Leaked images of Sony’s new flagship Xperia 1 VIII reveal wide bezels at the top and bottom.

Sony is about to launch a new generation of flagship phones. Digital bloggers have already released renderings of the Xperia 1 VIII’s overall appearance, revealing almost all the product details in advance.

It is understood that the new phone is scheduled to be released on May 13.

Judging from the leaked renders, the Xperia 1 VIII continues Sony’s family design language for many years, featuring a flat display with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. Instead of following the trend of narrow chin and forehead, it retains the highly recognizable wide top and bottom bezels.

The overall layout of the back of the phone is basically the same as the opening scheme of the third-party phone cases that were previously leaked. This time, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII directly abandoned the vertically arranged camera strip design that had been used for several generations and was considered iconic, and instead adopted the industry-mainstream square camera island.

The new phone’s camera module protrudes almost flush with the upper edge of the phone’s back cover, resulting in a visual style that is vastly different from its predecessor.

In terms of core hardware configuration, the Xperia 1 VIII is expected to be equipped with Qualcomm’s fifth-generation Snapdragon 8 Ultra flagship processor, with top-notch chip tuning that puts the overall performance of the device in the top tier of the current Android camp.

The imaging system covers a 16mm ultra-wide-angle lens, a 24mm wide-angle main camera, and a newly upgraded telephoto lens, providing more comprehensive full-range imaging capabilities than its predecessor.

Based on the pre-order information previously released on overseas e-commerce platforms, the Xperia 1 VIII is expected to officially begin shipping on June 26th this year.

In terms of pricing, this model is positioned as a top-tier high-end flagship, with an initial price of £1,728 in the UK, equivalent to approximately RMB 16,000, a price threshold far exceeding that of ordinary mainstream flagship products.

It is worth noting that this flagship model, which is very much in line with Sony’s distinctive style, will be completely absent from the Chinese mainland market.

Since last year, Sony’s mobile phone business has essentially withdrawn from the Chinese market, and its official service accounts have been completely discontinued. This means that the Xperia 1 VIII will basically not be released in China, and domestic users will not be able to purchase this new phone through official channels.