Sony XPERIA XA1 Plus is a mid-sized smartphone in the modern XA1 line. But, surprisingly, they ask for it at retail, just like for the larger XA1 Ultra, although in terms of filling it is closer to the base model Sony Xperia XA1.
Sony has become one of the few large and famous manufacturers who decided to build their smartphones based on SoC from MediaTek. In the case of the entire XA1 line and the Plus model in particular, this is the MediaTek helio P20 (MT6757). The displays of all models in the line are different. The younger one is equipped with a 5-inch HD display, XA1 Ultra – with a 6-inch FullHD display. The tested smartphone had a 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The cameras in the base model of the XA1 line and the smartphone under test are the same, while the older smartphone in the line is equipped with a more advanced selfie camera. But the XA1 Plus has the advantage of a much larger battery. In general, it is clear that the manufacturer tried to expand the range of presented devices in such a way as to prevent cannibalism within its own model range.
Specifications
| Display size and type | 5.5 inches, 1920x1080 pixels, IPS |
| CPU | MediaTek helio P20 (MT6757), 8 cores (4x2.3 GHz, 4x1.6 GHz) |
| Graphics accelerator | Mali-T880 MP2, 900 MHz |
| Built-in memory, GB | 32 |
| RAM, GB | 4 |
| Memory expansion | microSD (up to 256 GB) |
| Number of SIM cards | 2 |
| 2G communication standards | GSM GPRS/EDGE |
| 3G communication standards | UMTS HSPA+ |
| 4G communication standards | LTE (4G) Category 6 |
| WiFi | Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac, 2.4/5 GHz |
| Bluetooth | v4.2 |
| NFC | Eat |
| IrDA | No |
| USB connector | USB Type-C |
| 3.5 mm jack | Eat |
| FM radio | Eat |
| Fingerprint's scanner | Eat |
| Navigation | Beidou, Galileo, GLONASS, GPS |
| Built-in sensors | Accelerometer, gyroscope, light sensor, magnetometer, gravity sensor |
| Main camera | 23 MP, f/2, f=24 mm |
| Front-camera | 8 MP, f/2.0, f=23 mm |
| operating system | Android 7.0 |
| Protection class | No |
| Battery | 3430 mAh |
| Dimensions, mm | 155*75*8,7 |
| Weight, g | 190 |
Appearance and ease of use
Design Sony smartphones, referred to as “Loop Surface” or “loop surface”, over several years some people have already become tired of it, and some are still delighted with it. In general, there is no general average opinion, as in the case of Samsung or Apple smartphones. Opponents of this approach to design complain about the lack of at least some development, pants pockets that wear out due to sharp corners, as well as large dimensions. Supporters focus on recognition among the mass of faceless devices. And let’s be honest, I really liked the design of smartphones. But if in older models the lower and upper ends are made of aluminum panels decorated with small chamfers, then the entire XA1 line is content with plastic inserts, which is why the smartphone looks much simpler. Yes, they didn’t spare any metal on the left and right side edges, but it’s not that noticeable.
Upon visual inspection there are no comments regarding the build quality. When trying to twist the smartphone gives in a little, but does not make any sounds. Unfortunately, during such executions, rainbow stains appear at two points on the screen. It seems that this has already become a tradition for the entire modern line of Sony Xperia smartphones. However, during normal everyday work with a smartphone, distortions on the screen are unlikely to be noticed.
The display is frameless, which, taking into account the use of 2.5D glass and the curvature of the side panel, looks very interesting. Above the display is led indicator, window front camera, light sensor, and earpiece.
Sony cheated a little by installing a decorative grille in the lower part of the front surface, under which, by analogy with the XZ line, in theory there could be a second speaker that provides stereo sound reproduction. I could, but there is only a microphone.
From the back, only the camera module and the built-in LED flash are visible.
On the left side surface you can see a tray for installing a pair of SIM cards in nanoSIM format, as well as a separate slot for installing microSD media, for which the smartphone gets a plus in the piggy bank.
On the right side surface there is a volume control rocker key, a lock key with an integrated fingerprint reading sensor, as well as a dedicated photo key, which allows you to open the camera application and take photos even with winter gloves. A trifle... but your hands are warm.
At the top end there is a microphone and an analog audio mini-jack (3.5 mm). Installed at the bottom USB connector Type-C and system speaker.
Display
The tested smartphone has a display diagonal half an inch larger than the base model of the XA1 family - 5.5 versus 5.0 inches. But this is not the only difference. The resolution is also higher – 1920x1080 versus 1280x720. In addition, the display supports up to 10 simultaneous touches, while the Sony XA1 allows no more than 4. The viewing angles of the IPS matrix are very wide, and colors are not inverted even when viewed from an acute angle. But when the viewing angle deviates, the contrast drops quite significantly, and dark shades become lighter. However, often this does not become a problem. The display brightness is quite high. At maximum backlight power on a white field, a level of 473.99 cd/sq.m was recorded. Unfortunately, the brightness of the black field is also quite high (0.53 cd/sq.m.). Static contrast is 894:1, which is a very good result.
The display settings provide three operating modes: standard, “image enhancement” and “maximum brightness mode”. As measurements and visual observation have shown, there are practically no differences in these modes, therefore the test results are presented only for the standard mode. The color deviation in shades of gray is relatively small - from 1.5 to 10.2 (increases as lightness increases). On primary colors (CMYRGB) Delta E does not exceed 5.2 at all. Of course, this is more than the limit value of 3, above which the human eye is already able to detect the difference, but in practice it is difficult to notice this. The color balance is shifted towards cool shades, and the color temperature is slightly too high - 7544...8343 K. The settings provide manual adjustment of the RGB channels, so if you put in some effort, the color rendition can be adjusted to be more correct. Surprisingly, the settings do not provide a “blue filter” function, which reduces eye strain during long reading, although this function gradually becomes standard, such as adaptive backlight brightness control.
Sound
The smartphone is equipped with only one system speaker, although its appearance hints at the presence of a pair of dynamic emitters. However, the single speaker sounds surprisingly good. No obvious defects such as creaking or noise were noticed. Of course, there is no bass here at all, and the high-frequency range is rather poorly developed, so even for listening to the audio track of music videos, the speaker is a stretch, but for watching a movie in the field, it is quite suitable. In addition, the volume reserve is quite sufficient - when playing a test sinusoidal signal with a frequency of 1 kHz at a distance of 1 meter, a level of 75.3 dBA was recorded, and this is more than twice louder than in the case of the Sony Xperia XA1, and is also comparable to the result of the current flagship, the XZ Premium, which is equipped with a pair of speakers. The signal power at the analog audio output is low, but sufficient for low-impedance headphones, which are the majority of in-ear headphones. When playing a test signal with a load of 32 Ohms, a level of 262.2 mV was recorded.
The tested smartphone has fewer different “improvers” than the recently reviewed one, but they still exist. There is a dynamic normalizer, a Clear Audio+ function, a surround sound adjustment function, as well as the familiar 5-band equalizer with a dedicated bass control (Clear BASS). To evaluate the sound quality, we used the Right Mark Audio Analyzer package, as well as the Creative E-MU 0204 USB audio interface. All special effects were disabled during testing.
Overall result 24 bit/48 kHz
Performance
The smartphone is based on the Mediatek Helio P20 system-on-chip (MT6757). This SoC is equipped with 8 Cortex-A53 cores, half of which operate at frequencies up to 2.3 GHz, and the other half at frequencies up to 1.6 GHz. The video subsystem is based on the Mali-T880 MP2 with a frequency of 900 MHz. The amount of RAM is 4 GB.
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System performance was measured in synthetic PCMark, 3DMark, Geekbench 4 and AnTuTu v6. Memory speed was assessed using the AndroBench application. Testing was also carried out in cross-platform javascript tests (Mozilla Kraken JavaScript and SunSpider). The results of these tests vary greatly depending on the browser used, so to minimize impact, all reviews will use Google Chrome, as the most common. The following smartphones were chosen as opponents:
: Samsung Exynos Octa 7880, 8 cores (1.87 GHz), 3 GB RAM, 5.7 inches, 1920*1080;
: Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, 8 cores (4x2.2 GHz+4x1.85 GHz), 4 GB RAM, 5.5 inches, 1920*1080;
: Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, 8 cores (8x2 GHz), 3 GB RAM, 5.2 inches, 1920*1080.
Camera
The main camera is based on a Sony Exmor RS IMX300 sensor with a physical size of 1/2.3 inches and a resolution of 23 megapixels. Of course, at this resolution the pixel size is small - only 1.08 microns. In automatic shooting mode, the user can only select the resolution. IN manual mode The settings provide control of focus, shutter speed, exposure shift, selection of white balance settings, as well as selection of exposure metering mode and sensitivity level. But the last two parameters are not in the quick menu, but are hidden in the main camera menu, which is a little inconvenient. The power of the LED flash turned out to be low - at a distance of a meter from the smartphone, a level of 18.15 lux was recorded.
To evaluate image quality, a test pattern was shot on the main camera with sensitivity from ISO 50 to ISO3200 in 1 EV steps.
The results, frankly speaking, are far from the best. But it is based on a very decent 23 megapixel Sony IMX300 matrix, which was used in the Sony Z5 Premium smartphones and last year’s flagship! Software image processing, which is extremely important in mobile photography, is lame on both legs. This has been a long-standing problem with cameras in Sony smartphones, and it’s time to start doing something about it, especially considering the fact that competitors with matrices from Sony themselves are capable of taking better pictures. Luckily, it's possible to delegate camera control to third-party apps using the Camera 2 API. The RAW format is not supported, so you won't be able to get raw, unprocessed photos. But compare with photo processing in mobile version Lightroom is possible. The test pattern was shot from the same angle under the same lighting as when using the standard photo control program. As we see, third party application filming coped with the task much better. It's worth noting that Lightroom did not correct barrel distortion.
Sample pictures
Macro photography
Conclusion
The smartphone does not have many obvious disadvantages, but, on the contrary, there are quite a lot of advantages. But Sony Xperia XA1 Plus is not the only smartphone from the middle price segment, and there are plenty of competitors even among famous manufacturers, not to mention the “Chinese”. In the range of $300-360, without reference to the screen diagonal, you can look to the side Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017), Motorola Moto G5s Plus, Huawei Mate 10 lite. Yes, even in the Sony lineup there are some very interesting offers. For example, with a smaller display, but with exactly the same main camera, a higher quality front camera, a much more powerful system-on-chip, excellent sound quality and a very high signal level on the analog audio output.
Minuses:
— dimensions and weight;
— relatively low signal level at the analog audio output;
— weak LED flash;
— software image processing does not stand up to criticism.
Pros:
— design (subjective);
— separate slot for installing a microSD memory card;
— high brightness of the display;
— quite loud system speaker;
— sound quality on the analog audio output;
- NFC;
— WiFi module with support for the 5 GHz band;
- USB Type-C;
— good main camera (requires the use of third-party software);
— presence of a dedicated physical camera key.
Sony Xperia XA1 Plus smartphone – new model mid-price segment, which fits organically into the lineup XA1-series and occupies a middle position there. The company's new trend is aimed at giving the mid-market the same concept look as the current flagships, as well as some hardware and software features from the top-end devices of the previous generation. Therefore, the Xperia XA1 Plus is a strong competitor in its niche, offering good technical features and will be especially interesting to those who like larger smartphones.
Appearance, screen, some features
In terms of design, the XA1 Plus is practically no different from its brothers in the line - Xperia XA1 and Xperia XA1 Ultra. A concept completely familiar to us. Therefore, when choosing an average device from Sony, the user will focus on the dimensions of the device. By the way, for the new product they are 155 x 75 x 8.7 mm.
The only noticeable difference is a slight thickening of the side edges. Ixperia XA1 Plus was the first mid-segment smartphone with a fingerprint scanner, and its integration required a little more space. Despite this, there are practically no side frames around the 5.5-inch Full HD screen, as with previous models in the series. Although the previous frameless effect is a little blurred. The case frame is metal, and the matte back cover is plastic. There are three color options to choose from: black, gold and blue. A pink version has also been released, but will not be available in all markets.
The display is covered with 2.5D Gorilla Glass with a lyophobic coating. The matrix itself is traditionally High Quality with excellent color rendition, high brightness and contrast.
I would like to note that behind the plug on the left edge there is a tray with compartments for two SIM cards and a separate slot for microSD card memory. This means you don't have to choose between expanding memory or using another operator. Everything is available at once. The layout of buttons, connectors and microphones is standard. At the end there is a USB Type-C connector and a mono speaker that produces enough loud noise.
Camera and technical parameters
The main camera is a 23-megapixel module with fast hybrid autofocus and quick launch, which was previously installed in the Xperia Z5 series. With its help you can take great pictures, but the camera algorithms are not an unimportant factor. After the device goes on sale, you will be able to familiarize yourself with the quality of photos and videos and draw some conclusions. 8 Megapixel front camera with wide-angle lens and stabilization as in Xperia XA1.
For the middle segment of their smartphone models, Sony chose chipsets from MediaTek and this model has a Helio P20 chipset with 8 cores and Mali-T880MP2 video. The memory capacity is 4 GB of RAM and a 32 GB storage drive, which, as already mentioned, can be easily expanded using a memory card up to 256 GB. The new product is also impressive in that it has a 3430 mAh battery - the largest capacity among.
More detailed technical specifications:
- Dimensions: 155 x 75 x 8.7 mm, 190 g
- Screen parameters: 5.5 inches, 1920 x 1080 pixels, 401 ppi, IPS, Dynamic Contrast Enhancer, 2.5D glass, Gorilla Glass
- Main camera: 23 MP, 1/2.3” Exmor RS, f/2.0, LED flash, hybrid autofocus, Steady Shot stabilization, 5x Clear Image Zoom
- Front camera: 8 MP, 1/4” Exmor RS sensor, f/2.0, autofocus
- Chipset: MediaTek MT6757 Helio P20, 8 cores, 64 bit, frequency up to 2.3 GHz.
- Graphics chip: Mali T880MP2
- RAM: 4 GB
- Storage: 32 GB, memory card up to 256 GB
- Wired and wireless connections: GPS and GLONASS, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C 2.0, NFC
- Audio: SmartAmp, Clear Audio+
- Battery: 3430 mAh, fast charging MediaTek Pump Express Plus 2.0, Smart Stamina 3.0, Qnovo, Battery Care
- System version (out of the box): Android 7.0 Nougat
- Network: GSM GPRS/EDGE (2G), UMTS HSPA+ (3G), LTE
HA, released in 2016, received mixed reactions. On the one hand, users liked the designer’s work, thanks to which an attractive and easy-to-use smartphone was created. However, the battery life was short and the model's performance was unstable.
In 2017, the XA smartphone was updated, presenting itself to consumers in the form of the familiar, but improved Xperia XA1 Plus. Reviews note the even greater perfection of the magnificent body and the attractiveness of the new specifications, including an updated 23-megapixel camera and FullHD screen.
So, did the Xperia XA1 manage to become what everyone expected from the XA, and is the smartphone capable of competing with such popular models like Moto G5S Plus and Lenovo P2?
Design
In the attractiveness rating mobile phones The mid-range Sony Xperia XA1 Plus Dual, according to reviews, will easily take first place. The all-in-one design is unique largely due to the screen extending from one edge of the case to the other. On the left and right, the display frame is very thin, although wider than that of the XA1.
The result is, of course, not only aesthetically pleasing - it has a practical advantage. The XA1 Plus is easy to operate with one hand. This is great news for those who often write SMS messages when one hand is occupied.
According to reviews, owners of Sony Xperia XA1 Plus like the smartphone even more than Xperia flagship XZ. It has the same flat top and bottom edges, plus a more durable plastic finish. After intensive use of the phone, a few light scratches appear on its surface, but this is only noticeable when the light hits it at a certain angle. Of course, there are some fingerprints on the back panel, but they can be easily removed.
Like most phones in this price range, it is not water resistant. However, the model is perfectly protected from splashes, so you can safely use it in the rain.
Screen
The phone is equipped with an LCD panel with FullHD resolution. 1080p and a 5.5-inch diagonal provide a pixel density of 401 dpi, which is practically the gold standard for mid-range models. Photos and movies are displayed on the IPS screen with decent clarity.
According to reviews, the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus also demonstrates surprisingly rich colors when Super Vivid Mode is activated. The contrast ratio (1572:1) also impresses with deep blacks (0.376 nits) and clear whites (591 nits). These are excellent figures for an LCD matrix, but not for an AMOLED. There are no problems with visibility outside the premises. At maximum settings You can easily read the text even on a bright sunny day.
The only thing that's not impressive is the color accuracy. White tends towards blue with DeltaE=10. Although the average DeltaE=5.7 is normal, white inaccuracy is noticeable. Red colors are quite muted, especially compared to AMOLED displays.
Connectivity
The smartphone is produced in versions with one and two SIM cards. Cat.6 LTE is supported by the Helio P20 modem with download speeds of up to 300 Mbps.
Supported Wi-Fi standard b/g/n for 2.4 GHz and a/n for 5 GHz. You can stream videos via wireless network via Miracast.
Bluetooth - v4.2 LE comes with audio-centric aptX protocol. NFC and FM radio are also available.
Geopositioning is performed in GPS and GLONASS systems, but not BDS or Galileo.
Peripheral devices can be connected via USB-C port, but USB 2.0 limits the transfer speed to 480 Mbps. The 3.5 mm headset jack has also been preserved.
Media
Unfortunately, according to reviews, the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus smartphone does not support high-definition audio, like some more expensive models from the Japanese manufacturer. The phone also can't enhance the quality of low-bitrate tracks, although there is a Dynamic Normaliser feature for adjusting the volume difference between music tracks and videos. The Track ID service for identifying works is no longer supported as of September 15th.
To store your media files, applications and everything else, the buyer gets 32 GB. Of this, about 10 GB is already used by the OS and pre-installed software. However, you can quickly and easily expand this capacity by 256 GB by installing a micro-SD memory card, allowing you to carry a huge number of albums and movies with you at all times.
Software
Xperia XA1 runs Android 7.0 OS. The platform should be familiar to owners of other droids, as the overall look and feel of the operating system and user interface haven't changed much recently.
There are some features like split screen mode that allows you to run two apps side by side. The general navigation and menus have also been partially updated, and work has been done to improve the efficiency of the operating system. But it's basically the same Android that everyone knows and loves.
Of course, Sony has redesigned the XA1's interface to give it that unique Xperia feel. The Unified Design theme matches the color of the phone, be it black, white, gold or pink, giving consistency appearance models.
According to reviews, the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus dual smartphone has received a number of unique functions that its competitors do not have. For example, via home network With WiFi you can stream Playstation games to your phone so you can play anywhere in your apartment.
Newbies will benefit from Sony Assistant, which offers plenty of tips for getting the most out of your phone, and apps like Smart Cleaner, which removes unnecessary files from memory, as well as a battery saving mode.
Performance
One of the biggest mistakes of the previous model was the lack of processor power, which made the user interface awkward and frustrating. Sony has improved the model's performance, although it is likely only a small step forward.
The phone is still powered by the budget Mediatek chipset, this time it's the P20. Fortunately, the number random access memory increased from 2 to 3 (or 4) GB, which also affects daily work. Thus, although user tests showed only a slight improvement (average AnTuTu smartphone Sony Xperia XA1 Plus, according to reviews, is equal to 55 thousand points, while for the XA it was 47 thousand), the phone functions much more stable.
The model proves that Mediatek can produce decent mid-range processors. The Snapdragon 625 is slightly more powerful in multi-core use, but the P20 beats it in single-core applications and has a slight edge in graphics.
According to reviews, the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus Dual smartphone sometimes loads applications with a short pause, but they usually work stably. Users were surprised by how well this phone copes with two running programs in split screen mode. For example, you can watch videos on YouTube and visit websites on the Internet at the same time.
Battery life
Battery life has increased significantly. If the previous model's energy reserve was only enough for a day, and sometimes it did not last until the evening, then the non-removable battery with a capacity of 3430 mAh provides significantly longer work. A full charge of the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus G3412 battery, according to reviews, provides 23 hours of phone calls or 15.5 hours of web surfing via a wireless Wi-Fi connection, or a 12.5-hour movie show. The resulting rating is 102 hours - more than four days of work, provided that 1 hour a day is allocated for talking, watching videos and using the Internet. This is an outstanding achievement.
Sony Xperia XA1 Plus reviews praise for support fast charging and Qnovo adaptive charging technology, which is used in best phones Japanese manufacturer. It ensures that the battery does not overcharge, which could damage it or affect its longevity.
Cameras
One of the biggest updates to the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus dual is the new 23-megapixel camera. Compared to the old 13-megapixel sensor, this is a really serious improvement.
True, you won’t be able to record video, but HD videos shot with SteadyShot image stabilization look quite beautiful. Excellent auto mode The Sony Xperia XA1 Plus Dual 32GB camera, according to reviews, is perfect for everyday photography, coping well with the required lighting conditions. Full manual control is available to users who want to change the settings themselves to achieve the perfect shot.
Conclusion
The Sony Xperia XA1 Plus smartphone has been praised by reviews for being a significant improvement over previous models, making it a strong contender for competitors such as the Moto G5S Plus and Lenovo P2. The stunning design has been enhanced to make the phone even more attractive and convenient, and its increased productivity and for a long time battery life provided a more pleasant use of the device. Only the lack of Full HD and a fingerprint sensor spoils the overall impression of the model.
Sony Mobile presented at the IFA exhibition in Berlin a new line of Xperia smartphones for the 2017 model year, which included the flagship XZ1 and XZ1 Compact, as well as the XA1 Plus.
We were able to get acquainted with all the new products a few days before the exhibition at the Moscow office of Sony Mobile. It is important to note that the XZ1 and XZ1 Compact are representatives of the flagship Xperia line and are technologically inferior only to the XZ Premium. Moreover, in fact, the only difference is in the size and resolution of the display: the XZ1 has a 5.2-inch Full HD screen, while the “compact” has a diagonal of 4.6 inches with HD resolution. Otherwise, if we talk about technology, the smartphones are almost identical.
The XA1 Plus stands out against the general background of the presented new products - a smartphone that represents the middle class of Xperia devices, which are distinguished by their frameless design. The XA1 Plus in this line will occupy a position between the XA1 with a five-inch display and the XA1 Ultra with a 6-inch display. The XA1 Plus has a 5.5-inch screen, but most importantly, while maintaining the frameless design, Sony was able to install a fingerprint scanner on the side.
We managed to get acquainted with each of the devices separately, so we will devote separate material to each.
Sony Xperia XA1 Plus will be a new representative of the line of mid-price smartphones with a frameless design. Let us recall that the company previously released the XA1 with a 5-inch display diagonal and the XA1 Ultra with a 6-inch diagonal. New smartphone will find a place just between these two devices, since the screen diagonal of the XA1 Plus is 5.5 inches. The display resolution is Full HD (1080 by 1920 pixels).
The Xperia XA1 Plus will have the largest battery for a Sony smartphone, a large Full HD display, a fingerprint scanner will appear here, while the frameless design will remain. At the same time, Sony explains that flagships cannot yet get rid of frames due to the fact that smartphones are protected from dust and moisture. The Xperia XA1 Plus also promises the best camera in this class.
Actually, the Xperia XA1 Plus is all “best in class”: a large 5.5-inch Full HD display, loud sound from the built-in mono speaker, an equalizer and the Clear BASS function. Separately, Sony Mobile notes the largest battery for Sony smartphones - its volume will be 3430 mAh. The smartphone will also be equipped with STAMINA technologies, Qnovo adaptive charging and supports Quick Charge.
The device is powered by an octa-core Mediatek MT6757 processor, also known as Helio P20, with clock frequency 2.3 GHz. Depending on the region, there will be versions with 3 and 4 GB of RAM. The internal memory will be either 16 or 32 GB, depending on the version. The memory can be expanded using a microSD memory card. You can install two SIM cards in your smartphone.
As for the camera, it is a Sony Exmor RS sensor with a resolution of 23 megapixels and hybrid autofocus, familiar from previous generations. The sensor size is 1/2.3 inches. This camera unit was previously included in the flagship line and was installed in the Sony Xperia Z5 smartphone, as well as in the XA1 and XA1 Ultra. SteadyShot technology is responsible for image stabilization. The front camera is equipped with an 8 MP Exmor R sensor.
Sony Xperia XA1 Plus will be available in three colors: black, blue and gold. The device looks extremely nice and the mid-price segment line is increasingly reminiscent of flagships. The innovation also plays into this - the presence of a fingerprint scanner on the side. At the same time, the smartphone continues to be frameless and is convenient to operate with both two and one hands. It is especially worth noting the polished ends, which shine effectively.
Thus, Sony, on the one hand, updated its mid-price segment line, and on the other, supplemented it with a new device, which should definitely find its fans.
What's going on in the smartphone market? Double and triple cameras, budget frameless smartphones and a whole scattering of new Chinese brands. But let's take a break from this and look at the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus and perhaps this “classic” smartphone deserves much more attention.
Characteristics
| Model | Xperia XA1 Plus |
| Year of issue | 2017 |
| Dimensions (WxHxD, mm) | 75 x 155 x 8.7 |
| Weight (g) | 190 |
| Display | IPS 5.5” 1920x1080 |
| operating system | Android 7.0 |
| CPU | MediaTek MT6757 |
| Graphics accelerator | Mali-T880 |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Built-in memory | 32 GB |
| Supported networks | GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900), LTE (700, 800, 850, 900, 1500, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2100, 2600), UMTS (850, 900, 1900, 2100) |
| Bluetooth | 4.2 |
| WiFi | 802.11a,b,g,n,ac |
| More detailed characteristics: | https://www.sonymobile.com/ru/products/phones/xperia-xa1-plus/ |
Design, assembly and ease of use
From the first glance at the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus, it clearly displays the best features of Sony. Three colors are available in Russia: black, gold and blue; in black it is a strict design with straight lines, which is quite deceptive, because at first glance the smartphone seems more expensive than it actually is, but in gold and blue the same smartphone plays with completely different colors and becomes a more “youth” option .
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The front side of the smartphone is completely covered protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 4 has slightly curved edges, but this effect is enhanced. as the neat curve of the glass turns into a rounded frame. The glass is also equipped with a high-quality oleophobic coating, on which fingerprints are reluctant to remain and are wiped off very easily. Above the display there is a barely visible Sony logo, a front camera lens, light sensors, proximity sensors, an LED notification indicator and an earpiece grille. Below the display there is a huge area without functional elements, the keys are on-screen, and only at the very bottom of this area is the microphone grille. 
The back of the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus is made of pleasant non-slip semi-matte plastic and, on the one hand, this solution makes the smartphone more grippy, and on the other hand, it easily collects fingerprints. which can only be removed with a damp cloth. On the back side there is the necessary minimum of elements: a fairly large main camera lens, protected from scratches by a small metal rim, a single-color LED flash, the NFC and Xperia logo. 
The side edges are made of metal, which gives the overall rigidity of the structure and the smartphone is not susceptible to torsion. On the left side there is a large flap that can be opened not with the usual paperclip, but manually or with any available means. Behind the flap are hidden two slots for Nano-SIM and one for installing MicroSD with a capacity of up to 256 GB. It’s worth immediately saying thank you to Sony for the ability to install two SIMs and a memory card, which is now a rarity. 
The right side is occupied by a small volume rocker, a lock key slightly recessed into the body with a fingerprint scanner built into it, and such a unique feature as the shutter key. 
The top edge boasts a 3.5 mm Mini-Jack for connecting headphones and a noise-canceling microphone. On the bottom edge there is only a USB Type C charging and synchronization connector and the main speaker grille. 
Speaking about ergonomics, we can immediately say that the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus, without exaggeration, big smartphone for people with large palms, at the same time, if you understand. Since this is your size, you won’t feel any problems with the location of the controls. 
Any complaints about the build? To be honest, there is a plug for the SIM and MicroSD tray that has a slight play; it, of course, does not hang loosely or rattle, but when your finger hits it, you feel that this element could “sit” more securely. In all other respects, the smartphone is assembled perfectly and the body parts are precisely adjusted to each other; during normal use there are no creaks.
Display
A large screen, especially with the advent of “frameless” screens, will not surprise anyone; the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus is installed large display 5.5″ diagonal located from edge to edge, the only pity is that from the right to the left edge, and above it and below it there is a lot free space, but it would be much cooler without him. But let's return to the display - this good IPS matrix with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, that is, FullHD, and the pixel density is 401 PPI. There is no air gap between the display and glass, and this, paired with thin frames (left and right), creates a pleasant effect. 
The color rendition of the matrix is close to natural and, what is clearly striking, is the initially warm color temperature of the display; however, the color rendition can be easily adjusted in the display parameters.
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Viewing angles are maximum. The brightness adjustment range is wide and you can easily select a mode for both night reading and a bright sunny day, and adaptive brightness control works correctly. 
Camera
The main camera module of the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus was taken from the 2015 flagship Sony Xperia Z5. This is a Sony Exmor RS module with a maximum shooting resolution of 23 megapixels, an f/2.0 aperture, hybrid autofocus and a SteadyShot stabilization system. In general, if you believe the manufacturer’s website, the quality of photos taken on the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus should be top level. From my own experience, I will say that automation does not always select the correct white balance, especially in the evening. Examples of photos can be appreciated below. 
Despite the good photo opportunities, Sony video The Xperia XA1 Plus takes poor pictures. The maximum possible mode is FullHD 30fps, which is not at all impressive. We shot a couple of videos to demonstrate the video capabilities.
The front camera Exmor R can shoot in a maximum resolution of 8 megapixels and is equipped with a lens with a wide angle of image capture and an f/2.0 aperture. There are no complaints about the quality of the photo; it is more than enough for Instagram. 
TO additional features cameras should include AR effects, that is, augmented reality. There are quite a lot of shooting scenes and with the help of them you can even “walk” dinosaurs in the middle of the park. 
Performance
The hardware part of the smartphone looks like this: an eight-core MediaTek Helio P20 MT6757 processor, a Mali-T880 graphics accelerator, 4 gigabytes of RAM and 32 gigabytes of internal memory. This combination ensures speed and stability when performing everyday tasks; no serious freezes were detected during three weeks of operation. It is especially good to feel that with ample RAM, the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus can keep many applications and browser tabs in the background. Below are the results of passing popular benchmarks.
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But if you need a smartphone for heavy games, then the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus is not the best choice and everyone’s favorite World of Tanks Blitz work stably only on low graphics settings, other serious projects on medium ones. 
Software
Sony Xperia XA1 Plus runs on Android Nougat 7.0 with Sony's proprietary shell. By the way, software Sony is as close as possible to stock Android, which means we get high speed and not overloaded operating system. Separately, it is worth noting that very soon this smartphone should receive a fresh Android version Oreo 8.0.
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Autonomy
One of the features of the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus is, until recently, the most capacious Li-Pol battery in the line with a capacity of 3430 mAh, which allows it to easily survive one day from early morning to late evening on a single charge. If this is not enough for you, then there is the STAMINA energy saving mode, which means turning off GPS, background data synchronization, sound and image enhancements, and if you really want to stretch the charge of your smartphone for two days, there is an Ultra STAMINA mode, which limits the range of possible launch applications.
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Sony cares about the batteries of its smartphones and has developed Qnovo adaptive charging technology. Thanks to this technology, the smartphone analyzes at what time it is charged for a long time, for example overnight, and limits the current for proper and slow charging. But if you need to quickly recharge, the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus also supports MediaTek Pump Express Plus 2.0 fast charging technology, but this will require a separate purchase Charger Sony Quick Charger UCH12W. 
Sound
The quality of the main speaker does not cause any complaints, even if there is only one, it is loud, and you can’t argue with that, and the only thing it lacks is low frequencies, but what can I say - they are lacking in almost all smartphones.
The speaker is also of high quality, the interlocutor can be heard accurately, without distortion.
Next important point- sound quality in headphones, and here it is worth moving away from the marketing features described on the official website. Let me just say that the sound quality is at the proper level and comparable to competitors, but even though a dedicated amplifier is not listed in the specifications, the sound volume in the headphones is higher than that of most smartphones in this price category.
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Wireless interfaces
This device supports all LTE frequencies available in Russia, and also supports LTE Cat. 6 or Cat. 4, the data transfer rate in these networks is up to 300 Mbit/s and 150 Mbit/s, respectively. Wi-Fi 802.11 a,b,g,n,ac is supported. Next wireless interface The one that interests us is NFC, because NFC is successfully used in almost all Sony devices for fast synchronization. It is also worth noting the excellent work with Android Pay without any glitches. As for Bluetooth, a version 4.2 module is used with the ability to connect wireless headsets using the artX codec, which transmits high-quality sound wirelessly.
Fingerprint scanner
The fingerprint scanner, as I said earlier, is combined with the lock key and I used to think that this was very inconvenient, and due to the small area it would not always work. I admit, I was wrong, the fingerprint scanner of the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus is conveniently located, remembers up to five fingers and works very quickly. What we can still work on is adding gestures to the scanner; by the way, it would be very convenient to flip through articles in the browser or photos in the gallery.
conclusions
The smartphone market is currently undergoing significant and rapid changes, and against the backdrop of most modern smartphones The Sony Xperia XA1 Plus looks like a “classic” device, but that doesn’t make it any worse. Xperia XA1 Plus is a balanced device with a recognizable elegant design. so beloved by Sony fans. Simply put, if you are looking at a smartphone in the mid-price category, then the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus is definitely worth paying attention to, but it has plenty of competitors.