Sony just unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the Xperia 1 VII, and at a glance, it looks just like the previous version. So, what’s new? Let’s take a closer look.
Note: the images you see here are of the Xperia 1 VI. Official images of the Xperia 1 VII were not available at the time of publishing, so they’ll be added as soon as possible.
With the new model, we get the obligatory upgrade to the latest Qualcomm SoC. The Xperia 1 VII is powered by the almighty Snapdragon 8 Elite, which we already know is the chipset-of-choice for keen gamers. It comes with an ample 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, but that can be expanded to 2TB of storage if you insert a microSD card.
Hats off to Sony for being one of the last manufacturers to continue supporting expandable storage on its flagship phones. We love to see it. There’s even a headphone socket, which is a truly rare sight in 2025 – even if it’s nothing new to Sony fans.
You still get a 5000mAh battery, along with 30W wired charging and 15W wireless charging, but Sony reckons it’ll last longer in the real world. The brand is claiming two days of use per charge, or over 36 hours of continuous video playback. You’ll have to wait for our full review to see if that is indeed the case.
Find out why our Mobile Editor thinks the Xperia 1 VII should be the last phone Sony makes.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Elsewhere, there’s a 6.5-inch FHD+ 120Hz OLED panel with roughly the same specs as last year’s model. However, this time it’s up to 20% brighter, with automatic colour adjustments for an optimal viewing experience.
Most of the cameras are unchanged on this model, but the ultrawide has a healthy upgrade. It has been changed from a 12Mp 1/1.25-inch sensor, to a 50Mp 1/1.56-inch sensor. This should make a massive difference in low-light conditions.
As is very much the trend, Sony is injecting some AI into its latest smartphone, and this implementation is all designed to aid in your creativity.
The phone now uses AI to detect human and animal eyes in the camera app, as well as estimate the main subject of your shots. This increases autofocus reliability and improves white balance and exposure accuracy.
The Xperia 1 VII can also use AI to intelligently track subjects throughout the frame. It’s then able to create a vertical video from a horizontal video, or punch in from 4K for an HD close-up. It’s the kind of feature that could be a godsend for content creators.
There’s also a new official case (sold separately) which adds some ergonomic contouring to help when shooting photos. It’s not as dramatic as something like the Photography Kit for the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, but it should make shooting more comfortable. It also has a built-in kickstand so you can prop it up for hands-free viewing.
The Sony Xperia 1 VII will be available to order from May 13 on Amazon and Sony’s website. It comes in either Slate Black, Moss Green or Orchid Purple, but I hope you’re feeling flush, as this one will set you back a rather lofty €1,499.
That price makes it more expensive than even the best phones you can buy, so Sony has a lot to live up to.
