If you can't wait
until Tuesday to find out everything there is to know about Sony's next Android flagship from the proverbial horse's mouth, a huge (and undoubtedly legit)
new Android Headlines leak leaves very few questions unanswered, showcasing the Xperia 1 VII in three colorways and a whole bunch of revealing marketing materials.
Technically, a number of key specifications and potentially major selling points are still up in the air, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess them all based on the images below, what past Xperia powerhouses have offered, and what other reliable sources have suggested over the last few weeks.
So what exactly is different here?
It's never a good sign for the box-office prospects of an upcoming mobile device if that's the first thing one wonders when looking at the leaked pictures of said unannounced handset, but for what it's worth, one Xperia 1 VII change over last year's
Xperia 1 VI is clear right off the bat.
Instead of rocking black, platinum silver, khaki green, and scar red paint jobs as its predecessor, Sony's 2025 crown jewel will apparently come in black, green, and purple color options (whose marketing names are not yet known). That's obviously not what you'd call an upgrade, which is where the three larger rear-facing imaging sensors are likely to come in.
While the primary and secondary cameras are expected to retain the 48 and 12 megapixel counts of their
Xperia 1 VI equivalents, the tertiary lens (which will be in charge of ultra-wide-angle snapshots) is likely to get some much-needed improvements and noticeably boost the real-world photography experience as a whole.
The display, meanwhile, is rumored (but not guaranteed) to match the 4K resolution of 2023's
Xperia 1 V rather than settling for last year's 2340 x 1080 pixel count. The 6.5-inch diagonal will almost certainly stay the same, and unsurprisingly, there are no notable changes expected in the bezel department either.
Another big feature (both figuratively and literally speaking) confirmed today is a 5,000mAh battery that puts the Xperia 1 VII on the same level as not just the Xperia 1 VI, but the likes of Samsung's
Galaxy S25 Ultra as well. Interestingly,
Sony expects that to be enough for two whole days of endurance between charges, which means... that you might not get a 4K screen after all.
And what is still unclear?
By far the biggest puzzle piece missing at the moment is whether or not the Xperia 1 VII will be released in the US. And if yes, how much will it cost?
Although I could definitely venture a couple of guesses, I'd rather stick to the stuff I'd be willing to bet the house on, like a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, 12GB RAM count, and 256 and 512GB storage variants.
None of these details are corroborated or alluded to in any way today, while things like a headphone jack, microSD card slot, and state-of-the-art Sony Bravia display technology are completely etched in stone. The same goes for a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and a dedicated camera shutter button, both of which have become staple features for high-end Sony smartphones in recent years.
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All in all, there's no denying that the Xperia 1 VII looks great (both from a strictly cosmetic standpoint and as far as its specs and capabilities are concerned), but it's hard to imagine how something this repetitive and generic (by Sony's standards, at least) could ever rival the
best Android phones out there in terms of mainstream appeal.
Adrian Diaconescu Senior Deals and News Writer
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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