Latest Mobile Phones from Sony – Sony Xperia X Performance, Xperia X, and Xperia XA
Sony recently announced its latest mobile phones at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016 last February. The three new smartphones are the Sony Xperia X performance, Xperia X, and Xperia XA. These smartphones comprise the X series.
Just last October and November 2015, Sony released its latest Z series which includes the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium, Xperia Z5, and Xperia Z5 Compact. The Xperia Z5 Premium is the first phone with 4K display and the Z series features an impressive 23MP camera resolution.
What are the new features in the X series smartphones and how are they compared to the Z series? Let’s take a look.
1. Sony Xperia X Performance
Device Type: Smartphone
Display: 5.0 inches (1080 x 1920 pixels)
Camera: 23MP (1080p)
Hardware: Snapdragon 820, Dual-core 2.15 GHz Kryo + Dual-core 1.6 GHz Kryo, 3GB RAM
Battery: 2700 mAh
Price: US$ 655
New Special Features
The improved camera features and higher processing power are the best new features of the Xperia X Performance. The 23MP camera resolution is nothing new to Sony since the Z series already have this camera resolution with Hybrid Autofocus feature.
So what’s new with the camera of Xperia X Performance?
According to Sony, it has a quicker response time and a Predictive Hybrid Autofocus. When capturing moving subjects, the camera can predict the movements, so captured images remain sharp. Getting blurred shots when taking pictures of moving subjects is a common problem with most cameras, so this is a great feature to have.
In addition, they also boosted the front camera from the 5MP to 13MP.
The Snapdragon 820 chipset of the Xperia X Performance is the same chipset used by other flagship phones such as Samsung Galaxy 7/7 Edge and LG G5. Combined with a 3GB RAM and the latest Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) OS, we can expect a lot of processing power from this device.
The physical form was designed to have a 5-inch display with curved edges for a more comfortable hold. The curved or beveled edge design is the trend these days as you can see in the iPhone 6s/6s Plus, Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 Edge, and LG G5. I can certainly relate to this because my Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ is not very comfortable to hold. The part where the back and the side of the phone meets is not that curved.
If you will notice, the X series smartphones almost look the same. To easily identify the Xperia X Performance, it has a “brushed” metal finish at the back that distinguishes it from the rest.
Awesome Features Retained from Previous Models
Like the Z series, the Xperia X Performance is also IP68 certified dust proof and water resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. That is the highest certification for solid particle protection and water immersion protection.
It also has Triluminos Display and X-Reality engine technology for a more vivid, colorful, and crystal clear display. The same technology is used by Sony’s BRAVIA TV and the Xperia Z5 Premium.
Other cool features that were retained are the camera sensors for capturing quality images in a low-light setting, fingerprint sensors, high-resolution audio, microSD card slot up to 200 GB, and 2-day battery life.
Cool Features that were not inherited from Xperia Z5 Premium
Unlike the Xperia Z5 Premium with a mirror glass back, the Xperia X Performance has a brushed metal finish.
It does not have the 4k display (2160 x 3840) resolution and super high (806 ppi) pixel density of the Xperia Z5 Premium. Instead, it has a 2K resolution and 441 ppi pixel density.
Considering that the Xperia Z5 Premium has a 5.5-inch phablet display size, the decision not to have a 4K display in Xperia X Performance may not be bad at all. Why?
With the 5-inch display of the Xperia X Performance, the user may not appreciate much the difference in the quality of a 4K and 2K resolution.
Other features such as 4K video recording and FM radio functionality were also not retained. The 4K video recording feature can only be very useful if you have an UltraHD TV. If you don’t have one yet, the Full HD video recording of Xperia X Performance would suffice.
2. Sony Xperia X
Device Type: Smartphone
Display: 5.0 inches (1080 x 1920 pixels)
Camera: 23MP (1080p)
Hardware: Snapdragon 650, Dual-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A72 + Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53, 3GB RAM
Battery: 2620 mAh
Price: US$ 549.99
New Cool Features
Like the Xperia X Performance, the Xperia X has a 23MP camera with Predictive Hybrid Autofocus and quicker response time. The front camera also got a huge bump to 13MP.
The seamless metal finish at the back distinguishes the Xperia X from the “brushed” metal finish of the Xperia X Performance. But overall, the physical form is almost the same and they are both very comfortable to hold.
Features Retained from Previous Models
According to Sony, the battery life of the Xperia X can also last for up to 2 days. It also has the same Triluminos Display and X-Reality engine technology, fingerprint sensors, high-resolution audio, FM radio, and microSD card slot up to 200 GB.
When it comes to display quality, Xperia X has the same resolution and pixel density with the Xperia X Performance which is very close to the Xperia Z5.
Xperia X Performance features that are not in Xperia X
The Xperia X is not IP68 certified so it is not dust-proof and water-resistant, unlike the Xperia X Performance. It also uses the Snapdragon 650 chipset which is a very fast processor, but about a year older compared to the latest Snapdragon 820.
3. Sony Xperia XA
Device Type: Smartphone
Display: 5.0 inches (720 x 1280 pixels)
Camera: 13MP (1080p)
Hardware: MT6755 Helio P10, Octa-core 2.0 GHz, 2GB RAM
Battery: 2300 mAh
Price: US$279.99
The Xperia XA is the mid-range smartphone in the X series and it is for the budget conscious. It also runs on the latest Android v6.0.1 (Marshmallow) OS. It looks almost the same with the other X series smartphones, but the body is made of plastic material.
Unlike the other X series smartphones, it is powered by a Mediatek chipset. It has no stereo speakers. Its 13MP camera resolution has a Hybrid Autofocus feature and low-light settings. The front camera has an 8MP resolution which is still a good improvement from the Z series.
The display has an HD resolution with 294 ppi pixel density. It does not make use of Triluminos display and X-Reality engine technology, but like the two smartphones above, the display still uses the IPS LCD technology and is still protected by a scratch-resistant glass.
It can also use a microSD card up to 200 GB and according to Sony, the battery life can also last up to 2 days. Overall, the Xperia XA has good specs and brings the elegant form of the X Series, but with a lower cost.
What do you think of these latest Sony smartphones? I would love to hear from you.