Sony Unveils Two ‘Super Midrange’ Phones with Flagship Grade Cameras

Although, most of the thunder from Sony’s at the MWC 2017 event was stolen by the flagship Xperia XZ phones with their 1000fps slow-motion cameras and the 4K HDR screen, perhaps the phones that’ll get the largest audience were left alone.

The two ‘super mid-range’ phones include the XA1 and XA1 Ultra. The phones themselves don’t offer much except for the cameras which they largely which match the latest flagships around.

The XA1 comes with a 5-inch 720p HD display, while the Ultra ups on it with a 6-inch 1080p one. Both the phones come with MediaTek’s Helio P20 octa-core processors.

The display is spread edge-to-edge from the sides making them the thinnest phones in terms of width amongst their screen size.

On the software side, the phones run on Android Nougat and feature Xperia Actions, which learns to calibrate your most-used apps based on your user experiences.

The XA1 comes with 3 GB RAM, while the XA1 Ultra adds 1 GB to it. On the storage side, you get up to 64 GB, which is also expandable.

The main selling point of the phones are clearly their cameras, though. namely the ground-breaking 23-megapixel lens, which was featured in the original Xperia XZ and was one of the best camera-phones in 2016.

The cameras come with a 1/2.3″ sensor with 24mm f/2.0, as well as 1080p FHD video. Finally, you get a hybrid AF as well as Sony’s SteadyShot.

The XA1 Ultra also comes with a 16-megapixel autofocus front camera with OIS and LED, improving on its predecessor and taking the throne as the most advanced selfie camera in the market. On the other hand, the smaller model trades it for an 8-megapixel camera.

The XA1 Ultra and the XA1 have 2700 and 2300 mAh batteries, respectively. Considering the Sony’s Stamina mode optimisations and battery safety tech, the batteries should manage just fine. The phones will be available in Black, White, Gold and Pink.

Sony Xperia XA1 Specifications:

• Chipset: MediaTek Helio P20
• OS: Android Nougat, customized
• Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE Dual-SIM
• Display:
  • 5” with 720p (1280 x 720) resolution
• Memory:
  • RAM: 3 GB
  • Internal: up to 64 GB
  • Card slot: yes
• Camera:
  • Primary: 23 MP, 24mm f/2.0, 1/2.3″ sensor, 1080p video, LED Flash
  • Secondary: 8 MP
• Fingerprint scanner
• Connectivity: microUSB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, LTE
• Battery: 2300 mAh
• Price: $300

Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra Specifications:

• Chipset: MediaTek Helio P20
• OS: Android Nougat, customized
• Supported Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G LTE Dual-SIM
• Display:
  • 6” with 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution
• Memory:
  • RAM: 4 GB
  • Internal: up to 64 GB
  • Card slot: yes
• Camera:
  • Primary: 23 MP, 24mm f/2.0, 1/2.3″ sensor, 1080p video, LED Flash
  • Secondary: 16 MP, OIS, LED Flash
• Fingerprint scanner
• Connectivity: microUSB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, LTE
• Battery: 2700 mAh
• Price: TBA