Sony is announcing new Xperia phones today. The Xperia 10 VI doesn’t have the flashiness of the Xperia 1 VI, but it should appeal to a wider audience.

Sony may not be a major player in the global smartphone industry, but the company continues to release new Xperia phones every year. Today Sony is introducing its 2024 lineup, which consists of the Xperia 1 VI and the Xperia 10 VI.

Understanding Sony’s naming and numbering system is a discipline in itself. The Xperia 1 is the manufacturer’s top of the range, while the Xperia 10 devices are in the budget to mid-range segment. In between lies the Xperia 5, which is in the lower premium segment. The VI in the name refers to the sixth generation of the devices.

With the Xperia 10 VI, Sony is concentrating on the cheaper mid-range segment. Sony has some catching up to do here: last year they completely missed the mark with the Xperia 10 V. In our comparison test of smartphones between 350 and 500 euros, the device came in last place.

Long and narrow

Nevertheless, Sony continues to hold on to the unique side of the Xperia 10 devices. If you put a dozen random smartphones on the table, you can immediately pick out the Sony Xperia 10 VI. With its 21:9 screen ratio, the device is narrower and taller than its competitors. The design makes the device appear larger than it actually is, with a 6.1-inch display making it a compact device that barely weighs 164 grams.

Sony installs an OLED screen in the device. The manufacturer claims high brightness, which is usually difficult to achieve with OLED. The 60Hz refresh rate doesn’t really warm us up. The Xperia 10 VI could have at least made the jump to 90 Hz.

Give and take

Buying a budget device always involves some give and take, but here’s hoping Sony fixes the Xperia 10’s shortcomings. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor is no longer the newest on the market, but it is still a solid mid-engine.

The device has two cameras: a 48 MP main camera and an 8 MP wide-angle lens. This time Sony is doing away with the zoom lens and installing zoom functions in the main camera.

The battery life should also be the focus of the Sony Xperia 10 VI. Sony claims that the battery will easily last two days on a single charge, depending of course on how intensively you use the device. Nothing is said about the loading capacity, which usually means that no miracles are to be expected here.

The Sony Xperia 1 VI is available in black, white and blue for a recommended retail price of 399 euros (including VAT).