Sony simply unveiled its newest flagship smartphone, the Xperia 1 VII, and at a look, it seems to be similar to the earlier model. So, what’s new? Let’s take a better look.
With the brand new mannequin, we get the compulsory improve to the newest Qualcomm SoC. The Xperia 1 VII is powered by the almighty Snapdragon 8 Elite, which we already know is the chipset-of-choice for eager avid gamers. It comes with an ample 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, however that may be expanded to 2TB of storage when you insert a microSD card.
Hats off to Sony for being one of many final producers to proceed supporting expandable storage on its flagship telephones. We like to see it. There’s even a headphone socket, which is a very uncommon sight in 2025 – even when it’s nothing new to Sony followers.
You continue to get a 5000mAh battery, together with 30W wired charging and 15W wi-fi charging, however Sony reckons it’ll last more in the true world. The model is claiming two days of use per cost, or over 36 hours of steady video playback. You’ll have to attend for our full evaluate to see if that’s certainly the case.
Discover out why our Cellular Editor thinks the Xperia 1 VII must be the final telephone Sony makes.
Sony
Elsewhere, there’s a 6.5-inch FHD+ 120Hz OLED panel with roughly the identical specs as final yr’s mannequin. Nonetheless, this time it’s as much as 20% brighter, with computerized color changes for an optimum viewing expertise.
A lot of the cameras are unchanged on this mannequin, however the ultrawide has a wholesome improve. It has been modified from a 12Mp 1/1.25-inch sensor, to a 50Mp 1/1.56-inch sensor. This could make a large distinction in low-light circumstances.
As may be very a lot the pattern, Sony is injecting some AI into its newest smartphone, and this implementation is all designed to assist in your creativity.
The telephone now makes use of AI to detect human and animal eyes within the digital camera app, in addition to estimate the primary topic of your photographs. This will increase autofocus reliability and improves white steadiness and publicity accuracy.
The Xperia 1 VII may use AI to intelligently observe topics all through the body. It’s then capable of create a vertical video from a horizontal video, or punch in from 4K for an HD close-up. It’s the form of characteristic that could possibly be a godsend for content material creators.
Sony
There’s additionally a brand new official case (offered individually) which provides some ergonomic contouring to assist when capturing pictures. It’s not as dramatic as one thing just like the Images Package for the Xiaomi 15 Extremely, however it ought to make capturing extra comfy. It additionally has a built-in kickstand so you possibly can prop it up for hands-free viewing.
The Sony Xperia 1 VII is obtainable to pre-order now by way of Amazon and Sony’s web site. It is available in both Slate Black, Moss Inexperienced or Orchid Purple, however I hope you’re feeling flush, as this one will set you again a fairly lofty £1,399/€1,499.
That worth makes it dearer than even the perfect telephones you should purchase, so Sony has rather a lot to stay as much as.