Sony Xperia 1 VII announced with an upgraded camera and flagship processor

The Sony Xperia 1 VII (Mark 7) has been announced, which is a premium Android flagship that marks a confident return to form for the company’s mobile division. While the Xperia line has often flown under the radar compared to its flashier rivals, the Xperia 1 VII arrives with a clear purpose – blending Sony’s hardware prowess in imaging and audio.

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Building on last year’s Xperia 1 VI, the new model brings notable upgrades across performance, camera capabilities, and even audio, thanks to components lifted from Sony’s legendary Walkman series.

Xperia 1 VII: What’s new

At the heart of the Xperia 1 VII is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, replacing last year’s Gen 3 and promising up to 40 per cent gains in CPU, GPU, and NPU performance. The 5,000mAh battery returns from its predecessor, but Sony claims improved endurance, with up to two days per charge, thanks to the new chip’s efficiency gains.

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Sony also mentions a brighter display and a rear-mounted light sensor that fine-tunes colour temperature and brightness based on ambient lighting, though specific figures haven’t been disclosed.

For audiophiles, Sony has gone a step further this year by incorporating audio components from its Walkman series – a first for Xperia phones. While Sony hasn’t shared in-depth specs yet, the company claims these changes deliver notably better wired headphone performance.

The real upgrade, however, is in the camera system. The Xperia 1 VII debuts a new 48MP ultra-wide camera with a larger 1/1.56-inch sensor, which also doubles as a macro shooter. This is a significant leap over the smaller sensor used in the Xperia 1 VI.

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The primary camera now supports native 24mm and 48mm focal lengths, giving users more flexibility without relying on digital zoom. A telephoto lens with an 85–170mm range is also present, making this a versatile camera setup for mobile photography enthusiasts (like a lot of us here at Unboxed).

Visually and functionally, Sony’s camera UI appears unchanged, maintaining its professional, DSLR-inspired layout that photography enthusiasts tend to appreciate.

Sony Xperia 1 VII: Pricing and availability

The Sony Xperia 1 VII is available starting today in certain European countries, priced at €1,499 (approximately Rs 1,41,277), and comes in three colour options. While launch details for the UK, US, and other regions remain under wraps, Sony is expected to reveal more soon. Stay tuned to Unboxed by Croma for the latest tech updates.