Sony Xperia 10 IV review: Wildly imbalanced

The Sony Xperia 10 IV is among the thinnest and lightest telephones to deal with a 5,000mAh battery. However Sony has sacrificed refresh charges, charging speeds, and camera high quality to that finish, leading to a wildly imbalanced mid-ranger. There are just a few upgrades over the Xperia 10 III and it has some genuinely flagship-tier options and specs, however with so many nice telephones at an identical worth, you’d need to be a hardcore Xperia fanatic to not store round.

The Xperia 10 IV is the most recent mid-ranger from Sony, however as with so many different Xperia telephones, there are query marks over whether or not it might stay as much as its price ticket. The sunshine and slender body present sufficient room for a deceptively massive battery, and UI options akin to aspect sense make for easy multitasking. Nonetheless, laggy cameras and staticky audio system do make for some tough edges. Is the Sony Xperia 10 IV the best telephone for you? Discover out in Android Authority’s Sony Xperia 10 IV review.

What you want to know in regards to the Sony Xperia 10 IV

Adam Birney / Android Authority

• Sony Xperia 10 IV (6GB/128GB): £429 / €499 (~$515)

The Xperia 10 IV is the most recent mid-ranger from Sony, making minor enhancements to the Xperia 10 III and coming in effectively under the flagship Xperia 1 IV within the 2022 Xperia household. As with its predecessor, this telephone is at the moment solely obtainable within the UK and Europe, with no phrase on a possible launch date in North America. The principle variations between the third and fourth Xperia 10 telephones are that the latter has a much bigger battery (5,000mAh in comparison with 4,500mAh) and an upgraded chipset, shifting from the Snapdragon 690 to the Snapdragon 695.

Moreover, the Xperia 10 IV has some up to date safety. The acquainted and slender 21:9 show is now coated by the stronger Gorilla Glass Victus somewhat than Gorilla Glass 6, serving to to additional “scratch-proof” the display screen. Nonetheless, the scrolling expertise remains to be on the gradual finish, with a refresh price locked to 60Hz. Most opponents on this vary provide increased refresh charges, such because the Moto G 5G and Nothing Telephone 1 at 90Hz or the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G and Poco F4, which each have 120Hz shows.

The bottom of the Xperia 10 IV options the identical trio of cameras discovered on the Xperia 10 III: a 12MP major sensor, 8MP telephoto, and an 8MP ultrawide lens. Nonetheless, there may be one disappointing downgrade with video recording maxing out at 1080p in comparison with 4K on the earlier era.

A devoted 2x zoom camera, Gorilla Glass Victus safety, a headphone jack, and IP68 water resistance ranking assist set the Xperia 10 IV aside from different mid-range telephones.

Sony has promised three years of safety updates and two years of Android software program updates, with the telephone finally getting Android 13 at an unconfirmed date. These commitments are modest for a price range telephone. Whereas not as plentiful as large names like Samsung or Google, they’re in keeping with the variety of updates you’d count on from OnePlus or Motorola and surpass these supplied by the likes of Poco or Redmi.

There’s just one configuration of the Xperia 10 IV, however there may be area for a microSDXC card to increase the storage, shared with the SIM slot. It additionally carries a headphone jack — more and more a rarity on any fashionable smartphone. You may have your selection of 4 colours for the Xperia 10 IV: Black, White, Mint, and Lavender.

As a part of Sony’s push in the direction of sustainability, there isn’t a plastic packaging, and it doesn’t include a charger or USB cable. But, a number of folded paper takes up the area contained in the field, making us marvel why Sony didn’t downsize the packaging to suit the telephone.

What’s good?

Adam Birney / Android Authority

Probably the most spectacular facet of the Sony Xperia 10 IV is the killer combo of an enormous battery in a compact and light-weight body. I may use the telephone for practically two full days of mild use with occasional net searching and messaging with out ever charging, due to the long-lasting 5,000mAh battery.

Benchmark outcomes aren’t nice for a 2022 mid-ranger, however we’ve seen comparable outcomes from different Snapdragon 695 telephones just like the Nord N20 and Moto G Stylus 5G — two telephones that also carry out simply fantastic in every day use. Whereas you will get way more highly effective telephones on this worth tier — significantly the Google Pixel 6a or Apple iPhone SE — should you aren’t placing the telephone by means of intensive pressure, the day-to-day efficiency isn’t a deal breaker.

The tall 21:9 OLED show display screen makes for nice viewing. The colours out of the field are barely oversaturated, nevertheless, you’ll be able to tweak the colours within the settings to your preferences, which is a plus. Streamed content material appears crisp, and wide-screen video will fill out the body. Gaming, then again, doesn’t all the time impress. Demanding video games like Genshin Influence are playable however don’t count on tremendous easy body charges. It’ll additionally wrestle to maintain heavy and can run scorching inside the hour.

Not everybody shall be a fan of the slender six-inch display screen, however I discovered it very simple to deal with and entry any apps with one hand. The telephone is so slim that it may slide proper into my pocket beside my every day driver, a cumbersome Galaxy S21 Extremely, and it’s light-weight sufficient that you just’ll hardly even really feel it beside your thigh.

Probably the most spectacular facet of the Sony Xperia 10 IV is the killer combo of an enormous battery in a small, light-weight dimension.

The brand new Xperia telephones have a stock-like Android 12 interface. Fundamental Android options akin to Multi-window change and Pop-up window are a bit extra pleasing to make use of on this tall show. Multi-window allows you to break up your display screen between any two apps, so you’ll be able to enter info out of your notes into one other app with out switching backwards and forwards, as an example. Pop-up will overlay a small window over any app, so you might watch a video whereas studying this text, for instance. Each of those actually profit from the extra vertical actual property.

There’s wonderful audio help, particularly whereas utilizing Sony’s 360 Actuality Audio with suitable headphones. The headphone jack is a pleasant contact, however should you’re going wi-fi, there’s LDAC for high-resolution audio over Bluetooth connections at as much as 990 kbps at 32 bit/96 kHz and DSEE Final to upscale extra hi-quality to your compressed music.

On the subject of safety, you get some actually high-end specs in a mid-range handset. The entrance show is shielded by Gorilla Glass Victus, which we usually solely see in flagship telephones. For example, the brand new Pixel 6a solely had Gorilla Glass 3, and essentially the most you’ll be able to usually count on at this worth is Gorilla Glass 5. Mixed with the plastic again, this can be a fairly sturdy cushion for hitting the ground.

Moreover, the Sony Xperia 10 IV has spectacular water and mud resistance, spec’d to fulfill IP68 requirements. Which means you’ll be able to submerge the telephone underwater at a depth of as much as 1.5m for as much as half-hour. Once more, this can be a minimize above the competitors that’s usually rated for IP67 or decrease.

What’s not so good?

Adam Birney / Android Authority

Whereas the sound high quality by means of headphones or earbuds with the Xperia 10 IV is excellent, the exterior speaker is fairly poor. There aren’t any stereo audio system, only a single bottom-firing loudspeaker which is simply too quiet at low to mid volumes and sounds very scratchy at max quantity. This makes attempting to point out a video to a number of folks practically inaudible.

One of many extra contentious specs is the 60Hz refresh price, which feels outdated and sluggish. The display screen judders are most noticeable when scrolling by means of net pages or app feeds. Many fashionable mid-tier smartphones now have 90Hz and 120Hz shows, and it’s disappointing that Sony hasn’t upped its sport right here. Whereas it could have been a trade-off for the battery life’s longevity, having the choice would’ve been good.

The shortage of stereo audio system, a gradual 60Hz refresh price, and underwhelming camera high quality trigger just a few raised eyebrows on the Xperia 10 IV’s asking worth.

The telephone helps USB Energy Supply charging as much as 20W, however you’re round a 2.5-hour cost time from zero to 100%, even with a totally suitable adapter. That’s extraordinarily gradual in comparison with the competitors. The Galaxy A53 5G has the identical battery dimension but solely takes 85 minutes for a full cost, and the iPhone SE refills in about an hour with the advantage of supporting wi-fi charging.

I additionally discovered the aspect fingerprint scanner fairly unreliable — a shock for an Xperia telephone, as they often get these proper. The truth is, it solely really labored to unlock my telephone a few times, even after rescanning my fingerprint. When it reads it fallacious, or should you by accident contact totally different elements of your fingers, the telephone will lock you out for 30 seconds, which may get irritating. I discovered it greatest to disable the characteristic and use a pin code as an alternative. Talking of fingerprints, the downgrade from a glass end to plastic means the bottom of your telephone will inevitably get smudged with fingerprint grease.

Sony Xperia 10 IV camera review

Adam Birney / Android Authority

The Sony Xperia 10 IV has three rear cameras — the identical because the Xperia 10 III — besides that the first sensor now has OIS picture stabilization. On first impression, the Xperia 10 IV noticeably lags earlier than and after snapping a shot. The lag is even worse when utilizing the pinch-to-zoom characteristic, because the lenses take a second or two earlier than catching up along with your fingers, which may be annoying when attempting to gauge the best distance. That is one space the place the comparatively low-power Snapdragon 695 chipset reveals its weaknesses.

The first 12MP camera is somewhat inconsistent. Most notably, colours are extra saturated right here than in different lenses, and objects of various sizes and distances develop into blurred. In the course of the day, there was at occasions an excessive amount of publicity, making the sky seem white as an alternative of blue. It didn’t assist that the preview picture in Sony’s Digital camera app wasn’t very clear and solely worsened beneath vibrant daylight. White steadiness was additionally hit or miss, struggling particularly in low-light circumstances.

0.6x of a mural1x shot of panorama1x shot of a bento field2x shot of a birdhouse0.6x shot of a crate1x shot of a crate2x shot of a crate2x shot of peppers1x shot of flowers1x shot of an indication0.6x shot of a mural

Having a devoted telephoto camera is extraordinarily uncommon at this worth. Regardless of its humble {hardware}, the 2x optical zoom is surprisingly dependable in numerous environments. This was my most popular camera on the Xperia 10 IV, delivering sharper particulars and warmer-looking colours than the first. The dynamic vary and publicity are much better than comparable price range camera telephones with solely digital zoom.

The Sony Xperia 10 IV’s major camera is fairly poor, which is a disgrace when the telephoto provides one thing genuinely helpful for a price range shooter.

The 8MP ultrawide camera was additionally extra strong than the first, displaying pretty well-balanced highlights and shadows with out overblowing the colours. It might probably get a bit tender and warped across the edges, however the efficiency isn’t dangerous. The Auto HDR characteristic additionally appeared extra correct on the ultrawide than the primary one, which is the other of what we’d count on.

The Sony Xperia 10 IV’s evening photographs are respectable as long as you might be close to some synthetic mild. For instance, it might elevate shadows round neon indicators making them legible at evening, however capturing in pitch black darkness would make the first focus indecisive, robotically switching between totally different focal lengths. The ultrawide would produce an excessive amount of noise with a extra noticeable softening impact. Out of the three, the telephoto lens carried out one of the best with evening mode, lifting shadows and bringing out sharper particulars.

You’ll don’t have any bother taking selfies appropriate for social media utilizing the entrance 8MP camera, though the beautifying results of the portrait filter may be overkill. I didn’t discover a lot distinction utilizing the slender face or eye enlargement choices, however the tender pores and skin filter made my facial hair too blurry. The extremes of the pores and skin brightness results ranged from making me look ghostly pale to an nearly sickly inexperienced, however maybe these choices aren’t meant for me.

SelfiePortrait selfiePortrait selfie with tender pores and skin

Sony additionally sacrificed the power to file 4K video. The rear camera now tops out at 1080p at a measly 30fps, which might be disappointing even for telephones that sit effectively under the Xperia 10 IV’s asking worth. Maybe to cowl up the downgrade is the “Inventive” mode, which reveals you samples of assorted filters utilized over no matter you’re pointing your camera at, permitting you to experiment with totally different appears earlier than hitting file.

Sony Xperia 10 IV specs

Sony Xperia 10 IV review: The decision

Adam Birney / Android Authority

Whereas the Xperia 10 IV is a good telephone for on a regular basis utilization, Sony is in the end charging an excessive amount of for what it provides when contemplating the general worth. The battery life is excellent and packed into a lightweight, easy-to-use telephone. However for the value of £429 within the UK (simply over $500), it lacks in some essential areas, and it regularly feels prefer it’s behind the occasions in important respects.

The Xperia 10 IV provides you a long-lasting battery in a skinny, light-weight body, however the gradual refresh price, below-average camera high quality, and scratchy audio system make this telephone really feel outdated.

The bizarre factor in regards to the Xperia 10 IV is how wildly imbalanced it’s. It has some sudden flagship specs, akin to Gorilla Glass Victus, a telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom, an IP68 ranking, and a headphone jack, a lot of which you simply don’t discover at this worth. However the efficiency is mediocre and the first camera — the one which typically will get essentially the most utilization — is fairly poor. The audio system aren’t nice, the charging is painfully gradual, and the display screen is simply 60Hz. In the end, this telephone feels lopsided and doesn’t add up to a whole package deal.

Maybe the Xperia 10 IV has sufficient going for it to enchantment to wired audio purists or those that desire a slim, inexpensive, light-weight telephone. However suppose Sony had given this telephone a bit further love and polish. In that case, it may have been well-rounded sufficient to take care of the heavy hitters, such because the Google Pixel 6a (£399), Samsung Galaxy A53 5G (£399), or the Nothing Telephone 1 (£399), all of which have the higher hand relating to camera picture high quality and efficiency, to not point out barely cheaper worth tags.

Sony Xperia 10 IV

Glorious battery life • 3.5mm headphone jack • Light-weight design

Sony delivers a sturdy but light-weight telephone with a long-lasting battery, however is dragged elsewhere.

The Xperia 10 IV carries a 5,000mAh battery in a surprisingly light-weight design. It’s a slim telephone with a 3.5mm headphone jack and high-res audio. One of the vital inexpensive Sony telephones to this point.

Prime Sony Xperia 10 IV questions and solutions

Is the Sony Xperia 10 IV waterproof?

The Sony Xperia 10 IV has a water resistance ranking of IP68. Which means you might submerge the telephone underwater at a depth of as much as 1.5m, although we nonetheless suggest avoiding doing so!

Does the Sony Xperia 10 IV have wi-fi charging?

No, the Xperia 10 IV doesn’t help wi-fi charging.

Does the Sony Xperia 10 IV have a headphone jack?Is the Sony Xperia 10 IV a 5G telephone?

Sure, the Xperia 10 IV helps sub-6GHz 5G community bands, although compatibility exterior Europe will range.

Does the Sony Xperia 10 IV have Gorilla Glass?

Sure, Sony used a powerful Gorilla Glass Victus to guard the entrance show of the Xperia 10 IV.

Does the Sony Xperia 10 IV have microSD card enlargement?

Sure, the Xperia 10 IV helps microSDXC playing cards.

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