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Sony Xperia 1 VII launch date officially teased, along with camera prowess

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Sony Xperia 1 VII
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We’ve already seen a number of flagship phones launch this year but there are plenty more to come. Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge is expected before the end of this month, and Sony is also hopping on the May phone launch bandwagon. 

The Japanese company has posted a teaser video to its official YouTube channel saying “the next ONE is coming”. It’s presumed this refers to Sony’s Xperia 1 flagship phone, which is expected to be called the Xperia 1 VII this year, following on from the Xperia 1 VI that launched in May last year. 

Sony Xperia 1 VII official teaser

The 28-second video doesn’t give a huge amount away, though it does show off the design from the rear, which looks very similar to previous Xperia 1 devices with a long rectangular build and flat edges. 

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It also teases zoom camera features, whilst a colourful triangle connecting a TV, camera and music device, suggests the device will once again pull from Sony’s Bravia TVs, Alpha cameras and Walkman products. 

When will the Sony Xperia 1 VII be announced?

Nothing else is revealed through the teaser, other than the launch date of course, which is pinned as May 13, 2025, kicking off at 11:00 Japan time, which is 22:00 ET time on May 12 and 19:00 PT time. Recent reports have claimed the device might only be released in Japan immediately however, with rumors suggesting there could be a delay of several months until it appears in Europe and the UK, while it’s still unclear whether it will come to the US at all. The Xperia VI didn’t and while a Sony flagship has appeared as a listing on the FCC, it’s not a certain it’s the Xperia VII at the moment. 

In terms of what the next Sony Xperia could offer, we will need to wait until May 12 (of you’re in the US) for the official details, though rumors have claimed the Xperia VII will come with performance upgrades, including sporting the Snapdragon 8 Elite under its hood, as well as a 12-megapixel periscope telephoto camera with 70-200mm focal length. 

It’s also claimed to have a 5,000mAh battery, 30W fast charging support and a 4K display with a 120Hz refresh rate. 

For now, all we know for sure is Sony will announce a new Xperia on May 12 or May 13 depending on where you are in the world, and it’s very likely to be the Xperia 1 VII so at least it’s only a few days to wait before all the details are revealed.

Britta O'Boyle
Britta is a freelance technology journalist who has been writing about tech for over a decade. She's covered all consumer…
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