Sony Xperia 10 V review

Introduction

Sony has updated its mid-ranger Xperia 10 for 2023. So what has changed coming from the Xperia 10 IV? Well, the display on Mark V has gotten slightly bigger and now measures 6.1 inches instead of 6.0. According to Sony, the panel itself is also 1.5x times brighter than before, which is great to see. They've also added front-facing stereo speakers. And there is the bigger 48MP main camera.

Unfortunately, that about covers the list of new additions to the Xperia 10 V. Even though it is not that different from its predecessor, the Xperia 10 V remains a rather special device with a unique Sony "flavor" to it. We can't say whether that will be enough to guarantee its market success. What we can do, however, is delve into particulars and see what makes it tick.

Sony Xperia 10 V specs at a glance:

• Body: 155.0x68.0x8.3mm, 159g; 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 SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G (6 nm): Octa-core (2x2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver); Adreno 619.
• Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM; UFS; microSDXC.
• OS/Software: Android 13.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 48 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, 1/2", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS; Telephoto: 8 MP, f/2.2, 54mm, 1/4.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, 2x optical zoom; 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@30fps; 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.

To be perfectly frank, not much has changed since last year. You are still getting a very light, thin and tall phone with a 21:9 aspect ratio, in keeping with Sony tradition. The body is still made mostly from plastic, but it does retain the coveted IP65/IP68 ingress protection rating. The Snapdragon 695 5G is rather disappointingly still at the helm of the device, and it is still paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage. The display is still just 60Hz.

The camera setup hasn't really changed drastically either, even though it remains competitive with its two additional 8MP units - an ultrawide and a 2x telephoto, carried over from the Xperia 10 IV. And we still get a pretty large 5,000 mAh battery.

Unboxing

First things first, though, let's look at the retail package of the Xperia 10 V. It ships in a rather odd two-piece box with rounded edges. The box is mainly odd due to its color and texture since it is made from recycled materials. It is not particularly hard, which makes us wonder how well it will do its job of protecting the phone in shipping. At least there is a cradle for the actual device on the inside of the box, which holds it snugly so it won't jostle around.

The retail box is really lacking in terms of accessories. Our unit didn't even come with a USB cable - the bare minimum, so to speak. You'll have to provide your own charger as well as any additional things like a case if you'd like one. The scarcity of this retail package is in stark contrast with what you get with phones by Chinese brands, so this midranger is already off to a bumpy start. Let's check out the rest.