Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra Launched In India At Rs 29,990

Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra has been launched in India with a price tag of Rs 29,999 and this has put it right against the segment benchmarks, OnePlus 5 and Honor 8 Pro. However, with an edge-to-edge display, flagship camera capabilities, and a decent hardware package, Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra seems to have everything at offer to stand out in this mid-budget coveted segment.

The sub-Rs 35,000 segment, is where all the action is taking place with new launches from almost every smartphone manufacturer and Sony, a company that rules multimedia smartphone business, is back with the Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra, which by all means, is the best attempt we have seen from the Japanese manufacturer.

Despite having a 6-inch display, the highlight of Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra is its camera units which come with a host of features to excel in this department. However, with the current wave of consumer interests being inclined towards an all-rounder, we still have to see what the Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra has to offer against Honor 8 Pro and OnePlus 5’s dual camera as well 6GB of RAM.

Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra Specifications

• 6-inch (1920 x 1080) Full HD Edge-To-Edge display with Corning Gorilla Glass protection, offering 367 ppi
• 2.3GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio P20 processor coupled with Mali T880 MP2 900 MHz GPU
• 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage, expandable up to 256GB via MicroSD
• Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box
• 23MP Exmor RS image sensor with hybrid autofocus with 0.6s Quick Launch and Capture, 24mm wide-angle lens, LED Flash, f/2.0 aperture, 5x zoom, and HDR mode.
• 16MP Exmor RS sensor at the front with LED flash, f/2.0 aperture, 23mm wide-angle lens, OIS, and PDAF.
• 2,700 mAh with Qnovo Adaptive Charging and Quick Charging (MediaTek PumpExpress 2.0)
• 4G VoLTE, dual-SIM, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, NFC, USB Type-C port and 3.5mm headphone jack.

Although the Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra comes with Qnovo Adaptive Charging that uses intelligent charging to prevent battery decline by learning charging patterns and adapting to them, it still won’t offer a full day of juice on heavy usage. Moreover, the Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra doesn’t come with a fingerprint scanner which is an omission that the Japanese manufacturer has been doing with its new launches.

On the other hand, the camera units are one of the bests we have seen in this segment and since the dual camera units in Honor 8 Pro and OnePlus 5 are the not perfect in their duties, the 23MP rear and 16MP front cameras in Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra offers better end results.

The 6-inch display offers great viewing angles and at par visibility, in direct sunlight, while the hardware package, though underrated against the competition, offers enough power for a multimedia smartphone that Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra is. Moreover, frame drops and lags won’t be a problem as the 4GB RAM, and the tried and tested MediaTek Helio P20 processor offers enough under the hood power for even heavy gaming users.

As a package, Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra is among the best in the segment, if not better, and if you are looking for a dependable multimedia smartphone and can compromise on battery life, Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra is worth giving a shot.

Sony Xperia XA1 is available in Black, White, and Gold colour options, and comes with UltraQuick Charger UCH12 worth Rs. 1,490 and you can avail a Rs 1,000 discount on Style Cover Stand (original price Rs. 3,490) on the purchase of this smartphone. The Style stand cover is available in Black and White colours.

20 July 2017
Rohan Jaitly