TWO WEEKS WITH THE SONY XPERIA 1 V

Sony’s latest ‘greatest hits’ flagship has an all-new camera sensor. After a fortnight of testing, does Tom Morgan-Freelander think it can snap with the best of ’em?

from £1299 / go.stuff.tv/Xperia1v

Donut of Truth™

01 Many manual modes for pro snappers and filmers

02 Stunning screen and great sound

03 Performance and battery are up there with the best

04 Last of the old guard for some fan-favourite features

05 Cameras still a long way from point-and-shoot

06 Charging speeds are merely average

DAY 01

After four generations of Sony steadfastly refusing to follow current tech trends, it’s clear the Xperia 1 series is squarely aimed at the old guard: phone fans who insist on expandable storage, music lovers who refuse to cut the cord on their headphones, and photographers who dream about focal lengths.

That approach hasn’t changed for the fifth iteration, which keeps the same 4K display as last year’s model. But that’s not to say progress hasn’t been made: the Xperia 1 V gets a new sensor for its lead camera. And that’s where my testing begins.

The Exmor T sensor has a high 52MP pixel count (although its stills max out at 48MP) and uses pixel-binning to pump out 12MP snaps that stay impressively composed in low light. It’s joined by the same 16mm ultrawide and 85-125mm variable telephoto seen on the outgoing Xperia 1 IV. All three lenses manage at least 20fps burst shooting and can record 4K video at 120fps.

The focus remains on manual control, only now AI has a bigger hand in processing. Auto mode coped fine today when I didn’t feel like faffing with shutter speed or exposure compensation.

The primary lens captures an impeccable amount of detail in daylight, while exposure and sharpness are largely consistent between the three. Sony’s colour presentation means snaps aren’t always as impactful as they are from rival phones, but I’m a fan because it leaves room to boost levels later before sharing.

Saturation can dip further at the telephoto’s maximum 5.2x zoom, and finer textures do get a little lost. Rival phones have 10x zooms that fare better, and Sony’s 15x digital zoom can’t quite keep up. The ultrawide does better, with plenty of dynamic range and good sharpness towards the edges.

Combined with a new Auto Night mode, the Exmor T is up there with the best for low-light snaps. Highlights aren’t quite as nuanced as some competitors, but there’s very little in it.

So, one day in and I can already tell this is a fantastic phone for photography. But what about everything else?

The top and bottom bezels leave room for an excellent pair of front-firing stereo speakers.

DAY 02

The rest of the phone world might be in love with curved glass, but I’m happy to see Sony sticking with what it knows best. The Xperia 1 V is a tall and skinny slab of a phone, with a flat front and rear, angular sides, and effortlessly minimal styling. Grooved lines on all four sides add more grip than last year’s effort, and the textured rear means I’ve so far avoided dropping it in the toilet.

Almost all of the Sony staples return, including a tool-free SIM tray with room for a microSD card, a 3.5mm headphone port and a physical camera shutter button. The power button still doubles as a fingerprint sensor, and it’s quick to recognise my digits. I’m missing the old notification LED, though.

DAY 03

A Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is almost overkill for most apps, so the Xperia 1 V feels smooth and responsive. It powers through demanding tasks and shrugs off split-screen multitasking.

Gaming is also as polished as you’d expect from a true flagship. Importantly, the temperature warnings and performance throttling we saw on the Xperia 1 IV have been eliminated.

DAY 06

I’ve had no trouble lasting from breakfast to bedtime on a single charge of the 5000mAh battery. Wired top-ups aren’t the fastest, though, and Sony doesn’t put a power brick in the box. Still, wireless charging is nice to have.

DAY 10

Today’s torrential rain wouldn’t have been an issue for the Xperia, which has IP65/68 protection, but I’m a wimp so I stayed inside and binge-watched some TV on the 6.5in OLED display instead. It’s stunningly sharp.

DAY 14

The Xperia 1 V is a great summary of all Sony’s best skills. I love the cinematic display and punchy speakers, plus the all-day battery life, and appreciate that the firm has fixed the thermal throttling issues of the Xperia 1 IV.

It’s a little happier to hold the hands of amateur photographers, but remains aimed squarely at creatives who know their way around a camera. Rivals pack in more modes to appeal to casual snappers, but anyone with a Sony Alpha in their camera bag will absolutely want to take notice.

Tech specs

Screen 6.5in 3840x1644 120Hz OLED CPU Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 RAM 12GB OS Android 13 Storage 256/512GB Cameras 52+12+12MP rear, 12MP front Battery 5000mAh (Qi, USB-C) Dimensions 165x71x8.3mm, 187g

STUFF SAYS

A flagship with zero compromise, taking its best bits from all Sony’s divisions

★★★★★