Tag: Xperia 1 VII

Regarding the future development of the Xperia brand within the Sony Group, Sony Group CFO Tao Lin stated at an earlier earnings conference that the brand remains significant and is still a crucial business for the Sony Group. She emphasized that Sony will continue to invest in mobile phone product development. Tao Lin stated that the value of the Xperia brand extends beyond mobile phones. Its design integrates technologies from various Sony Group businesses, such as BRAVIA TVs, α cameras, and audio technologies. These designs will be closely integrated with other Sony Group products, while also connecting with 5G connectivity and artificial intelligence applications. Therefore, it will continue to play a vital role in Sony Group's product portfolio. From the Xperia brand's positioning, the Sony Group clearly will not easily abandon this business. After all, Xperia phones not only incorporate many of Sony Group's technologies but can also be seen as a "platform" for Sony to showcase its technologies. Even with increasingly fierce competition in the mobile phone market, and Sony's original mobile phone market presence gradually shrinking to focus on Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, while streamlining its product offerings from diverse designs to single specifications, it will remain an important development project for the Sony Group. However, this year marks the 15th anniversary of the Xperia brand, but the brand image was damaged by production issues with the first batch of Xperia 1 VII phones. Although Sony took immediate action, it still sparked considerable market speculation. Some even speculated that the Sony Group might choose to withdraw from the mobile phone market and focus its resources on more promising businesses, given that the Xperia 1 VII was no longer sold in certain European markets. However, this clarification indicates that Sony will continue to launch the next generation of Xperia brand phones, but whether its overall market strategy will be adjusted remains uncertain.

Sony recently unveiled its new flagship phone, the Xperia 1 VII. I spent some time playing around with it to confirm the new features added in this updated model. ▲The Xperia 1 VII upgrade incorporates more artificial intelligence technology and emphasizes improved audio quality with Walkman technology. Compared to previous models, the Xperia 1 VII's design remains largely unchanged, maintaining a 6.5-inch, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, Full HD+ resolution, and a 120Hz refresh rate. It also features an OLED display panel with Sony BRAVIA display technology. A purple color option has been added again, while black and dark green remain as options. White and other colors are not offered. The body is IP68 water and dust resistant, and the screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. ▲The Xperia 1 VII returns with a purple option, while retaining black and dark green choices. White and other color options are not offered.▲The overall interface is similar to its predecessor, retaining the easily removable SIM card tray. This update emphasizes providing more natural screen contrast and maintaining screen clarity in bright light with higher peak brightness. It also boasts accurate ambient light detection via front and rear light sensors, resulting in more natural brightness and color reproduction. ▲It boasts accurate ambient light detection via front and rear light sensors, resulting in more natural brightness and color reproduction.▲The overall design is largely unchanged from previous models. Hardware specifications include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB or 512GB of storage. The battery capacity remains at 5000mAh, but Sony emphasizes it can provide up to two days of battery life and up to four years of battery health performance. The camera also utilizes imaging technology from the α camera team, featuring the same dual-layer Exmor T for mobile sensor and Zeiss lens design. However, the ultra-wide-angle lens sensor has been enlarged by 2.1 times to 1/1.56 inches, corresponding to a 16mm focal length, comparable to the wide-angle lens sensors of most flagship phones on the market. This improves the ultra-wide-angle lens's low-light performance. The wide-angle lens uses a 1/1.35-inch sensor and supports 24mm or 48mm equivalent focal lengths. Camera functions can even be activated simultaneously during video recording and support AI-powered subject tracking to keep the subject centered in the frame while simultaneously capturing the ultra-wide-angle shot. ▲The camera also uses imaging technology from the α camera team to enhance the shooting effects of the wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle lenses, but the lack of an updated telephoto lens is a slight disappointment...

Update: Sony quickly announced the launch information for the Xperia 1 VII in Taiwan. The suggested retail price for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage version is NT$40990, and the suggested retail price for the 12GB RAM and 512GB storage version is NT$44990. It will be available in three colors: Roland Purple, Moss Green, and Graphite Black. The suggested retail price for the dedicated stand case is NT$1390. Pre-orders will be open from May 15th to 20th, and early bird purchases will be available from May 21st to the end of June. The Xperia 1 VII, which had been the subject of numerous leaks, was officially unveiled by Sony recently. It largely retains previous design elements, but keeps the black and dark green color options, and introduces a purple exterior, a color rarely seen in flagship phones. This time, the collaboration with the Walkman team is emphasized, with some components used in the phone to improve the Xperia 1 VII's sound output quality. Additionally, Xperia Intelligence technology enhances the overall audio-visual and shooting experience. The screen remains 6.5 inches with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and Full HD+ resolution, supporting a 120Hz refresh rate. It also features an OLED display panel with Sony BRAVIA display technology, emphasizing more natural image contrast and maintaining screen clarity in bright sunlight with higher peak brightness. It also boasts accurate ambient light judgment through front and rear light sensors, resulting in more natural brightness and color reproduction. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and is IP68 water and dust resistant. The processor is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, with 12GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of storage. The battery capacity remains at 5000mAh, but Sony emphasizes that it can provide up to two days of battery life and up to four years of battery health performance. The key feature of this phone is the integration of Walkman technology, which incorporates some Walkman components and algorithms into the phone. This makes the Xperia 1 VII's sound output more immersive and delivers higher sound quality. The front-facing speaker's midrange and bass volumes are also 10% higher than the Xperia 1 VI, resulting in a more saturated sound experience. The camera also utilizes imaging technology from the α camera team, featuring the same dual-layer Exmor T for mobile sensor and Zeiss lens design. The ultra-wide-angle lens sensor is 2.1 times larger, increasing to 1/1.56 inches and corresponding to a 16mm focal length, comparable to the wide-angle lenses of most flagship phones on the market. This improves the ultra-wide-angle lens's low-light performance. The wide-angle lens uses a 1/1.35-inch sensor and supports 24mm or 48mm equivalent focal lengths. Camera functions can even be activated simultaneously during video recording and support AI-powered subject tracking to keep the subject centered in the frame while simultaneously capturing the ultra-wide-angle shot. Compared to previous phones that incorporated numerous AI technologies, Sony's Xperia 1...

Sony recently announced on its YouTube channel that it will unveil a new phone on May 13th at 11:00 AM Japan time (10:00 AM Taiwan time), which may be the previously rumored Xperia 1 VII. Based on the promotional slogan "Next ONE is Coming," it's speculated that the next new phone Sony will unveil is the Xperia 1 VII, integrating alpha camera technology and expected to feature a G Master telephoto lens, a 50mm F1.2 fixed-focus lens, and other shooting experiences, emphasizing its real-world image quality. Previous reports have surfaced on the Taiwan NCC certification page, revealing a possible Xperia 1 VII in a signature purple color, maintaining the Xperia 1 series design. The processor is expected to be a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, and the camera is anticipated to use Sony's own stacked Exmor T for Mobile sensor, with enhanced telephoto lens capabilities. Sony has confirmed that it will hold an Xperia fan event in Japan on May 15th to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Xperia brand. This has led to speculation that Sony may also announce the next-generation flagship model, the Xperia 1 VII, at the event. On the other hand, Sony may also launch the mid-range Xperia 10 VII at the same time, but whether it will also release another small-sized flagship model, the Xperia 5 series, remains to be confirmed.

Sony previously announced a collaboration with Lucasfilm's Star Wars franchise, and the website suggests the collaboration will focus on Sony's Xperia branded mobile phones. However, the official website currently only states that the collaboration will be limited to Sony Stores, and access is currently only available through personal Sony service accounts with registered email addresses to receive updates and pre-order notifications. The specific device being collaborated on with Star Wars is not yet confirmed, but it could be the upcoming flagship Xperia 1 VII. However, due to licensing restrictions, this product may only be sold in Japan. Further details will depend on Sony's official announcements, and there may be different collaboration plans in other markets. Sony recently announced an Xperia fan event in Japan on May 15th to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Xperia brand, leading to speculation that Sony may also announce the next-generation flagship Xperia 1 VII at that event. Previous rumors suggested that the Xperia 1 VII would be equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and adopt a similar design, but it might revert to a 4K resolution screen. As for the camera, it might feature a 1/2-inch Exmor T sensor to improve the image quality of the telephoto lens.

Sony has announced an Xperia fan event in Japan on May 15th to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Xperia brand, leading to speculation that the company will also unveil a new flagship phone, the Xperia 1 VII. Given that the Xperia 1 VI was announced before a special Xperia event for fans last year, the announcement of another Xperia fan event in mid-May suggests a similar format for the next flagship phone announcement. Previous rumors suggest the Xperia 1 VII will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and a similar design, but may return to a 4K resolution screen. The camera is expected to feature a 1/2-inch Exmor T sensor to improve telephoto lens image quality. Meanwhile, Sony may also launch the mid-range Xperia 10 VII at the same time, but whether they will also release a smaller flagship Xperia 5 series remains uncertain.