Sony has unveiled the new flagship Xperia 1 VIII, bringing upgraded camera hardware, AI-powered photography tools, and improved audio performance to its premium smartphone lineup.

Leading the update is the new AI Camera Assistant powered by Xperia Intelligence. The feature automatically analyzes scenes, subjects, and even weather conditions to suggest camera settings such as color tones, lens selection, and bokeh effects. Sony says the recommendations are based on its “Creative Look” imaging philosophy developed through its Alpha camera division.

Sharper zoom

The Xperia 1 VIII also gets a major telephoto camera upgrade. Sony equipped the device with a new 1/1.56-inch sensor that is around four times larger than the one used in the previous generation. According to the company, the larger sensor improves detail retention and low-light photography performance, especially for distant subjects.

Sony says all three rear cameras — 16mm, 24mm, and 70mm — now support RAW multi-frame processing. This allows the phone to simultaneously expand dynamic range while reducing noise in darker scenes. The company claims the system minimizes highlight clipping and crushed shadows while preserving fine details and improving color accuracy.

Design, audio, performance

The Xperia 1 VIII introduces a refreshed ORE-inspired design with four color options: Graphite Black, Iolite Silver, Garnet Red, and Native Gold. Sony also retained signature hardware features including the dedicated camera shutter button and the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Audio also sees improvements through newly developed full-stage stereo speakers. Sony says the updated speaker system delivers deeper bass, clearer vocals, and a wider soundstage for music and video playback.

Powering the device is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform, which Sony claims improves processing performance by 20 percent compared to its predecessor. The company also says battery optimizations can deliver up to two days of battery life under typical usage conditions.

Price and availability

Sony will open orders for the Xperia 1 VIII starting May 13, 2026. Early buyers from May 13 to June 30 will receive free WF-1000XM6 noise-canceling headphones and a first-party case while supplies last.

vivo has launched its latest Y Series lineup in Singapore, headlined by the Y05, Y11 5G, and Y21 5G. The new devices focus on long battery life, improved durability, and smoother everyday performance, with 5G models starting at S$199.

The biggest highlight is a 6500mAh BlueVolt battery across the series, a notable jump from the previous generation. vivo says this enables longer usage for streaming, browsing, and gaming, backed by optimized power management. The phones are also designed to maintain battery health for up to five years, aiming for more consistent long-term performance.

For faster top-ups, the Y21 5G supports 44W FlashCharge, allowing quicker recovery when you’re running low.

Durability also gets a boost. The new Y Series comes with IP64 or IP65 ratings for dust and water resistance, alongside SGS Five-Star Drop Resistance and military-grade certifications. Combined with a reinforced structure, these upgrades are meant to better handle everyday wear and accidental drops.

On the front, the devices feature a 6.745-inch display with up to 1200 nits brightness for improved outdoor visibility. vivo pairs this with OriginOS 6, promising smoother app launches, better multitasking, and up to 36 months of consistent performance.

The Y11 5G and Y21 5G bring faster connectivity for downloads and streaming, while the Y21 5G adds a 50MP main camera for clearer everyday shots.

Price and availability

The vivo Y Series is now available in Singapore through online platforms and authorized retailers.

• Y05
  • 8GB + 64GB – SGD 139
  • 8GB + 128GB – SGD 169
• Y11 5G
  • 8GB + 128GB – SGD 199
• Y21 5G
  • 12GB + 128GB – SGD 279

All models come in multiple color options including Summit Platinum, Voyage Black, and Champagne Gold depending on the variant.

Three weeks after the launch of the vivo X300 Ultra, there’s another “Ultra” flagship gleaming on the horizon.

The much-awaited (and much teased) OPPO Find X9 Ultra has finally reached the Eastern shores.

X-treme Cameras

On paper, the OPPO Find X9 Ultra packs the most extreme camera system in a smartphone so far.

First, it has a 200MP f/1.5 main camera based on the newer (and ginormous) Sony LYT-901 1/1.18-inch sensor. This also happens to be the same camera sensor used by the vivo X300 Ultra — just with a tighter 35mm focal length and slightly narrower f/1.85 lens opening.

Second, its 50MP f/2.0 ultra-wide lens with Sony’s 1/1.95-inch LYT-600 sensor.

But, what makes this camera system more extreme? It’s the inclusion of dual periscope telephoto lenses with larger sensors compared to its closest rival, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Find X9 Ultra’s biggest accomplishment can be seen with its 200MP 3x periscope telephoto. This is based from OmniVision’s OV52A sensor at 1/1.28 inches.

GIF by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

The next periscope module is a 50MP Samsung ISOCELL JNL 1/2.75-inch sensor. This second zoom shooter can capture 10x optically-zoomed shots, 20x “optical quality” snaps, all the way to 120x.

A dedicated camera button stays — now in the signature Hasselblad orange shade.

All in all, these are ultimate upgrades to the quad 50MP camera setup of last year’s OPPO Find X8 Ultra.

For video shooting, the OPPO Find X9 Ultra is capable of shooting up to 4K/120fps or 8K in 30fps. LOG Mode is also supported via OPPO’s O-Log2 with support for Custom 3D LUTs.

X-citing Partnership

The Find X9 Ultra’s massive camera module are all co-produced with Hasselblad — further solidifying the partnership between the Swedish camera brand and the Chinese phone maker.

To make things even more X-citing, the OPPO Find X9 Ultra has a special edition Hasselblad Earth Explorer Kit.

This optional camera kit consists of a massive 300mm LUMO telephoto kit lens, camera lens ring module, set of filters, adapters, and hood, pouch to house them all in, an embroidered Hasselblad lanyard.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Heck! Even a custom camera grip case reminiscent of Hasselblad’s very own X2D 100C Earth Explorer camera.

Speaking of, the OPPO Find X9 Ultra comes in the Tundra Umber colorway of the same earth-like hues and signature Hasselblad orange detailing.

GIF by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

If that isn’t your cup of tea, there are two more color options: Polar Glacier (white) and Canyon Orange. Albeit, the special grip case is only available in one color.

If the Hasselblad Kit already feels like an overkill, check out the TILTA KHRONOS Kit suited for videographers and aspiring filmmakers alike.

It’s a different set-up with follow-focus power handle, cooling back clip, ND filter adapter ring, side handle, and expansion dock.

X-quisite Flagship

Just like any 2026 flagship, the Find X9 Ultra runs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC based on the 3nm process.

GIF by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

LPDDR5X memory choices are either  between 12- or 16GB while its UFS 4.1 internal storage now has a bigger 1TB option (the X8 Ultra has a 512GB limitation).

Its 6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED display has been improved too. Now, it has an even smoother 144Hz refresh rate with brightness as low as 1 nit.

Compared to the 6100mAh battery of its predecessor, the Find X9 Ultra has a boosted 7050mAh Si/C battery. It’s currently the largest capacity in any Ultra flagship slab so far.

However, wired and wireless charging speeds remain at 100W and 50W respectively.

X-plit Strategy

The Find X9 Ultra isn’t the only phone being launched.

Find X9s (Left), Find X9s Pro (Right)

OPPO aims for a split strategy this time by separately unveiling the Find X9s Pro and Find X9s for the Chinese and global markets respectively. JSYK, these are two different phone models.

OPPO adds an iPhone-like “Camera Plateau” cutout to Find X9 Pro’s camera system — highlighting various earth-like textures. That system includes dual 200MP Hasselblad cameras (main and telephoto). On the other hand, the ultra-wide camera is capped at 50MP.

Meanwhile, the Find X9s borrows the same square cutout of last year’s Find X9 series with a consistent triple 50MP camera system.

Also, the Find X9s Pro has its own Special Camera Kit. The Find X9s doesn’t have one.

Moreover, the Find X9s Pro rocks MediaTek’s flagship-level Dimensity 9500. While the Find X9s has the slightly-underpowered Dimensity 9500s chipset.

While both phones support LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 ROM protocols, configurations are different. The Find X9s Pro has choices between 12 or 16GB of memory and up to 1TB of storage. However, the Find X9s only has a lone 12GB memory with limited storage options between 256 or 512GB of storage.

Surprisingly, the Find X9s Pro has the smaller 6.32-inch AMOLED display — a departure from the 6.78-inch Find X9 Pro. Whereas the X9s boasts a bigger screen at 6.59 inches, which is the same as the Find X9.

The only thing these models both share are the 7025mAh Si/C battery and 80W wired SUPERVOOC speeds. Unfortunately, only the X9s Pro supports 50W AIRVOOC wireless charging that the base X9s lacks.

Ultimately, the Find X9 Ultra and X9s series all possess triple IP66, IP68, and IP69 ratings for utmost durability.

Pricing and Availability

The OPPO Find X9 Ultra is currently open for pre-orders in Mainland China:

• 12+256GB = CNY 7499 (US$ 1100 / EUR 900 / GBP 780 / SG$ 1345 / MYR 4355 / PhP 59,590 / INR 90,980)
• 12+512GB = CNY 7999 (US$ 1115 / EUR 960 / GBP 820 / SG$ 1430 / MYR 4645 / PhP 63,685 / INR 95,930)
• 16+512GB = CNY 8499 (US$ 1185 / EUR 1020 / GBP 870 / SG$ 1520 / MYR 4925 / PhP 67,670 / INR 101,930)
• 16+1TB = CNY 9299 (US$ 1365 / EUR 1155 / GBP 1010 / SG$ 1735 / MYR 5390 / PhP 81,880 / INR 126,520)
• 16+1TB Satellite Communication Version = CNY 9499 (US$ 1325 / EUR 1140 / GBP 975 / SG$ 1695 / MYR 5505 / PhP 75,625 / INR 113,920)
• 16+1TB Hasselblad Explorer Master Kit = CNY 11,999 (US$ 1260 / EUR 1070 / GBP 920 / SG$ 2235 / MYR 6965 / PhP 105,110 / INR 164,550)
• Hasselblad Earth Explorer Set = CNY 2499 (US$ 360 / EUR 315 / GBP 270 / SG$ 465 / MYR 1450 / PhP 21,900 / INR 34,270)

If you opt for the Tundra Umber colorway, it’s only limited to the higher 512GB and 1TB configurations.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Meanwhile, the OPPO Find X9s Pro is available in four color choices: Vitality Orange, Native Titanium, Free White, and Riding the Wind (乘风青).

Shockingly, it shares the same price as last year’s Find X9 Pro:

• 12+256GB = CNY 5299 (US$ 745 / EUR 645 / GBP 560 / SG$ 965 / MYR 3145 / PhP 43,360 / INR 65,995)
• 12+512GB = CNY 5499 (US$ 770 / EUR 660 / GBP 570 / SG$ 985 / MYR 3190 / PhP 43,700 / INR 66,720)
• 16+512GB = CNY 5999 (US$ 845 / EUR 730 / GBP 635 / SG$ 1095 / MYR 3560 / PhP 49,085 / INR 74,715)
• 16+1TB = CNY 6999 (US$ 980 / EUR 835 / GBP 730 / SG$ 1260 / MYR 4130 / PhP 56,440 / INR 87,110)

* These are all estimated pricing conversions

Global Availability

As promised, the OPPO Find X9 Ultra is launching outside China.

In Singapore, it’s currently open for pre-orders at SG$ 1899 (12+512GB) and SG$ 2199 (16+1TB). This also entitles the buyer over SG$ 700 worth of freebies plus 20% off when purchasing the Hasselblad Earth Explorer Kit.

After that period, pricing rolls back to SG$ 2199 and SG$ 2599 respectively.

In Malaysia, pre-ordering the Find X9 Ultra until May 7, 2026 (Thursday) with a small fee of MYR 200 entitles you to a free upgrade from a 12+512GB configuration to an extreme 16+1TB model. That’s worth MYR 6799.

On the other hand, the Malaysian Find X9s is only available in a 12+512GB variant for MYR 3599.

Specific pricing for other markets are yet to follow.