Smartphones Sony Xperia XA2 Dual and Ultra Dual - advantages and disadvantages

Probably now in response to the question: “Which brand is a smartphone better to buy?” rarely, who will remember Sony. Although the manufacturer has every chance to produce popular models that would take their rightful place in the ranking of quality devices, while creating competition for the best manufacturers. Sony smartphones will satisfy many phone selection criteria.

Sony's Ultra line of smartphones is positioned as a budget device. Here you can pick up inexpensive novelties for yourself. This review is dedicated to Sony Xperia XA2 Dual and Ultra Dual smartphones: how to choose, how much it costs, features and functionality.

Equipment

After opening the box, the buyer will see in it:

• smartphone;
• USB Type-C cable;
• Charger;
• headphones.

The length of the cord is 1 m, which is the optimal size for both recharging and connecting the device to a computer.Regular headphones are not “plugs”, but quite decent earbuds. Although they are more suitable for talking, rather than listening to music.

Appearance

Reading reviews on these devices, you can often see such an epithet in the direction of the device as a "shovel". Indeed, right angles are Sony's hallmark. The manufacturer deserved the greatest popularity of its models, thanks to these clear and correct angles. Sony does not succumb to fashion trends and is not going to copy well-known competitors.

Although the appearance of the Xperia XA2 Dual and Ultra Dual is a bit old-fashioned, it immediately stands out from the crowd and has its loyal fans.

On the rear panel there is a main camera, a flash and a fingerprint scanner, which is recessed into the body. By the way, the back plastic cover is made a little convex.

The right edge of the phone has a Power button, volume keys and a separate camera shutter button. By the way, a very convenient solution for photography lovers, as noted in many user reviews.

In the left edge of the device are a tray for sim-cards and a cell for a memory card. And this is another advantage, now it is rarely found in phones.

At the top, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack and a noise-canceling microphone that works very well.

From the bottom, the smartphone has a USB Type-C port, a microphone, and a speaker.

Dimensions

Before purchasing the Xperia XA2 Ultra Dual, you should consider where to wear it. In a pocket or small purse, phones over 124mm tall are a problem. They add obstructions and sharp corners that protrude uncomfortably from the pockets of jackets and jeans, and can also damage clothing. It is worth paying attention to this when choosing this model.

The thickness of the phone is surprising, because everyone is used to the fact that devices tend to reduce their thickness. On the other hand, the device is offered as a phablet - a cross between a tablet and a smartphone, which explains its bulkiness.

Design

The appearance of the devices is not original, but it is easily recognizable and looks solid. The choice of colors is varied, you can choose for every taste. The front panel is the same color as the back, which is something not many manufacturers can offer.

Housing materials: aluminum and plastic. The rear plastic panel is pleasant to the touch. The aluminum frame around the perimeter adds rigidity and protects against impacts.

Screen

The screen is protected by 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass. The joints of the glass with the smartphone body are not felt. The surface is perfectly smooth, protects from scratches and other unexpected damage. It also has an oleophobic coating that resists fingerprints well and is easy to clean.

On top of the joint between the glass and the body, there is an inconspicuous earpiece grille. The XA2 Dual has an LED indicator, front camera, light and proximity sensors below. The XA2 Ultra Dual adds another front camera, flash, sensors and an activity indicator. The display produces a high-quality FullHD picture.

You can set up the screen in three picture modes:

• standard;
• turned off;
• maximum brightness mode.

Manual color adjustment is also possible.In any case, the screen performed well in the sun - the information is read effortlessly even in very bright light. Ease of use of the screen is provided by the scaling function. This allows you to fully use the device even with one hand.

Performance

Smartphones are equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 630. The 8-core processor endowed the device with high performance. This will be appreciated by those who use the device for games, for watching movies - XA2 is very smart.

Software Android 8.0, proprietary shell - Xperia. One of the features of Sony is a user-friendly interface that will delight you with its responsiveness, nice animation. There is a pre-installed antivirus, Walkman and other exclusive applications from Sony.

Memory

The XA2 Ultra comes with 4GB of RAM and a choice of 32GB or 64GB storage. Of course, it is better to immediately purchase a flash drive to increase the size of the memory, since the built-in one will not be enough.

Built-in memory in XA2 Dual is smaller. 2 GB - operational, 16 GB - built-in.

Games

For active games, the smartphone is ideal. Productive and demanding games run on a smartphone without problems. Braking or hanging is not noticed. At high settings, it easily pulls out games such as World of Tanks. For the entire time of the game, a stable fps is served. The case during the game does not overheat, but becomes only slightly warm. The graphics remain at their best, even if you open many applications at the same time.

The most resource-intensive games, such as Injustice 2, can take a long time to load, but the game process is not burdened by anything: there are no downloads.

Sound

In the turmoil of everyday life, many seek to combine several devices in one device.Most people have been using their smartphone as an audio player for a long time. Therefore, special attention is always paid to the sound quality of the gadget.

The devices in question are devoid of stereo sound. There is only one sound speaker, but it does a good job. The sound is clear and detailed. The volume is not high, but enough just right. The audio output cuts the signal, so it is better to choose high-sensitivity headphones with low impedance.

Camera

Modern manufacturers pay close attention to the camera in the phone. How the phone takes pictures in extreme situations or how it takes pictures, for example, at night, can be a decisive factor for buying a device. Therefore, in the Xperia XA2 Dual and Ultra Dual models, Sony paid attention to the camera.

A photo

Looking at the features of both models, the XA2 Ultra looks much more attractive. In the era of social networks, an advanced front camera gives the smartphone a lot of advantages. Autofocus and stabilization is not present in every device, so it is an advantage.

The mechanical shutter button turned out to be extremely convenient. It can quickly turn on the camera itself. By releasing the shutter, focusing occurs halfway, which ensures the sharpness of the picture, pressing all the way down, photographing takes place.

Naturally, the manufacturer provided the camera with many photo enhancement modes that you can have fun with and diversify your pictures. Also, the presence of a wide shooting angle will allow everyone to get into the frame.The shooting angle is selected manually when photographing.

There is panoramic shooting: the frames are connected unmistakably and easily, instantly processed. Photographing printed text is also not difficult. On the finished image, the text does not blur, it can be read.

The best photos can be taken in good lighting. At night, unfortunately, there is a noticeable blur around the edges and from light sources, which degrades image quality.

An example of a photo with a standard selfie camera:

An example of a photo with a standard selfie camera at night with a flash:

An example photo of the rear camera:

Video

The presence of image stabilization makes shooting video better. Thanks to the noise-canceling microphone, the sound on the video is very decent. There are various quality modes, including 4K. There is a slow motion mode.

autonomy

One of the main advantages of the Sony Xperia XA2 Dual and Ultra Dual is excellent autonomy. The phone with not very active use is able to last up to 4 days without recharging. In continuous reading mode, the device will master more than 16 hours of work or 4.5 hours of play.

In the characteristics of the XA2 Ultra Dual, a fast charging mode is declared, but in reality the process drags on for up to two hours. Perhaps this is due to the supplied network adapter, which is only 7.5 watts.

Smartphones have battery-saving and battery life-saving modes that do the job very well. Therefore, it is worth understanding the settings in order to extend the life of the device.Using Power Bank and energy saving modes, you can significantly extend the time of the device without recharging.

Results

Strict design immediately highlights Sony smartphones in the showcase of mobile phones. Build quality is top notch.

Unlocking is instant, but the scanner located at the back will not be convenient for everyone. People with small palms are more likely to have difficulty unlocking the device.

The Internet is an important component of modern society. Surfing the net on a huge, high-quality, 6-inch XA2 Ultra screen is a pleasure. Reading, watching movies or videos will also help pass the time away from home.

The XA2 Dual device supports all types of communication except LTE-A. XA2 Ultra connects to everything: 2G, 3G, 4G, HSDPA, LTE, LTE-A, EDGE, GPS, Wi-Fi. In fairness, it is worth noting that there are negative customer reviews about the quality of communication. Poor hearing during conversations is associated with the proximity sensor, which in some instances causes incorrect operation. Fixed with a patch.

Selfie lovers, of course, will appreciate the front camera with autofocus, image stabilization and flash. A smartphone allows you to quickly take a picture, if you want to quickly process it and immediately put it on the network.

The pluses include the simultaneous use of 2 sim-cards and a memory card. No need to give up anything and waste time reinstalling the necessary elements. It is worth paying attention that the inserted sim cards will catch a connection one 4G, the other 3G.

Now almost everywhere you can make a contactless payment, so the presence of an NFC system in your phone is extremely important.XA2 Ultra and XA2 Dual are equipped with NFC and this is another plus in favor of the devices in question.

• reliable;
• solid, laconic design;
• dual sim;
• Corning Gorilla Glass;
• the presence of NFC;
• built-in radio;
• great selfie camera.

• inconvenient location of the fingerprint scanner;
• lack of stereo sound;
• large thickness;
• there is no protection against dust and moisture.

Average price of devices:

• XA2 Dual - 19,000 rubles;
• XA2 Ultra - 23,000 rubles.

For a fraction of the price, the XA2 Ultra will give you more options, but the massive, impressive size will push some away in the direction of a more diminutive sibling.