Sony has officially unveiled its flagship smartphone, the Xperia 1 VIII, with a focus on improved camera capabilities, AI features, and the signature characteristics of the Xperia lineup. The new device gets an upgraded camera system, a top-tier Qualcomm processor, and a handful of features that are rare among modern flagships, such as a microSD card slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The Sony Xperia 1 VIII features a 6.5-inch OLED LTPO display with a 120Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection. The screen is color-tuned with content creators and professional image work in mind.
The major update is a new telephoto camera. Sony has moved away from a continuous zoom system in favor of a 70mm telephoto lens with a 48-megapixel sensor that measures 1/1.56 inches. According to the company, the larger sensor should improve detail and low-light performance. The smartphone also gets a 48-megapixel main camera, a 48-megapixel ultrawide module, and a 12-megapixel front-facing camera. Sony notes that multi-frame RAW processing now works on all rear cameras, helping to improve dynamic range and reduce noise.
Under the hood, the Xperia 1 VIII is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor. It comes with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage. Support for microSD cards up to 2TB is retained. Sony has also kept the dedicated two-stage camera shutter button and the 3.5mm audio jack. The smartphone features stereo speakers with a symmetrical design for more balanced sound. A 5,000mAh battery handles power, with support for 30W wired and wireless charging.
Pre-orders for the Xperia 1 VIII go live today in select regions. The 256GB version is priced at €1,499 and £1,399, while the Native Gold model with 1TB of storage will cost €1,999 and £1,849. As part of a limited promotion, Sony is also offering the WH-1000XM6 headphones with pre-orders.