Sony has officially launched a free replacement program for its Xperia 1 VII smartphone after a wave of user complaints forced the company to investigate widespread hardware issues.
The flagship device, which was pulled from shelves earlier this month, suffered from random shutdowns, reboots, and in some cases, complete failure to power on.
After conducting an internal review, Sony confirmed that a faulty circuit board caused these problems in a limited number of units. The company responded by altering its manufacturing process to prevent further defects, stating, “We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused to our customers.”
The replacement program kicks off on July 21. Affected users can check their phone’s eligibility by entering the IMEI number on a dedicated verification portal. If validated, they will receive instructions on how to send in their device for a replacement. Sony also reminded customers to back up important data before shipping their phone.
Behind the scenes, industry insiders suggest the issue may be linked to outsourcing. An unverified source claims that Huaqin, not Huawei as some initially speculated, was in charge of the Xperia 1 VII’s assembly. If true, this would mirror issues seen in other devices like the Zenfone 8, which faced similar complaints when manufactured by third parties.
The decision to move production to external facilities may have been driven by cost-cutting, but the fallout suggests it’s a gamble that backfired. While Sony isn’t as dominant in the smartphone market as Apple or Samsung, this incident highlights the fragility of quality control when manufacturing is outsourced without strict oversight.
Despite the backlash, Sony’s swift response has been praised by some users, especially when compared to how other tech giants handled similar scandals in the past. Still, many fans lament what they see as a long decline for the once-dominant brand.