A decade ago — back in the Wild West era of Android — Samsung debuted one of its oddest gadgets to date. Rather than keeping its Android builds limited to smartphones, the company branched out into point-and-shoot cameras, bundling a 4.8" touchscreen with a 21x zoom lens and Android 4.1. Thanks to its LTE connection, backing up to various cloud services — or immediately sharing to Instagram — was quick and easy, but as smartphone sensors continued to evolve, the need for dedicated cameras, even those running Android, fizzled into nothing
Although Samsung’s experiment is likely seen as a failure these days, Sony’s Xperia team seems to be carrying on the same sort of energy. Yes, the Xperia 1 V is a smartphone first and foremost, but nearly all the attention is focused on the triple array of cameras found on the device’s back. For better or worse, it makes Sony’s latest ultra-expensive flagship stand out among theGalaxy S23 Ultrasof the world. Whether that translates into a phone you should actually buy, however, is another discussion entirely.
Sony Xperia 1 V
Sony’s Xperia 1 V is its best phone in years, thanks to some much-needed improvements to its camera’s auto mode and overall performance. But at $1,400, it’s tough to justify when placed next to phones from Samsung and Google.
Availability and network
Sony phones are infamous for going on sale months after an initial announcement. Although the company has made some improvements here, the Xperia 1 V is still set to hit (virtual) store shelves on July 28th, nearly two months after its initial debut. You’ll be able to find it through Sony’s online storefront, as well as retailers like Amazon, for $1,400. A 512GB SKU is also available for $1,600.
That said, if you pre-order, you can score a free pair ofSony Linkbuds, as well as a $50 Amazon gift card (or a Sony coupon if ordering through its storefront). It definitely helps to bring down the total cost of this package.
As far as networks go, Sony phones can sometimes be a bit of a risk. Right now, with the bands displayed on its website, it looks like reliable 4G signals on all three US carriers, as well as solid 5G reception on AT&T. This phone seems to be missing some must-have bands for Verizon and T-Mobile, though I’ve had few issues using it on a T-Mobile-based MVNO over the last couple of weeks. Your mileage may vary. As usual, you won’t find them on carrier store shelves, or through those online channels.
Design and display
If you find yourself bored with the stagnant design in the world of smartphones, you won’t find relief in Sony’s lineup. The Xperia 1 V is, at its core, rocking the same style the company first launched with 2019’sXperia 1 II,right down to the camera bump location and the super-tall 21:9 aspect ratio. There’s something to be said about consistency, though I think the Xperia design language is likely too anonymous to ever catch on in our current market — to say nothing about the company’s relatively low sales.
So what’s new in this year’s design? In addition to a new green hue — along with the standard black model — Sony has given its matte glass a new textured feel. Frankly, it feels more like plastic than glass, but I mean this in the best way possible. Combined with the squared-off edges, this is one of the most grippy phones I’ve held in a while, and it feels like it could survive a drop or two.
The green hue in my unit is subtle; it’s almost black in certain lights, a far cry from some of the more pastel-like colors seen on other modern smartphones. I like it, though, and when paired with the textured back, it’s actually one of the more unique (non-foldable) designs we’ve seen in quite a while. That said, though, I think it’s time for Sony to move on to greener (heh) pastures with next year’s Xperia 1 VI, especially when it comes to the screen.
Tell me this doesn’t look black here.
The phone’s 6.5" display is a confusing mixture of past and future trends, combining the company’s signature 4K resolution with an ultra-tall aspect ratio and bezels along both the top and bottom. Surrounded by a sea of hole-punch cameras and curved displays, there’s no doubt the Xperia 1 V looks a little dated. But the bezels are slim enough to fade into the background, all while delivering actual front-facing stereo speakers and keeping the screen uninterrupted.
The added size here when compared to the 6.1" panel on last year’sXperia 5 IVis a welcome addition. The display is just wide enough to feel comfortable to type on, but I’d be lying if I said reaching any element along the top. The device itself is about as tall as the Galaxy S23 Ultra, but with the narrower feel, doing anything in landscape just feels worse. From watching movies to game streaming, you’re looking at alotof wasted space, without much of a benefit to show for it.
The panel itself is everything you’d want for this price point. Although it’s not quite as eye-catchingly saturated as the screen on Samsung’s most recent phones, the display was perfectly pleasant to look at after switching to creative mode. That said, the 4K resolution here, while nice, is total overkill. It’s not even something that’s nice to have; despite the high PPI, I never noticed a difference between this and a 1440p screen on the competition.
Other hardware and what’s in the box
It’s not just the design and display where Sony seems intent on reusing parts from previous phones. The power button continues to pull double-duty as a fingerprint sensor, and judging by its performance over the last couple of weeks, I’m all but certain it’s the same disappointing module seen on the Xperia 5 IV andXperia Pro-ilast year. For $1,400, it’s truly inexcusable.
After saving my thumbprint during setup, I struggled to unlock the phone without typing my PIN. Only after deleting that initial file and re-registering my thumbthree different timesdid the phone start to actually unlock when prompted. Even then, I’m still seeing far more failures than on phones with embedded in-display sensors, or when compared to similar power buttons like on theGalaxy Z Fold 4. Sony either needs to find a sensor that works, or move its location to a place with more space for more accurate detection.
Much of the rest of the phone remains consistent with previous releases as well. Haptics are solidly in the “good-not-great” range, a big step below what Google and Samsung currently offer. It’s good enough for scrolling through recent apps or for notifications, but I disabled keyboard haptics pretty quickly into my time with the phone.
That said, I quite enjoyed the dual front-facing speakers. Both channels are surprisingly well-balanced considering one speaker doubles as an earpiece for phone calls, and although the experience isn’t overwhelmingly loud, it’s certainly good enough for podcasts, YouTube videos, or even the occasional movie. It’s also fine for casually listening to music, although considering the 3.5mm headphone jack, you’re better off finding an aux cable and plugging it into some real speakers.
Still, I’m happy to see the headphone jack here, just as I appreciate Sony’s approach to the SIM tray. Not only does it double as a microSD card slot, but it’s also removable without a SIM tool. This isn’t new to the Xperia 1 V, but considering how often I swap phones these days, it’s appreciated nonetheless.
Sony rates its phone as both IP65 and IP68 dust and water-resistant, and during a briefing on the phone, was unable to explain why the device has two distinct ratings. Regardless, it should survive any dust that falls into its speaker grates, and even a dip in the pool shouldn’t result in the phone dying.
Oh, and hey — here’s a weird complaint. The flash on this phone isactuallya camera flash, which means it’s meant for nighttime photography and not much else. If you regularly use your phone’s LED as a flashlight, you’ll need to keep an extra accessory on you, as the light Sony has included here isn’t designed to help you find your keys in a dark room.
Although my unit appears to be a prototype — standard practice for Sony’s review program — my packaging does appear close to finalized. If that’s true, all you’ll find in the box is the phone itself. We’ve reached out to Sony to confirm this and will update our review when we hear back.
Software and performance
Despite an upgrade toAndroid 13, Sony’s software build feels completely unchanged from when I last visited it on 2022’s Xperia 5 IV. Similar to Motorola, Sony keeps things simple, avoiding the more heavy-handed touches brought on by the likes of OnePlus or Samsung. But unlike the recentMoto Edge+, I found myself confused by what, exactly, Sony is offering here to differentiate itself from the competition.
Some of the customizations on display here left me totally bamboozled. Why is the “No notifications” text in the notification tray all-caps? Why did the Pixel-like search bar shrink when I changed my home screen grid to be four apps wide? Why is there a persistent option to swap between display modes in the quick settings menu that I can’t seem to remove? Are Sony’s users really swapping between standard and creative display modesthatfrequently? And why does “Side Sense” exist when activating multitasking isfasterin the recent apps menu?
I’ve also seen some weird system behaviors that make this one of the buggiest non-beta builds of Android I’ve seen in some time. On more than one occasion, both the navigation bar and the status bar disappeared, leaving me with a frozen app until I turned the display on and off. While browsing Twitter (I know, someonepleasesend me a Bluesky invite), I realized tapping on the lower-left corner in apps also triggers the back gesture, making it difficult to use bottom navigation in certain apps.
Most of the pre-installed apps are Sony’s own creation-focused tools, including Photo Pro, Video Pro, and Cinema Pro for capturing photos and videos (and, as an aside, please Sony, start bundling these apps together). Music Pro returns as well, supplying users with a mobile recording suite, while External Monitor is built directly to be used with Sony’s lineup of Alpha cameras. A three-month Tidal trial is the only real bloatware found on the phone, though for $1,400, I still think that is pretty inexcusable.
That Tidal app isn’t even an app, it’s a link to this webpage.
As far as performance goes, my time with the Xperia 1 V mostly matches what I’ve come to expect from other Snapdragon 8 Gen 2-powered phones. I did experience a few occasions where the phone became unexpectedly hot while web browsing, but considering the weather that day was also unseasonably warm, I’m nottooconcerned about daily use. As with phones like theOnePlus 11, Sony’s smartphone can handle virtually everything you could throw at it.
Although Samsung, Google, OnePlus, and even Motorola have all implemented new software policies for their smartphones that promise a bare minimum of three OS upgrades, Sony has yet to follow suit. That’s becoming an impossible pill to swallow when you’re dropping $1,400 on a smartphone, especially one that isn’t applicable for carrier deals to help lower the cost.
If reviewing a Sony smartphone is like reviewing a camera, I’m disappointed not to have better news. It’s not so much that the Xperia 1 V isn’t capable of producing excellent shots — it is — but like previous models, you’re going to need some pretty formal knowledge of howactualcameras work, since shooting in manual mode is all but a requirement. While the company has finally started leaning into auto mode, it’s still not up to par with the competition.
By default, the camera app — whether accessed through the shutter button or through Android itself — continues to default to Basic, unless you swap out this option buried in the settings menu. The idea behind Basic mode is to appeal to as many users as possible, effectively creating a similar UI to what you’d find on any other smartphone. Even then, it’s still chock full of more icons than most novices would know what to do with, and Auto mode is only more confusing.
The Xperia 1 V includes three lenses: a 48MP f/1.9 1/1.35" lens, a 12MP f/2.3 telephoto lens capable of an optical zoom between 3.5x and 5.2x, and a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide sensor. It’s an impressive grouping of hardware, especially if you’re willing to work in any number of Sony’s manual modes. “Program auto” leaves everything but shutter speed up to you, “Shutter speed priority” is perfect for capturing moving subjects, and “Manual exposure” is great for creating motion blur.
Here’s the good news. The Sony Xperia 1 V takes markedly better photos than last year’s Xperia 5 IV when in Basic or Auto mode, regardless of the lens you’re using. Everything looks a bit poppier without that signature eye-searing saturation you’ll find on some of the competition. The phone does a better job of serving as a point-and-shoot style device, which, you know, is what most people — even professional photographers — want out of their smartphone. Put simply, it’s a good camera system, especially if you’re shooting with the primary lens.
Low-light performance was better than what I saw last fall on the Xperia 5 IV, thanks in part to that 48MP main sensor that bins down to 12MP. That optical zoom lens is super cool, too — having two different focal lengths to choose from in one lens opens up a ton of exciting opportunities when shooting, though the stabilization leaves something to be desired. And the ability to shoot in 4K@120FPS across all three lenses is, again, something most brands aren’t offering. You won’t see that on your Pixel 7 Pro.
Night samples. Low-light performance is much better here than it was on last year’s Xperia 5 IV, but you’ll still want some ambient light around to get the best shot.
The bad news, though, is that the overall experience still doesn’t measure up to what the vast majority of regular users want: vibrant, social-ready content that only takes a split second to capture. Look, I know Sony has positioned these as enthusiast smartphones, and looking for them to compete head-to-head with something like the Pixel could be seen as a waste of time. The Xperia 1 V is at least an attempt to meld these two worlds together, and I think it’s closer than ever.
Zoom samples, starting at 1x and moving up to 10x. It’s a big step behind what’s offered by Google or Samsung.
But even if youarefamiliar with the basics of photography, Sony’s camera app can feel completely foreign to anyone not shooting on the company’s Alpha lenses. Coming from a Lumix GH5, I had to peck around blindly to figure out what half of the random icons actually corresponded with.
And all of this adds up, more often than not, to a frustrating camera experience. No one wants to be the friend lagging behind the group while they try to take a sunset shot. No one wants to be the one who misses their kid or pet doing something cute because they were busy fiddling with their camera settings. This isn’t what most people come to smartphones for, and while I think it’s great this option exists for those who want it, Sony has to bring its processing power up to par with the competition to justify the phone to regular buyers.
Or maybe it doesn’t. The Xperia lineup feels more camera than smartphone these days, and that’s certainly not an accident. Perhaps Sony is comfortable with acting as a DSLR in a marketplace of point-and-shoots, but it shouldn’t be surprised when users continue to overlook it as an option — especially with a price tag this large.
Battery life
Considering Sony is using the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Xperia 1 V is a battery champ. Paired with a 5,000mAh cell, this phone is easily capable of getting through a day’s worth of heavy use — or, if you aren’t a power user, a couple of days of lighter browsing.
On days like the former, I was seeing above seven hours of screen-on time, all while running at 120Hz. But during a recent business trip where I was primarily glued to my laptop, I scraped through nearly two days of use before finally plugging the phone in.
Left:The phone after a heavy day’s worth of use.Right: The phone after two days of light use.
Meanwhile, 30W fast-charging — while not up to par with the fastest speeds from Motorola or OnePlus — trumps the vast majority of smartphones from Samsung and Google. Topping up to get through the night only takes about half an hour and nets you roughly a 50% charge. Meanwhile, both wireless and reverse wireless charging are here, too.
Competition
Frankly, Sony doesn’t exactly have one specific competitor — it’s sort of doing its own thing right now. If you are looking for something close to this phone, it’s worth looking at the Galaxy S23 Ultra. While I imagine the Pixel 7 Fold would feel too restrictive for fans of Sony’s old-school focus on features, the S23 Ultra is a different beast. Despite missing out on the headphone jack and microSD card, it maintains its power user status through sheer performance alone.
Although it can’t quite measure up on resolution, the 6.8" OLED panel on Samsung’s most recent flagship is brighter and bolder than what Sony offers, and its more traditional aspect ratio means videos look much larger. It offers a more premium feel in the hand, too, though in a much more slippery package. And at $1,200, it’s actually a little cheaper than Sony’s latest smartphone, all while functioning under Samsung’s guaranteed policy of five years of support.
But really, it’s the camera that makes Samsung’s phone rival Sony’s. Out of the box, the S23 Ultra produces great images, but unlike on the Pixel, manual controls remain an option here. The default camera app includes a Pro mode, but for those dying for something similar to Sony’s Alpha-like UI, Expert RAW is available as an optional app from the Galaxy Store.
More than any other premium smartphone, though, the Xperia 1 V likely compares closest to the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate from Asus. It keeps some of the legacy features Sony fans want in a smartphone, including a headphone jack andtwoUSB-C ports, for a similar price as this Xperia model. Granted, you’re giving up all of the imaging prowess of this particular model for something focused on gaming and multimedia, but if the old-school Android appeal of the Xperia 1 V is what’s drawing you in, don’t sleep on what Asus is bringing to the table.
Should you buy it?
Much like Motorola, I appreciate that Sony is out here trying something new with its approach to smartphones. If you’ve spent most of the last few years focusing your attention on Samsung and Google — or even Apple — it can feel like the entire market has stagnated. Sony’s phones have too, to an extent, relied on recycled designs from a pre-pandemic era. But combining fan-favorite features in a device designed for content creation remains, as ever, a smart move on the company’s part. Not everyone likes Google’s photo processing, and building a smartphone from the ground up to focus on manual controls over all else is a unique approach.
It’s just too bad that the overall package doesn’t come together. At $1,400, neither the ease of use nor the overall smartphone quality are quite there. Taking into account Sony’s poor reputation at software support — and its disinterest in improving it — I think the vast majority of shoppers are better off splitting their $1,400 into two purchases: a mid-range smartphone like thePixel 7aalongside an entry-level (or gently used) mirrorless camera. You’ll still get all of the manual controls you crave for photos, while keeping one of thebest camera phonesin your pocket for quick snaps.
Sony’s attempts at bridging the gap between a full-fledged point-and-shoot and an Android phone are leagues ahead of what Samsung tried a decade ago, but ultimately, it’s a failed exercise in the world of modern smartphone photography. AI-powered processing is the future, delivering excellent images without needing to know anything about exposure or shutter speed. But even if you’re more interested in manual controls than you are the latest and greatest in computational photography, for $1,400, better options exist.
The Sony Xperia 1 V is unlike anything else you’ll find on the market today. With an ultra-tall 4K OLED panel, a textured glass back for added grip, and all of the manual controls Alpha fans could ask for, this is nothing like modern Android flagships — something that might win over some old-school smartphone fans.
