Sony’s Xperia smartphones have come a long way since its first generation. In 2017, a very early version of their Android phone, the Xperia XZ, featured a 720p screen and a built-in camera considered subpar, especially relative to the brand’s world-class cameras.
Fortunately, this lukewarm reception hasn’t deterred Sony from improving upon older models. The more recent Xperia smartphone has been fitted with external monitor support, allowing the 4K 21:9 phone screen to enlarge your view of Sony mirrorless cameras. It’s even bumped up its other specs to compete with its best-selling smartphone competitors. Here’s what you need to know about how the Xperia 1 Mark V holds up.
Display and refresh rate
The Xperia 1 V currently has the highest resolution phone screen on the market, with a 4K 6.5-inch display that fits 643 pixels into every inch. This beats even the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s already impressive 460 pixels. Moreover, the Xperia 1 V holds up against other smartphones with a 120Hz refresh rate. However, it could benefit from an adaptive refresh rate like we see on the iPhone 14 Pro, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, and the Huawei P60 Pro, which can range from 1Hz to 120Hz to maximize battery use.
Battery life
The Xperia 1 V has improved upon the previous generation’s tendency to overheat. It features a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, an 8-core chipset used in many high-end smartphones in 2023, allowing it to accommodate the latest games efficiently. This means it can hold up with the likes of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which also uses the Qualcomm Gen 2 chips. With 5,000mAh, you can comfortably go a whole day despite heavy use. To compare, the iPhone 14 Pro has a 3,200mAh cell. Although this capacity would usually result in the iPhone running out of battery faster, the more efficient iOS gives it 50% more battery life than the Xperia 1 V. Still, Sony’s model has a respectable battery life with powerful performance.
Camera specs
The Xperia 1 V boasts a flexible camera app, an ultra-wide angle camera, and a telephoto lens that ranges between 85-125 mm. Its camera sensor has been upgraded to 70% larger than that of the Xperia 1 IV. While smaller than the Huawei P60 Pro and Xiaomi 13 Ultra’s 1-inch sensors, the Xperia sensor allows better low-light performance and better captures shallower depth. The Xperia also impresses when it comes to video quality since it can record 4K videos with up to 120 fps. In contrast, the iPhone 14 Pro can only record 4K videos with up to 60 fps.
With that being said, Sony’s efforts to blur the lines between a smartphone and a digital camera is the most impressive achievement of the phone. The Xperia 1 V is intended to be used alongside Sony’s range of Alpha mirrorless cameras—which already boast the features of both DSLRs and point-and-shoots— and even share some of their specs. Like the Xperia 1 V, Sony Alphas can shoot videos of up to 4K with 120 fps and feature an S-Cinetone color profile, resulting in a vivid cinematic look. This lets you easily switch between and use media from both devices in your final edit. Although not quite as proficient or flexible as Sony Alpha cameras, this overlap means the Xperia offers one of the best smartphone cameras on the market.
Audio
One of the Xperia’s best features is its high-resolution audio performance from built-in speakers and Bluetooth devices. It’s also one of the last few smartphones with a 3.5mm audio jack. This is great news for audiophiles who prefer wired headsets over Bluetooth headsets to avoid the latter’s potential delays, background noise, and transmission issues. Even the phone’s stereo-amplified speakers can provide high-resolution audio for TV and movies. Finally, you can toggle Dolby Sound and 360 Reality Audio for a more dynamic audio experience.
Overall, the Sony Xperia 1 V is among the most exciting smartphones to enter the market. Though it still falls short in some aspects, its top-tier camera, display, and audio make it one of the most impressive smartphones today.
