Sony Xperia 1 V review – Premium smartphone with unrivaled equipment and Zeiss cameras

The Xperia 1 V is one of if not the most interesting high-end smartphone from this year – at least for hobby or professional photographers and YouTube content creators. The individualist among flagship smartphones offers an unrivaled equipment package with its bright 4K OLED panel including a high color space coverage, the microSD card and 3.5-mm audio port support, as well as the connectivity with the manufacturer’s own Sony Alpha cameras. 

However, the camera system of the Xperia 1 V depends on the detail-heavy software. Various applications (Cinema Pro, Video Pro, Photo Pro, Audio Pro) allow you to record photos and videos in very individualized ways, and together with some optional accessories, the Xperia 1 V turns into a real work machine. But there is also a caveat with the flagship smartphone from the Japanese manufacturer – in Automatic mode, it is less “smart” than a Galaxy S23 Ultra or Xiaomi 13 Ultra. Those who only want to press the dedicated camera button won’t be happy with the Xperia 1 V. Some significantly more affordable high-end smartphones such as a Pixel 7 Pro offer a better point-and-shoot experience here. 

With its Xperia 1 V, Sony definitely stands out from the smartphone masses. Those who want to make full use of the palette of options in terms of photography should be able to ignore its deficits.

However, in some aspects Sony also doesn’t make any progress with its flagship series. The wide display bezels, bad selfies, and slow charging speed remains a common thread for the last Xperia generations, including the Xperia 1 V. In addition, we miss a 512-GB option in the portfolio, particularly considering the Sony Alpha connectivity.

But as in the Xperia 1 IV before it, our largest point of complaint remains the short support period – only two years of system updates might be a dealbreaker for many interested buyers of a smartphone with an MSRP of 1,400 Euros (~1,525), particularly in times when other manufacturers such as Samsung and Apple offer four years or more.