The launch of new mobile flagship devices generally proceeds without major issues, focusing on the smoothness of the process rather than immediate sales numbers. Nevertheless, there are occasions when unforeseen complications arise, and these can be severe enough to hinder the product’s availability in stores.

Currently, the Sony Xperia 1 VII is facing such turmoil, as its sales have been halted due to troubling issues like random reboots and shutdowns. Reports surfaced in June about sudden cancellations of pre-orders without clear explanations, indicating that the Xperia 1 VII’s market entry was anything but seamless.

Recently, Sony has decided to temporarily suspend sales of this device in Japan, signaling a significant concern. While the Xperia 1 VII has received generally positive feedback, numerous users have reported experiencing random shutdowns and unexpected reboots, prompting Sony to take drastic measures.

It’s worth noting that these issues seem to affect specific Japanese variants of the phone, such as the SO-51F, SOG15, A501SO, and XQ-FS44. Sony is still investigating the cause of these problems, with speculation suggesting a possible link to Japan’s Osaifu-Keitai mobile payment system; however, this remains unverified.

Thankfully, global variants of the Xperia 1 VII have not been reported as affected. For those who own an impacted Xperia 1 VII, Sony has provided some immediate troubleshooting advice.

Users are encouraged to press and hold both the power button and volume up button for about 20 seconds to initiate a recovery process. Additionally, they should update to the latest software version released by Sony, which aims to rectify the bug.

If problems persist, contacting Sony support is recommended. A temporary sales halt is undoubtedly challenging for any smartphone manufacturer.

Such functional glitches can irritate users and potentially damage the flagship’s reputation. Fortunately, international users appear to remain unaffected for now, but there is hope that no similar issues arise outside Japan in the near future.