Big enough to fill your pocket, and your life
Confession. I like big phones, and I cannot lie. Maybe it’s because I am a proud survivor of that time in phone history when smaller was better, or perhaps it’s because as you get older, good eyesight generally edges closer to the door to leave. The thing is, I didn’t actually know that I liked phones known as phablets (or, as my friends call them, amabrick) until I actually used one, and I suspect anyone who picks up the Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra will feel the same.
Switching on the six-inch (1,920 x 1,080) screen is an immersive experience. The bright colours and sharp contrasts immediately draw you in and tease you to keep playing. Swipe left, swipe right, open this, open that. It’s a visual carnival but without the nausea that comes with riding on the roller coaster.
The design is also eye-catching with the screen surrounded by a gold casing that both looks and feels premium. You know that if you pull this monster out at the table with friends, they are going to see that you mean business. No more please call mes for you; they will be sending meeting requests to invite you to chill at the pozi.
When you get to the chill spot, the magic happens. You know, the impromptu photoshoots that last for hours and where we let out our inner Naomi Campbells? That 23-megapixel camera will have you looking like you’re flourishing and living your best life.
However, like the perfect lunch date, it really shines in the day when there’s plenty of light and you are the only subject it has to focus on. Pull it out at night in a busy room and it gets confused. Pics are still WhatsAppstatus worthy, but not magazinecover fresh.
But none of that is much good if the damn phone keeps dying. That is where the Sony XA2 Ultra grabs the mic and takes the floor. The official specs and tests will tell you that it has about 14 hours on a full charge. On a day filled with music streaming, checking Twitter, taking calls and watching the odd video, it made that number, but when I left it on standby it lasted a whole week!
Seeing it still alive and kicking after all that time was like watching Stefano DiMera come back from the dead. Glorious.
Now let’s go have a photoshoot ... Kyle Zeeman