Sony Xperia XA2 review

The Competition

The Xperia XA2 brings quite a few upgrades over the XA1 to make it an attractive jump. There is a bigger and higher-res display, a larger battery, new processor, and an updated design - all of these at the expense of a slightly thicker body.

The competition has a lot of attractive offers, too, so here is what you can get at the price of an Xperia XA2.

Samsung's Galaxy A5 (2017) has a water-tight shell to brag with and a screen is of the same size and pixel count, but a Super AMOLED one. Its GPU isn't as good, but the main camera has a brighter aperture, while the selfie snapper impresses with high-res images. There is no 4K video recording or Android Oreo on the A5, though.

The water-proof Moto X4 is a good match for the Xperia XA2. It has a similar screen, battery, and the same Snapdragon 630 chip. The X4's highlight feature is the dual-camera on the back with bokeh effect and everything. The X4 is part of the Android One program, so it runs on Oreo and fast updates are sure to happen. The only thing the Xperia XA2 does better than the X4 is trimming those screen bezels.

HTC U11 Life is another member of Android One, with similar screen, chip, and two 16MP snappers - one at the front, and one on the back. It has a smaller battery but shines with a unique glass-like body.

Finally, the Nokia 7 is yet to hit the markets worldwide, but it has already made it to quite a few checklists. The 7 has similar screen, chip, and battery to the Xperia XA2, but relies on a different kind of camera experience - the rear 16MP snapper has a ZEISS lens, and it can capture "bothies" - a split screen visual for photos as well as videos that harnesses both front and rear cameras simultaneously. Nokia OZO audio is built-in for recording immersive sound too.

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) • Motorola Moto X4 • HTC U11 Life • Nokia 7

The Verdict

The Sony Xperia XA2 is a proper upgrade to the XA1 in terms of hardware. The latest available Android OS surely adds up for the very positive impressions.

Our only issue was with the selfie downgrade - the 8MP wide-angle camera has lost the autofocus and the brighter aperture compared to the XA1. And we would have appreciated at least some splash protection, as most of the competition is already going for a tight IP68 ingress protection.

Pros

• Nice design, feels great in hand
• Pretty bezel-less, contrasty and very bright screen
• Superb battery life
• Efficient chip with balanced performance
• Very capable main camera
• Android Oreo and lightweight Xperia topping

Cons

• Disappointing selfie photos
• Soft 4K videos
• Not bundled with a QC 3.0 charger
• Not so good audio quality through the jack

Just like the XA1, the Xperia XA2 has the DNA of a best-seller and could easily become the trendy smartphone of the season. Sony fans are going to love it, and it definitely deserves a recommendation.