Sony reveals Xperia special event before rumoured Xperia 1 VI release

The Xperia 1 V (curr. $1,198 on Amazon) is almost a year old, having been announced on May 11, 2023. Right on cue, Sony has now outlined early details of its next Xperia event, evidence of which we have embedded below. Incidentally, the company has only just presented new Bravia smart TVs, details of which we have covered separately.

On top of that, a week has now passed since the company debuted the ULT WEAR, a pair of over-ear wireless headphones that were rumoured to launch as the Sony WH-ULT900N. Understandably, various sources have inferred that Sony will use its next Xperia event to present the Xperia 1 VI, renders of which @OnLeaks and Android Headlines leaked last week. Reportedly, the Xperia 1 VI will be noticeably smaller than the Xperia 1 V, possibly at the expense of the latter's 21:9 aspect ratio.

The announcement of Sony's event is out of step with other recent launch events, though. Typically, the company shares information on its social media channels, often with a YouTube premiere listing the date and a few other details. This time, it has posted details of its 'Xperia Special Event 2024' only on its Japanese website. Additionally, Sony stresses that the May 17 event will allow 'Xperia developers [to] introduce the latest features in real life', adding that there will be a product experience between 19:30 and 21:30 JST (10:30-12:30 UTC). Thus, there is no guarantee at this stage that the Xperia 1 VI will actually globally debut in a month's time.