*************************It’s been a little while since my last post, but this is the continuation of the entry linked above. My beloved Xperia Pro-i had started showing signs of battery fatigue, and to make matters worse, it was no longer eligible for security updates. So, even though it felt a bit early, I decided to replace my smartphone.
Given the high trade-in value and the uncertainty in the market due to the so-called “Trump tariffs,” the logical choice should have been an iPhone. However, I still wanted to keep using a few Android-only apps, my personal Apple ID is essentially “occupied” by my wife, and I already use an iPhone for work. For all those reasons, I ended up deciding on another Xperia.
The current top Xperia model is the Xperia 1 VI (Mark 6). That said, it’s been nearly a year since its release, and the Xperia 1 VII is expected to be announced right after Golden Week. Normally, the sensible move would be to wait for the new model.
Even the current 1 VI is steep—the Sony Store lists it at just under 190,000 yen (though there are occasional cashback offers). Without a price drop or campaign, it’s simply out of reach. Usually, when a new model is about to be released (or has just launched), the older model sees a discount. That was my plan—wait for the price cut. But as Golden Week drew near, there was no sign of a price drop; in fact, some colors and models had already gone out of stock.
This was starting to look bad, so I shifted my target to the used market. By chance, I spotted an ad from a secondhand shop I often use, and a quick check showed that, depending on condition, I could get one for somewhere between 120,000 and 150,000 yen. Since it had been less than a year since release, I figured battery wear wouldn’t be too severe under normal use. The 1 VI also comes with a promised four years of security updates, so even buying it one year after launch would give me three more years of updates. If I take good care of it, I’m hoping the battery will last that long too.
Since this was going to be a fairly expensive purchase even secondhand, I decided not to buy online but to inspect the phone in person first. Of course, how the previous owner actually used it is something “only God knows.”
First, I checked out a 12GB / 256GB black model priced at 135,000 yen at a nearby branch of Janpara. Online, it was graded “A” with only light scratches, but I noticed some paint chipping around the charging port, which bothered me enough to pass on it.
Next, I visited Janpara’s Akihabara store, where they had two units in stock: a 12GB / 512GB khaki green and a 12GB / 512GB silver. In truth, 512GB storage is overkill for me, but at about 140,000 yen—only slightly more than the 256GB black one—it was tempting. (For reference, the new retail price is just under 200,000 yen, about 10,000 more than the 256GB version.)
I also asked about the trade-in value for my Xperia Pro-i, and they quoted a maximum of 55,000 yen. Even if I didn’t get the full amount, 50,000 yen would still bring my net cost down to under 80–90,000 yen. Still, that would make it by far the most expensive smartphone I’ve ever bought.
Since setting up the new phone was likely to take some time, I decided not to trade in my old Xperia Pro-i on the spot. Instead, I’d keep it until the Xperia 1 VI was fully set up and tested over a week or two, then sell it. Thankfully, getting the new phone before Golden Week gave me plenty of time for setup.
And here (photo) it is—my new Xperia 1 VI (12GB / 512GB, silver). The clear black case makes it look darker than it really is. I’ll share my thoughts on the setup process and usability in my next post.