Overview
- Sony opened pre-orders Wednesday in Europe and parts of Asia for the Xperia 1 VIII, priced from €1,499/£1,399 with June shipping and a WH‑1000XM6 bundle.
- The new telephoto uses a 48MP 1/1.56‑inch sensor fixed at a 70mm equivalent, replacing Sony’s past continuous zoom to favor better low‑light performance and detail at typical portrait ranges.
- RAW multi‑frame processing now runs across all cameras, and an on‑device AI Camera Assistant suggests framing, lens choices and tone before you shoot.
- The phone keeps enthusiast hardware such as a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microSD slot, front‑facing stereo speakers and a two‑stage shutter key.
- Availability is limited to Europe and Asia with Graphite Black, Iolite Silver, Garnet Red and an online‑exclusive 1TB Native Gold option, and Sony promises four OS updates and six years of security patches with no North American launch planned.