Sony Xperia 1 VII made its debut on the market last month, but the flagship is no longer available for purchase since the beginning of July, at least not through official channels.
The Japanese company announced in early July that it is launching an investigation into what appeared to be major power issues that led to unexpected power-offs, restarts, and inability to power on.
The number of units affected by these power issues is unknown, but Sony announced today that its investigation concluded that the manufacturing process may cause a failure of the circuit board in a “small number of Xperia 1 VII smartphones.”
Do you think Sony's mobile business is in danger after the major problems with the Xperia 1 VII?
Yes, Sony might exit the smartphone market very soon.
41.38%
Nope, Sony will return next year in full force.
24.14%
Depends on how many units are really affected by the issues.
34.48%
More importantly, Sony successfully identified every affected smartphone and announced plans to launch a free replacement program, which allows customers to replace their faulty Xperia 1 VII units with new ones, free of charge.
Sony fans who own an Xperia 1 VII that is affected by these power issues will be able to enroll in the replacement program starting from July 21, 2025. Even if you know your phone is affected by the issues, your Xperia 1 VII’s IMEI number must be on Sony’s list of affected units.
Identify your phone's IMEI number.
Go to Settings
Tap System / About phone.
In the About phone menu, tap Status / IMEI information.
The IMEI number is listed among the phone's information.
If you can’t power on your Xperia 1 VII, you can find the IMEI number printed on the top row of the phone’s SIM tray and on the side of the sleeve that wraps around the packaging box.
Until the replacement program kicks off, Sony recommends all customers with faulty Xperia 1 VII units to back up any important data.
Is Sony’s mobile division in danger after the Xperia 1 VII fiasco?
Since April 1, 2019, Sony no longer has a dedicated mobile division. The Japanese company decided to integrate its mobile business into a newly created division called Electronics Products and Solution.
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After losing a billion dollars over several quarters between 2018 and 2019, Sony was forced to shrink the mobile division and transfer the smartphone producing plant to Thailand.
This is important to mention because the Xperia 1 VII is probably Sony’s first flagship smartphone to be manufactured with the help of a third-party company. Sony did use third-party manufacturers to produce its smartphones, but only for mid-range devices.
That said, it seems that Sony has done everything it can to limit the amount of resources it pours into its mobile division. Despite managing to make their first profit from Xperia sales in a very long time five years ago, Sony still struggles to become relevant in most of the markets that matter.
Despite rumors that Sony plans to exit multiple European markets, the Japanese company actually had a pretty good 2024 fiscal year. Sony revealed that its mobile business’s revenue was slightly up in Q3 2024 compared to the previous year. This is especially important because Sony only launched two phones in 2024: Xperia 1 VI and Xperia 10 VI.
Personally, I don’t think Sony will completely exit the smartphone market. The Xperia 1 VII power issues will negatively affect the company’s revenue, but if only a small number of units are to be replaced as Sony suggests in its recent statement, it’s unlikely to lead to such dramatic measures.
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Cosmin, a tech journalist with a career spanning over a decade, brings a wealth of experience to PhoneArena. His expertise lies in brands like Samsung and Nokia, and he has a keen interest in innovative technologies. After a brief stint in PR, Cosmin returned to tech journalism in 2016, committed to delivering clear and objective news. When he's not writing or appearing as a guest on TV and radio shows, Cosmin enjoys playing RPGs, watching Netflix, and nurturing his passion for history and travel.
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