Sony Xperia XA1 Review

FEATURE

• Camera-Centric Smartphone
• Great Design 
• Powerful Mid Range Device

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Key Specification:

• 5-inch, Corning Gorilla Glass
• MediaTek Helio P20 octa-core 64 bit 
• 3GB RAM
• 32GB,  256GB via microSD card)
• Measuring 145 x 67 x 8mm, weighs 143g
• 23MP Main camera
• 8MP Front camera
• 2300 mAh battery
• Android 7.0 Nougat
• Dual Nano SIM slot, USB Type-C
• Supports 4G LTE, NFC, 4.2 connectivity
• STAMINA mode, Quick charging

Design:

The Xperia XA1 is a typical Sony design. The XA1 design is more or less the same as the XA. The XA1 is actually better fitting in today's world of bezelless, infinity, edge-to-edge (or whatever they call them) displays. The sides are nicely rounded and symmetrical on both front and back, The display appears to merge into the edge of the phone for a stunning impression while you are using it. while their mid portion is flat enough to provide plenty of surface to hold on to. The same slit is here, only with an earpiece to justify it. To its left is the 8MP selfie camera and a status LED further towards the edge, while on the other side is the ambient light/proximity sensor pair. It also uses a USB Type-C now, and the SIM tray slot has slightly changed too but still can fit in 2 nano SIMs and a microSD card. When looking at the two phones they actually look very similar. The only real difference is the Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra is noticeably bigger. This is no bad thing as it shows consistency in the Sony range. 

When looking at the two phones they actually look very similar. The only real difference is the Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra is noticeably bigger. This is no bad thing as it shows consistency in the Sony range.

Display: 

The 5-inch LCD panel with 720p resolution. The Xperia XA1 is equipped with a 5" 720p display, making for a pixel density of 294ppi - not cutting edge, but decently sharp nonetheless. Under a microscope, we see a conventional RGB arrangement with equal number of subpixels for each primary color.

The ‘Ultra’ you get a Full HD 1080p display; the standard model’s 5-inch display offers 720p. This shouldn’t be a problem for most situations, since the smaller size display means you are unlikely to see any tangible difference when using it.

The Xperia XA and XA1 both feel the same in the hand, with no real difference in size or weight. However, the new Xperia XA1 does sport a finish similar to the full priced Xperia XZ handset. You get those same sleek rounded edges which curve from front to back and offer a comfortable grip, especially given the phone’s relatively compact build. In stark contrast, the top and bottom edges are completely flat, as if the XA1 has been sheared. The result is a unique Sony look and feel which only the X-series boasts.

Camera:

The XA1 tech-specs have improved dramatically, jumping from MediaTek Helio P10 to P20, same goes to the memory from 2GB RAM + 16GB ROM to 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM. However, the biggest improvement is the main camera sporting a huge 23MP with Exmor RS, Hybrid Autofocus, and a new 5x Clear Image Zoom function. 23-megapixel camera photography. This camera unit has become common with several recent Sony handsets. We are still amazed that they have been able to include it with these lower priced phones. It is a testament to Sony’s desire to bring high-quality photography to the masses, that they have included a camera with this level of detail in mid-range phones. There are a couple of strong flagship features inside this Motion Eye camera too. The ability to capture super slow motion at 920fps is one; predictive photography is the other.

Speaking of modes, Superior Auto will probably be the main mode you use, and the 23MP resolution is available here as well, unlike the Xperias of old that limited it to 8MP.

PERFORMANCE:

The Xperia XA1 is powered by the Mediatek Helio P20 chipset  an evolution of the P10 found in the original XA. Like the majority of chipsets in the midrange, the P20 relies on an octa-core CPU based on Cortex-A53 cores. Here the processor is in a 4x2.3GHz + 4x1.6GHz configuration, and both clusters clock higher than the previous version's 4x2.0GHz + 4x1.0GHz. They are also built on a 16nm process node in comparison to the 28nm process used for the Helio P10 so we're talking a really modern midrange chipset here with great power efficiency.

On the Xperia XA1 it's coupled with a reasonable amoun of RAM 3GB instead of the 2GB used on the XA. The performance has certainly improved over the Helio P10 and coupled with the power efficiency improvements which come courtesy of the 16nm fabrication process, we'd say the Helio P20 is an excellent choice for chipset one that would make Mediatek relevant and competitive again.

The Xperia XA1 is running Android 7.0 Nougat at launch, so it's not at as up to date as the XZs and its v7.1.1. The big things, like the proprietary Stamina battery saving modes and the home-baked multimedia apps, are here to stay.

The Sony Xperia XA1 comes in single and Dual SIM flavors. Ours is the single SIM version, so we can't comment on how the Dual SIM one handles the two cards. Cat.6 LTE is supported by the Helio P20's modem for download speeds of up to 300Mbps.

There are no stereo speakers on the XA1, contrary to what the design would have you believe at first glance. The single bottom firing speaker isn't pumping out that many decibels, either, but an Average score in our three pronged test puts it ahead of last year's model, and on par with the XZs.

Pros and Cons: 
Pros: 

• Excellent Camera
• Sleek Design
• Edge to Edge Display

Cons:

• NO JAVA
• Non-removable battery 
• No water & dust resistant
• No fingerprint

BatteryLife:

The Xperia XA1 keeps the predecessor's battery capacity, so it packs 2,300mAh worth of juice, which is not a lot by any measure. In the 5-to-5.2-inch display size category, a 3,000mAh capacity seems to be the norm MediaTek claims that the new Helio P20 chipset should offer up to 25% better power efficiency than the P10 owing to the fact that it's built on a 16nm process node. Xiaomi Mi 5 and Mi 5s, Honor 8, and Huawei nova all have as much. The Moto G5 relies on a 2,800mAh power pack. It could only output 5V/1.5A current so a 30-minute charging session from 0% managed to restore only 32% of the battery capacity, which, honestly, is from being quick. We're talking about a 2,300mAh battery after all.

Verdict: 

A tight budget and love taking photos. This is because the camera has been greatly improved from its predecessor, while the 5x Clear Image Zoom is also a useful feature to have, not to mention the compact build hides fairly good battery life. 

The Xperia XA1 builds on the strengths of its predecessor and improves exactly where needed - in performance, battery life and the camera department. Despite the fact that there are a few things we would have probably done differently given the chance, it's a pretty good midrange handset. there is plenty of competition going around. For one, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 takes pretty good pictures too and has amazing battery life Performance is very good within its class, due to the improvements that the new Mediatek Helio P20 brings (the low display resolution has certainly helped). The display itself has lost some of its contrast this year, but isn't half bad overall. 

• Great design
• The lack of bezel looks great
• The rear-facing cameras are stunning (for mid-range Androids)
• 960fps super slow motion!
• Average battery
• Decent RAM
• USB Type-C