Sony Xperia 1 V was just launched in Malaysia last month. As usual this device is sold at a premium price of RM6399 which is more expensive than some other popular flagship devices. The premium price of the device is due to the use of an OLED 4K HDR screen and also the ability to control the camera as if using a Sony mirrorless camera.
I have been using this device as a daily device for a few weeks. Is the price of RM6399 reasonable? Is this the device for you or who is it really for? I will explain in this review article.
SPECIFICATIONS
Sony Xperia 1 V
6.5″ OLED 4K (1644 x 3840) 120Hz screen
HDR10+, Creator Mode by CineAlta
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor (4nm)
1x 3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 chip
2x 2.8 GHz Cortex-A715
2x 2.8 GHz Cortex-A710
3x 2.0 GHz Cortex-A510
Adreno 740 Graphics Chip
RAM 12 GB LPDDR5X
Internal Storage 256 GB UFS 4.0
Primary Camera 52MP, f/1.7, OIS (Primary)
12MP, f/2.3 – f/2.8, OIS, 3.5x – 5.2x zoom (Telephoto)
12MP, f/2.2 (Ultra-wide angle)
Zeiss T* Coating, AI, Super Res Zoom,
Selfie Camera 12MP, f/2.0
HDR
5000 mAh battery
30W wired charging
SIM/Telephony Dual SIM nano
5G
NFC Available
Stereo Audio/ audio jack
Waterproof IP65/IP68
Scan System Built in power button
Selling Price RM 6,399 (12/256 GB)
SCREEN
As usual, Sony will use an elongated and tapered screen design. On the Xperia 1, a 6.5″ OLED screen with 4K 120Hz resolution that can display HDR10+ content is used. Sony also offers creator mode technology by CineAlta that calibrates screen colors to what filmmakers want.
1 V also still has a thick forehead and chin compared to competing devices. This can be forgiven as the device still offers balanced front stereo speakers. Not only that, the bezel on the side is also quite thin and this device has no problems when playing videos on Netflix, Prime Video or YouTube.
HDR support is strangely not supported on Netflix. Same issue since the Xperia 1 VI which to this day still hasn't received a software update that activates it. My theory is that Sony devices already offer software features to make the screen colors good enough to provide an immersive viewing experience.
The screen of this device is also smooth and fast. The 120Hz support on this device is satisfactory even without using an LTPO panel. It's pretty consistent throughout use and there's no lag at all.
FINGERPRINT SCANNER
The Sony Xperia 1 V still uses a fingerprint scanner integrated into the power button. At first I was a bit angry about Sony's decision because other devices already priced at RM6000 use sensor technology under the screen. I can forgive this brand for its fast fingerprint scanner, in fact one of the fastest I've ever used.
DESIGN
The Sony Xperia 1 V is a flagship device that can be said to be compact when compared to competing devices. The long body of the device reminds me of using a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip device or even a television remote control. It's slim, comfortable to hold and surprisingly easy to operate again with one hand using the Side Sense feature.
All the physical buttons are on the side of the device, such as the volume button, the power button along with the fingerprint scanner and also the physical camera shutter button. The buttons on this device are easy to press and comfortable. It's just that the volume adjustment button is a little short, which makes me often press the wrong button.
Around the device and on the sides it is slightly thick and has a striped texture. This design provides additional grip on the device and indirectly makes it easier to operate the device with one hand.
The back panel of the device looks minimalistic, with a vertical oval camera bump on the top side along with an LED flash. The NFC logo is also clearly visible in the top center and the XPERIA logo in the bottom center. This time the back panel of the device has a small speckled texture that also provides extra grip. This in turn reminds me of the DualSense controller surface on the PlayStation 5.
Use And Software
The Xperia UI used on this device is similar to stock Android. It's very easy to use, simple, no confusing settings as everything is straight forward and practically no fat apps except Sony's own app which is quite useful.
After Nothing OS, Xperia UI is my favorite operating system because I really like the concept of stock Android. This is the closest to stock Android you can get in the Malaysian market. It's just a little disappointing that for a device that costs over RM6000 only two years of software support is provided. This means that after 2025, these devices will not receive new Android updates.
Xperia UI may be boring for some users because it is so empty and does not offer many customization options like Chinese or Korean devices. But the native Android customization features are already built in giving users some freedom to personalize the device according to their individual tastes. This can be used through Wallpaper & style which also supports adaptive interface colors and Material You colored icons.
The interesting features on Xperia UI that are offered are;
STAMINA mode for more aggressive battery saving.
360 Reality Audio for stereo and spatial sound effects and DSEE Ultimate which is Sony's technology that converts compressed audio files to high resolution.
Dynamic Vibration that activates haptic effects according to the rhythm of the sound.
Creator Mode by CineAlta that calibrates screen colors to movie creator standards as well as real-time HDR driver.
Side Sense to use multitasking with gesture control.
Bench mark
Sony and the heating problem parted no. Whether it's their professional camera which is Sony α6700 or other Xperia devices there will definitely be this problem. In fact this is the first Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 device I've used to experience heating issues. Even so, it doesn't get to the point of overheating to the point where a warning is issued like last year's Xperia V IV. The heating problem this time happens randomly either when using the camera, playing first. or social media.
The Xperia 1 V is powered by the usual Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip instead of a faster edition like the one used in the Samung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Z Fold5 or RedMagic 8S Pro devices. This means that benchmark scores are expected to be slightly lower compared to devices that use an overclocked chip.
AnTuTu 3D
Xperia 1 V: 1,234,059
Xiaomi 13 Ultra – 1,527,588
OnePlus 11: 1,248,004
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – 1,503,508
Geekbench 5
Xperia 1 V: 1,902/5,244
Xiaomi 13 Ultra – 2,015/5,457
OnePlus 11: 1,204/4,366
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – 2,015/5,294
3DMark Wild Life Extreme
Xperia 1 V: 3,599
Xiaomi 13 Ultra – cannot be tested
OnePlus 11: 3,682
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – 3,742
Gaming on this device offers roughly the same performance as any flagship device with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It's smooth, fast, beautiful graphics and provides a satisfying experience. Even if you want a better experience with no heating issues the Xperia Stream frame should be used on this device.
The heating issue on this device I feel is the inefficient use of the device's memory. It is quite high with usage reaching 9GB when the device is not in use. Even in prime mode when the system releases memory, it only reduces usage by around 30MB to 100MB only compared to competing devices that may reach 500Mb to 2GB.
Telephony And GPS
So far I have no problem with mobile data connection on this device. Since I'm using Maxis, I couldn't test 5G on this device. Even so the 4G connection is stable with VoWiFi support as well as VoLTE included. The WiFi connection is also more stable but still slow compared to other flagship devices. GPS has no issues and is able to lock in the location quickly and give precise turn-by-turn directions.
Camera
The Sony Xperia 1 V is a camera-focused device aimed at professional users and not for the average user. I say this because the device does not have a good post-processing system for users to capture beautiful moments and share them on social media. Instead the device focuses on manual control as Sony cameras offer. In fact Xperia UI has three different camera applications namely Photo Pro, Video Pro and Cinema Pro with each of them having a different interface and controls.
PICTURES
Basic mode on this device provides a user experience similar to other Android devices such as offering night mode, Bokeh or different color profiles through Creative Look. Unfortunately, the picture results in this mode are like a basic mid-range Android device only. It's too bright, soft, lacks sharp colors and doesn't preserve fine details no matter what lens is used.
The image displayed on the viewfinder is also not the final image, but rather an image that has not gone through post-processing. Only after the pictures are viewed in the gallery, there are interesting colors, better contrast values and pleasing to the eye.
The Pro mode on the Photo Pro app offers the use of a Sony mirrorless camera. Those who have never used a Sony camera will definitely feel confused and stuck to use it. In fact, I myself had to consult an our cameraman who specializes in Sony cameras to use this device. The results are also inconsistent with sometimes the HDR image looking good and other times the sky is too bright and not visible at all.
The zoom capability on this device seems satisfactory. It offers 3.5x and 5.2x optical zoom with software-assisted lens aperture that changes from f/2.3 to f/2.8. The results look good but Sony needs to ensure that the artificial intelligence of their camera system is more mature to compete with the Xiaomi 13 Ultra for example. Even with a fast focus system that can track people and eyes, this makes it even easier to capture photos of moving subjects.
VIDEOS
The video recording capabilities of the device are also similar to Sony's own cameras. There are many color profiles, manual controls and settings are given that are difficult for the average user to understand. The Xperia 1 V itself can be transformed into an HDR screen for use with Sony cameras to easily monitor video recordings compared to the small screen built into the camera.
Battery
I never expected using a device this size to get such a long battery life. 5000mAh on this device with dark mode and screen using creator mode is able to provide a full day of use with SOT around 6 hours. My usage is to play games, use the camera, be active on social media and often watch videos. With bright mode and the screen using auto mode (selected apps will go to creator mode), the battery can last around 5 hours SOT only.
Xperia 1 V uses 30W charging through Power Delivery 3.0 technology. Very slow for a device in this class where the device can be fully charged in almost two hours compared to competing devices around 1 hour or 30 minutes only. With battery life not reaching 7 hours or more, at least provide fast charging support.
Audio
Stereo speakers are the audio system used on this device. Sony chose the old design, which is the speaker grille on the forehead and chin of the device. Despite its old design, it's a smart choice because it delivers balanced, powerful enough audio that's very tasty. Listening to music, watching videos, very tasty and satisfying. The audio output is also balanced and the Dynamic Vibration feature is also quite interesting when playing games or watching videos of explosions and gunfights.
In the box
Here's what you get with every device purchase in Malaysia.
1x Sony Xperia 1 V
1x Manual
[inf]o] Read – Sony Xperia 1 V Comes Only With Phone And Manual In Purchase Box [/info]
Conclusion
The Xperia 1 V is actually a great flagship device. Super solid screen, ultra-fast performance, best audio on a flagship device and professional camera features like no other device. Unfortunately, it is not suitable for ordinary users who want to use the camera SOOC (straight out of camera) or "directly from the camera" because the post-processing is not very good. The battery does not last long, charging is slow and the selling price is high. Not only that, software updates are also limited to two years only compared to competitors that reach 4 years and above.
The selling price of RM6399 is also quite expensive for the majority of users. I do not encourage people to own this device if they do not understand the use of manual camera controls, do not own a Sony mirrorless camera to take advantage of this device's features and cannot distinguish between colors and resolutions on the device's screen. However, if you're a die-hard Sony fan who wants an Alpha camera system on a smartphone, the Xperia 1 V is the only best option right now.
Pro
Beautiful screen, bright and fast.
Good and smooth performance.
The speaker quality is satisfactory and there is still a 3.5mm jack.
Simple software like stock Android.
Premium design that is easy to handle.
IP65/IP68 protection
Cons
A camera that is too complex for most people.
The hottest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 device.
No fast charging support.
Price.