This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Sony Xperia 1 VIII is unlikely to be very successful. | Image by My Mobiles
It’s painful to admit it, but it’s been a while since the last time Sony was a truly relevant smartphone manufacturer. I’ve loved the company’s phones ever since the Sony-Ericsson times, and the Xperia Arc S was my first full-time Android phone.
Today, the Xperia line is the victim of a roller coaster of exciting ideas, poor execution, and unjustifiably high prices. Far from its heyday, Sony still appears capable of launching mighty flagship smartphones, but their future has never felt more uncertain than it does today.
That raises the crucial question of whether the Xperia 1 VIII should even exist. I think I have an answer, even if it doesn’t make too much sense right now.
Doomed to obscurity
The Xperia 1 VIII will feature a new camera design. | Image by My Mobiles
Sony smartphones have been among the most consistently good devices on the market. Every Xperia 1 flagship comes with an unmistakable design, great display, and uncompromising performance, which are all great qualities many other companies can only dream of.
However, it’s been very long since a Sony phone was the best in its class. Even the top-tier Xperia 1 has always come with what’s expected from a modern flagship, but nothing much beyond that, both in terms of specs and software.
On top of that, Sony’s consistency makes the Xperia line feel stagnant. There have been obvious improvements over the years, but the overall feeling of the Xperia 1 VII wasn’t very different from that of the 2019 Xperia 1.
Sony flagships are also among the most expensive devices on the market, with the price of the Xperia 1 VIII likely to march into foldables territory. A recent Amazon listing had it at €1,868.99 in Germany, which directly converts to $2,197, and it’s €400 more expensive than the iPhone 17 Pro Max and the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
The final nail in the coffin with Sony’s ambitions is the limited availability of its phones. The Xperia 1 V was the company’s last flagship sold in the US, and even in the rest of the world, its devices are not widely available.
What do you think could help Sony sell more phones?
Glad to have it
The iconic shape of the Xperia lines may stay intact. | Image by My Mobiles
Sony’s stubbornness may make its phones sound like they’re stuck in the past, but that’s not necessarily bad. In fact, the Xperia 1 phones are among the very few devices that I’d call unique, in part because of the features that feel like a blast from the past.
None of the leading smartphone companies have a flagship with a 3.5 mm headphone jack or a microSD card slot. Sony phones have both, and all rumors suggest that they will return on the Xperia 1 VIII.
The upcoming flagship will also update the continuous optical zoom camera, which has been another unique Sony feature. If that update leads to the necessary image quality improvements, the Xperia 1 VIII will feel even more compelling.
The market may not care about these things enough to boost Sony’s sales, but they’re important. The added diversity to the smartphone market is what makes it more exciting in an age of copycat designs and iterative updates.
Xperia phones deserve better
The 3.5mm jack from the Xperia 1 VII may return. | Image by PhoneArena
Sony is a veteran in the tech world, and it’s at the core of the smartphone industry. The company’s camera sensors are inside most of Apple’s iPhones and in many of the most lauded flagship Android smartphones. That’s why I think the company should do better and fix the long-known issues with the Xperia line.
Introducing an even bolder redesign, improving the software, adding a bit of flair to the camera technology, and figuring out a way to bring down the price of an Xperia 1 phone could do wonders. Those are probably the only steps that could keep the Xperia line alive.
If not for its own bottom line, I think Sony should do it for the good of the smartphone world. Because, at the end of the day, it’s better to have Sony's unique smartphones than lose another beloved smartphone brand.
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Ilia, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been covering the mobile industry since 2011, with experience at outlets like Forbes Bulgaria. Passionate about smartphones, tablets, and consumer tech, he blends deep industry knowledge with a personal fascination that began with his first Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Lima, Peru, Ilia balances his tech obsessions with walking his dog, training at the gym, and slowly mastering Spanish.
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