Sony Officially Unveils Xperia 10 VIII: Spot the Differences
Sony officially announced the Xperia 10 VIII in a press release. When compared to last year's model, the differences are subtle. The screen is slightly brighter, the speakers are louder, and you can now make payments with a quick double-press of the power button. However, these improvements come at a significantly higher price.
The Sony Xperia 10 VIII is virtually indistinguishable from its predecessor, the Xperia 10 VII, on the outside. In fact, the dimensions and weight are identical down to the millimetre and gramme. The screen, processor, and cameras have also remained unchanged.
What’s new is the finish. Sony uses transparent materials with a matte coating and offers the device in the colours Frozen White, Frosted Grey, and Misty Lilac.
Brighter screen, fuller speakers
The biggest improvement is in the screen. According to Sony, the 6.1-inch OLED panel is up to 50% brighter than that of the Xperia 10 VII and now automatically adjusts colour reproduction based on ambient light. The press release lacks figures to support this claim, so we cannot independently verify it.
The front-facing stereo speakers have also been upgraded; they deliver about 15% more volume and over 30% more powerful bass. We’ll only believe these figures once we’ve heard them for ourselves, but on paper, this is where the Xperia 10 VIII stands out.
Pay with double button press
Sony says it’s focussing on ease of use and is introducing the Rewards & Pay menu (Rewards and Payments in Dutch) to that end. Press the power button twice, and you’ll immediately see your payment and loyalty card apps, including QR codes. This is handy at the checkout, altho most Android phones offer something similar via a shortcut or by double-pressing the power button—a gesture that currently opens the camera.
Mostly familiar specs otherwise
That pretty much sums up the new features. Under the hood, it runs the same Snapdragon 6 Gen 3—which wasn’t the fastest last year either—with 8GB of RAM (now expandable by up to 6GB of virtual RAM) and 128GB of expandable storage.
The cameras are identical to those on the Xperia 10 VII: a 50MP main camera with optical stabilisation and a 13MP ultra-wide-angle camera. The 5000 mAh battery, with a promised battery life of two days, also remains unchanged, as do the headphone jack and the microSD slot. Sony does promise that the battery will still perform well even after four years. The device also runs Android 16 out of the box and will receive four major Android upgrades and six years of security updates.
Significantly higher price
That leaves the price, and that’s where the problem lies. The Xperia 10 VIII will cost €599 at launch. That’s a whopping €100 more than the Xperia 10 VII cost when it hit stores last year. Opting for that nearly identical model isn’t an option; it’s no longer available.
The total cost is also higher than last year in another way. Back then, if you pre-ordered the Xperia 10 VII with free wireless headphones as a pre-order worth €49, this year you’ll actually have to pay extra for the only announced accessory: a separate case with a built-in stand, for those who want to use the device in landscape or portrait orientation. The Xperia 10 VIII will hit stores in the second half of September 2026, Sony reports in its press release.
So for whom is that €599 price tag still justifiable? Mainly for those looking for a compact device with a headphone jack and a memory card slot; with that combination, Sony is now virtually the only remaining option. Those who don’t care about those features will find a wider selection from the competition for this price.
