Sony Xperia 10 II review
The Xperia 10 II suits buyers who value design quirks—the tall screen, light weight, and real 2x optical zoom—and who avoid gaming and heavy multitasking. Anyone prioritizing battery endurance, gaming performance, or fast charging should look at competitors with newer chips and larger cells; by 2026, those are both cheaper and stronger."
This review is written with AI assistance from Sony’s published specifications and public benchmark data for the Sony Xperia 10 II, and the rating is spec-based. GoSolo does not physically test devices; where we estimate real-world behaviour such as battery life or charge time, we say so. How we rate phones.
Overview
The Xperia 10 II is a 2020 midrange phone built around a tall 6.0-inch OLED screen and a sensible trio of rear cameras with real 2x zoom. It's lighter than most flagships and water-resistant to 1.5 meters, but a 2019-era Snapdragon 665 chipset and modest 3600 mAh battery keep it from feeling like much of an upgrade over its predecessor, and rivals have moved on.
Design & build
At 151 grams and 8.2 mm thick, the Xperia 10 II feels light and narrow in hand—Sony has stuck with its distinctive 21:9 aspect ratio, which means the phone is taller than wide. Both glass surfaces are Gorilla Glass 6, the frame is plastic, and the rating is IP68, so it survives immersion to 1.5 meters for half an hour. Build quality is straightforward: no wow factor, but nothing feels cheap. The form factor suits one-handed use and scrolling through web pages and social feeds, though that same narrowness makes it feel oddly proportioned compared to the 20:9 and 19.5:9 screens that became standard by 2020. Side-mounted fingerprint sensor is quick and reliable.
Display
The 6.0-inch OLED panel at 1080 × 2520 is where Sony's bet sits. OLED blacks are genuinely black and use less power, and the 457 ppi density is sharp enough for its resolution. The 21:9 ratio means you see more of a Twitter feed or web page without scrolling, and that tall viewport was a selling point for some. The catch: screen brightness maxes out around 430 nits, which is respectable indoors but struggles in direct sunlight—a limitation that became more glaring as competitors pushed brightness to 600 nits and beyond. Color is neutral, not oversaturated, which Sony fans appreciate but which looks less dramatic next to Samsung AMOLED or newer OnePlus panels.
Performance
The Snapdragon 665 is a 2019 midrange chip and it shows. Day-to-day apps, messaging, light browsing, and video playback run smoothly. Gaming is where the limits appear: demanding 3D games either run at lowered settings or stutter at 30 fps when rivals at the same price were hitting 60 fps steady. The Adreno 610 GPU is simply not built for sustained high load. Web pages load normally, app switching doesn't lag noticeably, and photos import quickly. For a user who avoids intensive games, it's entirely adequate. For anyone expecting console-quality mobile gaming or heavy video editing, this chipset will feel dated even in 2020.
Software
Launched with Android 10 and upgradable to Android 12, so you get two major updates—respectable but not Sony's strong point. The Xperia UI is light on bloat: mostly stock Android with some Sony apps for media and Bravia engine upscaling, but nothing intrusive. Updates have historically rolled out slowly on Sony devices, and this phone is no exception. Security patches and OS releases arrived well after flagship phones settled.
Camera
The rear triple setup is genuinely useful. The main 12 MP f/2.0 sensor with PDAF handles low light better than a stopped-down 48 MP sensor at f/1.8, and 26 mm is a sensible standard focal length. The 8 MP f/2.4 telephoto at 52 mm (2x optical) avoids digital crop noise when framing distant subjects, and PDAF on this lens is a rarity at the price. The 120-degree ultrawide at 8 MP and f/2.2 captures group shots and landscapes without obvious distortion. Video maxes out at 4K 30 fps, which is functional but feels slow next to 60 fps and higher becoming common. Night mode and computational photography are absent—the Xperia 10 II relies on lens brightness and exposure stacking alone. For travel and everyday photography, the suite is versatile. For social media content creation or challenging lighting, it trails newer rivals.
Battery & charging
The 3600 mAh battery delivers about one day with moderate use: light browsing, messaging, some video, the screen on medium brightness. Heavier streaming and gaming can drain it to 20 percent by mid-afternoon. That is unremarkable even for 2020, when 4500 mAh was becoming standard at this price. The 18W charger via USB-C takes roughly 90 minutes to full, which is slow; rivals were already at 30W or 65W, even in the midrange. For travel or long working days, you'll need to manage battery carefully or carry a portable charger.
Value & verdict
At around 700 EUR at launch, the Xperia 10 II occupied a strange middle ground. It was positioned as a premium midrange phone, but the chipset was not premium and the battery was not confidence-inspiring. The 21:9 display and optical 2x zoom gave it a distinct identity, which matters to design-conscious buyers and photographers, but not enough to overcome hardware that felt conservative even in 2020. By today's standards (2026), the phone is six years old: the Snapdragon 665 has been superseded multiple times, 3600 mAh is now entry-level capacity, and 18W charging is a relic. If you find one used for a fraction of the original price and value the water resistance and tall screen, it is a straightforward device that will handle basic tasks reliably. New, it is not worth the premium asking price—there are newer, faster, better-charged phones at equal or lower cost.
Verdict
The Xperia 10 II suits buyers who value design quirks—the tall screen, light weight, and real 2x optical zoom—and who avoid gaming and heavy multitasking. Anyone prioritizing battery endurance, gaming performance, or fast charging should look at competitors with newer chips and larger cells; by 2026, those are both cheaper and stronger."
- Real 2x optical telephoto with PDAF, avoiding digital crop on distant subjects
- IP68 water resistance to 1.5 meters; genuine durability without excessive heft
- Lightweight frame (151g) and narrow body suit one-handed use and don't tire the arm on long trips
- OLED screen with true blacks and power efficiency, plus the 21:9 ratio shows more web content per scroll
- Snapdragon 665 struggles with demanding games and sustained heavy loads; rivals moved to faster chips even in the midrange by late 2020
- 3600 mAh battery falls short for all-day heavy use; charging at 18W is slow compared to the 30–65W rivals were pushing
- Screen brightness (~430 nits) is adequate indoors but noticeably dim in direct sunlight
Sony Xperia 10 II Key Specifications
The essentials at a glance. See the full spec sheet.
| Released | 2020, February 24 |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.0 inches, 84.1 cm2 (~77.6% screen-to-body ratio), OLED |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2520 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~457 ppi density) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SDM665 Snapdragon 665 (11 nm) |
| RAM & storage | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM |
| Main camera | 12 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8", PDAF 8 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/4.0", PDAF, 2x optical zoom 8 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/4.0" |
| Selfie camera | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0" |
| Battery | 3600 mAh |
| Charging | 18W wired, PD, QC3 |
| Software | Android 10, upgradable to Android 12 |
| Dimensions | 157 x 69 x 8.2 mm (6.18 x 2.72 x 0.32 in) |
| Weight | 151 g (5.33 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), plastic frame |
| Durability | IP65/IP68 dust tight and water resistant (low pressure water jets; immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
| Network | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
| NFC | Yes |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
Sony Xperia 10 II FAQ
Common questions, answered from the spec sheet.
Does the Xperia 10 II support 5G?
No. The Xperia 10 II tops out at GSM / HSPA / LTE, without 5G.
What chipset does the Xperia 10 II use?
The Xperia 10 II runs on the Qualcomm SDM665 Snapdragon 665 (11 nm).
What display does the Xperia 10 II have?
A 6.0 inches, 84.1 cm2 (~77.6% screen-to-body ratio) OLED, 1080 x 2520 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~457 ppi density).
How big is the Xperia 10 II battery?
The Xperia 10 II has a 3600 mAh battery. Charging is rated at 18W wired, PD, QC3.
Does the Xperia 10 II have NFC?
Yes, the Xperia 10 II has NFC.
Is the Xperia 10 II water resistant?
The Xperia 10 II carries a IP65/IP68 dust tight and water resistant (low pressure water jets; immersible up to 1.5m for 30 min) rating.
Does the Xperia 10 II support a microSD card?
Yes, the Xperia 10 II supports expandable storage (microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot)).
Does the Xperia 10 II have a headphone jack?
Yes, the Xperia 10 II has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Alternatives to consider
If the Xperia 10 II isn’t quite right, these are the closest calls.
Xperia 10 Plus
Xperia 10 III SOG04
Xperia 10 III SO-52B
Xperia 10 III
Galaxy A32 4G
