New Xperia 1 VIII leak looks unconvincing
Sony’s upcoming flagship has leaked in a new render that shows the device outside a protective case. The image shared on Twitter by user @mobaziro reveals the new camera island design on the back, which may replace the vertical setup from previous models.The three cameras are housed in a square-shaped module, which looks like it was randomly slapped at the back of the device. The camera island is relatively low, but there’s little space on its left side.
The new Xperia 1 VIII leaked render. | Image by @mobaziro on Twitter
While the design is reminiscent of the OnePlus 10, Sony doesn’t connect the side of the phone with the protruding camera. Design is often a matter of personal taste, but this render is a departure from the clean and balanced approach to the Xperia 1 VII and the rest of Sony’s lineup.
Mystery on the front side
The new renders seem to also include thick bezels on the front, with the top one housing the selfie camera. That’s similar to Sony’s previous models, and it looks like one of the earlier leaks.
Still, the first leak of the Xperia 1 VIII design featured much thinner top and bottom bezels and a punch-hole selfie camera.
Hardware improvements
Sony Xperia 1 VII. | Image by PhoneArena
Sony is reportedly changing the back camera design out of necessity. The company may use a larger camera sensor on the Xperia 1 VIII, which would require more space.
The device is also expected to feature a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, and another leak revealed that the 3.5 mm headphone jack will return. Sony hasn’t given any official signals about the potential launch date of the device, but the premiere should happen in the coming weeks.
Not the refresh we imagined
I don’t think I’ve ever hoped for a leak to be wrong as much as this one. Sony phones were long overdue for a visual refresh, but this leaked design looks bad.
We’ll need to see the final device before passing more judgment, but maybe it would be best not to hold your breath.
