More supposed Sony Xperia 1 VII case renders turn up to support microphone movement rumor

Recently, a Weibo user shared a couple of posts that supposedly contained renders of protective cases for the Sony Xperia 1 VII. The device used in the render was clearly the Xperia 1 VI (available on Amazon), however, this is to be expected if the leak has come from a third-party case manufacturer. What is shown to be novel for the Xperia range is the placement of the microphone, with the component being moved from above the main camera equipment (on the right-hand side if looking at the display) on previous models to much closer to the 3.5 mm audio jack on the left-hand side for the 2025 iteration.

Another selection of so-called Xperia 1 VII case renders has now appeared on X and these also show that the hole for the microphone has been moved. It is worth noting that one of these “new” images is very similar to one that was leaked for the Xperia 1 VI, and it is obvious that the device shown in the images is clearly not the 2025 Xperia 1. However, the phone cases do have numerous differences between them, so the images may be simply repurposed CAD files with the designer using the same device model from last year and simply plastering the name “Xperia 1 VII” on it. What is important to observe here is the design differences between the protective cases.

Like all Sony Xperia 1 VII rumors (and “leaks”), it is wise to retain a healthy amount of skepticism here as nothing is actually confirmed until the company itself says so. But moving the microphone from the right-hand side to the left-hand side for the Xperia 1 VII could have some user benefits: audio input quality could be improved, sound capture during video recording could be enhanced, and better noise-canceling support could be implemented. It wouldn’t be the first time a case manufacturer has leaked the design, or at least frame shape, of a new phone, and if Sony has moved the microphone then it’s almost certain it won’t be just a whimsical design refinement.