Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact vs Samsung Galaxy S10e: A Clash of Compact Titans
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
The Galaxy S10e wins overall thanks to its superior display, more modern chipset, and wireless charging. However, the XZ2 Compact boasts incredible battery life and a surprisingly powerful Snapdragon 845, making it a compelling choice for those prioritizing longevity and a truly pocketable size.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | Samsung Galaxy S10e |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 - Global, USA |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 26, 28, 29, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 | 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 (4CA) Cat15 800/150 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, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66, 71 - USA | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2018, February. Released 2018, April | 2019, February 20. Released 2019, March 08 |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 135 x 65 x 12.1 mm (5.31 x 2.56 x 0.48 in) | 142.2 x 69.9 x 7.9 mm (5.60 x 2.75 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 168 g (5.93 oz) | 150 g (5.29 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2160 pixels, 18:9 ratio (~483 ppi density) | 1080 x 2280 pixels, 19:9 ratio (~438 ppi density) |
| Size | 5.0 inches, 64.5 cm2 (~73.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.8 inches, 82.8 cm2 (~83.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | IPS LCD, HDR BT.2020 | Dynamic AMOLED, HDR10+ |
| Triluminos display X-Reality Engine | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (4x2.7 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 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 SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) | Exynos 9820 (8 nm) - EMEA/LATAMQualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) - USA/China |
| GPU | Adreno 630 | Mali-G76 MP12 - EMEA/LATAM Adreno 640 - USA/China |
| OS | Android 8.0 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 10 | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 12, One UI 4.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only |
| Internal | 64GB 4GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 | UFS 2.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 16 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.0µm, Super Steady video |
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 19 MP, f/2.0, 25mm (wide), 1/2.3", 1.22µm, predictive PDAF | - |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 1080p@30fps (gyro-EIS), 1080p@960fps | 4K@60fps (no EIS), 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | - | HDR |
| Single | 5 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/5.0" | 10 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/3", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 1080p@30fps (gyro-EIS) | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | Yes |
| 35mm jack | No | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, aptX HD, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | FM radio (USA & Canada only) |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 18W wired, QC3 | 15W wired, PD2.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 2870 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 3100 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, White Silver, Moss Green, Coral Pink | Prism White, Prism Black, Prism Green, Prism Blue, Canary Yellow, Flamingo Pink |
| Models | H8324, H8314, SO-05K | SM-G970F, SM-G970U, SM-G970W, SM-G9700, SM-G970U1, SM-G970N, SM-G970X |
| Price | About 430 EUR | About 130 EUR |
| SAR | - | 0.56 W/kg (head) 0.70 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.58 W/kg (head) 1.57 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -93.4dB / Crosstalk -92.7dB | Noise -92.9dB / Crosstalk -89.4dB |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 88h | Endurance rating 83h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: 1315:1 (nominal), 3.765 (sunlight) | Contrast ratio: infinite |
| Loudspeaker | Voice 66dB / Noise 73dB / Ring 83dB | Voice 71dB / Noise 76dB / Ring 80dB |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 265326 (v7), 308651 (v8) GeekBench: 8487 (v4.4), 2174 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 325192 (v7), 389694 (v8) GeekBench: 10081 (v4.4), 2141 (v5.1) GFXBench: 40fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact
- Exceptional battery life
- Truly compact size
- Durable build quality
- Powerful Snapdragon 845
- Excellent sunlight readability
- Outdated design
- LCD display (less vibrant than OLED)
- Less versatile camera
- No wireless charging
Samsung Galaxy S10e
- Stunning AMOLED display
- Modern chipset (Exynos 9820/Snapdragon 855)
- Versatile camera system
- Wireless charging & reverse wireless charging
- Premium design
- Slightly shorter battery life than XZ2 Compact
- Can be more expensive
- Some may find it slightly less pocketable than the XZ2 Compact
Display Comparison
The Galaxy S10e's display is a clear winner. Its 'infinite' contrast ratio (effectively OLED) provides vibrant colors, deep blacks, and excellent viewing angles. The XZ2 Compact's LCD screen, while offering a respectable 1315:1 contrast ratio and impressive sunlight readability, can't match the S10e's visual pop. Resolution is similar, but the S10e's AMOLED technology provides a noticeably better experience.
Camera Comparison
The Galaxy S10e's camera system is more versatile, offering better low-light performance and more advanced features. While the XZ2 Compact's camera is capable, it lacks the S10e's image processing and additional lenses. The S10e's software also provides a more refined user experience.
Performance
The Galaxy S10e generally offers smoother performance. While the XZ2 Compact's Snapdragon 845 is still a capable chip, the S10e's Exynos 9820 (or Snapdragon 855 in the US/China variant) benefits from a more modern architecture and fabrication process (7nm vs 10nm). This translates to slightly faster app loading times and better multitasking capabilities. Both phones handle everyday tasks with ease.
Battery Life
The XZ2 Compact surprisingly holds a slight edge in battery endurance, with an 88h rating compared to the S10e's 83h. This is a testament to Sony's optimization and the compact phone's smaller screen. However, the S10e offers wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, adding convenience that the XZ2 Compact lacks.
Buying Guide
The Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact is ideal for users who prioritize a small, durable phone with exceptional battery life and don't need the absolute latest features. The Samsung Galaxy S10e is perfect for those seeking a premium, feature-rich experience with a stunning display, versatile camera, and modern design, even in a compact form.