Sony is quietly retreating from the European smartphone scene, with its latest Xperia 1 VII conspicuously absent from store shelves across the continent.
A recent report from Finland’s Suomimobiili confirms what many long suspected: Sony is shifting focus to online sales and cutting back availability in multiple European markets.
The Xperia 1 VII has vanished from Sony Finland’s official site and partner retailers, with the company confirming it won’t be sold directly in the region. Instead, Sony says it’s “focusing on online shopping channels to provide a smoother shopping experience,” directing potential buyers to its official web store or Amazon in select countries. But even those listings are limited – the flagship model is notably missing in most European countries apart from the UK and Germany.
This strategic pivot isn’t entirely surprising. Sony’s mobile division has been on shaky ground for years, struggling to compete with dominant brands that offer better value, camera performance, and faster software updates. Despite crafting some of the most niche and enthusiast-friendly phones – think headphone jacks, side-mounted fingerprint scanners, no punch-hole displays, and easy root access – Sony’s premium pricing and outdated software support have made them a hard sell in today’s crowded market.
Interestingly, many longtime fans lament this retreat, not because they expect Sony to become a mainstream hit, but because the Xperia line represented a rare breed of phones that catered to power users. With the Xperia 1 VII priced similarly to a Galaxy S25 Ultra or even approaching foldable-tier pricing in some regions, buyers are increasingly asking: why choose Sony?
Sony has confirmed it will continue to support existing customers with updates and maintenance, but that’s little comfort for fans who see this as the beginning of the end. Meanwhile, competitors like Meizu, Acer, and even HMD (makers of Nokia-branded phones) seem to be re-emerging, offering hope that someone else might pick up where Sony left off.
As one user put it, “Instead of lowering their prices, they just lowered their presence.” For many, that says it all.