Sony Xperia XA1 and XA1 Ultra specs comparison: let's see how much punch do Sony's new budget-friendly phones pack

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Sony's new Xperia XA1 and XA1 Ultra have broken cover today and they seem like two very interesting smartphones. Both the XA1 and XA1 Ultra aim to entice consumers who are looking for a more budget-friendly handset, but in order to find out if they truly are a viable option, we need to match them against phones with similar characteristics and price ranges. 

As Sony's new mid-range models differ in size, performance and price, we'll divide this comparison into two sections, starting with the smaller Xperia XA1. Let's dig in!

Sony Xperia XA1 vs Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) vs HTC U Play


First, it's worth pointing out that the Xperia XA1 has a 5-inch display, which it slightly smaller than the ones you'll find on the Galaxy A5 and HTC U Play (respectively 5.2" and 5.15"). Unfortunately, Sony has opted to stick with a 720p screen on the XA1, while the A5 and U Play boast Full HD (1080p) resolutions. Another trait of the device that doesn't inspire too much confidence is its 2300 mAh battery, although Sony is famous for providing excellent battery optimization.

However, not every characteristic of the Xperia XA1 is underwhelming. Its MediaTek Helio P20 chipset is the most powerful of the bunch, and even though more megapixels don't always guarantee the superiority of a camera, XA1's main snapper looks really good on paper. Combine that with the lowest asking price among the three, and suddenly the XA1 looks much more alluring. 

You can pick up the rest of the differences between the trio in the table below, but as the list is quite large, make sure that you don't forget to see how the XA1 Ultra fares against its competitors. 

Sony Xperia XA1 Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) HTC U Play

Design

Dimensions
5.71 x 2.64 x 0.31 inches
145 x 67 x 8 mm
5.75 x 2.81 x 0.31 inches
146.1 x 71.4 x 7.9 mm
5.75 x 2.87 x 0.31 inches
145.99 x 72.9 x 7.99 mm
Weight
5.04 oz (143.0 g) 5.61 oz (159.0 g) 5.11 oz (145.0 g)
Materials
Back: Glass
Frame: Metal
Back: Glass
Frame: Aluminum
Resistance
Water, Dust; IP68
Biometrics
Fingerprint (touch) Fingerprint (touch)
Features
Touch sensitive control keys Touch sensitive control keys
Keys
Right: Volume control, Lock/Unlock key Left: Volume control; Right: Lock/Unlock key Right: Volume control, Lock/Unlock key
Colors
Black, Gold, Pink, White Black sky, Gold sand, Blue mist, Peach cloud Black, Pink, Blue, White

Display

Size
5.0-inch 5.2-inch 5.2-inch
Resolution
1280x720px, 16:9 ratio, 294 PPI 1920x1080px, 424 PPI 1920x1080px, 428 PPI
Technology
IPS LCD Super AMOLED S-LCD
Screen-to-body
70.87 % 71.51 % 70.01 %
Features
Scratch-resistant glass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor

Hardware

System chip
MediaTek Helio P20 MT6757 Samsung Exynos 7 Octa 7880 (14 nm) MediaTek Helio P10 MT6755
Processor
Octa-core
2300 MHz
ARM Cortex-A53
Octa-core
1900 MHz
ARM Cortex-A53
Octa-core
2000 MHz
ARM Cortex-A53
GPU
Mali-T880 MP2 Mali-T830 MP3 Mali-T860 MP2
RAM
3GB (LPDDR4) 3GB (LPDDR3) 3GB (LPDDR3)
Internal storage
32GB, available to use: 24 GB 32GB, available to use: 23.1 GB 32GB, available to use: 22.8 GB
Storage expansion
microSDXC up to 256 GB microSDXC up to 256 GB microSDXC up to 2000 GB
OS
Android (8.0 Oreo, 7.0 Nougat) Android (8.0 Oreo, 7.0 Nougat, 6.0 Marshmallow) Android (7.0 Nougat), HTC Sense UI

Battery

Capacity
2300 mAh 3000 mAh 2500 mAh
Type
Li - Ion Li - Ion Li - Ion
Charging
MediaTek Pump Express Fast charging Fast charging

Camera

Rear
Single camera Single camera Single camera
Main camera
23 MP (Laser and PDAF)
Aperture size: F2.0
Focal length: 24 mm
Sensor size: 1/2.3"
16 MP (Autofocus, CMOS image sensor)
Aperture size: F1.9
Focal length: 27 mm
16 MP (OIS, PDAF, BSI sensor)
Aperture size: F2.0
Focal length: 28 mm
Pixel size: 1 μm
Flash
LED LED Dual LED
Video recording
1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps)
EIS, Video calling, Video sharing
1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps)
Video calling, Video sharing
1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps)
Hyperlapse, Picture-taking during video recording, Video calling, Video sharing
Front
8 MP (Autofocus), Video capture: 1920x1080 (Full HD) 16 MP 16 MP (Wide Angle, Autofocus, HDR), Video capture: 1920x1080 (Full HD)

Connectivity & Features

Bluetooth
4.2 4.2 4.2
WLAN
802.11 a,b,g,n,dual-band
Wi-Fi Direct
802.11 a,b,g,n,ac,dual-band
Wi-Fi Direct
802.11 a,b,g,n,ac,dual-band
Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot
USB
Type-C, USB 2.0 Type-C, USB 2.0 Type-C, USB 2.0
Location
GPS, A-GPS, Glonass GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, BeiDou GPS, A-GPS, Glonass
Sensors
Accelerometer, Hall (for flip covers) Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Hall (for flip covers), Barometer Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass
Other
NFC, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync NFC, ANT+, UMA (Wi-Fi Calling), Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync NFC, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync

Multimedia

Headphones
3.5mm jack 3.5mm jack No 3.5mm jack
Speakers
Earpiece, Loudspeaker Earpiece, Loudspeaker Earpiece, Loudspeaker
Features
Album art cover, Background playback Album art cover, Background playback Album art cover, Background playback
Screen mirroring
Wireless screen share Wireless screen share DLNA,Wireless screen share
Radio
FM FM
Additional microphone(s)
Noise cancellation Noise cancellation

Cellular

4G (FDD)
Bands 2(1900), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 12(700 a), 13(700 c), 17(700 b), 28(700 APT), 29(700 d) Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 17(700 b), 20(800 DD), 28(700 APT) Bands 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800 DD), 28(700 APT)
4G (TDD)
Bands 38(2600), 40(2300), 41(2600+) Bands 38(2600), 40(2300)
3G
Bands 5(850), 8(900), 4(1700/2100), 2(1900), 1(2100) Bands 5(850), 8(900), 4(1700/2100), 2(1900), 1(2100) Bands 5(850), 8(900), 2(1900), 1(2100)
Data Speed
LTE-A Cat 6 (300/50 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS LTE-A Cat 6 (300/50 Mbit/s), HSPA LTE-A Cat 6 (300/50 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s
Dual SIM
Yes
SIM type
Nano SIM Nano SIM Nano SIM

Regulatory Approval

FCC approval
Date approved: Aug 16, 2017
FCC ID value: PY7-98591H
Date approved: Dec 06, 2016
FCC ID value: A3LSMA520F
Measured SAR
Head: 0.55 W/kg
Body: 1.10 W/kg
Simultaneous Transmission: 1.59 W/kg
Wireless Router: 1.39 W/kg
Head: 0.30 W/kg
Body: 0.55 W/kg
Simultaneous Transmission: 1.59 W/kg
Wireless Router: 1.09 W/kg

Buyers information

MSRP
$ 299 $ 440
In The Box
Charger, microUSB cable and user documentation

Availability

Officially announced
Feb 27, 2017 Jan 02, 2017 Jan 12, 2017



Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016) vs LG V20


In its presentation, Sony didn't reveal an exact release date or price for the XA1 Ultra, but said that we can expect the handset sometime this summer. Despite that, if we take the $299.99 price from the smaller XA1 variant and add $100 to $150, we can make a fairly accurate estimation that the device will probably cost around $400 to $450. At this range, its leading mainstream big-screen adversaries seem to be the Samsung Galaxy A9 and LG's high-end V20 model. This might make the XA1 Ultra a bit of a tough sell, as for a little extra cash, one can opt to go for the V20 and its top-notch hardware. 

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Still, the XA1 Ultra does does sport some pretty decent specifications. This large 6-inch phablet sports the same MediaTek Helio P20 chipset as the smaller XA1, but boasts 4 GB of ram and 64 GB of internal storage. It's 23 MP main camera looks very solid, but the front selfie cam truly stands out with its 16 megapixels, Optical Image Stabilization and high ISO numbers for photo and video. 

Let's see how these devices differ in terms of their specs, and feel free to also share your thoughts about how much specs affect your buying decisions.

Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016) LG V20

Design

Dimensions
6.50 x 3.11 x 0.32 inches
165 x 79 x 8.1 mm
6.37 x 3.19 x 0.29 inches
161.7 x 80.9 x 7.4 mm
6.29 x 3.07 x 0.30 inches
159.7 x 78.1 x 7.6 mm
Weight
6.63 oz (188.0 g) 7.05 oz (200.0 g) 6.14 oz (174.0 g)
Materials
Frame: Aluminum Frame: Metal Back: Aluminum
Resistance
Shock; MIL-STD-810 certified
Biometrics
Fingerprint (touch) Fingerprint (touch)
Features
Touch sensitive control keys
Keys
Right: Volume control, Camera shutter, Lock/Unlock key Left: Volume control; Right: Lock/Unlock key Left: Volume control; Back: Lock/Unlock key
Colors
Black, Gold, Pink, White Pearl white, Midnight black, Champagne gold, Pink Gray, Silver, Pink

Display

Size
6.0-inch 6.0-inch 5.7-inch
Resolution
1920x1080px, 16:9 ratio, 367 PPI 1920x1080px, 367 PPI 2560x1440px, 513 PPI
Technology
Super AMOLED IPS LCD
Screen-to-body
76.10 % 75.70 % 72.40 %
Colors
16 777 216
Features
Scratch-resistant glass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 4), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor
Additional display
160 x1040 px, Touch screen: Yes, Capacitive

Hardware

System chip
MediaTek Helio P20 MT6757 Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 8976 (28 nm) Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996 (14 nm)
Processor
Octa-core
2300 MHz
ARM Cortex-A53
Octa-core
1800 MHz
ARM Cortex-A72 and ARM Cortex-A53
Quad-core
2150 MHz
Kryo
GPU
Mali-T880 MP2 Adreno 510 Adreno 530
RAM
4GB (LPDDR4) 3GB (LPDDR3) 4GB (LPDDR4)
Internal storage
32GB, available to use: 24 GB 32GB 64GB, available to use: 50 GB
Storage expansion
microSDXC up to 256 GB microSDXC up to 128 GB microSDXC up to 2000 GB
OS
Android (8.0 Oreo, 7.0 Nougat) Android (6.0 Marshmallow, 5.1 Lollipop) Android (8.0 Oreo, 7.0 Nougat), LG UX UI

Battery

Capacity
2700 mAh 4000 mAh 3200 mAh
Type
Li - Ion
Charging
MediaTek Pump Express Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0

Camera

Rear
Single camera Single camera Dual camera
Main camera
23 MP (Laser and PDAF)
Aperture size: F2.0
Focal length: 24 mm
Sensor size: 1/2.3"
13 MP (OIS, Autofocus)
Aperture size: F1.9
16 MP (OIS, Laser autofocus)
Aperture size: F1.8
Focal length: 29 mm
Sensor size: 1/2.8"
Second camera
8 MP (Ultra-wide)
Aperture size: F2.4
Focal Length: 12 mm
Sensor size: 1/3.2"
Flash
LED Dual LED Dual LED
Video recording
Yes
HDR, Object tracking, EIS, Video calling, Video sharing
3840x2160 (4K UHD) (30 fps)
Video calling
3840x2160 (4K UHD) (30 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (120 fps)
Continuous autofocus, Object tracking, EIS, Video calling, Video sharing
Front
16 MP (OIS, Autofocus, Flash), Video capture: 1920x1080 (Full HD) 8 MP 5 MP (Wide Angle)

Connectivity & Features

Bluetooth
4.2 4.1 4.2
WLAN
802.11 a,b,g,n,dual-band
Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot
Yes 802.11 a,b,g,n,ac,dual-band
USB
Type-C, USB 2.0 microUSB, USB 2.0 Type-C, USB 2.0
Location
GPS, A-GPS, Glonass GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, BeiDou GPS, A-GPS, Glonass
Sensors
Accelerometer, Compass, Hall (for flip covers) Accelerometer, Compass, Hall (for flip covers) Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass
Other
NFC, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync NFC, ANT+, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync NFC, UMA (Wi-Fi Calling), Infrared, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync

Multimedia

Headphones
3.5mm jack 3.5mm jack 3.5mm jack
Speakers
Earpiece, Loudspeaker Earpiece, Loudspeaker Earpiece, Loudspeaker
Features
Album art cover, Background playback Album art cover, Background playback 32-Bit DAC, aptX-HD
Screen mirroring
Wireless screen share Wireless screen share DLNA,Wireless screen share,SlimPort
Additional microphone(s)
Noise cancellation, Video recording Noise cancellation, Video recording

Cellular

4G (FDD)
Bands 2(1900), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 12(700 a), 13(700 c), 17(700 b), 28(700 APT), 29(700 d) Bands 1(2100), 3(1800), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900) Bands 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 12(700 a), 13(700 c), 17(700 b), 20(800 DD), 25(1900+)
4G (TDD)
Bands 38(2600), 39(1900+), 40(2300), 41(2600+)
3G
Bands 5(850), 8(900), 4(1700/2100), 2(1900), 1(2100) Bands 5(850), 8(900), 2(1900), 1(2100) Bands 5(850), 8(900), 2(1900), 1(2100)
Data Speed
LTE-A Cat 6 (300/50 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s LTE-A, HSPA, HSUPA LTE-A Cat 12 (600/100 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS
Dual SIM
Yes
SIM type
Nano SIM
HD Voice
Yes
VoLTE
Yes

Phone Features

Notifications
Haptic feedback
Other features
Voice dialing, Voice commands, Voice recording

Buyers information

In The Box
Charger, USB Type-C cable for charging and user documentation

Availability

Officially announced
Feb 27, 2017 Dec 23, 2015 Sep 06, 2016




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