Xperia XA2/XA2 Ultra hands-on! Is Sony making another comeback?

Sony Moves!?

Sony's Xperia brand is very popular in Japan. Recently, there have been no noticeable changes in the design, and there have been a few more voices of 'disappointment'. However, the mid-range "Xperia XA2/XA2 Ultra" announced at CES 2018 the other day seems to be a model full of hope that finally shows the direction Sony is going in the future. Gizmodo's Sam Rutherford explains this point concretely.

There was a time when Sony's Xperia was said to be one of the slimmest and most fashionable smartphone models (around 2013). That's thanks to Xperia's stylish, minimalistic design and features that would become trends like water resistance before anyone else. However, at some point Sony lost momentum. Despite having favorable specs, Xperia lost its popularity because it didn't have the ability to overcome fatal mistakes.

But at CES 2018, Sony may finally be making a comeback with the new Xperia XA2 and Xperia XA2 Ultra models. Despite being mid-range, the changes Sony has made to the 5.2-inch and 6-inch phones show how Xperia is looking to evolve in the future.

The first point is that those two models have a fingerprint sensor. I don't know why, but the fingerprint sensor wasn't included in the recent US launch models. Sony put the sensor on the back, just below the main camera where it's easy to reach. The main camera is still the industry's top level 23 million pixels.

Editorial department: So far, the US version of Xperia has not been equipped with a fingerprint authentication sensor. There is also information that Apple's patent is in the way.

Next, pay attention to the battery size. The smaller XA2 has a 3,300mAh battery capacity, while the XA2 Ultra has 3,580mAh. This is an increase of 43% and 32% respectively from the previous model, so it can be said that it is a pretty big improvement. All the more so considering that Xperia's most recent flagship only packs 2,700mAh.

Finally, it's worth noting that both the XA2 and XA2 Ultra have displays with pretty stripped-down bezels. Now that most smartphone makers are adopting bezel-less displays, this may not seem like a big deal. But again, this shows not only Sony's willingness to change, but also its ability to change surprisingly quickly.

In addition to the above evolution, the Snapdragon 630 CPU, the clean housing line that Sony sells, and the dual front camera newly added to the XA2 Ultra, suddenly Xperia is Moto G5S Plus and HTC Doesn't it look like an attractive alternative to U11 Life etc.?

Given that Sony has already promised a redesign for its next flagship model, it should be extra exciting. Sony has always been capable of making great smartphones, but lately it hasn't been able to put it all together in one device. However, the XA2 and XA2 Ultra embody that "now it's different." We are about to see a completely new Sony. I can't wait to see what happens next.

That said, there's one final hurdle left for Sony to resolve before the Xperia brand can truly make another comeback. That is, Xperia will be sold by carrier. Both the XA2 and XA2 Ultra are only compatible with GSM networks, making them a natural choice for Verizon and Sprint users. And without gatekeepers like AT&T and T-Mobile promoting it, it would be incredibly difficult for Xperia to gain market share in the US.

Pricing hasn't been announced yet, but the XA2 and XA2 Ultra will be released around the beginning of February (I'm guessing around $300-$400). The XA2 will come with a Snapdragon 630 CPU, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and a microSD card slot, while the XA2 Ultra will come with 4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of storage.

I can't take my eyes off Sony in the future.

Image: Gizmodo USSource: The Verge

Sam Rutherford - Gizmodo US [original]

(Doga)