Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra, Xperia XA2 and Xperia L2 are officially presented.

Sony's almost flagship could see a re-release.

Sony Xperia X is almost a year old, so we are expecting a successor in the very near future.

However, we don't yet know enough information about Sony's next mid-range wonder, although a small but growing number of rumors are slowly taking shape from hints into a final product.

Below we have collected all the rumors and made some conclusions to fill in the gaps about this peculiar phone.

Let's go!

• What is this? Successor to Xperia X;
• When to expect? Possibly late February and early March;
• How much will it cost? Slightly upper middle class, most likely;

SonyXperiaX2: Release date

The closest and most likely release date for the Sony Xperia X2 indicates that the exhibition will be held from February 27 to March 2.

It's the phone industry's biggest event of the year and we're sure we'll see a lot of new stuff there, but what's more important is that Sony is showing off its phones at the show, including the Xperia X at last year's MWC.

So, releasing the Xperia X2 at this year's show makes sense no matter how you look at it. The only thing that makes us doubt this is the fact that we don't know that much about the new Sony phone, and if a release is imminent, there are traditionally a lot more rumors coming out.

On the other hand, model numbers for two new Xperia phones have already made the rounds online in October, leading to speculation that the X2 will be released soon.

The numbers are G3112 and G3121, while the Xperia X's model number started with "F" and the Xperia Z5 previously started with "E" - hence the "G" suggests the new generation Sony smartphones.

Editor's comment: While we don't know much about the new Xperia phones X2, there is evidence of an imminent release, moreover, about a year has passed since the release of the Xperia X, so MWC 2017 is our best guess.

Screen Sony Xperia X2

• 5-5.2-inch screen;
• Resolution 1080p;

Sony has stuck with 1080p screens on most flagship devices and mid-range phones, including the original Xperia X, and the Xperia XZ got a 1080p screen, so we expect the Xperia X2 to suffer the same fate.

Leaks now suggest that there are two high-end phones on the way, one of which will have a 5-inch or 5.2-inch screen - which is very typical for Sony and could well be the Xperia X2.

Other rumors indicate that the new Xperia XZ 2 will have a 5.5-inch 4K display - a much higher specification than we might expect from the X2.

Along with these rumors, we have also seen an image that shows off a supposedly unannounced Sony smartphone. The photo is very blurry, making it difficult to make out details, but we could clearly see the screen from edge to edge.

However, the leak was tagged as "Xperia XZ (2017)", so it could be the successor to the XZ.

Editor's note: The Sony Xperia X2 will almost certainly use a 1080p screen, since even on its flagships Sony has not shown interest in higher resolutions.

SonyXperiaX2: Design

• Familiar design;
• Front panel without buttons;

The only rumored design of the Sony Xperia X2 came with the picture above, but the photo may show the XZ 2 instead.

The design features thick bezels at the top and bottom of the screen, with a front-facing camera, but none of the buttons seem to take up space at the bottom of the screen.

Besides the edge-to-edge display being broadly similar to the Xperia X, either the photo isn't real or Sony's boxy form factor fades into the background. However, the phone has a metal back panel, similar to the original Xperia X.

Xperia X2 may be water resistant, like some Sony phones, although the Xperia X wasn't, so don't expect to be able to take the phone swimming with you.

Editor's comment: The one image that was most plausible showed the very rectangular design that Sony has been using on its smartphones for years. There's no word yet on what the X2 will be made of, but our guess is leaning towards metal, given that Sony has only recently moved away from glass in favor of metal on its smartphones.

SonyXperiaX2: Camera and battery

• Main camera - 23 MP;
• Front-camera— 16 MP;

Very little is known about what kind of camera the Sony Xperia X2 will have, but one rumor points to either Sony IMX400 lenses or an unnamed 23-megapixel rear sensor and a 16-megapixel front-facing sensor.

Otherwise, chances are the phone will use the same sensor as the Xperia X. In that case, you can look forward to a 23MP main camera and a 13MP front camera, although Sony will likely make some changes or improvements into the camera to help the new phone stand out.

We also don't know what size battery to expect from the new product. The Sony Xperia X has 2620 mAh, and we think the X2 will be similar. The most obvious addition seems to be fast charging and USB Type-C, to which the company's leading flagships are switching.

SonyXperiaX2: OS and performance

The only credible Xperia X2 rumor we've heard is 4GB random access memory, which is a very real upgrade considering the original Xperia X had 3GB of RAM. As for the operating system, we are waiting for Android Nougat, probably.

The Xperia X2 will also likely use a Qualcomm chipset. The Xperia X used the mid-range Snapdragon 650, so perhaps the X2 will use the new Snapdragon 653 - an octa-core chip with clock frequency up to 1.95 GHz.

SonyXperiaX2: Other functions

There are no substantiated rumors yet, but we'd expect the X2 to feature a fingerprint scanner like its predecessor (though that feature remains unavailable on the US model).

SonyXperiaX2: Price

There are also no rumors about prices yet, but we expect price tags akin to the upper range, on par with the original Sony Xperia X, which hit the market for $549.99 (about 36,000 rubles), today the average price tag of a phone is 33,000 rubles.

We also expect to see it in the very near future.

As many as three new models of smartphones Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra, Xperia XA2 and Xperia L2 were brought by the Japanese company to CES 2018. Previously, leaks surfaced with the design and some parameters of the devices and now everything has been officially confirmed. To be honest, such an abundance of mobile new products at this exhibition is not entirely typical for Sony - usually mass releases, including flagships, take place in March at MWC, but they decided to please us earlier.

All three smartphones inherit the Loop Surface design, but with some restyling. In particular, the top and bottom margins above the screen have been slightly reduced in the XA2 and XA2 Ultra. Yes, the currently popular “full screen” trend is not here, but complete framelessness is also a matter of taste. Thin side frames and not very bulky “forehead” and “chin” are just the thing, in my humble opinion. And here it’s already better. All three models received a fingerprint scanner located on the back cover under the window of the main camera, which has shifted to the center. This was a notable innovation that influenced appearance smartphones. Now let's look at all three models in order.

Sony Xperia XA2 – a good replacement

I’ll probably start with this smartphone, since it’s most interesting to me in terms of weight and size parameters. I don’t like phablets, sorry J. Compared to its predecessor Xperia XA1, the newcomer has taken a step forward. With smaller dimensions, the Xperia XA2 has a 5.2-inch diagonal screen and it is a Full HD matrix, covered with Gorilla Glass with noticeable rounding on the sides (soon we will make a quick comparison of both smartphones). The dimensions of the smartphone are 142 x 70 x 9.7 mm and it weighs 171 grams. Side frame made of anodized aluminum with chamfers along the contour of the bottom and top edges.

It was also pleasant to use a solution from Qulcomm as a chipset - this is a Snapdragon 630 with a 64-bit processor with 8 cores and Adreno 510 video. 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal memory with a microSD slot. I was pleased to see the battery increase to 3300 mAh (the predecessor had 2300 mAh) - it should last quite well. Out of the box, the smartphone comes pre-installed with Android 8.0 Oreo.

In terms of photography, we have a 23-megapixel module with an 84-degree wide lens and f2.0 aperture, hybrid autofocus. The camera can record 4K video, FullHD at 60 FPS, as well as slow motion 120 frames per second. The front camera is 8 megapixels with a 120-degree ultra-wide-angle lens and f2.4 aperture; there is no optical stabilizer. It's a pity that the front camera wasn't equipped with a flash.

Among other things, there is a headphone jack, USB Tupe-C, NFC and Bluetooth 5.0.

Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra – double selfie

This model is the first Xperia smartphone with two front cameras. This is the “killer feature” of the model, although its significance is a little questionable. We have two modules: the first is 16 Megapixels with optical stabilization with an 84-degree wide-angle lens and f2.0 aperture. The second module is 8 Megapixels with ultra-wide-angle optics with an f2.4 aperture. In addition to the duo, a flash is also used so that the user’s selfies are good even in a dark environment. Do you need two cameras on the front? No more than yes. The main camera is 23 Megapixels with a wide lens, f2.0 aperture, and can shoot slow-motion video at 120 fps, as well as 4K. Everything is the same as Xperia XA2.

Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra has a 6-inch FullHD display covered with Gorilla Glass, and therefore its dimensions are not small - 163 x 80 x 9.5 mm and weighs 221 grams.

Hardware base – Qualcomm 630 with 8 cores at 2.2 GHz and Adreno 510 video, the chipset is complemented by 4 GB of RAM, internal storage 32 or 64 GB (there is a slot for microSD). With such dimensions, a decent battery was installed - 3580 mAh. We note the presence of a fingerprint scanner, a USB Type-C connector, and NFC. Also has pre-installed new Android 8.0.

Sony Xperia L2 – for those with a budget

This smartphone represents the 2018 series. Compared to last year's Xperia L1, the new Xperia L2 has not received many changes. Has changed a little rear end, due to the presence of a fingerprint scanner. On the front we have a 5.5-inch HD screen; the frames are not as narrow as those of the above-described models. Dimensions are 150 x 78 x 9.8 mm, weight 178 grams.

The ratio of Sony Xperia L2 to the bottom price segment The use of the old Mediatek MT6737T chip with 4 cores and a Mali-T720MP2 video chip is also emphasized, but the memory volumes have increased - now we have 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. The battery capacity has also increased to 3300 mAh.

The main camera is a balanced 13-megapixel module with an f2.0 lens, and for selfies the same camera is used as the XA2 models: 8-megapixels, a lens with a wide angle of 120 degrees and f2.4 aperture. There is Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, a slot for microSD memory cards and USB port Type-C.

In contact with

As far as I understand, SE decided not to remove communicators based on Windows Mobile for one simple reason: it's too late to clean up what's done and ready for release. Moreover, despite the frankly low sales figures of the X1 in our country, it can be called to some extent a cult device; it will be highly valued among a certain audience for a long time. Let's remember what's good about the X1 and what's not so good about it. Let's start with the positive:

• One of the few truly beautiful devices based on Windows Mobile, an abundance of metal and pleasant design elements.
• Its own design themes, melodies, however, the attempt to cover up the poor interface with beautiful clothes still failed.
• The innovation in the form of panels, despite a number of illogical aspects, was liked by many users. Immediately there were people who wanted to improve the interface, and great digging began in Xperia, ending with the transfer of the interface from HTC communicators to the device. By the way, it works quite normally on the Xperia.
• The presence of a miniUSB connector that has already become standard, plus a regular mini-jack for headphones - in combination, Xperia has become the company’s first “smart” device with such musical preparation.
• Large amount of RAM, slot for microSD cards and an 8 GB card included.
• Outstanding multimedia capabilities – good display (enjoys watching videos), good quality sound, good camera.
• The hardware keyboard is also very good.

Now let's talk about the negative:

• A number of design miscalculations - insufficiently reliable plastic in some places, unreliable coating on the battery cover, which wears off simply by being carried in a pocket, and so on.
• Inconvenient, tight functional buttons, missing “arrows” (we’re talking about QWERTY).
• The display is recessed into the body - accumulating dust and so on.
• Despite its beauty, the body is quite thick and ribbed; carrying the Xperia in a jeans pocket is not very convenient.
• Inability to launch two or three panels plus lack of logic (closing the media panel causes playback to stop, although Windows Media is being used).
• The lack of a proximity sensor and the trick of turning off the display during a call can cause a lot of unpleasant moments.
• Short operating time, with active use it is only one day.
• One of the main disadvantages of the year is that for SE the Xperia project meant a lot in terms of PR, the X1 was announced at the beginning of 2008, and it reached the shelves in the spring of 2009 (ours arrived at the end of February). Accordingly, opportunities could have increased during the journey, but this did not happen. A year for the market we are interested in is a very long time.
• The most important disadvantage, if we talk about our country, is the price of the device. It was the initial price tag of thirty thousand rubles that scared off many. In addition, Xperia imported here from abroad could easily be purchased for less, which also influenced opinions. However, now X1 can be bought for twenty-one to twenty-two thousand rubles, there are “sales” and other promotions when they ask for eighteen to twenty thousand for the communicator. There is also Xperia on the secondary market, but in small quantities; as a rule, they ask for about fourteen thousand. I believe that by the end of the year the device will either take part in Christmas sales and disappear from the market completely, or this will happen even earlier.

Well, well, now it’s time to talk about the SE Xperia X2. The development of this communicator began a long time ago, but they did not turn the communicator into another PR project. True, the leaking of the “spy” photos was carried out; in my blog back in the summer I wrote about X2, which did not cause a strong reaction, even among SE adherents and “Sonyboys”. The attitude towards the device is calm and even. The main phrase: “It would be better if they didn’t make it on WM, it would be better if Android was there.” And this, unfortunately, is true.

The communicator is based on Windows Mobile version 6.5; the panels remain, unfortunately or fortunately, I don’t know. Rather, fortunately, because for SE this is a lot of resources spent on developing a new concept, masking the interface of the original WM. I will say that the panels in X2 have undergone changes, some of them are familiar to us - these are Facebook and CNN, some are new. I really liked the panel about the city, it looks interesting, it’s done well. The most important thing is that you can now set a schedule for automatically changing panels. This is interesting: you can start the morning with the news, then launch a multimedia application, and so on. In the screenshot you can see this daily routine; by dragging the panels, we create our schedule. I apologize in advance for the photo - it was not possible to install a program for taking “screenshots” on the X2, and the prototypes themselves are still very, very raw, they only allow you to get an impression without going into details. Therefore, I offer you a kind of gallop on X2, we will talk in detail about the new device as soon as normal samples appear. So, let's begin:

• There are a lot of changes in design and appearance. Moreover, X2 and Aino are to some extent prototypes of what we will see in 2010, harbingers of a new wave in the design of phones and smartphones of the company. If X1 was small but thick, then X2 cannot be called small. It's large, about the size of an iPhone, but quite flat. Much more comfortable to carry in a jeans pocket than the X1. The body is metal, the design of the ends of the device is interesting - everything is so ribbed. The case is not particularly easily soiled, this does not apply to the display; fingerprints are clearly visible on it. But the display is no longer recessed, so wiping it is not difficult. The design is good and recognizable, you won’t confuse it with HTC or anything else. Dimensions are 110x54x16 mm, weight - 155 grams. The weight is felt, it is pleasant. There will be two colors available, black and silver. I like the light version better, I haven’t seen it in person, but in the pictures this X2 looks better.

Surely “sonyboys” are now asking the question: is it a thing when you pick it up in your hand or not? Thing. I hope you understand what I mean. You just want to open and close the pleasantly clicking flip and run your finger along the ribbed top end. Well cut and tightly sewn.

Comparison with Sony Ericsson W995:

Comparison with Sony Ericsson Aino:

Comparison with Apple iPhone:

Comparison with Nokia E75:

Comparison with Nokia N97:

• The display is 3.2 inches diagonal, resolution - 480x800 pixels, did I mention that it is not recessed? As with the X1, the display leaves the most pleasant impressions, including when watching videos.


• The block of function keys has been completely redesigned, they have become a hundred times more convenient. It may seem that they are sensory, but this is far from the case. I can’t say anything about the characteristics of the optical joystick yet; at this stage it’s not bad, but improvements will follow.


• 110 MB of memory is available to the user, a total of 512 MB. Random access memory (RAM) – 256 MB.
• On the left side there is a microUSB connector; it is quite logical for the company to abandon miniUSB. But it’s a bit of a pity, of course.


• 3.5 mm jack, any headphones. Soon there will be new headsets specifically for 3.5 mm.



• Two speakers, slots on the back. Let's remember X1, where you could mute the sound of a call with your finger, which I often used. This number doesn't work here, X2 is loud, something like W995


• Keyboard. Excellent. I don’t know yet what will happen with localization, but tactile sensations very nice, and they returned the arrows to us. This is happiness. In addition, due to the increase in size, the keyboard has also been slightly larger compared to the X1. Accordingly, it has become more convenient.




• There are more than a dozen panels installed, plus sixteen more can be downloaded from the site. The current list is: CNN Panel, Tilewave Panel, Professional Panel, Growing Panel, Lifestyle Panel, Pixel City Panel Day, YouTube™ Panel, Facebook™ Panel, Skype Panel, Google™ Panel, Support Panel, Gokivo Navigational Panel, Today Screen Panel, Dashwire Panel, Windows Live Panel, SlideShow Panel, Evernote Panel, Mytopia Panel, Monster Panel, Sony Ericsson Panel, Fish Panel, Cool Hunting Panel, Twitter Panel, Linkedin Panel, Clock Panel, Amazon Panel, eBay Panel, Spb Traveler Panel , On-The-Road Panel, Last.FM Gig Finder Panel.


• It’s too early to talk about the characteristics of the display; this “spare part” is not yet final in prototypes. The same applies to the backlighting of the keys and some other points.


• The battery has a capacity of 1500 mAh, the stated operating time is 10 hours of talk time, 500 hours of standby time (GSM). In addition, the X2 can work for about 20 hours while listening to music. In my opinion, these are good indicators for a device with so many antennas. Naturally, there is Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G.
• What processor is installed here? The X2 works quickly, quickly turning the image when opening the flip and moving through the menu. However, most likely, the X1 “platform” is used here; I’ll quote from the review: “The communicator from Sony Ericsson is built on the Qualcomm MSM 7200A platform. The central processor has a frequency of 528 MHz. The model is equipped with 256 MB of RAM, of which approximately 200 MB is available for operating the OS and applications. Of the declared 512 MB, about 280 MB remain for data storage.”
• Did you notice that next to the camera it says 8 MP? Yes, that’s right – eight megapixels. With autofocus. What kind of module it is and how it works is still unclear.


• In general, if we evaluate the communicator without my usual enthusiasm for technology from Sony and Sony Ericsson, then the feelings are the warmest. As well as the understanding that in Russia if we manage to sell at least a couple of thousand X2s, then it will be good. The price will be considerable, at the level of X1. There is one more point: X2 will appear in retail either at the end of 2009 or at the beginning of 2010, interest in WM is still low, and what will happen next is very easy to predict. The approximate price is twenty-eight or even thirty thousand rubles. Under the onslaught of Android devices, so-called “communicators” will become even more niche and incomprehensible to the masses. For those who like to dig around, a fan of the X2 brand, it is of great interest due to the good (even good) hardware - everything is already ready for those with crazy hands. Excellent appearance, panels, a regular headphone jack, sonystyle - all that remains is to port the TouchFlo and start working on the improvements. In my diary, I wrote that refusing to release X2 would be quite logical in the current conditions, I believe everyone would understand and agree - it turns out to be a noble thing, but a little out of place.

Well, one more piece of news: it came out on September 1st new firmware for Sony PS3, which supports SE Aino. In the near future I will try this functionality and tell you in colors and paints about the operation of the two devices.

P.S. I apologize in advance for the quality and content of the photos, it happened quickly and to some extent spontaneously. If you have any questions about the device, I will be happy to answer in the forum.

Sony Xperia XA2 looks unusual, this time the corporate design has been redesigned, but still remains in the general style.

One of the main changes on the front panel is that the frames have become thinner, especially at the top and bottom; now they no longer look so huge. Due to this, the ratio of the screen area to the surface of the device is 75%, which is not much different from 77% with a fashionable elongated display.

The back panel has also undergone significant changes - now it is not flat, but convex, and also has a fingerprint scanner, and the camera lens has moved from the top left corner to the middle. We preferred to see the scanner on the side, and the lens in the corner, but all this is subjective and a matter of taste.

The dimensions of the new product are 142x70x9.7 mm, weight - 171 grams. The case is compact in terms of height and width, but thick and heavy - no joke, almost a centimeter! But visually the phone does not feel particularly thick due to the convex back. The Xperia XA2 is comparable in size to a 5-inch one, but it is still noticeably thicker. Interestingly, despite the larger screen, the smartphone turned out to be slightly shorter, but wider than its predecessor Xperia XA1. Still, narrower frames sometimes work wonders. Case materials: aluminum frame and polycarbonate back.

Sony Xperia XA2 can be bought in four colors: black, silver, blue and pink.

Screen

The Sony Xperia XA2 has a 5.2-inch screen with an IPS matrix and Full HD resolution (1920x1080 pixels). Its diagonal has grown by 0.2 inches compared to its predecessor, and at the same time they did not forget to increase the resolution: from HD to Full HD. As a result, we have a high pixel density of 424 per inch. The screen has Gorilla Glass protection, brightness up to 530 nits and a contrast ratio of 1300:1, these are very good indicators. But the color rendition turned out to be not entirely ideal, with an error of 5-6 units, which is not that much, but for that kind of money you expect higher accuracy.

Cameras

The smartphone is equipped with advanced cameras of 23 and 8 MP. They shoot no worse than their predecessor, that is, at an excellent level, at least the main one; we were not very impressed with the front one.

The main camera has not only many megapixels, but also a relatively large sensor (1/2.3"), a good aperture (f/2.0), hybrid (phase and contrast) autofocus. The smartphone can shoot 4K video. Another feature is the ability to increase ISO up to 12800, as a rule in smartphones they are limited to values ​​​​of 400, 800, 1600 or, at most, 3200. Daytime shooting works well, the photos are clear, without excessive sharpness and with natural color rendition. Autofocus in most cases correctly recognizes the subject, errors are rare Night photography is somewhat worse for the camera, image sharpness drops, but still at a very decent level.There is no separate mode for night photography.

The front camera is made wide-angle (120 degrees), it can shoot video up to Full HD (1920×1080 pixels) resolution. Selfie quality is high, with good detail and natural color reproduction. Its capabilities are quite enough for publishing pictures on social networks with the tag #nofilters.

Communications

The Sony Xperia XA2's communications are fine:

• dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n
• LTE Cat support 13 (up to 600 Mbit/s)
• Bluetooth 5.0
• NFC chip
• FM radio
• A-GPS.

Everything is up to standard, there is even a modern USB type C connector with USB Host support. At the same time, they did not forget about the separate connector for . It is expected that the model will have two versions, one and two nanoSIM cards. True, in the second case this will mean a combined slot (either a SIM or a memory card).

Battery

Xperia XA2 showed quite high autonomy in tests. Sony has finally significantly increased the battery capacity - from 2300 to 3300 mAh. For comparison, budget ones have about 3000 mAh, although there are quite a few budget ones with 4100 mAh batteries. The phone can easily withstand a day and a half of active use. If we talk about numbers, this is up to 9 hours of video watching, about 10-11 hours of browsing and 20 hours of talking. Not exactly impressive results, but overall it turns out quite well. Support will be a nice bonus fast charging QuickCharge 3.0.

Performance

The performance of the new product is above average.

The smartphone runs on an eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (up to 2.2 GHz, with Cortex-A53 architecture) with Adreno 508 graphics. The same one used in . Together with 3 GB of RAM, this is enough for everyday tasks, applications and even the vast majority of mobile games, at least at low-medium graphics settings, it also hardly gets hot in use.

Peculiarities

Sony Xperia XA2 offers a proprietary interface and Android 8 OS right out of the box. The phone's features include an updated design, an advanced camera, a thick, heavy body and high sound quality.

Memory

The volume of permanent memory of the smartphone is 32 GB. This is usually enough for most users, but you can always add up to 256 GB using .

Battery capacity: 1500 mAh Battery type: Li-polymer Talk time: 10 h Standby time: 640 h Operating time while listening to music: 20 h

Additional Information

Features: color options: black, silver

General characteristics

Type: Smartphone Weight: 155 g operating system: MS Windows Mobile 6.5 Case type: horizontal slider Number of SIM cards: 1 Dimensions (WxHxT): 54x110x16 mm SIM card type: regular SAR level: 0.9 QWERTY keyboard: yes

Screen

Screen type: color, 65.54 thousand colors, touch Diagonal: 3.2 inches. Image size: 800x480 Pixels per inch (PPI): 292 Automatic screen rotation: yes

Multimedia capabilities

Camera: 8.10 million pixels, built-in flash Camera functions: autofocus, digital Zoom 16x Video recording: yes Front camera: yes Audio: MP3, AAC, stereo speakers Headphone jack: 3.5 mm Geo Tagging: yes

Connection

Interfaces: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB Standard: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G Satellite navigation: GPS A-GPS system: yes Use as a USB drive: yes

Memory and processor

Processor: Qualcomm MSM7200A, 528 MHz Number of processor cores: 1 Built-in memory volume: 512 MB RAM capacity: 256 MB Video processor: Adreno 130 User-available memory: 110 MB Memory card slot: yes, up to 16 GB