These days, the biggest and the best smartphones come with QHD+ displays, and that's as high as resolutions go for the average smartphone. Manufacturers focus more on improving refresh rates and brightness these days.
But you may or may not know that there have been smartphones with 4K displays, and literally every single one of them has been made by Sony. However, that era looks set to come to a close if a new rumor is to be believed, as the company will finally give up on 4K screens and max out at QHD+.
Sony's Next Xperia 1 Phone Is Rumored To Let Go Of The 4K Screen
Sony was once one of the very big hitters in smartphones, and before I got my very first device, I had really hoped to get a Sony device. These days, they surprisingly still make smartphones, though they tend not to get a lot of airtime — that might be because of the high price, strange aspect ratio, and relatively enthusiast-focused experience.
However, the Xperia 1 VI, which is the next flagship from the Japanese company's Xperia 1 line, may make some very notable changes that may potentially make it a more appropriate option for the average consumer. The major one is that the 4K display looks set to go, with the company moving over to QHD+ like every single one of its competitors, according to Weibo tipster Zackbuks.
This is just my opinion, but it's about time. 4K screens on smartphones are cool from a technological perspective, but for actual users, they don't bring much to the table. It's hard to tell between QHD+ and 4K on a display as small as a phone, plus it drains the battery much faster and makes the phone cost more. If we're lucky, Sony's next flagship will cost less.
On top of that, the Xperia 1 phones have been uncommonly tall, with an aspect ratio of 21:9 on their phones. For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is 19.5:9, so noticeably less tall and narrow. This might change with the next flagship too, moving to the 19.5:9 ratio that others have settled with. It's also rumored to come with 16GB of RAM in the top configurations, and 48MP ultrawide and telephoto cameras.
Sony And 4K: A Relationship That Goes Way Back
There are exactly 10 smartphones (by my count) that come with 4K displays. Every single one of those is a Sony smartphone. It's not like Sony has a patent on 4K modules in a smartphone form factor. Nope. It's just that the others don't think it is worth it, and they're right with that.
Back in 2015, Sony released the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium, a phone that came with the first 4K display on a smartphone. That was a pretty big achievement and I remember being very excited about it back then. However, reviewers weren't able to appreciate the difference in the image quality over QHD at that size. This didn't stop Sony from doing it again, and again, and again though. They released the Xperia 1 V with a 4K screen last year.
It was a nice run and Sony will have its name in the history books, but there was no major benefit to the whole experiment, and with QHD+ smartphones selling like hotcakes, it shows consumers don't care about going that high up the resolution ladder.
When Can We Expect The Sony Xperia 1 VI?
According to the same leak, the Sony Xperia 1 VI will have a global launch and that will happen in May. Take this entire thing with a pinch of salt, though we certainly can't say that such screen changes would be an illogical move for the company at this point.
