Sony explains Xperia 1 VII defects after bringing flagship back to sale

Last week, Sony clarified that the Xperia 1 VII would be returning to sale after a period of absence. Launched in May to rival other Android flagships like the Galaxy S25 Ultra (curr. $975 on Amazon) but released in July, distribution of Sony's latest flagship was quickly stopped due to multiple reported system crashes and shutdown issues. Shortly afterwards, the company sought to reassure fans that it was not finished with Xperia smartphones just yet.

Alongside that, Sony opened an Xperia 1 VII replacement program and then restarted sales on August 25. Perhaps to inspire confidence in fans, Sony has now shared details about the root causes of initial Xperia 1 VII issues following an extensive internal investigation. Apparently, early Xperia 1 VII units can develop motherboard defects during production after being exposed to fluctuating humidity and temperature.

To resolve this, Sony claims to have made production adjustments to minimise the chance of this occurring in future. Moreover, Sony states that it has employed stricter quality control and risk management to ensure that other problems are detected and resolved sooner than its motherboard issues. Please see Sony's website to see if your Xperia 1 VII is an affected unit.