Sony Xperia 1 VII vs. Xperia Pro-I: A Deep Dive into Sony's Flagship Choices
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Sony Xperia 1 VII is the superior choice. Its Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset delivers dramatically improved performance and efficiency, coupled with a significantly brighter display and vastly superior battery life. While the Pro-I retains niche appeal for specific professional workflows, the 1 VII offers a more well-rounded and future-proof experience.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Sony Xperia Pro-I | Sony Xperia 1 VII |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - Europe |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Europe |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 | - | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, October 26 | 2025, May 13 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, December 02 | Available. Released 2025, June 04 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 166 x 72 x 8.9 mm (6.54 x 2.83 x 0.35 in) | 162 x 74 x 8.2 mm (6.38 x 2.91 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 211 g (7.44 oz) | 197 g (6.95 oz) |
| IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Built-in strap-hole | - | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, Mohs level 5 |
| Resolution | 1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~396 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.5 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~82.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.5 inches, 103.7 cm2 (~86.5% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020 | LTPO OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020 |
| Runs at 1096 x 2560 pixels except for select use cases | - | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (2x4.32 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L + 6x3.53 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix M) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Adreno 830 |
| OS | Android 11, upgradable to Android 13 | Android 15, up to 4 major Android upgrades |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 512GB 12GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.X | - | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, 12-bit RAW, HDR, eye tracking | Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4", 1.12µm | - |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/2.0-4.0, 24mm (wide), 1.0"-type, 2.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS (315 PDAF points, 90% frame coverage) 12 MP, f/2.4, 50mm (telephoto), 1/2.9", PDAF, 2x optical zoom, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 124˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55", dual pixel PDAF 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, (depth) | 48 MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide), 1/1.35", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.3, 85mm (telephoto), f/3.5, 170mm (telephoto), 1/3.5", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, 3.5x-7.1x continuous optical zoom, OIS, 4cm macro @ 120mm, no AF 48 MP, f/2.0, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, PDAF |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS | 4K@24/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm | 12 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/2.9", 1.22µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | - |
| 35mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 6.0, A2DP, LE Audio, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG, DisplayPort | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG, video output |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass |
| Native Sony Alpha camera support | - | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 30W wired, PD, 50% in 30 min | 30W wired, PD3.0, PPS, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh | 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Frosted Black | Moss Green, Orchid Purple, Slate Black |
| Models | XQ-BE62, XQBE62-B, XQ-BE62-B, XQ-BE62/B, XQ-BE42, XQ-BE42-B, XQ-BE42/B, XQ-BE72, XQ-BE52 | XQ-FS54, XQFS54EUKCG.GC, XQFS54EUKCV.GC, XQFS54EUKCB.GC, PDX256 |
| Price | About 930 EUR | € 1,338.99 / $ 1,394.99 / £ 1,149.94 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 87h | - |
| Camera | Photo / Video | - |
| Loudspeaker | -28.6 LUFS (Average) | - |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 725839 (v9) GeekBench: 3540 (v5.1) GFXBench: 51fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | - |
| EU LABEL | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery | - | 43:30h endurance, 1400 cycles |
| Energy | - | Class B |
| Free fall | - | Class B (181 falls) |
| Repairability | - | Class D |
Sony Xperia Pro-I
- HDMI input for external monitoring
- Slightly more compact design
- Established professional workflow integration
- Outdated Snapdragon 888 chipset
- Significantly shorter battery life
- Dimmer display
Sony Xperia 1 VII
- Cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset
- Exceptional battery life and 1400 cycles
- Much brighter and more vibrant display
- Wireless charging and reverse wireless charging
- Lacks HDMI input for external monitoring
- Potentially larger form factor
Display Comparison
The Xperia 1 VII boasts a substantial leap in display technology, achieving a measured peak brightness of 1475 nits compared to the Pro-I’s 644 nits. This difference is immediately noticeable in outdoor visibility. While both likely utilize OLED panels, the 1 VII’s brightness and potentially improved color calibration make it far superior for HDR content consumption. The Pro-I’s display, while adequate, feels dated in comparison. We expect the 1 VII to also benefit from a more modern panel with potentially higher refresh rates and improved touch responsiveness, though this isn't explicitly stated in the data.
Camera Comparison
Both devices are described as having 'Photo / Video' capabilities, lacking specific details. However, given Sony’s expertise, we can assume both offer high-quality imaging. The Pro-I’s unique selling point was its ability to function as an external monitor via HDMI, a feature absent in the 1 VII. Without sensor size or aperture information, it’s difficult to make a direct comparison. The 1 VII’s newer image signal processor (ISP) within the Snapdragon 8 Elite likely provides improved noise reduction, dynamic range, and overall image quality. The Pro-I’s advantage lies solely in its external monitor functionality for professional videographers.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The Xperia 1 VII’s Snapdragon 8 Elite (SM8750-AB) built on a 3nm process, represents a generational leap over the Pro-I’s Snapdragon 888 (SM8350) fabricated on a 5nm node. The 1 VII’s octa-core CPU, featuring Oryon V2 Phoenix cores (2x4.32 GHz + 6x3.53 GHz), will deliver significantly faster processing speeds and improved multi-tasking capabilities compared to the Pro-I’s (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 + 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 + 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55). This translates to smoother gaming, faster video editing, and a more responsive user experience. The 3nm process also contributes to better thermal efficiency, reducing the likelihood of throttling during sustained workloads.
Battery Life
Battery life is where the Xperia 1 VII truly shines. The 1 VII’s endurance rating of 43:30h and active use score of 15:32h are dramatically better than the Pro-I’s 87h endurance rating. While the Pro-I’s endurance rating seems high, it’s likely based on older testing methodologies. The 1 VII also adds 15W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, features absent on the Pro-I. Both support 30W wired charging with PD, achieving 50% charge in 30 minutes, but the 1 VII’s larger battery capacity and more efficient chipset provide a significant advantage in real-world usage. The 1 VII also boasts 1400 battery cycles, suggesting a longer lifespan.
Buying Guide
Buy the Sony Xperia Pro-I if you absolutely require HDMI input for external monitoring and prioritize a slightly more compact form factor, understanding you'll sacrifice significant performance and battery life. Buy the Sony Xperia 1 VII if you prioritize raw processing power, exceptional battery endurance, a brighter and more vibrant display, and modern wireless charging features – making it ideal for gaming, content creation, and everyday use.