Sony continues to deliver on its promise of exceptional battery life with the Sony Xperia 10 V. This compact mid-range phone offers a unique form factor and a focus on longevity that sets it apart from its competitors. While some aspects remain unchanged from its predecessor, the V introduces improvements such as stereo speakers and an upgraded main camera. In this review, we’ll delve into the key features, performance, and overall user experience of the Xperia 10 V.
Design and Display
The Xperia 10 V maintains the sleek design of its predecessor, featuring a plastic back and frame. However, it stands out with its tall and thin profile, thanks to the display’s elongated 21:9 aspect ratio. The phone is slightly larger than the IV, but surprisingly lighter at just 159 grams. Sony has also added ingress protection rated at IP65/68, offering durability uncommon in the mid-range segment.
The 6.1-inch OLED display of the Xperia 10 V offers a 1080p resolution and Gorilla Glass Victus protection. While the device lacks a high refresh rate, the maximum brightness has been improved, providing excellent visibility even under direct sunlight. Additionally, the display’s OLED technology ensures vibrant colors, high contrast, and support for HDR video and 10-bit color depth.
Audio and Biometrics
Sony has enhanced the audio experience on the V with front-facing stereo speakers. The speakers deliver good loudness and clean sound reproduction, boasting impressive mids and highs. Furthermore, the phone features a side-mounted fingerprint reader embedded within the power button, allowing for convenient and secure unlocking.
Performance and Software
The Xperia 10 V runs on a Snapdragon 695 5G chipset, which, while power-efficient, falls behind the competition in terms of performance. Users may encounter occasional slowdowns and stutters during day-to-day tasks, and thermal management during prolonged usage could be improved. However, the efficient chipset, combined with a 5,000mAh battery, enables the phone to achieve remarkable battery life. In fact, the Xperia 10 V scored an impressive endurance rating of 175 hours in proprietary battery tests.
The device operates on Android 13 with minimal customization from Sony. It offers a near-stock Android experience, but some proprietary features found in higher-end Sony models, such as custom camera apps and game enhancers, are absent. While the absence of an always-on display is notable, users can take advantage of the multi-window switch and SideSense, a convenient feature offering customizable shortcuts to apps and functions.
Camera Capabilities
The Xperia 10 V sports a triple-camera setup, featuring a 48MP main camera, an 8MP 2x telephoto zoom, and an 8MP ultra-wide camera. With pixel bending, the main camera captures 12MP photos by default. The image quality is decent, delivering natural colors and good detail. The dynamic range is generally satisfactory, and portrait shots exhibit adequate subject separation.
In low-light conditions, the camera performs reasonably well, though the larger sensor of the new main camera doesn’t translate to significantly improved results. The photos tend to be underexposed, with dark shadows. The dedicated night shooting mode brightens the images, reduces noise, and enhances overall sharpness.
Video recording on the Xperia 10 V is limited to a maximum of 1080p due to chipset constraints. While the videos exhibit satisfactory dynamic range and vibrant colors, the level of detail falls short compared to higher-end devices.
The telephoto camera captures sharp and detailed 2x zoomed photos with good dynamic range. The color rendition differs slightly from the main camera. In low-light conditions, the telephoto camera maintains good detail, but, like the main camera, suffers from underexposed images with dark shadows. The night shooting mode improves performance by brightening the images and reducing noise.
The 8MP ultra-wide camera delivers photos with decent detail and dynamic range. Colors match those of the main camera, but the level of detail is slightly lower. Low-light performance is acceptable, although shadows remain dark and light sources tend to be blown out. The night shooting mode addresses these issues and provides better exposure and reduced softness.
The Xperia 10 V’s cameras are equipped with electronic stabilization, which effectively minimizes shakes and jerks in videos.
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Conclusion
The Sony Xperia 10 V retains its position as a well-built compact mid-ranger with an exceptional battery life. The phone introduces welcome improvements such as stereo speakers, a brighter display, and IP65/68 ingress protection. However, it lacks a high refresh rate display and falls behind in terms of chipset performance compared to some competitors. Nevertheless, for users prioritizing battery life and seeking a compact device, the Xperia 10 V remains an appealing option.
Alternatives such as the Samsung Galaxy A54 or the Google Pixel 6a offer different strengths and features, making them worth considering depending on individual preferences. Sony Xperia 10 V strikes a balance between longevity and functionality, catering to users who prioritize extended battery life and a compact form factor without compromising on essential features.
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