Sony may actually have some good ideas with the major Xperia 1 VIII redesign

Sony is about to launch a long-overdue redesign of its flagship smartphone, which we’ve seen in several leaks already. However, new renders based on factory CAD data reveal some important details that make the new Xperia 1 VIII design look significantly better.

Xperia 1 VIII is all but confirmed to get a major redesign

The redesigned camera island of the Xperia 1 VIII has leaked once again. A new set of CAD renders of the upcoming flagship, shared by OnLeaks and My Mobiles, reveals a much more coherent approach than some of the previous leaks.

According to the latest images, the square-shaped camera module connects with the frame of the device with a nice looking slope. Still, the new camera island is much taller than the vertical bump on the Xperia 1 VII and measures 2.79mm, compared to 1.1mm on last year’s model.

Similar dimensions

Sony is not expected to introduce major changes to the overall size of the Xperia 1 VIII. The new phone’s dimensions may be 161.9mm x 74.4mm x 8.58mm, while the previous model measured 162mm x 74 mm x 8.2mm.



Probably the most significant change is that the phone will be slightly thicker, though the difference is unlikely to be very noticeable. What remains unchanged is the display size, which will stay 6.5 inches.

No changes up front

One of the most discussed potential changes was the inclusion of a punch-hole front camera. However, the CAD data includes the same bezels as in the previous model, meaning there’s no change in that regard on the Xperia 1 VIII.

Alongside the front facing camera in the upper bezel, the phone will also retain the front-facing stereo speakers. The bezels will be symmetrical on the top and the bottom, with thinner bezels on the sides of the display.

Coming soon

While there’s no clue about the potential premiere of the Xperia 1 VIII, it’s probably happening very soon. Last year, Sony announced the Xperia 1 VII in the middle of May and launched it in early June. We’ve already seen some signs that the schedule will remain unchanged in 2026.

Sony is also keeping the 3.5 mm headphone jack, though no other spec has been confirmed. Still, it would be a surprise if the device didn’t feature a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and an improved camera.

A proper refresh

These new images look like an evolution of the design ideas Sony has been following for years. That’s a relief after the horrendous earlier leaks and makes me excited about the Xperia 1 VIII again.

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