Sony has unveiled two new Xperia smartphones for 2023, with the Xperia 1 V and Xperia 10 V launching later this year. These Android phones serve as successors to two of our favourite smartphones of yesteryear, the Award-winning Xperia 10 IV and the five-star Xperia 1 IV.
Starting with the flagship Xperia 1 V, most of the upgrades are centred around the camera this year, which shouldn't come as a surprise as that was the case last year. It's using a new sensor called the Exmor T for mobile, which Sony claims is 1.7 times bigger than the sensor found in the 1 IV. This new camera module means that the Xperia 1 V can produce images with better dynamic range, as well as clearer and brighter low-light shots.
Sony is targeting this device at budding content creators and vloggers, with an additional third microphone located within the triple-lens camera cluster, as well as upgrades to the Camera Pro app, including a vertical shooting mode and product review video setting which locks focus on an item if you place it in the foreground of the shot. While these are all great additions for content creators, we're more concerned with content consumption, so what's new there?
Unfortunately not much. However, considering the Xperia 1 IV is still a benchmark device, that may not be a bad thing. Sony has equipped the Xperia 1 V with the same display as the 1 IV. The 6.5-inch, 4K HDR 120Hz OLED with the unique 21:9 aspect ratio that's perfect for watching movies on supported services makes its return, and if it's anything like last year's model, then we have no complaints.
Sony also highlights the return of the 3.5mm headphone jack, as it is one of the few companies out there including this on its smartphones. It supports wired Hi-res Audio, although there is also Bluetooth with hi-res, LDAC and Bluetooth LE support. The Xperia 1 V also features a stereo speaker system with an earpiece and lower loudspeaker combination.
The phone features a slightly revised design that Sony says should provide enhanced grip and it comes in three colours; Black, Khaki and Platinum. It features the same 5000mAh battery, 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage as last year, however, we do get the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
The Xperia 1 V launches in late June for £1299 (around $1635 / AU$2430), the same launch price as the 1 IV. There are even some tempting pre-order offers that bundle in a free pair of the Award-winning Sony WH-1000XM5 if you pre-order from selected carriers starting on the 14th of June.
Moving onto the more basic Xperia model, and arguably the more interesting of the two, the Xperia 10 V. The 10 IV was a surprise hit for 2022, as it provided a thoroughly enjoyable AV experience despite its reasonable asking price.
The Xperia 10 V has more in the way of picture and sound upgrades than the 1 V, with the 6.1-inch OLED display (also 21:9 aspect ratio) now apparently 1.5 times brighter, which Sony says makes outdoor visibility better. The 10 V also gets a stereo speaker set-up this year, with a 20 per cent increase in volume and a more balanced and direct sound, which Sony says is supported with a low noise amplifier.
The 3.5mm headphone jack is here, with wired and wireless hi-res audio support as well as LDAC over Bluetooth. Elsewhere, the Xperia 10 V has a larger main camera sensor in its triple-lens array and it's even slightly lighter than the IV – with Sony claiming this to be the lightest 5G smartphone.
However, it's the internal specs that leave something to be desired, as the Xperia 10 V is using practically identical components to last year. The 10 V is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, as well as a 5000mAh battery. While the Xperia 10 IV certainly wasn't unusable by any means, it wasn't the smoothest-performing smartphone we've ever tested, so a newer processor would have been appreciated.
The Sony Xperia 10 V will launch in mid-June for £399 (around $500/ AU$745) and comes in four finishes; Black, White, Sage Green (replacing Mint from the IV) and Lavender. These colours match the new WF-C700N wireless earbuds perfectly, which is a nice touch, and the design uses Gorilla Glass Victus for the display for enhanced durability.
Sony's latest smartphone duo has certainly piqued our interest, so expect reviews for both devices soon.
MORE:
Read our full Sony Xperia 1 IV review
As well as our Sony Xperia 10 IV review
Check out our picks for the best smartphones