Sony’s struggles with the Xperia 1 VII could be more severe than many initially thought. 
The company has been cutting back its smartphone operations across Europe and has also halted Xperia 1 VII sales in Taiwan and Hong Kong, following the suspension of sales and shipments in Japan.
In what might indicate the end of Sony’s smartphone presence in much of Europe, the company has stopped selling its phones in Finland. Listings for the Xperia 1 VII and other models have been removed from both Sony’s Finnish website and local retailers’ and carriers’ sites, according to Suomimobiili (translated source).
In an official statement, Sony confirmed that it will no longer sell the Xperia 1 VII in Finland. Instead, the company will focus on selling the phone online, primarily through Amazon and its own stores in select European markets. Here’s the translated statement Sony shared with Suomimobiili:
“The Xperia 1 VII is no longer available for direct purchase in Finland. However, we continue to assess the profitability of our markets and the demand from customers. We are now concentrating on online sales channels to make the purchasing process smoother for our customers. The Xperia 1 VII remains available on Sony’s official online store and through Amazon in selected European regions. Sony is committed to fulfilling its maintenance and upgrade obligations to existing customers.”
Is this the end of Sony mobiles?
A quick glance at Sony’s websites across Europe shows that the Xperia 1 VII isn’t listed on most of them. Some countries like Germany, France, Spain, and the UK still show the device, but it’s mostly out of stock. This strongly suggests that Sony is downsizing its smartphone business, but the reason for this shift remains unclear. The situation might be more serious than we think.
In early July, Sony halted Xperia 1 VII sales and shipments in Japan after numerous reports emerged about devices spontaneously shutting down, rebooting randomly, or failing to power on entirely. Shortly after, Sony announced similar moves in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Days later, the company informed UK consumers that it was investigating the cause of these issues and assessing the scope of the affected units.
These mounting problems, along with Sony’s limited release of the Xperia 1 VII, have fueled rumors that the company might exit the smartphone market entirely. With Xperia phones facing tough challenges in recent years, leading to declining sales, Sony’s retreat from the US market with the Xperia 1 VI, and the Xperia 1 VII’s restricted release, it seems the company may no longer wish to invest in mobile phones. When you add the recent technical issues, the future of Xperia phones looks uncertain.