Sony Xperia 1 VI vs Xiaomi 15S Pro

Verdict

Sony Xperia 1 VI and Xiaomi 15S Pro tie on the OH Rank at a score of 72. Sony Xperia 1 VI wins on Battery and Main Camera; Xiaomi 15S Pro wins on Performance and Screen. Xiaomi 15S Pro is 1.3mm wider than Sony Xperia 1 VI. Xiaomi 15S Pro is the more recent release, from May 22, 2025.

Score Breakdown

Category

Sony Xperia 1 VI

74mm (2.91in) · Jun 2024 · Rank #71

Xiaomi 15S Pro

75.3mm (2.96in) · May 22, 2025 · Rank #65
Performance /15
7
11
Battery /15
13
11
Screen /15
10
15
IP Protection /15
12
12
Main Camera /15
15
12
Selfie /5
3
3
Video /5
4
3
SD Memory /5
5
0
Software /5
3
5
Desktop Replacement /5
0
0
TOTAL
72
72
Sony Xperia 1 VI
74mm (2.91in) · Jun 2024 · Rank #71
7+13+10+12+15+3+4+5+3+0 = 72

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 it’s 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 it’s flagship competition – 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 it’s top phones as “creator tools” so it would give Sony an better market position if their phones could be used as creator’s computer replacement . Maybe down the road?…

PROs
outstanding design with best grip, tons of great hardware features (see above), still fast SD 8 Gen 3 performance, 2-day battery endurance from a 5000mAh Lithium battery (!), excellent photos from the main (OIS 48MP + 12MP tele + 12MP ultrawide all with PDAF) and (12MP no AF) selfie cameras, strong video performance, SDmemory expansion, headphone jack
CONs
lack of long OS update support & desktop replacement feature (updated Apr 16, 2025)
Xiaomi 15S Pro
75.3mm (2.96in) · May 22, 2025 · Rank #65
11+11+15+12+12+3+3+0+5+0 = 72
FLY* TOP Software

EDITORIAL: Featuring Xiaomi's own processor, the 15S Pro marks a beginning of a new era. Unlike Huawei's Kirin chips, the new XRing 01 is a proper 3nm top-of-the-line processor that should compete head on with SD 8 Elite and Mediatec's top Dimensity 9400. Xiaomi wants to impress: all-day battery, excellent screen, powerful cameras, even the Display Port is there.

PROs
expect fast performance with UFS 4.1 memory, >30hr endurance from a 6100mAh Si battery with sub-60min 90W (50W wireless) charging, >1300 >520ppi LTPO AMOLED with Dolby Vision screen, IP68 protection, reliable 50MP 23mm main + 50MP 120mm periscope telephoto (both OIS PDAF)+ 50MP 14mm AF ultrawide setup, average 32MP 22mm (non AF) selfie, okay video recording, 4 years of OS updates and fast USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port with DisplayPort and OTG
CONs
no AF on selfie, no expandable memory or desktop replacement functionality

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.

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