Are you the person amongst your group of friends that loves taking selfies? Do you struggle to get all your friends in the photo? If you answered yes to either of the above, then this review of the Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra is for you. Let me tell you why:
Design:
One thing that I have always appreciated about Sony Xperia devices is the build quality. The Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra is made of mostly aluminium, except the back which is made of plastic. I actually didn’t even realize this at first. In the hand the device feels sturdy and well built. At 163 x 80mm and weighing 221 grams, the XA2 Ultra is large and a bit on the heavy side. You will need to tighten your grip, so you don’t drop it.
At the sides of the display you will find very thin bezels which make the display look nearly infinite. There are thick bezels at the top and bottom which house the dual camera, call speaker and flash. On the right side of the device, you get a power button and volume rocker near the centre and a camera button near the bottom. I found I could not reach the volume rocker without first moving the phone a bit. The phone is large and I don’t have the biggest hands. As a daily phone, this would annoy me. At the top and bottom of the device you get an earphone jack, a speaker and a USB Type C port.
The back has a centrally positioned camera with a fingerprint sensor below. I found the fingerprint sensor easy to locate and after a bit of practice, I got my finger on the sensor first time round.
Display:
With a large display of 6 inches, it is easy to see why the XA2 has “Ultra” in its name. The IPS LCD display has a resolution of 1080 by 1920 pixels and is sharp and clear with rich colours. The display can go pretty bright and performs well under the sun. If you are looking for a phone with a large display to watch Netflix on and play some games, then the Xperia XA2 Ultra is the perfect device for you. The thick top and bottom bezels make for the perfect place to hold the device while binging on Netflix.
Processor/Ram:
Powered by a 2.2Ghz Octa-core processor with 4GB of RAM, the XA2 Ultra has nippy performance. It can handle the usual activities such as streaming videos, playing games and social media apps. Apps load quickly and it is also possible to multitask without lag.
Camera:
At the rear you get a 23MP camera with geo tagging, touch focus, HDR and panorama. With an aperture of 2, you can take really nice photos in the daytime and decent photos in duller conditions. The rear camera captures photos rich in colour and detail.
I was very surprised by the amazing photos I captured:
Now this is where the XA2 Ultra gets interesting. At the front, you get dual selfie cameras. Yes, you read that right. There is a 16MP lens which has optical image stabilization as well as an LED flash. Then there is an 8MP lens which has a 120 degree field of view to take super wide selfies. The super wide front camera allows you to capture more people in a selfie, which makes getting that perfect group selfie so much easier.
In this example below, I took the same photo using each of the front cameras making sure not to move the phone. Look how much more the wide selfie captures!
Normal Selfie Camera:
Wide Selfie Camera:
Here is a group example, with the wide angle lens, I could have even added more people in the shot!
Normal Selfie Camera:
Wide Selfie Camera:
I like that there is a dedicated camera button as sometimes depending on the type of photo you are taking and how you are holding the phone, it is not always easy to use the on screen button.
The camera app is easy to use and has a range of features such as Superior Auto which adjusts the settings depending on what the camera picks up. In Manual Mode, you can adjust the ISO, white balance, focus, exposure and shutter speed. You can also turn off HDR, though, I preferred using HDR to make the images more lit, detailed and colourful.
For those that like taking video on the go, you will be happy to know that you can shoot video in Full HD @ 30 or 60 fps. The phone does support 4K video but you will be warned that the phone may get hot and switch off, something I have experienced when I used to use Sony’s. I would suggest sticking to full HD video. The quality is good and the XA2 Ultra has a full HD display so you would not really notice the difference when watching 4K video on the phone.
Storage:
The XA2 Ultra comes with internal storage of either 32GB or 64GB with support of a microSD card up to 256GB. The system uses 17GB so you will definitely be needing a memory card. In South Africa, only the 32GB model is for sale.
Software:
The XA2 Ultra is running the latest version of Android, 8.0 Oreo, so you can enjoy the best of Android Oreo straight out the box. Sony have applied their UI which we have seen on many of the other Sony Xperia smartphones. The look and feel is clean and simple and overall everything is running smoothly. Sony have added a bit of bloatware, such as the Xperia Lounge and Playstation apps, which after using Xperia devices for 5 years, I never touched. You unfortunately can’t uninstall these apps, but you can disable them, which still takes up space though.
Sound:
There is one downward facing speaker on the XA2 Ultra. While the speaker does go very loud, at higher volumes the sound becomes a bit distorted. Overall, the sound quality is adequate but I would have liked to see stereo speakers, like the Galaxy S9 has.
Battery:
With a non-removable Li-Ion 3580 mAh battery, most users should get a day of usage. Heavy users like myself made it from the morning to night with about 20% available before plugging in to sleep. If you are a light user, you may be able to make it to the next day! The phone does not support wireless charging but hey at least charging is done via a USB Type C port, so you will get the cable in the right away every time. For those that need a bit of help saving power, you can use Stamina or Ultra Stamina mode to save power. The XA2 Ultra does support fast charging but you need to buy the quick charge adapter.
What’s in the box:
- Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
- Charging adapter
- Data Cable (USB-A to USB Type-C)
Price:
At R6299 the XA2 Ultra falls in the mid-range pricing. At this price, you don’t really get many other smartphones with such a large display and decent battery life. So the XA2 Ultra is definitely well priced. If you want something a bit smaller, you can also look at the Xperia XA2.
Verdict:
With a really nice large display, great battery life, great performance and a wide angle selfie camera, the Xperia XA2 Ultra really is a winner. Let’s not forget about the superior build quality. If you are looking for a phone with a large display that won’t break the bank, then the Xperia XA2 Ultra may just be the smartphone for you. Your friends will also love your group selfies!
