Considering the modern smartphone market, you can see that manufacturers very often copy each other, which is why few of them have their own unique style. This cannot be said about Sony, which does not follow anyone, but strives to follow its own path in the choice of technical and design solutions, sometimes controversial, but always original.
We got a Sony smartphone of the latest generation, medium in size and in the middle price segment, which can attract the attention of not only fans of this brand, but also ordinary users.
To begin with, we note that it stands out among the mass of competitors in appearance, and we will begin the review with it.
Appearance and control
The main design motives here were inherited from the previous model - XA1.
The first thing that catches your eye about the Sony Xperia XA2 is that it doesn't have rounded corners like most modern smartphones, but sharp, so to speak. It may seem inconvenient, but we like this solution for its originality.
Sony acted quite cleverly: the right and left edges of the body are rounded and metal, making it very pleasant to hold the phone in your hands. At the same time, the back cover is made of plastic, and the top and bottom surfaces are flat, both of which are easier from a technological point of view.
The display, in fact, has no frames on the front and rear edges, however, the panels at the top and bottom are quite massive, and one can predict that such a design in the future, with the spread of frameless models, may seem archaic.
Despite the unrecord-breaking battery capacity, the smartphone has a rather large thickness, let's hope that this is due to the desire to increase the strength of the phone.
On the right edge, in addition to the volume rocker and the power and lock keys, the smartphone has a “proprietary” button for turning on the camera and shooting.
You can’t call it useless, even if this decision migrated from old models and reminds of the past of the company.
Also, the focus on shooting is emphasized by the fact that the front and rear cameras are highlighted in design with an additional edging, which makes them seem larger than they really are.
In Sony Xperia XA2, you can insert two SIM cards, or a SIM card and a memory card. Moreover, both trays are in the same compartment and open without any “paper clips” and keys. Many human thanks to Sony engineers for this.
The smartphone display has a good oleophobic coating, but the back surface is not equipped with it, greasy spots appear on it and are difficult to completely wipe off.
The case of the smartphone in question does not have any water protection.
Fingerprint scanner
The fingerprint scanner of the Sony Xperia XA2 is made in the form of a separate surface under the camera.
Of course, such a solution is not the most elegant in terms of design, but functionally it does not cause complaints. Plus, if the sensor breaks, you only need to change it, not the front button like on more expensive models.
The scanner works fast enough, but there are not enough stars from the sky: launching the smartphone from standby mode takes about 1.5 seconds.
Equipment
Having unpacked the box with the Sony Xperia XA2 smartphone, we will see Charger with separate USB cable, documentation and warranty card. Headphones are not included.
Operating system and software shell
The smartphone uses a version of the Android 8.0 operating system, with Sony's own shell.
As mentioned, at the bottom of the screen are navigation buttons that can be removed using the settings.
There is a separate application menu with classic horizontal scrolling, the ability to create folders and arbitrary arrangement of icons.
blind quick notifications and the screen of running applications are very similar to those of Android.
There is a function of dual display of applications (available, however, not for all programs).
In the security settings, there is a Smart Lock function that allows you to assign a device, face and even voice to unlock.
The speed of the interface is very good. there are no lags and slowdowns.
The smartphone comes from the factory with pre-installed applications for watching videos, listening to music, antivirus.
 |
 |
Platform and Performance
When developing this smartphone, Sony was clearly guided by the principle of reasonable sufficiency in relation to its “stuffing”. The model is not top-end, so the platform based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 mid-range processor looks quite appropriate here, promising sufficient performance in most applications, coupled with energy efficiency.
The video chip used is Adreno 508, which has a frequency of 850 MHz, which is 200 MHz more than the Adreno 506. This affects the performance in games, and it is this difference that can be felt when comparing the Sony Xperia XA2 with smartphones from last year on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625.
 GeekBench 4 test |
 Antutu Test |
Volume random access memory 3 gigabytes may seem small only if you run a lot of “heavy” applications at the same time, which is unlikely to happen in ordinary life.
Perhaps the weak point of the Sony Xperia XA2 is the amount of permanent memory - 32 gigabytes. Here the manufacturer did not provide a choice, and for some it may seem too small. However, there is an opportunity to add an additional microSD memory card.
Display
The screen of the considered smartphone has an average diagonal by today's standards - 5.2 inches with a resolution of 1920X1080. Thus, the “classic” aspect ratio of 16:9 is applied. To be honest, we do not see this as a particular inconvenience, because most films and videos are in this format. Although someone may say: “But the Chinese for 10 thousand already have an 18:9 screen,” but we believe that until all video content has adapted to the “elongated” screen, it is too early to consider this a disadvantage.
In our opinion, FullHD is more than enough for this size of the display, text and pictures look as detailed as possible on it.
When you turn it on for the first time, it may seem to you that the color saturation on the screen is not enough. The fact is that by default the settings for increasing saturation and contrast are disabled in the menu.
In addition, like other Sony smartphones, the picture on the display goes into a cold color (this can also be fixed in the settings).
The smartphone has on-screen buttons that disappear when necessary.
The display of the Sony Xperia XA2 stands out for its brightness, despite the fact that it is made using LCD technology (not OLED), it is easy to read even in bright sunlight, which is a definite advantage.
Battery and autonomy
The battery capacity is 3300 mAh, although, looking at its weight and thickness, one would think that everything is 4000. The available volume is enough, with inactive use, sometimes half the charge remains in the evening. The model is clearly intended for office and urban life, and not for hiking and traveling (this is indicated by the appearance and lack of moisture protection), and in normal use this battery capacity is enough.
Complete with smart phone goes conventional charger. Charger with function Quick charge need to be purchased separately.
Connectors and communication protocols
The processor, display, thickness - all this indicates the price category of the Sony Xperia XA2 phone, but what the manufacturer did not save on was USB connector- there is modern Type-C which is of course more convenient than the old Micro USB.
Another advantage of the phone is Bluetooth 5 version, which has a range of up to 200 meters and a speed of up to 6.25 MB/s.
The headphone jack is in place, it easily fits in the body of this phone.
NFC is present in the phone, which is expected for a modern smartphone.
Camera
Photography
The first thing that catches your eye when considering the characteristics of the Sony Xperia XA2 camera is the number of megapixels of the main camera - 23, which is clearly excessive for such a module size.
The main camera is equipped with phase detection autofocus and a single LED flash.
The main camera uses an f/2.0 lens with a 24mm equivalent focal length. On paper, these are good characteristics for such a matrix size, but it is clear that it is simply impossible to achieve the ideal quality of optics in this format. In good lighting, the detail of the pictures is not bad.
At the edges, the detail drops, due to the fact that the design of the lens is simplified. However, this is quite enough for modern social networks and applications.
As soon as the illumination drops, the sensitivity increases and “noises” appear in the picture - graininess caused by the need to amplify the signal from the image sensor - the matrix.
The autofocus speed is not satisfactory, the pictures are taken almost instantly. There is an opportunity to specify the focus point on the phone screen.
The front camera is more modest in terms of characteristics - 8 megapixels (you don't need more), and the ability to switch between 120 and 80 degrees modes.
For selfie lovers, this choice of viewing angle will be very useful.
Snapshot examples
Video filming
Video filming in this smartphone implemented using separate modes. If you simply switch to video mode from taking pictures, the videos will be recorded in FullHD resolution - 1920x1080 30 frames per second. There is also a high-speed shooting mode with a frequency of 120 frames per second and a resolution of 1280x720.
The 4K mode has been moved as a separate application inside the camera application.
In general, you expect from a Sony smartphone camera good quality video and it's here. 4K is real, in it the video resolution is higher than in FullHD, and considering the same frequency frames, it is worth using it. The picture in all modes is pleasing to the eye, the compression is reasonable.
Sample videos can be downloaded from the archive link.
conclusions
Looking at the reviewed Sony smartphone, you wonder who it is intended for. On the one side, strict design in black tells us that it could suit a business person, but this is not a flagship, and it has a number of not the most modern features. On the other hand, the emphasis on selfies tells us that this is a device for the 2010s generation, but why does it then resemble past models and mercilessly use the old Sony reputation.
In our opinion, buying a Sony Xperia XA2 is a controversial choice, but everyone decides for himself.
Information about the make, model, and alternative names of a particular device, if any.
Design
Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Used materials, suggested colors, certificates.
| Width Width information refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 66.8 mm (millimeters) 6.68 cm (centimeters) 0.22 ft 2.63in |
| Height Height information refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use. | 143.6 mm (millimeters) 14.36 cm (centimeters) 0.47ft 5.65in |
| Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement. | 7.9 mm (millimeters) 0.79 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft 0.31in |
| Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement. | 137 g (grams) 0.3 lbs 4.84oz |
| Volume Approximate volume of the device, calculated from dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. | 75.78 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 4.6 in³ (cubic inches) |
| Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale. | The black White Pink gold Golden |
| Housing materials The materials used to make the body of the device. | Metal Plastic |
SIM card
The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.
Mobile networks
A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.
| GSM GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analogue mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often referred to as a 2G mobile network. It is enhanced by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies. | GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz |
| UMTS UMTS is short for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on the GSM standard and belongs to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its great advantage is to provide greater speed and spectral efficiency thanks to W-CDMA technology. | UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 1900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz |
| LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as fourth generation (4G) technology. It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA to increase the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent development of technologies is called LTE Advanced. | LTE 850 MHz LTE 900 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 2100 MHz LTE 2600 MHz LTE 1900 MHz (F3112) LTE 800 MHz (F3112) LTE 700 MHz (B28) (F3116) LTE-TDD 1900 MHz (B39) (F3116) LTE-TDD 2300 MHz (B40) (F3116) LTE-TDD 2500 MHz (B41) (F3116) LTE-TDD 2600 MHz (B38) (F3116) |
Mobile technologies and data rates
Communication between devices in mobile networks is carried out through technologies that provide different data transfer rates.
Operating system
The operating system is the system software that manages and coordinates the operation of the hardware components in the device.
SoC (System on a Chip)
System on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device in one chip.
| SoC (System on a Chip) System on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components such as processor, GPU, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation. | MediaTek Helio P10 (MT6755) |
| Technological process Information on technological process on which the chip is made. The value in nanometers measures half the distance between the elements in the processor. | 28 nm (nanometers) |
| Processor (CPU) The main function of the processor (CPU) of a mobile device is the interpretation and execution of instructions contained in software applications. | 4x 2.0 GHz ARM Cortex-A53, 4x 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A53 |
| Processor bit depth The bit depth (bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance than 32-bit processors, which, in turn, are more productive than 16-bit processors. | 64 bit |
| Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands by which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute. | ARMv8-A |
| First level cache (L1) Cache memory is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently accessed data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small and much faster than both system memory and other cache levels. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for them in the L2 cache. With some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2. | 256 kB + 256 kB (kilobytes) |
| Second level cache (L2) L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1, but in return it has a larger capacity, allowing more data to be cached. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for it in the L3 cache (if available) or RAM. | 2048 KB (kilobytes) 2 MB (megabytes) |
| Number of processor cores The processor core executes program instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing many instructions to be executed in parallel. | 8 |
| Processor clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 2000 MHz (megahertz) |
| Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) The graphics processing unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is used most often by games, consumer interface, video applications, etc. | ARM Mali-T860 MP2 |
| Number of GPU cores Like the CPU, the GPU is made up of several working parts called cores. They handle the graphical calculations of different applications. | 2 |
| GPU clock speed The speed of work is clock frequency GPU, which is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). | 700 MHz (megahertz) |
| The amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost when the device is turned off or restarted. | 2 GB (gigabytes) |
| Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device. | LPDDR3 |
| Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels means more high speeds data transmission. | single channel |
| RAM frequency The frequency of RAM determines its speed, more specifically, the speed of reading / writing data. | 933 MHz (megahertz) |
Built-in memory
Each mobile device has a built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed amount.
Memory cards
Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.
Screen
The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.
| Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the image quality of information directly depends. | IPS |
| Diagonal For mobile devices, the screen size is expressed in terms of its diagonal length, measured in inches. | 5 in 127 mm (millimeters) 12.7 cm (centimeters) |
| Width Approximate Screen Width | 2.45in 62.26 mm (millimeters) 6.23 cm (centimeters) |
| Height Approximate Screen Height | 4.36in 110.69 mm (millimeters) 11.07 cm (centimeters) |
| Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side | 1.778:1 16:9 |
| Permission Screen resolution indicates the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means sharper image detail. | 720 x 1280 pixels |
| Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be shown on the screen in clearer detail. | 294 ppi (pixels per inch) 115ppm (pixels per centimeter) |
| Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for the color components in a single pixel. Information on the maximum number colors that the screen can show. | 24 bit 16777216 flowers |
| Screen area Approximate percentage of screen space on the front of the device. | 72.08% (percentage) |
| Other characteristics Information about other functions and features of the screen. | capacitive Multitouch Scratch resistance |
| Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 Minimum pencil hardness >9H |
Sensors
Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that are recognized by the mobile device.
Main camera
The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the case and is used for taking photos and videos.
| Sensor Model | Sony IMX258 Exmor RS |
| Sensor type | CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) |
| Sensor size | 4.71 x 3.49 mm (millimeters) 0.23in |
| Pixel size | 1.133 µm (micrometers) 0.001133 mm (millimeters) |
| crop factor | 7.37 |
| Flash type The most common types of flashes in mobile devices cameras are LED and xenon flashes. LED flashes give more soft light and unlike the brighter xenon ones, they are also used for video filming. | LED |
| Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of mobile device cameras is their resolution, which indicates the number of pixels in the horizontal and vertical direction of an image. | 4160 x 3120 pixels 12.98 MP (megapixels) |
| Video resolution Information about the maximum supported resolution for video recording by the device. | 1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels) |
Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the device when shooting video at the maximum resolution. Some of the main standard shooting and video playback speeds are 24p, 25p, 30p, 60p. | 30 fps (frames per second) |
| Characteristics Information about other software and hardware features related to the main camera and improving its functionality. | autofocus Burst shooting digital zoom Digital Image Stabilization geo tags panoramic shooting HDR shooting Touch focus Face recognition Adjusting the white balance ISO setting Exposure compensation Self-timer Scene Selection Mode Macro mode |
| Hybrid Auto Focus |
Additional camera
Additional cameras are usually mounted above the screen of the device and are mainly used for video calls, gesture recognition, etc.
| Sensor Model Information about the manufacturer and model of the photo sensor used in the device's camera. | Sony IMX219PQ Exmor R |
| Sensor type Digital cameras use photo sensors to take pictures. The sensor, as well as the optics, is one of the main factors in the quality of a camera in a mobile device. | CMOS BSI (backside illumination) |
| Sensor size Information about the size of the photosensor used in the device. Typically, cameras with a larger sensor and lower pixel density offer better image quality despite lower resolution. | 3.67 x 2.76 mm (millimeters) 0.18in |
| Pixel size The smaller pixel size of the photosensor allows more pixels to be used per unit area, thus increasing resolution. On the other hand, a smaller pixel size can have a negative impact on image quality when high levels light sensitivity (ISO). | 1.124 µm (micrometers) 0.001124 mm (millimeters) |
| crop factor The crop factor is the ratio between the size of a full-frame sensor (36 x 24mm, equivalent to a frame of standard 35mm film) and the size of the device's photosensor. The number shown is the ratio of the diagonals of the full frame sensor (43.3 mm) and the photo sensor of the specific device. | 9.42 |
| Image Resolution Information about the maximum resolution of the secondary camera when shooting. In most cases, the resolution of the secondary camera is lower than that of the main camera. | 3264 x 2448 pixels 7.99 MP (megapixels) |
| Video resolution Information about the maximum resolution supported when shooting video with the optional camera. | 1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels) |
| Video - frame rate/frames per second. Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the optional camera when shooting video at the maximum resolution. | 30 fps (frames per second) |
| auto focus HDR Wide-angle lens - 88° |
Audio
Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.
Radio
The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.
Location determination
Information about navigation and location technologies supported by the device.
WiFi
Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for short distance data transmission between different devices.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between different types of devices over short distances.
| Version There are several Bluetooth versions, with each subsequent one improving communication speed, coverage, making it easier to discover and connect devices. Information about the Bluetooth version of the device. | 4.1 |
| Characteristics Bluetooth uses different profiles and protocols for faster data exchange, energy savings, better device discovery, and more. Some of the profiles and protocols that the device supports are shown here. | A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) AVCTP (Audio/Video Control Transport Protocol) AVDTP (Audio/Video Distribution Transport Protocol) AVRCP (Audio/Visual remote control profile) BNEP (Bluetooth Network Encapsulation Protocol) DIP (Device ID Profile) GAVDP (Generic Audio/Video Distribution Profile) GAP (Generic Access Profile) GOEP (Generic Object Exchange Profile) HDP (Health Device Profile) HFP (Hands Free Profile) HID (Human Interface Profile) HSP (Headset Profile) LE (Low Energy) MAP (Message Access Profile) OPP (Object Push Profile) PAN (Personal Area Networking Profile) PBAP/PAB (Phone Book Access Profile) SPP (Serial Port Protocol) SAP/SIM/rSAP (SIM Access Profile) |
USB
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to communicate.
Headphone jack
This is an audio connector, which is also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Connecting devices
Information about other important connection technologies supported by the device.
Browser
A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.
| Browser Information about some of the key features and standards supported by the device's browser. | HTML HTML5 CSS 3 |
Audio file formats/codecs
Mobile devices support various audio file formats and codecs that store and encode/decode digital audio data, respectively.
Video file formats/codecs
Mobile devices support various video file formats and codecs, which store and encode/decode digital video data, respectively.
Battery
Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge they need to function.
| Capacity The capacity of a battery indicates the maximum charge it can store, measured in milliamp-hours. | 2300 mAh (milliamp-hours) |
| Type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more specifically, by the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries being the most commonly used in mobile devices. | Li-polymer (Li-polymer) |
| Talk time 2G Talk time in 2G is the period of time during which the battery is completely discharged during a continuous conversation in a 2G network. | 11 o'clock (hours) 660 min (minutes) 0.5 days |
| 2G standby time The 2G standby time is the amount of time it takes for the battery to fully discharge when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 2G network. | 466 h (hours) 27960 min (minutes) 19.4 days |
| 3G talk time Talk time in 3G is the period of time during which the battery is completely discharged during a continuous conversation in a 3G network. | 10 h (hours) 600 min (minutes) 0.4 days |
| 3G standby time The 3G standby time is the amount of time it takes for the battery to fully discharge when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 3G network. | 466 h (hours) 27960 min (minutes) 19.4 days |
| 4G standby time The 4G standby time is the amount of time it takes for the battery to fully discharge when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 4G network. | 572 h (hours) 34320 min (minutes) 23.8 days |
| Characteristics Information about some additional features device battery. | fast charging Fixed |
| Quick Charger UCH12 |
Inexpensive smartphone from Sony (22,990 rubles for the Dual version) with an interesting design, LTE, two separate slots for SIM-cards, a slot for a memory card - good gadget for their money…
Characteristics
- Body materials: plastic, metal, glass
- Operating system: Android 6.0
- Network: GSM/EDGE, WCDMA, LTE (nanoSIM)
- Screen: IPS LCD, 5”, capacitive, HD, automatic backlight level adjustment
- Processor: MediaTek Helio P10 8-core 64-bit processor
- Graphic system: Mali t860
- RAM: 2 GB
- Storage Memory: 16 GB, microSD card slot
- Primary camera: 1/3-inch 13-megapixel Sony Exmor RS sensor, pulsed LED flash, fullHD video,
- Front camera: 8 MP
- Interfaces: 3.5 mm headset, NFC
- Navigation: GPS/Glonass (A-GPS support)
- Extras: FM radio, fast charging (Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0)
- Features: LTE supported, FM radio, two SIM card slots and one dedicated microSD slot
- Battery: 2300 mAh, fast charging supported
- Dimensions: 143.6 x 66.8 x 7.9mm
Contents of delivery
- Smartphone
- USB cable
- Charger
Design, construction
Appearance devices are a delight, which is why the Sony Xperia XA is sure to gain some popularity this summer, the relatively small and inexpensive smartphone comes just in time, in the summer when many people want something compact for shorts pockets. Girls will also like the gadget, the colors are "golden lime" and " pink gold"are very relevant now, and thanks to Apple - pink, new black and new gray for gadgets, it is simply impossible not to release a device of this color now. In our first glance, there was just such an apparatus.
Another smartphone reminded me Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray, there is something in common in the size and shape of the case.
Although the price is, of course, not Ray at all, the Sony Xperia XA is already inexpensive at the start and fills a very important niche now, a sort of “budget plus segment” - basic characteristics but good design. Therefore, communication with a smartphone is like walking through a minefield, looking for where the savings are, and you find.
Well, here, take the materials. The back cover is made of plastic, the fingers do not slip, but the scratches are clearly visible, accidentally put it in the pocket with the keys, and hello, just a few at the bottom. Inserts on the ends are made of metal, under the cap - full-fledged two slots for nanoSIM and one slot for microSD - no need to cut anything and go for some tricks, it's nice. The familiar cool button on the right, but there is no fingerprint sensor, the volume rocker could be made longer - but there is a camera button.
The speaker at the bottom is loud in a quiet room, but somewhere on the street you can miss a call, the microUSB connector is without plugs, on the back there is an NFC area, a flash and a camera. There is no protection from water, nor from dust, so be careful on the beaches. There is a 3.5 mm jack on the top end, so take care of the device in the rain, drops can easily get inside during a call.
The dimensions of the device are 143.6 x 66.8 x 7.9 mm. So why is design good? As you know, this is always a very subjective question, some like a thing, some don't, but I can try to explain why people like XA. Firstly, there is a frameless screen and glass with rounded ends, for many this is already a kind of marker - something new, interesting. Secondly, the smartphone has a minimum of Sony embellishments and applications - but the wallpapers and icons are well chosen. Thirdly, it seems like a budget device, but here you have Xperia Care, and Sony Xperia Store, and Xperia Lounge - a person feels care and some kind of exclusivity from the first minutes. It's funny to you, but are there such services in other smartphones in this price category? Then, here you can really get a discount on a speaker or accessories, it’s worth looking into the Lounge. I also tried the Xperia to Xperia transfer service, it doesn't work very well with applications, not all were installed, but dragging photos, videos and contacts helps.
Another thing I noticed is that the Sony Xperia XA is completely flat! The camera does not protrude here, the buttons do not protrude (only on the side), and therefore it is convenient to use it, it is convenient to stuff it in and take it out of your pocket, it is convenient to hold it in your hand during a conversation - a finger clings to the rough back part, does not slip off. It also seems to be a trifle, but you know, it is from the little things that the impression of a thing is formed.
The Sony Xperia XA has a beautiful design, there are no questions at all, and this is a big plus for the device among other gadgets in this price category.
Display
As soon as I took off the film, I noticed that the glass is without an oleophobic coating, the finger stumbles, it is most convenient to perform some operations by pressing a nail or even a stylus against the screen. Keep in mind that films or glasses for XA are still curved, that is, they cover the front, leave the ends open, it looks terrible, it’s better not to buy anything than to buy this. And keep in mind one more thing, the lack of an oleophobic coating affects not only when simply moving through the menu, but also when typing from keyboards that support “swipe”, you can’t quickly move your finger. The difference with any smartphone where there is a coating is obvious - even if it's a well-worn iPhone 6S Plus, where it is almost erased and prints appear instantly. Fingerprints on the Sony Xperia XA are also clearly visible both in front and behind, so the best and most accurate device will look white, gold or pink.
The diagonal of the IPS display is 5 inches, the resolution is 1280 x 720 pixels, the rounded ends have a positive effect on the impression - the light indicator on top seems to be floating in the air, the display seems to have no frames, formally they still exist, albeit almost imperceptible. I guess many will rush to buy Sony Xperia XA, licking their lips on samsung galaxy S7 Edge, of course, there are more functions, completely different characteristics, but the glass is also rounded! "So it's almost the same!" - I bring here consumer thoughts overheard in the store aloud. And funny, and sad, and the price pushes to buy. Of course, it's not the same at all - I would advise you to try to work with the screen on samples in salons before buying.
So, the screen characteristics are not the best, but the display size is small, so in normal use, the HD resolution is not striking. Although, if you look at the clock, the icons ... In general, it's better not to peer anywhere and just use the device. Although the screen fades when viewed from the side.
I don’t know if this is Sony’s design work or a common thing for Android, but the calendar has very funny pictures for each month, it’s cool and intelligently drawn. Your design at music player, its own wallpapers, themes, several applications, but, like the Z5 series, a course is taken here to reduce third-party software - few utilities, pure Android, a minimum of "improvers", many people like it.
I believe that an oleophobic coating in 2016 is a must for a device at any price point.
Modifications and performance
Let me remind you that the two main modifications, XA (F3111) and XA Dual (F3112), use nanoSIM, in the version with two SIM cards you can use two cards and a microSD memory card without dancing with a tambourine, separate slots. I personally like the Dual-version more, and the difference in price is small.
operating room android system 6.0, MediaTek Helio P10 processor, Mali t860 is responsible for the graphics, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal memory - it's better to count on a microSD card right away. Sony doesn't forget to put in a radio, which some people really like. From music formats MP3, 3GPP, MP4, SMF, WAV, OTA, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, ASF are supported by default. Bluetooth 4.1 profile, Wi-Fi MIMO, NFC,
LTE is supported, with MegaFon everything worked as expected.
Working hours
The battery capacity is 2300 mAh, among the features it claims to work for two days, the Sony Xperia XA has familiar STAMINA and Ultra STAMINA modes, the first disables only some features (GPS, vibration, regular synchronization is turned off, etc.), the second just cuts connection to the network in all ways, phone, SMS and a number of the most desired programs, although I would argue with some. For example, you can definitely do without a radio. Both functions can be enabled independently, and to achieve two days of operation, you will have to do this, in simple mode it does not work. The smartphone works for a day with normal loading, with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on, if you want more - learn to use regular energy-saving functions, reduce the backlight. You yourself know everything.
The kit comes with a conventional charger, using the UCH12 power supply, you can enjoy the benefits fast charging- 10 minutes of connection to the network, 5.5 hours of work. Convenient if you are somewhere in the city, but then you will have to fork out for UCH12. Quick Charge 3.0 (Class A) from Qualcomm and Pump Express + 2.0 from MediaTek are supported, charging works not only with X, XA, but also with the Z5, Z3 series. The price of the charger in Russia is still unknown.
cameras
Front camera 8 MP, main 13 MP Sony Exmor RS, pulsed LED flash. There's HDR support, hybrid autofocus, some features like 5x Clear Image zoom came from the Sony Xperia Z5 - but it's better to do without zooming. It is not clear why the device does not remember the settings set, say, I chose manual settings, maximum resolution, took a few pictures, went to the menu, then restarted the camera, and then auto mode again. And you constantly have to go into the settings, switch between 13 MP and square frames and 9 MP and pictures with a normal aspect ratio. In general, this has been the case in Sony for a long time - and yet, if you start the camera from the button, here, too, the settings cannot be changed at will. 
The video comes out like this.
Front camera 8 MP, wide-angle, with autofocus, several people can fit in the frame.
IN additional menu You can install various camera apps, but be aware that this is not a flagship and some add-ons will be slow.
I liked the speed of autofocus and camera launch.
conclusions
Prices are the same, 21,990 rubles for the version with one SIM card, 22,990 rubles for DualSIM, not bad.
I feel the vibration in my pocket, the reception quality seemed worse than with the same SIM card in the iPhone 6S Plus, but, of course, the devices cannot be compared, different prices, different worlds.
A simple question, is it possible to live with the Sony Xperia XA after the flagship expensive devices? Eh, if they added an oleophobic coating, then there would be no questions at all - this is my biggest claim to the company. A smartphone named XA is beautiful, smart, the camera is not bad, “empty” Android will appeal to those who are used to setting everything up themselves. It's good that the DualSIM version has two slots, and it's good that they didn't forget about the memory card slot. I advise owners to immediately find a suitable film or glass, and the UCH12 charger will come in handy.
Answering the question above - it is quite possible to live with XA.
Simplified and cheaper modification of the new season, but not without a twist
Sony is releasing four new smartphones this year: Xperia X, Xperia X Performance, Xperia XA and Xperia XA Ultra. The basis of the line is the balanced flagship Xperia X and its advanced modification X Performance. FROM Xperia model X we already met in the previous review, and will soon consider the older version in detail. For now, let's turn to the younger version. The Sony Xperia XA model described today may well be called a simplified modification of the Xperia X smartphone. They have a lot in common, and in some ways this cheaper and more modest version may turn out to be even more interesting than its older brother in the new line.
Key Features of Sony Xperia XA (Model F3112)
- 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
- Sensory IPS display 5″, 1280×720, 293 ppi
- Random access memory (RAM) 2 GB, inner 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 networks FDD Band 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20
- 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
- Direction, proximity, lighting sensors, accelerometer, geomagnetic
- Camera 13 MP, f/2.0, autofocus, LED flash
- Front camera 8 MP, f/2.0
- Battery 2300 mAh
- Dimensions 144×67×7.9 mm
- Weight 135 g
Appearance and usability
In terms of dimensions, the five-inch models Xperia X and Xperia XA are almost the same, and in shape too. Here, the continuity of the design is obvious, it has been passed down from generation to generation in one way or another since the Xperia Z, and now all this is reproduced in the updated Xperia X / XA family, but adjusted for modern realities.
Not much has changed: the corners have become slightly more rounded, the sides have become smoother and more rounded, the front panels have acquired 2.5D glass with sloping edges, which is why all new Sony smartphones have become more streamlined and smooth.
But there are also differences between the XA and X versions: the most noticeable of them are on the front and rear panels. As for the back side, everything is prosaic here: the cheaper Xperia XA model has a cheaper case, which received not metal as the back wall, like the Xperia X, but plastic imitating metal.
But with the front side, everything is not so obvious, and here, oddly enough, it is the simplified Xperia XA model that wins. The fact is that this novelty has the same notorious “frameless” design, when the thickness of the frame around the display is minimized. In Xperia XA, the width of the frame on the sides is no more than a millimeter, it is almost invisible. The older model Xperia X does not have such a “frameless” effect, its frame width is quite familiar, and this is surprising.
As for the quality of materials, assembly, in this regard, the Xperia XA is up to the mark, although a couple of annoying moments can be mentioned. The first is a weak grease-repellent coating on the front glass of the screen. It really is covered with fingerprints very quickly, but it is rubbed off badly, which is why the smartphone sometimes looks sloppy.
The second point is related to the sidewalls. The side faces of the Xperia XA case are covered for some reason with metal (or metallized) plates, very reminiscent of smooth metal and very slippery. Other surfaces of the smartphone as a whole are not slippery, but the side edges suffer from this drawback. And this is wrong: because of them, the device is constantly trying to slip out of the hands.
 |
 |
In terms of the distribution of elements on the body, the Xperia XA is familiar. Cards are inserted into the side slot on the left, and here we can highlight the second (after the "frameless" display, which the older model lacks) positive Xperia difference XA from Xperia X. The fact is that it has two card slots under the cover, and not one hybrid, as in Xperia X. That is, Xperia XA can simultaneously insert two SIM cards and another microSD memory card, and for this does not have to remove one of the SIM-cards, which is good news.
Under SIM-cards there are two equivalent compartments for Nano-SIM cards. Hot-swap is not provided: Sony smartphones always reboot themselves as soon as the cover of the corresponding slots is opened. The pleasant moment is that in Japanese smartphones, the SIM tray does not need to be squeezed out with a paper clip, it can be easily removed after picking it up with a fingernail.
Mechanical buttons are located on the opposite, right side face of the case. Unlike older models, there is no fingerprint scanner inscribed in the power button. And the button itself is different in shape: it is not elongated, but round, as in previous Xperia Z models even before the appearance of fingerprint sensors in them.
The front panel received all the proper elements, including an LED event indicator that shines a dot above the screen in case of charging or missed messages.
In the lower part under the screen, Sony has long been gone touch buttons, only virtual on the screen. And in this regard, it can be noted that quite a lot of completely free, unoccupied space is left under the screen.
On the back of the case there is nothing but a camera window with a flash. The camera module does not protrude beyond the surface, the flash is implemented by one LED, not too bright.
The main speaker is brought to the bottom end, next to the Micro-USB connector, located in the center and supporting the connection third party devices in USB OTG (USB Host) mode. Between them you can see a small hole in the speaking microphone.
The second microphone, for the noise reduction system, is located on the upper end, next to the headphone audio output.
Like the Xperia X, our hero of the review did not receive protection against water and dust; in the new family, only the most advanced Xperia X Performance has it. As for the colors of the case, here the buyer has a choice of four colors: white, black (“graphite black”), lemon (“lime gold”) and copper-pink (“rose gold”). These colors will be present in one way or another in all modern Sony models.
Screen
The smartphone is equipped touch screen IPS with trendy 2.5D glass with sloping edges. Physical dimensions The display is 62 × 110 mm, the diagonal is 5 inches. The size is exactly the same as the Xperia X, but the resolution is half that, only 1280x720, and the dot density is 293 ppi. But the frame around the screen, unlike the Xperia X, is so thin that it is difficult to measure. However, despite the thin bezel and rounded edges glass, there is no accidental touches of the screen, the lack of a frame does not cause discomfort.
The display brightness is automatically adjusted based on a light sensor. There is also a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. Multi-touch technology allows you to handle 10 simultaneous touches - however, the standard AnTuTu test could not adequately cope with this screen. Support for working with the screen with gloves, unlike the Xperia X, the smartphone in question does not. And of course, the wet-finger feature is a thing of the past, since Sony's new smartphones are not water-resistant.
 |
 |
A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" sections Alexey Kudryavtsev. 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 the screen of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the off screens of both devices (Sony Xperia XA, as it is not difficult to determine, is on the right, then they can be distinguished by size):
Both screens are dark, but the Sony screen is still darker (its brightness in the photo is 103 versus 111 for the Nexus 7). The tripling of reflected objects on the Sony Xperia XA screen is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the outer glass (it is also a touch sensor) and the matrix surface (OGS type screen - One Glass Solution). Due to the smaller number of borders (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better with strong external illumination, but their repair in case of cracked external 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 (not very effective, noticeably worse than Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed more easily, and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass.
With manual brightness control and with a white field displayed in full screen, its maximum value was about 550 cd/m², and the minimum was 3.6 cd/m². The maximum value is very high, and given the excellent anti-reflective properties, in bright daylight and even in direct sunlight, the image on the screen should be clearly visible. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable level. Automatic brightness control works by 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. This function depends on the brightness adjustment. If it is at a minimum, then in complete darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 4.7 cd / m² (dark), in an office lit by artificial light (about 400 lux) it sets it to 37 cd / m² (it could have been brighter), in bright environment (corresponding to lighting on a slightly cloudy day outdoors - about 10,000 lux) increases to 460 cd/m² (sufficient). If the brightness slider is at half the scale, then the screen brightness for the three conditions above is as follows: 44, 160 and 550 cd/m² (suitable values). If the brightness control is set to maximum - 180, 310, 600 cd / m² (the first two values are too high). Everything looks good, but the problem is that in very bright light (on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more), the brightness of the backlight is greatly underestimated. As third-party programs have shown, this is due to a light sensor that does not work correctly. As a result, it cannot be argued that the auto-brightness function works adequately. At any brightness level, there is no significant backlight modulation, so there is no screen flicker.
This screen uses an IPS type matrix. Micrographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:
For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.
The screen has good angles review without inverting shades (except for the very darkest when deviated along one diagonal) and without a significant shift in colors, even with large deviations of the gaze from the perpendicular to the screen. For comparison, here is a photo in which the same images are displayed on the Nexus 7 and Sony Xperia XA screens, while the screen brightness is initially set to about 200 cd / m² (on a white field in full screen), and color balance on the camera it is forcibly switched to 6500 K. A white field is perpendicular to the plane of the screens:
Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone white field. And a test picture:
The colors are saturated on both screens, the color balance is noticeably different. Now at an angle of about 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:
It can be seen that the colors did not change much on both screens, and on the Sony Xperia XA the contrast decreased to a greater extent due to more black highlights and a greater drop in brightness, and there were also signs of inverting dark shades. And the white box:
The brightness at an angle for both screens has noticeably decreased, but in the case of the Sony Xperia XA, the brightness drop is slightly greater. The black field, when deviated diagonally, is highlighted strongly and acquires a purple or reddish tint. The photographs below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in perpendicular to the plane screens, the direction of the screens is the same!):
And from another angle:
At perpendicular view black field uniformity is good:
It can be seen that the curved edges refract the light from the black field illuminated at the corners, which does not look very good. Contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is high - about 970:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 15 ms (7.5 ms on + 7.5 ms off). The transition between 25% and 75% grayscale (according to the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 25 ms. The gamma curve constructed from 32 points with an equal interval according to the numerical value of the shade of gray did not reveal a blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.63, which is higher than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve strongly deviates from the power dependence:
Due to the presence of dynamic adjustment of the brightness of the backlight in accordance with the nature of the output image (brightness tends to decrease on dark images), the resulting dependence of brightness on hue (gamma curve) does not correspond to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential grayscale output almost full screen. For this reason, we carried out a number of tests - determining contrast and response time, comparing black flare at angles - when displaying special patterns with a constant average brightness, and not monochromatic fields in full screen. In general, such a non-switchable brightness correction does nothing but harm, since it reduces the visibility of gradations in the shadows in the case of dark images. In addition, this dynamic adjustment, when displaying any image other than a white field in full screen, significantly lowers the brightness, which impairs readability in bright light, and besides, constantly adjusting the brightness can be very annoying.
The color gamut is slightly different from sRGB:
The spectra show that the matrix filters moderately mix the components to each other:
As a result, visually the colors have a natural saturation. The balance of shades on the gray scale is acceptable, as Colour temperature albeit higher than the standard 6500 K, but the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is below 10, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, the color temperature and ΔE change little from shade to shade - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since the color balance does not matter much there, and the measurement error of 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.
What we tried to do, the result is data signed as Corr. on the charts above. As a result, we improved the balance on the white field, but the spread of values on dark shades grew catastrophically. In fact, it makes no sense to engage in correction in this case. In the settings, you can choose one of three correction profiles.
The photos above are for option Switch off. Note that the correction only works in Sony applications- when viewing images and, apparently, in a video player. Here's what happens if you choose a profile Extreme brightness mode:
The color contrast increases, nothing remains of the naturalness of the colors. In mode Mobile Bravia Engine 2 nothing terrible happens to the image - on the contrary, contour sharpening is turned off:
Let's summarize. Brightness adjustment range this screen very wide, anti-reflective 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 possible to use the auto-brightness mode, but be prepared for the fact that in very bright ambient light conditions this function will make the screen unreadable due to strong decline backlight brightness. The advantages include the absence of an air gap in the screen layers and flicker, high contrast, good black field uniformity, as well as a color gamut close to sRGB and an acceptable color balance. The disadvantages are an ineffective oleophobic coating, low black stability to the deviation of the gaze from the perpendicular to the screen plane, as well as dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness that cannot be switched off. And the curved edges of the outer glass do not add comfort, since they glare all the time, and in the dark they tend to light up. Nevertheless, taking into account the importance of the characteristics for this particular class of devices (and the most important thing is the distinguishability of information in wide range environmental conditions), the screen quality can be considered high.
Sound
The Xperia XA sounds less interesting than the Xperia X, the sound of the main speaker is rather simple here. For a call signal, this high, piercing, monophonic high-frequency sound is enough, but for listening to melodies, neither the width of the frequency spectrum, nor the depth and brightness of the sound, nor, in general, even the volume reserve is enough. The sound is certainly more interesting in headphones, everything is pretty good here, but there are fewer settings than the flagships. There is an automatic optimization of all sound parameters using the integrated ClearAudio + function, but if you turn it off, then from the manual settings you can find only an equalizer with preset values and surround sound emulation, which few people use at all.
There are no complaints about the spoken speaker and microphone: the intonation and timbre of a familiar voice remain recognizable, there is practically no noise, the sound is clear, although it is also not at all saturated and bright. The sensitivity of the microphones is normal, the voice is recorded cleanly on the recorder and is clearly distinguishable during playback, the noise reduction system copes with its tasks adequately.
FM radio in the smartphone is available, automatic recording telephone conversations from the line using regular funds not provided.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Camera
Smartphone Sony Xperia XA is equipped with two cameras with a resolution of 13 and 8 megapixels. This, of course, is not 23 and 13 megapixels, like the older Xperia X, but still not bad. The front camera here has an 8-megapixel sensor with an Exmor R matrix for mobile devices and a wide-angle lens (88 °) with an f / 2.0 aperture without autofocus and its own flash. Here, as for the main camera, automatic and manual control modes are supported, you can use HDR and even add animation effects using the creative AR effect mode. Snapshots front-camera gives out high-quality, with good sharpness and color reproduction, for the level of selfies are quite decent.
 |
 |
The main camera is equipped with a 13-megapixel 1/3-inch Exmor RS sensor for mobile devices and a 24mm f/2.0 wide-angle G Lens with fast hybrid autofocus. The maximum sensitivity is manually set to ISO 3200, but ISO 12800 is declared in the official settings.
All new Sony smartphones, as before, received SteadyShot stabilization with Intelligent Active Mode, which ensures smooth shooting without distortion. And of course, Sony is practically the only manufacturer that still installs a separate hardware camera control button in its smartphones.
In manual mode, everything is exactly the same as in older models: you can set the sensitivity, white balance, change the type of focus. There is a five-fold digital zoom, carried out using Clear Image scaling technology. Additional modes are also present, including those downloaded separately - panoramic, photo with sound, Sticker Creator, face in the image - everything is in place. One of the most unusual is the familiar augmented reality mode called AR effect, which allows you to combine real shots with animation.
By the way, unlike older models, here camera control is not transferred to third-party applications via the Camera2 API, RAW recording is also not supported.
 |
 |
 |
 |
The camera cannot shoot video in 4K (since even the older Xperia X does not), the maximum resolution is 1920 × 1080. True, on the Xperia X you can shoot at 60 fps, but there is not even that. The operation of the SteadyShot stabilization function is very noticeable when shooting on the move, the image really becomes smooth. On the whole, the camera copes with shooting video with dignity: the image is bright, without noticeable artifacts, with good color reproduction, although loose and with poor detail. The sound is recorded with high quality, Sony traditionally pays a lot of attention to the noise reduction system in its cameras.
- Movie #1 (35 MB, 1920×1080 @30 fps, H.264, AAC)
- Movie #2 (23 MB, 1920×1080 @30 fps, H.264, AAC)
 |
Good field and plan sharpness. On the left is a blur zone. |
 |
Sometimes the camera has little problems with white balance. |
 |
The camera does a good job with macro photography. |
 |
With the removal of the plan, the sharpness drops very smoothly. |
 |
Good long-range sharpness. |
 |
The text is well done. |
 |
Good close-up detail. |
| Sony Xperia XA | Apple iPhone 6 Plus |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The camera is pretty good. Software processing not very striking, and shortcomings like a not very accurate white balance and a blur zone on the left can be forgiven for good sharpness across the field and according to the plans in the rest of the frame. So the camera is able to handle most situations.
Telephone part and communications
Sony Xperia XA operates on most bands of 2G GSM, 3G WCDMA networks, and also supports LTE Cat.4 with a theoretical maximum download speed of up to 150 Mbps. The smartphone supports all three of the most common LTE FDD bands among domestic operators (B3, B7 and B20). The connection speed in 4G networks and work with cellular networks of Russian operators in general do not cause any complaints from Sony Xperia XA: the smartphone instantly reconnects after a break, does not lose connection in areas of uncertain reception, gives the highest possible speeds in 4G in test places where competitors show much worse results. In terms of communication capabilities, Sony smartphones are always on top, this is one of their advantages.
The device also supports Bluetooth 4.1 LE, NFC, supports 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 through channels WiFi or Bluetooth. Micro-USB connector supports USB specification 2.0 and connecting external devices in USB OTG mode. The NFC module demonstrates compatibility with the Mifare Classic protocol required for successful work applications "" with a Troika transport card.
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 smartphone provides work with two SIM-cards according to the Dual SIM Dual Standby standard. There is only one radio module, so there can only be 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 one will work only in 2G). The choice between two SIM cards for making a call, sending SMS, etc. can be made in advance or immediately before the connection.
 |
 |
 |
 |
OS and software
Xperia XA is based on the Android 6.0 platform with its own shell, it is exactly the same as the older model Xperia X. Compared to previous generations, only the external presentation has changed: icons are completely redrawn, themes change depending on the color of the case.
The internal structure, the location of the menu sections, the organization of desktops, etc. - everything remains the same except for the little things. The regular keyboard has changed: now SwiftKey has come in its place, it is installed by default. Mini-applications have completely disappeared - apparently, few people used them. The pull-down menu in the section has also been removed. installed programs. Accustomed to the proprietary interface of Sony smartphones, such changes are unlikely to seem catastrophic, the interface has become a little simpler and more intuitive.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Performance
Sony has chosen Taiwanese MediaTek for the hardware of its cheaper XA series smartphones, while the more expensive Xperia X uses Qualcomm Snapdragon. The Sony Xperia XA has the SoC MT6755, also known as the Helio P10. The Helio P10 is configured with a 64-bit octa-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor running at 2 GHz and a graphics ARM processor Mali-T860 operating at 700 MHz.
The amount of RAM of the smartphone is 2 GB, the amount of built-in flash memory is 16 GB, of which about 11 GB are initially available to the user for his needs. This volume can be increased with microSD cards, and unlike the older models of the X series, here you don't have to remove one of the SIM cards for this, all three cards are installed in the device at the same time. It is also possible to connect to USB port external flash drives in OTG mode. microSD cards supported up to 200 GB, in practice our 128 GB Transcend Premium microSDXC UHS-1 test card was recognized by the device.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Judging by comparative table with the test data of other relevant mobile platforms, we can state that the new SoC MediaTek MT6755 (Helio P10) is noticeably ahead in all respects of the mid-range MT6753, extremely popular with manufacturers last season, and even the once-flagship MediaTek MT6795 is already no better than our heroine . That is, today average level mobile platforms are better in terms of their capabilities top level last year, which can not but rejoice.
Most of all, Helio P10 is close in results to another fresh mid-range platform - HiSilicon Kirin 650. Only here the graphics are slightly better, and absolute parity is observed between them in complex and specialized browser tests.
It is interesting to compare the performance of the Xperia XA with the older model Xperia X. That one is also not built on the top Qualcomm platform, but on a mid-range SoC. However, its results in all tests are noticeably higher, both in general and specialized tests, including graphics, which allows us to evaluate Helio P10 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 650/652 as solutions different levels. And if we call the MediaTek MT6755 and HiSilicon Kirin 650 platforms mid-level, then for higher in all respects, but still not the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 650/652, we will have to add some sub-flagship level, which is above average, but below the top. In any case, the Xperia X turns out to be more productive than the Xperia XA in all tests, which is quite logical for the older and more expensive model in the line.
According to the results of testing, we can say with confidence that the level of Helio P10 is not top-end, but a confident average. However, for all modern tasks the capabilities of this SoC at the moment should be more than enough. So far, it copes with demanding games: You can comfortably play World of Tanks at maximum fps values, heavier games do not run at such high fps, but also do not show the slightest delay.
 |
 |
Testing in the latest versions of AnTuTu and GeekBench 3 comprehensive benchmarks:
For convenience, we have summarized all the results obtained by us when testing a smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks in tables. Several other devices from different 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 a single comparison, it is impossible to present the results from different versions benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions test programs.
Testing graphics subsystem in 3DMark, GFXBenchmark and Bonsai Benchmark gaming tests:
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 (due to which the speed can rise above 60 fps).
 |
 |
Browser cross-platform tests:
As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowances for the fact that the results in them depend significantly on the browser in which they are launched, so that the comparison can only be truly correct 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.
thermal images
Below is a thermal image of the back surface, obtained after 10 minutes of running a battery test in the GFXBenchmark program (the lighter, the higher the temperature):
Heating is clearly localized in the upper part of the device, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 41 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees), this is the average heating in this test for modern smartphones.
Video playback
To test the "omnivorous" when playing video (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 for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern versions using processor cores alone. Also, you should not expect everything from 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 test subject was not equipped with all the necessary decoders that are needed for the full playback of most of the most common multimedia files on the network, in this case, sound ones. To successfully play them, you will have to resort to help 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 not officially supported sound format AC3.
| Format | container, video, sound | MX Video Player | Regular video player |
| BDRip 720p | MKV, H.264 1280×720, 24fps, AAC | plays normally | plays normally |
| BDRip 720p | MKV, H.264 1280×720, 24fps, AC3 | video plays fine, no sound | |
| BDRip 1080p | MKV, H.264 1920×1080, 24fps, AAC | plays normally | plays normally |
| BDRip 1080p | MKV, H.264 1920×1080, 24fps, AC3 | video plays fine, no sound | video plays fine, no sound |
Further testing of video playback performed Alexey Kudryavtsev.
We did not find the MHL interface, as well as 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 signal playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices) Red marks indicate possible problems associated with the playback of the respective files.
According to the frame output criterion, the quality of video files playback on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can (but are not required) to be displayed with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without frame drops. Note atypically high frequency screen refresh rate of approximately 67-68 Hz. As a result, in the case of files with 60 fps, 7-8 frames per second are output with an increased duration. When playing video files with a resolution of 1280 by 720 (720p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen, one to one in pixels, that is, in its original resolution. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 (all gradations of shades are displayed in the shadows and highlights), which is required for the correct playback of typical video files.
Battery life
The capacity of the non-removable battery installed in the Sony Xperia XA is 2300 mAh, which is small by modern standards. And we must admit that Sony did not think through the issue of the power consumption of their device well enough - apparently, relying on the assurances of the MediaTek developers that the new technical process and new platform in general, they have become much more economical. MediaTek always claims this, but things are still there: Sony Xperia XA showed poor results battery life, not to say otherwise. It is clear that Sony is counting on the capabilities of its energy saving modes Stamina, but without them at all standard tests the smartphone performs hardly satisfactorily.
Continuous reading in the Moon + Reader program (with a standard, light theme, with auto scrolling) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd / m²) lasted more than 9.5 hours to a full discharge. When continuously watching videos from Youtube in high quality (720p) with the same brightness level via a home Wi-Fi network, the device did not reach even up to 8 hours. In the 3D-games mode, the smartphone functions for 2.5-3 hours.
The smartphone is charged from its own network charger for approximately 1 hour 40-50 minutes with a current of 1 A at a voltage of 5 V. The device does not support wireless charging.
Outcome
Many liked Xperia price XA: the device is sold at the time of writing the review for 22 thousand rubles, and they ask for a thousand more for a two-sim modification of the same model. What can I say? For the Sony level, this may be low price, and it is much lower than that of the same Xperia X, offered for 40-41 thousand. However, in the same price category is, for example, the no less interesting model Huawei P9 lite, which does not add anything to the price for a two-SIM modification - they are all dual-SIM. And a Huawei smartphone with similar characteristics costs 20 thousand, not 23, that is, 3 thousand cheaper than the hero of the review. Is this the price for more famous brand? But with a price of up to 20 thousand, you can count a lot of other interesting devices. However, true connoisseurs of the brand Sony smartphone Xperia XA may seem like an interesting proposition, it all depends on your own wallet, not the wallet of an abstract user. Objective cons of the new Sony model: water protection is removed, autonomy is low, the sound is simple. The rest is at a decent level: screen, platform, communication capabilities, cameras in general are at least good. And yet, the thought that the model is a little overrated does not leave.
Stylish design, pleasant and comfortable to hold in your hand, bright and rich screen, fast in operation - does not slow down, decent cameras with a bunch of all sorts of settings, powerful flashlight.
Minuses
It discharges quickly, sooo delicate plastic on the back, low volume in the headphones, lack of a fingerprint scanner.
Review
I read a lot of reviews and watched reviews about this smartphone, and now, I decided to buy it. The first minus showed itself in the literal sense "on the spot" - the plastic of the back cover turned out to be so scratch-resistant that they appeared already in the process when an employee in the store pasted a film on the screen! Grab your cover right now! By the way, if you buy a film for the FULL screen, then because of the rounded edges it will be problematic to stick it yourself without skill, besides, these films are silicone, which complicates the process of sticking. In the process of work, the device proved to be quite worthy, it works clearly and quickly, without hanging. 2GB of RAM is enough for me personally. We were pleased with the cameras, both the main one and the front camera, the main one has many settings and additions. I am satisfied with the quality of the photos. The battery, of course, is rather weak, even despite several power-saving modes, if you actively use it for the whole day, of course, there will not be enough charge. I was pleased that the smartphone is not overloaded with various unnecessary applications like other manufacturers, but still from the declared 16 GB. almost half is occupied by the system. The sound in the headphones is very quiet, if you ride in transport, the volume is sorely lacking, you can even turn it off in the subway. To be honest, from whom, but I did not expect this from SONY. But the sound quality is perfect, and there are many settings to improve it. There are no complaints about the quality of communication, everything catches very clearly and the interlocutor can hear perfectly during a conversation. Each device has its pros and cons, but I did not regret at all that I bought the Sony Xperia XA Dual SIM, although it seems to me that the price is somewhat overpriced for such a smartphone. But it's SONY. Well, in general, if you take it, I think you will not regret it.
