Sony is back with the Xperia 1 VII, but do we really need it?

From quality control issues with proximity sensors, fingerprint readers, and screens to buggy interfaces, half-baked software, and strange UI decisions (Side Sense is horrible), most Xperias are a pain to use. 

This is unacceptable for a phone that costs north of $1000.

Software support? Well, maybe…

In a time when even midrange phones and tablets receive seven years of major OS upgrades, Sony promises only two OS upgrades and three years of security patches.

This lack of commitment not only makes people avoid buying new Xperia flagships but also locks down the used market—who would buy a two-year-old Xperia flagship with no further software updates down the line?

The Xperia 1 Mark VI was a cry for help

In a typical Sony way, the company tried to change things and address some of the issues with last year's Xperia 1 Mark VI. I say "typical Sony" because the company just dropped some of the most original features of the Xperia lineup, ones that made the series unmistakably Sony, and decided to go mainstream.

The Xperia 1 VI ditched the 4K screen for a 1080p one (dropping the pixel density down to midrange levels at 396 PPI). The phone also abandoned the 21:9 aspect ratio that made Xperia phones unique both in design and feel in the hand. And finally, Sony removed all the pro-grade software and nested everything under one simple Camera app.

This in turn morphed the Xperia from a niche, expensive, geeky smartphone that no one was buying into a boring, expensive copycat that still no one bought (according to IDC analysts, sales for Sony's smartphone business dropped 40% last year).

What's up with the Xperia 1 Mark VII?

Sadly, according to the latest leaks, the Xperia 1 VII looks like another blind shot. First, the rumored price tag for the device is $1,399, and that might again be a tough sell. Second, the camera system looks the same, except for the continuous zoom telephoto, which is expected with a 70-200mm focal length equivalent (that's 3.5X-8.3X relative to the main camera).

It sounds good on paper, but during years of testing I found this continuous zoom telephoto lacking compared to a fixed one. I really hope Sony has made improvements on that front.

Finally, Sony seems to have succumbed to the pressure and the backlash for removing the 4K display on the previous generation, and the company is bringing all those pixels back to the Xperia 1 VII's screen.

This might be overkill. Why switch between a 4K and 1080p display? Why not offer a QHD, something around 1440 x 3120 pixels?

There's no mention of software support yet, but I doubt Sony will miraculously switch from two to seven years. We'll have to wait on this one, but the question remains.

Do we need another Xperia smartphone, or should Sony call it quits?

I've always been an advocate for tech diversity, and the oddballs like Xperia smartphones, LGs, and HTCs have always been in my heart. The harsh reality, however, is that LG and HTC are gone from the smartphone world, and Sony's on its way out.

I think the time might have come for Sony to hang up its smartphone gloves and focus on what the company's good at. Sony makes top-notch cameras, some of the best in the industry, and great OLED TV sets. PlayStation is the best-selling console of all time (with the PlayStation 2 selling 160 million units).

It's better to remember Xperia as a cool and original smartphone brand than to see it dilute and dissolve in the saturated market. It's too late to the party; it feels outdated, and I don't think it can catch up.

What do you think? Do we need Xperia phones just for the sake of keeping the brand alive, or should Sony move on? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts in the comments below.