Sony’s Xperia Embraces the Camera Bar Trend
▼ Summary
– Sony has launched the Xperia 10 VII, a midrange Android phone available in the UK, Europe, and Asia but not the US.
– It features a new horizontal camera bar design, breaking from Sony’s previous vertical camera layout used since 2019.
– The phone retains some Sony trademarks like a 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD slot, and front-facing stereo speakers.
– It includes a 6.1-inch 120Hz display with noticeable bezels and uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset with dual rear cameras.
– Priced at €449 / £399, it is available for preorder in the UK and Europe, with shipping starting September 19th.
Sony has unveiled the Xperia 10 VII, a new mid-range Android smartphone that introduces a significant departure from the company’s long-standing design philosophy. While the device will be available across the UK, Europe, and parts of Asia, it notably skips a US release. The most striking update is the adoption of a horizontal camera bar on the rear, a design feature popularized by Google’s Pixel series and more recently seen on Apple’s iPhone models.
For years, Sony’s Xperia lineup has maintained a consistent look, with vertically aligned cameras positioned in the top-left corner. This aesthetic has defined the brand since the Xperia 5 debuted in 2019, with only rare deviations like the specialized Xperia Pro-I. The Xperia 10 VII breaks that mold entirely, featuring a pill-shaped raised bar that spans the width of the device and houses a dual-camera setup. The back is crafted from matte plastic and comes in black, white, or a vibrant turquoise finish, marking a clear visual break from earlier models.
From the front, the phone retains some classic Sony traits, including noticeable bezels above and below the 6.1-inch display. Though these make the device slightly larger than its screen size might imply, the Xperia 10 VII remains more compact and lighter than many contemporary rivals. It also abandons Sony’s signature 21:9 aspect ratio in favor of a more conventional 19.5:9 format, aligning it with recent entries like the Xperia 1 series.
Sony hasn’t completely forsaken its traditional appeal. The phone includes a 3.5mm headphone jack and support for expandable storage via microSD, features that will please many longtime fans. The bezels also house front-facing stereo speakers, and the device boasts an impressive IP65/68 rating for dust and water resistance. A physical shutter button on the side remains, though this is no longer the rarity it once was.
Under the hood, the Xperia 10 VII is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset, which delivers capable but not exceptional performance. The camera system consists of a 50-megapixel primary sensor and a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens, both fairly standard for this price segment. A sizable 5,000mAh battery promises up to two days of use, though charging is limited to wired connections.
Sony’s smartphones have often stood out for their distinctive aesthetics, even when other aspects lagged behind competitors. The fresh design direction of the Xperia 10 VII is a welcome update, suggesting the company may be reinvesting in its mobile division. With Sony recently emphasizing the importance of its Xperia brand, this redesign could signal more innovative changes ahead, possibly extending to future flagship models.
Priced at €449 in Europe and £399 in the UK (approximately $530), the Xperia 10 VII is available for preorder now, with shipments beginning September 19.
(Source: The Verge)