We’re expecting to see the Sony Xperia 1 V at some point this year, and unofficial renders that have been posted online give us a good idea of what to expect in terms of the design aesthetics and the color options for this flagship smartphone.
The photos and videos shared by Green Smartphones (opens in new tab) and seasoned tipster OnLeaks (opens in new tab) (via Notebookcheck (opens in new tab)) show the phone from just about every angle, front and back. The handset is shown in both a black and a purple-ish shade.
We’ve also got a few specs here, though some of them are listed as “unconfirmed”: a 6.5-inch flat display, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 16GB of RAM (up from 12GB last time), and a battery capacity of 5,000 mAh (matching the phone’s predecessor).
Camera upgrades
When it comes to the front and back cameras, this source says that we can expect a 12MP selfie camera on the front, and a triple-lens 48MP+12MP+12MP camera on the back – so the main sensor at least is getting a major upgrade from the Sony Xperia 1 IV.
The actual design of this year’s phone looks similar to what we saw in 2022, though the camera flash has been moved into the camera bump for a slightly neater look. There’s still a headphone jack and a recessed power button with an embedded fingerprint sensor.
We have actually had one previous leak regarding the design of the Sony Xperia 1 V, and these new renders match up with it, giving us more confidence that they’re accurate. If Sony follows last year’s schedule, we could see the handset in June.
Analysis: the same Xperia story
The narrative around the Sony Xperia flagship phones has generally been the same for several years now, and based on these newly revealed renders, it’s not going to change all that much during 2023 – for better or for worse.
While they’ve never enjoyed runaway success in terms of sales, the Xperia handsets have always impressed in terms of their displays and their camera capabilities. This is as you would expect considering all the other electronics that Sony develops.
So what limits the appeal? This particular Sony Xperia range has always been relatively expensive, and there are often minor drawbacks to worry about. In the case of the Sony Xperia 1 IV, we weren’t very impressed with the integrated fingerprint reader.
From what we’ve heard about the Sony Xperia 1 V up until this point, we’re once again going to get a smart-looking phone with an excellent display and camera setup – so let’s hope Sony manages to get the price down a little as well.
