Sony Xperia 10 III review

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Introduction

You don't make drastic changes to a working formula, right? Well, we don't have the numbers to say just how successful the Xperia 10 II was, but it must have been very, since Sony hasn't altered too much on the Xperia 10 III we have for you today.

The few areas that have been improved are important, of course. While not a powerhouse in isolation, the Snapdragon 690 inside the new model is vastly more powerful and at least a little more competitive against the rivals of the day. 5G support is also now part of the package, thanks to the new chipset.

A significant increase in battery capacity to 4,500mAh (from 3,600mAh last year) is another most welcome development. That comes with some added heft, but at 169g, the Mk 3 remains one of the more easily pocketable handsets.

Less tangible changes include a bump in RAM to 6GB (previously 4GB) and the now-added HDR support on the otherwise apparently identical 6-inch OLED display. Sadly, it's still a 60Hz panel, and these are hardly fashionable, regardless of market position.

Of the things that have been carried over that still deserve a mention, the most important is the IP65/68 rating for dust and water protection - a rarity in the midrange that really sets the Xperia 10 III apart. The Gorilla Glass 6 sandwich is also hardly a given for the price. Here's a rundown of the key specs.

Sony Xperia 10 III specs at a glance:

• Body: 154.0x68.0x8.3mm, 169g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), plastic frame; IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins).
• Display: 6.0" OLED, HDR, 1080x2520px resolution, 21:9 aspect ratio, 457ppi; Triluminos display.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM6350 Snapdragon 690 5G (8 nm): Octa-core (2x2.0 GHz Kryo 560 Gold & 6x1.7 GHz Kryo 560 Silver); Adreno 619.
• Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM; UFS; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
• OS/Software: Android 11.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 12 MP, f/1.8, 27mm, 1/2.8", PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, 16mm, 1/4.0"; Telephoto: 8 MP, f/2.4, 54mm, 1/4.0", PDAF, 2x optical zoom.
• Front camera: 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0".
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 4500mAh; Fast charging 30W, Quick Charge, USB Power Delivery.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); NFC; 3.5mm jack.

Sony Xperia 10 III unboxing

We got our Xperia 10 III review unit in the familiar white box Sony has been using for a few years now. There was the bare minimum of accessories inside it - just a charger and a USB cable to go with it.

The charger is rated at a lowly 7.5 watts, and that low of a value we haven't seen in a while. The phone does support USB PowerDelivery and will benefit from a higher-powered adapter - such as the company's own 30-watt XQZ-UC1 unit, but that's not what came bundled with our review device. Perhaps retail units will be equipped differently. Additionally, Sony has been known to adjust package contents from region to region, so variation by locale may also exist.

To sweeten the deal for early birds, Sony is offering a pair of WH-CH710N noise-canceling headphones for free with Xperia 10 III purchases, with the promo period varying by region. The headphones have an MSRP of €150 but normally retail for around €90 - still, a pretty good value we reckon.