Sony plans to outsource its high-end smartphone manufacturing to third-party manufacturers, a shift from its previous practice of in-house production for mid-range devices. According to a Japanese news outlet, this move appears to be a long-term strategy, as “smartphones” have been removed from the production list at Sony’s facilities in Thailand, which once included three sites for smartphone assembly. The recently launched Xperia 1 VII is reportedly the first model assembled by a third-party producer, though reviews noted no changes in build quality.
It’s not surprising that Sony is collaborating with third-party manufacturers for its smartphone production. The Japanese OEM has been outsourcing the manufacturing of its mid-range devices for some time now, and recent reports indicate that it may extend this practice to its premium smartphone lineup as well.
A Japanese news source reports that this transition is not a short-term move, but a strategy for the long haul. Notably, “smartphones” have vanished from the list of devices produced at Sony’s own manufacturing facilities in Thailand. Previously, three sites were involved in the production of Sony smartphones – two in Thailand and one in China. None of them currently lists “smartphones.”
Sony Xperia 1 VII 5G
The article also points out that the newly launched Xperia 1 VII is likely the first device to be assembled by an external manufacturer. For what it’s worth, we did not observe any noticeable differences in build quality during our review.
Source (in Japanese)