Big bump, bigger bezels: Fresh Xperia 1 VIII CAD renders back up earlier design leaks

It’s been a few weeks since the first renders of the Xperia 1 VIII popped up. Those renders revealed a surprisingly different design for the Sony flagship, leading some to believe they could be just an April Fools’ joke. However, new renders based on factory CAD data have emerged, and it looks like those older renders weren’t far off.

In collaboration with tipster OnLeaks, My Mobiles has shared CAD renders of the Xperia 1 VIII. These renders back up the idea that Sony is ditching the vertical rear camera layout for a square-shaped camera island. In addition to images, this leak also offers a few new details.

According to the report, the Xperia 1 VIII’s dimensions are 161.9mm x 74.4mm x 8.58mm. For comparison, the VII measures 162mm x 74mm x 8.2mm. That means the new Xperia 1 will be slightly wider, thicker, and shorter than its predecessor. Meanwhile, the display will be the same size at 6.5 inches.

Something that’s been a point of contention since the first renders surfaced was the front camera and bezels. In previous iterations of the Xperia 1, the front camera hid in the phone’s thick top bezel. Some renders of the Xperia 1 VIII showed a handset without bezels and a camera hole cutout. However, these CAD renders suggest that the bezels are indeed back and there is no cutout.

One final interesting detail relates to the redesigned camera bump. This island stands 2.79mm high, bringing the phone’s total thickness to 11.37mm. The previous model had a camera bump that’s 1.1 mm tall, which brought its total thickness to about 9.3mm.

At the moment, there are no details on when Sony will launch the Xperia 1 VIII. However, Sony announced the VII last year in the middle of May. Availability opened up about a month later.