Will the new Sony Xperia 1 VIII look like this?

A speculative render of the Sony Xperia 1 VIII has been posted by a user on Weibo (via Sumaho). The renders show a redesigned 1 VIII in a clear case from different angles.

Gone is the vertical camera setup, in favour of a square camera bump. The accuracy of the render is debatable, as Weibo renders are rarely reliable based off past history. We have no verified information about the design of the 1 VIII, with only some details from the admin of the Sony Fan Vietnam Facebook group. Their statements are somewhat conflicting though, first stating the leaked Weibo render as:

approximately accurate

But in a subsequent post in the group, wrote the following:

In terms of design language, colors, and details, it’s very different, so you can rest assured. As for the larger camera module compared to the previous one, that’s to be expected, as there will be a major upgrade in physical size, sensor, and software.

So perhaps the admin of the group has been described the details of the 1 VIII, but not seen any photos. As for the camera module, they say an upgrade is expected, but is this just speculation on their part or fact? No idea.

Regarding the front of the phone, the admin wrote this

There are no punch holes, water droplets, islands, or waterfalls. The leaked images below are inaccurate.

This remark seems to indicate they know more details than they are revealing. As for how reliable the admin from the group is, they did post the Xperia 10 VII would receive a redesign and it would be “a completely different design, unrelated to the previous 10 series”.  They posted this on the 22nd of August, about 3 weeks before the reveal of the new model, in response to the supposed photos of the 10 VII posted by Sumaho. So interpret the admins comments as you see fit.

If we set the accuracy of these renders aside, are there any benefits for Sony to change from a vertical camera bump to a square?

Using photoshop, I mocked up a render based off the Weibo photos. I moved the camera bump down, and added extra bezels around the camera cutouts. I kept the rest of the phone, like the dimensions the same. My analysis below is speculative and I am not an engineer, so much of this could be wrong. So fair warning.

When comparing the 1 VII and my 1 VIII render, we can see that the VIII camera bump at the top is positioned lower down, but overall the entire camera bump is higher up on the body versus the 1 VII. I think users will still be able to hold the phone with 2 hands, with the index finger resting just under the camera bump.

So what about inside the phone? What needs to change in order to accommodate the new bump design and will the change bring any other advantages or disadvantages?

Using the Xperia 1 VII teardown video from Wekihome, we can look at the build/layout of the current model, and try to deduce how things could change inside. Removing the back cover and frame rear assembly, we can see the 1 VII camera modules.

When removed from the phone, the 3 camera modules are actually in 2 parts, the zoom lens, and the main with the wide angle. I suspect the wide angle can be detached from the main lens assembly.

If Sony were to re-orient the cameras, the module layout could look something like this in the mock up below.

From my mock up render earlier, we know the zoom lens is located higher up in the body, so obviously all of the modules would move up as a group. Ideally Sony would upgrade all of the lenses, but since only the wide angle received an update in the 1 VII, let us presume the zoom lens will only be updated for the 1 VIII.

Sony can improve the zoom lens by either updating the sensor (newer/larger), increasing the zoom range, or both. Whatever Sony opts for, I suspect the zoom module would need to increase in size to accommodate such improvements. For my lockup below, I increased the side of the entire module by 5%, and made the module longer by a similar amount. Whether this is enough, I do not know.

We can see both the new zoom lens and wide angle lens encroach onto the RF shield, but that an be easily fixed by moving components. We are left with 2 areas which are freed up by the change. Obviously area 1 will receive some components. With the area 2, this is more tricky, as Sony could keep this PCB area for certain components/connections, or Sony could make the entire lower part of the PCB smaller to add a slightly larger battery. It might not be much, but every millimetre inside counts.

So what could area 1 be used for? From the supposed Weibo renders, it looks like the top right of the case has a microphone hole. This is similar to almost all other recent Xperia models, except the 1 VII.

This area above the cameras in the 10 VII also has some RF components. It would make sense for Sony to move certain components to above the cameras in order to make use of all the available area on the PCB.  Below is my idea how things could change and move around.

With the camera modules moved up, Sony could move the chips in area 1 to area 2 (red arrows) under the MEMS mic. Then area 3 (yellow) with the RF shield, can be moved closer to the edge of the phone, providing the extra room for the larger zoom module and wide angle lens. Area 4 (blue). which is the flex cable for the front camera, could be rotated so the the connection is straight down, and not on the side. This would free up room beside it, allowing the front speaker module, area 5 (green) to move over slightly closer to the vibration motor and front camera.

In my mock up, I moved the flash and sensor to the corner of the camera bump. but these may be placed somewhere else. If we look at the 1 VII, these components use flex cables and contact pins for connections.

In the photo below, we can see the contact pins inside the phone.

Of course the flex PCBs and connections could be further away from the camera modules, but I suspect Sony would place it as close as possible to the cameras.

Something unlikely to happen would be the removal of the 3.5mm port. But if Sony did remove it, it would free up quite a bit of space inside the phone. The problem is, to add a larger front camera, the top bezel would have to increase in size. Personally I do not believe Sony would go down this route.

Sony’s insistence to have dual front facing speakers is also probably why there is a bezel on the bottom of the screen. If the lower front speaker were to be removed, the front screen would look something like this.

The lower speaker would need to be moved to the edge of the headset. This is a common design on many smartphones, but I do not think Sony will give up the dual speakers. Whether dual front speakers are a must have for Xperia users, I do not know. What do people think? Should Sony ditch the dual front speakers? Leave your thoughts below.

Realistically what can we expect with the new Xperia 1 VIII? Honestly, I think it will be a marginal update. Qualcomm already confirmed last September that Sony would be a customer of the SD8 Elite Gen 5, so this is a given. So here is my speculative list:

• Snapdragon Elite Gen 5
• 256GB/512GB, both 12GB RAM
• Weight ~ 200g
• LTPO OLED, 6.5in, 1080 x 2340
  • imo 4k is overkill
• microSXDC support remains
• 3.5 port remains
• Main – 48MP f1.9, 1/1.35″
• Wide – 48MP  f2.0, 1/1.56″
• Zoom – 3 options
  • higher MP
  • longer zoom range, up to 200mm
  • larger sensor – 1/2.55″
• Front camera – 12MP, f2.0, 1/2.9″
• Stereo front speakers
• 5000mAh battery
• Charging
  • Wired – 45W
  • Wireless – 20W
• AI integration, probably too much of it

Of course, I could be way off and Sony could update a lot more, like the main camera, return to a 4k screen, and keep the vertical 3 camera bump. As for what benefits the new camera bump would bring, well perhaps an improved battery capacity, even if only a small increase, and an improved zoom lens. But the redesign could turn off loyal Xperia fans.

We are in that time of the year when we will start to see more speculative renders, possible specs, and even a full leak. I would love to see Sony return to more markets, but that is wishful thinking. Finally one more photoshop using the 1 VII and modifying the camera.

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Sources: Weibo via Sumaho, WekiHome Youtube, Sony Xperia Repair