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

Plamen Dimitrov
By
2

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


A battle of upper mid rangers

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. 

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
HTC U Play

HTC U Play
Sony Xperia XA1

Sony Xperia XA1
Display
Size
5.2 inches
5.2 inches
5.0 inches
Technology
Super AMOLED
S-LCD
IPS LCD
Screen-to-body
71.51 %
70.01 %
70.87 %
Features
Scratch-resistant glass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor
Scratch-resistant glass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor
Scratch-resistant glass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor
Hardware
System chip
Samsung Exynos 7 Octa 7880
MediaTek Helio P10 MT6755
MediaTek Helio P20 MT6757
Processor
Octa-core, 1900 MHz, ARM Cortex-A53, 64-bit, 14 nm
Octa-core, 2000 MHz, ARM Cortex-A53, 64-bit
Octa-core, 2300 MHz, ARM Cortex-A53, 64-bit
GPU
Mali-T830 MP3
Mali-T860 MP2
Mali-T880 MP2
RAM
3GB LPDDR3
3GB LPDDR3
3GB LPDDR4
Internal storage
32GB
32GB
32GB
OS
Android (8.0 Oreo, 7.0 Nougat, 6.0 Marshmallow)
Android (7.0 Nougat), HTC Sense UI
Android (8.0 Oreo, 7.0 Nougat)
Battery
Capacity
3000 mAh
2500 mAh
2300 mAh
Charging
Fast charging
Fast charging
MediaTek Pump Express
Talk time
 
 
11.30 hours
the average is 17 h (996 min)
Stand-by time
 
 
23.3 days (560 hours)
the average is 20 days (472 h)
Talk time (3G)
16.00 hours
the average is 19 h (1110 min)
15.21 hours
the average is 19 h (1110 min)
10.12 hours
the average is 19 h (1110 min)
Stand-by time (3G)
 
17.8 days (428 hours)
the average is 0 days (0 h)
25.1 days (603 hours)
the average is 0 days (0 h)
Talk time (4G)
 
15 hours
 
Stand-by time (4G)
 
17.8 days (428 hours)
the average is 0 days (0 h)
23.8 days (572 hours)
the average is 0 days (0 h)
Internet use
3G: 13 hours; LTE: 16 hours; Wi-Fi: 18 hours
 
 
Music playback
53.00 hours
 
55.32 hours
Video playback
19.00 hours
 
7.35 hours
Camera
Rear
Single camera
Single camera
Single camera
Main camera
16 MP (Autofocus, CMOS image sensor)
16 MP (OIS, PDAF, BSI sensor)
23 MP (Laser and PDAF)
Specifications
Aperture size: F1.9; Focal length: 27 mm
Aperture size: F2.0; Focal length: 28 mm; Pixel size: 1 μm
Aperture size: F2.0; Focal length: 24 mm; Sensor size: 1/2.3"
Video recording
1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps)
1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps)
1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps)
Features
Video calling, Video sharing
Hyperlapse, Picture-taking during video recording, Video calling, Video sharing
EIS, Video calling, Video sharing
Front
16 MP
16 MP
8 MP
Video capture
 
1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps)
1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps)
Design
Dimensions
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)
5.71 x 2.64 x 0.31 inches (145 x 67 x 8 mm)
Weight
5.61 oz (159.0 g)
the average is 6.5 oz (184 g)
5.11 oz (145.0 g)
the average is 6.5 oz (184 g)
5.04 oz (143.0 g)
the average is 6.5 oz (184 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
 
Buyers information
Price
 
$ 440
$ 299
See the full Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) vs HTC U Play vs Sony Xperia XA1 specs comparison or compare them to other phones using our Specs Comparison tool.

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Related phones

Sony Xperia XA1 specs
Sony Xperia XA1 specs
Review
7.0
User reviews
9.0
$280 Amazon $395 OfficeDepotandOfficeMax $529 Newegg
  • Display 5.0 inches 1280 x 720 pixels
  • Camera 23 MP (Single camera) 8 MP front
  • Hardware MediaTek Helio P20 3GB RAM
  • Storage 32GB, microSDXC
  • Battery 2300 mAh
  • OS Android 8.0 Oreo
Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra specs
Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra specs
Review
7.0
$280 Amazon $323 Walmart $395 OfficeDepotandOfficeMax
  • Display 6.0 inches 1920 x 1080 pixels
  • Camera 23 MP (Single camera) 16 MP front
  • Hardware MediaTek Helio P20 4GB RAM
  • Storage 32GB, microSDXC
  • Battery 2700 mAh
  • OS Android 8.0 Oreo

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