Sony Mobile announced three smartphones at Mobile World Congress in the form of the flagship Xperia 1 and the "super mid-rangers" - the Xperia 10 and the Xperia 10 Plus. 

The three devices don't sit at the same price points but they do have one thing in common: They all offer a 21:9 aspect ratio display. With the Xperia 1 costing £849 and the Xperia 10 and 10 Plus both under £350, how do they all compare and what extras do you get for nearly twice the cost?

Price

The Xperia 1 costs more than double the Xperia 10 Plus - though there is a reason for at least some of that extra dollar. It will be available in late spring but it is available to pre-order now.

The Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus are available now so if you're after a 21:9 aspect ratio device right now, these two are your current options.

Design

  • Xperia 1: 167 x 72 x 8.2mm
  • Xperia 10 Plus: 167 x 73 x 8.3mm, 180g
  • Xperia 10: 156 x 68 x 8.4mm, 162g

The Sony Xperia 1 and the Xperia 10 Plus are near enough the same size. Both are tall, slim devices, though where the Xperia 1 opts for a Corning Gorilla Glass 6 rear, the Xperia 10 Plus has an aluminium unibody. The Xperia 10 has the same design as the Xperia 10 Plus but on a smaller scale. 

Only the Xperia 1 is water and dust resistant, with neither the Xperia 10 or 10 Plus offering an IP rating. They all offer microSD and USB Type-C though, as well as the dedicated camera button on the bottom right edge. All three devices also offer a side-mounted fingerprint sensor which is present below the power button.

The Xperia 1 has a vertically-aligned triple camera system on the rear, while the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus both opt for a horizontally-aligned dual camera on the back. The mid-rangers also offer a 3.5mm headphone jack, which the Xperia 1 ditches for USB Type-C only.

Display

  • Xperia 1: 6.5-inches, 4K HDR, OLED, 21:9
  • Xperia 10 Plus: 6.5-inches, Full HD+, LCD, 21:9
  • Xperia 10: 6-inches, Full HD+, LCD, 21:9

The Sony Xperia 1, 10 Plus and 10 all come with a 21:9 aspect ratio display, as we mentioned, though that's pretty much as far as the similarities go between them.

The Xperia 1 and Xperia 10 Plus both have a 6.5-inch screen size but the Xperia 1 has a 4K resolution with support for mobile HDR. The Xperia 10 Plus meanwhile, has a Full HD+ resolution resulting in a lower pixel density. The Xperia 10 has the same resolution as the Xperia 10 Plus but it drops the screen size to 6-inches.

Both the Xperia 10 and the 10 Plus have an LCD display, while the Xperia 1 has an OLED display for punchier colours and deeper blacks. The Xperia 1 also offers mobile HDR support, along with extra features like Creator Mode, claimed to ensure content is viewed the way the director intended.

Cameras

  • Xperia 1: Triple rear (12MP+12MP+12MP), 8MP front
  • Xperia 10 Plus: Dual rear (12MP+5MP), 8MP front
  • Xperia 10: Dual rear (13MP+5MP), 8MP front

The Sony Xperia 1 comes with a triple rear camera that has been certified by Alpha. There is a 12-megapixel wide lens with optical image stabilisation, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with OIS and a third 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens. 

On the front, you'll find an 8-megapixel camera with fixed focus. Video recording capabilities include 4K HDR and 24fps at 21:9 aspect ratio.

The Xperia 10 Plus meanwhile, has a dual rear camera made up of a 12-megapixel main sensor and a secondary 8-megapixel sensor, allowing for optical zoom and bokeh images. There's an 8-megapixel front camera on this model too. Video capabilities include 4K recording but not HDR.

The Xperia 10 has a dual camera too, made up of a 13-megapixel main sensor and a 5-megapixel depth sensor. It can offer bokeh images but not optical zoom. The same 8-megapixel as the Xperia 10 Plus is on board. Video recording capabilities include 4K recording like the Xperia 10 Plus but not HDR like the Xperia 1.

The Xperia 1 also offers a couple of extra features, like Cinema Pro mode and Look, the latter of which allows for colour and gamut alteration.

Hardware and software

  • Xperia 1: Qualcomm SD855, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, 3300mAh
  • Xperia 10 Plus: Qualcomm SD636, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, 3000mAh
  • Xperia 10: Qualcomm SD630, 3GB RAM, 64GB storage, 2870mAh

The Sony Xperia 1 is the flagship model of these three handsets and so it will come as no surprise it offers more powerful hardware than the Xperia 10 Plus and Xperia 10.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 sits under the hood of the Xperia 1, supported by 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage - the same as the bottom model of the Samsung Galaxy S10e

The Xperia 10 Plus takes a slight dip in processor, opting for the same as the Motorola Moto G7 Plus with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636. This chipset is supported by 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage. The Xperia 10 drops down again with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor and 3GB of RAM but it sticks with 64GB of storage.

All devices offer microSD support. 

The Xperia 1 has the largest battery capacity at 3300mAh compared to the Xperia 10 Plus's 3000mAh and the Xperia 10's 2870mAh. None offer wireless charging.

Both the Xperia 10 Plus and the Xperia 10 support Hi-Res audio, like the Xperia 1, but they don't have Sony's Dynamic Vibration system on board and they don't offer stereo speakers like the Xperia 1. Nor do they offer Dolby Atmos. They do retain the 3.5mm headphone jack though, unlike the Xperia 1.

In terms of software, all devices run on Android Pie with Sony's skin over the top, offering a similar experience. There are a couple of extra features on board the Xperia 1, such as Focus Mode for gaming that stop notifications and releases RAM to deliver a better gaming experience.

All three models offer Side Sense and the Multi-Window user interface though, allowing two apps to run simultaneously - one at the top of the 21:9 display and one at the bottom. 

Conclusion

The Xperia 1 offers a more impressive display, a more powerful camera system and more powerful hardware, alongside a more premium design compared to the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus.

That said, the Xperia 10 Plus is almost identical in size, with the same size display too and while you take a hit on the hardware and screen resolution, you also save yourself £500 and you get the same 21:9 form factor.

The Xperia 1 naturally offers all the latest and greatest technologies Sony has to offer but if you're in the market for a 21:9 aspect ratio device, the Xperia 10 Plus and Xperia 10 could be worth consideration, depending on your priorities.

Watch our hands on with the Xperia 1: