Sony Xperia 1 VIII Design Surfaces Online Leaving Little to the Imagination Ahead of May 13 Launch

Sony is set to unveil the Xperia 1 VIII on May 13, but official-looking marketing images have already surfaced online. The leaked renders show a redesigned rear camera layout while preserving several signature Xperia elements, including thick top and bottom bezels and a dedicated camera shutter button. The images also confirm multiple colour options and suggest Sony will continue to focus on its photography credentials. The Xperia 1 VIII is expected to arrive as the company's flagship smartphone for 2026.

Sony Xperia 1 VIII Retail Images Give Us a Look at the New Camera Design

According to a report by WinFuture, official promotional images of the Sony Xperia 1 VIII appeared on Amazon Germany ahead of launch. The renders show the handset in three colourways named Graphite Black, Garnet Red and Iolite Silver. A fourth gold colour option is also expected, although it does not appear in the leaked images.

The leaked images suggest that Sony is changing the rear camera design on the Xperia 1 VIII. Instead of the tall vertical camera strip seen on earlier models, the phone appears to use a rectangular camera module. The main and ultra-wide cameras are placed at the top, while the periscope telephoto camera sits below them. Zeiss branding is also visible on the back, indicating that Sony will likely continue its partnership with the optics company.

The front design looks largely unchanged. Sony is expected to keep the bezels above and below the display, with the selfie camera housed in the top bezel instead of a punch-hole cutout. The renders also show a dedicated camera shutter button on the side, along with a flat display and a metal frame. Previous leaks suggest that the Xperia 1 VIII may also retain the 3.5mm headphone jack.

The Sony Xperia 1 VIII could feature a 6.5-inch full-HD+ OLED display with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The listing also claimed the phone could deliver up to two days of battery life.

Sony is expected to price the Xperia 1 VIII starting at EUR 1,868.99 (roughly Rs. 2,08,000) in select European countries and GBP 1,728 (about Rs. 2,22,000) in the UK. The company will officially unveil the smartphone on May 13 at 1pm Japan time (9:30am IST).