(Pocket-lint) – Sony Mobile refreshed its phone line up in 2020 with the Xperia 1 II and the Xperia 10 II. The latter succeeded the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus that arrived in 2019, offering just one device in the mid range Xperia portfolio rather than two.

The design was refined and specifications were improved for the 2020 model, but what else differs between the Xperia 10 II, the Xperia 10 and the Xperia 10 Plus.

Here are their specifications compared to help you decide which mid-range Xperia might be the right one for you. Keep in mind that the third generation Xperia 10 III is expected to appear at some point this year too, so you might want to wait.

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Design

• Xperia 10 II: 157 x 69 x 8.2mm, 151g, IP65/68
• Xperia 10: 156 x 68 x 8.4mm, 162g
• Xperia 10 Plus: 167 x 73 x 8.3mm, 180g

The Sony Xperia 10 II, the Xperia 10 and the Xperia 10 Plus all share similar design traits, but the Xperia 10 II is more premium, offering a glass rear over the metal backs seen on the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus.

The camera housing on the rear of the Xperia 10 II has also been repositioned to the top left, just like the Xperia 1 II, moving away from the horizontal housing found on the the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus.

All three devices have rounded edges and a tall, slender look though and they all feature a 21:9 aspect ratio display. The Xperia 10 II is IP65/68 water and dust resistant however, like the flagship Xperia 1 II, while the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus offer no water resistance.

Display 

• Xperia 10 II: 6-inch, OLED, Full HD+, 21:9
• Xperia 10: 6-inch, LCD, Full HD+, 21:9
• Xperia 10 Plus: 6.5-inch, LCD, Full HD+, 21:9

The Sony Xperia 10 II comes with a 6-inch display, matching the size of the Xperia 10. The Xperia 10 Plus has a slightly larger display at 6.5-inches, though all three models have the same Full HD+ resolution.

The Xperia 10 II differs in terms of panel technology too though. Like the Xperia 1 II, the Xperia 10 II has an OLED display for vibrant colours and deep blacks. The Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus both have LCD displays.

All three devices have a 21:9 aspect ratio display, as mentioned above.

Hardware and specs

• Xperia 10 II: Qualcomm SD665, 4GB RAM, 128GB storage, 3600mAh
• Xperia 10: Qualcomm SD630, 3/4GB RAM, 64GB storage, 2870mAh
• Xperia 10 Plus: Qualcomm SD630, 4/6GB RAM, 64GB storage, 3000mAh

As you would expect from a succeeding device, the Xperia 10 II improves on the internals of the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus. The 2020 device runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor, supported by 4GB of RAM as standard.

The Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus both run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor with 3GB of RAM as standard for the smaller model and 4GB of RAM as standard for the Plus model. Both come with 64GB of internal storage, while the Xperia 10 II comes with 128GB.

All three models support microSD for storage expansion but the Xperia 10 II will take cards up to 1TB, while the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus will only support cards up to 512GB.

In terms of battery capacities, the Xperia 10 II wins here too. It offers a 3600mAh battery, while the Xperia 10 has a 2870mAh battery and the Xperia 10 Plus has a 3000mAh battery. All models offer Sony technologies like Stamina Mode however.

Camera

• Xperia 10 II: Triple rear, 8MP front
• Xperia 10: Dual rear, 8MP front
• Xperia 10 Plus: Dual rear, 8MP front

The camera department is another area the Xperia 10 II improves over its predecessors, at least on paper. There’s a triple lens rear camera on the Xperia 10 II consisting of an 8-megapixel ultra wide-angle sensor, a 12-megapixel wide angle and an 8-megapixel telephoto sensor. There’s also a night mode.

The Xperia 10 meanwhile, has a dual camera consisting of a 12-megapixel sensor and an 8-megapixel sensor, while the Xperia 10 Plus has a 13-megapixel sensor and an 8-megapixel sensor on the back.

All three devices have an 8-megapixel front camera.  

Price

The Sony Xperia 10 II costs £319 in the UK.

When they launched in 2019, the Xperia 10 started at £299, while the Xperia 10 Plus started at £349, but you’ll likely find them cheaper now.

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Conclusion

Sony simplified its mid-range Xperia in 2020, by only offering one device rather than the two offered in 2019 and that’s a good thing. The Xperia 10 II offers a more advanced processor, larger battery, better camera capabilities (on paper at least) and a nicer design than the devices it succeeds.

As we mentioned at the beginning, the Xperia 10 III is expected to appear at some point in the next few months, so you might want to hold off to see what that device brings. Otherwise, unless you can find the Xperia 10 or 10 Plus significantly cheaper, the Xperia 10 II is the better choice.

Writing by Britta O’Boyle.