If you're looking for a more budget-friendly phone, the Samsung Galaxy Note10 is the less expensive option. It has a larger screen, a sharper display due to a higher pixel density, and its main camera offers more megapixels. Additionally, it comes with a stylus for productivity and creative tasks. However, if a higher refresh rate and newer processor are priorities for you, along with the capability to record 4K video at higher frame rates and 5G connectivity, the Sony Xperia 5 III would be suitable despite its higher price. Both have glass bodies, lack curved screen edges, and have a similar weight and OLED display type. The Xperia 5 III also features a telephoto camera with a longer focal length for zoomed-in photos and a dedicated shutter button. Both run on Android and have similar battery life, but only the Xperia offers expandable storage via an SD card. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Samsung Galaxy Note10
The Samsung Galaxy Note10 has no clear advantages over the Sony Xperia 5 III.
Advantages of the Sony Xperia 5 III
The Sony Xperia 5 III has no clear advantages over the Samsung Galaxy Note10.
Key differences
Cost
$249
$450
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
The Samsung Galaxy Note10 has a price of $249 and the Sony Xperia 5 III costs $450.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sony Xperia 5 III to have only fair overall camera quality, while the Samsung Galaxy Note10 has poor overall camera quality.
The Samsung Galaxy Note10 has a poor selfie score, which is very important, and scores poorly across various camera aspects like resolution, software experience, dynamic range, and low light performance. In contrast, the Sony Xperia 5 III exhibits better performance in software experience and camera versatility, along with a fair selfie score, which makes its cameras relatively better.
Photo Quality
5.5/10
5.9/10
The Sony Xperia 5 III and Samsung Galaxy Note10 both have poor photos.
The Samsung Galaxy Note10 has a poor selfie quality, while the Sony Xperia 5 III is rated with fair selfie performance. When considering photos, the Note10 may disappoint due to its weak selfie camera, in contrast to the Xperia 5 III which can capture better selfie shots.
Video Quality
5.5/10
6.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sony Xperia 5 III to have only fair videos, while the Samsung Galaxy Note10 takes poor videos.
The Samsung Galaxy Note10's video performance is hindered by lower stabilization and dynamic range capabilities, plus it struggled in low light conditions and had merely satisfactory microphone quality. Meanwhile, the Sony Xperia 5 III offered better stabilization, a more advanced video software experience, and competent dynamic range, which resulted in a higher video performance despite both phones having similar limitations in low light shooting and microphone performance.
Battery
7.3 Hours
7.3 Hours
The Samsung Galaxy Note10 has 7.3 hours of battery life. The Sony Xperia 5 III has 7.3 hours of battery life.
Screen Size
The Samsung Galaxy Note10 has a screen size of 6.3 inches and the Sony Xperia 5 III is 6.1 inches.
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How the Samsung Galaxy Note10 and the Sony Xperia 5 III compare to other phones
"The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 delivers epic battery life and a super-bright screen in a phenomenally compact design. The regular Note 10 should be a very special phablet — precisely because there's never been one this compact and easy to live with before."
"The Sony Xperia 5 III excels when it comes to rear camera photography, its display and multi-media features, and all-day battery life. Buy the Xperia 5 III if you’re looking for a fun but imperfect camera setup, customizable gaming features, all-day battery life, and all the best multimedia capabilities that Sony has to offer"
Get a great deal on the Samsung Galaxy Note10 or the Sony Xperia 5 III
About Samsung
Samsung is one of the most recognizable names in the smartphone industry, standing as the undisputed best-selling brand of Android smartphones in the United States for many years now. Samsung is known for offering a variety of smartphones in all available price points, as well as for implementing cutting-edge technology and innovative features in their flagship devices, ones that often shape the market going forward. The company offers its own unique spin on Android, called One UI, which focuses on offering a multitude of features and is heavily customizable, according to user preference.
About Sony
Sony has had a long history in the mobile market, entering the scene all the way back in 1993 with its first commercially available phone, the CM-H333. Nowadays, their Xperia line of phones provide well-rounded and sometimes expensive devices with a focus on camera software that includes extensive support for manual tweaking of settings. Sony's dedication to audio quality is also evident in its smartphones, which often feature high-resolution audio support while also being one of the few remaining manufacturers that consistently provide headphone jacks in their phones. The company's version of Android is also considered to be close to stock, enabling a bloatware-free experience for its users.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec phones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest phone information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
68
Phones evaluated
7,820
Phones stats compiled
8
Proprietary Phones ratings developed
151,800
Recommendations made
86,020
Consumer hours saved
About the phone team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Phones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Seth Peoples
Phones Expert
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Efthimis Kotanidis
Phones Expert
Efthimis is a Greece-based product expert focusing on smartphones. He has been recommending phones for 4 years and his recommendations on Reddit have earned him over 35k karma.