[5] Part of Sony's flagship Xperia series, the device was announced to the public at a press conference held at the annual 2019 Mobile World Congress event on February 25, 2019.

[8][9] On 25 October 2019, a upgraded version of the Sony Xperia 1 called the Sony Xperia 1 Professional Edition (J9150) was released exclusively in Japan,[10] which is mainly sold SIM-unlocked and unlike the Japan-only carrier models, features a hybrid dual-SIM slot and has an internal storage capacity of 128 GB like the J8110, J8170 and J9110 models.

It consists of a 7000-series aluminum alloy chassis that has a curved edge all around the device, a 2.5D scratch-resistant front and curved-edged back glass panels made of Corning Gorilla Glass 6, resulting in a more squarish but symmetrical design aesthetic, reminiscent of the classic "Omni Balance" design language of old Xperia Z-series flagships.

The NFC antenna is placed on the left-handed side of the new triple-lens camera system, housed in a raised module with chrome beveled edges surrounding it, along with the color sensing (RGBC-IR sensor) and the single LED flash up top.

On the top bezel is the earpiece that acts as part of the hybrid dual-stereo speaker setup, the 8 MP front-facing camera, ambient light and proximity sensor and a notification LED.

The hybrid SIM tray is located on the top of the device, with a sealed pull-out type of cover for added ingress protection.

The Xperia 1 showcases the world's first 6.5 in (170 mm) 21:9 aspect ratio 4K HDR OLED display officially called Cinema Wide,[12] with a 3840 × 1644 resolution, and 643 ppi pixel density.

The device also has the new X1 for mobile engine borrowed from their BRAVIA TV line, optimizing content that is not natively-created for the high contrast and color palette of the OLED panel.

They are paired with the RGBC-IR color spectrum sensor that assists the white balance of the camera by providing additional light data from the surrounding conditions of the scene, and a single LED flash.

It has an Intelligent Active Mode where it which alongside the standard electronic Steady Shot (5-axis EIS + OIS) for better video stabilization.

It can accurately calculate and measure the distance of the subject it is currently tracking from the device, and, through machine learning, can also remember the particular person's eye if he/she was either blocked by view or moved out of the frame for a while and then back in.

An additional camera feature is Cinema Pro, which is a video capture application designed in collaboration with Sony's CineAlta division and squarely aimed at cinematography enthusiasts.

When it detects fast-paced movement, the camera automatically captures a maximum of four photos before the shutter button is pressed, and lets the user select the best one afterwards.

This is done without any user intervention and is possible due to the same built-in DRAM chip on the image sensor used in capturing the 960 fps super slow-motion videos.