The Sony Xperia 1 VIII is a flagship smartphone unveiled by Sony on May 13, 2026. It features a redesigned rear camera design for the first time since the original Xperia 1 (2019), a new, bigger periscope telephoto sensor and lens, and a 6.5-inch LTPO FHD+ OLED screen with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. The phone includes a 3.5mm headphone jack and supports expandable storage via a microSD card slot.
Hardware The Sony Xperia 1 VIII marks the first flagship Xperia since the Xperia Z5 series and the first Xperia overall since the Xperia 10 Plus to have a dedicated MicroSDXC card slot, as the secondary SIM is now exclusively in eSIM form instead of their predecessor's having both eSIM and/or physical nanoSIM. Xperia 1 VIII also marks the return of the Gold colorway since the Z5 series (for flagship Xperia) and 10 Plus (for overall Xperia), albeit exclusive to the 16GB RAM/1 TB configuration. The Xperia insignia embossed on its left side frame also marks a return to the flagship series since the Xperia Z5 series as well. The front glass and display are covered by Gorilla Glass Victus 2, the frame is made from aluminum, and the back panel is made of Gorilla Glass Victus 1. It also brings back the red colorway last seen in Sony Xperia 1 VI.
Camera Xperia 1 VIII removed the continuous optical zoom technology that was introduced in the Xperia 1 IV and extended its zoom range in the Xperia 1 VI in favor of a fixed, however bigger, telephoto sensor at 48 megapixels, at a 1/1.56" size of Exmor RS IMX906 sensor, four times bigger than its predecessor, to design better performance in low-light scenarios. The ultrawide, main camera, and selfie camera sensors were carried out from the Xperia 1 VII . Due to the bigger, larger telephoto lens and its accommodation to place the new module, Sony Xperia 1 VIII introduced the redesigned camera island, from the vertical type of its subsequent predecessors, into a squared camera island akin to the OnePlus 10 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.
AI Camera Assistant Controversy Xperia 1 VIII was subjected to controversy due to overly bright, flat images and washed-out color by its AI Camera Assistant feature introduced in the 1 VIII as its highlight feature. Sony addressed this controversy with follow-up posts and during interviews conducted by IT Media on the Xperia 1 VIII sale success in the European market. AI Camera Assistant feature got an upgrade in Android 17 with the introduction of up to three custom looks.
Software The phone shipped with Android 16 with Sony's custom-yet-near-stock Xperia Home UI that was revamped from the original Xperia 1 (2019), with up to 4 major Android upgrades and 6 years of security updates promised. On 7 September 2026, it received its first out of four major Android update, Android 17, where it introduced Desktop Mode alongside its two predecessors, the Xperia 1 VI and Xperia 1 VII; updated wallpaper and style features; a new quick settings panel; upgraded screen recording; and an upgraded AI Camera Assistant, where it now provides up to three custom looks, an exclusive feature to the Xperia 1 VIII.
References
External links