Meet the Sony Xperia 1 VII: State-of-the-art chip, bigger cameras, signature design, limited release
Sony's latest Android flagship is impressive in a lot of ways, repetitive in a few, and disappointing in one key department.
As if Sony didn't have enough trouble attracting attention to its high-end Android handsets nowadays, the latest addition to the Xperia 1 roster had its official announcement scheduled for just a few hours after Samsung's hugely anticipated Galaxy S25 Edge.
This is definitely far-from-ideal timing, but the freshly unveiled Xperia 1 VII super-flagship is undeniably worth a few minutes of your time, especially if you live in Europe.
Those are some outstanding specs right there
- 6.5-inch OLED screen with 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution and 120Hz refresh rate technology;
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor;
- Android 15;
- Four OS upgrades and six years of security patches guaranteed;
- 12GB RAM;
- 256GB internal storage space;
- microSD support for up to 2TB expansion;
- 48MP primary rear-facing camera with f/1.9 aperture;
- 12MP secondary telephoto sensor;
- 48MP ultra-wide-angle lens with f/2.0 aperture;
- 12MP single front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture;
- 5,000mAh battery;
- IP68 water and dust resistance;
- Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 screen protection;
- Corning Gorilla Glass Victus back;
- Side-mounted fingerprint sensor;
- 3.5mm headphone jack;
- Full-stage stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos technology;
- USB Type-C 3.2 port;
- Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC;
- 162 x 74 x 8.2mm dimensions;
- 197 grams weight;
- Moss Green, Orchid Purple, and Slate Black color options.
Yes, ladies and gents, Sony Mobile's newest crown jewel looks an awful lot like last year's Xperia 1 VI, both from a strictly cosmetic standpoint and as far as specifications and features are concerned.
But there are also a few notable distinctions, and while some have been very easy to predict for a very long time, a couple of others are truly special, setting the Xperia 1 VII apart from its predecessor in a big way. I'm talking first and foremost about the ultra-wide-angle lens, which is equipped with a 48MP sensor that's not only superior in its megapixel count, but also physically larger than its Xperia 1 VI counterpart, thus promising clear night shots "equivalent to full-frame cameras."
Sony, of course, leveraged some of that Alpha expertise to improve the photography experience as a whole while working both on the hardware and software fronts to please mobile shutterbugs and catch up to the best camera phones out there. AI Camerawork and Auto Framing are two exciting new features aimed at making it easier to produce "pro level" videos with expertly framed subjects, although we'll obviously have to wait and thoroughly review the Sony Xperia 1 VII for ourselves before actually declaring those tools handy, let alone game-changing.
Unsurprisingly, Sony's 2025 contender for the best Android phone title packs a cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, as well as the same 5,000mAh battery as the Xperia 1 VI. For some reason, the Xperia 1 VII is a few grams heavier than its forerunner, and contrary to a couple of recent rumors, the 4K screen resolution of the Xperia 1 V is not coming back this year either.
Pricing, availability, and key rivals
Water is wet, grass is green, and ultra-high-end Sony smartphones are overpriced. Unfortunately, that entire axiom is as true today as always, with the Xperia 1 VII fetching €1,499 and £1,399 on pre-order in select European markets in its lone 256GB storage variant.
That equates to around $1,670 and $1,850 respectively, but more importantly, it makes Sony's latest Android powerhouse cost more than some of its biggest rivals. The hugely popular Galaxy S25 Ultra, for instance, is normally priced at £1,249 ($1,650) and up in the UK, while something like the OnePlus 13 will only set you back £899 ($1,186) in its most affordable configuration.
Even Apple's iPhone 16 Pro Max is cheaper than the Sony Xperia 1 VII, starting at £1,199 ($1,580) and fetching £1,399 with 512GB storage. Why am I focusing so much on British prices? Well, because I don't have any official US numbers just yet, and while those could still come a little later, last year's Xperia 1 VI makes me fear this year's top-of-the-line Xperia handset will not be released stateside either.
Despite some of its obvious imperfections, the Xperia 1 VII remains a breath of fresh air in today's mobile industry thanks to its integration of Alpha, Bravia, and Walkman technologies, as well as its surviving headphone jack and microSD card slot, so it's definitely sad to see Sony repeat the same big pricing and availability mistakes as last year.
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