Sony resumes Xperia 1 VII sales in Europe and Japan after July pause

Sony said it will resume sales of its flagship Xperia 1 VII in eligible European markets on August 25, 2025, and in Japan on August 27, after pausing sales in July following reports that some handsets unexpectedly shut down, rebooted or would not power on. The company said the suspension and subsequent investigation were prompted by customer complaints and that steps have been taken to prevent a recurrence.

Sony announced on its website that "sales of Xperia 1 VII smartphones in eligible European markets will resume on August 25th 2025," and has issued similar statements for Japan. The company temporarily halted sales on July 16 after identifying an issue that could cause power failures. In July Sony launched a free replacement program for affected units and said it has been contacting customers who bought devices directly from Sony.

Investigators determined the root cause was damage to circuit boards during manufacture, caused by the influence of temperature and humidity, Sony said. The company has altered its assembly process for new units and introduced a new management system to oversee manufacturing quality, including controls to verify and evaluate risks that could affect...