Sony Xperia 10 Full Review and Buying Guide

The Sony Xperia 10 is a compact and lightweight smartphone that boasts a stunning 21:9 aspect ratio display. This unique feature makes it perfect for watching movies and browsing the web.

Its 6-inch OLED display is a real showstopper, offering vibrant colors and crisp text. You'll love the immersive viewing experience it provides.

The Xperia 10 is powered by a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor, which provides smooth performance for everyday tasks. This means you can expect seamless multitasking and efficient app loading.

With 3GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, you'll have plenty of room to store your favorite apps, photos, and music.

The Sony Xperia 10 has a polycarbonate unibody construction, making it a durable device.

The phone's screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, which provides excellent scratch resistance.

The top bezel houses the earpiece, front-facing camera, notification LED, and various sensors, giving the phone a sleek look.

The fingerprint sensor and power and volume buttons are located on the right side of the device, making it easy to access them with your thumb.

The 3.5mm headphone jack is located on the top, and the card slot is located on the left side, allowing for easy access to your storage and SIM cards.

The rear cameras are centered and located near the top of the phone, with the LED flash above, making it easy to take high-quality photos.

The phone is available in four colors: Black, Navy, Silver, and a unique Pink color for the 10, and a unique Gold color for the 10 Plus.

The Sony Xperia 10 has a long display with a cinematic aspect ratio of 21:9, making it perfect for watching movies and videos.

The phone's edges are rounded, giving it a stylish and elegant look, and the back is made of plastic material that looks like it's made of metal.

The power button and the volume rocker are found on the right edge, and the fingerprint reader sits between them, making it easy to unlock your phone with your fingerprint.

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The bottom edge of the phone is home to the USB Type-C port and two air grilles: one of them hides the loudspeaker and the other one is just for design.

The phone's design is both simple and beautiful, giving it a premium feeling that's hard to find in other smartphones.

The Sony Xperia 10 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 SoC and the Adreno 508 GPU.

The phone has a single storage option, 64 GB of eMMC, and supports microSD card expansion up to 512 GB with a single-SIM or hybrid dual-SIM setup.

The display is a 21:9 1080p IPS LCD panel, with a 6-inch screen and a pixel density of 457 ppi.

The Xperia 10 scored 1,341 on 3D Mark, 87855 on AnTuTu, and 882 on GeekBench, which puts it in the bottom 20%.

Despite low benchmark scores, the device ran perfectly well with everyday apps and tasks, showing no lagging, stuttering, or app crashes.

The Xperia 10 and 10 Plus have a Snapdragon 600 series processor, which delivers better-than-average results, but doesn't quite live up to expectations.

The Xperia 10 scored 1,341 on 3D Mark, 87855 on AnTuTu, and 882 on GeekBench, putting it in the bottom 20% of performance.

The Xperia 10 Plus scored slightly better, with 1469 on 3D Mark, 117586 on AnTuTu, and 1346 on GeekBench, but still ranks in the bottom 30%.

Despite these low benchmark scores, the devices ran perfectly well with everyday apps and tasks, without any noticeable lag or stuttering.

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Audio plays a crucial role in a computer's overall performance.

The speakers on the new laptop model have a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz, providing clear and detailed sound.

For gaming, a good sound card can make a big difference, especially with 7.1 surround sound support.

A high-quality sound card can cost anywhere from $50 to $200, depending on the brand and features.

Upgrading the sound card can be a cost-effective way to improve audio quality without replacing the entire system.

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The Sony Xperia 10 launched with Android 9.0 "Pie", but was later upgraded to Android 10 in May 2020. This is a significant update, as it brings new features and improvements to the operating system.

The Xperia 10 runs a mostly clean version of Android, which is a good thing. The core mechanics of the OS are unchanged, so you'll still have a home screen, app drawer, and Quick Settings/notification shade.

One of the unique features worth pointing out is one-handed operation. Double tapping the home button shrinks the desktop, making it easier to interact with the notification shade. Another double-tap sends the desktop back to full size.

There's also Side Sense, a feature similar to Samsung's Edge Screen. A short bar appears on the left or right side of the screen, and double tapping it opens up a small window with shortcuts to several key apps and actions. This feature is entirely customizable.

The display on the Xperia 10 series is a highlight, with a 6-inch or 6.5-inch Full HD+ LCD screen that's perfect for watching movies and TV shows.

These screens have a 21:9 aspect ratio, which is a unique feature that sets them apart from other phones. The majority of TV content is still created in the 16:9 aspect ratio, but movies and some TV shows are starting to move towards 21:9.

The 21:9 aspect ratio is designed to show the entire film on the screen without any cropping or zooming, eliminating the black bars that often appear above and below the content.

The pixel density of these screens is actually pretty good, thanks to their narrower width. Resolution is tight enough that on-screen elements really stand out, making it easy to read and navigate.

Here's a comparison of the two screens:

The LCDs on these phones are easy to use, with accurate color and good brightness. You can even adjust the white balance to suit your preferences, with three presets (warm, standard, cool) and a customizable option.

The Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus launched with Android 9.0 "Pie", but were later upgraded to Android 10 in May 2020.

These phones run a mostly clean version of Android, with the biggest differences being background colors and some fonts. The core mechanics of the OS are unchanged, so you still have a home screen, app drawer, Quick Settings / notification shade, and the pill-based UI for which Pie is known.

Double tap the home button to shrink the desktop, making it easier to interact with the notification shade, for example. Another double-tap sends the desktop back to full size.

Side Sense is a feature similar to Samsung's Edge Screen, where a short bar appears on the left or right side of the screen. Double tapping the bar opens up a small window with shortcuts to several key apps and actions, which is entirely customizable.

Split-screen multitasking works really well on the tall screen, allowing you to enjoy larger windows when running two apps side-by-side.

Here are some key features of the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus:

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The camera is a crucial aspect of any smartphone, and it's impressive to see how far it's come.

With a resolution of up to 50 megapixels, the camera can capture stunning images and videos.

One notable feature is the ability to record 4K video at 60 frames per second, making it perfect for capturing smooth and detailed footage.

The camera also comes equipped with a range of modes, including portrait mode, which allows for beautiful bokeh effects.

The advanced image processing capabilities of the camera enable features like night mode, which helps to reduce noise and capture brighter images in low-light conditions.

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The battery life of the Sony Xperia 10 is quite impressive, with a 2,870mAh battery that can easily last a day under normal operating conditions. This is thanks to Sony's excellent battery software that helps manage power needs.

The Stamina Mode is a great feature that adds several hours of battery life by reducing screen brightness, notifications, and processor output, and turning off extraneous radios. This can be a lifesaver if you're running low on power.

The Xperia 10 Plus has a slightly larger 3,000mAh battery, but the difference in battery life is negligible. Both phones often dip below 20% by the end of the day, but the software helps make up for it.

There's no wireless charging, but considering the phones' price points, it's not a major drawback. If you do find yourself in a bind, the Ultra Stamina Mode can give you days of extra battery life, albeit with limited functionality.

Here's a comparison of the battery sizes:

The Sony Xperia 10 VII redesign has been revealed, and it's a subtle yet significant change from its predecessor.

The camera sensors on the Xperia 10 VII are arranged horizontally, a departure from the vertical arrangement of the Xperia 10 VI.

This change is notable because it's a switch from the typical vertical arrangement seen in many recent Sony smartphones.

The Xperia 10 VII's design is expected to be unveiled soon, possibly even later than the Xperia 10 VI, which was released last June.

The original Xperia 10 from 2019 was the last internationally available Sony smartphone to feature a horizontal camera island, so this change is a return to a design element that's been absent for a while.

The Sony Xperia 10 has its downsides. Playing games on this phone is not going to be a great experience. It's just not designed for that kind of heavy use.

The battery life is also a concern. If you're going to watch a movie or two, it's likely to run out of juice before the day is over. This might not be a deal-breaker for everyone, but it's something to consider.

There are also some other phones on the market that offer better performance at a similar price.

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User opinions can be a great source of information, but they can also be misleading.

Some users have mentioned that the Sony Xperia 10's processor is similar to the SD625 and 630, which are known for their efficiency.

Qualcomm's SD625 and 630 processors are indeed considered fully efficient CPUs.

The user also mentioned that the Xperia 10 supports alternative OSes, which is a notable feature.

However, the user's statement about Exynos 7870 being similar to Qualcomm's processors is not necessarily true.

The Sony Xperia 10 has its downsides, and one of them is that playing games on it isn't a great experience.

The battery life is also a concern, as it's too small to last a full day if you're going to watch a movie or two. This is a major drawback, especially for those who enjoy binge-watching their favorite shows.

There are also alternatives with better performance at a similar price, which might make the Xperia 10 a hard sell for some.

The Sony Xperia 10 has a respectable processor under the hood, featuring the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630.

This mid-range processor provides a good balance between performance and power efficiency, making it suitable for everyday tasks.

The Xperia 10's graphics are handled by the Adreno 508 GPU, which should be able to handle casual gaming and graphics-intensive tasks with ease.

Here are the key specs of the Xperia 10 at a glance:

The Sony Xperia 10 is a midrange smartphone that's part of Sony's revamped lineup, which focuses on the digit 1.

The Xperia 10 is positioned below the flagship Xperia 1, which wasn't quite ready for prime time according to reviews.

Sony's midrange lineup includes the Xperia 10 and 10 Plus, both of which offer a more affordable alternative to the flagship model.

The Xperia 10 is a solid choice for those looking for a midrange smartphone with a unique design and decent specs.

The Xperia 10 and 10 Plus both feature a 21:9 aspect ratio display, which is a notable design choice by Sony.

Our scores are based on a combination of factors, including the device's processor, graphics card, and memory.

The Xperia 10 uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor, which is a mid-range processor that provides a good balance between performance and power efficiency.

The device's Adreno 508 GPU is a dedicated graphics processing unit that handles graphics rendering and other compute tasks.

The Xperia 10 comes with 3GB of RAM, which is sufficient for most general use cases, but may not be enough for heavy gaming or multitasking.

You can think of RAM as the device's short-term memory, where it stores data that's currently being used.

The device has 64GB of storage, which is a decent amount for storing apps, photos, and other data.

Sony's mid-range phones have been respectable but forgettable for years, with the Xperia XA series being a notable exception due to their good looks and affordable price points.

The new Sony Xperia 10 and 10 Plus aim to change that with a focus on their "super widescreen" display.

These phones share their basic appearance with Sony's flagship Xperia 1, but with significantly toned-down specs to reach mid-market prices.

The retail cost of the Xperia 10 is around $325, while the 10 Plus is priced at $375.

Sony is competing with other mid-range phones like the Samsung Galaxy A8, Moto G7, and Nokia 7.1.

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The Sony Xperia 10 is a risk-taker, with its 21:9 display making it stand out in a crowd.

Sony's customizations actually do assist with usability, making the Android 9 Pie software run well on these phones.

Battery life is a highlight, just making the mark.

The camera app is powerful and takes above-average photos for the price.

You can find the Sony Xperia 10 at Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo Video, and Focus.