Price when reviewed 329inc VAT
The Xperia 10 Plus is a tall order both figuratively and literally
The Xperia XA3 is dead, long live the Xperia 10 Plus. Or at least for the length of a two-year contract, anyway.
Sony unveiled three new handsets at this year’s MWC conference in Barcelona. Elsewhere, you can read about the Xperia 1 – the successor to the XZ3 – and the regular Xperia 10. Sitting between them, albeit closer to the 10 than the Xperia 1, is the 10 Plus.
What they all have in common is a brand new aspect ratio. If you thought current phones were too tall, then you ain’t seen nothing yet.
Sony Xperia 10 Plus review: Key specifications, price and release date
- 6.5in, 21:9, FHD+, LCD screen
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor
- 4GB RAM
- 64GB storage (512GB microSD expansion)
- Dual rear camera: 12MP, 8MP with 2x optical zoom
- Selfie camera: 8MP
- 3,000mAh battery
- UK release date: 25 February
- UK price: £329
Sony Xperia 10 Plus review: Design, key features and first impressions
As you might expect, the new aspect ratio really does dominate the first impression. And although this is a 6.5in handset – theoretically the same as the iPhone Xs Max – it doesn’t feel half as difficult to hold, because it maintains a similar width to the current phones we know and love.
The iPhone comparison is interesting, because you may remember Apple’s advert for the iPhone 5 where the company suggested that those with bigger screens were essentially fighting against the shape of hands, and that’s definitely something to be wary of here. You won’t be able to touch the top of the screen without limbering up your thumb first, let’s just put it like that.
Is that a problem? Well, not necessarily, but it isn’t a phone I’d preorder without giving it a go in person.
Of course, it has its advantages too. As Sony points out, 69% of movies on Netflix are shot in a 21:9 aspect ratio. You can see a lot more, if the software supports it, which is a fairly big ‘if’ given Sony is currently ploughing its own lonely furlough in the 21:9 space. Whether people care enough about a true cinematic experience on a device that’s 6.5in in size, and which potentially sacrifices usability, is an open question.
You won’t be sacrificing looks, mind. Although clearly still in the Xperia family (read: it’s a bit more angular and blocky than others), it’s certainly handsome. The screen covers most of the front of the device, barring a very small chin and a slightly larger forehead where the front-facing camera sits, negating the need for a notch.
Speaking of cameras, there’s a dual array on the back, much like on the smaller 10. But whereas the smaller 10 comes with a 13-megapixel camera, supported by a 5-megapixel depth sensor, the 10 Plus is a 12-megapixel camera supported by an 8-megapixel 2x optical zoom affair. To my mind, the ability to take pictures from further away is far more useful than being able to blur backgrounds for done-to-death arty Instagram shots.
The other difference between the two is power. The 10 Plus is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor and 4GB of RAM, compared to the 10’s Snapdragon 630 and 3GB. In short, the 636 is better, with four cores clocked at 2.2GHz and four at 1.8GHz, against eight 1.8GHz cores in the 630.
In the real world, it’s the difference between the recent Moto G7 Plus and last year’s Moto G6 Plus, which also happen to use the same chips as the two new Xperias.
Sony Xperia 10 Plus review: Early verdict
There’s something quite worrying in that last sentence though, and if you spotted it then top marks for paying attention. Here it is more explicitly: Sony is charging £329 for a phone that uses the same chip as a handset that costs £269 – the Moto G7 Plus. Consider also that you can get a Xiaomi Pocophone F1 with a Snapdragon 845 processor for the same price, and the Sony Xperia 10 Plus begins to look a tad underwhelming.
For all its aspect ratio innovation, the Xperia 10 Plus could be a very tough sell indeed.
