Sony has officially acknowledged a serious hardware defect affecting certain units of the Xperia 1 VII, promising a free device replacement to impacted users after an investigation revealed a manufacturing flaw in the motherboard.
What’s the problem with the Xperia 1 VII?
Multiple Xperia 1 VII users reported random shutdowns, reboots, and complete failure to power on—issues later traced to a faulty circuit board in some devices. Sony’s post-mortem linked the defect directly to a specific manufacturing process, which has since been corrected to prevent new units from being affected.
How can you check if your Xperia 1 VII is affected?
- Sony has set up an IMEI checker on its website.
- Owners are advised to enter their device’s IMEI number to see if their handset is eligible for replacement.
- If your IMEI is flagged as affected, Sony provides guidance on how to proceed—either via a Sony authorized service center or directly through Sony support depending on where the device was purchased.
Replacement program details
- The replacement initiative begins July 21, 2025.
- Sony strongly recommends backing up all personal data before sending in your affected handset, as the replacement process will wipe the device.
- Owners whose IMEI is not flagged should not have any concern about their device.
Sony’s decisive response and transparent replacement program stand out, especially as the Xperia 1 VII’s issues left many users with “bricked” smartphones after just a few weeks or months of ownership. The company not only halted sales temporarily, but also implemented immediate manufacturing process changes, aiming to restore customer trust and ensure the issue does not recur in future production.