[UPDATE – 11.5.2023, 2:50 pm] Sony Malaysia has confirmed the local release window and pricing of the Xperia 1 V for the local market. These changes have been reflected our article below.
[Original Story – 11.5.2023, 2:36pm]
Sony today has officially announced its Xperia 1 V flagship smartphone, which is promised to offer numerous improvements in performance, audio and imaging over its predecessor. And as you may recall from our previous reports, the phone had already seen its share of leaks ahead of today’s launch, especially concerning its design.
On that note, it appears yet again that the unofficial depictions of the device provided by leaksters such as Steve Hemmerstoffer (aka OnLeaks) has turned out to be accurate. Even though it almost looks similar to last year’s model at first glance, there are some notable differences to be found on the new Sony Xperia 1 V.
This time around, the smartphone now features a grooved design running across its flat-edged metal frame, while the rear panel has a textured matte finish with frosted tempered glass protection. Additionally, its rear triple camera array ditches the uni-glass design from its predecessor, instead giving each lens its own glass covers that are housed within a vertical metal bump.
Sony says these changes are inspired by the high-quality feel which its full-frame Alpha cameras provide, as well as to ensure a good grip regardless of activity while using the phone. Making a return on the company’s next-generation flagship are the tactile volume rockers, lock button and fingerprint scanner combo, and dedicated shutter button for its camera function.
As for display, the new Xperia 1 V continues to inherit the series’ signature tall aspect ratio screen; coming in at 6.5-inches with an aspect ratio of 21:9. It is capable of providing 4K resolution of 3840 x 1644 pixels, DCI-P3 100% colour gamut, 643 ppi, 120Hz refresh rate, and 240Hz touch sampling rate. And much like its predecessors, the Sony flagship houses its front-facing camera in the upper bezel instead of using notches or cutouts like most smartphones in the market. Besides that, the screen features Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection, while the phone itself comes with an IP65/68 rating for dust and water resistance.
Internally, the new device packs Qualcomm’s current-generation flagship chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen2, along with 12GB LPDDR5X RAM, 256GB of UFS storage, and supports up to 1TB of external storage via microSDXC. Other features include improved front-firing Hi-Resolution Audio certified stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos and DSEE support, a triple microphone array, a 3.5mm headphone jack, Android 13 via Sony’s Xperia UI, as well as 5G, Wi-Fi, NFC and Bluetooth connectivity.
Powering the Xperia 1 V is a 5,000mAh battery with 30W fast charging, which the company claims is capable of topping up 50% capacity in just 30 minutes. There’s also wireless and reverse wireless charging functionalities, but their respective charge rates were not specified. Sony adds that the phone now features a 60% larger heat diffusion sheet volume, which helps keep its temperature in check while charging or when in use.
As for imaging, the camera setup on the back of the flagship is equipped with a new 1/1.35-inch 52MP two-layer Exmore T sensor that is 70% larger than the imager featured on the Xperia 1 IV. This is promised to provide better sensitivity and a wider dynamic range, resulting in more detailed and high resolution photos in all lighting conditions. Accompanying the primary camera is a 12MP 16mm ultra-wide and 12MP telephoto with 5.2x optical and 15x hybrid continuous zoom. Like before, the cameras also come with both optical and electronic image stabilisation, as well as ZEISS branded lenses and coatings.
Sony notes that the Xperia 1 V no longer relies on a time-of-flight (TOF) sensor, as its AI algorithms have surpassed the need for the technology in their mobile cameras. The software and AI has also been upgraded to enable for faster autofocus, better subject tracking, and a new portrait-focused interface for social media-based content creation. In addition, the phone now features the brand’s S-Cinetone colour profile for videos, as well as six photo colour presets that are brought over from the Alpha cameras.
The new Sony Xperia 1 V will be released sometime next month, while it is confirmed to only arrive in Malaysia on 3 July 2023. The flagship smartphone is set to retail for RM 6,399 – much pricier than its predecessor which launched at RM 6,099 last year. As for colour options, it will be offered in either Black, Platinum Silver, or Khaki Green.
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