Sony’s Xperia 1 flagships have looked more or less the same since 2020, but that’s finally changing with the Xperia 1 VIII, which moves to a chunky square camera island. The phone also boasts what should be a substantially improved telephoto camera, along with an AI camera assistant that looks like an improved version of Google’s Camera Coach.
Technology
Sony’s new Xperia phone gets an overdue redesign
While every previous Xperia 1 phone has had three vertical cameras, and the last six have positioned them in the same top-left corner spot, the 1 VIII mixes things up. The three lenses are now laid out in a square block, together with the flash and a Sony logo, that’s raised from the phone but slopes towards its edge. It’s a little bit iPhone, but more closely resembles the design of some of Motorola’s recent Edge phones, though with an angularity that feels distinct to Sony. It’s the main part of an overdue design refresh, blowing fresh air into Sony’s slick, but now slightly stale, aesthetic. It’s a surprise too, not least because it doesn’t at all match the Xperia 10 VII, which also got a whole new look recently, but adopted a horizontal camera bar instead.
The Xperia 1 VIII is available in four colors: black, silver, red, and a gold that’s exclusive to Sony’s online store. There’s a subtle texturing to the camera island, the frosted glass back, and the aluminum edges, along with a knurled finish on the dedicated camera shutter button. Like previous Sony phones there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack too, plus a microSD slot and a combined IP65/68 resistance rating (this used to be the best around, though has since been bested by a number of IP68/69 phones).
1/3
The redesign may be overdue aesthetically, but it probably serves practical purpose too, allowing Sony to fit in a substantially larger sensor for the phone’s telephoto lens. The 1/1.56-inch-type sensor here is almost four times larger than the Xperia 1 VII’s, much bigger than either Apple or Samsung’s best, and close in size to those found in the Vivo X300 Ultra and Xiaomi 17 Ultra. With a relatively fast f/2.8 aperture and 48-megapixel resolution, this 70mm-equivalent lens could be one of the best telephotos around, so long as Sony nails the processing. The only downside is that to fit in the larger sensor, Sony has given up on the continuous optical zoom found on its last four flagships — just as Xiaomi has copied the feature in its own 17 Ultra.
The telephoto is joined by main and ultrawide cameras, both 48-megapixel and essentially unchanged from the previous phone. The camera system as a whole has been improved with a new RAW multi-frame processing pipeline, better bokeh, and updated macro shooting that’s been incorporated into the default camera mode and now supports autofocus too.
The other big camera upgrade is an AI camera assistant. When you’re preparing to take a photo, this will suggest different options for filters, framing, and which lens to use, together with more fine-tuned tweaks like brightening the photo’s subject, but not its background. The suggestions pop up before you take a photo, though Sony says you can turn the feature off entirely if you prefer. It seems much more powerful than the rather basic AI Camera Coach functionality on Google’s Pixel 10 phones, though I suspect many will prefer the fact that Google’s mode must be activated manually, while Sony’s appears to be on by default.
Sony has packed in a few other upgrades too. There are new full-stage stereo speakers, apparently tuned together with Sony Pictures and Sony Music, which are clearer and louder than before. The 5,000mAh battery and 30W charging are unchanged, though Sony says the phone will last an hour longer than before thanks to a few optimizations under the hood. It’s now powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and comes with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage (though only in the online-only gold finish). One big downside is that it will only receive four years of OS updates, and six of security patches, fewer than almost any other comparable flagship.
The Xperia 1 VIII starts from £1,399 / €1,499 (about $1,765) for the standard model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The 16GB / 1TB model is a punchy £1,849 / €1,999 ($2,355). The phone is available to order now in Europe and Asia, but Sony has no plans for a North American launch.
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We’ve arrived at the final day of Prime Day, which at this point should probably be called “Prime Week.” We’ve found discounts on all manner of gadgets, including TVs, smart home tech, chargers, headphones, and more. Some of the best deals have started selling out at some retailers, so if you’ve been craving a popular upgrade like the AirPods Max 2, time is running low.
The good news is that our team is still hard at work, and in addition to the deals that remain in stock, the retailers sometimes save up a few extras for the last day (like this Echo Spot that got a little cheaper). This roundup is our pride and joy; the culmination of over four days of deal hunting by our entire team. We’ve worked tirelessly for the last week and arrived at a list of over 120 discounted items (and growing) that we’re happy to share with you.
Of course, our Prime Day coverage spans every category The Verge staff touches, and is a great place to explore the full breadth of discounts we’re able to find on the stuff we’ve tested, regularly use, and love. We genuinely enjoy helping you save on cool tech and fun gadgets that are actually worth your hard-earned money, especially when everything is getting more expensive.
Smartwatch and wearable deals
Home theater and speaker deals
Update, June 26th: Struck some out of deals near the end of the sale.
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Dublin, Ohio, gave a robot cop a trial run inside a public parking garage. Less than a year later, the machine was off the job and headed back to its maker.
DubBot, a Knightscope security robot used by the Dublin Police Department, was meant to help deter crime, support emergency response and give the city another way to monitor a busy public space. However, its patrols led to zero arrests, tickets or criminal cases.
Now the failed pilot raises a bigger question nationwide. Should local leaders have to prove these machines work before putting them on patrol?
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Dublin’s robot cop pilot ended after its patrols led to zero arrests, tickets or criminal cases. (Knightscope)
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Ohio robot cop ends its parking garage patrol
DubBot began patrolling the Rock Cress Parking Garage in July 2025. The robot was one of Knightscope’s K5 Autonomous Security Robots, the tall white security machines built to move through public spaces and act as an extra set of eyes.
Dublin retired DubBot on May 12 after deciding the pilot no longer fit the city’s operational needs. The robot has since gone back to Knightscope.
The city’s public safety page now says the autonomous safety robot pilot has ended. It also notes that Dublin added other security measures at the Rock Cress garage, including entrance and exit gate arms and mirrors.
What the Ohio robot cop was supposed to do
DubBot was designed to support police operations, deter crime and give people another way to reach emergency help. The robot had 360-degree video cameras, two-way emergency communication and an emergency call button that could connect people with dispatchers.
In theory, that sounds useful. A robot moving through a parking garage could make people feel watched over. It could also give police a live look at an area without assigning an officer there full time.
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But let’s be real here. A camera on wheels still has to solve a real problem. Parking garages have awkward corners, quick encounters and plenty of moments where something can happen fast. A robot moving at walking speed may create a visible presence. However, presence alone does not equal public safety results.
How much the Ohio robot cop cost
Dublin spent $128,080 in the first year of the agreement. The city expects a reimbursement from Knightscope of about $60,500, bringing the final cost down to $67,548.
The original plan was larger. Dublin had planned to pay $238,440 for two robots over two years. However, the second robot never rolled out. It was supposed to serve Riverside Crossing Park, but development needs and infrastructure limits kept it from going into service.
SMART STREET SENSORS COULD BE WATCHING YOUR CITY NEXT
That leaves one robot, one parking garage and a pilot that ended with no arrests, no criminal cases and no tickets.
The city also collected no other performance metrics because the pilot was meant to test the robot before any expansion.
That part should make taxpayers pause. When a city tests an expensive public safety tool, people deserve a clear way to judge whether it worked.
US TARGETS CHINESE ROBOTS OVER SECURITY FEARS
Why cities keep testing robot cops
You can understand why local governments keep looking at these robots. Police departments are stretched. Public spaces need coverage. Parking garages, parks and transit hubs can be hard to monitor with people alone.
Security robots promise a lot. They can move around, stream video, offer a help button and act as a visible deterrent. They also give a city a technology-forward image, which can sound appealing during a public safety pitch.
The challenge comes after the rollout. When a city says a robot deters crime, officials should explain how they will measure deterrence. When the robot supports emergency response, the city should track how often people use the help button. When the robot helps investigations, officials should show whether its video helped solve cases. Without that kind of follow-up, a robot can become a pricey symbol rather than a useful safety tool.
HUMANOID ROBOTS JUST GOT A WORKPLACE SAFETY SYSTEM
Other robot cop pilots have struggled too
Dublin is hardly the only city to test a Knightscope K5 and then move on. New York City tried a K5 robot in the Times Square subway station. That pilot ended after several months. Reports at the time noted that officers had to chaperone the robot and that the machine could not use stairs.
San Antonio International Airport also tested a Knightscope robot. That trial ran into technical problems, including navigation issues, camera focus problems and trouble with live video and audio feeds.
Those cases do not prove that every security robot will fail. They do show that public spaces are tough testing grounds. A robot may look impressive in a demo, then struggle when crowds, tight spaces, doors, stairs and real people get involved.
The Knightscope K5 security robot was designed to monitor public spaces and connect people with emergency dispatchers. (Knightscope)
Robot cops raise privacy questions
The other issue here is privacy. Dublin has a broader public safety technology program that includes drones, license plate readers, security cameras, body-worn cameras and facial recognition technology under a formal policy. Add a roaming robot with cameras and emergency communication, and residents may have fair questions.
What does the robot record? Who can access the footage? How long does the city keep it? Does the system use facial recognition? What happens when someone presses the emergency button? What data goes to the company?
Cities should answer those questions before a robot starts patrolling public spaces. The point isn’t to reject every new tool. The point is to make sure public safety tech comes with public accountability.
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What this means to you
If a robot starts patrolling your local garage, mall, park or transit hub, do not get distracted by the cool tech factor. The first question should be: What does it actually do when something goes wrong?
Can it connect you to a real person fast? Is someone watching the video when it matters? Can it help during an emergency, or does it mostly record what has already happened?
But let’s be real here. If your tax dollars are paying for this kind of technology, your city should explain the goal before the robot rolls out. Otherwise, people may only learn whether it worked after the money has already been spent. New technology can sound impressive. However, results still count.
SCAMMERS CAN EXPLOIT YOUR DATA FROM JUST 1 CHATGPT SEARCH
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Kurt’s key takeaways
A robot cop patrolled a parking garage, led to zero arrests and then got sent back. That should make taxpayers ask some hard questions. But let’s be real here. If local leaders are paying for AI-powered public safety tools, they should explain what problem the tech solves, how success will be measured and what happens to the data it collects. Dublin deserves credit for ending the pilot when DubBot failed to deliver enough value. A robot can look like progress, but the real test is whether it makes people safer and gives taxpayers results they can actually see.
DubBot patrolled the Rock Cress Parking Garage in Dublin, Ohio, before the city ended the robot pilot program. (The City of Dublin)
Would you feel safer knowing a robot was watching your public space, or should your city have to prove the machine works before spending your tax dollars? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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Philips Hue products don’t often see major discounts, which makes this year’s Prime Day deals especially notable. Prices have dropped significantly across much of the company’s smart lighting lineup, with deals on everything from smart bulb starter kits and sleep lamps to smart buttons. If you’ve been thinking about investing in Philips Hue, now is one of the best opportunities we’ve seen all year to do so for less.
Update, June 26th: Updated prices and availability and added a couple of deals, including a discount for the Philips Hue Bridge.
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