Sony Confirms Xperia 1 VII Power Glitch, Offers Free Replacements

The Sony Xperia 1 VII launched with high expectations last month, but its sudden disappearance from official sales channels in early July raised eyebrows. Now we know why: Sony has officially acknowledged critical power issues affecting a number of units.

After an internal investigation, Sony found that a flaw in the manufacturing process could cause the circuit board to fail, resulting in random shutdowns, reboots, or even rendering the device unable to power on. Thankfully, the company claims this only impacts a small number of smartphones.

The good news? Sony isn’t sweeping the issue under the rug. The tech giant has identified all faulty Xperia 1 VII units and is launching a free replacement program. Affected customers will be able to exchange their defective phones for new ones starting July 21, 2025.

To check if your Xperia 1 VII is eligible, you’ll need the device’s IMEI number. You can find this in the phone’s Settings under System > About phone > Status > IMEI information. If your device won’t turn on, the IMEI is also printed on the SIM tray and the box sleeve.

Owners can verify their IMEI through Sony’s online checker. If your phone qualifies:

• Purchased from Sony’s official store? Sony will contact you directly or you can reach out for support.
• Bought elsewhere? Visit a Sony Authorized Service Center or contact customer support.

Until replacements are available, Sony urges users to back up important data as a precaution.

This debacle reignites questions about Sony’s long-term smartphone ambitions. Since dissolving its standalone mobile division in 2019, Sony folded smartphones into its Electronics Products & Solutions group, outsourcing even some flagship production to third parties-likely including the Xperia 1 VII.

Despite a shaky mobile past and rumors of exiting key European markets, Sony actually posted modest mobile revenue growth in Q3 2024. Only two phones launched this year-Xperia 1 VI and Xperia 10 VI-yet they seem to have kept Sony in the game.

While this latest hardware blunder might hurt short-term sales, the company’s quick response shows it still takes its mobile customers seriously. A full market exit? Unlikely-for now.