Latest Sony Xperia 1 V price leak hints at generational price cut in China but global buyers should keep their fingers crossed for a bundle offer

The Sony Xperia 1 V should be released soon, with May 11 (13:00 Japan time) apparently being the day that Sony will be revealing its latest smartphone product (night-time May 10 for most parts of the USA). It looks like the company has been busy upgrading the camera equipment, with the Xperia 1 V showing off an overhauled camera module in a recently leaked billboard poster. Now, a new price leak has turned up, courtesy of ZACKBUKS (via SumahoDigest), with the reliable tipster claiming 8,000 yuan as a price mark for the Xperia 1 V. This figure is currently equivalent to about US$1,160 or £919.

If this ends up being accurate, then shoppers in China might get the opportunity to purchase a brand-new Sony Xperia 1 V at a cheaper cost than the Xperia 1 IV, which was launched at a price starting from 8,499 yuan (US$1,231). This would represent a -5.87% price cut, which would be surprising on multiple fronts. Sony is not shy when it comes to pricing the Xperia 1 flagship phone and there would be other variables to add to the mix, such as inflation, rising part costs, and fluctuating exchange rates. However, the Xperia 1 phones have been popular in China, so it might be seen as a worthwhile risk by Sony to price the Mark 5 variant aggressively for that market.

But it is fair to say that an almost 6% price cut is unlikely to be the case for global models. At the moment, buyers in markets such as the US and UK should hope for price stagnation, with the Xperia 1 V possibly matching the launch price of the Xperia 1 IV (£1,299/US$1,599). This would still be very attractive for hardcore fans with the money to spend, because the 2023 Xperia 1 model should be stuffed to the gills with component upgrades and software improvements…and might even come with a valuable free set of earphones or headphones to boot. Sony has started teasing the upcoming launch, claiming the Xperia 1 V will bring “next-gen imaging” with it.

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