Sony Xperia 1VII - Unboxed & Tour Of What's New!
The Sony Xperia 1 VII is finally here, and it really feels like it's been a long wait—especially since many others managed to get their hands on it a month ago. But I’m glad it's finally in mine. In this article, I’ll walk you through a quick unboxing and share some early impressions.
I still have the Xperia 1 V on hand—the last Xperia with a 4K display—so I’ll be using that for a side-by-side comparison. I was pre-briefed on this device over a month ago, so I already know most of what’s changed. But this is my first proper hands-on experience.
Unboxing & First Look
There’s no charger in the box, and this particular unit is the Slate Black variant with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. I’ve heard that some regions will also get a 512GB option. There are two other colours available: Moss Green and Orchid Purple — both look stunning based on the preview images.
Sony continues to use recycled materials for the packaging, with minimal branding and a subtle embossed Xperia logo. Once opened, the phone looks a bit different than I remember the Mark VI. It still features the ripple-textured back, which improves grip and minimises fingerprints. The back is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. Inside the box, aside from the usual paperwork, there are no cables included — a first for Sony. A bit surprising, but not a major issue if you already own USB-C cables.
Hardware & Design
Powering on the phone, you’ll find the familiar side-mounted fingerprint sensor, volume rocker, and dedicated camera shutter button. Compared to the Xperia 1 V and 1 VI, the shutter button has grown slightly larger, making it easier to use. Interestingly, the primary camera lens on the 1 V had a noticeable blue tint, which is now gone in the 1 VII.
The new model features clear glass lenses, with slightly larger camera rings. The ZEISS T* coatings are still present. The SIM tray remains tool-less and easy to access. While this model has 256GB of internal storage, it also supports up to 2TB of expandable storage via microSD—a huge win for creators.
Creator-Friendly Features
Sony continues to position this device as a creator’s tool. As a full-time content creator myself, I appreciate features like the 3.5mm headphone jack, which now integrates WALKMAN tech and even gold solder for improved audio. It also retains front-facing stereo speakers, which Sony claims are now 10% louder in the mids and bass.
The phone's grippy side ridges have also been refined. They’re now more subtle and blend seamlessly with the edges. There’s a new dual luminance sensor setup, which should allow the display to adjust brightness more accurately to your environment.
Display
The display is the same panel used on the Xperia 1 VI, but thanks to the improved light sensors, it can now get brighter in direct sunlight and adapt color temperature more precisely. It uses Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front, with a solid metal frame.
Under the hood is the brand new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 "Elite" chipset. This brings major performance gains to both the CPU/GPU and AI processing. Sony has introduced new features like AI Auto-Framing and Camera Work, which allow you to shoot wide and vertical shots simultaneously. Perfect for content creators publishing to YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
Camera Upgrades
The main and telephoto sensors remain the same, including the impressive 7.1x lossless zoom that uses a sliding lens element. The big hardware upgrade is in the ultra-wide sensor, now a 48MP, 1/1.56-inch sensor — more than twice the size of the previous model. This should offer improved low-light performance and better clarity. Here’s a comparison shot: Xperia 1 V vs Xperia 1 VII. The brightness and contrast on the 1 VII’s display is noticeably better.
Macro Photography & Manual Focus
The dedicated macro mode is still excellent. It uses the telephoto lens and lets you manually dial in the focus, which can yield far more accurate results than relying on autofocus alone. The level of detail this phone captures is genuinely impressive.
The phone still packs a 5,000mAh battery, the same as the previous model. It supports 30W wired charging and wireless charging as well. The Sony Xperia 1 VII is a meaningful upgrade, especially for creators and audio purists. The refined hardware, upgraded ultra-wide camera, and pro-grade features like SD card support, headphone jack with WALKMAN tech, and AI-powered camera tools make this a very well-rounded device. Stay tuned for the full review where I’ll be testing the camera tools, gaming performance, speaker output, and more. If you’re a content creator or Sony fan, this phone is absolutely worth keeping an eye on.
