Sony Xperia 10 VI review

Entirely new camera processing

The Xperia 10 V had a trio of cameras on the back, while the Xperia 10 VI only has a pair. The dedicated telephoto camera has been removed. An argument can be made that Sony's 2x telephoto wasn't that useful and could be substituted through good digital zooming from the main camera. That argument only works if the quality is comparable to last year's telephoto, which we will be sure to test.

However, let's kick things off with an overview of the camera hardware the Xperia 10 VI is equipped with.

• Wide (main): 48 MP Sony IMX582 f/1.8, 26mm, 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS; 2160p@30fps
• Ultra wide angle: 8 MP Hynix HI846, f/2.2, 16mm, 1/4", 1.12µm; 1080p@30fps
• Front camera: 8 MP Hynix HI846, f/2.0, 16mm, 1/4", 1.12µm; 1080p@30fps

Sony has redesigned the camera app this year. But unlike the Xperia 1 VI, the version here lacks any "Pro" mode. Sony justifies the omission by claiming that its AI-infused auto-shooting mode has now gotten more powerful than ever. To be fair, there are still options to enable manual focus and manual shutter speed adjustments a bit buried in settings, which is something.

The new app has been greatly simplified with a mode carousel on the bottom, a shutter and zoom selector, and a filter shortcut above that. On top are a few other shortcuts for the camera flash, quick resolution, and frame rate settings for video. The rest of the settings are well organized in a separate menu. It is all really cohesive and works very well.

Camera UI

You get Sony's nifty Video Creator app out of the box, facilitating quick and easy video editing and publishing.

Daylight photo quality

Main camera

The main camera on the Xperia 10 VI is borrowed straight from the Xperia 10 V. It uses the exact same Sony IMX582 sensor - a Quad-Bayer, 1/2" sensor with 0.8µm individual pixels.

The main camera on the Xperia 10 VI captures 12MP stills. These are contrasty images with dark shadows and saturated colors that don’t appear very natural, especially the greenery. Contrast appears to be a bit too high.

While we generally like how these photos look, if we had to nitpick, the processing on fine detail is a bit harsh with visible signs of sharpening, and there is a tiny bit of noise, though nothing severe.

Xperia 10 VI: 12MP main camera samples

The Xperia 10 VI does a pretty solid job with portraits. Subject detection and separation are nice, and so is the quality of the background blur.

Xperia 10 VI: 12MP main camera portrait samples

Given that the Xperia 10 VI and 10 V use the same main camera sensor, we expect similar overall photo quality, but they couldn't have been more different. You can see for yourself in the comparative samples we took side by side with the Xperia 10 V.

Xperia 10 V: 12MP main camera samples

As we already mentioned, the Xperia 10 lost one of its rear cameras - the telephoto one this year. That doesn't look particularly great on the surface, but once you dig deeper, you realize that the dedicated telephoto on the Xperia 10 V wasn't particularly useful. It only did 2x and didn't exactly excel in the image quality department.

We understand Sony's inclination to get rid of the extra camera, given that 2x zoom shots from the main camera on the Xperia 10 VI look about as good. That is not to say they are perfect, far from it, but at the same time, we don't really view the loss of the dedicated telephoto as such a major deal.

Xperia 10 VI: 12MP main camera 2x zoom samples

Sure, looking at the comparison photos from the Xperia 10 V and its dedicated 8MP telephoto, we can say that these are a bit sharper, but there isn't much else in terms of difference.

Xperia 10 V: 8MP telephoto camera 2x samples

Ultrawide camera

On to the ultrawide camera. It is also lifted straight from the Xperia 10 V. It uses the same Hynix Hi-846 with a 1/4.0" optical format and 1.12µm pixels.

Photos from the 8MP ultrawide camera aren't particularly impressive. These look quite soft, especially when pixel-peeping and around the edges. Detail isn't great, and neither is dynamic range. At least the colors are decently well-matched to the main camera.

Xperia 10 VI: 8MP ultrawide camera samples

The ultrawide photos are, again, quite different from what the Xperia 10 V captures. Photos from the 8MP ultrawide camera are much better this year. You get great level of detail for this sort of camera. The colors are saturated, but at least the contrast is not over the top, as with the main camera. In fact, we quite like the dynamic range here. 

Xperia 10 V: 8MP ultrawide camera samples

Selfie camera

The Xperia 10 VI also shares the same selfie camera with the Xperia 10 VI. It is based on the 8MP Hynix Hi-846 sensor, just like the ultrawide.

The Xperia 10 VI selfies are okay, but there is nothing to phone home about. Detail is decent, though facial features can come out looking a bit soft and muddy. Dynamic range is decent but could be better. On the plus side, the colors look very nice and are a good match to the other two cameras.

Xperia 10 VI: 8MP selfie camera samples

The output here is quite different from what we got last year, and we can’t say the change is for the better. The level of detail is fine, but the skin tones don’t look natural, and the dynamic range is not very wide either. 

Xperia 10 V: 8MP selfie camera samples

Low-light camera quality

The main camera does alright in low-light conditions. You get a decent level of detail and well-developed shadows. Light sources are sometimes clipped, though.

Xperia 10 VI: 12MP main camera low-light samples

In low light, the output by the new model again is quite different. You get much more detailed low-light photos with more accurate color rendition. We see great color saturation, but these photos are still quite contrasty, so the shadows turn out noticeably dark.

Xperia 10 V: 12MP main camera low-light samples

The Xperia 10 V tends to use a crop from its main camera rather than the dedicated telephoto camera in low light. Hence, it makes sense that at 2x zoom, the quality would once again be similar to that of the Xperia 10 VI. That is to say, it's pretty similar overall to 1x quality. Perhaps a bit softer.

Xperia 10 VI: 12MP main camera low-light 2x zoom samples

Xperia 10 V: 12MP main camera low-light 2x zoom samples

Ultrawide low-light shots from the Xperia 10 VI are quite alright. The detail is there, and dark areas are well-developed. Light sources are often clipped, though.

Xperia 10 VI: 8MP ultrawide camera low-light samples

Compared to last year's phone, you get better detail definition and better contrast, with highlights looking more natural even if some are clipped.

Xperia 10 V: 8MP ultrawide camera low-light samples

Finally, we have selfies, which are once again merely passable on the Xperia 10 VI. Colors look decent, but there isn't much coming through in terms of skin texture.

Xperia 10 VI: 8MP selfie camera low-light samples

The selfies look quite different from what we got last year, and we can’t say the change is for the better. The level of detail is fine, but the skin tones don’t come naturally, and the dynamic range is not very wide either. 

Xperia 10 V: 8MP selfie camera low-light samples

Video capture quality

The Xperia 10 VI might essentially have the same cameras as its predecessor. Still, the change in chipset finally means that the Xperia 10 VI can do 4K@30fps video recording on its main camera. That was a major drawback of its predecessors. However, the ultrawide and selfie cameras are still limited to 1080p. The Xperia 10 VI also lacks the ability to record in HEVC/h.265. You only get a standard AVC/h.264 video stream with a stereo AAC audio stream inside an MP4 container.

4K videos from the main camera look pretty good. Fine detail could be a bit better, but then again, things like leaves and grass have great definition. The clips have a decent amount of detail, and alright dynamic range. Just like with the photos, you get an overly contrasty look with quite saturated colors which we can’t say we are fans of.

Zooming at 2x retains most of the quality. You get an ever so slightly softer image with a bit of noise and shimmering, but nothing too serious.

1080p videos from the ultrawide camera are okay. The detail is good for this sort of resolution, and the colors and contrast look much more natural than what you get out of the ultrawide camera.

Selfie videos are quite decent, given the 1080p resolution limitations. Facial features and skin texture are decently detailed, with mostly natural colors and complexion.

Video sample playlist

You can check out the playlist below, which includes multiple video samples.

The Xperia 10 VI has EIS that works up to 4K resolution on the main camera and in 1080p on the ultrawide and selfie. It is a toggle in settings that is enabled by default. Unfortunately, it leaves a lot to be desired and doesn't correct many of the shakes and bumps in the footage.

Low-light video from the main camera isn't particularly great. The details are alright, but not in dark areas, which are poorly developed. Light sources are blown out as well. There is plenty of noise in the frame. At 2x zoom, 4K videos from the main camera are noisier still but otherwise about the same quality-wise. The ultrawide does really poorly with its 1080p low-light videos. They are very soft and blurry as well as noisy.