Sony quietly tossed a surprising little package into the crowded midrange ring: the Xperia 10 VII. It’s the sort of phone that doesn’t try to scream “flagship”, instead it leans on sensible upgrades, a fresh look, and a few features that a lot of phones have quietly retired (hello, headphone jack). If you like compact phones that behave like grown-ups, this one deserves a look.
Design and display
Sony reshaped the 10-series this generation. The back now sports a horizontal, pill-shaped camera bar (Pixel vibes), the body is matte plastic, and the whole package is compact and light, around 153 × 72 × 8.3 mm and roughly 168g. The front gets a 6.1-inch OLED with a 1080 × 2340 (19.5:9) resolution and a 120 Hz refresh rate, protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2, a solid combo for a midrange device. The screen ratio is more conventional than Sony’s older 21:9 approach, which will please people who thought Sony’s tall displays were a little weird.
Performance and battery
Under the hood sits Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 paired with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB storage (microSD expansion up to huge capacities is supported). That chipset is a sensible midrange performer, able to handle daily tasks, media, and casual gaming without burning battery life or cash. Speaking of which, the Xperia 10 VII packs a 5,000 mAh battery; Sony promises roughly two days of typical use and includes adaptive charging features to preserve battery health over time. Expect reliable stamina rather than headline-grabbing speed.
Cameras
Sony simplified the camera setup to a two-lens system: a 50 MP main (1/1.56-inch sensor) and a 13 MP ultrawide, with an 8 MP front camera for selfies. The phone leans on Sony imaging know-how (and software aids like hybrid stabilization and AI-driven looks) plus a physical camera shutter button on the frame, a nice nod toward people who actually enjoy taking photos with a phone. Don’t expect flagship-level computational tricks, but this combo should deliver solid daytime shots and usable low-light photos with stabilization assistance.
Software and extras
The Xperia 10 VII ships with Android 15 and comes with a promised update policy that’s impressively long for a midranger: four years of OS updates and six years of security support, at least in Sony’s statements. Sony also keeps several beloved extras: a 3.5 mm headphone jack, front-facing stereo speakers, NFC, and a microSD slot. Those “small” features make the phone feel more practical than many competitors that insist on removing everything but a charging port.
Price, availability, and who it’s for
Sony set pricing at around £399 / €449 (roughly mid-\$400s USD equivalent) at launch in the UK/Europe with preorders and regional rollouts starting in September; availability varies by market and Sony hasn’t positioned this for a U.S. launch in many announcements. At that price, the Xperia 10 VII trades top-tier raw power for a tidy design, great battery life, and a collection of user-friendly features that many people actually use.
