Sony Xperia 1 VII debuts with Snapdragon 8 Elite, camera upgrades, and Walkman Audio

Sony is back in the smartphone game with the Xperia 1 VII, launched today (May 13), just before the WH-1000XM6 headphones drop. Priced at €1,499 in the Eurozone, it boasts a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, a brighter display, upgraded cameras, and Walkman-series audio components, aiming to top the Xperia 1 VI.

The phone is available in Black, Green, and Purple, replacing the Xperia 1 VI with several upgrades. It swaps the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for the Snapdragon 8 Elite, delivering 40% boosts in CPU, GPU, and NPU performance. The 5,000mAh battery returns, but efficiency gains promise up to two days of use, a claim bolstered by the chip’s 3nm process.

The 6.5-inch FHD+ LTPO OLED display, still 19.5:9 with a 120Hz refresh rate, gets 20% brighter and smarter with a rear light sensor adjusting color temperature. It’s a Bravia OLED panel, nearly identical to the one on the predecessor.

Camera and audio upgrades:

Camera upgrades are a highlight of this phone. The 48MP ultra-wide (1/1.56-inch, 2.1x larger than the VI’s 1/2.5-inch) doubles as a macro lens, offering sharper 16mm shots. The 48MP Exmor T main sensor supports native 24mm or 48mm focal lengths for versatile photography. The 85-170mm telephoto, unchanged from the VI, keeps its 3.5-7.1x zoom.

Audio shines with Walkman-series components, enhancing wired headphone sound via the 3.5mm jack, though Sony is light on details.

Running Android 15 with 12GB RAM and 256/512GB storage, it will offer 4 OS updates and 6 years of security updates. It’s priced at €1,499 in the Eurozone. Against rivals like the Galaxy S25 Ultra, its Alpha-powered cameras and audiophile cred stand out. Will the Xperia 1 VII’s niche appeal justify its price, or is Sony banking too hard on loyalists? Only time will tell.