Smartphones Sony Xperia XA1 Plus and Plus Dual 32GB - advantages and disadvantages

To date, Sony is not very popular in the smartphone market. Despite the fact that the developers produce high-quality functional devices, the company has lost its former glory. Now the manufacturers of this brand are building a line of their mobile devices on the MediaTek processor. Each model is recognizable among other smartphones. Today, for the review, the choice fell on the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus and Plus Dual 32GB. These models are absolutely identical in almost all respects.

Specifications

In the table we see that absolutely all indicators are identical, the difference lies only in the possibility of installing 2 SIM cards with a variable operating mode on the Dual model.

Equipment

• Smartphone directly;
• AC charger;
• USB cable;
• Documents and instructions.

Appearance and ease of use

The design of the Sony smartphone has not changed for many years, some like it, and some do not. Many complain about the huge dimensions, due to which jeans are rubbed when exposed to sharp corners. Fans of the device claim that this is convenient, since it can be easily distinguished from thin models that regularly copy each other. These models are made of plastic and metal and look very simple.

The build quality is at a high level. If you try to twist the phone, then rainbow stains will remain on the display, but it will not creak. If you use only basic functions, then such distortions on the screen will not be noticeable.

The curved side panel gives the screen an elegant look. Above the display are:

• speaker for calls;
• Light sensor;
• Front-camera;
• Event LED indicator.

The decorative grille is located at the bottom of the device under the screen. Potentially, there should be a second speaker, but, unfortunately, the developers installed only a microphone.

The LED flash and main camera lens are mounted at the top of the rear panel.

On the left side panel there is a slot for two SIM cards and an additional compartment for a flash card.

On the right sidebar are installed:

• Photo button (allows you to take pictures with gloves);
• Unlock button with integrated fingerprint scanner;
• Volume key.

The microphone and headphone jack are located on the top of the device.

The system speaker and USB Type-C charger connector are installed at the bottom.

Screen

5.5 inches is the diagonal of the display. This screen supports Full HD resolution. The tempered glass is great for scratches. There is also a good oleophobic coating that prevents your fingers from smearing the screen. The image fades a little in sunny weather, but remains quite readable. The brightness level varies from 33 to 452 cd/m2. The minimum brightness is very high, therefore it is not recommended to read in the dark before going to bed, because of this the eyes will get a lot of stress.

The screen brightness can be adjusted manually, or you can use the automatic settings.

The display has good viewing angles. Good light tone is also observed, as well as brightness uniformity. Screen colors are moderately saturated. If you look at the screen at an angle of 45 degrees, then there is a decrease in the contrast of the picture.

In the center of the screen, the contrast ratio is normal: 860:1. It is impossible to fully adjust the brightness, because in reading mode it changes slightly automatically. This can sometimes be a little annoying.

In general, the colors of the display have a natural saturation. Color balance can be corrected using three primary colors.

So, this device has a wide range of brightness and excellent anti-glare properties. You can comfortably use it in sunny weather, or in complete darkness (preferably not in reading mode, otherwise your eyes will get tired).

Yes, the screen has some drawbacks, in the form of non-switchable dynamic brightness adjustment, but when compared with other models in this price range, the screen works perfectly.

Performance

It has a quad-core MediaTek Helio P20 processor. It is very old, and will not suit those people who often play games. It will just hang constantly. Therefore, it is better to use the basic functions. This processor is designed for smartphones in the middle price range.

The performance of the smartphone is quite good, which allows it to cope with virtually all modern tasks, despite the fact that these processors are 2016 models. Quietly pulls virtually all modern games, including Modern Combat 5, Mortal Kombat X.

The table shows the performance of different models in games. The more points, the better the smartphone copes with the game.

Built-in memory 32 GB, and RAM - 4. If you do not have enough device memory, you can additionally put a flash card.

The device itself works fast enough, if you do not load it with bulky programs and games.

The Android 7.0 operating system is installed here. In the future, they promise to upgrade to Android 8.

The device is equipped with a single multimedia speaker. This speaker is quite loud, but it is noticeable that there is not enough bass if you set the maximum volume. The speaker for calls is loud and clear. True, some complain about poor noise suppression. For example, the interlocutor on the other end of the wire hears the noise of the road if you talk on a busy street.

cameras

"Frontalka"

This camera is equipped with an eight megapixel module and does not have its own flash. Despite the lack of a flash, the front camera shoots quite well. The result is a bright image with good detail and image sharpness. Matrix light sensitivity ISO 3200.

rear camera

It has a resolution of 23 megapixels. Sony always tries to put cool cameras. ISO 6400 matrix light sensitivity. In manual mode, it is possible to set only ISO 3200. Additional amplifiers:

• Fast hybrid autofocus;
• Proprietary electronic image stabilization;
• 5x digital zoom.

The menu is standard for all Sony devices, but at the same time simple and easy to use. For beginners, it will seem unusual, but for experienced users, finding all the settings will not be a problem. In addition to manual and automatic shooting modes, you can use additional modes. It is also possible to use augmented reality effects.

In manual settings, you can choose access to:

• white balance;
• Focus modes;
• Expocorrections;
• Light sensitivity;
• Exposure.

If you use the side button, only the camera will work in automatic mode.

The maximum resolution of the camera is 1080p, therefore it is not suitable for fans of 4K shooting (for this purpose, a new iPhone starting from model 6 or an action camera is suitable). The camera of this model shoots with poor detail. There is a clean sound recording here, but it loses its naturalness due to too much sound reduction.

The camera performs well in high light mode. In general, the camera is not bad, but you need to select well-lit places for shooting. Then it will be compared in quality with documentary filming.

Communication opportunities

The maximum file download speed is up to 300Mbps in 4G mode.

With this device, you can purchase, for example, travel documents, thanks to the function of contactless payments. It is also possible to organize a wireless network using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi channels.

The navigation system works excellently with both GLONASS and GPS (with A-GPS). Within a minute, the system finds satellites that are on a cold start. The digital compass functions on the basis of a special magnetic field sensor.

There is also a function to search for a contact by the first letters. In addition, there are standard options for sorting the phone book.

The interlocutor's voice is recognizable during a conversation, but the volume of the speaker is rather weak. If you put a call with vibration, then the volume will be 2 times quieter than without it.

The Dual system simultaneously supports 2 SIM cards in standby mode in 3G and 4G networks. For transmission, you can pre-configure a specific SIM card.

Sound

The smartphone is equipped with only one system speaker. Despite this, it sounds great. In the process of work, no defects and noises were noticed.

The lack of bass at the same time is striking, because video clips and audio tracks are almost impossible to listen to.Here you can watch the movie and it's hard. But the volume margin of the speaker is quite sufficient. Perfect for listening to music with headphones.

There is also a dynamic normalizer.

Programs and multimedia

Programs

The gadget is equipped with a proprietary shell, which has not changed much throughout the existence of the Sony company. The operating system is Android version 7.0. Despite the fact that updates are very rare, they update the firmware as much as possible and add all kinds of functions, and do not stuff the smartphone with regular upgrades that only clog the device’s memory.

This device has a special feature Xperia Actions, which learns user behavior and helps to act in various situations. For example, it detects when you fall asleep or wake up in order to reduce power consumption and speaker volume as much as possible during this time. To free up memory and cache, there is a special Smart Cleaner application.

Keyboard type: SwiftKey.

Multimedia

For listening to music, a branded player from Sony is installed here, which has a number of settings and functions for optimizing sound.

The sound of the main speaker is quite quiet. In addition, there are no two stereo speakers, which are equipped with previous models. Louder and clearer sound is heard through the speakers. However, it is difficult to call it crystal clear, because minimal interference is felt. There is also a radio.

By the way, it is very strange that the developers did not install the voice recorder application.

Video playback

The most common formats were used to test the video quality. They most often distribute video on the Internet.As it turned out, it is almost impossible to process modern video formats without decoding videos at the chip level. The processor alone cannot cope with the power of its cores. Also, in fact, the mobile device itself is unable to decode absolutely everything (for example, 4K format). All data on Sony Xperia XA1 Plus and Plus Dual 32GB models are included in the table.

The video plays well enough, but there are some flaws. But for a model in the middle price category, this is excellent.

Offline work

The phone has a non-removable battery with a capacity of 3340 milliamp hours. Among models in this price range, this is an average. Tests have shown that this model will work in the reading mode for about 16 hours, and a little less in the video mode. In game mode, the battery will run out after 5 hours if you play at maximum brightness. The charge time is about 2.5 hours. There is also a special battery care mode.

Conclusion: advantages and disadvantages

• Stylish recognizable design;
• Separate memory card slot;
• Physical camera button;
• Support for contactless payments;
• The system speaker demonstrates sufficient volume;
• High screen brightness;
• There is a radio;
• Long operating time of the device without recharging;
• Clear and pleasant sound in headphones.

• Terrible image processing;
• Weak LED flash;
• Large dimensions and weight.

They ask for an average of 20 thousand rubles for a phone, but in some ways this is contradictory, because the smartphone is quite good, but you can find better models in this price range. Competitors include: Huawei Nova 2i, Huawei Nova 2 Plus (BAC-L21), Meizu M6 Note, Redmi Note 4X Hatsune Miku Special Edition. But, in addition to Chinese opponents, we can single out the Samsung Galaxy J7 2017, which has the best performance in virtually all characteristics.

If good connectivity and performance are important to you, but you don't need a great camera and don't mind the sheer size, then you don't need to look at the competition and just buy the Sony Xperia XA1 Plus and Plus Dual 32GB.