A premium budget-priced phone.
I have been an iOS user for many years. That said, I enjoy exploring different operating systems and love checking out various types of hardware. So, when the opportunity to review the Sony Xperia 10, I jumped at it, which was released to the public in February 2019. At $350, the Xperia 10 is considered a ‘budget’ phone by today’s standards, but I have to admit, that I found it was much more than that.
DETAILS
The Sony Xperia 10 is nicknamed “The Ultimate Wide” on Sony’s website for its 21:9 widescreen viewing experience. The screen is made with Gorilla Glass 5 for durability and scratch resistant. The Xperia 10 features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 2.2GHz octa-core processor and 3GB of RAM. In addition to the 6” Full HD display, the Xperia 10 also has 64GB of internal storage and supports microSD cards of up to 512GB. The phone is compatible with GSM Carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon) and GSM SIM kits including Cricket Wireless, Tracfone, Net10, H2O, AT&T Prepaid, and Simple Mobile. The cameras on the phone are also impressive with 13.0MP and 5.0MP dual rear-facing cameras that offer 21:9 cinema ratio and bokeh effect for artistic photos.
SPECS
Carrier : Unlocked- Wireless Technology : 2G, 3G, 4G LTE, GSM
- Operating System: Android 9.0 Pie
- Processor Speed: 2.2 gigahertz
- Internal Memory: 64 gigabytes
- Screen Size: 6 inches
- Water Resistant: No
- Phone Memory (RAM): 3 gigabytes
- Front-Facing Camera : 8 megapixels
- Processor Brand : Qualcomm Snapdragon
- Rear-Facing Camera : 13 megapixels
- Processor Model: 630
- Internet Connectable: Yes
- Keyboard Type: Touch Screen
- Media Card Slot: microSD
- Mobile Hotspot Capability: Yes
- uilt-In GPS: Yes
- Sensors: Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor, Compass, Fingerprint sensor, Geomagnetic sensor, Magnetometer, Proximity sensor
- Wireless Charging: No
- Social Media and Messaging Services: SMS, MMS
- Stylus Dock: None
- Headphone Jack: Yes
- Display Type: LTPS-LCD
- Recording Resolution: 3840 x 2160 (4K)
- Battery Capacity: 2870mAh
- Wireless Connectivity: Bluetooth, NFC
- Dimensions: 6.1” x 2.6” x 0.3”
- Weight: 5.7 ounces
USER EXPERIENCE
The Sony Xperia 10 arrived in a simple white box with the name of the product printed on the box. Inside, you’ll find the phone along with a USB-C charging cable, a 5V power adapter, and lots of little paper pamphlets. There is a startup guide, but there isn’t much to it. Getting started with the phone is very simple though. I started up the phone and then logged into a Google account, which synced to other Google products I have been using.
With it being a smartphone, I decided to run it through a few tests based on how I normally use my iPhone on a daily basis. Here are some of the areas I looked at:
Entertainment: I watched quite a bit of Netflix and YouTube on the phone and was impressed with the quality of the video on the vibrant LCD. I also used Pandora to stream music while I worked. I happened to have a pair of Sony CH700 Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones to use with the Xperia 10. Not only did the headphones connect without any issue, but the phone also recognized the Sony wireless headphones and suggested that I download the companion app for the headphones. The music sounded great and there was no problem with how the two devices worked together.
Productivity: I typically use smartphones throughout the day to keep up with my daily calendar. My co-workers and I recently started sharing Google calendars so that we can keep up with each others’ schedules. Because the Xperia 10 syncs directly with Google accounts, the calendars show up without any problem. I love being able to view the calendar on my phone — and any other Google product — and then see the same information on my computer.
Phone Functions: The basic functions of the phone work as they should. I thought the call quality was above average and that other features of the phone were easy to navigate. One of my favorite features of the phone was how it feels in the hand. Because it is slightly thinner than the iPhone XS, it just seems to fit my hand better. It’s very easy to reach functions on the touch screen with one hand. The only issue I really had with basic functions of the phone was that I had to press the wake button on the side each time I wanted to see the screen. The iPhone provides a function that wakes up the screen when you tap it. I have become so accustomed to this feature that it was shock to the system when I couldn’t do it on the Xperia 10.
Battery: I thought the battery life was incredible. I left it on standby for several days and the phone held its power well. I even found that after using the Xperia 10 to watch videos for long periods of time (several hours) that the battery life didn’t suffer greatly.
CONCLUSION
Out of the box the Xperia felt like an extension of my hand. While I am an iOS user at heart, I can’t deny that the ‘feel’ of the phone is wonderful. The back of the phone has a matte finish, too, which also makes it a better holding experience than an iPhone because you don’t feel like you’re going to drop it nor will it slide out of your hand. The screen is incredibly clear. I really enjoyed watching videos on the Xperia and thought that the audio quality was incredible. It was little harder to hear audio than it was on an iPhone, but I think that was a volume issue and not a quality issue. Overall, I thought the Xperia 10 is a quality smartphone for the price. It’s affordable, durable, and enjoyable to use.
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