The best Sony phones in 2024

The big hitter of this list is the Sony Xperia 1 V, which is easily the best overall Sony phone in 2024. This flagship device takes inspiration from some of the brand’s iconic cameras, offering something that is ideal for the amateur photographer who doesn’t want to have to lug a DSLR camera around to take a few nice shots. It’s a nice-looking bit of kit, too, with a streamlined design that stands out from the crowd without a wacky colorway.

Combining a dazzling 6.5” 120Hz 4K HDR OLED display and a 5,000 mAh battery, the Experia 1V offers you hours of quality streaming and gaming – without having to worry about lowering the brightness or racing for a charger. It is worth mentioning that one of the caveats here is a slightly slow rate of charging, so be prepared to plug it in before you go to bed each night.

This handset is available in three colors – black, green, and silver – and supports the latest Android 14 software. Unfortunately, it isn’t going to go any further than that, but we’re not expecting Android 15 for quite some time yet.

The real downside to the Sony Xperia 1 V is that it’s eye-wateringly expensive, going for a similar price to the Samsung S23 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Still, if you’re determined to own the best of the best Sony phones, then you’re going to have to part with your cash and pick up this one.

A recurring theme of devices on our list of the best Sony phones is reliable cameras, and that’s just what you get with the Xperia 5 V. It marries fantastic software features and hardware to offer a capable handset that’s up there with the Google Pixels in terms of smartphone photography.

Coming in at around $1000, it’s also better value than some of the most serious snappers the company offers. Combine this with its excellent battery life and powerhouse processor and it seems like a win-win. However, there are a couple of drawbacks.

The design of the phone is a little underwhelming, even from a company hardly known for knocking it out of the park in that department. The display is even more disappointing, especially when compared with other phones in this price range – hello again, Google Pixel. Still, if you want the latest Sony tech, it’s by no means an awful device.

If you don’t have all the money in the world to spend on a new device, our pick for the best budget Sony phone is the Sony Xperia 10 IV. The 10 V is newer, but considering that the device has little over its predecessor, we’re opting for this one for the time being.

Arriving with a 5,000 mAh battery, this is a budget phone that lasts much longer than many at the same price point, capable of going for up to 48 hours if you’re not using it for more than the essentials. However, it’s not the quickest in the charging department, so it’s always worth taking charging equipment with you if you opt to use this phone on your travels.

All-in-all, the 10 IV offers a solid battery and bright OLED screen at an impressive price point, with colorway options including black, white, green, and lavender. Still, there are caveats, and if you’re looking for something with super-fast charging or an impressive set of cameras, you may need to think about looking elsewhere or holding off until you’ve got a higher budget.

If you’re looking for a Sony phone with the best camera, look no further than the Xperia Pro-I. However, with its professional-grade camera, you do need a little bit of photography knowledge to make sure this phone hits its full potential. With a telephoto lens and the choice between f/2.0 and f/4.0 apertures on the main camera, it feels more like a camera with a phone attached to it than anything else.

But how long can you use this device out in the wild without needing a charge? Well, it houses a 4500 mAh battery, which isn’t quite as good as the 10 IV and the 1 V, but can still give you about six to seven hours of screen time each day. This will, of course, go down much quicker if you’re snapping a lot of images.

Finally, this phone has a beautiful 6.5-inch 4K HDR OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, so your pictures will really pop, and any games are going to look great. It only comes in Frosted Black but does look very sleek in this colorway

If all you need from your mobile device is a battery that lasts for many hours, then the Sony Xperia 10 V is the phone for you. With a 5000 mAh battery, just like our pick for the best overall Sony phone, the 10 V gives you almost 30 hours of light browsing time and about 16 hours of video streaming and gaming time.

Despite having a triple camera on the back, it isn’t much to write home about but definitely does the trick if all you want is to take pictures of your pet or the occasional selfie. It also has a 60Hz refresh rate which obviously isn’t as good as the industry leaders with their 120Hz.

As for aesthetics, you can pick up the 10 V in black, white, sage green, and lavender. It’s got a 6.1-inch screen and weighs just 159g so it’s pretty sleek and fits nicely in even the tightest pockets.

If you’re looking for a Sony phone with a dazzling display, the Xperia 5 IV is exactly that. Despite being a little older than some of the other devices on this list, you would hardly be able to tell when watching videos, video-calling your friends, or playing intense mobile games. It’s crystal clear, better even than the same generation of iPhone or Google Pixel device.

Better still is the battery life, with this phone capable of lasting up to two days without charge if you’re not using it for anything too demanding. If you are, though, you can soon get it back to 100% with a full charge requiring just under two hours if you’re using all the official equipment. Throw in wireless charging, and you’ve got a device that is rarely going to run flat.

There is one drawback, though, in that the cameras here just aren’t up to much. Worse still, there are plenty of reports suggesting that using the camera can lead to some issues with overheating, and considering you have to hold the device to take pictures, you can imagine how troublesome that can become.

With its 2021 debut, the Sony Xperia 1 III is far from new. But, if you’re not particularly interested in keeping up with the latest hardware and software options, it’s still a great option to consider thanks to its fantastic battery and truly astonishing 4K 120Hz display on a 6.5-inch OLED screen. With those specs in mind – and despite the fact that it’s an older model – it’s still worth bearing in mind that this is by no means a cheap option. In fact, you can buy brand-new phones from competitive brands like Xiaomi for hundreds of dollars less.

Still, if you’re committed to the Sony Xperia brand this model demands your attention. In addition to its display, its battery is pretty top-of-the-range and also comes with an extremely handy 3.5mm headphone port too. Bingo.