Sony Xperia 10 VI review

Introduction

Sony has updated its midrange Xperia 10 for 2024, and Mark VI is here. In many ways, Sony is keeping the formula the unchanged - you get a compact device with a quirky aspect ratio that's so easy to love once you give it a chance.

Physically, not a lot has changed with the new Xperia 10 VI. It still measures exactly the same as the Xperia 10 V, and even though the Xperia VI has gotten a few grams heavier and now tips the scale at 164 grams, it is still a remarkably light device. The quirky proportions are unchanged as well and remain a Sony staple. The Xperia 10 VI is skinny and tall with its signature 21:9 display.

Sony Xperia 10 VI specs at a glance:

• Body: 155 x 68 x 8.3mm, 164g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), plastic frame, plastic back; IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min).
• Display: 6.10" OLED, 1B colors, HDR, 1080x2520px resolution, 21:9 aspect ratio, 449ppi; Triluminos display.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM6450 Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 (4 nm): Octa-core (4x2.2 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55); Adreno 710.
• Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM; UFS; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
• OS/Software: Android 14.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 48 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 120-degree, 16mm, 1/4.0", 1.12µm.
• Front camera: 8 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS, OIS; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 5000mAh; Wired, PD, QC.
• Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Dual SIM; Wi-Fi 5; BT 5.1, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive; NFC; 3.5mm jack.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); stereo speakers.

Speaking of the display, it also appears to be unchanged from the Xperia 10 V. It still measures 6.1 inches in a cinematic 21:9 aspect ratio, still uses OLED tech and has FHD+ resolution and is still limited to a 60Hz refresh rate.

Circling back to the phone's body, Sony is still mostly using plastic to construct the Xperia 10 VI but now says that more than 50% of the phone's plastic parts are made from recycled or environmentally friendly materials. The front is still covered with Gorilla Glass Victus, and the device still has an IP65/68 ingress protection rating.

On a slightly more positive note, Sony has finally decided to move past the Snapdragon 695, which was used in both the Xperia 10 V and Xperia 10 IV. The Xperia 10 VI uses the more modern Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 mobile platform. RAM has also been upped from 6GB to 8GB in the seemingly sole 128GB model.

That's all on paper, of course. There might be other differences in this year's model, so join us on the following pages.

Unboxing

The Xperia 10 VI ships in a simple two-piece box. It is made entirely from paper, bamboo and sugar cane fibers, which is admirable. Even so, there is a cradle for the phone to sit inside to be nice and protected.

Unfortunately, ever since Xperia 10IV, the retail box includes nothing but the phone itself - not even a USB cable. Sony has not shared the max charging rating for the device but we think you should be good getting a 20W PD charger or similar.