Compare Sony Deals

Sony is one of the world's largest technology companies, with a significant presence in a number of markets, from TVs to cameras to home audio equipment. It's also the leading supplier of camera sensors to other smartphone manufacturers.

When it comes to the smartphone market itself, though, Sony is something of a fringe player. While it can't compete with Samsung and Apple on sheer sales volume, however, it's more than a match for its rivals on sheer quality.

Sony's flagship Xperia phones feature some of the most outrageous specifications on the market, and appeal directly to audiophiles, cinephiles, and committed photographers in a way that no other manufacturer does. At the other end of the market, Sony produces a small selection of affordable yet classy handsets for those on a budget.

Sony wasn't the earliest adopter of 5G connectivity. Its first 5G phone, the Sony Xperia 1 II, launched in mid-2020. Since then, however, Sony has supported 5G connectivity right across its smartphone range. You’ll find key examples of 5G Sony phones in the chart below.

Sony's approach to smartphone releases tends to be a matter of quality over quantity, so if you’re limiting yourself to the latest handsets there aren’t many to choose from.

Our pick then – if you have the money for it – is the Sony Xperia 1 VI. This is the company’s latest flagship at the time of writing, and it has some exceptional specs and features.

These include a 12MP telephoto camera with a 3.5x – 7.1x continuous optical zoom, joined by a 48MP main camera and a 12MP ultra-wide. There’s also a high-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, a 6.5-inch 120Hz screen, and a 5,000mAh battery offering two days of life.

The best phone that Sony makes is undoubtedly the Sony Xperia 1 VI. We’ve detailed this above, but in short it can compete with the best rival flagships around, while standing out in particular for photography and audio.

The cheapest Sony phone that’s widely available at the time of writing is the Sony Xperia 10 VI. This is a mid-range alternative to the Sony Xperia 1 VI, with a 6.1-inch FHD+ display, a 48MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide, and a 5,000mAh battery.

We’d argue that the best value Sony phone you can buy at the time of writing is the Sony Xperia 5 V. This is slightly lower end and a lot smaller than the Sony Xperia 1 VI, but it’s also therefore cheaper.

It has a 6.1-inch 120Hz OLED screen, a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, a 5,000mAh battery, a 48MP main camera, and a 12MP ultra-wide. So if you want a relatively compact but still high-end handset, this is a top choice.

The two latest Sony phones at the time of writing are the high-end Sony Xperia 1 VI and the mid-range Sony Xperia 10 VI, both of which were launched around the middle of 2024.

You can find more details of both of these phones further up, but they rank among the best phones of their respective price ranges.

Sony is unique in the smartphone market, in that it's a huge company with sweeping brand recognition that makes relatively niche devices. Its flagship Xperia handsets don't sell in anything like the same quantities as Samsung's, Apple's, or Xiaomi's, yet they always offer something special.

Whether it's an interruption-free display that's uniquely suited to watching movies on the go, a freakishly locked-on camera system, or a stealthy design that puts practicality first, Sony tends to make phones for media enthusiasts of all stripes. If you're massively into film, music, or photography, you should seriously include Sony's Xperia line in your deliberations.