Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra

The Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra is a big screen, triple camera-toting, affordable smartphone that will try and tempt those not able to afford the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and Huawei Mate 10 Pro.

Arriving alongside the Xperia XA2 and Xperia L2 at CES 2018, the Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra packs in a 6-inch full HD display, Snapdragon 630 chipset, 4GB of RAM, 32GB or 64GB of storage, 16MP + 8MP dual front cameras and a 23MP rear camera.

There's also a rear mounted fingerprint scanner, NFC and a sizable 3,580mAh battery.

Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra price and release date

Those in the US will be able to buy the Xperia XA2 Ultra from February 16 and it should ship straight to your door soon after. The Xperia XA2 Ultra release date in the UK and Australia is still unclear.

When it comes to price, it's set to cost $449.99 in the US (about £320, AU$560) but we don't know the exact price for the UK and Australia. If you live in the UK you'll be able to buy it on O2 and Three, but we'll update this hands on review as soon as we know more about the cost.

Design

The Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra boasts a familiar Sony design, which isn't the most exciting out there, but it is at least functional.

There's a metal frame to the handset which makes it feel solid, but the rear of the handset is plastic, which reminds you that this isn't a premium handset.

It measures 163 x 80 x 9.5mm and weighs 221g, which means it's sizable, and heavy in the hand. You'll also need to employ both hands if you want do some furious typing, as it can get a little unwieldy in just one palm.

The fingerprint scanner on the rear is easy to hit, and Sony has shifted it from its more commonly side-mounted location. The reason, it's easier for everyone (both left and right handed users) to hit, and we're inclined to agree.

There's a headphone jack on the top, which will please corded fans, while on the base you'll find a USB-C port.

Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra hands on gallery

Display

One of the big talking points on the Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra is its screen, measuring 6 inches and packing in a full HD, 1080p resolution.

There isn't a great choice of smartphones with screens this size at the sort of price point the Xperia XA2 will be pitched at, which means it may be able to carve out a nice niche for itself for those looking for an affordable Netflix/gaming device.

Cameras

The Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra features not one, not two, but three cameras - although only one of those is placed on the rear of the handset.

That rear facing snapper is a 23MP offering, which is actually the same as the sensor found on its predecessor - but it's not totally identical.

Thanks to the Snapdragon 630 chipset inside the XA2 Ultra, the camera on this phone can shoot 4K video, plus it performs better in low-light too.

It's round the front where things get interesting though, as the Xperia XA2 Ultra comes with 16MP and 8MP snappers.

The 16MP camera features OIS (optical image stabilization), which improves low-light performance and is assisted by a LED flash to really brighten up shots without a loss of quality.

Meanwhile the 8MP camera boasts a 120 degree field of view, allowing you to pack in a whole group of people for a selfie. You can easily switch between the two cameras in the camera app with two buttons at the base of the viewfinder.

Power, OS and battery

There's plenty of power under the hood of the Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra, with a Snapdragon 630 chip and 4GB of RAM.

It's in charge of running the latest version of Google's software, Android 8 Oreo, and we found navigation to be fluid and applications opening swiftly.

Sony has increased the size of the battery in the Xperia XA2 Ultra, with a 3,850mAh power pack inside. It claims it offers around 20% more battery life than its predecessor, which is good news if it turns out to be true. We'll find out in our in-depth review soon.

Early verdict

For anyone looking for a big screen phone at an affordable price tag the Xperia XA2 Ultra may well fit the bill.

Its high resolution display, coupled with a bigger battery and a decent slug of power means it's set up well to be a great gaming and Netflix machine that doesn't break the bank.

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