What you need to know
- The latest Xperia is now official and it features a triple rear camera system with 52MP, 50MP, and 12MP lenses, plus a 12MP front camera, all enhanced by ZEISS optics and Sony Alpha technology.
- The device also equips a 6.5-inch 120Hz Full HD+ BRAVIA display, and is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite.
- It ships with Android 15 and promises four years of OS updates and six years of security updates.
It is that time of the year where Sony usually launches its flagship Xperia series, and the company has one this year, the Xperia 1 VII, which has just gone official.
Like conventional flagships from Sony, the latest Android phone also emphasizes camera, display, battery, with better sound quality taking the spot this year. Like its predecessor, the Xperia 1 VII comes with familiar specs that include the full 52MP (48MP effective) primary lens, another 50MP (48MP) secondary lens, and a 12MP ultra-wide angle lens. The front also equips a 12MP selfie shooter. The rear cameras are also ZEISS and signature Sony Alpha-powered, which has been the case for the past couple of generations of Xperia handsets.
The design, on the other hand, also appears familiar to the previous iteration; however, color options are limited to Moss Green, Orchid Purple, and State Black. The screen is a BRAVIA-powered 6.5 inch panel — a taller display with 19.5:9 ratio, Full HD+ resolution, and 120Hz refresh rates. The build quality includes Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and regular Victus for the back. Additionally, users can also experience IPX5/IPX8 water and IP6X dust resistance.
The Sony flagship is shipping with Android 15 with a promise of four-year operating system upgrades and six years of security updates. It is powered by Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 8 Elite coupled with 12GB of RAM and 256GB onboard storage, further includes support for expandable storage with up to 2TB micro SD. While the latter is pretty rare these days on any Android phone, another decent inclusion is the 3.5mm headphone jack that is still intact on the Xperia 1 VII.
Other notable features of the flagship include a 5000mAh battery capacity with support for Qi wireless charging and a promise of two-day battery life through a single charge. A high-quality sound with Sony’s proprietary WALKMAN DNA technology, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, and a vapor chamber cooler for a more hassle-free gaming experience.
The Xperia 1 VII is up for preorder in the U.K., retailing at £1,399 for the sole 256GB variant, which is slightly higher than Samsung’s latest Galaxy S25 Ultra, which is priced at £1,099 for the same storage variant.
