Sony Xperia 1 VII review: When unique isn’t enough

Best Prices Today: Sony Xperia 1 VII

Sony is a brand that’s not afraid to buck the mainstream smartphone trends. At least, that’s one way to look at it. The other would be that Sony is so stuck in its ways that it hasn’t evolved with the rest of the industry.

If you ask me, that’s a good thing. I still can’t fathom why every other smartphone manufacturer decided to remove the headphone socket, and I’m not sure why every phone needs a razor-thin bezel, especially when it compromises audio quality. Expandable storage used to be one of the greatest advantages of using an Android rather than an iPhone, but that’s long gone too, unless you use a Sony.

It’s my first time properly testing an Xperia flagship, and on paper, the Sony Xperia 1 VII should be my favourite phone. It has everything that the competition lacks, plus Sony’s expertise in camera hardware, gaming and audio – not to mention the latest chip from Qualcomm.

In reality, though, I didn’t enjoy using this phone half as much as I thought I would. So, let’s dig a little deeper and figure out why.

Design & Build

• Textured siderails and rear
• 197g, aluminium frame, glass back
• IP68 rated

I’ve already mentioned that the Sony Xperia 1 VII addresses a lot of my complaints with modern phone design, but one design aspect I haven’t mentioned yet is grip. The Xperia 1 VII has a ribbed texture running along the side rails, and a dotted texture on the rear panel.

It means that the phone is extremely grippy, and as a result, it’s one of the only flagship devices I’ve ever felt comfortable using without a case. I have no idea why this isn’t a more common design feature; most phones feel like a bar of soap by comparison, and this just makes so much more sense.

I have no idea why this isn’t a more common design feature; most phones feel like a bar of soap by comparison

The same goes for the SIM tray. It can be popped out using a fingernail, with no need for that little pokey tool. Why is no one else doing this? It stays in place securely, but if I ever need to get my SIM out, I don’t want to have to search for a tool. It’s the way it should be.

One aspect I’m less sold on is the side-mounted fingerprint sensor. It’s pretty quick and reliable, but it takes some getting used to if you usually have an under-display unit. I often found it was trying to read my fingerprints as I removed the phone from my pocket.

As for the overall aesthetic, there’s not a lot to talk about. Sony hasn’t really changed the design language for the last five generations or so. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it sure does feel a little stale and uninspired at this point.

At the very least, there are some new colour options. I have the classic Slate Black option in for testing, but the Orchid Purple and Moss Green variants have a bit more personality while remaining classy and professional.

The phone carries the same IP68 rating for dust and water resistance as its predecessor, and it’s still coated in Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which should make it fairly scratch- and impact-resistant. There’s no case included in the box, though, and a naked phone can only survive so much abuse. Thankfully, the grippy design means I have yet to drop it.

I don’t normally pay too much attention to haptics, unless they’re particularly good or bad, but they’re worth mentioning here. The vibration motor in this phone is insanely powerful, which can be a good thing at times, but the default notification vibration is borderline obnoxious.

Of course, it means you’ll be less likely to miss a text message, but if you have the phone set down on a desk, it sounds like a miniature earthquake. Thankfully, you can tone it down in the settings. 

Screen & Speakers

• 6.5-inch, 1080 x 2340, OLED, 120Hz
• 10-bit HDR, 20% brighter
• Front-firing stereo speakers

The Sony Xperia 1 VII has essentially the same screen specifications as its predecessor, which means it’s only an FHD+ panel, despite the older Xperia 1 V sporting a 4K panel. Personally, I don’t think that’s an issue. The screen still looks sharp as a tack, with solid pixel density for a display of this size.

It’s an LTPO screen, so it’ll dynamically adjust from 1-120Hz depending on what’s being displayed and, since it’s an OLED, you can expect deep inky blacks and superb colour accuracy. There’s support for HDR10+ and BT.2020, but no Dolby Vision – which is a little surprising, since the speakers are Dolby Atmos certified.

It’s a fully flat screen with a relatively chunky bezel on the top and bottom, but there’s a good reason for that. The bezel houses forward-firing speakers and the selfie camera, so there’s no need for a notch or a cutout in the display.

The bezel houses forward-firing speakers and the selfie camera, so there’s no need for a notch or a cutout in the display

I’m a big fan of this. I appreciate the slick, modern look of bezel-less designs, but I actually think they’re worse for gaming, as your palms can cause accidental touches while you’re gripping the phone. Not to mention the speakers, which sound way better when they’re actually pointed at your ears.

The speakers are up there with the best you’ll find on a modern phone. The stereo effect is unmatched, there’s a bit of low-end grunt, and bags of detail in the higher frequencies. My only complaint is that the speakers can sound a little harsh at high volumes – but hey, this is a phone we’re talking about.

The speakers are up there with the best you’ll find on a modern phone

Of course, you also have more headphone options than usual with this phone, because it’s the only flagship device that still comes with a 3.5mm socket. Plus, it’s not just any headphone socket; Sony has used the same components from its Walkman line to ensure the best sound quality.

I had a great time listening to wired IEMs with this phone, and it was nice to actually use the AUX cord in the car, which normally sits gathering dust.

Specs & Performance

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite
• 12GB RAM
• 256GB storage

The Xperia 1 VII runs on Qualcomm’s top chip, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite. In most of the world, you can only buy this phone with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, but in select regions (mostly in Asia), you can buy a 512GB variant.

With this phone, though, storage capacity isn’t a huge concern. You can add up to 1TB of additional storage via the microSD card slot. It’s an absolute luxury on a flagship device like this, especially if you record a lot of 4K videos.

We already know that the Snapdragon 8 Elite is a monster, and it lives up to those lofty expectations here

When it comes to performance, we already know that the Snapdragon 8 Elite is a monster, and it lives up to those lofty expectations here. You’ll have no trouble running the most demanding games available in the Play Store, and if you like to dabble in emulation, it’s superb for that, too.

The phone does get a little toasty when you’re pushing the performance, but there’s nothing unusual about that. Sustained performance is perfectly adequate, and as ever, using a phone gaming grip will help keep the heat off your palms.

I particularly enjoyed using this phone with my GameSir X2 Pro clamp-on grip, as the small camera bump and squared-off corners make for an almost seamless fit. There’s also a fairly comprehensive (and surprisingly colourful) gaming menu, which allows you to block notifications, optimise your game settings and quickly record gameplay.

Sony Xperia 1 VII benchmarks

Cameras

• 48Mp f/1.9 main sensor
• 48Mp f/2.0 ultrawide
• 12Mp 3.5x-7.1x f/2.3 telezoom
• 12Mp f/2.0 selfie camera

The Sony Xperia 1 VII has almost identical camera hardware to its predecessor; the only upgraded lens this time is the ultrawide. It’s now a 48Mp unit, up from 12Mp, and it’s a larger 1/1.56-inch sensor with a slightly wider f/2.0 aperture.

This means it should perform much better in low-light situations, and you’ll get much more detailed landscape shots in the day, so long as you enable the high-res capture mode.

Elsewhere, you get the same 48Mp 1/1.35-inch main camera and 12Mp 3.5x-7.1x continuous zoom telephoto. Around the front, the 12MP f/2.0 selfie snapper remains unchanged, too. You also get the same two-stage tactile shutter button, which I absolutely love. It allows you to half-press to focus and fully press to take your shot, just like a proper camera.

Sony’s image processing just doesn’t quite keep up with the competition

Given Sony’s dominance in the professional mirrorless camera market, and the amazing image sensors it makes for other phones, I had high hopes for the camera system, but the reality was quite underwhelming.

Sony’s image processing just doesn’t quite keep up with the competition; the dynamic range isn’t as good, and I got more blurry shots than I’m accustomed to.

Inevitably, Sony fans will say that this system is optimised for professionals and you need to shoot RAW, use manual settings and process the images yourself, but I think that’s nonsense.

I can do that with any phone if I want to and, with enough effort, I’ll get good results. But that’s not how most people use phones, and the reality is, straight from the camera, these photos can’t quite compete with the top dogs.

That’s not to say the cameras are bad, far from it, but when you’re spending this much, you expect the best – and that’s not what you’re getting.

As clever as the optical zoom telephoto tech in this phone is, I think Sony needs to ditch it. The tech means that Sony is stuck using a relatively tiny 1/3.5-inch sensor, so it’s almost useless when the light gets low. Even shots on overcast days can come out looking very grainy.

The telemacro mode is neat. You can get some insanely close-up shots that look excellent – but it’s flawed, too. It locks you at a 120mm equivalent focal length and requires manual focusing, which can be really tricky. Comparatively, phones like the Huawei Mate X6 and Oppo Find X8 Ultra can take amazing macro shots with full autofocus – and the results look just as good, if not better.

There’s a new feature for video shooting that Sony calls AI Camerawork. Essentially, it digitally zooms your shots to keep your subject locked in position, a little bit like Center Stage on an iPhone. You can also automatically frame vertical shots from 4K landscape videos, and the phone will save both recordings. It could be very useful for budding TikTok stars.

I have no doubt some users will find these features useful, but the approach seems a little disjointed. Most of the camera system seems geared toward professionals; surely they’d appreciate a proper LOG profile more than an AI framing feature.

The Sony Xperia 1 VII is capable of taking some stunning photos, but you really need to work for them. I’m pleased to see such a large sensor on the ultrawide; it makes a noticeable difference at night. And the main camera performs well in almost any situation, but that telephoto is quite disappointing.

The selfie camera is adequate, but it’s unremarkable, and the mediocre portrait mode doesn’t help matters much, either. It’s a shame, as with such a chunky bezel surrounding it, you might think Sony could push the boat out with sensor size and autofocus capabilities but instead, it’s behind most of the competition.

Battery Life & Charging

• 5000 mAh battery
• 30W wired charging
• 15W wireless charging

The Xperia 1 VII has a 5000 mAh battery, just like its predecessor, and the same 30W wired and 15W wireless charging speeds, too.

It’s a very spartan unboxing experience at a price like this

They’re not impressive figures, especially the charging speed. Even Apple and Samsung (which both catch some flak for their sluggish charging) are managing to push 45W on their flagships.

Still, in reality, it’s easy to live with. The phone is well optimised, and it got me to the end of the day without issue. Our usual PCMark Battery Drain test shows that it doesn’t last quite as long as the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but in practice, I had a hard time noticing the difference.

With an appropriate wall adapter, you can expect just over 50% charge in half an hour, while a full charge will take well over an hour. There’s no charger included in the box, and unusually, there’s not even a USB cable. It’s good for the planet, but it’s a very spartan unboxing experience at a price like this.

Software & Apps

• Android 15
• Bloat-free streamlined experience
• Google Gemini and Circle to Search

The Sony Xperia 1 VII software feels old school and stripped back. You could argue that it’s closer to stock Android than even Google’s Pixel UI, and that could be viewed as a good or a bad thing. The only standout styling choice is the use of square icons in the quick settings shade.

It certainly feels quick and efficient, and it’s not loaded up with superfluous apps or overcomplicated features. In some ways, it’s a breath of fresh air. Unlike most manufacturers, Sony isn’t chasing the latest AI trends; the only features you’ll find on this phone are Circle to Search and Gemini.

Unlike most manufacturers, Sony isn’t chasing the latest AI trends

That’s even true of the image editing tools. Sony only offers features like Google’s Magic Eraser, rather than creating its own tools. They work really well, but the selection is very limited compared to other brands, and I missed having things like the ability to remove reflections or expand the FOV of my shots.

Sony promises four major Android upgrades and six years of security patches for this device. A decent showing, but not quite matching the likes of Apple, Samsung and Honor, who all offer 7 years of support for their flagship phones.

Price & Availability

The Sony Xperia 1 VII is only available with 256GB of storage in the UK and EU, and Sony has set the MSRP at a lofty £1399/€1499. Currently, there doesn’t seem to be any plans for a US launch, although you can currently buy an unlocked model on Amazon for $1,294.99.

This makes it one of the priciest non-folding phones you can currently buy. It’s £200 more expensive than the iPhone 16 Pro Max and £150 more than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Excluding the US, global availability is quite good. In the UK, you can either buy the phone outright from Sony or Amazon, but we haven’t seen any contract deals just yet.

You can see how it stacks up next to our most recommended models in our round-up of the best phones we’ve tested.

Should you buy the Sony Xperia 1 VII?

The Sony Xperia 1 VII is the most unusual Android flagship available today. If you want expandable storage, a headphone socket and front-facing speakers, it’s your only option outside of the budget market.

For those reasons, it’s easy to see why Sony has a dedicated fan base. I especially enjoyed using my wired headphones without an adapter while testing this phone.

Personally, though, I prioritise camera performance over most other things, and Sony’s images just don’t quite live up to modern flagship standards – at least, not without spending hours in Lightroom to give them the polish they need.

Then there’s the price. It’s one of the most expensive non-folding phones available. To justify that, it should be outperforming other phones, and I don’t think it does.

Specs

• Android 15
• 6.5-inch, 1080 x 2340, OLED, 120Hz
• Power-button fingerprint sensor
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite
• 12GB RAM
• 256GB storage
• Cameras:
  • 48Mp main sensor
  • 48Mp ultrawide
  • 12Mp 3.5x-7.1x telezoom
  • 12Mp selfie camera
  • Up to 4K @ 120fps rear video
• Stereo speakers
• Dual-SIM and microSD card
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7
• Bluetooth 5.0
• 5000mAh battery
• 30W wired charging
• 15W wireless charging
• 162 x 74 x 8.2 mm
• IP68 certified
• 197g
• Colours: Moss Green, Orchid Purple, Slate Black

Best Prices Today: Sony Xperia 1 VII