Sony confirms Xperia 1 VIII launch date, hints at new camera bump

Days after the Xperia 1 VIII was accidentally listed on Amazon, Sony has confirmed that the phone will be officially announced on May 12 at 10:00 PM ET. If you’re wondering about the odd launch timing, it’s because the phone will be announced in Japan.

The company will stream the announcement on its YouTube channel. Check out the window above to watch the launch event on the day.

The Xperia 1 VIII is Sony’s flagship smartphone for 2026. It’s expected to feature a 6.5-inch FHD+ OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, a 3.5mm headphone jack (it’s still alive!), and a two-day battery. Sony’s teaser suggests a triple-rear camera system, which is expected to consist of a 16mm ultrawide lens, 24mm primary shooter, and a 70mm telephoto camera.

Leaked Xperia 1 VIII renders have also given us a fairly good idea of what the phone will look like, and it’s a drastic redesign from last year’s phone. Expect a very different camera island this year, which is rumored to be due to a larger sensor.

Sony’s flagships don’t usually feature outrageous specs, but they do have some of the best manual camera app controls. This isn’t really surprising considering Sony’s camera expertise, and I expect the Xperia 1 VIII to have a robust set of manual controls in the camera app as well as features for “pro” users.

The Xperia 1 VII didn’t land in the US, so don’t hold your breath for the Xperia 1 VIII to launch stateside. However, it’s going to cost a pretty penny if you are interested in importing the phone. According to the leaked Amazon listings, the phone is priced anywhere between €1,868.99 (~$2,196) and £1,728 (~$2,352), and might come with a free pair of WH-1000XM6 headphones.