Tech Giant Apologizes for Smartphone Shutdown Saga, Offers Free Replacements

As of August 29th, 2025, one of the world's biggest tech companies, Sony, has been facing a significant challenge with its Xperia smartphone lineup. The company has been forced to apologize to its customers after a technical fault caused some of its Xperia 1 VII handsets to shut down and fail to turn on properly.

The issue, which prompted the temporary closure of sales for the affected models, has now been addressed by Sony. The company has stated that it has changed its manufacturing process to ensure that the problem does not happen again. For those customers who have been affected by the shutdown issue, Sony is offering free replacement units.

In a statement on its Japanese website, Sony expressed its "sincere apologies to many customers for the inconvenience caused" and acknowledged the delays in the replacement process. The company has assured that sales of the Xperia 1 VII will gradually resume from August 27th, 2025.

This latest development is a significant setback for Sony's mobile business, which has been struggling to maintain its market share in recent years. The rise of dominant players like Apple's iPhone and Samsung, as well as the emergence of new brands like OPPO and Xiaomi, have made it increasingly challenging for Sony to compete in the highly competitive smartphone industry.