Sony has launched the Xperia 1 VIII in Japan with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, triple 48MP rear cameras and up to 1TB of internal storage. The phone comes with a fresh new look, a powerful processor and a camera setup that photography lovers will really enjoy. Here is everything worth knowing about it including the expected Sony Xperia 1 VIII price in Nepal.
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3nm) Processor
- 6.5-inch 120Hz LTPO OLED Display
- Triple 48MP Rear and 12MP Front Camera
- 5,000mAh Battery with 30W Wired and 15W Wireless Charging
Design and Display
Sony ditched its old vertical camera stripe with the Xperia 1 VIII and went with a square-shaped camera module that looks much more modern. The back has a tactile “ORE design” texture inspired by rough stone which makes it easier to hold. It comes in four color options including Graphite Black, Iolite Silver, Garnet Red and Native Gold.
On the front you get a flat 6.5-inch LTPO OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR support and 100% DCI-P3 color coverage. Colors look rich and sharp whether you are watching videos or editing photos. The front glass is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 while the back uses Gorilla Glass Victus. The phone also carries an IP65/IP68 rating so water and dust are not a concern.
Performance
The Sony Xperia 1 VIII is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset built on a 3nm process which is among the fastest chips you can find in a phone right now. It comes with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage which can be expanded further up to 2TB using a microSD card.
The phone runs Android 16 out of the box and Sony is promising four major OS upgrades and six years of security patches which is quite solid for long-term users. Sony has kept the interface simple and clean without loading it up with unnecessary AI tools. If someone wants AI editing or generative features they will have to look for third-party apps instead.
Camera
The Sony Xperia 1 VIII camera setup is one of its biggest selling points. It has a triple 48MP rear camera system that includes a 48MP wide lens with an f/1.9 aperture and a 1/1.35-inch sensor, a 48MP ultrawide with an f/2.0 aperture and a 48MP periscope telephoto with an f/2.8 aperture and 2.9x optical zoom. All three lenses come with Zeiss optics and Zeiss T* lens coating which helps with color accuracy and sharpness.
The telephoto camera gets a much larger sensor than the previous model which means better low-light shots at a distance. Videos can be recorded at 4K and up to 120fps with 5-axis gyro-EIS and OIS keeping things smooth. Up front there is a 12MP selfie camera with an f/2.0 aperture. Features like AI subject tracking, auto framing and manual color controls make this a great choice for content creators as well.
📌 Also Read
Battery, Connectivity & AI
The Xperia 1 VIII has a 5,000mAh battery with 30W wired charging and 15W wireless charging and it also supports reverse wireless charging. Sony says the phone can go up to two days on a single charge and there is also a Processing Optimisation feature that helps cut down power usage in apps like maps and navigation.
For connectivity the phone supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0 with aptX Lossless, NFC and USB-C 3.2 with video output. It covers all major location systems too including GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo and QZSS. The 3.5mm headphone jack is still present which is something not many flagship phones offer anymore.
On the AI side Sony has introduced an AI Camera Assistant powered by Xperia Intelligence. It looks at the scene in front of the camera and suggests color tones, lens options and bokeh effects to help get a better shot. It works automatically but users who prefer shooting manually can simply turn it off. There is also a dedicated physical button to pull up Xperia AI quickly which is a nice touch for everyday use.
Sony Xperia 1 VIII Specifications
- Design & Build: 162 x 74 x 8.3 mm, 200g, IP65/IP68 dust and water resistant, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front, Gorilla Glass Victus back, aluminum frame
- Display: 6.5-inch LTPO OLED, 120Hz, 1080 x 2340 pixels, 1510 nits (peak)
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3nm), Adreno 840 GPU
- Software & UI: Android 16, up to 4 major Android upgrades, 6 years security patches
- Memory: 12GB/256GB, 12GB/512GB, 16GB/512GB, 16GB/1TB, microSDXC (dedicated slot, expandable up to 2TB)
- Rear Camera: 48MP f/1.9 24mm (wide), 1/1.35″, OIS, PDAF + 48MP f/2.8 70mm (periscope telephoto), 1/1.56″, OIS, 2.9x optical zoom + 48MP f/2.0 16mm (ultrawide), 1/1.56″, Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* coating, LED flash, HDR, Panorama, Eye Tracking, Video 4K@120fps
- Front Camera: 12MP f/2.0 24mm (wide), 1/2.9″, HDR, Video 4K@60fps
- Network & SIM: 5G, Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7 tri-band, Bluetooth 6.0 with aptX Lossless, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS, NFC, USB Type-C 3.2 OTG with video output
- Sound: Full-stage stereo speakers, 3.5mm jack, Hi-Res and Hi-Res wireless audio, Dynamic vibration system, Snapdragon Sound
- Sensors: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, barometer, compass, Native Sony Alpha camera support
- Battery: 5000mAh, 30W wired charging (50% in 30 min), 15W wireless, reverse wireless, bypass charging
Sony Xperia 1 VIII Price in Nepal & Availability
In Japan the Sony Xperia 1 VIII starts at JPY 235,400 for the base 12GB and 256GB model. The 12GB and 512GB variant is priced at JPY 251,900 while the 16GB and 512GB option goes for JPY 268,400. The top-end 16GB and 1TB model is priced at JPY 299,200.
As for the Sony Xperia 1 VIII Nepal launch there is no official confirmation yet. But if it does make its way to the local market the expected Sony Xperia 1 VIII price in Nepal is around NPR 268,899 for the base model and NPR 349,099 for the 1TB variant. Pre-orders are already open and the phone is expected to ship globally around June 19, 2026.
| Sony Xperia 1 VIII | Price in Japan (Official) | Price in Nepal (Expected) |
|---|---|---|
| 12GB/256GB | JPY 235,400 | NPR 268,999 |
| 12GB/1TB | JPY 349,099 | NPR 349,099 |
Conclusion
The Sony Xperia 1 VIII is a well-rounded flagship built for people who take their photography seriously. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, triple 48MP Zeiss cameras and a clean Android 16 experience make it a strong package. Charging speeds could be better but overall it holds its ground well against other premium Android phones in 2026. For anyone in Nepal keeping an eye on flagship smartphones this year the Xperia 1 VIII is definitely one to watch.
