Sony has announced a temporary suspension of sales and shipments for its flagship smartphone, the Xperia 1 VII, in Japan. This device has only been available for a month in Sony’s home country and select European markets since its announcement in May. The company cites multiple reports of the Xperia 1 VII experiencing issues such as unexpected shutdowns, erratic reboots, and complete failure to power on as the reason for this decision.
While these individual problems may not seem severe, they appear to be affecting a considerable number of devices. The suspension affects only the Japanese market, and there is no confirmation that similar issues are occurring with models sold elsewhere, including Europe and the United States. Notably, the Xperia 1 VII is not available in the US, making a domestic release unlikely, especially since its predecessor was never launched there.
For customers experiencing issues, Sony has provided a potential solution. Users are advised to hold down the power and volume up buttons for approximately 20 seconds to attempt a recovery, followed by applying the latest software updates. Detailed instructions for the update process are available on Sony’s Japanese support page.
If the problems persist, users are encouraged to contact Sony’s customer service. Interestingly, the suggestion that software updates might resolve the issues indicates a possible software rather than hardware problem. However, the company is still investigating the underlying causes.
If it turns out that there are hardware issues, this could jeopardize Sony’s mobile ambitions, given that the Xperia 1 VII is already considered expensive and less attractive than many competing devices. An unresolved crisis could prove detrimental to Sony’s future in the smartphone market.