The Xperia 1 VI isn’t coming to the US — and that’s a shame

Throughout their various guises, I’ve loved Sony phones. The company was a mobile innovator and one of the kings of physical button experiences for many years. Like many of its competitors of that era, it was slow to adapt to touchscreens, and for many years, it lacked an identity for its ideal user.

That’s changed over the past five years, eventually leading to the Sony Xperia 1 V last year, which felt like a phone designed with a clear user in mind. That didn’t seem to last, though, with Sony targeting a broader audience with the Sony Xperia 1 VI: a phone that fixes many common complaints about previous phones, but also removes the things that made the series special — and likely signals the end of Sony’s flagship ambitions in the US.

It’s a shame Sony is ditching the US

Sorry US fans

If there’s a market that epitomizes Sony’s mobile struggles, it’s the US. The company has always struggled to capture strong market share in the US, lacks any carrier partnerships, and relies heavily on Best Buy stores to move its products. The loyal customers who buy a Sony phone are met with challenges in activating and working with specific US carriers.

Even though it has struggled, it’s a real shame to see Sony skip the US entirely for the Xperia 1 VI. The Sony skin is minimalistic and gorgeous, and there’s little to suggest the Xperia 1 VI won’t be a great phone for most people.

I don’t understand what Sony believes will happen here, but most companies have realized that the US market is crucial to long-term success. It made a phone designed for more mainstream users and skipped the US entirely.

It’s easy to expect this is just a temporary lapse, but if history has taught us anything, moves like this are often the start of a company pulling back, not a company with long-term plans involving the US market.

The US needs more devices, not less

More options benefit everyone

It’s a shame that Sony has skipped the US this year, as it has further reduced an already-limited pool of available devices. If you want an Android phone at this premium price point, your choices are few, as many of the best Android phones — phones from manufacturers like Xiaomi and Huawei — aren’t sold in the US.

The Xperia 1 VI may be more like every other phone than ever before, but it still has features that can appeal to specific users. Sony has made its flagship phone more appealing to average customers but decided not to offer it, not even via Amazon. Even if you import the international version, you’ll likely lack the bands to make it work fully with T-Mobile, AT&T, or Verizon.

Hopefully, this is a temporary decision, but it’s unlikely. I suspect we’ve seen the last of Sony’s mobile efforts stateside, at least for a few years. It’s also unclear whether it’s just this phone, this entire series, or if Sony plans to pull back the Xperia 5, Xperia 10, and Xperia L ranges. Sony’s phones may be niche, but it’s a shame the small but passionate group of US consumers who could make full use of them seemingly won’t get the chance.

The Xperia 1 VI sheds some of Sony’s unique identity

I wouldn’t buy one — but it’s still a shame it’s not available in the US

If you’ve only seen photos of a previous Xperia phone, the Xperia 1 VI will look and feel as you might expect. It keeps the essence of the Xperia 1 series, but ditches the ultra-tall 21:9 aspect ratio in favor of the traditional 19.5:9 aspect ratio used by most smartphones. This makes the Xperia 1 VI noticeably shorter than its predecessor and more comfortable for daily use.

The display has dropped from 4K to Full HD+, too. Many people found little use for the 4K display thanks to its complex implementation, but I liked using it as a monitor when filming videos.

In some ways, the previous-gen Xperia 1 V is the perfect smartphone equivalent to portable camera monitors like the Atmos Ninja, and I bought mine instead of getting an Atmos. The Xperia 1 VI display is 50% brighter, which solves a major pain point with last year’s model and should mean it’s far more usable outdoors.

The ultra-tall aspect ratio gave room for the controls on either side while keeping a rough 16:9 window in the middle for playback. It also allowed the Xperia 1V to be a monitor for various pro users. Since these phones were the ultimate successors of the PRO-1, Sony has slowly removed features that would appeal to this niche market segment.

There were glitches in how Sony implemented these camera features, but using it as a portable display made the Sony Xperia 1 V a permanent fixture in my camera bag. It also became my spare phone for work trips.

The Sony cycle is repeating itself again

We’ve been here before

Sony has traditionally struggled to gain a strong market share with phones that appeal to the mainstream market. Even though the Xperia 1 VI makes the right changes to target that user, it lacks enough features to distinguish it from everything else.

Sony has done this before. It believes it can challenge Samsung, Apple, and others. It builds a phone with stunning potential, but fails in execution. Yet, it doesn’t recognize the potential of its current lineup. Sony tried new camera technology in its phones before bringing it to the Alpha camera series, and this was clear in its previous phones. It wants to sell more cameras, and targeting people who use its cameras seems like a wise choice.

The Xperia 1 VI is more expensive than an iPhone 15 Pro Max, Galaxy S24 Ultra, or Google Pixel 8 Pro, and not much cheaper than a OnePlus Open, which does so much more. The Xperia 1 VI does feature a microSD card slot, but it doesn’t present a killer feature that someone can’t get on another flagship. Those models feature over five years of updates, and Sony only guarantees three, which isn’t great given Sony’s poor update record.

Put it all together, and the Sony cycle is repeating itself. The same hubris that caused previous stumbles in its smartphone strategy has reared its head again. This time, however, it’s at the cost of loyal Sony owners in the US looking for a new phone, and creators who want the unique features the Xperia 1 V offers. Let’s hope this is just a temporary withdrawal from the US.