In a world where every smartphone seems to be getting bigger, Sony’s doing something different with the Xperia 10 VI. While other brands chase the latest trends, Sony’s kept features that actually matter to real people – and honestly, it’s quite refreshing.
What Makes This Phone Different?
The 21:9 Cinematic Experience Remember when watching movies on your phone actually felt cinematic? The Xperia 10 VI brings that back with its unique 21:9 aspect ratio display. This ultra-wide screen eliminates those annoying black bars when you’re streaming Netflix or YouTube, making your phone feel like a mini cinema screen.
The 6.1-inch OLED display is genuinely impressive for the price point. With 1055 nits of brightness, you can comfortably use this phone outdoors in the harsh Australian sun – something anyone who’s tried to check their phone at Bondi Beach will appreciate.
Features Your Flagship Phone Probably Doesn’t Have
The Headphone Jack Lives On Yes, you read that right. In 2024, when even $1,500 phones have ditched the 3.5mm jack, Sony’s kept it. Whether you’re using your trusty wired headphones on the train or connecting to your car’s aux cable, the Xperia 10 VI has you covered.
Expandable Storage That Actually Works With just 128GB of internal storage, you might think this phone falls short. But here’s the thing – Sony includes a microSD card slot that supports up to 1.5TB of additional storage. That’s enough for every photo you’ll ever take and thousands of songs.
Front-Facing Stereo Speakers While other manufacturers hide speakers in weird places, Sony puts them right where they should be – facing you. The audio quality is surprisingly detailed and bassy, perfect for hands-free calls or watching videos without headphones.
The Camera Reality Check
What Sony Gets Right The Xperia 10 VI comes with a 48MP main camera and an 8MP ultrawide lens. Sony’s approach to cameras is refreshingly natural – no oversaturated, Instagram-ready shots that look fake. The colours are realistic, which means your photos actually look like what you saw with your own eyes.
The phone can shoot 4K video, which is impressive for a mid-range device. The image stabilisation works well enough for everyday use, though it won’t replace a proper action camera for your weekend adventures.
Where It Could Be Better Let’s be honest – this isn’t a camera phone that’ll replace your DSLR. Photos can look soft in some conditions, and the dynamic range isn’t spectacular. But for sharing moments on social media or capturing family memories, it does the job perfectly well.
Sony removed the telephoto camera from the previous model, which is a bit disappointing if you like zooming in on distant subjects. You can still zoom digitally, but the quality drops off pretty quickly.
Performance: Good Enough for Real Life
Daily Use Reality The Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor paired with 8GB of RAM handles everything most Australians actually do with their phones. Scrolling through social media, video calls with family, streaming music, and even light gaming all work smoothly.
There are occasional moments where the phone hesitates, but nothing that significantly impacts the user experience. Unless you’re a heavy gamer or constantly editing videos, this level of performance is perfectly adequate.
The Benchmark Reality Sure, this phone won’t win any benchmark competitions against flagships costing three times as much. But here’s the thing – when did you last notice your phone’s benchmark score while actually using it? For most people, the difference between “very fast” and “incredibly fast” is negligible in real-world use.
Battery Life: The Former Champion
The Good News The 5,000mAh battery still provides solid all-day performance. You can comfortably get through a full day of typical use without hunting for a charger. For most users, this means checking emails, social media browsing, some photos, and streaming during commutes.
What Changed Previous Xperia 10 models were absolute battery life champions, but the VI model doesn’t quite reach those heights. Battery life has taken a slight hit compared to the previous generation, possibly due to the brighter screen or the new processor.
The charging speed stays around 20W, which isn’t lightning-fast by today’s standards but gets the job done. There’s no wireless charging, which might disappoint some users but keeps the price reasonable.
Design and Build: Practical Beauty
Lightweight and Durable At just 164 grams, this phone feels remarkably light in your hand. The plastic construction might sound cheap, but it’s actually quite practical – it’s less likely to shatter when dropped and doesn’t get as cold in winter or hot in summer as metal phones.
The IP68 water resistance means you don’t need to panic if you’re caught in a sudden downpour or accidentally drop it in a puddle. For a country where outdoor activities are a way of life, this peace of mind is valuable.
Software: Clean and Simple
Sony’s take on Android 14 is refreshingly clean. Unlike some manufacturers who load their phones with unnecessary apps and features, Sony keeps things simple. The Side Sense feature has been improved and is actually useful now – a quick swipe brings up your frequently used apps.
The software support could be better, with only one major OS update promised. However, Sony commits to security updates until 2028, which shows they’re thinking about long-term device security.
Who Should Buy the Xperia 10 VI?
Perfect For:
- Movie and music enthusiasts who want that cinematic aspect ratio
- People who refuse to give up their wired headphones
- Anyone wanting a compact phone that doesn’t sacrifice features
- Users who prioritise unique design over following trends
Consider Alternatives If:
- Camera quality is your top priority
- You need the absolute fastest performance
- You want the latest and greatest features
The Australian Value Proposition
At around $600 AUD, the Xperia 10 VI sits in a competitive market segment. While phones like the Google Pixel 8a might offer better cameras and the Nothing Phone (2a) provides better performance for less money, the Xperia offers something different – character.
This phone is for people who appreciate thoughtful design choices over spec sheet bragging rights. It’s for those who want a device that feels personal rather than corporate.
Bottom Line
The Sony Xperia 10 VI isn’t trying to be everything to everyone, and that’s exactly why it works. In a market full of similar-looking phones with similar features, Sony’s offering something genuinely different.
Yes, you can find phones with better cameras or faster processors for similar money. But can you find one that keeps the features you actually use daily while delivering a unique, cinematic viewing experience? That’s much harder.
The Xperia 10 VI is proof that sometimes the best choice isn’t the most obvious one. It’s a phone that values substance over flash, and in 2024, that’s surprisingly rare.