Sony Xperia 1 VIII review: A diamond in the Ore?

Sony’s Xperia 1 VIII continues to defy industry trends by pairing legacy features like the headphone jack and microSD slot with the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. While the refined design and improved battery life impress, the conservative charging speeds and familiar camera processing remain polarizing. Does this niche flagship finally do enough to challenge the mainstream competition, or is it just another iterative refresh? Check out our video review to learn ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW about the phone's top features, build and screen quality, battery life, performance, and camera image quality. ▶ Check price https://www.gsmarena.com/where-to-buy.php3?p=14660 Note: This is an unbiased, non-sponsored review, but sales commissions may be earned if you make a purchase through the link above. ▶ Read our detailed text review https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_1_viii-review-2963.php ▶ Check out the full specs https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_1_viii_5g-14660.php ▶ Check out how the phone sounds https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_1_viii-review-2963p3.php#lt ▶ Our new Active use score for battery life is explained here: https://www.gsmarena.com/introducing_gsmarena_battery_test_v2-news-60397.php ******************* 00:00 - Sony Xperia 1 VIII review 00:32 - Unique hardware & special features 01:14 - Xperia limited AI features 02:00 - What is new compared to 1 VII? 02:15 - New Ore texture design tour 02:21 - IP 65/68 rating 02:27 - 6.5" 120Hz OLED display specs 02:56 - Screen brightness test 03:20 - Stereo speakers test 03:33 - Android 16 & Sony UI walkthrough 04:15 - Software update policy 04:21 - Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 speed 04:29 - AnTuTu 11, Geekbench 6 & 3D Mark scores 04:40 - Thermal throttling & stability 04:58 - 5000mAh battery life test 05:17 - 30W charging speed test 05:39 - 15W wireless charging 05:44 - Camera specs: triple 48MP sensors 06:16 - Main camera: daylight image quality 06:54 - 2.9x telephoto camera photo quality 07:44 - Macro & closeups test 07:49 - Selfie quality 08:03 - Low-light quality: main cam 08:18 - Low-light quality: telephoto 08:40 - Low-light quality: Ultrawide 08:47 - Video features 09:03 - 4K video quality: daylight 09:27 - 4K video quality: low-light 09:43 - Verdict: Is the Xperia 1 VIII worth it? 10:25 - Two Alternatives: Xperia 1 VII & S26 Ultra