Introduction
Earlier this year, Sony fans were worried that the company might stop making phones after announcing a joint venture with TCL for their TV brand. Luckily, Sony quickly confirmed that Xperia phones are here to stay. Now, exactly one year after the Xperia 1 VII, we have the new Sony Xperia 1 VIII (pronounced “Mark 8”).
Design and Display
The new Xperia 1 VIII is still unmistakably a Sony phone, but it has received one of its biggest design updates in years.
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The Screen: You still get Sony’s signature “tall and skinny” chocolate-bar shape. It features a full, uninterrupted display with no camera punch-hole. It uses a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, but it looks taller because it keeps the classic top and bottom bezels—a rare sight in 2026.
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The Back Panel: The back features a brand-new, rough matte finish. It feels incredibly grippy and slightly porous—almost like a very fine, sophisticated nail file.
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The Camera Island: The camera bump has been completely redesigned. It now features a sloping edge that blends into the side of the phone, vaguely resembling the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra or OnePlus 10 Pro, but with a distinct Sony twist.
Key Specifications
On the inside, Sony didn’t try to fix what wasn’t broken. The biggest upgrade is the new, top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, ensuring blazing-fast 2026 flagship performance. The camera setup has also been slightly tweaked, offering a powerful trio of 48MP lenses on the back. Otherwise, the internal hardware remains largely similar to last year’s model, which is great for consistency but might leave some hoping for more major upgrades.
The Unboxing Experience
Sony takes an extremely minimalist and eco-friendly approach to its packaging. The phone comes in a simple, plastic-free cardboard box printed only in black and white.
Be aware of what is missing: Sony hasn’t included a charger or a USB cable in the box for years, and that hasn’t changed here. You won’t even find a SIM ejector tool, but you won’t need one anyway, thanks to Sony’s brilliant, tool-less SIM tray design. Expect nothing in the box except the phone itself!