Sony launched the Xperia 1 VIII smartphone on May 16, 2026, debuting a redesigned square camera island with three lenses arranged in a block instead of the previous vertical line layout [1, 2]. The new telephoto camera sensor measures 1/1.56-inch, about four times the size of the sensor in the previous Xperia 1 VII, and offers 48 megapixels with an f/2.8 aperture and 70mm equivalent focal length [1, 2]. Sony said the larger sensor and features like RAW multi-frame processing and HDR noise reduction enable high detail even in low-light conditions [1, 2].
The phone retains a rare 3.5mm headphone jack, catering to users who prefer wired headphones [1, 2]. It also introduces an AI Camera Assistant that recognizes scenes, subjects, and weather to suggest photographic settings users can apply for optimized shots [1, 2].
The Xperia 1 VIII sports a 6.5-inch OLED display and runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset [2]. Sony offers the phone in four colors: black/graphite black, silver/iolite silver, red/garnet red, and a gold/native gold option exclusive to its online store [1, 2].
Two configurations are available: 12GB of RAM with 256GB storage priced at 1,499 euros (£1,399) and 16GB RAM with 1TB storage for 1,999 euros (£1,849) [2]. Pre-orders opened today, May 16, 2026, with the earliest shipments expected to customers in Europe starting June 2026 [2]. However, Sony will not release the Xperia 1 VIII in the United States [1, 2].
Customers who pre-order the phone receive Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones free of charge [2].
