Although Sony is no longer the juggernaut it used to be in the Android space, the company still makes phones. Its fanbase is certainly just a fraction of what it used to be, but it hasn't stopped producing flagship smartphones, and it makes them the way it wants to, not how the rest of the market pressures it to.
Sony's position in the market is so small that a big issue, like the random power issues that some of its Xperia 1 VII units have been facing, could be rather paralyzing for it. Well, the company has promptly investigated the situation and is offering free replacements for anyone whose device was affected by this issue.
Sony Has Found Out the Reason for Xperia 1 VII: Faulty Circuit Boards
Sony was one of the first companies that I was a big fan of in the smartphone space. I never ended up owning an Xperia, but I still hold a special respect for the company. In fact, I might have considered the Xperia 1 VII a little stronger if Sony's smartphone pricing still made sense. Either way, it seems it was a good thing that I didn't consider it, following user issues with random shutdowns, reboots, and failure to power on.
It was clear that the issue was widespread and affected Xperia units across multiple regions. If you guessed that the problem was a result of faulty hardware, then you win a prize. Sony has investigated and discovered that the “manufacturing process may cause a failure of the circuit board” in what it deems a small number of Xperia 1 VII units. The company says it has identified every affected unit.
Of course, a hardware failure of the circuit board isn't something that can be fixed by a software update. Sony will be offering affected users replacements for their smartphones. It has also stated that the manufacturing process was immediately remedied, so any Xperia 1 VII units coming off the assembly line from now on should be completely fine. Needless to say, this issue was an annoyance for many.
Here's How You Can Claim a Free Replacement Device for an Affected Xperia Phone
Since the issue with the hardware is pretty significant, Sony has opted to simply replace affected devices, instead of cracking them open and trying to replace the faulty circuit boards. The replacement program will commence on July 21st, but before then, there are a few things you need to do.
- First, find your phone's IMEI number. If your phone can't turn on, find the IMEI on the device packaging or printed on the top row of the SIM card tray. If your phone can turn on, type *#06# in the phone app, and your IMEI will be displayed.
- Copy your IMEI and enter it into Sony's IMEI checker.
- If your device is affected and you bought it online, directly from Sony, you'll be contacted with the next steps to take. If you bought it from a retailer, you can visit the nearest Sony Authorized Service Center.
That's it. More details should become clear when the 21st comes around, but for now, you can confirm if your device is part of the affected batch.
