Technologies

Sony Xperia 1 VII Lets You Shoot Video Without Looking

The premium phone’s AI video skills sound intriguing but its high price might be a problem.

Sony’s latest flagship Android phone, the Xperia 1 VII, packs a variety of exciting tech features from its Snapdragon 8 Elite chip to its promise of AI-based audio quality upscaling. But it’s the video tools that really caught my attention, in particular the ‘AI Camerawork’ and ‘Autoframing’ functions that apparently let you shoot steady, professional-looking video without even looking at your phone.

It certainly sounds like a novel idea, but this phone needs novel ideas — and plenty of them — to justify its whopping price tag. At £1,399, the Xperia 1 VII is significantly more expensive than both the equivalent iPhone 16 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Both those phones have seriously impressed us in their full reviews so Sony will have its work cut out for it if it hopes to pry that much cash out of your hands.

Read more: Best Android Phone in 2025

The phone is up for the preorder today in the UK, although Sony currently has no plans to bring it to the US. For reference, that £1,399 UK price converts to about $1,860. Ouch.

AI video shooting

The AI video tools certainly seem to be the big reason to choose this phone. While I have yet to test it myself, Sony’s press materials suggest that it works by using a wide-angle lens, AI-based subject tracking and «posture estimation technology» to keep your subject in frame.

The idea is that you only need to roughly point your phone in the vague direction of your subject and the phone will do the rest. It sounds like it could be great for things like skateboarding videos where you and your friend are speeding down the street, although how it really performs in such high-paced scenarios remains to be seen.

It’s not just the video camera that’s been given the AI treatment. Sony says the phone has its «best sound quality to date» thanks to AI-based algorithms that actively upscale compressed, streamed music to make it sound as good as it can. Sony has even equipped the phone with a wired headphone jack to keep audiophiles happy.

Sony also says it uses technology inherited from its Bravia TVs for better looking colors on its 6.5-inch display. I’m quite surprised at its low resolution though; the Xperia 1 VII’s 1,080×2,340-pixel resolution gives it a pixel density of only 396 pixels per inch (ppi). That’s quite a bit below the iPhone 16 Pro’s 460ppi or the S25 Ultra’s 501ppi and for the Xperia’s price, I’d have expected more. Still, I’ll reserve judgment on the overall quality until I’m able to see it for myself.

Other features include a triple rear camera system, IP68 water resistance and a 5,000mAh battery. While Sony’s spec sheet simply states «USB PD fast charging,» it makes no reference to the actual speed it’ll charge. The company does say it’ll support the phone with six years of security updates, which is fair, although a year less than what Samsung or Google offer for their much cheaper handsets.

Technologies

YouTubers Sue Amazon, Claim AI Tool Was Trained on Scraped Videos

The lawsuit alleges that Amazon bypassed YouTube protections to collect content for its generative AI video system.

A group of YouTube creators is suing Amazon, accusing the tech giant of secretly scraping their videos to train its AI video model without permission.

The proposed class action lawsuit, filed in federal court in Seattle, alleges Amazon used automated tools to download and extract data from millions of YouTube videos to build and improve its Nova Reel generative AI system — a model that can create short videos from text prompts and images.

At the center of the complaint is how that data was obtained. The plaintiffs claim that Amazon bypassed YouTube’s protections using virtual machines and rotating IP addresses to avoid detection, effectively sidestepping the platform’s safeguards against bulk downloading.

The lawsuit was brought by several creators, including Ted Entertainment (the company behind the H3 Podcast and h3h3 Productions), as well as individual YouTubers and channel operators. They argue that the alleged scraping violated copyright law and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and are seeking damages as well as an injunction to stop the practice.

Amazon did not respond to a request for comment.

The case lands at a pivotal moment for generative AI, as courts weigh whether training on copyrighted material qualifies as fair use and how much control creators retain once their work is used to build these systems. The disputes have often centered on written material, which has been at the center of the AI revolution for several years, while AI video generators such as OpenAI’s Sora and Google’s Veo have emerged more recently.

The lawsuit is one of dozens testing the boundaries of AI training practices, alongside high-profile cases from authors, artists and news organizations, including lawsuits against OpenAI and Meta, all circling the same unresolved question: Where does fair use end and infringement begin?

Technologies

The Galaxy Z TriFold Is Back. You Can Buy It From Samsung Soon

The $2,899 phone paused its sales in March after selling through its inventory, but Samsung is bringing it back to its online store.

Samsung’s $2,899 Galaxy Z TriFold is going back on sale on Friday, following a halt to its sales in March after the foldable phone sold through its inventory. Samsung has announced the TriFold’s return with a countdown clock on the phone’s online store page along with a Wednesday newsletter email sent to customers.

The initial pause, which Samsung said at the time was related to the TriFold being a «super-premium device in limited quantities,» happened after just three months of availability. The TriFold first went on sale in South Korea on Dec. 12 and then arrived in Samsung’s US store on Jan. 30. The TriFold sold out in the US within minutes of going on sale — which I know personally after joining my colleagues that morning in an attempt to buy it. Thankfully Senior Reporter Abrar Al-Heeti succeeded, and then reviewed the TriFold.

It’s unclear whether the Galaxy Z TriFold is now permanently returning to Samsung’s online store or if it is again on sale until its stock sells through. Given that the phone is very expensive, and unfolds to reveal a large, 10-inch display, it wouldn’t be surprising if its stock will be in limited quantities. We’ve asked a Samsung representative to clarify and will update if we hear more.

The Galaxy Z TriFold’s return also comes ahead of the summer season when we expect a slew of other foldable phones: Samsung typically refreshes its Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip line in July or August, and Motorola has announced its first book-style Razr Fold phone will also debut during the season. And Apple’s rumored iPhone Fold (or perhaps iPhone Ultra based on latest rumors) could also be teased later this year.

Technologies

Help Us Crown the Most Loved Headphones and Earbuds of 2026

Got a pair you swear by? Take our People’s Picks survey to help us find a winner.

CNET just launched People’s Picks, a series of surveys where actual humans like you vote for the products and services you use. Starting in April, we want you to weigh in on your favorite headphones and earbuds. We’ll pick a winner based on which ones you love the most.

Why we want to hear from you

Our writers and editors test hundreds of products each year, but your real-world experience with these devices is something we can’t replicate in our labs. You’ve used these headphones at the gym, on your commute to work and on long flights, and that perspective is invaluable. Your voice helps others know about the headphones or earbuds you love, too.

«I review a lot of headphones and earbuds for CNET, and there are plenty of great models from the top brands in this survey that I rate highly. I’m always curious about what models people ultimately choose and why, so I’m excited to get your feedback and learn the results of this survey,» says David Carnoy, CNET’s executive editor and headphones expert.

With our survey, we’ll collect answers from real-world users like you. The headphones and earbuds chosen through our 3-minute survey will be featured in our People’s Picks roundup of the top picks based on your recommendation.

Make your voice heard

Whether you swear by a pair of $25 earbuds or love a pair of high-end headphones, your pick counts. The survey takes just a few minutes to complete, and after we gather enough information, we’ll tally the results and publish the winners.

Not sure what to pick? Check out our Best Headphones to revisit your favorites before voting.