Xperia 1 VII Announcement – 13th May 2025
Hello, everyone. My name is Masaaki Oshima from Sony. Today, we're unveiling the new Xperia™ at Sony City Minato Mirai, our Development HeadQuarters for mobile and imaging products. “Experiences beyond imagination for the dedicated and passionate."
While developing our products, we remain focused on our vision of bringing "inspiration, excitement and joy" to everyone who purchases Xperia. This reflects the valuable knowledge and feedback we receive as we develop products alongside creators and experts from everything from photography to videography to music. By using this knowledge to meet the expectations of these creators and experts, we optimize the smartphone experience, allowing us to improve the experience for our valued Xperia users.
Our 2024 flagship model, Xperia 1 VI, received glowing reviews from creators and users alike. The products being announced today are designed to deliver unique experiences that only Sony’s Xperia can offer, while further enhancing the authentic emotional connections that have always been at the core of the Xperia brand. Sony has long pursued expert craftsmanship and unequalled technologies across a range of product categories. The Alpha™ produces realistic, natural images. The Walkman® aims to deliver every note as the artist intended. BRAVIA™ brings to life the images intended by the creators.
The new Xperia, is built in collaboration with Xperia developers and by the people in charge of the Alpha, Walkman and BRAVIA development. These engineers drew from their respective technologies to deliver authentic emotional experiences for our smartphone. The new Xperia has more Sony in its DNA than ever before.
It also comes with "Xperia Intelligence," an AI engine trained on Sony's extensive content assets and optimized for Xperia. Xperia will utilize its unique AI technology in the smartphone's camera and audiovisual features to enhance content quality and amplify inspiration, excitement and joy. Now, let's get to know the new Xperia, which uses Sony technology and Xperia Intelligence to deliver an authentic emotional experience.
True quality. Real emotions. Xperia 1 VII True quality. Real emotions. Xperia 1 VII inherits Sony's camera technology New sensor on Ultra-wide lens Now, both Ultra-wide lens and wide lens can create full frame equivalent images in low light Optical telephoto zoom lens cover 85-170 mm Xperia signature Shutter button is enlarged With New Rear Light sensor, the display brightness is adjusted accordingly The display has evolved to look even more stunning in any situation Audio technology is Sony's legacy High-quality components and adding gold to the solder on the audio jack section for less transmission loss and a dynamic sense of stage and scale. 3.5 mm Audio jack is Xperia's tradition The new rigid frame and functional tactile rear glass exude quality in the hand Plenty of power to support you for 2 days This is Xperia 1 VII.
Let's take a closer look. First, let's delve into the AI technology built into Xperia 1 VII, Xperia Intelligence. Xperia Intelligence The AI technology Designed to enhance audio visual experience and image creation AI in Xperia works beyond your imagination. Camera AI This is Camera AI technology in Xperia Human pose estimation It is AI that analyses your subject's form information AI Camerawork Moving subjects are always centred even if your hands are unsteady. Auto Framing Auto Framing captures the whole scene, plus a close-up video simultaneously Real-time Eye AF Powerful AI processing for precision focusing Exposure Controlling accurate exposure White Balance Delivering natural white balance Audio AI Xperia Intelligence works in Audio feature also AI upscaling technology DSEE Ultimate was developed in collaboration with Sony Music Listen to everything near High-Resolution Audio quality Display AI This is Display AI technology in Xperia The beauty of BRAVIA AI remastering technology reproduces colour contrast texture BRAVIA quality Xperia meets AI technology Xperia Intelligence is an AI that offers truly moving experiences for the dedicated and passionate.
Next, let's look at the camera performance. With the Xperia 1 VII, our goal was to create a camera that allows anyone to pick up the Xperia 1 VII and take professional-quality photos and videos with a smartphone. We made this a reality, in part, thanks to the ultra-wide lens together with a large image sensor. Combined with Sony’s image processing technology, Xperia 1 VII can take clear night shots equivalent to full-frame cameras, with low noise and wide dynamic range. When shooting ultra-wide photography, often the image can appear distorted.
But with Xperia 1 VII, this is reduced by the introduction of a new minimal-distortion lens. As in previous models, the wide-angle lens uses Exmor-T-for-mobile. Even when shooting in the dark, you can use the 16 mm or 24 mm lenses to capture dramatic nighttime scenes that retain their visual impact. What's more, Sony’s market leading Alpha camera technology supports your photography. Now equipped with an AI Camerawork mode with pose estimation technology.
The powerful image stabilization lets you capture smooth, blur-free footage even if the person taking the video is moving. The camera fixes the subject at a specified position within the composition and automatically focuses and tracks the subject, so you can just pick up the camera and capture footage that looks like it was taken by a professional. The Xperia also boasts a new Auto Framing mode in which it automatically tracks the subject and takes close-up footage of their facial expressions.
It can even track the unpredictable movements of children, so you can take videos without having to follow them around with the camera, and instead, enjoy the moment. For increased creativity, you can record both close-up and wide-angle footage at the same time, helping you create impressive vlogs that combine both near and far perspectives. The Xperia 1 VII features an enhanced bokeh mode and skin-tone rendering. The Real-time Eye AF and Real-time Tracking features creates unforgettable portraits that only Sony can offer. These expressive capabilities reflect our strong commitment to image creation, which we share with Alpha engineers.
Let’s ask these engineers about the unique Alpha approach to image production. Alpha and Xperia are totally different types of devices. But when it comes to image quality, they both have the same goals.
In a portrait, describing a natural skin tone is so important. We obsess over getting skin tone, and getting the resolution up. I assume it's the same for Xperia? Yes. Regular smartphones often overdo the tones of skin, the sky, and grass. Images from the natural world tend to feel exaggerated.
For Xperia, just as with Alpha, natural colours and precise details are vital priorities. Our latest models, Alpha1Ⅱ and Alpha9 Ⅲ, are equipped with something new. AI-assisted pose estimation technology. This is also in Xperia now, correct?
AI camerawork offers two features. One is robust image stabilization. The other is a feature that helps you fix your composition. It's called position lock. You can use it when you're walking or running next to someone. You don't want to lose the framing. And you don't want that camera shake.
But now, AI can offer powerful assistance. You can just walk around like normal, capturing your friends and family. And this new function ensures that your subjects are centred. Then there's the other cutting-edge feature we've taken from Alpha. We've added the Auto Framing mode.
You can leave the video recording to Xperia. The phone will get the close-ups of your child's face. But it will also capture the entire scene.
Let your phone's camera do the work, so you can be in the moment. You're seeing your child with your own eyes. Lots of people taking videos of their kids with their phones.
You're right that many parents are watching the screen, not their kid. Your child is there in front of you, dancing or running. You lose that moment if you're not seeing it with your own eyes. This feature really resonates with me. Xperia is a camera and a smartphone. People carry them around every day.
You take pictures of everyday moments with family and friends, and you also have your phone during special events. We hope you use Xperia to capture everyday moments, and big events. Capture lots of memories. That's what would make us happy. Yes, now it's easy to capture all those little moments. And you'll get photos and videos that are professional quality.
You always have your phone with you, and using its camera should be fun. The Xperia 1 VI’s Telephoto macro feature was extremely well-received and will continue to expand the range of expression possible in the Xperia 1 VII allowing you to capture subtle textures. To improve the shooting experience, the Xperia 1 VII has a larger shutter button, making it easier to operate. By pressing it half way, it triggers Eye AF and by pressing it all the way, the photo is taken, similar to the Alpha cameras. Next up, let's look at the audio features. The Xperia 1 VII is designed to play every note as the artist intended.
It's Powered by Walkman, leveraging Sony's Walkman portable audio player technology to take sound quality to the next level. To incorporate, carefully selected, tried-and-tested Walkman components, high-quality solder containing gold is used for the audio jack. This enhances the reproduction of subtle sounds, and improves the soundstage and directional accuracy. Let's hear from these engineers about the behind-the-scenes process of integrating Walkman audio quality. We wanted audio quality on par with a dedicated player like a Walkman.
And so we needed high-quality Walkman components. Bring in superior audio technology that only Sony and Walkman have. That was our goal on this project.
Since the solder is connecting between then components and the circuit board, even a slight change makes a big improvement on the overall sound level. I believe that this solder change worked and created the width and the height of the soundstage. The sound, the audio signal, has to pass through the solder. High-quality parts and materials prevent sound from degrading.
There's a direct connection. We also used gold, which makes the sound even better. We use it in the phone's audio jack. The sound of this Xperia is full of the efforts Mr. Matsumoto has been working hard. The sound is extraordinary.
We've got a technology called DSEE Ultimate. It can upscale compressed audio or CD-quality sound to near High-Resolution Audio quality. AI is making a big difference here. With AI, our prediction tech has become much better. It's very close to real High-Resolution Audio. That's my honest opinion. Within Sony Group, we have a huge library of music.
An AI is only as good as the material you train it on. That's an advantage we have. These new Xperia is the culmination of years of work. The sound in the finished product is incredible. It's hard to get this range of sound even on a dedicated device. You've achieved a range you can only find on a few other devices.
And you've done it with the Xperia. Absolutely incredible. Good music, played at good quality, is a lovely thing. We want Xperia to help our customers realize that. Then, they can seek out even better sound. Or appreciate their favourite music even more. It's a step in the right direction.
The Xperia 1 VII also comes with DSEE Ultimate, the latest AI-based upscaling technology uniquely developed in collaboration with Sony Music. We've improved the production of high-frequency and subtle sounds, reaching near-Hi-Res-audio-quality even on streaming services. By combining Xperia with Sony headphones, you can listen to music wirelessly in near Hi-Res audio quality thanks to LDAC. Listen to music your way, wired or wireless. The Full-stage stereo speakers have also been improved for excellent sound quality with an even more realistic feel.
Next, let's talk about the display. The Xperia 1 VII offers clear and crisp BRAVIA visuals in any environment. Alongside the Sunlight Vision feature that was well-received by Xperia 1 VI users, we've improved peak brightness and added a new Rear Light sensor. The display remains visible even under direct sunlight.
Additionally, by expanding the colour gamut and adjusting the colour temperature for ambient light you can enjoy watching video in any environment. Using AI technology, we also worked to reproduce the image quality of Sony's flagship BRAVIA TV into the Xperia display— including colour, contrast, texture and three-dimensionality. Finally, engineers fine-tuned the display to further improve reproduction quality, creating a visual display that is truly Powered by BRAVIA. Let's ask the engineers what went into creating these stunning visuals. You were just talking about improving image quality on Xperia. You wanted to improve image quality, and now it's close to BRAVIA.
Xperia, and smartphones in general, have fairly small displays. But we want image quality that's just as good as any other screen. In the development of the new Xperia, we create an AI model based on machine learning from BRAVIA.
Then crossed that with the Xperia image quality model, ensuring to reproduce picture quality close to BRAVIA. Lastly, we adjusted it with the engineer's eyes to achieve that closer to BRAVIA further. In case of BRAVIA, what adjustments are made to reproduce beautiful image quality? Well, beauty is subjective, but we've studied the human brain. Humans don't remember things exactly as they were. We make things more vivid in our minds. With BRAVIA, we can adjust the contrast or the colour.
By making things more crisp or vivid, we get closer to that mental image. BRAVIA displays come with a high-performance image adjustment processor. Brightness obviously changes throughout the day. When the light in a room changes, the image on a screen will look different. BRAVIA has modes that are optimal for different viewing environments. Specifically, the picture is adjusted to match the viewing conditions.
Does Xperia have similar features? Yes. We introduced one last year called Sunlight Vision feature. This feature is useful for watching videos or using your camera outside. But it doesn't just increase the screen brightness. It also maintains the differences between lighter and darker areas.
It's much easier to see your screen outside. The new Xperia has other features besides Sunlight Vision. Features that make the display easier to see in different environments. First, we have one sensor on the front and one on the back. These measure environmental brightness and set screen brightness.
We also have a feature that adjusts display colours based on brightness. This improves visibility further. So you can adjust not only brightness but also colours. Exactly. It's about brightness and colour. BRAVIA has a lot of skilled engineers working together on image quality.
We're always improving the image quality and the viewing experience. And that's how we inspire our customers. It's wonderful that Xperia could get this Sony image quality from BRAVIA. Sony's BRAVIA series has delivered fantastic images to our living rooms. Now, Xperia is set to give you that BRAVIA experience anywhere, anytime. Xperia places real value on the overwhelming feeling of immersion that results when image and sound come together as one.
The Xperia 1 VII delivers a long battery life, allowing you more time to enjoy your favourite entertainment experiences. Fully-charged, the battery lasts for two days, so there's no need to worry about running out of power while on the go. It also offers 36 hours of continuous video playback, so you can watch video content to your heart's content. The latest chipset, Snapdragon® 8 Elite Mobile Platform plays a key role in supporting these entertainment experiences. Let's hear from Alex Katouzian from Qualcomm.
Hello everyone, I am Alex Katouzian Group GM of Qualcomm Mobile, Compute, XR and Wearables Businesses. Qualcomm Technologies and Sony have had a long history of delivering authentic experiences to every Xperia user. Our collaboration is rooted in a shared vision of pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Today, I am thrilled to announce that the Sony Xperia 1 VII is powered by our latest flagship processor, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform.
This revolutionary processor is designed to elevate your everyday experiences. Whether capturing precious moments, enjoying your favourite music, or streaming the latest entertainment, Snapdragon 8 Elite enables seamless and rich interactions. At its core is our custom-built Qualcomm Oryon CPU, the fastest mobile CPU in the world, engineered to deliver groundbreaking performance.
This makes the Sony Xperia 1 VII perform at unprecedented levels. Capture moments with stunning clarity and detail using the AI-powered camera. And, with Sony’s 70-year legacy of delivering exceptional sound and imagery, users will immerse in the AI-enhanced audio and visual capabilities of this smartphone. Congratulations to the Sony Xperia team on this exciting announcement. We are proud to be part of this journey with you.
With its “Road to Zero” global environmental plan, Sony Group aims to achieve a zero environmental footprint by 2050. Xperia also plays a role in this initiative. The Xperia 1 VII's packaging, uses a paper-based material, developed by Sony, called "Original Blended Material."
It's not just the packaging—using recycled materials including SORPLAS™, a plastic made from up-to 99% recycled materials for all the resin parts. The Xperia 1 VII is a testament to Sony's expert craftsmanship and unique technology, delivering genuine emotion, like never before. It will be available in three colours: Slate Black, Moss Green and Orchid Purple and will start shipping from this month. Finally, Sony Group aims to "fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology." This reflects our dedication to providing accessibility to all and with Xperia we strive to incorporate these commitments into our product design.
The Xperia 1 VII continues to feature a spirit level in its camera app to assist users in taking photos. The Xperia also ships with a number of accessibility features such as assist functions that make it easier to select apps and perform various operations making Xperia easy to use for everyone. Xperia will continue to work hard to create devices that offer exciting experiences that go beyond imagination for the dedicated and passionate. True quality. Real emotions.
We’re confident you’ll be impressed with our new product Xperia 1 VII. We invite you to experience its quality, firsthand. Thank you for watching.
2025-05-15 11:36
