X marks the spot as Sony’s new X-series phones arrive in Malaysia
Sony today announced the local release of their X-series phones that made their debut at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this year. Rather than their erstwhile Xperia Z-series designation for their phones, they’ve gone backwards in the alphabet and redesignated their new flagships as the Xperia X-series with three new phones launched today – the flagship Xperia X, the midrange Xperia XA and the selfie centric Xperia XA Ultra. The new range all retain the design identity of the Xperia range with rounded corners and their distinctive flat metal and glass with rounded edges all around.
Of note in the new series is the fact that all of them have a rated two days or so of battery life which is rather achievable seeing the hardware and firmware optimisation that Sony has exhibited on the last generation of Z-series phones. The new range also sticks with 1080p resolution on their displays, with the notable exception of the budget Xperia XA that goes with a 720p display. While it may sound like an odd choice given the plethora of QHD resolution displays on other competing flagship phones in the market, it’s also on the account of arguably diminishing returns after 1080p for screen clarity versus less drain on the battery. Read on to find out what makes each of the three new additions to Sony’s phone line-up special.
Andrew Cheong, Country Director for Sony Mobile showcasing the new Xperia X series
Xperia X
The flagship of the line, the Xperia X packs in every single bit of technical knowhow that Sony currently has to offer. The phone has a 5-inch 1080P display enhanced with their Triluminos tech, their X-Reality for mobile tech and their Dynamic Contrast Enhancement tech for crisper detail and better colours onscreen. It runs with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 hexacore 64-bit processor paired with 3GB RAM and 64GB of expandable memory tied to a hybrid SIM card slot. The integrated 2,620mAh battery aims to offer about two days of battery life on paper and has Quick Charge 2.0 support.
What makes it stand out is the rear 23-MP camera that comes with their obligatory Exmor RS for mobile image sensor, a 24mm wide angle G-lens, the ability to take snaps at up to ISO 12,800 and what they call as Predictive Hybrid Autofocus. This new tech aims to offer, as they claim, the world’s best autofocus on a moving subject. The way this works is that this feature predicts the movement of an object in-frame to deliver judder free shots. The front 13-MP camera comes with a 22mm wide angle lens, their Exmor RS for mobile image sensor and can take snaps in low light at up to ISO 6400. All this is crammed into a casing that’s 7.7mm thin and weighing 152g. It ships in four different colours – Graphite Black, White, Lime Gold and Rose Gold for RM2,499. It will reach stores on 22 June nationwide.
Xperia XA
With a price tag of RM1,199, the Xperia XA aims to offer quite a bit of value for the price of entry. The phone is, according to Sony, the world’s narrowest 5-inch smartphone. The display is 720P and it runs Android Marshmallow on a Mediatek Helio P10 MT6755 64-bit octacore processor. A modest 2GB RAM and 16GB of expandable storage via a hybrid SIM tray that lets you either bung in two SIM cards or one SIM and one microSD card round out its storage options. Lke its siblings, the 2,300mAh battery is rated for two days of battery life and apparently supports fast charging too though it doesn’t come bundled with a fast charger to keep costs down. The rear camera has a 13-MP sensor with hybrid autofocus while the front has an 8-MP sensor. It comes in your choice of Graphite Black, White, Lime Gold and Rose Gold. The phone will arrive in stores nationwide on 27 June, five days after the Xperia X.
Xperia XA Ultra
The Xperia XA Ultra is a slim phablet that’s just a hair under 8cm in width but still manages to cram in a large 6-inch 1080p display, making it currently the world’s narrowest phablet though it’s still rather slim when viewed from the flanks at 8.4mm thin. The XA Ultra’s claim to frame is that it’s front facing camera is more powerful than its rear. The front facing 16-MP camera comes with their Exmor RS for mobile image sensor, optical image stabilisation and a front facing LED flash making it one of the best equipped phones so far with OIS on the front. The rear camera is a 21.5-MP job with an Exmor RS for mobile sensor as well along with Hybrid Autofocus. The built-in 2,700mAh battery is rated for two days of battery life. The phone runs Android Marshmallow on a Mediatek Helio P10 MT6755 octacore processor with 3GB RAM and 16GB of expandable storage. It comes in three different colours – Graphite Black, White and Lime Gold and local variants will have Dual SIM card slots for RM1,699. The phone will arrive in stores nationwide in July.
