This flagship phone checks almost every box, so why does it feel like a farewell?

One of the more quiet phone manufacturers on the market is undoubtedly Sony. The company has stuck to a formula that has garnered a few loyal followers throughout the years, but never has it ascended to a level of popularity that can rival the rest of the big players like Samsung, Google, Apple. Or even Motorola and OnePlus.

We recently reviewed the Xperia 1 VII, which is packed with cool and practical features, some of which have long been dropped by other brands. But Sony was especially subtle about this release. Not to mention that the phone has some all too familiar stumbles, giving the sense that Sony’s mobile division is standing still, lacking the motivation to improve and adapt.

So what exactly is going on with Sony’s latest flagship? And why does this moment feel more than just another Xperia launch?

What Sony got right

Sony’s dedication to hardware quality is unquestionable. Like previous generations, the Xperia 1 VII features a striking 6.5-inch 4K OLED display with Creator Mode for accurate color work, a feature content creators can genuinely benefit from. Our testing confirms its brightness and calibration are top-tier, competing with the best displays on the market.

Audio is equally impressive. The front-facing speakers deliver punchy, full-bodied sound, and the phone retains a 3.5mm headphone jack — a rarity in today’s flagship world. Paired with support for high-resolution audio and LDAC, the Xperia 1 VII is clearly tuned for media consumption and creators.

These enthusiast-first touches extend to the inclusion of a microSD card slot and a tactile two-step camera shutter button. This makes the phone one of the few remaining high-end devices that still supports hardware features others have long since abandoned at this price range.

Performance-wise, the Xperia 1 VII did not disappoint us either. It runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite, and benchmark tests show it can trade blows with devices like the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Battery life is solid, too, especially given the phone’s compact form and high-resolution display.

Where it still falls behind

Despite its admirable hardware, the Xperia 1 VII continues to stumble on the same issues that have plagued Sony’s phones for years.

The camera, for one, continues to be a weird letdown. Despite housing impressive sensors and a clever true zoom lens, the results are inconsistent. In our review of the Xperia 1 VII, we noted visible sharpening artifacts, poor HDR stitching, and a lack of stabilization options in video recording. This wouldn’t be so problematic if Sony wasn’t marketing the phone primarily to creators and camera enthusiasts. But when a €1,499 phone captures photos that are merely “OK,” especially compared to other phones in this segment, it’s hard to justify that price tag.

Software updates are another weak link. Sony has increased the support window to four years of OS updates and six years of security patches for the Xperia 1 VII, but the company tends to be sluggish when it comes to update rollout — a longstanding frustration for Xperia owners.

Finally, there’s the price and availability. The Xperia 1 VII launches at €1,499 in Europe and skips the U.S. entirely. For the second year running, Sony has failed to secure a carrier partnership in the United States — a market that remains essential for premium phone sales. The lack of subsidies or carrier support makes the Xperia line nearly invisible to mainstream buyers. And bundling the phone with expensive Sony headphones in some regions doesn’t really help much.

Echoes of LG

Sony’s current mobile trajectory eerily mirrors LG’s in its final years. LG, too, built well-specced phones with features that appealed to enthusiasts — wide-angle cameras, headphone jacks, Quad DACs. But it failed to deliver compelling software, fell behind in camera post-processing, and never truly fixed its update strategy. Over time, its flagships grew expensive without offering enough to justify their cost, especially with no real carrier presence in key markets like the U.S. Sony appears to be on the same trajectory.

Both companies also relied too heavily on hardware differentiation while underestimating the role of software and ecosystem in modern smartphones. LG tried to innovate with devices like the LG Wing or LG Velvet, but consumer interest had already died out, and those special features were seen more as gimmicks than the next big thing.

If Sony isn’t careful, it could reach that same tipping point. The company continues to double down on its flagship phones as the best creator’s tool to go alongside professional equipment, but even the target audience doesn’t seem to be too enthusiastic about what Sony is selling.

Is this the end?