The last few mobile launches have seen Sony struggling to make an impact in the top tier arena – so when I heard that they had launched a new Xperia series aimed at the mid-range market I thought – smart move Sony. With the Sony Xperia 10 Plus Sony have produced a solid, affordable option which offers some unique features in a stylish build.
Design wise the Sony Xperia 10 Plus is a long phone. The longer design allows for more screen real estate allowing more content to be shown- I really liked this – it made sense to me.
Although conservative the Xperia 10 Plus offers up a stylish metallic design. Sony has diverted slightly from the old boxy look to offer up a device with slightly rounder edges but with the unmistakably, Xperia feel we have come to know. The use of Gorilla Glass 5 makes the Sony Xperia 10 robust, but the exclusion of an IP rating and wireless charging along with the side mounted fingerprint sensor is disappointing.
The standout feature is the 21:9 aspect ratio offered on this device. As movies are normally shot in this ratio the idea is to give you that true cinematic experience. It does deliver- I did find myself getting immersed in the content I was watching – especially Netflix. It is important to note that not all platforms will cater to this but the quality of the 6.5-inch Full HD + display more than makes up for this. This is one of the best displays I have seen in this price range.
Sound wise the Xperia 10 Plus delivers. Pop on your headset and disappear into another world. I really think the sound is world class – the only issue is the placement of the sound bar at the bottom of the device makes it easy to cover it up when watching. Not a difficult hurdle to overcome and worth it if your device is one of your primary forms of entertainment. This sound is intense!
For those who are not used to the Sony interface – Side Sense was a super cool feature. Simply double tap the side of the screen and the Xperia 10 Plus will automatically bring up your most used apps and settings in lightning speed.
Another feature I loved was the camera. Out of all the phones I have tested I spent the longest time playing around with the Xperia 10 Plus camera than any other device at this price point.
In a nutshell, you get a dual rear 12MP+8MP shooter with 2 x optical zoom coupled with an 8MP selfie snapper. In general, the quality of the shots was great. Detailed and realistic a simple point and shoot delivered snaps worthy of an Instagram king or queen. With special features including beauty, mirror, portrait and skin softening, I also had great fun exploring the AR effects. Not only are the features super cool, but they also work, and they work well.
Popping the hood, you get a respectable octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 Processor coupled with 4GB RAM. Onboard memory is 64GB expandable with a microSD card. The battery lasted the whole day even after streaming content and working on it the whole day. While it is not the fastest device out there now it is certainly powerful and efficient enough for everyday usage.
The Sony Xperia 10 Plus is an attractive option for those looking for a great all-rounder with emphasis on viewing content and posting on social media. The sound and viewing alone are one of the best offerings I have seen in a while at this price range and is a solid performer and attractive alternative to your top tier ranges.
Written By: Lesa J
