Robert Triggs / Android Authority
TL;DR Sony has shared more details about what was causing the Xperia 1 VII to shut down, restart, or fail to power on.
Some Xperia 1 VII units experienced motherboard defects due to exposure to temperature and humidity.
Sony has now resumed sales of its latest smartphone in the European and Japanese markets.
Sony launched its latest flagship smartphone, the Xperia 1 VII, back in May. Unfortunately, the initial feedback on the smartphone was not what Sony had expected. Many buyers complained about their Xperia 1 VII rebooting, shutting down, or not starting at all, leading Sony to pause sales of its latest flagship smartphone and begin investigating the issue. A few days later, the company announced that the issue stemmed from a fault in the smartphone’s motherboard, but stopped short of sharing more details.
Sony has now shared more details on what exactly went wrong with the Xperia 1 VII. The company says that the circuit board was damaged during the manufacturing process due to the influence of temperature and humidity.
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Sony’s post further outlines the steps the company is taking to ensure such issues don’t happen again in the future with its smartphones. These include measures such as controlling the influence of temperature and humidity during motherboard manufacturing and building a new management system to oversee everything that may affect smartphone quality.
The management system has already been put into action and is overseeing the production of new units of the Xperia 1 VII, as well as replacing the defective ones under the free replacement program that started on July 21. You can check if your device is affected by entering its IMEI number on the Sony website. As a heads-up, you can dial *#06# on the phone or check the packaging box to find your smartphone’s IMEI number.
If the IMEI checker tool flags your device as affected, you need to visit a Sony-authorized service center or contact the Sony support team to get your smartphone replaced for free. Your smartphone doesn’t need replacement if it is not mentioned in the list.
All that said, the Sony Xperia 1 VII is back on sale from August 25 in the European market and August 27 in the Japanese market, respectively.
Sony Xperia 1 VII High-res audio capture • Top-tier specs • AI camera assist MSRP: €1,499.00 Now with Walkman DNA and AI camera tools The Sony Xperia 1 VII focuses media capture, including Walkman DNA with integrated high-quality audio components, and powerful AI tools to help capture the best possible images and video. A 5,000mAh battery promises two-day battery life running the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, a 6.5-inch FHD+ display, and a 52MP camera. See price at Amazon Positives Excellent video options
Excellent video options Great audio support
Great audio support Six years of updates
Six years of updates Still has 3.5mm jack and microSD support
Still has 3.5mm jack and microSD support Gorgeous display Cons Very expensive
Very expensive Average cameras
Average cameras Slow to charge
Slow to charge Hot under stress
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