When Google released the Pixel 6 series on October 28th, 2021, the rear horizontal camera bar was different than the design we were seeing from the rest of the industry at the time. Google has since made some changes to the rear camera bar, but has kept intact the idea of having a horizontal bar on the back that houses the cameras. We've seen some phone manufacturers copy the idea, including Apple with the iPhone 17 Pro models, and now another phone manufacturer is using the basic design of the Pixel's rear camera bar.
Another phone manufacturer copies the Pixel's rear camera bar for a new phone model
Yes. With less than 1% of the market, what's the point?
43.48%
No. You never know when the brand might take off.
56.52%
The Xperia 10 VII will be the first Sony-branded handset to have rear cameras mounted in a horizontal orientation since the OG Xperia 10 was released in 2019. The new model is priced at £399 / €449 and will sport a 6.1-inch OLED display with an FHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood is the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 application processor, along with 8GB of RAM, and there is 128GB of expandable storage. That's right, folks, the Xperia 10 VII is equipped with a microSD slot.
The Sony Xperia 10 VII takes its rear camera design from Google. | Image credit-Sony
Sony also equipped the phone with a...wait for it...a 3.5mm headphone jack. It also features front-facing stereo speakers and a 5,000 mAh battery delivers two-day battery life according to the manufacturer. Color options include white, charcoal, and turquoise.
Sony is still trying to find its way in the smartphone industry
Sony still hasn't been able to find success in the smartphone industry. It tried 4K resolution displays, kept features that the competition got rid of including microSD support and the 3.5mm earphone jack, but to no avail. It is mindboggling that a company like Sony, which has amassed so much success in the consumer electronics world with the Walkman, PlayStation, and popular lines of video camcorders and digital cameras, cannot make much headway in the smartphone world.
Front and back of the Sony Xperia 10 VII in the three available colors. | Image credit-Sony
Still, Sony continues to take its minuscule share of less than 1% and stays in this business year after year. One of the problems Sony has grappled with is the company's inability to hook up with a U.S. carrier. The company has done better in Japan, Sony's home market, capturing 3% to 6% of smartphone sales in the country. Despite having some modicum of success in Japan, Sony's smartphones still haven't reached the popularity of Apple and Samsung's handsets in that market.
If you are interested in buying an Xperia model that isn't officially offered in the U.S., you might be able to purchase the phone from sites like Amazon, Newegg, and even Best Buy.
The previous model didn't impress us much
The Xperia 10 VII is the successor to the Xperia 10 VI, a phone that didn't exactly knock our socks off. While we praised the phone's bright and clear display and its stereo speakers, we weren't happy with the lack of support for wireless charging. We also panned the camera system on the Xperia 10 VI, and also felt that it was priced too high. We gave the device a 5.4 score out of a possible 10.
Consider this strange situation: Sony supplies what many phone manufacturers believe to be the top image sensors available, and yet the Xperia line has never been ranked near the top with the iPhone, Galaxy, and Pixel camera systems.
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Earlier this year, a report circulated stating that Sony had turned to a third-party manufacturer to build its flagship phones. At this stage, it is unknown which company is actually producing these handsets.
"Iconic Phones" is coming this Fall!
Good news everyone! Over the past year we've been working on an exciting passion project of ours and we're thrilled to announce it will be ready to release in just a few short months.
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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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