The Sony Xperia 1 VII has a unique feature, it's a shame that it's bad
Fourth time's the charm? Sony's promises of true optics deliver old pain points.
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
The Sony Xperia 1 VII launches today, but the phone has already gone through its review cycle. We have the full Sony Xperia 1 VII review here, and while I generally like the phone, there are some places where it just doesn’t compete.
It’s an absurd thing, but in 2025, Sony phone cameras are just not up to par with the competition. And the reason why this is so contradictory is that most smartphones out there — from the value midrangers to some of our favorite flagships — use Sony sensors to begin with.
It even hurts worse that the super-advanced zoom camera just doesn’t produce the quality of photos to justify its existence.
Since the Sony Xperia 1 IV, these phones have had actual, true variable zoom inside. Components inside the camera module move around to produce stepless zooming between 3.5x and 7.1x.
The implied benefit is that you get lossless magnification — instead of using digital crop-in and sharpening to get a quality zoom shot, it should be perfect and pristine as is.
But it’s not. The reality is that smartphones have small sensors and small lenses. This limits how much light and detail they can capture, and they can’t replace the nice, big sensor of a DSLR. Actually, scratch that, Sony — the camera behemoth that has a true zoom telephoto lens — uses smaller sensors than the competing “camera phones” nowadays. Which, I’d say, is a misstep in prioritization when it comes to hardware upgrades.
And most of these are Sony sensors!
But no, Sony refused to use software to enhance its photos for quite a while. Which is why it is a bit behind the rest right now.
One of the major things holding Sony Xperia flagships back is their price. With an asking price of €1,499, the Xperia 1 VII had better be perfect and deliver on every front. Especially on its major selling points.
The truth is, I do like the phone. The design, the style, the feel. For a lower price tag, I’d be willing to work with the camera and accept its limitations. But as it is, I can’t really recommend it. Yes, the new ultra-wide camera is pretty good, if not very ultra-wide. But the main camera’s Auto mode is still severely behind, and that zoom camera is there just for bragging rights, not actual zoom quality.
And yes, I know that the price includes a set of Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones, which are honestly really nice. For the small percentage of customers that are in the market for an OK flagship and a high-end headset at the same time.
It’s an absurd thing, but in 2025, Sony phone cameras are just not up to par with the competition. And the reason why this is so contradictory is that most smartphones out there — from the value midrangers to some of our favorite flagships — use Sony sensors to begin with.
Yes, it’s amazing that you have true optical zoom. But does it make the photos better?
Since the Sony Xperia 1 IV, these phones have had actual, true variable zoom inside. Components inside the camera module move around to produce stepless zooming between 3.5x and 7.1x.
The implied benefit is that you get lossless magnification — instead of using digital crop-in and sharpening to get a quality zoom shot, it should be perfect and pristine as is.
But it’s not. The reality is that smartphones have small sensors and small lenses. This limits how much light and detail they can capture, and they can’t replace the nice, big sensor of a DSLR. Actually, scratch that, Sony — the camera behemoth that has a true zoom telephoto lens — uses smaller sensors than the competing “camera phones” nowadays. Which, I’d say, is a misstep in prioritization when it comes to hardware upgrades.
| Phone | Sony Xperia 1 VII | Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra | Xiaomi 15 Ultra | Vivo X200 Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoom Camera 1 | 12 MP telephoto (3.1x-7.5x) Sensor size: 1/3.5" Pixel size: 1.0 μm | 10 MP telephoto (3x) Sensor size: 1/3.52" Pixel size: 1.12 μm | 50 MP telephoto (3.2x) Sensor size: 1/2.51" Pixel size: 0.7 μm | 200 MP telephoto (3.7x) Sensor size: 1/1.4" Pixel size: 0.56 μm |
| Zoom Camera 2 | --- | 50 MP telephoto Sensor size: 1/2.52" Pixel size: 0.7 μm | 200 MP telephoto (4.3x) Sensor size: 1/1.4" Pixel size: 0.56 μm | --- |
And most of these are Sony sensors!
To top it off, competing phone manufacturers have been perfecting software post-processing over the past few years. And the results are, nowadays, pretty good!
But no, Sony refused to use software to enhance its photos for quite a while. Which is why it is a bit behind the rest right now.
Don’t make us pay for tech that isn’t there yet
One of the major things holding Sony Xperia flagships back is their price. With an asking price of €1,499, the Xperia 1 VII had better be perfect and deliver on every front. Especially on its major selling points.
The truth is, I do like the phone. The design, the style, the feel. For a lower price tag, I’d be willing to work with the camera and accept its limitations. But as it is, I can’t really recommend it. Yes, the new ultra-wide camera is pretty good, if not very ultra-wide. But the main camera’s Auto mode is still severely behind, and that zoom camera is there just for bragging rights, not actual zoom quality.
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