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Sony’s next flagship is starting to look a little less predictable, and that alone is news.
A fresh FCC filing linked to a device believed to be the Xperia 1 VIII has surfaced, and while it does not spell out the phone’s name, the timing and model number are enough to get the rumor mill spinning again. The listing, spotted by The Walkman Blog, shows a Sony device carrying the number PY7-30515Z, registered in late March 2026 and made public on April 13.
If the leak is accurate, Sony may have filed this model a bit earlier than last year’s Xperia 1 VII, whose FCC paperwork appeared on April 17, 2025. That does not confirm anything about the launch window just yet, but it does suggest the company may be moving at a similar pace this time around.
Little by little, the picture sharpens
The filing itself is short on drama, but it does offer a few useful clues. The device is listed with wireless charging, Wi-Fi 7 support, and compatibility with multiple 5G bands. More interestingly, there are several references to an earphone jack in the documentation, which strongly hints that Sony could keep, or even restore, the 3.5mm headphone jack on its next Xperia flagship.
That would not be a huge shock. Sony has long treated wired audio as a selling point when much of the smartphone industry has moved in the opposite direction. For Xperia fans, the headphone jack has always been part of the brand’s appeal. Quietly practical. Refreshingly old-school.
There is still plenty we do not know about the Xperia 1 VIII. No official design, no confirmed specs, no launch date. But with FCC filings now in the wild, the phone is clearly edging closer to public view. If Sony follows the same timeline as the Xperia 1 VII, which was announced on May 13, 2025 and released in June, an announcement could arrive in the coming weeks.
For now, the biggest question is simple: will Sony double down on its distinctive approach, or make even bigger changes this year? Either way, the next Xperia is starting to sound like a phone worth watching.
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