Sony Unveils Xperia 1 VIII Flagship: New Design
Credit: Sony
Sony has released an official video of the Xperia 1 VIII, revealing key features of the new flagship smartphone, which was previously announced.
In the new Xperia 1 VIII, the camera modules, along with the flash and Sony logo, are housed within a square block that protrudes from the surface of the case and features one chamfered edge. This is the core element of the updated design.
Sony uses an f/2.8 aperture, and with a 48MP resolution and a 70mm equivalent focal length lens, this telephoto module could be one of the best on the market. The only drawback is that to accommodate the larger sensor, Sony had to ditch the continuous optical zoom feature found in the company’s last four flagships. This happened just as Xiaomi copied this feature and implemented it in its flagship Xiaomi 17 Ultra.
Paired with the telephoto lens are the main and ultra-wide-angle cameras, each with a resolution of 48MP, and are virtually unchanged from the previous model. The overall processing system has been improved with a new multi-frame RAW image processing pipeline, improved bokeh, and an updated macro mode that now supports autofocus.
Another major camera update is the introduction of an AI assistant. When preparing to take a photo, it suggests various filters, framing options, and other subtle camera adjustments, such as subject lighting. These suggestions appear before the user takes the photo, but the AI assistant can be disabled entirely if needed. Sony’s AI assistant is significantly superior to Google Camera Coach, a similarly focused app introduced in Pixel 10 smartphones.
The Xperia 1 VIII is powered by the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor. The base memory configuration is 12GB + 256GB, while the maximum is 16GB + 1024GB.
The 3.5mm audio jack remains, as does the dedicated camera button. The front of the smartphone also remains unchanged: thick bezels remain at the top and bottom, which are also needed to accommodate the stereo speakers, which are once again located on the front panel.
The company promises up to 2 days of battery life and up to 4 years of battery life.
The Xperia 1 VIII starts at €1,499 for the model with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. The version with 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage costs €1,999.
