Sony Xperia XA1: Camera, battery life, performance … Our complete smartphone test

Presented at the MWC 2017, the Sony Xperia XA1 is a smartphone as elegant as the Xperia XZ Premium. We tested it for a week and here are our impressions in terms of autonomy, performance and camera.
With the Xperia XA1, Sony has redefined the concept of borderless smartphone. Its new mid-range is edgeless, only, on the sides. But leaving several millimeters between the top of the smartphone and its screen, the Japanese manufacturer has delivered a device that looks very big for a 5 inches. At the writing, we did not hesitate to compare it to a Huawei P10 Lite, a smartphone equipped with a screen of 5.2 inches, and the result is impressive. The Xperia XA1 is more impressive than a P10 Lite! Fortunately, the new mobile phone from Sony is good to take in hand and its technical sheet has something to feast on.
In terms of screen, the Sony Xperia XA1 has good arguments. Whether on a sunny terrace or in a subway, the 5-inch screen adapts to different light conditions . But it’s especially the interface of the Xperia XA1 that amazed me. Very close to Android Nougat, the Xperia UI overlay offers a menu display and a similar bar that recall the latest version of the Google OS, which facilitates the user experience. The new Nippon smartphone is also offered with several pre-installed apps. Among these, particularly include, Playstation, Xperia Lounge, Shop Amazon .. . But unlike other manufacturers, the giant Nippon offers us the possibility to uninstall them.
To move on to serious things and gauge the power of the smartphone, I decided to install and launch the Asphalt Extreme. And the least we can say is that the mobile chip MediaTek Helio P20 with the 3GB memory does not pretend. Fluid, the game has not suffered from any slowdown . And on the photo side, Sony is finally up to its reputation. At the time when the Nippon provides the photo sensors of the best flagship market (LG G6, iPhone 7) , it has often been unable to have such good photo quality on its own terminals. But in 2017, Sony set the record straight.
With a high-speed, accurate autofocus, the Xperia XA1 can allow you to capture the most spontaneous moments. This picture of my cat yawning (below) that I took with the smartphone of Sony is the perfect illustration of these words. Finally, the Xperia XA1 is also distinguished by its system by its system of optical stabilization. The Sony camera also shoots in Full HD and an HDR mode is proposed to improve the sharpness of your photos against the light. In short, everything is good for taking nice pictures.
The Xperia XA1 has been designed to deliver even longer performance. Qnovo Adapt Charging technology controls the battery condition and adjusts the charge time to prevent damage and maximize battery life. Yes, you understood it. Sony has done everything to ensure a long life span of the Xperia XA1 . When used intensively, the smartphone can easily exceed 13 hours, which places it at the same level as a Huawei P10 Lite but a little way down from the Honor 6X or the Galaxy A3 2017.
With this smartphone, Sony proves to us that it is always in the blow (even if one never doubted to the drafting). Fluid and pleasant in hand, the Xperia XA1 allows to capture beautiful photos outdoors and is inspired by the swipe of Snapchat to facilitate the use of its photos app . Equipped with a good battery life and a solid technical data sheet, it stands out for its virtually rimless display and rectangular design that changes from what we are used to seeing on the market. But if you are in love with this terminal, you can also find some faults. Its elongated format is, for example, a real disadvantage in everyday life. If you want to have fun with this very nice smartphone, you can shopper it here .