Best Sony smartphones

2022-10-19

Japanese company Sony has been producing portable equipment for many years. And not even for the first decade - the world fame of this brand brought portable radios and cassette players. And in the early 2000s, the Japanese have merged its mobile division with the Swedish company Ericsson. This is how the legendary mobile phones, which were all right with sound and camera, were born.

In due course, the Japanese bought out the Swedish share in the joint venture. Therefore, smartphones are now distributed under the Sony brand, while the former partner concentrated on the production of telecommunications equipment. Japanese products stand out strongly from the competition - Sony Xperia smartphones still have an angular design. The flagships of this manufacturer for quite a long time now get a waterproof case, while in appearance does not differ from the usual one.

It is now that we are used to the fact that any application can run in the background. Before the arrival of Android only very few phones had this feature - the most famous among them were the ones from Sony Ericsson.

Sony Xperia 10 Plus

Processor : Qualcomm Snapdragon 636
Screen : 6.5 inches, FHD+, 2520 x 1080, 60Hz
Cameras (primary / front) : 12+8 / 8 MP
Memory (RAM / built-in) : 4/64GB
Battery : 3000 mAh

Price: from 20,800 rubles

Xperia 10 Plus is a device from the middle price range. The cost of the phone is not so cheap, and the characteristics at the same time are quite modest. And yet from the company's rather large smartphone catalog, the model is one of the best.

In terms of cameras, there's nothing surprising here, from the word go. The rear dual camera has a primary and telephoto sensor (12+8 MP), while the front camera is 8 MP. Daytime pictures are not bad, but in the night shooting photos are too lit and often blurry. If possible, it is better to use a tripod in general. Otherwise, the smartphone traditionally has a rich functionality for shooting, there are many shooting modes and add-ons.

"Under the hood" 8-core single-core system Qualcomm Snapdragon 636. It was introduced back in November 2018 and was already then a representative of the average level, so high performance in games should not be expected. The processor copes with basic tasks perfectly (surfing the Internet, social networks, simple games without heavy 3D-graphics), but otherwise all is not so good. Gamers should definitely pass by, although even heavy games can comfortably run, but only on medium-low graphics settings. The battery is 3000 mAh, which should be consistently enough for a day of use.

Advantages:

There is NFC, USB Type-C.
Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protective glass.
Build quality, ergonomics.
Screen format - comfortable to watch movies.

Disadvantages:

Cameras.
Comparatively poor performance in games.

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Sony Xperia 10 II

Processor : Qualcomm Snapdragon 665
Screen : 6 inches, OLED, 2520 x 1080, 60Hz
Cameras (primary / front) : 12+8+8 / 8 MP
Memory (RAM / built-in) : 4 /128GB
Battery : 3600 mAh

Price: from 24 690 rubles

Smartphone Sony Xperia 10 II has all the necessary set of characteristics to be called comfortable and versatile. It has a good 8-core processor, sufficient memory, compact OLED display with a high pixel density, which provides high picture detail, excellent contrast and realistic color reproduction.

Yes, today in the mobile market is quite easy to find devices with better technical equipment and the same price, but Sony devices often have a certain charm, which is difficult to explain. This is especially true for the mid-range and premium classes. Usually it has to do with build quality and body materials, but that's definitely not the case in this case. The body of Xperia 10 II is made of glass and plastic, although they could have preferred metal. At the back there is a triple camera: the main module (12 MP), ultra-wide angle (8 MP) and telephoto (8 MP).

Front is a front camera with 8 MP. In terms of picture quality, things are ambiguous. For simple daytime Instagram photo shoots will do quite well, it can even record video in 4K. But in night shooting conditions everything is sad. Firstly, it is vitally necessary to switch on the night mode. It at least somehow allows you to get a well-balanced photo with no obvious darkened areas. The details, of course, are lagging behind. And in general, electronic stabilization works poorly - the photos are blurry.

In the matter of smooth and stable operation the situation is different, much more pleasant than with the cameras. The Xperia 10 II features Qualcomm's mid-range Snapdragon 665 processor, introduced by the company in Q3 2019. Basically, it is still a fast "stone", which will easily run any game on medium graphics settings with maximum FPS. The device is not for gamers, but if you "feel the urge" to play - it will not be a problem at all.

Dignities:

Appearance, ergonomics, sleek design.
OLED display of excellent quality.
Battery life.
NFC module.
Smooth operation.

Disadvantages:

Cost (price/performance ratio).
Slow camera focus at night.

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Sony Xperia XZ3

Processor : Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
Screen : 6 inches, OLED, 2880 x 1440, 60Hz
Cameras (primary / front) : 19 / 13 MP
Memory (RAM / built-in) : 6/64GB
Battery : 3330 mAh

Price: from 32,190 rubles

XZ3 is an older model, but even today it has quite decent for its price tag.

The company has worked well on the design and ergonomics. The smartphone is quite comfortable and fits well in the hand. It is equipped with an OLED matrix, similar to the one that is in the BRAVIA A1 TV for 200 thousand rubles. Thanks to this, the image quality on the screen is excellent. And, of course, "on board" the 845th Snapdragon - a super-performance chipset, with which the smartphone is not afraid of any load.

At the start of sales in 2018 for the Xperia XZ3 Sony asked 70 thousand rubles. After 6 months, the price dropped to the mark of 45 thousand rubles - the amount is quite reasonable. Now the device can even be purchased for less than 35 thousand rubles.

Advantages:

Frameless 6-inch OLED display with HDR support.
Powerful S-Force Front Surround stereo speakers.
Waterproof IP65/68.
Smart 19 MP Motion Eye camera.
Attractive design.

Disadvantages:

Discharges in less than 24 hours.
Does not support hot-swap sim cards.

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Sony Xperia 1

Processor : Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
Screen : 6.5 inches, OLED, 3840 x 1644, 60Hz
Cameras (primary / front) : 12+12+12 / 8MP
Memory (RAM / built-in) : 6/128GB
Battery : 3330 mAh

Price: from 47 500 rubles

Feature of the entire lineup "Xperia 1" is an excellent screen. The smartphone has a 6.5 inch display, 4K resolution and, most importantly, OLED matrix.

Rear camera triple, which allows the device to take good photos on the main lens in all conditions, shoot group photos or pictures of landscapes thanks to the wide-angle sensor, as well as use a high-quality "TV" with 2x optical zoom and OIS stabilization. All sensors have a resolution of 12 MP. The front camera is also not exorbitant numbers and offers a resolution of 8 MP.

During the day and in sufficient light conditions, any lens does a decent job. However, today even budget-priced devices can photograph well in the daytime. The main litmus test in this regard is how the smartphone cameras cope with heavier scenes in low light.

For 2019, when the device was announced, everything is quite good, but if you consider its cost today and look at analogues, the situation is sad. There are plenty of better value counterparts with better cameras. Although, and Sony has its trump card - professional shooting modes (such as Cinema Pro) and other features that improve the quality of photos and videos.

In terms of performance here, everything is at the highest level. This is expected, because the smartphone has the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 855 chipset from the American company we already know. There is no point in dwelling on this point: the Xperia 1 will have no problems with lags or slowdowns in the interface or heavy games on the highest graphics settings for the next 2-3 years. The battery is weak, only 3330 mAh, but thanks to the features of the OLED matrix, you can save a lot of energy using dark themes. It will definitely last for days with active use.

Advantages:

Powerful processor.
OLED matrix with 4K resolution.
Extended screen with 21:9 ratio.
There is NFC module.
Corning Gorilla Glass 6 protective glass.

Disadvantages:

Intermediate cameras.
High cost.

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Sony Xperia 10 III

Processor : Qualcomm Snapdragon 690
Screen : 6 inches, OLED, 2520 x 1080
Cameras (primary / front) : 12+8+8 / 8MP
Memory (RAM / built-in) : 6/128GB
Battery : 4500 mAh

Price: from 58,740 rubles

In the Sony model range there is a pretty clear division into categories. The Xperia 10 series smartphones belong to the mid-budget segment, although this is not so obvious when judging by their price. At the time of release, the Xperia 10 III was officially priced at $425, which considering a brisk processor with 5G support, NFC, triple camera and OLED display would have been a good buy. Right now, however, the model would only suit dedicated Sony fans.

There's a dual LED flash and a primary 12-megapixel IMX486 camera on the glass back. Along with it works a wide-angle module from Samsung with a resolution of 8 MP. An 8 MP telephoto sensor from Omnivision with 10x digital or 2x optical zoom is responsible for the zoom. Other features include 4K shooting, electronic stabilization, phase autofocus.

The Xperia 10 III runs on a mid-range Snapdragon 690 single-chip system. The processor does not belong to the gaming, but if you want you can comfortably run most of the heaviest titlo on medium-low graphics settings. Memory is not much, but this problem is solved by the microSD slot. Battery 4500 mAh should consistently suffice for a day of use. Reverse charging is supported.

Advantages:

Good sound with Hi-Res Audio and proprietary Sony DSEE Ultimate technology.
There is LED notification sensor.
Water and dust protection IP68.
NFC and 5G support.
Corning Gorilla Glass 6 tempered glass.
DisplayPort image output (2K at 60fps).

Disadvantages:

High price.
Cameras could be better.

Sony Xperia 1 II

Processor : Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
Screen : 6.5 inches, OLED, 3840 x 1644, 60Hz
Cameras (primary / front) : 12+12+12 / 8MP
Memory (RAM / built-in) : 8/256GB
Battery : 4000 mAh

Price: from 88 400 rubles

The model has a screen 6.5 inches, protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 6, OLED matrix with 4K resolution and a huge pixel density of 643 ppi - such indicators can not boast of any competitor. Much of the emphasis was put on the screen in Xperia 1 II, so fans of juicy and bright pictures will definitely like this smartphone. Enjoy watching movies and other content on the 21:9 aspect ratio display.

For the camera, the manufacturer claims it uses technology borrowed from the Sony Alpha mirror-less professional cameras. Great emphasis is placed on realistic color reproduction and high contrast photos, as well as accurate and fast autofocus that works by eye. There is an opportunity to shoot in RAW mode, manually adjust many parameters: white balance, ISO and others, typical for professional cameras.

The smartphone is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 single-crystal system. It uses still relevant and high-performance architecture cores, built on a 7-nanometer process technology, as well as a powerful graphics accelerator Adreno 650. Problems with the lack of power for the next few years definitely will not be. The device is powered by a 4000 mAh battery.

As with the Xperia 5 II, the device turned out to be some universal option for all types of users. The smartphone will suit gamers because of its powerful hardware, photographers and cinematographers because of its good optics and professional modes, as well as movie buffs who will definitely appreciate the 4K HDR CinemaWide screen.

Benefits:

Awesome picture thanks to OLED matrix and 4K resolution.
Support 5G, NFC.
Good main camera.
Battery life.
Sound quality.
Original form factor and 21:9 screen ratio.

Disadvantages:

The screen can only operate in 60Hz.
Sometimes the "front" sometimes blurs the picture.

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Sony Xperia 5 III

Processor : Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
Screen : 6.1", OLED, 2520 x 1080, 120Hz
Cameras (primary / front) : 12+12+12 / 8MP
Memory (RAM / built-in) : 8/256GB
Battery : 4500 mAh

Price: from 98,330 rubles

The "Xperia 5" lineup, judging by Sony's logic, should represent sub-flagship devices. However, there are almost no significant differences from the top models, except for the amount of memory and a slightly "cut down" screen. The Xperia 5 III can offer a protected aluminum alloy body, powerful hardware, an OLED display with up to 120 Hz, and impressive cameras.

The device's camera has a unique interchangeable focal length technology. This is a unique feature originally available in more expensive brand devices. All 3 modules got 12 MP resolution and phase autofocus, while the main and telephoto sensors support OIS. There is 960fps slow motion, RAW, UIS, EIS and video recording in 5-axis stabilization mode. In addition, the smartphone has many tools for professional shooting, which in capable hands can fully realize the ZEISS optics.

Although the Snapdragon 888 is no longer the most powerful Qualcomm processor among Android devices, but it can easily meet the needs of any gamer. However, any cooling system in the smartphone is not provided, so to play for a long time without frame loss is definitely not possible: the platform turned out to be very hot. But there are no problems with battery life - in one of the tests the model demonstrates about 18 hours of display operation at maximum brightness level and with enabled Wi-Fi while watching FHD-video. And thanks to the support of 30-watt charging the battery is fully charged in an hour and a half.

Advantages:

It features mini jack 3.5mm and memory card slot.
High performance.
Excellent cameras with unique working mechanism and powerful tools.
Battery life.
Dolby Atmos stereo speakers.
Waterproof IP65, IP68.
Compact and ergonomic body.

Disadvantages:

Warms up strongly during gaming.
Fast charging low power (by the standards of many flagships).

Sony Xperia 5 II

Processor : Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
Screen : 6.1 inch, OLED, 2520 x 1080, 120Hz
Cameras (primary / front) : 12+12+12 / 8MP
Memory (RAM / built-in) : 8/128GB
Battery : 4000 mAh

Price: from 99,500 rubles

Sony Xperia 5 II got professional Zeiss optics, top-of-the-line processor from Qualcomm, a compact OLED screen (which is very rare among smartphones) with high resolution and 120 Hz support, as well as 5G and NFC support. Against the background of new products from Xiaomi, Samsung and other manufacturers, the cost for such a processor, a small (for premium devices) amount of memory and other components may seem unreasonably high. Is it so?

The body of the model is made of aluminum alloy and glass. There are water protection standard IP68 and the ability to install two SIM-card size "nano", and there is a slot for a memory card (combined). The device looks rich, you can feel the high quality of assembly and used materials. Sony has never had a problem with this in the premium class. And one of the main features is the screen. The Xperia 5 II comes with an OLED matrix, delivering a very high-quality, high-contrast, high-definition picture.

On the back of the body is a triple camera: 12+12+12 MP. All 3 lenses (main, wide-angle and telephoto) have not the highest resolution. In similarly priced smartphones from the same Xiaomi, Samsung, realme or other manufacturers you can see much more impressive figures, but with this solution Sony quite successfully proves to you that the number of megapixels is far from the deciding factor. The front camera is also with a "low" resolution of 8 MP, but in fact the pictures are excellent in all conditions.

The great emphasis Sony has made exactly on the cameras. In addition to the high-quality professional sensors Zeiss also worked on the software component. In the standard application there is a huge number of shooting modes (Cinematography Pro, Photo Pro etc.), electronic and optical stabilization are provided. EIS (SteadyShot) works for all three sensors, and OIS (Optical SteadyShot) is available for shooting on the main and telephoto cameras. The ability to shoot in 4K 60fps, 4K HDR 120fps is present. All in all, the cameras are impressive, and there are plenty of pro settings to play around with manually and improve quality.

The flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 8-core processor is responsible for performance. That's one "mega-core" Cortex-A77 up to 2.84GHz, three equally high-performance cores but less fast (up to 2.4GHz) and four power-efficient Cortex-A55 cores up to 1.77GHz. The power of the chip will be enough to run any applications or games at maximum graphics settings for at least 2-3 years. Therefore lag, slowness and other similar problems are excluded.

The smartphone is a good option for any user: gamer or fan of photos, music. It benefits from a top-of-the-line processor, flexible camera system with high quality optics, stereo speakers and other features.

Advantages:

Powerful processor and fast flash storage.
Excellent cameras with flexible settings.
High resolution OLED matrix with 120 Hz operation.
Cool stereo speakers with LDAC, Hi-Res Audio, 360 Reality Audio support.
There is NFC, 5G.
Capacious battery and Quick Charge 4+ charging.
Compact ergonomic design.

Disadvantages:

Competitors have more memory for the same price.

Sony Xperia 1 III

Processor : Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
Screen : 6.5 inches, OLED, 3840 x 1644, 120Hz
Cameras (primary / front) : 12+12+12 / 8MP
Memory (RAM / built-in) : 12/256 or 12/512GB
Battery : 4500 mAh

Price: from 111,170 rubles

In its time, Sony began to gradually lose share in the mobile market and production was reduced, so unlike other manufacturers, the company now focuses mainly only on the flagship segment, which can be seen in the example of Xperia PRO-I, 5 III, 1 III. The next model in our ranking can offer top-end iron, where the main feature is the camera. They did not forget about other little things, which many other brands refuse. For example, the smartphone has a jack 3.5 mm and a slot for microSD.

In terms of photography, the model has traditionally received ZEISS optics and 4 cameras, which will be enough for any task. In most scenarios, the main 12-megapixel sensor with phase autofocus and optical stabilization will suffice. Present and wide-angle lens, and telephoto module. Completes the picture ToF-sensor. In terms of technology, Xperia 1 III is not losing to the competition, and in many ways and surpasses them, given the powerful software tools for photos and videos, built into the system. There's RAW mode, slow-mo 960fps, 4K HDR, OIS+EIS, UIS.

The device is powered by an 8-core Snapdragon 888 single-core system. Like in the case of Xperia 5 III, Sony has not tried to deal with the trottling, as there is no cooling system. For gamers, this will be a problem, but otherwise, the system runs smoothly in any usage scenario and has a huge amount of power to spare. Despite the high-capacity battery, the smartphone doesn't stand out for good battery life, but it shows average performance: for 1-1.5 days, it will suffice.

Advantages:

Lightweight and ergonomic aluminum body.
OLED display with 4K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate.
Great potential for professional shooting.
Tempered Gorilla Glass Victus screen.
IP65, IP68 protected body.
Powerful processor and memory capacity.

Disadvantages:

Heats strongly during long gamming.
Not the best fingerprint scanner (false positives happen).
Not the brightest display.

Sony Xperia PRO-I

Processor : Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
Screen : 6.5 inches, OLED, 3840 x 1644, 120Hz
Cameras (primary / front) : 12+12+12 / 8MP
Memory (RAM / built-in) : 12/512GB
Battery : 4500 mAh

Price: From 427 890 rubles

The most advanced smartphone in the Sony lineup can rightfully be considered the PRO-I model, but you will have to pay a corresponding amount for it as well. First of all, the device features a double aperture and a premium ZEISS T lens with a revolutionary 1-inch sensor. For such a price tag, it is reasonable to expect a top-end processor with a huge amount of memory, moisture protection, a high-capacity battery, 5G, NFC and other chips, which this device is equipped with in full.

Photo and video capabilities of the smartphone can be dedicated to a separate article. Overall, Xperia PRO-I is rather a great camera, equipped with other features of a modern phone. In technical terms, the model has three 12 MP sensor: the main sensor with dual aperture (F/2.0 or F/4.0) and optical stabilization, wide angle (F/2.2), portrait (F/2.4). There's slow-mo 960fps, 4K HDR (24, 25, 30, 60, 120 fps), hybrid zoom up to 12.5X, RAW 12 bit. Compared to other flagships, Sony's newcomer uses little processing to improve photo quality. As a result, the picture is almost always natural and more "clean".

The device received an 8-core processor of the top level Snapdragon 888 from Qualcomm. This allows you to run any game without a hint of slowness. And given that there is 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal memory of the latest standards LPDDR5 and UFS 3.1, there are no problems with multitasking and smooth operation of the system. The 4500 mAh Li-Pol battery supports 30W fast charging, which will clearly not be enough.

Advantages:

OLED display with high contrast, 4K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate.
Powerful stuffing.
Video and photo quality.
There is a memory card slot.
LED notification sensor.
Water and dust protection IPX5, IPX8.
Stereo sound.

Disadvantages:

High price.
Not the fastest charging.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, Sony's mobile division has suffered losses for years. Due to the high prices, its smartphones are selling in extremely small numbers. In this regard, we can assume that soon the Japanese will leave this market. If you have long wanted to buy a Sony smartphone, now is the best time to do it!