SONY aims to cash in on the selfie phenomenon with its Xperia XA Ultra smartphone.
This device is equipped with a 16MP front-facing camera that boasts a large 1/2.6 inch sensor and a dedicated LED flash.
The front camera also boasts optical image stabilisation (OIS) capabilities for that perfect selfie.
The Exmor RS sensor paired with the camera comes with wide angle picture taking ability, which is great for taking selfies, even in low-light.
To further assist the user in the quest for the best selfie, the Xperia XA Ultra comes with a dedicated camera button on the right side.
Of course, to get just that perfect selfie, one has to keep taking photos. That’s not a problem with this phone, as it comes with 16GB storage space, expandable to a max of 200GB via microSD card.
How about the main camera then? That’s also been improved and now sports a 21.5MP resolution camera that is paired with Sony’s patented electronic stabilisation on its Xperia series. It’s kind of an odd number for the resolution, but that’s just what it is.
BIG ON DISPLAY
The Xperia XA Ultra comes with a huge 6-inch display screen. Normally, a phone with a 6-inch display would have to be huge, but with the XA Ultra’s edge-to-edge screen design and 2.5mm bezel, Sony has managed to keep the phone size down while increasing its screen display size.
Adding to its impressive screen design is the 2.5D scratch-resistant glass curved display and a back made of satin plastic material that feels really smooth in the hand.
The Lime Gold phone that I had was also sexy, to say the least, diverting from the usual gold of many premium phones.
There is no fingerprint scanner but I don’t find this to be an issue. In fact, I love the round silver button on the right side of the phone that is used to power up the phone whenever it has gone to sleep. The buttons have Sony’s distinct style and are yet refreshingly different.
PERFORMANCE
For both the main and front cameras, the quality and colour accuracy are just as impressive as a flagship camera phone.
There are times the white balance is a bit off, but most shots look pleasing to the eye with the photos showing extra details due to the high-resolution sensor.
Sadly, the XA Ultra does not have a predictive hybrid autofocus, which is available with the Xperia X, where it predicts the position of an object to keep the picture as sharp as possible.
Overall, both the front and main cameras perform admirably to create great photo-taking experiences.
The Xperia XA Ultra makes use of a Mediatek Helio P10 with octa-core processor. Using Android 6.0 Marshmallow paired with 3GB RAM, the phone performed tasks smoothly without any lags in everyday tasks. I had a lot of fun playing games too.
In terms of battery, it comes with a slightly-on-the-small-side 2,700 mAh non-removable battery.
I find the battery drains faster when I am playing games and taking lots of photos and videos, but it does very well with light usage, lasting 36 hours. The battery also causes the back of the phone to heat up while playing games especially.
MY TAKE
The powerful camera (both front and main cameras), the beautiful edge-to-edge display and the exceptional video playback quality on Sony’s Video & TV Sideview are its winning traits.
Even the mono speaker delivers really loud sounds that I sometimes use my hand, to muffle the sound.
At RM1,699, the Sony XA Ultra is a good buy for those looking for big screens and those perfect selfie moments.
