Sony has officially confirmed that it will unveil its next-generation Xperia smartphone in May 2026. The company scheduled the 'Xperia New Product Announcement' for May 13 at 02:00 UTC. This event marks the official debut of the device known as the Xperia 1 VIII.
Device abandons vertical camera strip design
The new smartphone features a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. It retains the 6.5-inch display size and 19.5:9 aspect ratio found in its predecessor. Sony is moving away from the vertical camera arrangement it has used since 2019. The device will be available in Graphite Black, Lolite Silver, Garnet Red, and Native Gold.
Spec comparison
| Spec | Xperia 1 VIII |
|---|---|
| SoC | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| Display Size | 6.5-inch |
| Aspect Ratio | 19.5:9 |
| Colors | Graphite Black, Lolite Silver, Garnet Red, Native Gold |
| Camera Design | Non-vertical arrangement |
Sony has not indicated when the Xperia 1 VIII will be available to purchase. The company only confirmed the announcement date for now. A leaked Geekbench listing previously showed 12 GB of RAM, but this figure remains unconfirmed for the final retail unit.
The Xperia 1 VIII represents a significant design shift for the series. The abandonment of the vertical camera strip ends a design language that defined the line for several years. The retention of the screen dimensions suggests Sony prioritizes consistency in form factor while upgrading internal performance.
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