Sony Xperia 10 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S10: A Head-to-Head Showdown

Choosing a new smartphone can be overwhelming. The Sony Xperia 10 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S10 were popular choices in their time, offering distinct features and price points. This comprehensive comparison will break down their strengths and weaknesses to help you decide which one best suits your needs.

Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy S10 is the clear winner, boasting a significantly more powerful processor, superior display technology, and a more versatile camera system. While the Xperia 10 Plus offers impressive battery life, the S10's overall performance and features justify its higher standing.

PHONES
Phone Names	Sony Xperia 10 Plus	Samsung Galaxy S10

Network
2G bands	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bands	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 - I3213, I4213, I4293	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - Global, USA
4G bands	1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 32, 38 - I3213, I4213	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - Global
Speed	HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (2CA) Cat12 600/50 Mbps	HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps
Technology	GSM / HSPA / LTE	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE
	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 25, 28, 29, 66 - I3223	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66, 71 - USA

Launch
Announced	2019, February 25. Released 2019, February 27	2019, February 20. Released 2019, March 08
Status	Discontinued	Discontinued

Body
Build	Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic back, plastic frame	Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame
Dimensions	167 x 73 x 8.3 mm (6.57 x 2.87 x 0.33 in)	149.9 x 70.4 x 7.8 mm (5.90 x 2.77 x 0.31 in)
SIM	· Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM	· Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Weight	180 g (6.35 oz)	157 g (5.54 oz)
	-	IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min)

Display
Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 5	Corning Gorilla Glass 6
Resolution	1080 x 2520 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~422 ppi density)	1440 x 3040 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~550 ppi density)
Size	6.5 inches, 98.7 cm2 (~81.0% screen-to-body ratio)	6.1 inches, 93.2 cm2 (~88.3% screen-to-body ratio)
Type	IPS LCD	Dynamic AMOLED, HDR10+
	-	Always-on display

Platform
CPU	Octa-core (4x1.8 GHz Kryo 260 Gold & 4x1.6 GHz Kryo 260 Silver)	Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M4 & 2x2.31 GHz Cortex-A75 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55) - EMEA/LATAMOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) - USA/China
Chipset	Qualcomm SDM636 Snapdragon 636 (14 nm)	Exynos 9820 (8 nm) - EMEA/LATAMQualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) - USA/China
GPU	Adreno 509	Mali-G76 MP12 - EMEA/LATAMAdreno 640 - USA/China
OS	Android 9.0 (Pie)	Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 12, One UI 4.1

Memory
Card slot	microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot)	microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only
Internal	64GB 4GB RAM, 64GB 6GB RAM	128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM
	eMMC 5.1	UFS 2.1

Main Camera
Dual	12 MP, f/1.8, 27mm (wide), 1/2.8", 1.25µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.4, 53mm (telephoto), 1/4.0", 1.12µm, PDAF, 2x optical zoom	-
Features	LED flash, HDR, panorama	LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Triple	-	12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, AF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 16 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.0µm, Super Steady video
Video	4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps	4K@60fps (no EIS), 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS

Selfie camera
Features	HDR	HDR
Single	8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm	10 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF
Video	1080p@30fps	4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps

Sound
3.5mm jack	Yes	Yes
35mm jack	Yes	Yes
Loudspeaker	Yes	Yes, with stereo speakers
	24-bit/192kHz audio	32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG

Comms
Bluetooth	5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD	5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX
NFC	Yes	Yes
Positioning	GPS, GLONASS	GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
Radio	FM radio	FM radio (USA & Canada only)
USB	USB Type-C 2.0, OTG	USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, DisplayPort
WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct

Features
Sensors	Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, proximity, compass	Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2
	-	ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified)

Battery
Charging	18W wired, PD, QC3	15W wired, PD2.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless
Type	Li-Ion 3000 mAh, non-removable	Li-Ion 3400 mAh, non-removable

Misc
Colors	Black, Navy, Silver, Gold	Prism White, Prism Black, Prism Green, Prism Blue, Canary Yellow, Flamingo Pink, Cardinal Red, Smoke Blue
Models	I3213, I4213, I4293, I3223	SM-G973F, SM-G973U, SM-G973W, SM-G973U1, SM-G9730, SM-G973N, SM-G973X, SCV41, SM-G973C
Price	About 560 EUR	About 150 EUR
SAR	-	0.93 W/kg (head) 0.79 W/kg (body)
SAR EU	-	0.48 W/kg (head) 1.59 W/kg (body)

Tests
Audio quality	Noise -92.4dB / Crosstalk -96.7dB	Noise -92.2dB / Crosstalk -92.7dB
Battery life	Endurance rating 78h	Endurance rating 79h
Camera	Photo / Video	Photo / Video
Display	Contrast ratio: 1530:1 (nominal)	Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal), 4.498 (sunlight)
Loudspeaker	-28.8 LUFS (Average)	Voice 82dB / Noise 74dB / Ring 85dB
Performance	AnTuTu: 120573 (v7), 147163 (v8) GeekBench: 4780 (v4.4), 1238 (v5.1) GFXBench: 5fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)	AnTuTu: 328366 (v7) GeekBench: 10174 (v4.4) GFXBench: 23fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Sony Xperia 10 Plus

Exceptional battery life
Large display
Relatively affordable (used)
Headphone jack

Slower performance
Less impressive camera
Outdated chipset
Less vibrant display

Samsung Galaxy S10

Powerful processor
Stunning display
Versatile camera system
Wireless charging
Premium design

Older model (limited software updates)
Can be more expensive (used)
No headphone jack

Display Comparison

The Galaxy S10's Dynamic AMOLED display with its 'Infinite' contrast ratio and excellent sunlight readability (4.498) blows the Xperia 10 Plus's 1530:1 contrast ratio out of the water. The S10 offers richer colors, deeper blacks, and a more immersive viewing experience. The Xperia 10 Plus's display is decent, but lacks the vibrancy and clarity of the S10.

Camera Comparison

The Galaxy S10's camera system is more versatile and generally produces better results. It features a triple-lens setup (wide, ultrawide, telephoto) offering greater flexibility in shooting scenarios. The Xperia 10 Plus has a dual-lens setup, which is adequate but lacks the advanced features and image quality of the S10.

Performance

The Galaxy S10's Exynos 9820 (or Snapdragon 855 in the US/China version) is significantly faster than the Xperia 10 Plus's Snapdragon 636. This translates to smoother multitasking, faster app loading times, and a more responsive user experience. The S10 handles demanding games and applications with ease, while the Xperia 10 Plus can feel sluggish at times.

Battery Life

Both phones offer excellent battery life, with endurance ratings of 78h and 79h respectively. The Xperia 10 Plus edges out the S10 by a hair, but the difference is negligible in real-world usage. The S10 also supports wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, features absent on the Xperia 10 Plus.

Buying Guide

The Sony Xperia 10 Plus is a good choice for budget-conscious users prioritizing long battery life and a large display. The Samsung Galaxy S10 is ideal for those seeking top-tier performance, a vibrant display, and a premium camera experience, even if it's an older model.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Is the Galaxy S10 still worth buying in 2024?

Yes, the Galaxy S10 remains a capable phone, especially if you can find it at a good price. However, be aware that software updates are limited.

❓ Which phone has better software support?

The Galaxy S10, despite being an older model, likely has slightly better software support than the Xperia 10 Plus, although both are nearing the end of their support lifecycle.