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2026 comparison
Updated Jan 16, 2026
|Sources: Amazon, ManufacturerSony Xperia 1 VI vs Apple iPhone 15
If you are torn between Sony Xperia 1 VI and Apple iPhone 15, this breakdown is for you. We compare specs, pros, and cons so you can decide confidently.
Ratings: 4.3★ vs 4.8★
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Sony Xperia 1 VI
★4.3
(41)•Amazon
Operating System:Android
Software Support:3 OS upgrades and 4 years of security updates
Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (SM8650)
Graphics:Adreno 750
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Apple iPhone 15
★4.8
(951)•Best Buy
Operating System:iOS
Software Support:Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades
Processor:Apple A16 Bionic chip (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine)
Graphics:Apple 5-core GPU (A16 Bionic)
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Comparison: Sony Xperia 1 VI vs Apple iPhone 15
Sony Xperia 1 VI
★4.3(41)Amazon
Apple iPhone 15
★4.8(951)Best Buy
| Criterion | Sony Xperia 1 VI | Apple iPhone 15 |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★4.3(41)Amazon | ★4.8(951)Best Buy |
Operating System | Android | iOS |
Software Support | 3 OS upgrades and 4 years of security updates | Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades |
Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (SM8650) | Apple A16 Bionic chip (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine) |
Graphics | Adreno 750 | Apple 5-core GPU (A16 Bionic) |
RAM | 12GB LPDDR5X | 6 GB (LPDDR5) |
Storage | 256GB / 512GB UFS 4.0 (Expandable via microSDXC up to 1.5TB) | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB (NVMe) |
Display Size | 6.5" | 6.1" (6.12" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less) |
Screen Type | LTPO OLED, 1-120Hz Adaptive, Powered by BRAVIA | Super Retina XDR OLED |
Resolution | 2340 x 1080 (FHD+) — *Note: Downgraded from 4K on previous models* | 2556 x 1179 pixels (460 ppi) |
Refresh Rate | 1Hz - 120Hz (Adaptive) | 60 Hz |
Peak Brightness | 1,300 nits (Typical High Brightness) / ~1,500 nits (Peak) | 1000 nits max (typical); 1600 nits peak (HDR); 2000 nits peak (outdoor) |
Main Camera | 48MP (Effective) / 52MP (Total), f/1.9, 24mm, 1/1.35" Exmor T, OIS | 48MP Main (26 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP) |
Ultra-Wide Camera | 12MP, f/2.2, 16mm, 123-degree FOV, AF (Macro support) | 12MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.4, 120° field of view) |
Telephoto Camera | 12MP Continuous Optical Zoom, f/2.3-3.5, 85mm-170mm, OIS, Tele-macro | No dedicated telephoto lens; 12MP 2x Telephoto enabled by 48MP quad-pixel sensor (52 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift OIS |
Optical Zoom | 3.5x to 7.1x Continuous Optical Zoom | 0.5x, 1x, 2x optical-quality zoom steps (4x optical zoom range) |
Digital Zoom | Up to 21x (AI Super Resolution) | Up to 10x |
Video Recording | 4K HDR @ 120fps (All lenses) | 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps; Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps; Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps |
Front Camera | 12MP, f/2.0, 1/2.9" Exmor RS, 4K @ 60fps | 12MP TrueDepth (f/1.9), autofocus with Focus Pixels, 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps |
Battery | 5,000mAh | 3349 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 20 hours video playback (16 hours streamed) |
Wired Charging | 30W USB-PD (50% in 30 min) — *Charger not included* | USB-C; Up to 50% charge in ~30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher |
Wireless Charging | 15W Qi Wireless Charging + Reverse Wireless Charging | MagSafe up to 15W; Qi2 up to 15W; Qi up to 7.5W |
Connectivity | 5G (Global Bands - Limited US Carrier Support), Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 | 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.3; Ultra Wideband (Second-generation); NFC with reader mode |
USB | USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps), Video Out (DisplayPort) | USB-C connector with USB 2 speeds (up to 480 Mb/s); Native DisplayPort output |
Durability | IP65/IP68 (Water/Dust Resistant); Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (Front) / Victus (Back) | IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield front; Aerospace-grade aluminum; Color-infused glass back |
Dimensions | 6.38 x 2.91 x 0.32 in (162 x 74 x 8.2 mm) | 5.81" x 2.82" x 0.31" (147.6 x 71.6 x 7.80 mm) |
Weight | 6.77 oz (192 g) | 6.02 oz (171 g) |
Biometrics | Side-mounted fingerprint sensor | Face ID |
Extras | 3.5mm Headphone Jack, Full-stage stereo speakers, Dedicated Shutter Button | Dynamic Island; Ring/Silent switch; Dual eSIM (US models); Emergency SOS via satellite; Crash Detection; Roadside Assistance via satellite |
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Sony Xperia 1 VI
Rating:★4.3(41)Amazon
Operating System:Android
Software Support:3 OS upgrades and 4 years of security updates
Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (SM8650)
Graphics:Adreno 750
RAM:12GB LPDDR5X
Storage:256GB / 512GB UFS 4.0 (Expandable via microSDXC up to 1.5TB)
Display Size:6.5"
Screen Type:LTPO OLED, 1-120Hz Adaptive, Powered by BRAVIA
Resolution:2340 x 1080 (FHD+) — *Note: Downgraded from 4K on previous models*
Refresh Rate:1Hz - 120Hz (Adaptive)
Peak Brightness:1,300 nits (Typical High Brightness) / ~1,500 nits (Peak)
Main Camera:48MP (Effective) / 52MP (Total), f/1.9, 24mm, 1/1.35" Exmor T, OIS
Ultra-Wide Camera:12MP, f/2.2, 16mm, 123-degree FOV, AF (Macro support)
Telephoto Camera:12MP Continuous Optical Zoom, f/2.3-3.5, 85mm-170mm, OIS, Tele-macro
Optical Zoom:3.5x to 7.1x Continuous Optical Zoom
Digital Zoom:Up to 21x (AI Super Resolution)
Video Recording:4K HDR @ 120fps (All lenses)
Front Camera:12MP, f/2.0, 1/2.9" Exmor RS, 4K @ 60fps
Battery:5,000mAh
Wired Charging:30W USB-PD (50% in 30 min) — *Charger not included*
Wireless Charging:15W Qi Wireless Charging + Reverse Wireless Charging
Connectivity:5G (Global Bands - Limited US Carrier Support), Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
USB:USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps), Video Out (DisplayPort)
Durability:IP65/IP68 (Water/Dust Resistant); Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (Front) / Victus (Back)
Dimensions:6.38 x 2.91 x 0.32 in (162 x 74 x 8.2 mm)
Weight:6.77 oz (192 g)
Biometrics:Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
Extras:3.5mm Headphone Jack, Full-stage stereo speakers, Dedicated Shutter Button
✓ Pros:
- • Exclusive 85-170mm true continuous optical zoom lens
- • Rare flagship features: 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD slot
- • Outstanding battery life (often rated 2 days) with 5,000mAh cell
- • Display is significantly brighter and more power-efficient (LTPO) than predecessors
- • Professional-grade camera apps (Photography Pro, Video Pro) merged for ease of use
✗ Cons:
- • NOT officially sold in the US (No warranty, missing key US 5G bands like Band 71)
- • Display resolution downgraded to 1080p (loss of unique 4K identity)
- • Charging speed (30W) is very slow compared to price-tier competitors
- • Expensive import price ($1,300+) for a phone with limited support
- • Box contents are empty (No charger, no cable)
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Apple iPhone 15
Rating:★4.8(951)Best Buy
Operating System:iOS
Software Support:Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades
Processor:Apple A16 Bionic chip (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine)
Graphics:Apple 5-core GPU (A16 Bionic)
RAM:6 GB (LPDDR5)
Storage:128GB / 256GB / 512GB (NVMe)
Display Size:6.1" (6.12" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less)
Screen Type:Super Retina XDR OLED
Resolution:2556 x 1179 pixels (460 ppi)
Refresh Rate:60 Hz
Peak Brightness:1000 nits max (typical); 1600 nits peak (HDR); 2000 nits peak (outdoor)
Main Camera:48MP Main (26 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP)
Ultra-Wide Camera:12MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.4, 120° field of view)
Telephoto Camera:No dedicated telephoto lens; 12MP 2x Telephoto enabled by 48MP quad-pixel sensor (52 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift OIS
Optical Zoom:0.5x, 1x, 2x optical-quality zoom steps (4x optical zoom range)
Digital Zoom:Up to 10x
Video Recording:4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps; Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps; Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps
Front Camera:12MP TrueDepth (f/1.9), autofocus with Focus Pixels, 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps
Battery:3349 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 20 hours video playback (16 hours streamed)
Wired Charging:USB-C; Up to 50% charge in ~30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher
Wireless Charging:MagSafe up to 15W; Qi2 up to 15W; Qi up to 7.5W
Connectivity:5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.3; Ultra Wideband (Second-generation); NFC with reader mode
USB:USB-C connector with USB 2 speeds (up to 480 Mb/s); Native DisplayPort output
Durability:IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield front; Aerospace-grade aluminum; Color-infused glass back
Dimensions:5.81" x 2.82" x 0.31" (147.6 x 71.6 x 7.80 mm)
Weight:6.02 oz (171 g)
Biometrics:Face ID
Extras:Dynamic Island; Ring/Silent switch; Dual eSIM (US models); Emergency SOS via satellite; Crash Detection; Roadside Assistance via satellite
✓ Pros:
- • High-resolution 48MP main camera with useful 2x optical-quality crop
- • Bright, color-accurate OLED display (up to 2000 nits outdoor)
- • Standardized USB-C port for charging and accessories
- • Dynamic Island interface replaces the notch
- • Comfortable, lightweight design with contoured edges
✗ Cons:
- • Display limited to 60 Hz (no ProMotion 120 Hz)
- • USB-C port limited to USB 2.0 data transfer speeds (480 Mb/s)
- • No dedicated telephoto lens (zoom beyond 2x is digital)
- • Always-On display feature is omitted
- • Charging speed is slower compared to competitors
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Which one is better?
Overall, Apple iPhone 15 delivers better satisfaction. Sony Xperia 1 VI is still a quality option with specific strengths worth considering.
Who should buy each?
Sony Xperia 1 VI excels at: Exclusive 85-170mm true continuous optical zoom lens, Rare flagship features: 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD slot
Watch for: NOT officially sold in the US (No warranty, missing key US 5G bands like Band 71)
Apple iPhone 15 excels at: High-resolution 48MP main camera with useful 2x optical-quality crop, Bright, color-accurate OLED display (up to 2000 nits outdoor)
Watch for: Display limited to 60 Hz (no ProMotion 120 Hz)
Conclusion
With the key differences outlined, the decision should be clearer. Both options deliver quality—choose the one that fits your priorities.
Frequently Asked Questions
+Which has better value?
Sony Xperia 1 VI excels if you value exclusive 85-170mm true continuous optical zoom lens. Apple iPhone 15 is better if you prioritize high-resolution 48mp main camera with useful 2x optical-quality crop. Pick based on your budget and daily use.
+Is this an independent review?
Yes. We use affiliate links for monetization, but recommendations are research-driven and unbiased.
+Do newer models exist?
Check release timelines from the manufacturers and compare pricing before you buy. We refresh this page when major updates land.
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