Better cameras with AI

Sony Xperia 1 VII: Official with several camera updates

Sony Xperia 1 VII is a smaller update than its predecessor, but it offers some new camera tricks.

Published 22 May 2025 - 10:11 Modified 22 May 2025 - 10:16

Where the Sony Xperia 1 VI had an entirely new and more traditional format, the new Sony Xperia 1 VII is much more similar to the previous model, both in terms of specifications and appearance. Of course, we get the latest top chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Elite, which powers the phone, and a new sensor for the wide-angle camera, while the main camera and telephoto camera are the same as last year.

This means a phone with a 6.5-inch screen in a 19.5:9 format instead of the more elongated format the Xperia 1 series had previously. However, there are still slightly thicker edges around the screen on the short sides so that the selfie camera is not embedded in the screen. The headset jack is also retained, where the components have been fine-tuned for minimal interference and hi-fi sound, as well as the shutter button for the camera. Sony likes to talk about the heritage from Walkman, Bravia, and Alpha cameras and how they collaborate between departments to give the Xperia 1 VII the best possible sound, image, and cameras. For example, the screen has received 20 percent higher maximum brightness for outdoor use. However, unlike other manufacturers, Sony does not specify how many nits the screen delivers. The speaker sound is said to have 10 percent richer bass and mid-bass compared to the predecessor in the series. The Bluetooth radio is said to have improved signal strength.

When it comes to cameras, we have a main camera with a 1/1.35-inch Exmor T for Mobile sensor. The sensor is 52 megapixels, but only 48 are used for the image, which is then downsampled to 12 megapixels, with the rest utilised for better image stabilisation. The wide-angle camera has a 1/1.56-inch sensor, a size that the main camera usually has in many mobiles, and it also has an effective resolution of 50 megapixels after removing the margin for image stabilisation. The telephoto camera, on the other hand, is 12 megapixels and has a significantly smaller sensor of 1/3.5 inches, delivering 3.5 to 7.1 times optical zoom, but Sony is a bit secretive about how this is achieved. The faster processor is used to take more exposures that are used to combine each image.

In return, they are happy to talk about how AI is used in the camera. Sony's speciality is keeping focus on moving objects, and for that, they use algorithms that identify the body of people even if they are moving, for example, dancing or skateboarding, and manage to keep focus on the head in both still images and video.

A new AI-based feature is called auto framing. When you record a film and have turned on auto framing, the object you are filming is identified, and in parallel with what you are filming, a film with a narrower frame of just the object is also saved, which you can also see in the camera while filming. If you film in landscape and choose landscape auto frame, you then get the same subject in two different frames and can edit the films together for a more dynamic film, but you can also film in landscape and get auto frame in portrait if you, for example, want to make a film that can also be used as a YouTube reel.

The battery is 5000 mAh and Sony states that it should maintain at least 80 percent capacity after four years of charging. However, it is not particularly fast charging, 30 watts via USB C or 15 watts wirelessly.

Sony will offer the Xperia 1 VII four years of major security updates and six years of security updates. It comes in green, purple, and black. The recommended price is 16,400 kronor, and the phone is available for order today.

Unlike last year, Sony did not mention any new Xperia 10 model this time. Whether it will come later or if Sony is now satisfied with one new model a year remains to be seen.