Sony Xperia XA 3111. Review of the Sony Xperia XA smartphone: modest charm. Display, hardware and software specifications

Galuzov Go 2017-02-16

To be honest, I didn’t expect that the budget segment could please me so much. Having especially read the negative reviews, I mentally prepared myself for the fact that I would have to suffer (although I am skeptical about such opinions, preferring to get acquainted with the object that interests me through my own experience). So here it is. After spending more than two months with the phone, I can summarize. The phone is comfortable, fits perfectly in the hand, and at first there is no desire to let it go. I didn't experience any problems with the battery. Having initially optimized the operation of the device, using it only for its intended purpose and not assigning extra tasks, I calmly, without nervousness, walked with the phone all day, without the risk of being without communication by 17.00. From morning to evening +20 percent remained. I think this is a common result for modern phones. As for performance. The phone doesn't hang up or get stuck. The camera works well. I'm happy.

Advantages

Design Filling Camera Ease of use

Basamov Afanasy 2017-02-15

I spent a lot of nerves with this phone. It was my first experience with Sony. I didn't expect this at all. Huge disappointment.

Advantages

Sophisticated exterior design. Really beautiful model.

Flaws

The most glaring drawback is that this phone cannot always call (no matter what mobile operator). The antenna is full, but the call is not coming - there are no beeps. People can't get through either. The phone starts to freeze almost immediately after purchase. Charging lasts for a maximum of 3 hours. The camera is creepy. Inconvenient phone book. The pre-installed music and video players are completely inoperative. Sometimes the screen goes blank when you put the phone on a table or other surface. Incredibly awkward gallery. The screenshot key combination does not always work. Non-removable battery. This is so, offhand. The device is absolutely identical to androids for 10-13 thousand, but its price is incredibly inflated.

Pridorogin Roman 2017-02-14

Advantages

Nimble. No dullness, the screen is good

Flaws

The camera is not very good (it’s better not to take it out in the dark or in poor lighting), the battery lasts for about a day with the Internet on. Everything around the body is breaking off.

Marco Artyom 2017-02-11

I took the z3 as a replacement, the battery is of course inferior, but after all the firmware it’s enough for a day of active use without using the stamina mode (turns on at 25 percent) I chose between the z5 and X, the balance was weighed down by the appearance, elegant framelessness, omni coating of the front screen . Definitely worth the money, in a case it loses all its beauty. I've been wearing it for the second month without a case, and with careful use I haven't noticed a single scratch. In terms of speed, it is slightly inferior to the z3, apparently due to the RAM, but this is almost unnoticeable. Do not carry keys or change in your pocket, do not place it on rough surfaces and you will be happy. The camera is much cooler than the z3, both rear and front, the pictures are clear, sharp, the white balance is maintained decently. The screen is bright, juicy, colors saturated. I advise you to subscribe to updates on the sony website and update via your computer, because... The latest firmware versions are not visible through the settings. I recommend the model.

For a long time now, Sony's mobile division has been receiving a lot of criticism due to: unreasonably high prices, late design changes, and not the best software optimization, in particular camera software. And this is just what immediately comes to mind. Were the Japanese able to correct all the shortcomings in the new line?

Equipment

The Sony Xperia XA1 smartphone came for review in a simplified version. Inside I found only the smartphone itself, a cable with a Type-C connector for charging and a set of instructions. Remembering my previous one, I mentally prepared myself for the fact that again I wouldn’t understand anything and would have to read tons of text in the manual.

The commercial version, of course, has a power supply that supports fast charging technology (MediaTek PumpExpress 2.0). Unfortunately, I can’t tell you the exact parameters of the power adapter or the charging speed.

Design

I thought that Sony would not be able to please me with anything in terms of the appearance of the smartphone, but I was deeply mistaken. continues the tradition of smooth rectangular shapes with sharp corners. And you know, I would still prefer exactly this form factor than a smartphone made in the shape of soap.

My previous device was, which I really liked for its bright design and jy was also made in the shape of a brick. Personally, it’s more pleasant and comfortable for me to hold just such a smartphone.

Thanks to the almost complete absence of side frames, the width of the Xperia XA1 is only 67 mm! With one hand you can completely grasp the smartphone so that your fingers touch without any problems. Accordingly, you can reach the opposite side of the screen with your finger.

On the front side there is a 5-inch display. Above it there is a front camera, an LED indicator for notifications, a light sensor and a speaker, and below the display there is only a lone microphone for calls.

Initially, when I first looked at the Sony Xperia XA1, I thought that there were stereo speakers installed on the front side, it really looked like that. After all, there is enough free space. The upper and lower frames “eat up” as much as 36 mm from the total length of the smartphone, which is 145 mm.

There are also no unnecessary design elements on the back side, apart from the NFC tag emblem. For what? For what? It's as if Sony is telling everyone: “Hey, look, our new smartphone has NFC support!” Well, of course, it wouldn’t be here if the price was over $350.

Although, there is no fingerprint scanner and the body is made entirely of plastic...

But I can’t say that I treat plastic with any mistrust. Any material has its pros and cons. The main advantage of this is the weight. The smartphone is incredibly light.

The Xperia XA1 is a pleasure to hold in your hands. At the same time, nothing slips or falls out of your hands.

In addition to the NFC tag logo, there is a camera, a single-color flash and the brand name on the back side.

There are no buttons on the left side; there is only a slot for a SIM card and memory card. At the same time, the slot is not a combination slot, just one plug for two ports.

On the right side there are three buttons: a volume rocker, a round power button and at the very bottom a shutter / camera button. Just a couple of sentences about the last one. For left-handed people, the button is simply ideal for taking selfies. The little finger lies exactly on the point where this key is located.

At the top end there is a 3.5 mm headphone port, and at the bottom there is an input for Type-C and a multimedia speaker. The sound is average; at maximum volume, wheezing begins to appear.

By the way, Sony offers 4 color options for the smartphone: white, black, gold and pink.

Generally, appearance of Sony Xperia XA1 It gave me a lot of pleasant impressions, although the Japanese company has not changed a similar design for many years. It will be interesting to look at their bezel-less smartphone variant in the future.

Display

The smartphone has a 5-inch IPS matrix with HD resolution. Some may consider that such a resolution is no longer enough in 2017. And I will say that the quality of the display itself plays a big role, so that the colors do not fade when you look from different angles. And this is exactly the Xperia XA1. In addition, individual pixels on the screen are not distinguishable.

• 5-inch IPS screen
• resolution 1280 x 720 pixels
• 294 dpi

The smartphone's display itself is of decent quality. The picture is not inverted at large viewing angles, only black can take on a slight purple tint. With the stock color correction settings, there is a clear shift towards warm shades. White color with a slight yellowish tint.

For AMOLED lovers, there are settings that allow you to create a similar picture typical for these displays. With a slight shift to blue and cool tones.

There is also an oleophobic coating, which really pleased me. The finger glides across the screen very easily, any stains are removed in one go. It is enough to just swipe your jeans or a rag a couple of times (which no one ever carries with them). By the way, the display is covered with protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass. Which generation is not specified.

Specifications

• MediaTek Helio P20 processor with 8 ARM Cortex-A53 cores, of which 4 operate at a frequency of up to 2.3 GHz and another 4 with a frequency of up to 1.6 GHz
• Mali-T880 graphics
• RAM 3 GB LPDDR3 (after reboot free 1100 MB)
• 32 GB internal memory (approximately 19 GB available for user)
• Micro SD card support (slot on left side)
• IPS display with a diagonal of 5 inches and a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels (294 ppi)
• 8 MP front camera (1/4-inch Exmor R sensor for mobile devices, 23mm f/2.0 wide-angle lens, maximum ISO for photos and videos - 3200)
• 23 MP main camera (1/2.3-inch Exmor RS sensor for mobile devices, 23 mm f/2.0 wide-angle lens, 5x Clear Image zoom, maximum ISO level for photos 6400, video - 3200)
• 2300 mAh battery + fast charging MediaTek PumpExpress 2.0
• USB Type-C connection ports, 3.5 mm audio output
• OS Android 7.0
• sensors: light and proximity sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope
• dimensions: 145 x 67 x 8 mm
• weight 143 grams

Wireless capabilities:

• 2G, 3G, 4G LTE Cat. 4/Cat. 6 (lanes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66)
• support for one or two SIM cards (2 Nano)
• Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, FM radio
• Navigation: GPS, A-GPS, Glonass

The most important question regarding performance: how does the MediaTek processor perform? The proprietary shell from Sony allows the smartphone to work quickly in everyday applications. There are no system lags or freezes during operation.

But at the same time, the processor heats up quite a bit. Due to the plastic case, the smartphone instantly becomes warm. The result is that the Sony Xperia XA1 is always warm in your hands.

2D games run comfortably, but 3D games are more difficult. I reviewed it with the same processor, but it had 6 GB of RAM installed. If my memory serves me correctly, games ran more quickly and smoothly on this smartphone than on the Sony device. But in games like: Asphalt 8, N.O.V.A. 3, GTA: San Andreas, Modern Combat 5, Mortal Kombat X - I did not experience severe discomfort. Plus, we must remember that there is a display with HD resolution, which helps reduce the load on the graphics chip in any case. But FPS in World of Tanks Blitz varied from side to side. At high settings, the smartphone ranged from wild freezes in the heat of battle to 45-50 frames per second in a calm environment.

Also, when checking in CPU-Z, I saw that not a single processor core goes to sleep. In fact, even when idle, the smartphone uses all 8 cores, albeit at different frequencies.

The multi-touch test showed support for only 4 touches. Is this even normal? In a device of this class and at this price, you expect the standard 10 touches. After all, more is better. And nothing else!

Another big difference from Sony's flagship smartphones is that the Xperia XA1 lacks moisture protection at all.

Photo and video

The front camera is represented by an 8-megapixel Sony IMX219 sensor with f/2.0 aperture. It seems that even in low light you should get good pictures. Especially when the manufacturer calls its smartphone a camera phone. In practice, the selfie camera feature is a bit disappointing because expectations were so high.

There is a clear lack of detail on the face. The background absolutely does not want to blur. Although, the camera instantly identifies the person in the frame and tries to take the most successful shot.

Even in good light, it is difficult to get a detailed and blur-free photo. Girls definitely won't like it! The video is recorded in 1080p / 30 frames, there is no stabilization.

The main camera is a Sony IMX300 sensor with 23 megapixels. I’ll answer the question right away: “Is there any sense in having a 23 MP camera?” Almost none!

It’s better to have half the pixels, but adequate autofocus, flash, and stabilization for both photos and videos. There is none of this.

Based on the examples, everything is immediately clear: although there are optics with a high aperture ratio, this in no way saves you from strong glare and noise in automatic mode. In general, I suggest forgetting about it and photographing with manual settings.

Autofocus on a smartphone is very poor. The easiest and most common shot can be taken on the second or third try. However, I can’t take many pictures in a couple of seconds. The device needs to think for a while after shooting to display the frame in the gallery.

The flash fires synchronously with the camera shutter only once. I don’t remember this at all in my recent reviews of smartphones.

Good flash performance

Poor flash performance

At the same time, by correctly setting the settings in manual mode, you can get extremely pleasing pictures to the eye. For example, a macro photo with a high level of detail in the foreground and a very natural bokeh effect in the background.

The maximum quality for video recording is 1080p/30 frames. And this is in a smartphone for 22 thousand rubles. At the same time, the video itself turns out to be jerky, the clarity in the frames is not enough, and there is no stabilization. The light is generally adjusted jerkily.

Battery life

The biggest problem with the Sony Xperia XA1 is battery life.

The smartphone has a battery capacity of only 2300 mAh, which is simply prohibitively small for 2017. Now even the most budget options have larger batteries.

An hour of playing with regular toys consumes a quarter of the charge, surfing + playing music takes about the same amount from the battery. If you don’t use low-power modes, your smartphone will never survive from morning to night. At best, until 6 pm. This smartphone is definitely not for long trips.

During the 118-minute walk, when I went out to take street photos, while listening to music and using 4G Internet, and the display brightness was turned up to the maximum level, the device lost 60% of its charge.

Sony, as always, has two proprietary power consumption modes:

1. Stamina - without any noticeable losses, it allows you to extend the life of your smartphone by a couple of hours; applications begin to be unloaded from memory much faster.
2. Ultra Stamina - a smartphone turns into almost an ordinary dialer without much functionality. This allows you to add a couple more hours of work.

Bottom line

Smartphone Sony Xperia XA1 turned out to be very ambiguous. Externally, the device looks cheerful, it is beautiful, elegant and does not feel like a budget device at all. But! As soon as you start to get acquainted with the technical characteristics, it becomes sad.

The main disadvantages include:

• no fingerprint scanner
• small battery capacity
• weak camera software
• lack of stereo speakers, although there is stylization for them
• mini-problems with unclear operation of the cores and the number of supported touch points

In principle, the Sony Xperia XA1 will appeal to those who come to communication stores or large electrical stores to buy a phone. I'm talking about those who are poorly versed in modern technologies and trends and cannot adequately correlate price / quality parameters.

Knowledgeable people know very well that there are much nicer options at an approximate cost. For example, and

This smartphone, made in a “frameless” design, nevertheless retains the classic proportions (16:9) of a bright 5.2-inch screen. Its main camera has a slow-motion function (120 fps), and the front camera, with a wide-angle lens, is useful for group self-portraits. The filling, flavored with Android 8.0, is also worth noting a fresh processor, high-quality sound, NFC interface and support for fast charging. Vesti.Hi-tech found out not only the advantages, but also the disadvantages of the Sony Xperia XA2.

Together with the Xperia XA2, they presented new original Style Cover Stand cases made of artificial leather. Thanks to the adjustable tilt angle, these accessories provide comfortable viewing of videos. In this case, playback is automatically paused when the case is closed. In turn, the new mono Bluetooth headset MBH22 is designed for six hours of talk time and can be used in conjunction with Google Assistant to control music playback, as well as perform other commands.

Sony Xperia XA2 review: technical specifications

• Model: H4113
• OS: Android 8.0 (Oreo) with Xperia proprietary shell
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 64-bit (MSM8998) 8-core ARM Cortex-A53 architecture (up to 2.2 GHz)
• Graphics subsystem: Adreno 508
• RAM: 3 GB
• Storage: 32 GB, eMMC, microSD/HC/XC combo memory card slot (up to 256 GB)
• Screen: 5.2 inches, IPS (1920x1080 pixels), pixel density per inch 424 ppi, protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass
• Main camera: 23 MP, Exmor RS (1/2.3-inch optical size), wide-angle G Lens (84-degree viewing angle), f/2.0 aperture, 5x Clear Image zoom, hybrid autofocus, LED flash, slow-motion video (120 fps), 4K video
• Front camera: 8 MP, Exmor R (1/4-inch optical size), ultra-wide-angle lens (120 degrees), f/2.4 aperture
• Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE (2G), UMTS HSPA+(3G), LTE (4G) Cat.13/Cat. 12
• Interfaces: Bluetooth 5.0 (aptX HD), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz), Miracast, Google Cast, NFC, USB Type-C (OTG)
• SIM card format: two nanoSIM (4FF)
• Sound: SmartAmp, Clear Audio+
• Radio: FM tuner
• Navigation: GPS/GLONASS, A-GPS
• Sensors: accelerometer, light and proximity sensors, gyroscope, compass (Hall sensor), fingerprint scanner
• Battery: non-removable, lithium-ion, 3,300 mAh, Smart Stamina 3.0, support for Quick Charge 3.0 and adaptive Qnovo, Battery Care
• Dimensions: 142x70x9.7 mm
• Weight: 171 grams
• Color: black, silver, blue, pink

Sony Xperia XA2 review: design, ergonomics

It's no secret that Sony smartphones are easy to distinguish among similar ones, largely due to their original, slightly angular design. So, the Xperia XA2 inherited the evolving Loop Surface concept, which is characterized by a slight curve of the screen and symmetry, giving the device a more elegant look. The side edges of the case are made of anodized aluminum, while the upper and lower ends are supplemented with a decorative chamfer.

The front panel of the smartphone is entirely covered with protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass, but the back panel is covered with durable polycarbonate. Although in a silver color (and this is exactly the device we got for testing), it looks quite “metallic”. In addition to silver, black, blue and pink colors are also offered. If the side frames around the screen are practically invisible, then the upper and lower dies were made with a large margin. The power/lock button has been reverted to its classic round “metal rivet” look, as the fingerprint scanner has now moved to the rear panel. The overall dimensions of the Xperia XA2 are 142x70x9.7 mm and the weight is 171 grams. At the same time, protection of the case from dust and moisture is not provided for this smartphone.

At the junction of the front panel and the top end there is a cutout for the speaker grille, below which the Sony logo was applied on the plate. To the right of it there is an “invisible” LED indicator, a large “eye” of the front camera, as well as proximity and light sensors.

The control panel touch buttons ("Back", "Home" and "Recent applications") are the "triangle", "circle" and "square" icons, which take their place at the bottom of the screen.

At the bottom end of the case, around the USB Type-C connector for charging/synchronization, there is a grille for a “multimedia” speaker and a hole for a “conversational” microphone.

The hole for the second microphone (for noise reduction) and the 3.5 mm connector (CTIA) for an audio headset are on the top end.

On the right edge there is a volume rocker, a power/lock button and a dedicated shooting key.

On the left edge there is a slot covered with a lid that is easy to pry off with a fingernail. On the lid there is a tray intended for the first subscriber identification module (nanoSIM format). Another tray not connected to the lid (again, removable, for example, using a fingernail) is designed to install a second nanoSIM or microSD memory card.

In the center of the upper part of the rear panel, decorated with the Sony logo, the main camera lens was placed with a slightly protruding protective edging. A little to the left of it there was a place for an LED flash, and below - for a round capacitive pad for a fingerprint scanner. The NFC antenna area is marked with an icon.

Even with classic screen proportions (16:9), operating a 5.2-inch device with one hand is not particularly difficult. However, the settings provide special tools for changing the size of the screen working area.

Sony Xperia XA2 review: screen

The Xperia XA2 smartphone has a 5.2-inch IPS matrix with an aspect ratio of 16:9. At a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, the pixel density per inch is 424 ppi. Sony proprietary technologies are used to improve image quality.

The required backlight level is selected either manually or automatically (“Adaptive adjustment”). According to unofficial data, the maximum brightness reaches 500 cd/sq. m, which even feels like the truth. In addition, the adjustment range is very wide. So it is quite comfortable to work, both in complete darkness and in bright light. The touch screen responds clearly to touch and recognizes up to ten simultaneous touches. This multi-touch is confirmed by the results of the AnTuTu Tester program. In the settings, you can also step-by-step adjust the size of images, text and icons on the screen.

For color gamut and contrast, standard and extreme brightness mode presets are offered. In addition, you can completely disable automatic image quality enhancement. The backlight control function automatically detects whether the device is in your hand or not. In the first case, the screen does not go off, but in the second it turns off in accordance with the timeout setting. Changing the screen color temperature ("White Balance") makes the shades warmer or, conversely, cooler. A high-quality oleophobic coating is applied to the Gorilla Glass 4 protective glass. By the way, the “piquant” detail about the version number of the glass was found only on the Corning website.

Sony Xperia XA2 review: cameras

The Xperia XA2 smartphone did not skimp on megapixels and equipped it with a rear camera with a 23 MP Exmor RS sensor (optical size 1/2.3 inches). The Sony G Lens wide-angle lens with an equivalent focal length (EFL) of 25 mm and a viewing angle of 84 degrees has an f/2.0 aperture. The maximum image resolution with the classic aspect ratio (4:3) is 5520x4144 pixels (23 MP). The main photo module also has an LED flash and digital image stabilization (SteadyShot). Hybrid autofocus ensures fast focusing in a variety of lighting conditions.

For Full HD video, the main photo module provides a frame rate of not only 30 fps, but also 60 fps. A separate application "4K Video" records clips in 3840x2160@30 fps quality.

There are three main shooting modes available in the Camera application - "Manual" (M), "Super Auto" and "Video". You can forcefully enable the HDR option only in manual mode, where you are asked to decide on the focus, as well as shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation levels and white balance presets.

The front camera with an 8-megapixel Exmor R sensor (1/4-inch optical size) received a lens with an f/2.4 aperture and a variable viewing angle. So, with just one tap on the corresponding icon on the viewfinder, you can switch between wide-angle (80 degrees) and ultra-wide-angle (120 degrees) mode. The maximum image resolution for a 4:3 aspect ratio here is 3264x2448 pixels (8 MP).

Horizontal swipes switch shooting modes, and vertical swipes (from top to bottom) change the main camera to the front one (and vice versa). In the settings, you can not only determine the photo resolution and video quality, but also, for example, activate the “soft skin” cosmetic effect for selfies. Among the additional applications, along with “4K Video” and “Panorama”, various filters (“Artistic”) and augmented reality effects (“AR effect”) are also offered, which can somehow enliven boring photos.

In the "Video" mode of the main camera, next to the record button there is an icon that is used for slow-motion (120 fps) shooting with HD quality (1280x720 pixels).

Generally speaking, photo hunting with the Xperia XA2 left a mixed impression. On the one hand, one cannot help but note the simple interface and useful options, but on the other hand, for example, you still expect more from night and macro photography (again, on Sony sensors!). See examples of photos from the main camera.

Sony Xperia XA2 review: sound

Enabling the ClearAudio+ option replaces the 5-band equalizer with presets and separate low-frequency control (Clear Bass technology). For headphones in manual mode, surround sound emulation in studios, clubs and concert halls is also provided. Let us remind you that for wireless headsets paired via Bluetooth, LDAC and aptX HD codecs are available, providing high quality sound. The dynamic normalizer, in turn, equalizes the volume of different audio tracks or video recordings.

The "multimedia" speaker of the Xperia XA2 sounds quite loud and with good quality. The proprietary Music application offers to store your audio library on Google Drive. For the FM tuner that appeared in the new smartphone to work, you need to connect a wired audio headset as a short-wave antenna.

Sony Xperia XA2 review: hardware, performance

For the Xperia XA2, the developers opted for the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 mobile platform, which features increased gaming performance, improved photo and video capabilities, improved energy efficiency, and high data transfer speeds on LTE networks. Eight ARM Cortex-A53 processor cores, created using the 14 nm process technology, are clocked at up to 2.2 GHz. The Adreno 508 graphics accelerator works in tandem with them. At the same time, their performance, according to the company, has increased compared to its popular predecessor - Snapdragon 625 - by 10% and 30%, respectively.

The X12 LTE modem, when paired with a new RF transceiver, can provide a maximum downlink data rate of 600 Mbps (Cat. 12). The chip now includes support for Bluetooth 5.0, Quick Charge 4.0 fast charging, 4K video shooting, etc. The basic configuration of the Xperia XA2 is complemented by 3 GB of RAM.

TestingSonyXperiaXA2 . Results in the AnTuTu benchmark

TestingSonyXperiaXA2. Results in the GeekBench benchmark

TestingSonyXperiaXA2 . Results in the 3DMark benchmark

The built-in storage capacity of 32 GB can be expanded with microSD/HC/XC memory cards (up to 256 GB). USB-OTG technology allows you to connect regular flash drives to your smartphone via a USB Type-C adapter. Let us remind you that the combined slot is designed to install either a memory card or a second nanoSIM.

The functions of voice communication and mobile Internet in the Xperia XA2 are assigned to one radio channel, with which two subscriber identification modules in nanoSIM (4FF) format can alternately work. They provide support for fourth-generation LTE networks for mobile terminal categories Cat.12/Cat.13. The set of 4G frequency bands contains the FDD-LTE Band 3 (1,800 MHz), Band 7 (2,600 MHz) and Band 20 (800 MHz) required for Russia. Among other wireless communications, along with dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz), Miracast, Google Cast, Bluetooth 5.0 (LDAC, aptX HD) and NFC are supported.

The NFC interface is useful for exchanging data between smartphones or the Android Pay payment service. In tandem with the corresponding application, it will also help you find out the balance of Strelka and Troika transport cards.

GPS and GLONASS satellite systems can be used for positioning and navigation. There is also a coordination mode over Wi-Fi and cellular networks (A-GPS).

Sony Xperia XA2 review: autonomy

The non-removable battery capacity of the Xperia XA2 is 3,300 mAh. The smartphone comes with a regular charger (5 V/1.5 A), so to take advantage of Charge 3.0 fast charging, you will need to purchase, for example, the recommended UCH12W adapter. After which you can fill the battery halfway in about half an hour.

As for the energy efficiency of the new smartphone, the AnTuTu Tester program rated it at 7,507 points. A set of test videos in MP4 format (hardware decoding) and Full HD quality at full brightness played continuously for about 7.6 hours.

To extend the autonomy of the Xperia XA2, smart energy saving modes Stamina and Ultra Stamina are used, the first of which limits, in particular, background data transfer, and the second - the number of available applications. Qnovo's adaptive charging technology and Battery Care feature increase battery life.

Sony Xperia XA2 review: software features

The Xperia XA2 smartphone runs on the Android 8.0 (Oreo) operating system with the proprietary Xperia shell, which minimally changes the interface and adds a number of features to it. For example, like stock Android, there is an application menu and separate screens with program shortcuts. And a standard solution is used for the notification curtain. Long-pressing an application icon brings up an access menu (if supported) with up to four frequently used functions of that application. With the next tap and hold, already on the line of the menu that appears, you can move the icon of one of these functions to the main screen. For example, from “Settings” you can separately select a quick transition to the “Battery (Battery)” section.

In addition to choosing a wallpaper and theme, in the settings it’s easy to change the icon grid, as well as decide on the type of transition between work screens.

To conveniently unlock your smartphone, for example, by pairing it with a PIN code, it is recommended to use a fingerprint scanner, the capacitive pad of which is located on the back panel of the smartphone. In the Smart Lock section, you can also configure quick unlocking of the device using face and/or voice recognition. It is worth remembering that such protection is less reliable than using fingerprints.

One-Handed Actions makes it easy to resize your home screen, including support for optimized dialing, unlocking, and notification apps. Note that dividing the screen into two parts (tap and hold on the “Recent applications” icon) is not yet supported by all programs.

Sony Xperia XA2 review: purchase, conclusions

Since the Xperia XA2 was not affected by such fashionable trends as camera duets and a “high” screen, the device turned out to be just a strong middling device in a classic style. Among the advantages of the new smartphone, it is worth noting, among other things, a bright screen with narrow frames, a front camera with a wide viewing angle, high-quality sound, a set of interfaces (including NFC), support for fast charging and Android 8.0 OS out of the box.

The polycarbonate back panel, as well as the lack of protection against water and dust, may cause some disappointment. In addition, we must remind you that the kit does not include a fast charging adapter.

Positioned as a mid-price smartphone, the Xperia XA2 was priced at 25,990 rubles at the start of sales. Of the 5.2-inch “classics” with a standard aspect ratio (16:9) screen, for example, for (our review) they are now asking only a thousand more (26,990 rubles). This difference, in addition to the additional display, is obviously due to the presence of a Super AMOLED screen, dual (12 MP + 12 MP) main and 16 MP front cameras, as well as 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory. True, it will no longer be possible to expand the existing storage with microSD cards, and the set of wireless connections does not include an NFC interface. In addition, you will have to be content with Android 7.0 (Nougat) OS coupled with the Flyme OS shell.

Review results of the Sony Xperia XA2 smartphone

Pros:

• Bright screen with narrow bezels
• Front camera with wide viewing angle
• High quality sound
• A set of interfaces, including NFC
• Fast charging support
• Android 8.0 OS out of the box

Cons:

• Polycarbonate rear panel
• Lack of protection against water and dust
• No fast charging adapter included

Of the entire new line of Sony Xperia smartphones, I liked the Xperia XA the most. Even though this is the simplest phone in the series, it does not shine with characteristics, does not take top places in benchmarks and does not take cool photos.

I liked its design, it has no frames, you look at it and think that this is a top model. But a quick glance at the characteristics suggests that the filling here is like that of an inexpensive Chinese smartphone. You say: wow, what a Chinese, I found something to compare Sony with. So let's see how the Xperia XA with its expensive design differs from its cheap competitors.

Frameless design

When I see photos of the future iPhone 7, I want to cry. In 2016, the phone will appear with the same huge frames. I don’t know what Apple designers are thinking and where they are looking, but Sony is looking in the right direction. The Xperia XA has minimal bezels, and the margins on the left and right of the screen are simply tiny. The display is covered with curved glass; you run your finger along the edge of the display and do not feel the transition between the screen and the body.

But if it has disappeared in one place, it has appeared in another: the Xperia XA has large indents above and below the screen, 1.5 cm long, so the phone has an elongated shape. It is very thin, light and looks great, such a combination of qualities is not very common at the same time.

There are no removable parts, except for a small plug on the side. It covers the tray for nanoSIM and microSD cards. Sometimes they write that the smartphone has a metal body, but this is not entirely true: there is a metal frame on the sides, but the back panel is made of plastic.

After I left the phone for 2 weeks, I noticed abrasions on the plastic. I didn’t scratch the surface on purpose, but the damage is noticeable at certain angles, here’s an example for clarity. This way it’s visible, but on the other hand it’s not.

Having examined the case from all sides, I didn’t see a fingerprint scanner here, which is a pity, this is no longer a luxury, but a standard feature in Chinese phones.

Screen

Display with a diagonal of 5 inches and a resolution of 720x1280 pixels. The picture is clear, but the screen is configured strangely; its colors distort reality. Why Sony makes such displays with unnatural colors, I don’t know. Although who wants to look at faded natural colors if you can tweak them and make them brighter?

The display is blue; Huawei smartphones, for example, are famous for this. Among the positive qualities, I can note a good reserve of brightness, the display is very contrasty and does not fade under the sun.

Strange, but there is no oleophobic coating. I thought this only happened with LG and Huawei. But now Sony is included in this list.

The most impressive thing about the Xperia XA is always before your eyes; smartphones without frames were released before Sony; there was such an inexpensive Sharp Aquos. But it’s unlikely that anyone ever held it in their hands, while anyone can buy the Xperia XA.

Camera

Sony didn't spare any buttons and even allocated a separate key for the camera. The place is perfectly chosen for the index finger of the right hand, but pressing it will be uncomfortable for left-handed people. The front camera is 8 megapixels, the main one is 13 megapixels. Sony is relying on a hybrid focusing system, which includes both phase and contrast focusing.

I won’t say that the Xperia XA shoots very well, but during the day in clear weather the photos come out good. But as soon as clouds, clouds and other climatic phenomena appear in the sky, the photos become spoiled. In the evenings and at night the pictures are just so-so.

Connection

I noticed that network reception often fluctuates and it all depends on the location: I often saw 2 sticks out of 4 on the signal reception scale indoors. LTE is of course in place, the standard version of the smartphone has only one slot for a SIM card, you need to pay extra for the second card compartment.

Wi-Fi is stable, GPS is fast, NFC is also built-in, I connected to headphones and speakers.

The speaker is good, the call volume is above average, but in a noisy metro you may not hear the melody. The sound in the headphones is now more or less the same everywhere, and the Xperia XA plays fine.

Software

I like the way Android 6.0 looks paired with the Sony shell, everything is beautifully designed and doesn’t slow down. After Chinese phones, the tap unlock feature is missing, and the additional themes are not the most beautiful. But these are little things, you quickly forget about them.

I note that Sony cannot format a memory card for use as an addition to the built-in one, which is inconvenient. This would make it easier to store large games/applications.

Performance

The hardware in the phone has poor performance, so applications start slowly and not very quickly. This is also noticeable when switching between running programs. But if you periodically clear the memory by unloading unnecessary software, then everything will be ok.

The 8-core MediaTek Helio P10 processor is often installed in inexpensive smartphones. Sony Xperia XA is the youngest in the new Sony line, which is why it was awarded with such filling. 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal memory - everything is as usual.

Doesn't work much

The battery capacity is 2300 mAh, a full charge usually lasts for a day, if you don’t play Pokemon or spend all your time on the Internet. You can run the Stamina function, it will help increase the operating time of your smartphone by disabling data transmission in the background, GPS and similar power-hungry things.

The phone supports fast charging, but the kit includes a regular power supply, so the Xperia XA will not charge in an hour.

Opinion

The main advantage of the Sony Xperia XA is its design; the smartphone looks beautiful to the envy of its competitors. This is basically where all the advantages end; for the 22 thousand that the Xperia XA costs, you can buy a phone with more interesting characteristics. What's missing here is a high-quality camera, a fingerprint scanner and a bigger battery. Why does the case get scratched so quickly, where is the oleophobic coating, and why do you need to pay extra for a slot for a second SIM card?

Boring? When I wrote the text, I didn’t think that I would end up with so many negative things about this nice device. I really liked the Xperia XA in appearance; it is one of the most attractive smartphones of the year. Therefore, if you are choosing between a new Sony product and other devices, then think about how critical these shortcomings are for you. I would prefer a more practical phone, given that the Xperia XA now costs 21,990 rubles.

Characteristics

Sony Xperia XA2 looks unusual, this time the corporate design has been redesigned, but still remains in the general style.

One of the main changes on the front panel is that the frames have become thinner, especially at the top and bottom; now they no longer look so huge. Due to this, the ratio of the screen area to the surface of the device is 75%, which is not much different from 77% with a fashionable elongated display.

The back panel has also undergone significant changes - now it is not flat, but convex, moreover, it has acquired a fingerprint scanner, and the camera lens has moved from the upper left corner to the middle. We preferred to see the scanner on the side, and the lens in the corner, but all this is subjective and a matter of taste.

The dimensions of the new product are 142x70x9.7 mm, weight - 171 grams. The case is compact in terms of height and width, but thick and heavy - no joke, almost a centimeter! But visually the phone does not feel particularly thick due to the convex back. The Xperia XA2 is comparable in size to a 5-inch one, but it is still noticeably thicker. Interestingly, despite the larger screen, the smartphone turned out to be slightly shorter, but wider than its predecessor Xperia XA1. Still, narrower frames sometimes work wonders. Case materials: aluminum frame and polycarbonate back.

Sony Xperia XA2 can be bought in four colors: black, silver, blue and pink.

Screen

The Sony Xperia XA2 has a 5.2-inch screen with an IPS matrix and Full HD resolution (1920x1080 pixels). Its diagonal has grown by 0.2 inches compared to its predecessor, and at the same time they did not forget to increase the resolution: from HD to Full HD. As a result, we have a high pixel density of 424 per inch. The screen has Gorilla Glass protection, brightness up to 530 nits and a contrast ratio of 1300:1, these are very good indicators. But the color rendition turned out to be not entirely ideal, with an error of 5-6 units, which is not that much, but for that kind of money you expect higher accuracy.

Cameras

The smartphone is equipped with advanced cameras of 23 and 8 MP. They shoot no worse than their predecessor, that is, at an excellent level, at least the main one; we were not very impressed with the front one.

The main camera has not only many megapixels, but also a relatively large sensor (1/2.3"), a good aperture (f/2.0), hybrid (phase and contrast) autofocus. The smartphone can shoot 4K video. Another feature is the ability to increase ISO up to 12800, as a rule, smartphones are limited to values ​​of 400, 800, 1600 or, at most, 3200. Daytime shooting works well, the photos are clear, without excessive sharpness and with natural color rendition. Autofocus in most cases correctly recognizes the subject, errors rarely occur. Night photography is somewhat worse for the camera, image sharpness drops, but still at a very decent level.

The front camera has been made wide-angle (120 degrees), it can shoot video up to Full HD (1920×1080 pixels) resolution. Selfie quality is high, with good detail and natural color reproduction. Its capabilities are quite enough for publishing pictures on social networks with the tag #nofilters.

Communications

Sony Xperia XA2's communications are fine:

• dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n
• LTE Cat support 13 (up to 600 Mbit/s)
• Bluetooth 5.0
• NFC chip
• FM radio
• A-GPS.

Everything is up to standard, there is even a modern USB type C connector with USB Host support. At the same time, they did not forget about the separate connector for . It is expected that the model will have two versions, for one and two nanoSIM cards. True, in the second case this will mean a combined slot (either a SIM or a memory card).

Battery

Xperia XA2 showed quite high autonomy in tests. Sony has finally significantly increased the battery capacity - from 2300 to 3300 mAh. For comparison, budget ones have about 3000 mAh, although there are quite a few budget ones with 4100 mAh batteries. The phone can easily withstand a day and a half of active use. If we talk about numbers, this is up to 9 hours of video watching, about 10-11 hours of browsing and 20 hours of talking. Not exactly impressive results, but overall it turns out quite well. A nice bonus will be support for QuickCharge 3.0 fast charging.

Performance

The performance of the new product is above average.

The smartphone runs on an eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (up to 2.2 GHz, with Cortex-A53 architecture) with Adreno 508 graphics. The same one is used in. Together with 3 GB of RAM, this is enough for everyday tasks, applications and even the vast majority of mobile games, at least at low-medium graphics settings, and it practically does not get hot in use.

Peculiarities

Sony Xperia XA2 offers a proprietary interface and Android 8 OS right out of the box. The phone's features include an updated design, an advanced camera, a thick, heavy body and high sound quality.

Memory

The volume of permanent memory of the smartphone is 32 GB. This is usually enough for most users, but you can always add up to 256 GB using .