Sony Xperia XA Ultra
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- AnonD-706011
- YfS
- 12 Oct 2017
This phone looks so elegant and premium, I have not met anyone yet guessed price of this phone less than $500. But, that's said, looks can be deceiving and in XA Ultra case, it is and it is not, because looks hint that it is a premium product but price says otherwise, which is around $200- $250 depends where you shop as of October 2017.
This phone doesn't have fingerprint reader, at least the US version, because of some legal patent issues. You can still find the international version with that hardware. This phone also doesnt have double-tap screen wake up, which has been a standard since at least 2014. I would think that the lack of fingerprint reader should have made double-tap wake a priority. I mean, can this brother have his cake and eat it too? I am aware I am making too many first world complaints, but this is where you make your money. Besides, a phone that runs on Nougat and will be upgraded to Oreo soon, that is disappointing.
Screen is simply gorgeous and even in direct sunlight, it does look like as if it is in a dark room, still crisp and no glare with its very thin bezels.Phone's adaptive brightness truly works. Watching videos on XA Ultra's giant screen is very entertaining. However, from many forums and users photos, I noticed this phone and many other Sony phones are very prone to burn in images, ghost images and image retention, whatever you call it.
Lets compare it to its class of to mid or low range devices. One thing truly matters that tops many other brands operating on android, even Samsung and LG and that is the updates.
This is a mid-range or low end phone as price wise. So, performance is not there. It struggles badly with antutu benchmark, only scores about 45000. That in practice means, even though this phone offers a great viewing for gaming, do not expect to play any graphic intensive games, it will only disappoint you.
Sound on this phone is quite surprising, built in player and sound modes out of the box by Sony are impressive. Just to compare, it is pretty lame for LG to put out a phone like V20 and not have a LG built music player with sound presets, if user has to download an app to enjoy a product's most advertised feature, that feature is only adequate, even still very premium. Sony's Smart Connect app can be downloaded to make XA Ultra more smart and more streamlined for your media consumption.
This phone proves an age old myth. And that is, high MP camera doesnt mean anything at all. XA Ultra has almost twice the pixel density of Google Pixel and mostly standard pixel offerings of 12 or 13 MP of 2017 across the industry. Camera has dedicated shutter button, but that is not a novelty any longer, since most phones allow volume rocker to be used as shutter on camera mode. Photos do not get stabilized and come out blurry if not held firmly. Low light scenarios are more than disappointing, 16MP front and 21MP back cameras do less than mediocre job in low light settings. Some phones 5MP cameras can do far better job. This is my question, how can so many phone manufacturers brag about having Sony lenses on their products, while Sony itself puts such underperforming lenses on their products? That is like someone has a pizza shop and they sell their prime sauce to another pizza shop and they use hunt's tomato sauce, because it is more profitable doing so, without taking pride in their own product.
Lets compare it to its class of to mid or low range devices. One thing truly matters that tops many other brands operating on android, even Samsung and LG and that is the updates and manufacturer support. Sony is simply the best brand with updates and support on android. More Sony phones will be upgrading to Android 8.0 Oreo than any other brand and mostly before any other brand in late 2017 or early 2018. XA Ultra is one of them to get Oreo upgrade. For those who doesnt know how those upgrades matter, it really improves anything from battery life or security to user experience. Even though, as of September 2017, there are still more devices run on android 4.0 KitKat than Android 7.0 Nougat, just try to use a Kitkat phone and a Nougat phone side by side.
So, someone who doesnt play graphic extensive games, who doesnt care his/her email will take 0.03 second less to open than Samsung Galaxy 8, who thinks fingerprint sensor doesnt matter at all or the double-tap, but likes watching a lot of videos on his/her phone and finally do not have more than $200-$250 budget for a phone, this phone should be on your top 5 list.
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- Michel S
- 8Fp
- 11 Oct 2017
Well, I can say that this cell phone has disapointed me somehow, it is not what I expected. The camera only takes great pic during the day, at night it sucks, for real, flash light is kind of dimmed. Internal storage is rediculous, I can only download 4 or 5 apps out of the ones the phons brings. Battery, uff! It runs out so fast, I start day 100% by early night, it is almost dead. On the other hand, size is great, colors not that bright, but ok.
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- Nilesh
- fCE
- 09 Oct 2017
Poor Network
Poor Network
Poor Network
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- adelramy
- fkA
- 08 Oct 2017
Great cellular phone, all problems had been solved after updating the android 7.
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- mami
- f}I
- 08 Oct 2017
sojib, 25 Aug 2017samsung j7 max or sony xa ultra whice better......please te... moreAlso I have this problem
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- Mamoń
- g8h
- 07 Oct 2017
Great phone!
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- K
- v0q
- 05 Oct 2017
sunny, 03 Sep 2017camra is good but battery not wery well Over heating of xperia phones is very usua! It becomes super Hot!!😤😡🤣
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- nihal
- K8T
- 05 Oct 2017
after update solved voice calling problem
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- Brayan
- JQ3
- 02 Oct 2017
To be honest i have no problems fast charge long battery duration fantastic camera and its very responsive. Maybe you guys bought 1 defective or idk.
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- AnonD-704556
- y%5
- 01 Oct 2017
First of all, Battery is worst is in this phone. The phone takes hours to charge but doesn't last even hour very well. Secondly, Call quality is not good always and the person who is listening has difficulty sometimes to hear us. Last but not least GPS is also very poor 9 out of 10 times it doesn't guide you to the destination. It gets lost in between. Will not recommend anyone to buy it not just this phone but any sony. Worst experience and will not recommend anyone to buy it.
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- AnonD-704490
- GQT
- 30 Sep 2017
AnonD-704235, 29 Sep 2017This is an awful phone, I regret the moment I bought it, it... moreYou must have purchased a fake or defective piece
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- AnonD-704235
- n5U
- 29 Sep 2017
This is an awful phone, I regret the moment I bought it, it's simply poor in every aspect possible;
First of all it freezes while I'm browsing my pictures, then the audio quality of call is very poor (the worst) and finally the Bluetooth connectivity is below average. Definitely my worst buy so far.
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- Vray
- LGK
- 29 Sep 2017
ODS, 27 Sep 2017Received a 700+MB of update .... installed it and phone got... moreI received the update but did not apply it as there is no info for whats in it. Have you noticed any changes to the UI or its functionality?
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- ODS
- XHf
- 27 Sep 2017
Received a 700+MB of update .... installed it and phone got rebooted and the android did its operation mode. When it came back up, it's still same 7.0, I thought it would be to the next 7.0.1 or maybe even OREO but its not. What did Sony pushed to my phone?
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- Naresh kadem
- Let
- 27 Sep 2017
Naresh kadem, 11 Sep 2017Still I can't get any solution for this, call volume too low. Thanq sony.
Today updated my mobile, now it's OK. Phone calls Working with good voice clarity.
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- Vnzmstr
- wYI
- 25 Sep 2017
Wifi constantly disconnects. My cousin and her husband both have xperia phones. Xperia xa ultra and z3. Both have problems with wifi. Is this a widespread issue in sony xperia? Some of my friends also have xperia phones and they're issues are the same.
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- Arpan
- PAX
- 19 Sep 2017
willy, 25 Aug 2017how to return back to 6.0?No chance to com back to 6.0 vs
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- 6666
- ibg
- 14 Sep 2017
Denize, 12 Sep 2017I've got a problem of this, I can't use my 4g Lte! Any sugg... moreMy xa ultra(f3216) also can't use 4G LTE After updated to Nougat 7.0.
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- Denize
- uH}
- 12 Sep 2017
I've got a problem of this, I can't use my 4g Lte! Any suggestion?
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- Naresh kadem
- L1f
- 11 Sep 2017
Naresh kadem, 27 Jul 2017Im suffering with imo video calls & imo loud speaker ca... moreStill I can't get any solution for this, call volume too low.