Sony launched its latest flagship smartphone, the Xperia 1 VIII, a few months ago running Android 16. In the meantime, Google has released Android 17, and now Sony seems to have started rolling out the update to the Xperia 1 VIII, according to reports from users on Reddit.
Sony Xperia 1 VIII
The update arrives as a 1.2GB over-the-air download, and identifies itself as version 73.1.A.2.61. It seems to be available to some users in Europe for now, but it’s undoubtedly going to spread to more regions in the coming days and weeks.
Sony Xperia 1 VIII Android 17 update
Sony’s official changelog mentions Android 17’s new Desktop mode, and an updated “Wallpaper & style” feature with new wallpapers and new clock designs – this also gives you the ability to customize the shape and style of the icons.
The Quick Settings panel has been revamped with a fresh new look. It lets you resize and arrange the tiles however you want, and you can pick whether you want to see short descriptions on larger tiles. Screen recording is improved too, allowing you to record the entire screen or just a specific app, as well as record device and microphone audio at the same time if you want to include commentary in your videos.
Finally, the AI Camera Assistant in Photo mode lets you register up to three custom looks, name them what you like, and quickly switch to them. Undoubtedly, Sony has packed some bug fixes and performance improvements under the hood as well.
If you want to learn more about the Xperia 1 VIII, check out our video review above. And if you want to go in-depth, don’t miss our comprehensive written review.
Thanks for the tip, Josip!