Sony has already announced two new smartphones during the company’s IFA 2017 press event today, although they are not the only new smartphones on the way from Sony. In addition to the now-confirmed Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact, Sony is also preparing to release the Xperia XA1 Plus. As the name suggests, this is a follow up device to the Xperia XA1 and the Xperia XA1 Ultra, which were both introduced during this year’s MWC event in Barcelona. Similar to the previous XA1 and XZ models, the difference between the Xperia XA1 Plus and the Xperia XZ1 phones announced today, is that the Xperia XA1 Plus is designed to be more of a mid-range option. Thereby it does come with a reduction in specs, compared to the other two new smartphones, and largely across the board. Although, when it comes to the core specs, there is very little difference between the Xperia XA1 Plus and the Xperia XA1 and Ultra. If anything, the Xperia XA1 Plus seems to be a blend of the Xperia XA1 and Ultra.
First off, the resolution on the 5.5-inch display included with the Xperia XA1 Plus is 1920 x 1080. This is up from the 720p resolution on offer with the Xperia XA1, although it is the same resolution on offer with the Ultra model – which comes with a larger 6-inch display. In other words, the Xperia XA1 Plus comes with a smaller display compared to the Ultra, but with the same resolution. One area where the Xperia XA1 Plus does eclipse both the Xperia XA1 and Ultra is the battery capacity department. As the Xperia XA1 Plus comes equipped with a 3,430 mAh battery, compared to the 2,300 mAh battery included with the Xperia XA1 and the 2,700 mAh battery on offer with the Xperia XA1 Ultra. As well as featuring a number of software tweaks designed to improve the battery experience. Such as Qnovo Adaptive Charging support, Stamina mode support, and quick charging support through Pump Express+ 2.0.
In terms of the rest of the core specs, the Xperia XA1 Plus features 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, and powered by a MediaTek Helio P20 octa-core processor. As for the cameras, the rear camera is also the same setup found on the Xperia XA1 and the Ultra, which in turn, is the same camera configuration that was originally on offer with the Xperia Z5 from 2015, a 23-megapixel camera. In contrast, the front-facing camera is an 8-megapixel camera, the same as what was on offer with the Xperia XA1. In either case, both the front and rear cameras come with HDR for photos support, as well as anti-shake technology. Other notable features include the option to expand the storage when needed (up to 256GB), Bluetooth 4.2, 4G LTE support, and Android 7.0 (Nougat) pre-installed.
In terms of availability, Sony has announced that the Xperia XA1 Plus is due to start to become available from October 20. In terms of the price, the Xperia XA1 Plus is set to arrive with a $379.99 price tag attached, further cementing its position as a mid-range smartphone. In addition, Sony has also confirmed that the Xperia XA1 Plus will be available in a variety of colors, including black, blue, gold, and pink. Although it seems the pink version will not be making its way to the US.
