and 2x (48 mm). Video shooting capabilities are unchanged with up to 4K resolution in 120 fps.

Likewise, the 12 MP telephoto is getting extended with a continuous zoom between 3.5x to 7.1x, up from the 3.5x to 5.2x zoom in the Xperia 1 Mark V we reviewed last year. A new telephoto macro mode is introduced with this sensor, allowing to capture small subjects at a minimum 4 cm distance. These two rear cameras are joined by the 12 MP ultrawide, which all use Zeiss optics. You also get a wider dedicated camera shutter key housed on the right side.

Apart from the camera hardware, there are also optimizations in the software side which adds improved autofocus for human subjects courtesy of AI, which can detect obscured faces and poses better than the previous Xperia shooter. More importantly, Sony is combining its three Xperia camera apps: Photo Pro, Video Pro, and Cinema Pro, into one coherent app.

Internally, the Xperia 1 VI is fitted with the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset with an improved cooling system and Wi-Fi 7. The battery and charging are unchanged at 5000 mAh battery capacity and wired and wireless charging speed. The handset also carries over the 3.5 mm headphone jack and hi-res audio certifications, but it sports a new set of speakers.

Sony Xperia 10 VI has one less camera

Sony has refreshed the Xperia 10 line with the new Mark VI. The mid-range handset keeps the 6.1-inch OLED FHD+ display and 60 Hz refresh rate along with the compact and water-resistant build of the Xperia 10 V, but it has a refreshed exterior that mirrors the high-end Xperia 5 V.

While the Xperia 10 VI ditches the telephoto sensor in the rear camera module, the primary gets an extra 2x optical zoom capability at 52 mm-equivalent focal length in addition to the 26 mm. This comes with an OIS and is backed by a 12 MP ultrawide.

While under the hood, the Xperia 10 VI runs on the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 platform with a 5,000 mAh battery capacity that is rated to last two days from a single charge and about 10 percent longer in running time than last year's mid-range. And similar to the Xperia 1 VI, the mid-ranger gets an upgraded speaker module and (still) features the good ol' 3.5 mm analog jack.

Sony Xperia 1 VI and Xperia 10 VI prices and release date

You'll need to wait a little longer before you can get your hands on the Xperia 1 VI and 10 VI. The two handsets will be available globally in June but Sony is kicking off pre-orders in select countries starting on May 15.

The Xperia 1 VI is available in black, white, green, and a new red with availability depending on the country. It costs $1200 (€1399) with a memory configured at 12/256 GB. Meanwhile, the Xperia 10 VI commands a sticker price of $400 (€399) for the 8/128 GB setup and is offered in black, white, and blue finishes.