Perhaps at this point, it’s safe to say that Google’s camera design principles have been gaining traction among other smartphone manufacturers, with even the likes of Apple taking a similar approach to how it’s designed its latest iPhone 17 series. That in mind, Sony’s new mid-tier Xperia 10 VII adopts a similar approach in terms of looks, along with a price that’s considerably cheaper when compared to the other phones that we’ve just mentioned.
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In true Sony fashion, the Xperia 10 VII comes with a lot of the same features that we’ve gotten before on other Sony Android phones, such as a built-in 3.5mm headphone jack (hallelujah), expandable microSD storage, and a screen design that ditches hole punches for top and bottom bezels. As for the screen itself, Sony has equipped the 10 VII with an OLED panel that features a 1080×2340 pixel resolution, although its biggest highlight is the addition of a 120Hz refresh rate, something that’s been missing on the lower end of the Xperia range.
Available in three different colours, the Xperia 10 VII also ditches the vertical camera island for a more horizontal look, similar to the Google Pixel smartphone line. It is rated for IP68 dust and water resistance with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection, although the phone’s entire chassis is made out of plastic; on the right-hand side you’ll also find a dedicated camera button.
In terms of performance, the Xperia 10 VII’s entry-level roots are pretty hard to hide. The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset, a 4nm processor designed for mostly affordable devices. It’s accompanied by your usual 8GB RAM and 128GB storage combo, and ships with Android 15 onboard. Sony’s software interface is mostly clean, and the company does promise that it will provide up to four years of Android version upgrades for the device. Powering the 10 VII is a decently-sized 5,000 mAh battery.
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As for its cameras, the phone comes with a dual main camera setup, which consists of a 50MP main camera in addition to a 13MP ultrawide lens, along with an 8MP front-facing camera for selfies and video calls. Meanwhile, video recording maxes out at a low 1080p resolution for the front camera, although the rear shooter can shoot videos at 4K resolution at 30fps, with support for both electronic and optical image stabilization as well. It retails for £399 in the UK.
