Xperia 1 VIII is too expensive
When we were still obsessing over renders for the new Xperia 1 VIII design before its launch, we asked you what you thought would help Sony sell more phones. The poll results leaned heavily towards one solution.
Over 75 percent of you said that all Sony needs to do is lower the prices. That would probably work, as the Xperia phones are pretty good when it comes to the hardware that they are packing inside.
Currently, the Xperia 1 VIII has launched at a starting price of €1,499 (around $1,740 USD).
Other solutions for Sony phones
Some of you think that Sony phones are a thing of the past. | Image by PhoneArena
Meanwhile, almost 11 percent of voters said that Sony’s phones are now a thing of the past, that nothing could help them sell better because the industry has moved on.
A little over seven percent of respondents said that Sony needs to start including much better hardware to help its phones start selling. Lastly, around six percent of people feel that the Xperia phones need a major update to their design.
What about you?
How does the Xperia 1 VIII fare?
When it comes to specs, the Xperia 1 VIII is no slouch. Here are some of the main hardware details that you need to know:
- 6.5-inch OLED 120 Hz display (2340 x 1080)
- Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor
- Options for 12 GB and 16 GB of RAM
- Android 16 with up to four OS updates
- 5,000 mAh battery
- 30W wired and 15W wireless charging
- Bluetooth 6.0
Sony’s phones are still great
The Sony Xperia 1 VIII has a gorgeous display. | Image by PhoneArena
I, personally, find Sony’s phones to still be pretty great devices that are being held back by social stigma more than their price tags. A price tag of €1,499 is perfectly reasonable when the iPhone 17 Pro Max also starts at €1,449 in the same markets with the same amount of RAM and storage space.
The Xperia phones still do a couple of things that people like me would appreciate a lot. For example, the Xperia 1 VIII still comes with a headphone jack. Imagine that, a flagship smartphone in 2026 that comes with a headphone jack!
There are also no cutouts on the display. Sure, there are larger bezels on the top and bottom but that, to me, is a much more acceptable compromise than a distracting cutout on the screen. This is why I have my fingers crossed for the iPhone 20 Pro breakthrough.
Our Sony Xperia 1 VIII review also shows an excellent camera setup that captures much truer-to-life photos than the other flagship smartphones on the market. Which is something that I, personally, like a lot more than over-saturated images. The inclusion of a microSD card slot is also very welcome.
Sony could probably bring down the price a little, and it might even see more success if it brings its phones back to the States. But honestly? I don’t think it’s the price that is holding Sony’s phones back nowadays.
