A metric ton of Android phones were released in 2019 from a wide array of companies — including the likes of Samsung, Motorola, LG, OnePlus, and more. Sony even had a pretty exciting year, launching two solid budget phones in the form of the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus.
Both phones brought a lot of good value to the table, but since their release, haven’t stood out the same way other handsets have. Hoping to change that, however, Sony is now slashing prices on both phones by as much as 51% for Black Friday!
These may not be the first phones that come to mind when shopping this year, but if you’re all about maximizing the bang-for-your-buck, these are certainly worth a look.
Sony’s mid-ranger
Sony Xperia 10
Extra tall and extra cheap
The Sony Xperia 10 is a well-rounded mid-range phone, and at 50% off for Black Friday, is quite the purchase. It offers a 6-inch display with a unique 21:9 aspect ratio, two rear cameras, a solid design, and a 3.5mm headphone jack with expandable storage. It also happens to work on all major carriers in the U.S., which is a huge perk.
$169.99 $349.99 $180 off
See at Amazon
The regular Xperia 10 is the most noteworthy of the two phones for this Black Friday deal, with Sony slashing the $349.99 retail price down to just $169.99 — a hefty savings of $180. That’s nothing at all to scoff at, and looking at everything the Xperia 10 brings to the table, you’re getting a pretty well-rounded phone.
If there’s anything that stands out about the Xperia 10, it’s the display. There’s a 6-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 2520 x 1080, and while that’s not particularly noteworthy, the 21:9 aspect ratio certainly is. This makes the Xperia 10 quite a bit taller and narrower than most other smartphones, and when you watch movies that are filmed in that ultra-wide 21:9 ratio, they look stunning on the Xperia 10 — filling up the entire screen to make you feel like you’re holding a miniature theater in your hands.
The display itself also looks quite good, offering bright, vibrant colors, good viewing angles, and great sharpness. I had the chance to use the Xperia 10 earlier this year when I reviewed it for AC, and the display certainly stood out as one of my more memorable phone experiences of the whole year.
Another win for the Xperia 10 is its software. It’s currently running Android 9 Pie with a planned upgrade to Android 10, and Sony’s custom Android skin has improved substantially compared to past releases. It’s clean, easy-to-navigate, and free of too much bloat/pre-installed apps.
Sony also knocked it out of the park with the build quality, you get a 3.5mm headphone jack along with internal storage, two rear cameras, and support for all major U.S. carriers.
If you want something with a larger display and more impressive internals, Sony is also discounting the more impressive Xperia 10 Plus.
Bigger screen
Sony Xperia 10 Plus
More screen and horsepower
For a few more dollars, the Xperia 10 Plus offers a similar experience, albeit with a larger display, faster processor, more RAM, and a bigger battery. It’s not as good of a Black Friday deal as the regular Xperia 10, but for folks that prefer large phones, it might be worth taking a look at.
$328 $429.99 $101.99 off
See at Amazon
This is a pretty similar phone compared to the regular Xperia 10, with the main differences being that it has a larger 6.5-inch display, slightly faster processor, 4GB of RAM compared to 3GB, and a bigger battery.
The savings aren’t quite as impressive, coming in at 24% off compared to the 51% off for the smaller Xperia 10, but this is still a great price considering the upgrades that it offers.
I found the 10 Plus’s bigger screen with the 21:9 aspect ratio to be a bit unwieldy when I used it, but if you want the most cinematic movie-watching experience possible, the extra screen real-estate is nice to have.