Sony has unveiled its newest flagship smartphone, the Xperia 1 VII, as anticipated by various leaks in recent weeks. This model succeeds the Xperia 1 VI, which debuted in May 2024, and it features technologies borrowed from Sony’s Alpha cameras, Walkman audio devices, and BRAVIA televisions. These innovations have been integrated through what Sony calls ‘Xperia Intelligence,’ aimed at enhancing photography, audio quality, and visual experiences.
Continuing the trend seen in previous iterations, the Xperia 1 VII places a heavy emphasis on camera performance. While the camera lenses have seen only minor updates, exciting new software enhancements for 2025 have been introduced.
The seventh generation of the Xperia 1 includes standout features like ‘AI Camerawork’ and ‘Auto Framing.’ The ‘AI Camerawork’ feature allows users to capture stable, well-composed videos without constantly watching the screen. It achieves this by keeping the main subject centered using image stabilization and posture estimation.
What specifications does the Sony Xperia 1 VII offer?
When it comes to the camera setup, the Xperia 1 VII features three rear lenses, highlighted by a new 16mm ultra-wide lens combined with a 48MP 1/1.56-inch sensor, which is reportedly 2.1 times larger than the one on its predecessor. This larger sensor aims to enhance low-light performance and reduce noise, while also enabling macro photography from as close as 5cm. The smartphone boasts a main 48-megapixel wide-angle lens offering 24mm/48mm equivalents for 2x optical zoom, complemented by a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with an optical zoom range of 85mm to 170mm.
The Xperia 1 VII employs components from Sony’s Walkman devices to improve sound quality through wired headphones. Additionally, its ‘DSEE Ultimate’ technology utilizes AI to enhance the quality of compressed streaming audio, whether wired or wireless. The phone’s stereo speakers have also been refined for clearer sound across all frequencies.
Users will find a 6.5-inch OLED display on the Xperia 1 VII, featuring a Full HD+ resolution with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and a 120Hz refresh rate. While the display specs are similar to those of the Xperia 1 VI, it now includes an extra light sensor designed to optimize brightness and color based on the surrounding environment. This enhancement aims to improve visibility in various lighting conditions, with features like increased peak brightness and ‘Sunlight Vision’ to facilitate outdoor use in direct sunlight. However, unlike some competitors, Sony has not specified the brightness in nits, leaving comparisons somewhat vague.
At its core, the Xperia 1 VII is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and comes with 12GB of RAM. The device is equipped with a 5,000mAh battery, which Sony claims can provide up to 36 hours of continuous video playback and achieve 50% charge in just 30 minutes.
Starting May 13, the Xperia 1 VII will be available in Slate Black, Moss Green, and Orchid Purple through Sony and select retailers. Pricing is expected to be around €1499 in Europe and £1399 in the UK, though US pricing and availability have yet to be announced.
The Xperia 1 VII will receive support for four operating system updates and six years of security patches—this is less than what Google and Samsung offer, but one year more than Motorola support.
