We’ve got a task for you: think of any smartphone. Your mind may immediately go to theSamsung Galaxy S24, theGoogle Pixel 8, or — gasp — theApple iPhone 15 Pro Max. If you’re one of the few that thought of a phone made by Sony, then you’re probably a hardcore fan of the Sony Xperia line of smartphones. Known for its great camera and historically unique screen, Xperia phones have captured a small part of the market for its premium feel. The Sony Xperia 1 V came out last year, and we were quitedisappointed with Sony once again robbing another Xperia phone of its potential. Next for Sony is the Xperia 1 VI, which will seemingly be released in Q2 2024, and a set of renders were just leaked.
Sony Xperia 1 VI: Price, specs, news, and features
Sony’s latest Xperia flagship is official and it addresses several issues with its previous phones
Popular leaker and hated account of all smartphone companies (probably)OnLeaksshared renders of the Sony Xperia 1 VI that all but confirms a ratio change for the flagship line of Sony smartphones (viaAndroidHeadlines). Since 2019, Xperia phones have utilized a 21:9 ratio that lines up with what ratio movies are usually shot in. Most popular modern smartphones have moved closer to that aspect ratio but stopped just short of committing to dimensions that best suit it. The leaked dimensions for the Xperia 1 VI show a 161.9 x 74.5 x 8.4mm phone, which is thicker, shorter, and wider than the Xperia 1 V. Along withprevious leaks that said Sony was moving to a 19.5:9 screenthat is most commonly used by Samsung and Apple, the switch now seems like a certainty.
The 21:9 ratio works best for watching movies
Back in 2018, which is a century ago in terms of this discussion, we actuallyasked what aspect ratio our readers preferred, and the classic 16:9 ratio won with 42% of the votes. While it’s by no means scientific and trends have certainly changed, a shorter, stubbier screen seems to be what people generally want. While having the ideal aspect ratio for watching movies of 21:9 is great, how often do people watch movies on their smartphones?
TheSony Xperia 1 VIwill probably be released sometime in May, but it could come without its oddball 4K screen that it the line has become partially known for. Only 4K multimedia is shown at that resolution, and the screen reverts to 2K whenever you do anything else on your phone (like browsingAndroidPolice.com). Sony has been stepping up its focus on Xperia phones within the last year, includingrolling out Android 14 shortly after its public release to the Xperia 1 V, so we hope that the sixth version of this particular Sony flagship line does more to reach its potential than the current iteration has.
