Sony Xperia XA Ultra - Review of the big phone from the Sony X series. Sony Xperia XA ultra: big, stylish, recognizable

To gain popularity as a new device based on it is next in line. This is about Sony Xperia XA Ultra... It should be said that this is not just a modification, which is designed to diversify the model range of the modern market, the phone has a very specific focus: to take high-quality selfies.

Positioning and design

It can be noted that this Japanese novelty is not an innovator in this matter: the company already had a quite successful six-inch Sony Xperia C5 Ultra phone, which in some ways even surpassed the XA Ultra. For example, it had a larger battery (2930 mAh versus 2700 mAh) and was thinner. But the front camera, despite its 13 megapixels and autofocus, still loses to the one installed in Sony Xperia HA Ultra... The fact is that the novelty has received a sixteen-megapixel Exmor RS sensor with autofocus and optical stabilization. In addition, the matrix is ​​large enough even for basic modules: 1 / 2.6 "". However, the main camera is also not inferior to the selfie camera, because it uses a 21.5-megapixel sensor with phase detection autofocus. So, both lovers of photographing "themselves" and those who do not want to carry a classic soap dish with them will be satisfied.

In terms of design, we have already seen certain features in the Xperia X, Xperia X Perfomance, and XA. A cute candy bar with soft outlines, 2.5D glass, matte metallic sheen - all this fits well with modern trends. Of course, there were some questions, and the main thing is why the manufacturer made the device as thick as 8.4 millimeters? After all, the battery has a capacity of only 2700 mAh, which is not enough for a six-inch phablet. Be that as it may, the device deserves attention, because the six-inch frameless full-size display, made using IPS OGS technology, will bribe many. Moreover, white, graphite and lime gold solutions are available. Perhaps later, mint and pink versions will appear on sale.

Specifications

The eight-core media-tech Helio P10 is responsible for the performance of the selfiephone. The graphics part is handled by the Mali-T860MP2 chip. Thus, the smartphone turned out to be quite nimble, moreover, it has 3 gigabytes of RAM installed. The main memory is only 16 gigabytes, but it is possible to expand it with microsd cards. Considering the attractive appearance, the sixth version of Android and smart hardware, the mobile gadget deserves attention if the price is adequate.

• Body materials: metal, glass and plastic
• Operating system: Google Android 6.0
• Network: GSM / GPRS / EDGE, LTE CAT 4, two sim cards
• Processor: 8 cores, 64-bit, MediaTek MT6755 (Helio P10)
• RAM: 3 GB
• Storage memory: 16 GB
• Screen: capacitive, IPS OGS 6 "" with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels
• Camera: 21.5 / 16 MP, flash
• Navigation: GPS
• Battery: non-removable, 2700 mAh
• Dimensions: 164x79x8.4 mm
• Weight: 202g

Introduction

Just the other day, Sony unveiled a large 6-inch smartphone called the XA Ultra. It comes with a new design for the 2016 line. The peculiarity of the device is that the front camera is equipped with a large 1 / 2.6 ”matrix, a 16 MP Exmor RS sensor, optical image stabilization, and automatic focusing.

Interestingly, Sony already has a similar device - the Xperia C5 Ultra. It also focuses on a large screen diagonal and a selfie camera: 6-inch display, 13 MP with flash and autofocus. Moreover, some parameters of the C5 Ultra are even better: the device is thinner, lighter, the battery has 2930 mAh versus 2700 in the new product.

Of course, the Japanese corporation knows better what kind of devices to produce in Russia, however, it seems to me that the XA Ultra is more suitable for the Asian market. This is where people love huge phones with sophisticated front cameras for shooting "selfies".

As for the new item, I’ll say right away that it will appear in the summer (when exactly is not specified), the price is also not called. Now almost no manufacturer indicates the cost of their brainchild before the gadget appears in Russian warehouses. I assume that the Sony Xperia XA Ultra will cost buyers between 30,000 - 35,000 rubles, given the availability of the C5 Ultra at a price of about 25,000 rubles.

Appearance

The smartphone, as I said, comes out in a new design, repeating certain nuances of the Xperia X, XA and X Performance: rectangular shape, smooth outlines, sloping corners, fashionable 2.5D glass and more. In my opinion, the device turned out to be nice, it fits well into the canvas of modern gadgets.

Dimensions are rather big - 164x79x8.4 mm. Frankly, the manufacturer could have made the gadget thinner without any problems, after all, 8.4 mm for a device with a battery of only 2700 mAh and a length of 164 mm is too much. For example, the same C5 Ultra has a thickness of 8.2 mm. Yes, the difference is minimal, but the battery is already 2930 mAh. The novelty weighs 202 grams, does not feel like a heavy "shovel" in the hand, lies well in the palm due to the sloping edges. Naturally, using one hand will not be very comfortable, but this is individual: in the end, whoever buys this device represented the dimensions of the XA Ultra.

The device will appear in three colors: white, graphite black and lime gold. The latter I have not seen, but the second is somewhat similar to the Samsung Galaxy S7 in black. Surely pink or mint will appear later.

The front panel is covered with tempered glass, the developer does not indicate the manufacturer of the protection. An oleophobic coating is present, quite effective.

The side edges are made of matte metal, the upper and lower inserts are plastic, painted in the main color, but if you look closely, you can notice a difference in a couple of tones. Not critical, it looks even more impressive.

The back cover is made of matte plastic with a light soft-touch coating. Unfortunately, for all samples, the socket sagged to the level of the battery. A bit strange, considering some premium appearance. Fingerprints on the material are almost invisible, but dark stains remain on the white gadget.

Above, there is an indicator of missed messages, light and proximity sensors, a speaker, a flash and a large camera eye, framed by a dark plastic insert (it serves as a barrier between the lens and the flash so that there is no exposure).

Below is a speaker, microUSB and a microphone. Above are 3.5 mm audio-out and a second microphone.

On the left, under the flap, there is a slot for a memory card and a slot for a nanoSIM card.

On the right edge there is a camera activation button, a volume rocker (too small for such a large gadget), a power button.

On the back is the main camera and flash.

Display

This model has a 6-inch screen diagonal. The resolution, oddly enough, is FullHD. Sony does not position this device as a top-end solution. IPS OGS Matrix with Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 technology.

Despite the small resolution for 6 inches, the pixelation is not striking, the matrix itself perfectly reproduces colors, the saturation is high. The viewing angles are maximum, without changing the shades. The brightness is excellent. The screen is really commendable. We'll talk in more detail about the quality of the display in the review.

Battery

The Sony Xperia XA Ultra has a 2700 mAh battery. The manufacturer claims that the operating time of the device can be up to two days. I found the following information on the official website:

“Battery life was measured based on a typical smartphone use profile, which was defined by Sony Mobile Communications AB in September 2014. This profile reflects the most common use of a smartphone (calling, texting, Internet, social media, gaming, listening music, taking photos, viewing images and online videos, recording and playing videos, etc.) ".

Here either "copy-paste" from the performance characteristics of another smartphone, or the gadget was developed back in 2014 :)

Frankly speaking, today it is a bit rash to use a 2700 mAh battery in a 6-inch gadget. I think the XA Ultra could easily fit a 4000 - 5000 mAh battery.

Performance, memory and system

Sony decided to use MediaTek's Helio P10 chipset (8 cores 64-bit) in the Xperia XA Ultra. In my subjective opinion, it would be better for Japanese developers to use solutions from Qualcomm, for example, Snapdragon 615 - cheap and cheerful. The fact is that the last smartphones I tested on Helio P10, X20 and X25 showed themselves from the worst side: almost all games were played with low FPS values.

As for the overall performance, there are no questions about it - the XA Ultra is nimble.

The novelty was equipped with three gigabytes of RAM - this volume is quite enough for a device of a medium-high price category. The built-in memory is 16 GB and there is a slot for a memory card.

All of this operates under the operating system Google Android version 6.0. The sample has a shell with elements of pure "android" and branded icons.

Cameras

The main camera has a 21.5 MP module (Sony Exmor RS, size 1 / 2.4 inches, aperture F2.2), the front module is also difficult: Sony Exmor RS matrix of 16 MP and size 1 / 2.6 inches, aperture F2.0, angle 88 degrees. It is interesting that the selfie camera has autofocus and optical image stabilization, and the main module does not have a "stub".

Now I will not talk about the quality of the frames, since I used the sample for only a few tens of minutes, I also don’t attach photos - the sample did not have the final software.

At the moment (although it is unlikely that something will change for the better and further), the autofocus of the selfie camera leaves much to be desired: slow, sometimes it is wrong. Why do I think that something is unlikely to change? Shows experience of tested devices with similar modules. In addition, it is unlikely that the Sony XA Ultra has phase focusing at the front module. And this means that contrast is used, and, alas, it is extremely slow: at the right moment, the focus either does not have time to “catch” the sharpness, or it will not “focus” on the face. I believe that self-cameras should not have autofocus, as it slows down the shooting speed and focus accuracy. Although the Sony girls claim that they still have to preen before shooting, so speed is not important.

My personal opinion: "front camera" should instantly photograph, have a wide viewing angle, accurate white balance and a resolution of at least 5 MP (above 10 is also not particularly necessary).

Below is a comparison of frames on the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and Sony Xperia XA Ultra (right). As you can see, Samsung has a wider field of view, but Sony has a slightly sharper shot. However, Samsung took the picture in a fraction of a second, while the Sony shot took a few seconds.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

Conclusion

The Sony Xperia XA Ultra made a mixed impression on me. On the one hand, there is a nice appearance, excellent practical materials, a good colorful screen, on the other hand, most likely, a high price, a kind of emphasis on the front module sold a little), the main camera lacks a "stub", the battery is only 2700 mAh (again, experience suggests that this capacity is not enough for a 6-inch screen, no matter how hard the manufacturers try to optimize the system).

I repeat once again that the XA Ultra will appear on sale in the summer, the price is still unknown (it is unlikely to be less than 30,000 rubles).

Anyone who already wants to get a selfie phone can buy the Sony Xperia C5 Ultra, it does not differ much from the new product, but it is already on sale and costs less.

As competitors:

• HTC Desire Eye
• ASUS Zenfone Selfie
• Sony Xperia C5 Ultra

• Body materials: metal, glass and plastic
• Operating system: Google Android 6.0
• Network: GSM / GPRS / EDGE, LTE CAT 4, two sim cards
• Processor: 8 cores, 64-bit, MediaTek MT6755 (Helio P10)
• RAM: 3 GB
• Storage memory: 16 GB
• Screen: capacitive, IPS OGS 6 "" with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels
• Camera: 21.5 / 16 MP, flash
• Navigation: GPS
• Battery: non-removable, 2700 mAh
• Dimensions: 164x79x8.4 mm
• Weight: 202g

Contents of delivery:

• Smartphone
• Power Supply
• USB cable
• Documentation

Design, construction

Did you love Sony Xperia Z Ultra the way I loved? Huge good screen, thin body, long operating time, on the plane the phablet helped to watch movies, in everyday life it replaced the smartphone and tablet - remember, there was no iPhone 6 Plus, and therefore I walked with pleasure with the Z Ultra. Then Sony decided to make a budget version of this device, then there was a break with phablets, now the company returned to us with a Sony Xperia XA Ultra. Let me remind you that XA is an inexpensive smartphone, the review is on the website. The focus is primarily on design.

Unlike its younger brother, the XA Ultra does not look so radical, perhaps due to its size. There are recognizable details, a power button on the right end, characteristicly decorated ends, minimalistic design - inside there are simple wallpapers without unnecessary elements and a minimum of their additions, in fact, bare Android. On the left, under the flap, there is a slot for two SIM-cards (for the version with two SIM), a slot for a microSD memory card. It will not be superfluous to praise Sony for its tenacity - it is impossible to imagine Xperia without a memory card.

At the bottom there is a microUSB connector, a speaker grill (by the way, it could be louder), at the top there is a 3.5 mm jack, a microphone. Above the screen - a huge lens of the front camera, apparently, was highlighted on purpose to emphasize the possibilities of selfies. Moreover, the front camera even has its own flash.

The device is available in three colors: white, black, gold. I really liked the last one.

The XA Ultra weighs a lot, 202 grams, dimensions - 164 x 79 x 8.4 mm, a trouser pocket pulls away. The body is mainly made of plastic, the frame is made of metal, it cools the skin. There is an indicator light above the screen, it lights up during charging and various events.

Display

The diagonal of the display is 6 inches, the resolution is FullHD, of course, for such a display I would like a higher resolution, but let's not forget that this is an entry-level smartphone for 25,000 rubles, one might say, for young people. The viewing angles are not bad, there is an oleophobic coating, which is just a feast after the usual XA.

There is a possibility of adjusting the white balance, reducing the screen for the convenience of using some applications - you need to swipe up from the lower right corner, the desktop is reduced, it is convenient in the car.

Performance and features

It uses MediaTek MT6755, eight ARM Cortex-A53 cores, a clock speed of 2.0 GHz, a Mali T860 graphics adapter, there is no support for 4K video recording, but there is support for LTE - as for me, this is more important for an inexpensive device. The device periodically became very hot in the upper right corner - where the camera is, and this was observed even when the shooting was not performed. Otherwise, the heating is at an acceptable level.

The same chip is called Helio P10, here you can see the details.

Main line MediaTek 2015
SoC	MediaTek Helio X20 (MT6797)	MediaTek Helio X10 (MT6795)	MediaTek Helio P10 (MT6755)	MediaTek MT6752
Cpu	4x Cortex A53 @ 1.4GHz 4x Cortex A53 @ 2.0GHz 2x Cortex A72 @ 2.3-2.5GHz	4x Cortex A53 @ 2.2GHz 4x Cortex A53 @ 2.2GHz	4x Cortex A53 @ 1.1GHz 4x Cortex A53 @ 2.0GHz	4x Cortex A53 @ 1.7-2.0GHz 4x Cortex A53 @ 1.7-2.0GHz
Memory Controller		2x 32-bit @ 933MHz LPDDR3 14.9GB / s b / w	2x 32-bit @ 800 + MHz LPDDR3 12.8 + GB / s b / w (To be confirmed)	1x 32-bit @ 800MHz LPDDR3 6.4GB / s b / w
GPU	Mali T8 ?? MP4 @ 700MHz	PowerVR G6200 @ 700MHz	Mali T860MP2 @ 700MHz	Mali T760MP2 @ 728MHz
Encode / Decode	2160p30 10-bit H.264 / HEVC / VP9 decode 2160p30 HEVC w / HDR encode	2160p30 10-bit H.264 / HEVC / VP9 decode 2160p30 HEVC encode		1080p30 H.264 & HEVC decode 1080p30 H.264 encode
Camera / ISP	Dual ISP 32MP @ 24fps		21MP single or 16MP + 8MP dual	16MP
Integrated modem		LTE Cat. 4 150Mbps DL 50Mbps UL	LTE Cat. 6 300Mbps DL 50Mbps UL 2x20MHz C.A. (DL)	LTE Cat. 4 150Mbps DL 50Mbps UL

And here's another slide.

It seems to be nothing outstanding, but the device works stably, copes with games and other tasks without any problems. At least I didn't notice any problems. It seems to me that cooperation with MediaTek is only beneficial for Sony.

The device has already installed 3 GB of RAM, 16 GB of memory for storing data, the user gets about 10 GB, immediately count on a memory card, this is the main accessory for a smartphone. Support for cards with a capacity of up to 200 GB is declared, installed 128 GB, everything worked fine.

The operating system is Android 6.0, from Sony's add-ons - its own player, wallpapers, themes, the Playstation program is already installed, the smartphone does not work as a second screen, but it can help you communicate with friends or install games remotely.

I will list the wireless interfaces:

• GSM GPRS / EDGE (2G)
• UMTS HSPA + (3G)
• LTE 4G / Cat 4
• Wi-Fi Miracast
• Bluetooth 4.1 wireless technology (note there is no LDAC here)
• Google Cast (works fine with google audio adapter, checked)
• There is an FM radio, again, we note the tenacity of the company, the radio has not disappeared for years, and this is probably a good thing

To summarize, the device works as it should be for a device with such a chipset, you can see "parrots" in the screenshots, although there is little sense from this. Sony produces smartphones not for those who want to measure themselves with numbers, but for those who appreciate the company's approach to design and detail.

Working hours

A 2700 mAh battery is used, the device works unexpectedly for a long time, you can easily count on a full day - one and a half days with normal use. That is, the XA Ultra does not sit down instantly and unnoticed by the user. There are Stamina and UltraStamina modes, for a week of use I did not use them, and so everything is fine with work.

If you want to shorten the charging time, you should buy the UCH12 charger, it charges one hour less.

Camera

Front camera 16 MP with 1 / 2.6-inch Exmor RS matrix, wide-angle, you can see pictures day and night, in general, not bad, but my face could hardly fit into the lens - of course, this is a question both to the face and to No matter how much Sony stretched out its hand, it still came out with difficulty. It turned out to be easier to take shots at night than at dusk, autofocus worked faster. The front flash can help me take a normal photo in low light conditions, although I did not succeed. But during the day, the flash perfectly masks the flaws on the skin, for girls to note. However, this requires training and experimentation, frontal flash is still rare. For the front camera, in addition to autofocus, optical stabilization is also supported, but for some reason it was removed for the main camera.

Main camera 21.5 MP with 1 / 2.4-inch Exmor RS sensor, features:

• A separate button for launching the camera and shooting, I did not mention this in the chapter about design, but the button really helps to quickly take a frame
• Hybrid autofocus, focus really works fast, proven day and night
• Shooting photos in HDR mode, 5x Clear Image zoom - honestly, when zooming in, you still get "soap", so it's better to shoot without optical "zoom"

Sony had two large stands at the Afisha picnic, a large-scale and very interesting event. Smartphones were demonstrated in one stand, Sony PS VR in the second, the entrance queues were long, the rallies were interesting, people reacted as they should, despite the terrible heat. So most of the photos were taken there. Not bad, I think.

conclusions

In retail, a smartphone costs about 28,990 rubles, in some stores it is already 4,000 cheaper. I think it's better to take the version with two SIM cards as a reserve, especially since there is still a separate slot for microSD. The main drawback is the lack of a premium phablet with outstanding characteristics in the lineup, let's see what will be shown at IFA.

Well, Sony Xperia XA Ultra is a smartphone for young people with a good design, a large screen, a 16 MP front camera, LTE support, two SIM cards and a memory card slot, its own chips - radio, design, support for fast charging.

I tried to find something from competitors with similar characteristics for this money, and this is what happens. You can look for "selfiphones", as Roma wrote at first glance. There is HTC Desire Eye, smaller screen, lower price - about 20,000 rubles - no camera button. There is ASUS Zenfone Selfie. But Sony has a 6-inch screen diagonal, so it is probably necessary to compare with devices of another category - there are several offers, but all of them are either comparable in characteristics, or cost more, or have been on sale already a year ago.

Accordingly, the device plays in its niche, and the youth audience of Sony Xperia XA Ultra will definitely appreciate it - you just have to look for something sensible at a price of up to 25,000 rubles, and you will see for yourself. Of course, there is one "but" - you should not be confused by the size and weight of the device.

It seems to me that in the middle segment the company may well continue to develop the idea of ​​a “big” smartphone for young people - you can put in a larger battery, add stabilization for the main camera, and play with the design. Again, we are looking forward to the announcements at IFA.

The company's new tablet phone, with a large screen and an advanced selfie camera

The most unusual of the updated family of Sony smartphones, numbering four smartphones (Xperia X, Xperia X Performance, Xperia XA and Xperia XA Ultra), goes on sale last, and our today's hero is noticeably different from his fellow tribesmen. The differences, first of all, lie in the dimensions: while the rest of the new items, regardless of rank and position, were equipped with the same screens, the Xperia XA Ultra turned out to be so large that it could be called a tablet phone. A huge six-inch display and a large weight, exceeding 200 grams, make the novelty a device “not for everyone”. However, those who like to use all-in-one devices may be interested in some of the possibilities of this not quite ordinary smartphone.

Key Features Sony Xperia XA Ultra (Model F3212)

• SoC MediaTek Helio P10 (MT6755), 8 cores ARM Cortex-A53 @ 2.0 GHz
• GPU ARM Mali-T860 MP2 @ 700 MHz
• Operating system Android 6.0
• 6 ″ IPS touchscreen display, 1920 × 1080, 367 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 3 GB, internal memory 16 GB
• SIM-cards: Nano-SIM (1 or 2 pcs.)
• Support for microSD memory cards up to 200 GB
• GSM networks 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• WCDMA networks 850/900/1900/2100 MHz
• LTE FDD Band 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20 networks
• Wi-Fi 802.11n / ac with MU-MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct
• DLNA, Miracast
• Bluetooth 4.1 LE A2DP, apt-X, NFC
• USB 2.0, OTG
• GPS / A-GPS, Glonass
• Sensors direction, proximity, lighting, accelerometer, geomagnetic
• Camera 21.5 MP, f / 2.2, autofocus, LED flash
• Front camera 16 MP, f / 2.0
• Battery 2700 mAh
• Dimensions 164 x 79 x 8.4mm
• Weight 202 g

Appearance and usability

The shape of the Xperia XA Ultra is not too noticeably different from the regular Xperia XA. Here you can find all the same slightly rounded corners, a plastic back cover with slightly sloping edges, copying the shape of the front 2.5D glass, and a shiny metal rim around the entire perimeter, which in fact also turned out to be somewhat plastic. In general, all Sony smartphones are similar to each other, the general shape is preserved and passed on from generation to generation, changes here are minimal, the design always remains clearly recognizable.

If you disassemble the structure of the outer part of the Xperia XA Ultra in more detail, it turns out that only that part of the rim that runs along the sides can be called metal, while at the ends the metal quite noticeably turns into plastic, painted exactly to the color and texture of the metal sides. If you don't look closely, then you can decide that the smartphone really has an all-metal frame, its different parts are very similar visually.

There are no complaints about the assembly, the parts are clearly fitted, there are no deflections or gaps. But as for the dimensions, here, of course, it should be noted that the smartphone, even by modern standards, turned out to be very large. At the same time, it is also quite thick, and the weight of more than 200 grams does not allow you to comfortably carry such a device in the pockets of your clothes.

A heavy and bulky device is more likely intended for a bag - however, everyone decides this question for himself. In any case, it is worth noting the fact that for the first time since the Xperia Z Ultra, Sony has released a real tablet in its top segment with a screen size larger than the standard 5-5.5 inches. Although last year she released one six-inch model of the Sony Xperia C5 Ultra, but this is a slightly different level. But since the release of the same Xperia Z Ultra, no less than three years have passed.

In terms of the distribution of elements on the body, the Xperia XA Ultra is familiar. The cards are inserted into the side slot covered with a cover. The cover hides two slots for Nano-SIM cards, as well as a separate slot for a microSD memory card. That is, here all three cards can be used simultaneously, which is good news. There is no hot swapping as such, since the device automatically reboots by itself whenever the lid is opened.

On the opposite side edge are all three mechanical buttons for power, volume and camera control. The keys are large, protrude noticeably beyond the surface, are easily groped blindly, their stroke is soft, but elastic. In general, there are no complaints about these elements, although, of course, it is more common to see the volume key above the power key, but here the opposite is true. For a left-handed person, this arrangement is inconvenient, since the volume rocker always falls under the fingers.

Neither in the power key, nor on the back side, and even more so in front of the hero of the review, you can not find a fingerprint sensor, they simply did not take care of the fingerprint scanner. The back side is flat, the camera module does not protrude beyond its limits, so it is quite convenient to use a smartphone lying on a solid surface.

On the front, you can find a full array of sensors, an event indicator, and your own selfie camera flash. The camera here is unusual, it has autofocus, and flash, and optical stabilization, and the high resolution of 16 megapixels for the front camera is completely surprising.

The main speaker is brought out to the bottom end, where the grille covering it is adjacent to the Micro-USB connector and a spoken microphone. The Micro-USB connector supports the USB 2.0 specification and the connection of external devices in USB OTG (USB Host) mode.

The upper end is dedicated to the headphone audio-out jack and the second auxiliary microphone for the noise canceling system. The smartphone did not receive fastening for a strap and protection from water: although it is the largest in the new family, it is by no means superior in characteristics, and only Sony flagships have now begun to receive moisture protection. The body colors are standard: black, white and gold options are available for sale. In this case, the themes of the user interface match the color of the body color.

Screen

The smartphone is equipped with a very large IPS touchscreen with 2.5D convex glass with sloping edges. The physical dimensions of the display are 75 × 133 mm, the diagonal is 6 inches. The resolution is 1920 × 1080, so the pixel density reaches 367 ppi. With such huge dimensions of the smartphone, the frame 2 mm thick on the sides around the screen is visually absent at all. Sometimes this causes some inconvenience associated with unexpected touches of the edges of the display when gripping with your fingers. This does not happen so often, but the smaller Xperia XA did not have this at all. That is, a lot here depends on the dimensions of the device and on how much the fingers are bent around the sidewalls. In this case, everything coincided so that the screen gets under the fingers more often than the Xperia XA with a smaller body.

The brightness of the display is automatically adjusted based on a light sensor. There is also a proximity sensor that locks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. Multi-touch technology allows you to handle 10 simultaneous touches.

Alexey Kudryavtsev, editor of the "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" sections, carried out a detailed examination using measuring instruments. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the test sample.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are better than that of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, we present a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the turned off screens of both devices (Sony Xperia XA Ultra, as it is not difficult to determine, is on the right, then they can be distinguished by their size):

Both screens are dark, but Sony's screen is still darker (its brightness in the photo is 119 versus 125 for the Nexus 7). The tripling of reflected objects in the Sony Xperia XA Ultra screen is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the outer glass (aka touch sensor) and the matrix surface (OGS-type screen - One Glass Solution). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (such as glass / air) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better under intense ambient light, but their repair in case of cracked outer glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be changed. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (very effective, even better than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are much easier to remove, and appear at a slower rate than in the case of regular glass.

With manual brightness control and displaying the white field in full screen, its maximum value was about 580 cd / m², and the minimum was 6.3 cd / m². The maximum value is very high, and given the excellent anti-glare properties, the screen should be clearly visible in bright daylight and even in direct sunlight. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable level. Automatic brightness control works according to the light sensor (it is located to the left of the logo on the front panel). In automatic mode, when the ambient light conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment. If the brightness slider is turned to the maximum, then in complete darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 33 cd / m² (normal), in an office lit with artificial light (about 400 lx) sets it to 410 cd / m² (excessively bright), in a very bright environment (corresponds to lighting outdoors on a clear day, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or slightly more) increases to 580 cd / m² (to the maximum, which is needed). If the brightness slider is at half scale, then the screen brightness for the three conditions above is 33, 210 and 580 cd / m² (suitable values). If the dimmer is set to minimum - 33, 40, 580 cd / m² (average value underestimated). As a result, the automatic brightness control function works absolutely adequately, and to some extent it is possible to adjust the nature of the brightness change to the user's requirements. At any brightness level, there is no significant backlight modulation, so there is no screen flickering.

This screen uses an IPS type matrix. The micrographs show the typical IPS subpixel structure:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of photomicrographs of screens used in mobile technology.

The screen has good viewing angles without inverting tints and without significant color shift, even with large gaze deviations from the perpendicular to the screen. For comparison, here is a photo in which the screens of Nexus 7 and Sony Xperia XA Ultra are displayed the same images, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to about 200 cd / m2 (across the white field across the entire screen), and the color balance on the camera was forcibly switched to 6500 K. Perpendicular to the plane of the screens, a white field:

Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And the test picture:

The colors on the Sony Xperia XA Ultra display are slightly oversaturated, skin tones are strongly redshifted, and the color balance is noticeably different from standard. Of course, you need to be very careful when evaluating the color rendition of the screen from a photograph, but the trend is conveyed correctly. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens, but the Sony Xperia XA Ultra has a greater reduction in contrast. And white box:

Angle brightness on both screens has noticeably decreased, but in the case of the Sony Xperia XA Ultra, the drop in brightness is much less. When deviated diagonally, the black field brightens strongly and acquires a yellowish tint or remains approximately neutral gray. The photos below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is the same for the screens!):

And from a different angle:

When viewed from a perpendicular view, the black field uniformity is good, albeit imperfect:

Contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is normal - about 800: 1. The response time for the transition black-white-black is 20 ms (12 ms on + 8 ms off). The transition between gray tones of 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes 28 ms in total. The gamma curve, plotted using 32 points with equal intervals in terms of the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal a blockage in either highlights or shadows, and the exponent of the approximating power function was 2.54, which is more than the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve practically does not deviate from the power dependence:

Due to the presence of dynamic adjustment of the brightness of the backlight in accordance with the nature of the displayed image (on dark images, the brightness tends to decrease), the obtained dependence of brightness on the hue (gamma curve) does not correspond to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential output of shades of gray almost full screen. For this reason, we carried out a number of tests - determining the contrast and response time, comparing the black illumination at angles - when displaying special templates with a constant average brightness, and not single-color fields across the entire screen. In general, such non-switchable brightness correction does nothing but harm, since it reduces the visibility of gradations in shadows in the case of dark images. In addition, this dynamic adjustment, when displaying any image other than the white field in full screen, significantly underestimates the brightness, which impairs readability in bright light, and the constant adjustment of the brightness can be very annoying, for example, when watching movies. Jumps in brightness are especially noticeable when subtitles are displayed on the screen. We also mention one more feature of the screen: the lateral curvatures of the screen begin at the border of the display area, so when looking at the screen, even at small angles to the perpendicular, these curvatures begin to increase columns of subpixels of different colors, and the edges of the screen shimmer with annoying thin colored stripes. Also, the curvatures glare at almost any orientation of the screen relative to the light source, if it is at least above the plane of the screen, the glare is very different for the right and left eyes, this causes increased discomfort.

The color gamut is slightly wider than sRGB:

We look at the spectra:

They are very atypical for Sony's top-end mobile devices. Apparently, this screen uses LEDs with a blue emitter and a green and red phosphor (usually a blue emitter and a yellow phosphor), which, in combination with special matrix light filters, allows obtaining a wide color gamut. Yes, and in the red phosphor, apparently, the so-called quantum dots are used. Unfortunately, as a result, the colors of images - drawings, photographs and films - oriented to the sRGB space (and there are the overwhelming majority of them) have an unnatural saturation. This is especially noticeable on recognizable shades, such as skin tones. The effect is aggravated by the fact that the red color is shifted to the blue area. The result is shown in the photo above.

The shade balance on the gray scale is poor, as the color temperature is much higher than the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the spectrum of the absolute black body (ΔE) is greater than 10 units, which is considered a poor indicator even for a consumer device. At the same time, the variation in color temperature and ΔE is large - this negatively affects the visual assessment of color balance. (The dark areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since the color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

This smartphone has the ability to correct the color balance by adjusting the intensities of the three primary colors.

Which is what we tried to do, the result is data signed as Corr. in the graphs above. As a result, we adjusted the color temperature in the desired direction and greatly reduced ΔE, but only on a white field, on grayscale things only got worse. At the same time, the brightness (as well as the contrast) has greatly decreased. There is no point in making such a correction. Additionally, in the settings, you can select one of three correction profiles.

Photos above are for option Turn off... Note that the correction works only in Sony applications - when viewing images and, apparently, in a video player. Here's what happens if you choose a profile Extreme brightness mode:

Color contrast increases, but only on test worlds. Typical photographs barely change. In the mode Mobile Bravia Engine 2 color contrast is increased for all images, leading to unpleasant results:

Let's summarize. The brightness adjustment range of this screen is very wide, the anti-glare properties are excellent, which allows you to comfortably use your smartphone both on a sunny day on the beach and in complete darkness. It is permissible to use the mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works adequately. The advantages also include a very effective oleophobic coating, no air gap in the layers of the screen and no flicker. The disadvantages are, first of all, oversaturated and unnatural colors (skin tones are especially affected), low stability of black to deviation of the gaze from the perpendicular to the screen plane, poor color balance, as well as non-switchable dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness. And the curved edges of the outer glass do not add comfort, since they glare all the time, in the dark they tend to shine and shimmer brightly even at small angles. Nevertheless, taking into account the importance of characteristics for this particular class of devices (and the most important thing is the readability of information in a wide range of external conditions), the screen quality can be considered high. At the same time, despite the large screen, due to the above features, it is difficult to recommend this device for watching movies.

Sound

The Xperia XA Ultra does not sound as interesting as the older models of the X series, the sound here is quite loud, but it cannot boast of crystal purity and a wide range of frequencies. In headphones, the sound is certainly more interesting, here, in general, everything is pretty good, but there are fewer settings than in flagships. There is an automatic optimization of all sound parameters using the complex ClearAudio + function, but if you turn it off, then from the manual settings you can find only an equalizer with preset values ​​and a surround sound emulation mode, which very few people use at all.

In the conversational dynamics, audibility is also not ideal, the sound is bass and dull, and the hole for the speaker is too small for such a large surface, sometimes the speaker just does not hit the ear right away. This is a common occurrence for tablets with a phone function, the same problem was with the Xperia Z Ultra, it is just that the owners quickly learn to accurately place their own devices to the ear.

The sensitivity of the microphones is normal, the sound through the recorder is recorded cleanly and is clearly distinguishable during playback, the noise reduction system copes with its tasks adequately.

There is an FM radio in the smartphone, but automatic recording of telephone conversations from the line using standard means is not provided. The radio is integrated with the proprietary TrackID application for instant identification and search of music on the network.

Camera

Sony Xperia XA Ultra is equipped with two cameras with a resolution of 21.5 and 16 megapixels. The advanced front camera received a 16-megapixel sensor with a 1 / 2.6-inch Sony Exmor RS sensor for mobile devices, a wide-angle lens (88 °) with an f / 2.0 aperture, as well as an autofocus function, its own flash and even optical image stabilization. ... Automatic and manual control modes are supported, HDR can be enabled. The front camera produces high-quality and clear images with good sharpness, detail and color reproduction.

The main camera has a Sony Exmor RS sensor for mobile devices with a 1 / 2.4-inch 21.5-megapixel sensor, hybrid autofocus and flash LED flash. The maximum light sensitivity is manually set to ISO 3200, the maximum aperture is f / 2.2. The device received a proprietary function of optical stabilization SteadyShot and a separate hardware camera control button.

In manual mode, you can set ISO, white balance, change the type of focus. There is a five-fold proprietary digital zoom Clear Image. Additional modes are also present, including those downloaded separately. Camera control is not transferred to third-party applications via the Camera2 API, RAW recording is also not supported.

The video camera cannot shoot in 4K, the maximum resolution is 1920 × 1080 @ 30 fps. The SteadyShot function is very noticeable when shooting on the go, and the image is really smooth. On the whole, the camera copes well with video shooting: the image is bright, sharp, detailed, without noticeable artifacts, with good color rendition and high-quality sound. The noise canceling system is doing its job successfully, it is traditionally one of the best from Sony.

• Movie # 1 (27 MB, 1920 × 1080 @ 30 fps, H.264, AAC)
• Movie # 2 (48 MB, 1920 × 1080 @ 30 fps, H.264, AAC)

	Good sharpness across the field and across plans.
	Excellent detail in the distant shots.
	The text has been worked out well.
	The camera works out the foregrounds almost perfectly.
	Good detail in the foreground.
	With the removal of the plan, the sharpness falls very slowly.
	The camera works well for macro photography.

It looks like Sony has finally managed to beat the blur in the corners. Of course, you can still find it in the pictures, but it is already within the normal range, while in almost all the latest cameras from the manufacturer, when shooting at maximum resolution, the corners were out of focus. This is quite understandable with such dimensions of the sensor and the focal distance and has long been eliminated only programmatically. Perhaps, in this case, the problem was removed somehow differently, and Sony cheated again, but the result is important to us, and it is really good, and now you can get beautiful pictures not only when shooting at 8 megapixels.

Since significant areas of blur are gone and are no longer distracting, you can now pay attention to other advantages of the camera. Excellent sharpness and detail almost across the entire field of the frame and on all plans - not every flagship camera can boast of this now, but here it has been achieved without pronounced software processing. Considering the high resolution, which the camera handles well, this is especially commendable. So, in the updated form, the camera will perfectly cope with a variety of scenes.

Telephone part and communications

The smartphone operates in most ranges of 2G GSM, 3G WCDMA networks, and also has support for LTE Cat.4 with a theoretical maximum download speed of up to 150 Mbps. All three LTE FDD bands most common among domestic operators are supported (B3, B7 and B20). All new Sony Xperia X and XA devices do not have any complaints about the connection speed in 4G networks and work with cellular networks of Russian operators in general: the smartphone instantly reconnects after a break, does not lose connection in areas of uncertain reception, gives the highest possible speeds in 4G in familiar test spots.

The smartphone also supports Bluetooth 4.1, NFC with support for the Mifare Classic protocol, two Wi-Fi bands (2.4 and 5 GHz) MU-MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display, DLNA and Miracast, you can organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels. The Micro-USB connector supports the USB 2.0 specification and the connection of external devices in USB OTG mode.

The navigation module works with GPS (A-GPS) and Glonass without the support of the Chinese Beidou. There are no complaints about the speed of the navigation module, the first satellites are detected during a cold start within the first seconds. The smartphone is equipped with a magnetic field sensor, on the basis of which the compass of navigation programs functions.

The phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, when a phone number is dialed, it immediately searches for the first letters in contacts, there is also support for continuous input of the Swype type. Now, all Sony smartphones will be installed by default with the SwiftKey keyboard with a large number of additional settings and features, which also supports the continuous writing method. To work with such a large screen, a number of functions are provided to reduce the area of ​​on-screen keyboards, move them closer to the edge, etc.

The smartphone provides work with two SIM-cards according to the Dual SIM Dual Standby standard. There is only one radio module, so there can be only one active conversation. A SIM card in any slot can work with 3G / 4G networks, however, only one of the cards can work in this mode at the same time (the second will work only in 2G). The choice between two SIM-cards for making a call, sending SMS, etc. can be done in advance or immediately before performing the action.

OS and software

Sony Xperia XA Ultra is based on the sixth version of Android OS with its own shell. The interface is so familiar that there is almost nothing to add to its description. It can only be noted that several functionalities have been added here for comfortable working with the screen with one hand. The icons in the latest version of the interface are completely redrawn for new models, the themes change depending on the color of the case.

The internals, the layout of the menu sections, the organization of the desktops, and so on are all the same except for a few minor details, such as the installation of an alternative SwiftKey keyboard in all new Sony models. The interface as a whole has become easier to understand and more intuitive.

Performance

For the hardware filling of the XA series smartphones, Sony chose products from Taiwanese MediaTek, while the more expensive Xperia X uses Qualcomm Snapdragon. The Sony Xperia XA Ultra has SoC MT6755, also known as Helio P10. The MT6755 configuration includes a 64-bit True8Core eight-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor clocked at 2GHz and an ARM Mali-T860 GPU clocked at 700MHz.

The volume of the smartphone's RAM is 3 GB, the volume of the built-in flash memory is 16 GB, of which no more than 10 GB is initially available to the user for his needs. This volume can be increased by using microSD cards, and there is no need to remove one of the SIM-cards, since all three cards are installed in the device at the same time, each has its own slot. It is also possible to connect external flash drives to the USB port in OTG mode. MicroSD cards are supported up to 200GB, in practice our 128GB Transcend Premium microSDXC UHS-1 test card was recognized by the device with confidence.

Helio P10 does not demonstrate outstanding performance, according to the results, this SoC is close to another fresh mid-level platform - HiSilicon Kirin 650. But Qualcomm Snapdragon 650, which runs the older Xperia X models, is better in all respects, this is especially noticeable in specialized graphics tests ...

Thus, based on the results of testing, we can say with confidence that the level of Helio P10 is by no means higher than average. Its capabilities should still be sufficient for all modern tasks and not too demanding games. In World of Tanks, the number of frames per second is not the maximum, but it is quite comfortable for the game, there were no special delays even in the heavier Modern Combat 5.

Testing with the latest AnTuTu and GeekBench 3 Benchmarks:

All the results obtained by us when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks, we have summarized in tables for convenience. Several other devices from various segments are usually added to the table, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry numbers). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison, it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, therefore, many worthy and relevant models remain behind the scenes - due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions of test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in gaming tests 3DMark, GFXBenchmark and Bonsai Benchmark:

When testing in 3DMark for the highest performing smartphones, it is now possible to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

	Sony Xperia XA Ultra (MediaTek Helio P10)	Huawei p9 lite (HiSilicon Kirin 650)	Sony Xperia X (Qualcomm Snapdragon 650)	Honor 8 (HiSilicon Kirin 950)	Meizu Pro 6 (Helio X25)
3DMark Ice Storm Sling Shot (more is better)	425	367	871	867	1054
GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (Onscreen)	5 fps	5 fps	10 fps	11 fps	11 fps
GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (1080p Offscreen)	5 fps	5 fps	10 fps	10 fps	11 fps
GFXBenchmark T-Rex (Onscreen)	18 fps	19 fps	33 fps	36 fps	36 fps
GFXBenchmark T-Rex (1080p Offscreen)	17 fps	19 fps	31 fps	27 fps	40 fps

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for evaluating the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowances for the fact that the results in them significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so that the comparison can be truly correct only on the same OS and browsers, and this possibility is available when testing not always. In the case of Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

Heat images

Below is a thermal image of the rear surface taken after a 10 minute battery test in GFXBenchmark:

Heating is more localized in the upper right part of the device, which, apparently, corresponds to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 42 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees). This heating cannot be called insignificant.

Video playback

To test the "omnivorous" video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Web. Note that it is important for mobile devices to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is often impossible to process modern versions using processor cores alone. Also, do not expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a single table.

According to the test results, the subject was not equipped with all the necessary decoders that are needed to fully play most of the most common multimedia files on the network, in this case, audio files. To play them successfully, you will have to resort to using a third-party player - for example, MX Player. True, it is also necessary to change the settings in it and manually install additional custom codecs, because now this player does not officially support the AC3 audio format.

Format	Container, video, sound	MX Video Player	Native video player
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280 × 720, 24fps, AAC	reproduced normally	reproduced normally
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280 × 720, 24fps, AC3		the video plays normally, there is no sound
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920 × 1080, 24fps, AAC	reproduced normally	reproduced normally
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920 × 1080, 24fps, AC3	the video plays normally, there is no sound	the video plays normally, there is no sound

Further video playback testing was done by Alexey Kudryavtsev.

We did not find the MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort, in this smartphone, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see "Methodology for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices) 720 / 24p

Okay No

Note: If both columns Uniformity and Skips green ratings are set, this means that, most likely, when watching movies, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and skipping of frames will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems with the playback of the respective files.

According to the criterion for outputting frames, the quality of video playback on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can (but do not have to) be output with more or less even interval alternation and without frame drops - with the exception of files with 60 fps, in in which case a couple of frames per second are skipped, and usually two frames in a row are skipped, which is striking. The reason lies in the atypical refresh rate of the screen - about 58 Hz. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels (1080p), the image of the video file itself is displayed one-to-one pixel by pixel, right on the edge of the screen and in true Full HD resolution. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235: in the shadows and in the highlights, all gradations of shades are displayed, which is required for correct reproduction of typical video files.

Battery life

The capacity of the non-removable battery installed in the Sony Xperia XA Ultra is small for such a large device, 2700 mAh. Sony engineers clearly overestimated their strengths, because, as in the case of the usual Xperia XA, the Xperia XA Ultra has very, very modest autonomy: not entirely a failure, but for a multimedia multifunctional combine (why else do you need a huge screen, if not for games and movies?) the level is impermissibly weak, especially in comparison with modern offers on the market, of which there are many.

Continuous reading in the Moon + Reader program (with a standard, light theme, with auto-scrolling) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (the brightness was set to 100 cd / m²) lasted only 12 hours until a full discharge. When continuously watching videos from Youtube in high quality (720p) with the same brightness level over the home Wi-Fi network, the device barely lasted up to 9 hours. In 3D games mode, the smartphone operates for only 3 hours.

The smartphone is charged from a network charger with a maximum output current of 1.5 A for approximately 2.5 hours with a current of 1.5 A at a voltage of 5 V. The device does not support wireless charging. During charging, the LED event indicator changes color three times: from red to orange in the middle of charging, and then to green when the battery is fully charged.

Outcome

As for the price, at the time of writing the review, the smartphone is offered in the official Russian retail for 28 or 29 thousand rubles, depending on the support of one or two SIM-cards. The price is not too low, but here Sony, apparently, is betting on the unusual positioning of the device and a rather narrow niche for its use, because the usual Xperia XA is priced by the manufacturer much cheaper. Not every user, even in the current conditions of universal love for large gadgets, will choose an aggregate weighing more than 200 grams, which barely fits in a pocket, as a pocket device.

As for the technical capabilities of the Sony Xperia XA Ultra, in this regard, the device can rightfully be ranked among the mid-range, it is definitely not a top-end and not a flagship level. The screen, sound, performance of the hardware platform and especially autonomy are all not outstanding here, and in the recent past smartphones of this level, for example, the same Xperia C4, were much cheaper from Sony. By the way, C4 can be purchased now, and it is 10 thousand cheaper, but in fact it is not much inferior to today's hero of the review, the price of which seems to be overpriced. Perhaps the only undeniable strong point of the novelty is both of its cameras.