Sony Xperia 1 VIII Launches With Alpha-Inspired Camera Features
Sony has officially announced the new Xperia 1 VIII, bringing a much stronger focus on photography and creator-focused tools inspired by the company’s Alpha mirrorless cameras. This is arguably the most camera-centric Xperia update Sony has released in years.
While the overall design remains familiar, the camera system and software experience have received major upgrades. The most noticeable exterior change is the redesigned rear camera module.
Redesigned Camera Module
Sony has moved away from the traditional vertical camera strip and replaced it with a square-shaped camera island. The new layout gives the smartphone a cleaner and more modern flagship appearance.
The redesigned module also houses upgraded camera hardware. Sony says the new layout better integrates the larger sensors and optics into the body.
Larger Telephoto Sensor
The Xperia 1 VIII now features a 48-megapixel Type 1/1.56 Exmor RS telephoto sensor. According to Sony, the sensor is nearly four times larger than the telephoto sensor used in the previous Xperia generation.
The larger sensor should improve low-light performance, dynamic range, and noise reduction. This also brings Sony closer to the larger telephoto sensor designs currently used by Chinese flagship smartphone makers.
Dual Telephoto Focal Lengths
The telephoto camera supports dual focal lengths equivalent to 70mm and 140mm. While the reach is slightly shorter than the previous 85mm and 170mm setup, Sony added autofocus macro capability to the system.
Sony positions the 70mm mode as ideal for portraits, while the 140mm focal length is aimed more toward sports and event photography.
Xperia Intelligence AI Assistant
Sony also introduced a new AI-powered shooting assistant called Xperia Intelligence. The assistant can recommend framing, exposure settings, lens selection, bokeh effects, and color looks based on the shooting scene and other variables.
Users can still manually fine-tune settings like exposure, saturation, contrast, and white balance. Sony also allows photographers to completely disable the AI assistant for a more traditional shooting experience.
Alpha Camera Features
Several familiar Alpha-series camera features are now built directly into the Xperia 1 VIII. These include Real-time Eye AF, Subject Tracking, RAW capture support, and manual exposure controls.
The smartphone can also shoot bursts at up to 30fps with autofocus and autoexposure tracking. Sony also included Creative Look presets and S-Cinetone color science for more cinematic-looking images and video.
4K120p Video and Macro Features
The Xperia 1 VIII supports 4K video recording at up to 120fps with HDR. Sony says the phone is designed to appeal to creators who want more advanced video tools directly on a smartphone.
The telephoto camera also supports macro photography with a minimum focusing distance of 15cm. Meanwhile, the ultra-wide camera can automatically engage for close-up macro shooting when needed.
Physical Camera Controls
One enthusiast-friendly feature Sony continues to include is the dedicated two-stage shutter button. Half-pressing activates autofocus lock while a full press captures the image.
This gives the Xperia 1 VIII a shooting experience that feels much closer to a traditional Alpha mirrorless camera. It remains one of the few flagship smartphones to still include this feature.
Features Other Smartphones Are Removing
Sony is also continuing to keep several hardware features that many flagship smartphones have abandoned. The Xperia 1 VIII still includes a microSD card slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and front-facing stereo speakers.
The smartphone also features IP65/IP68 water and dust resistance. For photographers and videographers, the expandable storage should be especially useful for handling large photo and video files.
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
The Xperia 1 VIII is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor. Sony is offering the phone with up to 16GB of RAM and as much as 1TB of internal storage.
The higher storage capacity should appeal to users regularly shooting 4K video or RAW photos. Sony is also offering the premium storage model in an exclusive gold finish.
Pricing and Availability
The Sony Xperia 1 VIII is priced at £1,399 / €1,499 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage version. The higher-end 16GB RAM and 1TB storage model costs £1,849 / €1,999. Pre-orders are now open at the Sony online store.
Sony has also confirmed that the Xperia 1 VIII will not be released in North America.