Sony is offering a now customary range of AI and camera-related highlights for its latest Xperia smartphone model. With the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor it runs on being seen as the real selling point by some.
The Snapdragon Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform provides the Xperia 1 VIII with mmWave 5G compatibility, a first for the SIM free (unlocked) versions of the Sony range albeit a feature previously available on models sold through operators.
Having access to the ultra-high throughput and similarly-low latency mmWave 5G delivers plays to the AI and imaging strengths Sony continues to emphasise in its Xperia 1 models.
The Xperia 1 VIII uses Sony’s propriety AI to provide camera assistance, offering various suggestions for hues, tones and lens optimisation.
A 1/1.56-inch image sensor in the telephoto lens is around four-times bigger than the module used in the Xperia 1 VII launched in 2025 and Sony noted the low-light performance of the three lenses in the latest model is “comparable to full-frame sensors in terms of noise resistance and dynamic range for still images”.
Other typical photography challenges are tackled through image stack processing of the RAW files.
The smartphone is fitted with stereo speakers Sony stated provide “an immersive sound experience”, with deeper bass and extended treble. Operator editions of the Xperia 1 VIII are to come with 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage. The same option sits at the top of four configurations in SIM-free which begins at 16GB and 1TB.
Sony is accepting orders from the 13th May onwards with shipments due to commence on 11 June.
Source: Mobile World Live
Image Credit: Sony
