Sony was one of the first smartphone manufacturers that I found myself a fan of. That was in the early days of Android, back when 32GB of RAM in the Xperia S was seen as a groundbreaking spec. Up until now, I haven’t owned an Xperia device, and the chances are getting smaller and smaller as Sony’s devices become even more niche.
Yet, I’m still a fan of what Sony is doing as it chooses to stick to its guns. Last year, it launched the Xperia 1 VI, its flagship for 2024. This year, the company has been quiet, but we know it is planning to show up, as leaks give us the first look at the Xperia 1 VII. Sony is definitely not ready to join the trend train.
The First Renders of the Xperia 1 VII Show That the Bezels and Headphone Jack Stick Around
In recent years, Sony hasn’t been the kind of company that does what other companies are doing just because they’re doing it. It seems to have a philosophy it sticks to and will only embrace the trends if they actually make sense. I guess that’s one of the perks of one of the only major Japanese smartphone OEMs that’s still in the game.
Thanks to OnLeaks and XpertPick, we get a chance to look at renders of the upcoming Xperia 1 VII, expected to arrive next month, and we see that Sony still isn’t breaking away from its design philosophy. Teardrop and punch-hole selfie cameras are pretty much the only thing OEMs are doing these days, but Sony still maintains a thicker bezel on the forehead to hold the selfie camera. To be honest, it doesn’t look that outdated.
The device also keeps a flat back, front, and sides. It’s mostly unchanged from its predecessor. On the top edge of this flagship device, you’ll also find another feature that has pretty much gone extinct on other top-of-the-line phones, and that’s a headphone jack. To me, it proves that flagships can add that feature if they really want to, because the Xperia 1 VI didn’t seem to make any significant compromises to include it.
Sony Could Significantly Upgrade the Camera Setup This Year
Some of the specs of the upcoming Xperia 1 VII have been rumored, and the phone is expected to be a little thicker than its predecessor at 8.5mm. The screen will stick to the more usual aspect ratio introduced last year, as well as bringing the same 6.5-inch screen. Oh, and the microSD slot sticks around. This is one reason why I really like Sony.
However, the camera setup is the most important thing to anyone buying a Sony Xperia device in 2025. The vertically oriented triple-camera setup sticks around, but this year, it is expected to bring some major upgrades. One source says that all three cameras will have Exmor-T sensors this year (not just the primary like last year). Another rumor says the telephoto will upgrade to a much larger 1/2″ sensor as opposed to the previous 1/3.5″. That would mean much better light gathering.
