Android Gamer: Sony introduces X series to take on upper-mid range competitors

Despite producing hands down the best camera sensors for mobile devices and designs that catch our eye each year at CES and MWC, Sony largely remains an afterthought in the smartphone market. The extreme budget smartphone market isn’t likely a source of interest for them, but to date they hadn’t targeted the upper-mid range that has become an increasingly contentious market in recent years.

This is precisely where Sony is looking to strike with the trio of X series devices that they have unveiled at MWC. Let’s take a look at the specs on each one and see if Sony has found a winning formula.

Xperia X

5-inch 1080p screen
23MP f/2.0 rear camera
13MP f/2.0 front facing camera
Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 processor
3GB RAM
32GB internal storage (microSD support up to 200GB)
2620 mAh battery
Android 6.01

The camera is clearly the highlight feature with the standard X. With many manufacturers scaling back or holding their ground on the megapixel count, Sony is in rare space with a 23MP camera. Sony pushes its Predictive Hybrid Autofocus and Smart Capture as game changers, along with the ability to launch and capture an image in less than 0.6 seconds.

The Xperia X’s design isn’t groundbreaking, but Sony has executed well on the all-metal design that many favor these days. While it doesn’t feature an edge-style screen, the display is curved to create a seamless feel to the device.

Battery is the final feature that Sony is touting on the X, claiming that it will go two days on a charge. I can see how it’s possible given the specs inside the X, but still, I’ll believe it when I see it.

Xperia X Performance

5-inch 1080p screen
23MP f/2.0 rear camera
13MP f/2.0 front facing camera
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
3GB RAM
32GB internal storage (microSD support up to 200GB)
2700 mAh battery
Android 6.01

Did the Xperia X sound interesting to you? How about if it were faster and waterproof? That’s the sales proposition with the X Performance. On the X Performance, the X’s Snapdragon 650 is swapped out for an 820, the battery is bumped up by 80mAh, and the whole package is now waterproof. Notably, the claims about two-day battery life also drop with the X Performance, so you are paying for that extra power. No word on the price difference between these two at the moment.

Xperia XA

5-inch 720p screen
13MP rear camera
8MP front facing camera
MediaTek MT6755 processor
2GB RAM
16GB internal storage (microSD support up to 200GB)
2300 mAh battery
Android 6.01

The XA is the last member of the X series, and it is a definite step down from its siblings in basically every area. The two-day battery life and the edge-to-edge display are the most interesting selling points for the XA. (And presumably the price, but we don’t have that yet.)

The X and X Performance certainly have the potential to be two of the most interesting devices that Sony has put out, but the questions that linger are whether Sony has finally managed to capitalize on its own camera prowess and whether it can price these phones competitively with the likes of the Moto X and OnePlus 2.