Sony used to be one of my favorite smartphone brands, but that was a long time ago. These days, the company doesn’t try to compete with “wide release” flagships like Samsung’s or Google’s. Instead, it has settled into delivering devices to the niche of people who don’t care about trends and want professional photo and video tools.
Sony’s flagships aren’t for everyone, especially now that their regional availability isn’t as wide as it used to be. But for those who care, Sony’s next flagship, the Xperia 1 VII, is going to arrive very soon. Sony has confirmed its launch date, and it’ll be landing on the stage in Japan in less than a week.
The Sony Xperia 1 VII Is Set for Launch Next Week
You might not have realized, but Sony still makes phones. There was a time when the company was going toe-to-toe with Samsung, HTC, and other brands of the early Android era. These days, the company’s reach isn’t as massive as before, but it still makes devices for a particular crowd.
Sony doesn’t follow trends, which leads to good things like maintaining the 3.5mm headphone jack and the microSD slot. However, it also leads to polarizing things like a large forehead bezel and chin bezel. It’s 2025, so that kind of look doesn’t quite fit in for a device costing over $1,000. The only modern flagship with an SD card slot is the Xperia 1 VI, but if you want a 3.5mm headphone jack over a card slot, there are so few options:
- Sony Xperia 1 VI
- Asus ROG Phone 9 series
- Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra
- RedMagic 10 Pro series
- RedMagic 9S Pro series
Regardless, the company is still going strong and is ready to release its next flagship, the Sony Xperia 1 VII, on May 13th in Japan. While I might not find myself buying a Sony Xperia device anymore, I’m looking forward to seeing what the famous electronics brand is going to offer this year. The device is expected to launch first in Japan, and potentially be followed by international availability later—don’t expect it to come to the US, though.
The Sony Xperia 1 VII May Not Be Significantly Different From Its Predecessor
As almost all phone releases go, we know a few things about the Xperia 1 VII before its actual launch. What does it bring over last year’s model, and what do we know that’s going to remain the same? Well, let’s break it down.
| Sony Xperia 1 VII (Rumored) | Sony Xperia 1 VI | |
| Screen Size | 6.5 inches | 6.5 inches |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Elite | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
| Memory | 12GB | 12GB |
| Dimensions | Slightly shorter, slightly wider and thicker | 162 x 74 x 8.2mm |
| Camera Sensors | Exmor T sensors for all three rear cameras | Exmor T sensor on the main camera only |
From what we know, the only aspect in which the Xperia 1 VII will be “worse” than its predecessor is that it’ll get a little wider and thicker than it was before, though it’ll likely shrink those top and bottom bezels to become a little shorter.
However, it will bring the expected upgrade to the chipset and could likely bring a major boost to the camera hardware. In a world full of camera-focused Ultra devices, you could argue that Sony’s Xperia 1 line beat the rest of them to the punch. The question is whether it’ll be able to compare. We’ll see about that.
