My favorite smartphone ever was the Xperia XZ1 Compact, the last of the truly great, truly small phones. Despite huge bezels, it had a solid pocket-friendly build and near-flagship specs. Sadly, we’ll never see anything like it again.
Fast-forward to August 7, 2025. Lin Tao (陶琳), Sony CFO, addressed the fate of the Xperia line during a financial briefing. She opened with a contrite note (translated from Japanese): “We apologize for the huge inconvenience to our users,” in an unmistakable nod to the Xperia 1 VII’s infamous fatal shutdown bug that prompted a recall in Japan (Source: CNET Japan).
Powerful reassurance from a company lead
Now, show us the money
Despite the backlash (and Sony’s move away from in-house phone manufacturing), the CFO doubled down: Xperia remains “an extremely important business for us.” She framed communication technology as “a core capability Sony has cultivated for years,” arguing that Xperia isn’t just about phones — it’s a technological foundation for broader applications. That’s not just spin; it’s a mission statement.
Behind the rhetoric lies a stark reality: Xperia’s footprint is shrinking fast. In Japan, Xperia dropped out of the top five smartphone brands in 2024, reeling under competition from Sharp, Xiaomi, OPPO, and a resurgent Google Pixel, which offer far better value or stronger features. Sony’s smartphones skew premium — often flirting with ¥200,000 (around €1,500 for the Xperia 1 VII) — putting them out of reach for the cost-conscious majority. Coupled with middling mid-range offerings, lackluster marketing, and a niche audience, the line barely registers in a market pushing 30 million units annually.
The Sony Xperia 1 series is great, but expensive.
Sony has tried innovating. The Xperia 1 VII arrived as a showcase of high-end optics, premium audio, and flagship-tier specs. Yet, insiders warn the strategy feels like “selling midrange hardware at flagship prices,” failing to justify the steep costs.
Even so, the CFO’s remarks seem to have struck a chord with Xperia diehards. The notion that Sony intends to “keep Xperia going” stirred relief across forums and fan groups. Online, some fans praised the move, saying, “at least they’re not giving up.”
So, what now? A suspension of sales in global markets and a replacement program in the company’s home country may dent consumer trust, but it hasn’t knocked Sony out. Xperia remains the brand’s showcase for powering entertainment, connectivity, and camera sensor innovation, but it needs more than that. To escape its niche trap, Sony must reckon with pricing, software polish, and broader appeal.
For those of us who still long for pocketable excellence, the XZ1 Compact lit a path. Whether Xperia can rekindle that spark or vanish into premium oblivion remains to be seen.
