Sony has announced the latest entry in its Xperia smartphone lineup in the form of the budget-friendly 10 VII. The cheapest handsets in Sony's range have impressed us for quite some time now, with the Xperia 10 IV, Xperia 10 V, and Xperia 10 VI all scoring five-star reviews and coveted What Hi-Fi? Awards.
Naturally, I should be highly invested in this smartphone launch, as its predecessors have been amongst the best smartphones for watching movies and listening to music on the go. However, Sony has made a big change this year, and it's one that's sure to divide on-the-go cinephiles.
Much like its bigger and much more expensive counterpart from last year, the Xperia 1 VI, the 10 VII drops the 21:9 aspect ratio display that we've been raving about for the past three generations.
It now sports a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, which means that cinematic content will no longer naturally fill the display, and instead we'll be met with black letterboxing bars when watching supported movies.
That's a shame, because there is no budget phone that dedicates itself to AV in the same way that Sony's Xperia 10 series has in previous years.
Sony's approach, which is to cut back on cutting-edge specs and offer a relatively basic plastic chassis while focussing on providing a five-star picture and sound experience, has always resonated with our AV-first preference.
This year's model focuses more on a new camera system (complete with the physical shutter button shortcut) and AI software features, though there are some AV-focused upgrades to keep in mind.
Sony has upgraded the display to 120Hz, which should make scrolling and gaming on the OLED display feel a lot smoother. It also highlights that the new aspect ratio – which it shares this with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Apple iPhone 16 Pro – should suit 16:9 content better.
And we can't forget the 3.5mm headphone jack, which Sony is still supporting for high resolution wired audio, alongside a long list of wireless audio codecs including Qualcomm's aptX Adaptive and Sony's LDAC options.
Paired with redesigned front-firing stereo speakers that appear to directly address the issue we had regarding the predecessor's cabinet vibration, the latest Xperia 10 should still be a top-choice handset for audiophiles.
We'll need to test the Xperia 10 VII for ourselves to see if it lives up to the lofty expectations set by its predecessors, and we must remember that the Xperia 1 VI was still a five-star device even without the 21:9 display of its predecessor.
Regardless, its the end of an era for Sony, as an AV-first feature that it pioneered on its smartphones for quite some time has now been officially dropped from its lineup.
The Xperia 5 V remains on sale, which is now the only model in Sony's lineup to feature a 21:9 screen, though that handset is swiftly approaching its second year on sale with no sign of an update from Sony, which doesn't exactly inspire confidence.
If you do want a 2025 smartphone with a 21:9 display, then the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 is likely your best bet; though we didn't think it was necessarily the best smartphone for music and movies.
MORE:
Read our full Sony Xperia 10 VI review
As well as our iPhone 16e review
And check out the best smartphones for movies and music
