Sony has officially announced the Xperia XA1 and the Xperia XA1 Ultra, two follow up devices to last year’s Xperia XA and Xperia XA Ultra devices. Each phone is set to have some marked improvements over last year’s models not the least of which is the rear-facing camera on both devices, which is the same camera sensor that Sony used for the Xperia Z5 that launched in 2015. Both devices will come with Android 7.0 Nougat on board for the software, so there will be all the standard things you would find with other Nougat-based devices like app shortcuts, improved doze mode and multi-window.
Sony also introduces some features that are special and unique to the Xperia XA1 and Xperia XA1 Ultra, like the Smart Amp feature which is used to help enhance and boost the sound of audio on the device. With Smart Amp, users will be able to listen to their favorite music, watch streaming videos, and play their favorite mobile games all with rich, better quality sound that features more clarity. This will help improve the overall experience and immerse the user into what they’re doing as well as just generally help things sound better than when the Smart Amp is disabled. Both phones come with dual front-facing stereo speakers which are already likely to sound pretty decent on their own, but the Smart Amp will be there to utilize for those who look for excellent audio quality as one of the features in their phones. There’s also xLOUD included which will make these front-facing speakers sound even more incredible.
While the Sony Xperia XA1 and XA1 Ultra were announced at Mobile World Congress, they aren’t expected to be available until later this year. The Sony Xperia XA1 is expected to be available on April 26th in select markets for about $299 with the Xperia XA1 Ultra coming in the “Summer” of 2017, and pricing has not yet been announced. These two devices likely will come to the US, and will only be available unlocked as Sony has been looking to stick to the unlocked market as of late, instead of hooking up with carriers.
