The Sony Xperia 1 V hasn’t been revealed yet, but with leaks, rumors and speculation starting to surface, we expect the flagship Android phone to arrive in the not-too-distant future.
So what are the obvious things to expect from the speculative Sony device? Going from the previous iterations, including the Xperia 1 III and Xperia 1 IV, we expect that signature 21:9 4K display, top-notch specs and a camera system that should appeal to amateurs and professionals alike.
A recent leak including renders of the device (from OnLeaks and green smartphones (opens in new tab)) has shed some light on what to expect from the device, here’s what to expect from the Sony Xperia 1 V…
Sony Xperia 1 V rumors at a glance
- Design largely unchanged
- 6.5-inch 4K 120Hz display, 21:9 aspect ratio
- Headphone jack remains
- Expected to feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
- Camera upgrades make up the majority of the new features
Sony Xperia 1 V: Rumors about the release date
Unlike Apple and Samsung, Sony doesn’t follow a strict pattern when launching its flagship phones. Plus, Sony doesn’t usually launch all of its Xperia 1s in Australia, so we’re only looking at possible UK and US launch dates.
Looking back at the Xperia 1 II, it was first announced in February 2020 and went on sale in June in the UK and July in the US. Moving on to the 1 III, it was announced in April 2021 and didn’t go on sale until August of that year in both the UK and US. Finally, the most recent device, the 1 IV, was announced in May and went on sale in June in the UK and only last September in the United States.
This makes it difficult to predict the release date of the Xperia 1 V as Sony seems to be fairly fluid with its announcements and launch dates when it comes to these phones. From the three previous generations, the pattern of spring and summer launches occurs twice – could this be the same for the Xperia 1 V?
Sony Xperia 1 V: price predictions
The price of the Xperia 1 line has slowly increased over the years, generally by £100 year-on-year since the 1 II. The latest 1 IV costs £1299 / $1599 / around AU$2300, which means we could see the 1 V launch for the same price or perhaps slightly higher.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | UK prices | US prices |
| Xperia 1 II | £1099 | $1199 |
| Xperia 1III | £1199 | $1300 |
| Xperia 1 IV | £1299 | $1599 |
Sony also seems to be holding onto the previous models for some time after the launch of the latest device, so we could see price cuts for the Xperia 1 IV and possibly even the 1 III; both of which have excellent specs and are still great choices as long as you don’t mind having a phone that isn’t the latest generation.
Sony Xperia 1 V: design
The Xperia 1 V hasn’t launched yet, but there have been plenty of leaks suggesting it won’t be much different from its predecessor. The most legitimate searchers come from OnLeaks and GreenSmartphones. Like the previous devices in the range, this Xperia 1 bears an uncanny resemblance to its predecessors.
The 1 V has the same flat aluminum rails and frosted glass rear panel of the 1 IV, complete with a returning headphone jack (nice), USB-C socket and side-mounted combination lock button and fingerprint scanner, based on the leaks we’ve seen. You’ll also find the same vertical camera stack, with a three-lens array. Also returning is the SIM card and micro SD tray, which can be easily removed without the need for a SIM tray eject tool – very handy.
According to early “leaked” renders, this new Xperia 1 device will apparently be slightly smaller than the 1 IV, which should make this new Sony flagship a bit more pocketable and easier to navigate with one hand. It’s not clear how Sony plans to shave off some bulk from the phone’s body, as it still appears to have the same 6.5-inch screen as the IV.
There seem to be some other minor changes between the IV and V, such as Sony moving the camera flash inside the camera body for an overall cleaner look to the back panel, as well as a slightly larger camera bump. That aside, we’re expecting another game of spot the difference when we get the Xperia V alongside the Xperia IV.
Sony Xperia 1 V: specifications
Like the latest Xperia 1, iPhone 14 and Galaxy S23 Ultra phones, the 1V is expected to get a pretty big power boost.
We expect the Sony Xperia 1 V to use Qualcomm’s latest and greatest processor, which is of course the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. We recently used this processor in the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and it delivered lightning fast performance, so the Sony should be a top performer should be if it contains the chip. There is also a rumor that the Xperia 1 V will have 16 GB of RAM, which seems excessive for an Android phone.
Moving on to the camera, it looks like Sony will equip the 1 V with the same 12MP main and telephoto lenses, but upgrade the ultra-wide lens to 48MP. The front camera will most likely also come in at 12MP, which has also been carried over from the previous device.
On to the Xperia 1’s headliner feature, the display. We expect Sony to continue the trend of equipping these phones with one of the best displays on the market. That’s a 6.5-inch OLED 4K 120Hz panel, which looks particularly stunning when paired with the Creator Mode display setting when we tested it on the 1 IV. We praised the Xperia 1 IV’s display as its 21:9 aspect ratio and excellent overall performance make it perfect for viewing supported widescreen content.
Sony Xperia 1 V: name
Sony has opted for a fairly unintuitive naming scheme for its various smartphones. The 1 stands for the top of the range, the 5 is an upper mid-range device and the 10 is a more budget-oriented option. Each of these is accompanied by a roman numeral that indicates which version of the handset you are using – higher equals newer. Based on the previous models, we expect Sony to assign the V name to this device, as it is indeed the fifth phone in the series.
- 2019 Sony Xperia 1
- 2020 Sony Xperia 1 II
- 2021 Sony Xperia 1III
- 2022 Sony Xperia 1 IV
- 2023 Sony Xperia 1 V (speculative)
- 2024 Sony Xperia 1 VI (subject to change)
Sony Xperia 1 V: early thoughts
The Xperia 1 V looks like another spec-bump iteration on an already fantastic device – much like the 1 IV’s approach last year. With the previous model offering a screen made for watching movies and a host of AV-friendly features, we have high hopes for the 1 V.
However, there is always the possibility of a further price hike looming over this handset. Given that the 1 IV is a premium device with an appropriately premium price tag, this can make it an expensive option. A price hike with minimal AV upgrades is certainly not our favorite combination, so stay tuned for our full review when the device finally launches.
MORE:
Read our full Sony Xperia 1 IV review
And check out our full review of the Sony Xperia 1 III
Read our list of the best android phones