In a groundbreaking shift, Sony has announced it will cease in-house production of its flagship Xperia smartphones, entering a new phase in the mobile landscape. Previously manufactured in three sites—two in Thailand and one in China—Sony has now updated its manufacturing sites to reflect this dramatic change. The upcoming Xperia 1 VII will now be assembled by a third-party manufacturer, which recently earned a respectable review score of 7.2 out of 10.

No More Xperia in the U.S.

For the second consecutive year, Sony has chosen to forgo distributing its flagship smartphone in the lucrative U.S. market. Struggling to forge partnerships with U.S. carriers, Sony's Xperia line has faced significant hurdles in gaining the traction it needs in one of the world's largest smartphone markets. Even though the assembly is outsourced, the Xperia 1 VII retains its hefty price tag of £1,399 for the 256GB model, identical to its predecessor.

Global Accessibility, But Not for All

Although the Xperia 1 XI is available globally on platforms like Amazon, it's particularly noteworthy that this device only supports GSM, leaving Verizon users out of luck. However, T-Mobile fans will be pleased to know that the Xperia 1 VI model accommodates vital 5G bands like the n41 2.5GHz essential for the carrier's 5G Ultra Capacity service, along with the nationwide n71 band. T-Mobile customers can confidently pick up the XQ-EC64 model, which works well across 7 out of 12 T-Mobile bands, enabling robust coverage in both sub-6GHz and mmWave.

Challenges with Major Network Support

On the flip side, AT&T users may find the Xperia's network compatibility disappointing. The XQ-EC72 model, tailored for Asia-Pacific markets, only aligns with 10 out of AT&T's 17 available frequency bands, which include essential 5G connectivity via 850MHz and mid-band C-band frequencies.

Sony's Legacy vs. Modern Struggles

It’s rather ironic—despite its prestigious history in consumer electronics, marked by innovations like the Walkman, Sony’s Xperia smartphones have yet to make a significant impact among users. While the brand remains a titan in the tech world, especially dominating the smartphone image sensor market with a 55% share, they aim to increase that to 60% this year.

Your Questions Answered!

So why has Sony halted in-house production of its Xperia lineup? A clear pivot in their production strategy has led them to transition assembly to third-party manufacturers. And as for the price of the Xperia 1 VII in the UK? It’s set at £1,399 for the 256GB variant, maintaining the same level as last year's model.