Big on screen and cameras
The Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra gives great views and images, writes Mohd Noor Aswad
THE Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra is a mid-tier phone which offers two good features - dual front cameras and a six-inch 18:9 screen. The phone looks expensive with its thick metal body. For those who like big screens for watching HD movies and viewing pictures, the full HD display will not disappoint.
The 18:9 screen is perfect for watching movies. Colour reproduction is accurate and crisp.
The phone screen is built with strong and durable Corning Gorilla Glass, so you don’t have to worry about scratches. It sits within a borderless design. The hardware is so immersive that the screen becomes indistinguishable from the experience.
Despite its size, the Xperia XA2 Ultra is easy to hold. I also like the curved shape of the surface design.
DESIGN
The Xperia XA2 Ultra has big bezels at the top and bottom, keeping the 18:9 screen secure.
With a dimension of 163x80x9.5mm and at 221g, this phone is not a one-handed device.
You can hold it with one hand but manoeuvering the screen and apps is a bit difficult.
However, worry not: Sony has worked on a function that enables users to resize the active working screen into a smaller and more manageable dimension for one-handed access.
The smaller screen can be adjusted to left or right side of the phone to suit your hold, whether you’re right- or left-handed.
For me, it feels out of place due to the rest of the empty space
Its thickness makes this phone hard to fit into your jeans pocket.
This phone, however, comes with a new smartphone standard: a responsive fingerprint scanner located neatly at the back.
POWER
Sony uses Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor, which is powerful enough to make the phone performance zippy for normal daily usage, surfing the Internet and gaming.
This phone comes with 64GB of internal storage but users can add up to 256GB external storage. The 4GB of RAM is adequate but it would have been better if Sony included6GB memory.
I call this a business phone because it has a dual SIM card feature which comes in handy to keep private and business lines separate.
CAMERAS
Engineered specifically for selfies, the Xperia XA2 Ultra features 16MP with optical image stabilisation and 8MP 120-degree super wideangle dual front cameras, both with front flash, producing clear shots regardless of lighting or environment and for fitting more friends and surroundings into selfies.
If you are a fan of selfies, this is the phone for you.
Its 23MP main camera is capable of taking detail, sharp images, and the large 1/2.3-inch Exmor RSTM isof ISO 12800 sensitivity for better low-light photography.
This high ISO feature is normally available in high-end dSLR and mirror-less cameras.
The phone can record 4K movies and 120fps slow motion videos, allowing users to preserve memories and magnify moments.
BATTERY
The phone has a huge battery befitting its big body. Its battery capacity of 3580mAh should get you through the day.
Hopefully in the next upgrade, we can see one with a 4000mAh battery capacity.
CONCLUSION
For a mid-range phone priced at RM1,999, the Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra has that expensive look with its metal body and thickness. Its dual SIM card capability is essential for those who practise work and life balance. Verdict: 3.5/5
It sits within a borderless design. The hardware is so immersive that the screen becomes indistinguishable from the experience.