Sony Xperia 10 VI full review

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Ark
November 18, 2024

Exploring the Xperia 10 Mark 6: Sony’s Mid-Range Marvel for 2024

Discover the New Xperia 10 Mark 6: A Compact Powerhouse with Improved Features!

Sony has introduced a new compact mid-range phone, the Xperia 10 Mark 6. The previous model was well-known for its impressive battery life. So, what does the Mark 6 bring to the table? I’m Will for GSM Arena, and let’s find out in our full review.

This video is sponsored by Yesim, and we’ll tell you more about that in a bit. The Xperia 10 Mark 6 doesn’t drastically change the formula. It’s more of a generational refresh for Sony’s mid-range lineup. The most significant updates include a new chipset and one less camera on the back.

The design of the Mark 6 is virtually identical to that of the Mark 5. The phone is lightweight and has a tall, thin profile thanks to its display’s aspect ratio. Both the back and the frame are made of plastic, as with last year’s model. The Mark 6 retains its Ingress Protection rating at IP65/IP68, which is a nice feature in a mid-range phone.

The display remains a 6.1-inch OLED with a 1080p resolution, a 21:9 aspect ratio, and Gorilla Glass Victus protection. Sony has stuck with a 60Hz refresh rate, which is less smooth compared to most competitors that offer higher refresh rates. However, the maximum brightness has improved slightly, reaching up to 660 nits with manual adjustment and over 1,000 nits in auto mode. The panel is sharp and contrasty, supports HDR video, and offers 10-bit color depth, although it does exhibit a strong color shift, which is unusual for an OLED.

The Xperia 10 Mark 6 includes a 3.5mm headphone jack and a pair of front-facing speakers, which are louder than last year’s and offer good sound quality with clear mids and highs. You can wake and unlock the phone using a side-mounted fingerprint reader integrated into the power button, which is responsive. The phone comes with 128GB of onboard storage, expandable via a MicroSD slot on the SIM tray.

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Now, back to the Xperia 10 Mark 6. The phone’s interface closely resembles stock Android 14, with some visual differences in the notification shade. Sony has opted for more compact quick toggles. Some custom features found on flagship models are missing, such as the Game Enhancer, but you do get the multi-window switch for split-screen multitasking. The S Sense feature allows you to open a menu of shortcuts via a handle on the screen’s side. Sony has committed to three years of OS updates and four years of security patches for the Xperia 10 Mark 6.

The Xperia 10 Mark 6 is powered by a new Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chipset, replacing the Snapdragon 695 from previous generations. Performance was a notable issue with last year’s model, so the upgrade is welcome. In benchmarks, the Xperia 10 Mark 6 performs decently, placing mid-pack among competitors. While other mid-rangers at this price point offer better graphics performance, there’s enough power for daily tasks and light gaming. Thermal management is improved, with stable performance during stress tests.

The Xperia 10 Mark 5 was known for its outstanding battery life, and while the Mark 6 doesn’t top the charts, it still performs well. The 5,000mAh battery achieved an endurance score of nearly 14 hours in our tests. However, the phone does not come with a charger in the box, and charging speeds are slow. With an appropriate adapter, it charged from zero to 36% in half an hour, taking nearly two hours for a full charge.

Sony has reduced the camera setup from a triple camera on the back to just two, eliminating the telephoto lens. The Xperia 10 Mark 6 features a 48MP main camera and an 8MP ultra-wide camera, the same sensors as the previous model. Sony has simplified the camera app, but the removal of manual or pro modes is a drawback. Sony claims its AI can handle settings automatically, but the lack of manual control reduces versatility.

The main camera produces contrasty images with dark shadows and saturated colors, which don’t appear very natural. In low light, the Mark 6 captures more detailed photos with better color accuracy compared to the Mark 5, although images remain quite contrasty. The new chipset enables 4K video recording, which was not possible with the previous model. Video quality is decent, with good detail and dynamic range, though colors are overly saturated.

Despite the absence of a telephoto lens, the digital zoom from the main camera offers comparable quality to last year’s optical zoom in daylight and better results in low light. Photos from the ultra-wide camera show improved detail and more natural colors compared to the main camera. Low-light shots with the ultra-wide camera are also better, with improved detail and contrast.

Videos from the ultra-wide camera are recorded in 1080p, offering good detail and more natural colors and contrast than the main camera. Selfies taken with the 8MP front-facing camera are less impressive than last year, with unnatural skin tones and limited dynamic range.

Overall, the Xperia 10 Mark 6 offers a unique compact form factor with solid ingress protection, commendable speakers, and battery life. The improved chipset and better software support are significant upgrades. However, the display’s strong color shift and 60Hz refresh rate are notable drawbacks. If these issues don’t bother you, the Xperia 10 Mark 6 is worth considering.