Sony has officially lifted the lid on the Xperia 1 VIII, a significant evolution of its flagship lineup featuring a bold hardware redesign while sticking to the niche features that define the brand. The new model sports a unique square style camera module at the back, leaving behind the traditional vertical camera strip. The new design will enable a much larger 48-megapixel telephoto sensor, roughly four times the size of its predecessor, which should improve low-light performance and dynamic range. Even with this modern update, Sony hasn’t skimped on traditional premium features, with the G Series keeping the 3.5mm headphone jack, microSDXC card slot for expandable storage and front-facing stereo speakers.
Under the hood, the device packs the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, promising top-tier performance for creators and power users. The phone features a 6.5-inch 120Hz LTPO OLED display, a 5,000 mAh battery and runs Android 16 out of the box. Sony continues its drive for professional-level imaging with the new “AI Camera Assistant” that aims to provide creative ideas for framing, lens selection and exposure by analyzing the scene in real time. The device still has an industrial design language with textured glass, but adds four new colorways inspired by raw gemstones, including Graphite Black, Iolite Silver, Garnet Red, and an exclusive Native Gold for the top-tier 1TB model.
Today is the day pre-orders open for the Xperia 1 VIII, which will cost €1,499 for the base 12GB RAM/256GB storage version. Release dates will vary by region, starting in late June 2026, but Sony has confirmed that this flagship will be available in Europe and select Asian markets. Like previous generations, there are currently no plans for a North American release. For the fanboy, it’s a device that fills the gap between a premium smartphone and a dedicated imaging device.
