Sony Xperia 1 VII
Also known as | Sony Xperia 1 Mark VII |
|---|---|
| Developer | Sony |
| Manufacturer | Sony Mobile |
| Type | Smartphone |
Series | Sony Xperia |
| Family | Sony Xperia 1 Series |
First released | 4 June 2025 |
| Predecessor | Sony Xperia 1 VI |
| Successor | Sony Xperia 1 VIII |
| Related | Sony Xperia 10 VII |
| Slate | |
| Colors | Moss Green, Orchid Purple Slate Black |
| Dimensions | 162 mm (6.4 in) H 74 mm (2.9 in) W 8.2 mm (0.32 in) D |
| Weight | 197 g (6.9 oz) |
| Android 15 (Upgradable to Android 16) Up to 4 major Android upgrades, 6 years of security patches | |
| Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite | |
| CPU | Octa-core, 3 nm (3LPE) 2x4.6 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L + 6x3.53 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix M |
| GPU | Adreno 830 |
| Modem | Qualcomm Snapdragon X80 5G |
| Memory | LPDDR5X RAM 12 GB 16 GB |
| Storage | Universal Flash Storage (UFS 4.0) 256 GB 512 GB |
| microSDXC[broken anchor], expandable up to 2 TB | |
| SIM | nanoSIM, eSIM |
| Battery | Non-removable Li-ion 5000 mAh USB PD 3.1 30 W Charging Qi Wireless Charging |
| Charging | Fast Charging USB PD 3.1 30 W Charging Qi 15 W Wireless Charging |
| Rear camera |
|
| Front camera | 12 MP (Sony Exmor RS IMX663), f/2.0, 20 mm (wide) 1/2.93", 5-axis gyro-EIS, HDR Photo, Portrait selfie, Display flash, Hand and Smile Shutter 4K@30/60fps, 1080@30/60fps, HDR |
| Display | 6.5 in (170 mm) LTPO FHD+ 19.5:9 (2340 x 1080) HDR OLED, ~396 pixel density Gorilla Glass Victus 2 HDR10 HLG 10-bit color depth 120 Hz refresh rate |
| Sound | Front Full-stage stereo speakers and 3.5 mm headphone jack 4 Pole Cirrus Logic Speaker Amp x2 High-Resolution Audio High-Resolution Audio Wireless 360 Reality Audio hardware decoding Dolby Atmos tuned by Sony Pictures and Sony Music DSEE Ultimate Stereo Recording SBC AAC Qualcomm aptX Qualcomm aptX HD Qualcomm aptX adaptive Qualcomm aptX TWS+ LDAC |
| Media | Game Enhancer, Sony Pictures Core, Music |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be (2.4/5GHz) Bluetooth 6.0 USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (supports DisplayPort) NFC GPS with Assisted GPS Galileo GLONASS BeiDou |
| Data inputs | Sensors:
|
| IP65/IP68 | |
Development status | Released |
| Made in | China |
| Other | Native Sony Alpha support IP65/IP68 Water/dust resistant PS5 Remote Play DUALSENSE® Control compatibility Game Enhancer |
| Website | https://www.sony.co.uk/smartphones/products/xperia-1m7 |
The Sony Xperia 1 VII is a flagship smartphone announced by Sony on May 13, 2025. It features a 6.5-inch LTPO FHD+ OLED screen with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, with upgraded, bigger ultrawide sensor than its predecessor. The phone includes a 3.5mm headphone jack and supports expandable storage via a microSD card slot. It was succeeded by the Xperia 1 VIII on 13 May 2026, exactly 1 year after the Xperia 1 VII was unveiled.[1][2]
Hardware
[edit]The audio capabilities of the Xperia 1 VII have been enhanced with high-end components from Sony's Walkman audio players, including higher quality solder in the headphone jack and support for AI-based DSEE Ultimate upscaling, Hi-Res, LDAC, and Dolby Atmos formats. The stereo speakers have also received a bass boost for improved sound quality. The Xperia 1 VII is equipped with a 5000 mAh battery and offers 256GB of internal storage, paired with 12GB of RAM. The display technology includes adaptive brightness that adjusts based on light sensors on both the front and back of the device. The device supports Wi-Fi 7.[3][4][5][6][7][8] Xperia 1 VII brings back the signature purple color of the Xperia since the Xperia 1 IV. [9]
Camera
[edit]One of the key improvements in the Xperia 1 VII is its camera system, which includes an AI-based auto-framing mode for video recording and a 48-megapixel ultrawide lens with a sensor twice as large as the previous model. The ultrawide lens is designed to perform better in low light conditions. The main camera and telephoto camera remain identical to the Xperia 1 VI. The Xperia 1 VII marks the final Xperia to have continuous optical zoom introduced in Xperia 1 IV and updated in Xperia 1 VI, as the successor, Xperia 1 VIII ditched the technology for a fixed but bigger telephoto zoom lens and sensor. [10]
Smartphone reviews have generally praised the camera and image quality of Sony Xperia 1 VII. The reviews conclude that the camera is very good, but not on par with the very best.[11][12]
Software
[edit]The phone comes with Android 15, with up to 4 major Android upgrades and 6 years of security updates promised, up from its predecessor, which comes with 3 major Android upgrades and 4 years of security patch updates. It received the Android 16 update in September 2025. [13] With the upcoming Android 17 update, alongside the Xperia 1 VI and Xperia 1 VIII, the Xperia 1 VII will gain the Desktop Mode introduced in Android 17 alongside a new quick settings panel, a screen recording update, and new wallpaper and style features. [14]
References
[edit]- ↑ Ivan. "Sony Xperia 1 VII brings Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, larger sensor for ultrawide camera". GSMArena.com. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
- ↑ Peter. "Sony Xperia 1 VIII unveiled with larger 48MP telephoto sensor, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5". GSMArena.com. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
- ↑ "Sony's new Xperia 1 VII borrows Hi-Fi sound tech from its Walkman". Engadget. May 13, 2025.
- ↑ "Sony's Xperia 1 VII Flagship Phone Is Here, But You Probably Can't Buy It". PCMAG. May 13, 2025.
- ↑ Rox, Ricci (April 24, 2025). "Sony Xperia 1 VII: Comprehensive leak reveals improved telephoto camera and audio as well as specific launch info of the May-bound flagship". Notebookcheck.
- ↑ Preston, Dominic (May 13, 2025). "The Xperia 1 VII is a greatest hits of Sony R&D". The Verge.
- ↑ Jamie Richards (May 13, 2025). "The new Sony Xperia 1 VII brings AI and camera upgrades to the photo-focused flagship phone". TechRadar.
- ↑ "Sony Xperia 1 VII Pre-Order Now Open in the UK: Shipping Starts June 4". fonescore. May 13, 2025.
- ↑ "Sony Xperia 1 VII review". GSMArena.com. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
- ↑ "Sony Xperia 1 VIII review". GSMArena.com. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
- ↑ Kateliev, Preslav (2025-05-30). "Sony Xperia 1 VII review: great hardware..." PhoneArena. Archived from the original on 2025-07-11. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
Despite its impressive hardware, the Xperia 1 VII didn't quite score as high as other flagships on our camera test. Common issues were inconsistent exposure, some visible sharpening artifacts, no HDR preview, and no super stabilization solutions for video (though there is an AI mode to follow subjects in action).
- ↑ Morgan-Freelander, Tom (2025-06-09). "The Sony Xperia 1 VII is the throwback flagship I didn't want to put down". Stuff. Retrieved 2025-07-11.
It's still a great cameraphone overall, just a step behind the class best.
- ↑ Sagar. "Sony Xperia 1 VII receives Android 16 update". GSMArena.com. Retrieved 2026-08-02.
- ↑ Brecher, Hannes (2026-09-07). "Sony Xperia 1 VIII gets Android 17 with desktop mode, camera upgrade, and more". Notebookcheck. Retrieved 2026-09-08.