Sony’s €1,499 Xperia 1 VIII Draws Backlash Over AI Camera Samples
Updated
Updated · Memeburn · May 21
Sony’s €1,499 Xperia 1 VIII Draws Backlash Over AI Camera Samples
2 articles · Updated · Memeburn · May 21
Sony’s Xperia 1 VIII launch was overshadowed after official AI Camera Assistant promo images were mocked online as overexposed, washed out and overly processed.
Sony later said the feature does not edit photos after capture; it suggests four pre-shot presets that adjust exposure, color tone, lens choice and bokeh based on scene analysis.
The criticism spread quickly across tech social media, with reposts from figures including Nothing CEO Carl Pei, turning the samples into a meme despite revised images from Sony.
That backlash diverted attention from the phone’s hardware upgrades, including a new 48MP telephoto sensor about four times larger than the previous model’s and Sony’s biggest Xperia redesign in years.
Priced from €1,499, the flagship keeps niche features such as a headphone jack and microSD slot, ships from June 19 in Europe and Asia, and will not launch officially in the US.
After its AI camera became a meme, can Sony's powerful hardware save its new flagship from marketing failure?
Is the industry's push for AI photography creating smarter cameras that actually take worse pictures?