Sony Xperia XA1, XA1 Ultra Bring Beautiful Screens, Big Cameras

It seems that Sony has something for every class of user at MWC 2017. The Xperia XZ Premium definitely takes the cake as far as the hig...

It seems that Sony has something for every class of user at MWC 2017. The Xperia XZ Premium definitely takes the cake as far as the highest end goes while the Xperia XZs delivers a more reasonable dose of premium features. That said, those two are still likely to be beyond the reach of many consumers. Which is why Sony is also unveiling the Xperia XA1 and the Xperia XA1 Ultra, both sporting Sony’s edge-to-edge screen and competitive cameras while trying to keep the price tag low.

It’s a bit difficult to place the Xperia XA1 and the XA1 Ultra as they seem to defy easy classification. But as their name suggests, they do share some common traits, particularly the one inherited from last year’s Xperia XA. Before near bezel-less designs came into fashion, the Xperia XA was already flaunting an edge-to-edge screen. Sure, it still had (rather large) bezels at the top and bottom, something that the XA1 and XA1 Ultra also inherited.

    

    

Both cameras also boast of the same 23 megapixel 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS sensor for the main camera. While not as talented as the ones on the Xperia XZs and XZ Premium, they can still be pretty decent, especially with Hybrid AF and, in the case of the XA1 Ultra, HDR support for stills. Both are also powered by the same MediaTek Helio P20 processor, a 64-bit octa-core processor running at 2.3 GHz max. But that’s were the similarities mostly end.

The Xperia XA1 only gets 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage, which does qualify it mostly as a mid-range phone. Especially with the 5-inch 720p screen

• Operating System: Android Nougat
• CPU: MediaTek Helio P20, 2.3 GHz octa-core
• RAM: 3 GB
• Storage: 32 GB, expandable up to 256 GB
• Display: 5 inches, 1280×720
• Main Camera: 23 MP, 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS, f/2.0, Hybrid AF, 5x Clear Image Zoom
• Secondary Camera: 8 MP, 1/4-inch Exmor RS, AF, f/2.0
• Battery: 2,300 mAh, STAMINA mode
• Dimensions: 145 mm x 67 mm x 8 mm
• Weight: 143 g

The Xperia XA1 Ultra kicks it up a notch. It gets 4 GB of RAM, for example, but the 6-inch screen only goes as far as 1920×1080. It’s key feature, however, is the 16 megapixel front camera, with a 1/2.6-inch Exmor RS sensor, front-facing flash, and even optical image stabilization!

• Operating System: Android Nougat
• CPU: MediaTek Helio P20, 2.3 GHz octa-core
•  RAM: 4 GB
•  Storage: 32 or 64 GB, expandable up to 256 GB
• Display: 6 inches, 1920×1080
• Main Camera: 23 MP, 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS, f/2.0, Hybrid AF, 5x Clear Image Zoom, HDR (photos)
• Secondary Camera: 16 MP, 1/2.6-inch Exmor RS, front-facing flash, OIS, AF, f/2.0
• Battery: 2,700 mAh, STAMINA mode
• Dimensions: 165 mm x 79 mm x 8.1 mm
• Weight: 188 g

The Sony Xperia XA1 becomes available on April 26 for $299.99. The Xperia XA1 Ultra, on the other hand, won’t arrive until summer for a still undisclosed price.

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