Sony has officially unveiled the latest addition to its flagship smartphone lineup, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII, bringing one of the biggest design changes the Xperia series has seen in years.
For the first time in recent Xperia history, Sony has abandoned its signature vertical camera layout in favor of a more modern square-shaped camera module.
Even the Sony branding has now been repositioned inside the camera island, giving the device a noticeably different identity compared to previous Xperia flagships.
The Xperia 1 VIII is available in four color options: Graphite Black, Iolite Silver, Garnet Red, and Native Gold, with a more stylish and expressive overall appearance than earlier generations.
Under the hood, the phone is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, paired with 12GB RAM.
Storage options include 256GB and 512GB variants, while expandable storage via microSD card remains supported — a rare feature among modern flagship smartphones.
Sony continues to use a 6.5-inch 19.5:9 FHD+ HDR OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, similar to the previous Xperia generation.
The camera system is the highlight of the Xperia 1 VIII. Sony equips the device with three 48MP rear cameras covering ultra-wide, main, and telephoto focal lengths.
The new periscope telephoto lens uses a large 1/1.56-inch sensor with fixed 3x optical zoom.
According to Sony, the new EXMOR RS telephoto sensor is four times larger than the previous generation’s sensor, featuring a redesigned optical structure that significantly improves light intake and image quality.
However, Sony has also removed the continuous variable optical zoom feature introduced in the previous Xperia 1 VII, replacing it with a more straightforward high-resolution imaging approach.
While this may disappoint some longtime Xperia fans, Sony appears to be prioritizing image quality consistency and computational photography enhancements.
Several Xperia signature features remain intact, including Zeiss T* coated lenses, the dedicated physical camera shutter button, capacitive fingerprint scanner, 3.5mm headphone jack, dual SIM support, and microSD expansion.
Sony has also introduced a new “Xperia AI Camera Assistant” feature aimed at improving camera performance and overall user experience. Meanwhile, the Sony Alpha-inspired video algorithms introduced previously have now been further upgraded with Alpha-style filters and enhanced color science.
Battery capacity remains at 5,000mAh with support for 45W fast charging. Although Sony did not increase battery size, the company claims its battery optimization technology can deliver up to two days of usage while maintaining battery health even after four years of use.
The Xperia 1 VIII runs a customized Android 16-based operating system. Sony promises four years of major Android updates alongside six years of security updates.
Pricing for the European market starts at €1,499 (~RM6,922) for the 12GB + 256GB model. Malaysian pricing has yet to be officially confirmed, but based on the previous generation’s RM6,499 starting price and unchanged European pricing structure, the Xperia 1 VIII is expected to retail locally between RM6,499 and RM6,922.
As part of the pre-order promotion, buyers will receive the new Sony WH-1000XM6 noise-cancelling headphones for free. The Xperia 1 VIII is expected to begin shipping globally by late June 2026.
While Sony Malaysia has yet to announce an official local launch date, the device is expected to arrive between August and September based on previous Xperia release schedules.
Sony Malaysia has already listed the product page online, though it currently appears that only the 12GB + 256GB variant will be offered locally.
For more info, visit Sony Malaysia Xperia 1 VIII page.
