Key Takeaways
1. Sony’s Xperia 1 VII for 2025 is manufactured by an OEM, not by Sony itself.
2. Many smartphone companies, including Sony, now rely on OEMs for device production instead of in-house manufacturing.
3. Sony’s recent website update removed smartphones from its list of products made at its facilities.
4. This change suggests that Sony has fully shifted to using OEMs for all its smartphone models, including flagships.
5. The move may indicate that Sony has found an OEM capable of meeting the quality standards for its premium Xperia smartphones.
Sony has recently unveiled the Xperia 1 VII, its top-tier smartphone for 2025. However, it has come to light that, similar to its other models that are not flagships, this phone is actually made by an OEM rather than by Sony itself.
OEMs and Smartphone Production
A lot of smartphone companies rely on OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) to create their devices instead of handling the manufacturing in-house. They typically design the phone but contract out the actual building process to an OEM, which constructs the smartphones to fit their guidelines and quality standards. Although Sony was once recognized for making its own smartphones, this seems to have changed.
Changes in Manufacturing
As reported by the Japanese outlet, Sumahodigest, a recent update to Sony’s website in mid-May has led to the removal of smartphones from the list of products produced at its facilities. This is quite a shift, as its factories in Chonburi and Bang Kadi in Thailand, along with the one in Wuxi, China, were previously known for manufacturing smartphones.
The exclusion of smartphones from its production list reportedly backs up speculations that Sony has moved away from making its own devices and is now relying on an OEM. This suggests that this is not just a temporary change and that upcoming models will also be produced by OEMs.
Implications for the Future
This situation is significant because Sony had been known to use OEMs for its non-flagship smartphones, but not for its flagship line, which demanded a higher quality. With the absence of smartphone production from its factory’s product list, it indicates that Sony now has an OEM capable of manufacturing its premium Xperia smartphones up to its expected standards.
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