Sony Xperia 1 VI and Sony Xperia 1 VII tie on the OH Rank at a score of 72. Sony Xperia 1 VI wins on Battery and Screen; Sony Xperia 1 VII wins on Performance and Software. Sony Xperia 1 VII is the more recent release, from Jun 2025.
EDITORIAL: Sony & Samsung make 90% of all phones camera sensors but Sony has struggled to produce a top performing camera phone. Sony phones have always featured exceptional hardware and introduced many new features (like IP68 protection) but software side was always neglected. The company changed itâs direction with Xperia 1 VI by consolidating all photo/video apps into a very good one. Xperia 1 VI has a new form factor that matches itâs flagship competition â gone is the long and narrow design (21:9) and we have a wider phone (harder to use one-hand at 16:9). The screen went from 4K to a 1020p LTPO. But many great things are there: exceptional 2-day battery life, SDmemory slot (up to a 1TB), a headphone/microphone jack, camera button and a Tool-less SIM tray. The screen is the only notch-free one in the flagship phone world! Sony is pitching itâs top phones as âcreator toolsâ so it would give Sony an better market position if their phones could be used as creatorâs computer replacement . Maybe down the road?â¦
EDITORIAL: Sony seems unsure about the direction of it's mobile business. This year's Xperia announcement didn't introduce Xperia 10 VII- their midrange phone. Xperia 5 V from 2023 was the last compact flagship Sony put out and now they seem to have slimmed their model range from 3 to just 1. The 1 VII is still a great phone. It's hardware is unique and more functional then any other flagship phone. Great grip and a bright screen, forward facing stereo speakers, hi quality headphone jack, SDmemory - this phone offers so much value. The battery life is still a great affair, cameras are as good as ever (tho selfie lacks AF) and software is simple, elegant and bloatware-free.
Both phones here were scored by me, using the same ten categories, with no ads, sponsorships, or manufacturer relationships — this comparison is as objective and honest as it gets.