Introduction
The smartphone market is undergoing some interesting developments. Just eight months ago, 6-inch displays were considered humongous, but today, they seem to be the new normal for a large screen smartphone. So the phone we have here today - the Xperia XA2 Plus might have been called an Ultra had it been released half a year ago. But today, it's merely a Plus in the XA2 lineup - a testament to the change in perception consumers are undergoing.
The Sony Xperia XA2 Plus is seemingly a successor to the XA2 Ultra, bringing about a few subtle but important changes.
For starters - the XA2 Plus is the first mid-range Xperia to employ an 18:9 screen. It's a 6" one, just like on the Ultra, but with taller aspect ratio and higher resolution. The screen bezels have been trimmed and thus the Plus is both shorter and narrower than the Ultra model it succeeds.
The XA2 Plus also brings a Gorilla Glass shield version 5 (up from 4), and the 64GB model now has 6 gigs of RAM (up from 4GB).
The selfie camera has been downgraded though, the XA2 Plus has only the 8MP cam introduced first on the Xperia XA2, instead of the dual 16MP (OIS) + 8MP sharpshooter of the Ultra. But the Ultra wasn't so awesome in taking selfies anyhow regardless of the strong credentials on paper. So we are not too bummed about this downgrade.
The Xperia XA2 Plus gets to keep the capable Snapdragon 630 chipset, the high-end 23MP main camera, and even the 3,580 mAh battery from the Ultra. The bill of materials has stayed the same as well - an aluminum frame and a polycarbonate back.
The Android it comes with is still Oreo despite the fact that Android Pie is already around. But Sony has a solid reputation for updating its phones down the line so we won't consider this a disadvantage just yet.
But let's take a look at the specs:
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus specs:
- Body: Aluminum frame, polycarbonate back.
- Display: 6" 1,080x2,160 IPS LCD, 402ppi pixel density.
- Rear camera: 23MP, 1/2.3" sensor size, f/2.0 aperture, 25mm-equiv. focal length. Hybrid (PD/contrast) autofocus. 2160p/30fps video recording.
- Front camera: 8MP, 1/4" sensor size, f/2.4 aperture, 120-degree field of view; fixed focus. 1080p/30fps video recording.
- OS/Software: Android 8.0 Oreo, Xperia launcher
- Chipset: Snapdragon 630: octa-core 2.2GHz Cortex-A53 CPU, Adreno 508 GPU.
- Memory: 4/6GB of RAM; 32/64GB storage; hybrid microSD slot for expansion.
- Battery: 3,580 mAh (sealed); QuickCharge 3.0 fast charging.
- Connectivity: Single/Dual SIM; LTE Cat. 12/13 (600Mbps download); USB-C; Wi-Fi a/b/g/n; GPS; NFC; Bluetooth 5; FM radio
- Misc: Rear-mounted fingerprint reader; single speaker on the bottom; 3.5mm jack; two-stage hardware camera shutter release key.
The Xperia XA2 Plus is not that different from the Ultra and we doubt it will make Ultra owners switch. But it's one very interesting offer in an overcrowded mid-range market. And we'll gladly take it for a spin.
Unboxing the Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
Our Xperia XA2 Plus came bundled with a 7.5W charger and a USB Type-C cable. But that's just one of the possible bundles.
The good news is the Xperia XA2 Plus box contents are different across the markets, the bad news - you can't choose. Our box is the most basic one you can find but it should be also the most widespread option.
Just like other Sony phones, the Xperia XA2 Plus will be available elsewhere with a Quick Charge 3.0-compatible charger, and some boxes might even surprise you with a pair of in-ear headphones. If you are really interested in the Xperia XA2 Plus retail bundle, you should check with your local Sony website.
Design
We were always fond of the industrial design and feel some previous Xperia models had, which has evolved into the streamlined shape and clean looks the Xperia XA2 Plus has today.
The highlight feature of the Plus model is the tall screen with reduced top and bottom, and non-existent side bezels. It's still a 6" unit but with a taller 18:9 aspect ratio. The whole thing is protected by a flat piece of Gorilla Glass 5.
It's always nice to see Sony trim those bezels as the maker was known to have the most generous bezels in the business for quite a while. The XA series was leading the way in this regard, and the XA2 Plus is yet another beautiful example of how Sony is improving its products.
The chin is quite thin and has nothing on it. Above the screen is the earpiece, the selfie camera, and a couple of well-hidden sensors. There is also a notification LED light next to the selfie snapper, which can blink in red (low battery), green (unplug charger) or white (notifications).
The XA2 Plus joins a couple of other Xperia smartphones with the swollen-like back. The polycarbonate piece is almost flat, but when you look carefully you'll see it has a subtle curve. While the appearance may be a bit controversial, the benefits are undeniable - better grip, better fit in the palm, and overall nice handling experience.
The matte back does boost the grip, too, and the Xperia XA2 Plus feels secure enough in hand in spite of its large size and curvy frame. Indeed, the metal frame is curved to grip-ruining extent, but the back completely saves the day.
The 23MP camera is flush at the back and the fingerprint sensor sits comfortably below it. Around is also a single LED flash. The Xperia XA2 Plus, just like a whole bunch of other Xperia phones, offers a two-step shutter key on one of its sides - a thing that's been long gone elsewhere.
The Xperia XA2 Plus isn't skipping on any of the important connectivity features - the 3.5mm audio port is intact, it has a microSD card slot (hybrid in case of the dual-SIM model), and a USB Type-C port.
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
The Xperia XA2 Plus spreads at 157 x 75 x 9.6 mm - that's 5mm shorter and narrower than the Ultra model even though the screen is still a 6" one. The phone weighs 16 less than the Ultra, too, at 205g.
Overall, we are quite happy with the Xperia XA2 Plus build and its handling experience. The phone is large, no two words about that, but Sony made some right choices by design and the Plus is perfectly usable.
Display
The Sony Xperia XA2 Plus introduces the first 18:9 screen to company's mid-range series - a 6" 1080p+ panel, which offers almost the same surface area as the regular 6" 1080p screen we saw on the XA2 Ultra. Luckily the Plus model isn't as chunkier thanks to the thinned bezels.
There is a Gorilla Glass 5 shielding the screen, a level up since the XA2 Ultra.
The screen resolution is 1,080 x 2,160 pixels - those are spread at 402ppi on the 6" panel and we experienced perfectly sharp picture.
The XA2 Plus screen offers an excellent maximum brightness of 520 nits. The black levels have improved a bit since the XA2 Ultra and thus the contrast ratio is now great at north of 1500:1.
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | ||
| 0.341 | 519 | 1522 | |
| 0.401 | 532 | 1327 | |
| 0.404 | 631 | 1562 | |
| 0.382 | 603 | 1579 | |
| 0.376 | 591 | 1572 | |
| 0.314 | 461 | 1468 | |
| 0.414 | 470 | 1135 | |
| 0 | 455 | ∞ | |
| 0.277 | 420 | 1516 | |
| 0.254 | 432 | 1701 | |
Te outdoor visibility of the Xperia XA2 Plus screen is great, just like it was on the XA2 Ultra.
Sunlight contrast ratio
- Apple iPhone X
5.013 - OnePlus 5T
4.789 - Samsung Galaxy S8
4.768 - Samsung Galaxy S8+
4.658 - Samsung Galaxy S9
4.63 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
4.615 - Samsung Galaxy S9+
4.537 - Samsung Galaxy Note9
4.531 - Sony Xperia XZ3
4.502 - Motorola Moto Z2 Play
4.459 - Oppo R11
4.454 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
4.439 - OnePlus 3
4.424 - Samsung Galaxy S7
4.376 - OnePlus 6
4.321 - HTC One A9
4.274 - Oppo R15 Pro
4.251 - Samsung Galaxy Note7
4.247 - Samsung Galaxy A3
4.241 - Nokia 8
4.239 - Google Pixel 2 XL (pre-update)
4.234 - OnePlus 3T
4.232 - Google Pixel XL
4.164 - ZTE Axon 7
4.154 - Samsung Galaxy Note8
4.148 - Meizu Pro 7 Plus
4.147 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)
4.124 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge
4.124 - vivo V11
4.113 - Huawei Mate 10 Pro (normal)
4.096 - Samsung Galaxy Note5
4.09 - Huawei P20 Pro
4.087 - Xiaomi Mi 8
4.086 - Meizu 15
4.082 - Nokia 6 (2018)
4.052 - Google Pixel 2 (pre-update)
4.023 - LG V30
4.022 - Huawei Nexus 6P
4.019 - vivo NEX S
4.012 - Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro
3.998 - Vivo Xplay5 Elite
3.983 - OnePlus X
3.983 - LG G7 ThinQ (outdoor)
3.978 - Oppo R7s
3.964 - Apple iPhone 7
3.964 - Apple iPhone 8 (True Tone)
3.957 - Huawei P9 Plus
3.956 - Oppo Find X
3.954 - Meizu Pro 6 Plus
3.935 - Lenovo Moto Z
3.931 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016)
3.918 - OnePlus 5
3.914 - Samsung Galaxy C5
3.911 - Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
3.901 - Samsung Galaxy C7
3.896 - Samsung Galaxy A5
3.895 - Samsung Galaxy J7 outdoor
3.879 - Samsung Galaxy J2 outdoor
3.873 - Motorola Moto G6 Plus
3.865 - Samsung Galaxy A8
3.859 - Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018)
3.842 - Samsung Galaxy A6+ (2018)
3.834 - Sony Xperia XZs
3.818 - Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016)
3.817 - Motorola Moto X (2014)
3.816 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
3.812 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
3.804 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) outdoor mode
3.802 - Xiaomi Redmi Pro
3.798 - LG V20 Max auto
3.798 - Sony Xperia XZ
3.795 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)
3.789 - Apple iPhone 6s
3.783 - Meizu Pro 5
3.781 - Microsoft Lumia 650
3.772 - Xiaomi Mi 6
3.767 - Sony Xperia XZ1
3.765 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
3.756 - Nokia 8 Sirocco
3.745 - Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact
3.729 - Apple iPhone 8 Plus (True Tone)
3.725 - Oppo F1 Plus
3.709 - Vivo X5Pro
3.706 - Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
3.688 - Huawei P20
3.683 - Apple iPhone SE
3.681 - Huawei Mate 9
3.68 - Samsung Galaxy A7
3.679 - Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact
3.675 - Meizu PRO 6
3.659 - BlackBerry Priv
3.645 - Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra
3.597 - Apple iPhone 7 Plus
3.588 - Sony Xperia XZ2
3.58 - LG G6
3.556 - Apple iPhone 6s Plus
3.53 - Motorola Moto Z Play
3.526 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) outdoor mode
3.523 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016)
3.523 - Acer Jade Primo
3.521 - Microsoft Lumia 950
3.512 - Oppo R7 Plus
3.499 - Nokia 7 plus
3.479 - nubia Z11
3.466 - Huawei P10 Plus
3.456 - HTC U Ultra
3.453 - Motorola Moto G6
3.448 - Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
3.445 - Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
3.445 - Samsung Galaxy J7
3.422 - Motorola Moto G6 Play
3.419 - Meizu MX5
3.416 - LG V20
3.402 - Samsung Galaxy A6 (2018)
3.397 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 AI Dual Camera
3.393 - LG G7 ThinQ
3.39 - Huawei P10
3.379 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
3.378 - Oppo R9s
3.352 - Honor Play
3.349 - Honor 8 Pro
3.341 - Oppo F7
3.333 - Oppo R7
3.32 - Lenovo P2
3.316 - Archos Diamond Omega
3.305 - Honor 9
3.289 - Xiaomi Mi 5s
3.276 - Nokia 5
3.261 - Nokia 6 (Chinese version)
3.244 - Xiaomi Mi 5
3.24 - Nokia 6 (Global version)
3.238 - Samsung Galaxy J2
3.235 - Sony Xperia X Performance
3.234 - Xiaomi Mi Note 2
3.228 - Motorola Moto X Play
3.222 - Oppo F3 Plus
3.218 - BlackBerry KEY2
3.212 - Huawei Mate 9 Pro
3.206 - Huawei P9
3.195 - Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
3.19 - ZTE Nubia Z17
3.159 - Oppo R11s
3.153 - Lenovo Vibe Shot
3.113 - HTC U11 Life
3.108 - Motorola Moto X Force
3.105 - LG Nexus 5X
3.092 - HTC U11
3.089 - Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite
3.087 - HTC U12+
3.085 - Xiaomi Redmi S2 (Y2)
3.077 - Huawei Mate S
3.073 - Oppo F9
3.069 - Microsoft Lumia 640 XL
3.065 - Xiaomi Mi Max 3
3.061 - Xiaomi Pocophone F1
3.059 - Huawei Mate 20 Lite
3.051 - Apple iPhone 6 Plus
3.023 - Asus Zenfone 4 ZE554KL
3.019 - Sony Xperia XA1
3.012 - Motorola Moto X4
3.012 - Oppo Realme 2
3.006 - Sony Xperia L1
2.994 - Sony Xperia X
2.989 - LG Q6
2.987 - Huawei P10 Lite
2.974 - Samsung Galaxy Note
2.97 - Huawei P20 Lite
2.952 - Xiaomi Redmi 5
2.951 - Huawei Mate 8
2.949 - Sony Xperia XA2
2.938 - Oppo Realme 1
2.932 - Xiaomi Redmi 4
2.92 - Xiaomi Redmi 3S
2.913 - Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
2.913 - Sony Xperia XA Ultra
2.906 - LG G5
2.905 - Huawei Honor View 10
2.896 - Xiaomi Redmi 3s Prime
2.893 - Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus
2.884 - Sony Xperia XZ Premium
2.877 - Sony Xperia XZ Premium (sRGB)
2.877 - Sony Xperia Z5
2.876 - Nokia 3
2.871 - Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
2.867 - Microsoft Lumia 550
2.851 - Nokia 3.1
2.837 - Lenovo Moto M
2.813 - Xiaomi Redmi 3 Pro
2.803 - Sony Xperia Z5 compact
2.784 - Honor 10 (Vivid)
2.757 - Nokia 2
2.752 - Meizu MX6
2.751 - LG V10
2.744 - Huawei Mate 10 (normal)
2.742 - Motorola Moto G5S Plus
2.737 - Xiaomi Redmi 3
2.735 - Huawei Honor 7X
2.734 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
2.714 - Meizu M5
2.71 - Xiaomi Mi A2
2.696 - Sony Xperia M5
2.69 - Xiaomi Mi A1
2.689 - Xiaomi Redmi 4 Prime
2.679 - Huawei P9 Lite
2.679 - vivo V7+
2.671 - Vivo V3Max
2.659 - Xiaomi Mi Mix
2.658 - Huawei Mate 10 Lite
2.654 - Oppo F5
2.653 - Doogee Mix
2.642 - Xiaomi Mi 4i
2.641 - Xiaomi Redmi 4a
2.635 - Sony Xperia Z3
2.618 - Xiaomi Mi 5X (Standard)
2.616 - Sony Xperia XA
2.609 - Motorola Moto G4 Plus (max auto)
2.582 - Motorola Moto G4 Plus
2.582 - Meizu M5s
2.58 - Xiaomi Mi 4c
2.574 - LeEco Le Max 2
2.567 - Microsoft Lumia 640
2.563 - Huawei P Smart
2.563 - Asus Zenfone 3 ZE552KL
2.563 - Xiaomi Mi Max 2
2.561 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A (Y1)
2.556 - HTC U11+
2.556 - Lenovo Moto G4
2.544 - Lenovo K6 Note
2.544 - Oppo F1
2.528 - Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
2.525 - Huawei Honor 7 Lite / Honor 5c
2.506 - Sony Xperia M4 Aqua
2.503 - BlackBerry Motion
2.494 - Oppo F1s
2.481 - Motorola Moto G
2.477 - Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus
2.473 - Huawei G8
2.471 - Huawei nova
2.467 - Sony Xperia Z
2.462 - Lenovo Vibe K5
2.459 - Meizu m3 max
2.447 - Xiaomi Mi 5X (Auto)
2.417 - HTC 10 evo
2.407 - Huawei Honor 7
2.406 - Vivo V7
2.404 - Sony Xperia E5
2.386 - ZUK Z1 by Lenovo
2.382 - HTC 10
2.378 - Oppo F3
2.376 - vivo V5 Plus
2.371 - Meizu m1 note
2.362 - Huawei nova plus
2.329 - Razer Phone
2.328 - HTC One E9+
2.305 - Alcatel One Touch Hero
2.272 - Apple iPhone 4S
2.269 - Sony Xperia L2
2.266 - Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
2.254 - Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
2.253 - HTC U11+ (EU)
2.253 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (MediaTek)
2.249 - Sony Xperia C4 Dual
2.235 - Xiaomi Mi Note
2.234 - Motorola Moto G (2014)
2.233 - LG Nexus 5
2.228 - Huawei P8
2.196 - Meizu M5 Note
2.189 - Huawei Honor 6
2.169 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 2
2.166 - OnePlus Two
2.165 - HTC One X
2.158 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (X20)
2.145
As far as color reproduction is concerned - the XA2 Plus fails to impress. Its whites lean heavily towards cyan, to the tune of a DeltaE of around 11. The average DeltaE is an okay 6.2, but the whites you'll probably notice.
Sony has some options to basically make the colors punchy in pictures and videos. The option is within the display settings and you can opt for standard picture tuning or super-vivid.
If you want to get rid of the blue tint, you can use the manual White Balance sliders. Just push Red and Green to the maximum and leave the Blue one at 0. This way you'll get a very accurate color presentation with an average deltaE of 3.7.
Battery life
The Sony Xperia XA2 Plus is equipped with a 3,580mAh battery - same as on the Xperia XA2 Ultra. The phone supports Quick Charge 3.0, though our unit came with a 1.5A charger that fills 25% of a depleted battery in half an hour. Some regions might get the faster charger bundled. In our tests with Sony's UCH12 QC 3.0 charger, the battery charged from 0% to 38% in 30min.
The Sony Xperia XA2 Plus aced all of our endurance tests and posted a respectable score of 98 hours It did outstanding in the screen-on and standby tests and matched the XA2 Ultra endurance rating.
Our endurance rating denotes how long a single battery charge will last you if you use the Sony Xperia XA2 Plus for an hour each of telephony, web browsing, and video playback daily. We've established this usage pattern, so our battery results are comparable across devices in the most common day-to-day tasks. The battery testing procedure is described in detail in case you're interested in the nitty-gritties. You can also check out our complete battery test table, where you can see how all of the smartphones we've tested will compare under your own typical use.
Loudspeaker
The speaker on the Sony Xperia XA2 Plus scored a Very Good mark in our loudness test, the same as the XA2 Ultra. The sound is rich and crisp, with good bass and clean high notes.
| Speakerphone test | Voice, dB | Ringing |
Overall score | |
| 61.7 | 69.7 | 71.8 | Average | |
| 68.3 | 73.8 | 75.8 | Good | |
| 67.5 | 71.3 | 79.7 | Good | |
| 66.4 | 73.4 | 79.3 | Very Good | |
| 68.7 | 72.7 | 78.3 | Very Good | |
| 68.8 | 73.9 | 80.8 | Very Good | |
| 70.5 | 74.1 | 85.2 | Excellent | |
| 72.8 | 74.7 | 86.6 | Excellent | |
| 88.9 | 77.8 | 84.6 | Excellent | |
| 89.5 | 72.2 | 89.8 | Excellent |
Audio quality
The Sony Xperia XA2 Plus did well with an active external amplifier, delivering an output that was as accurate as we've come to expect from smartphones these days. It's hardly the loudest smartphone around, but it's doing a decent job overall.
Plugging in a pair of headphones did little damage - a moderate hike in stereo crosstalk was all there was to it. Volume levels remained unspectacular though, which prevents us from giving it full points here.
| Test | Frequency response | Noise level | Dynamic range | THD | IMD + Noise | Stereo crosstalk |
| +0.03, -0.05 | -93.6 | 89.2 | 0.0024 | 0.0011 | -93.1 | |
| +0.06, -0.02 | -95.3 | 89.7 | 0.034 | 0.035 | -57.4 | |
| +0.04, -0.05 | -95.6 | 89.6 | 0.0045 | 0.012 | -95.5 | |
| +0.03, -0.04 | -93.0 | 88.8 | 0.039 | 0.033 | -57.6 | |
| +68.12, -25.56 | -92.8 | 79.3 | 0.0026 | 16.764 | -87.8 | |
| +0.05, -0.02 | -93.0 | 88.8 | 0.039 | 0.033 | -57.6 | |
| +0.05, -0.07 | -92.8 | 92.8 | 0.0016 | 0.0073 | -92.1 | |
| +0.19, -0.50 | -92.0 | 91.8 | 0.0090 | 0.380 | -51.9 | |
| +0.02, -0.06 | -91.6 | 91.6 | 0.0018 | 0.014 | -95.3 | |
| +0.08, -0.12 | -92.6 | 92.6 | 0.0028 | 0.120 | -69.0 | |
| +0.07, -0.03 | -89.7 | 89.9 | 0.0060 | 0.201 | -91.7 | |
| +0.22, -0.21 | -91.6 | 91.0 | 0.016 | 0.305 | -56.2 |
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus frequency response
You can learn more about the tested parameters and the whole testing process here.
Android 8.0 Oreo with Xperia skin
The Sony Xperia XA2 Compact runs on Android 8.0 Oreo. Sony has already Xperia phones running on Android Pie, but the XA2 Plus is not one of those. The Xperia UI us quite familiar as it hasn't been changed in years and it's pretty much the same as what we saw on the XA2 and XA2 Ultra. Like many other manufacturers, the Japanese giant has mostly decoupled its signature UX from the Android underneath at this point, to deliver a familiar experience across its lineup.
During setup, the Xperia Launcher prompts for approval for a big chunk of said apps. If you don't like or need any of the non-essentials, you can simply tick them off the list and never deal with them again.
Long-term Sony fans should feel right at home with what is essentially the same Xperia launcher. The homescreen appears unchanged from previous Xperia generations. This includes the swipe down gesture, which shows a screen of the apps you use most along with recommendations for new apps to install. The search field is highlighted so you can start typing the app's name immediately. There is also a Google Feed pane, accessible through a left swipe on the home screen.
Xperia launcher
Themes are available (both free and paid) that can customize the look and sound of the Xperia XA2 Plus. These are managed through a dedicated interface but seem to be distributed via the Google Play Store. Some themes are even interactive, with their wallpapers reacting to your touches.
Xperia Themes
The notification drawer and the task switcher are very similar to the vanilla Android ones. There is also a Split Screen feature available to a limited number of apps.
Notification shade • Quick toggles • Task switcher • Split screen • Split screen
The traditional app drawer is present and even if you opt out of all the additional app installs during setup, you will still end up with at least a few essentials. Sony takes great pride in the A/V prowess of its devices, and the multimedia apps are all custom and feature-rich - Album, Music, Video and FM radio apps.
App drawer • Album • Music • Video • FM radio
The Xperia Assistant is on board, too. Naturally, in keeping with current trends, it utilizes AI, but nothing too fancy, like Bixby, Siri or the Google Assistant. Unlike those, the Xperia app lacks a voice of its own, at least for now that is and is more of an interactive manual and convenient management hub for some of the device's features. The main interface is arranged in a chat manner, although you rarely get to actually type. Rather, the Assistant guides you via suggested topics.
Xperia Assistant main chat interface
It's a fairly intuitive mode of operation, even if not particularly speedy. When you reach a certain juncture in your conversation, the Xperia Assistant can drop convenient links to features you might be interested in checking out. Those cards, or notifications, of sorts, also end up in your inbox, for quicker access later, without having to repeat the conversation with the AI. In some cases, the assistant can directly navigate you to an interface of interest. It can also remind you of various things and send you tips through its own volition when it deems them applicable. You can thankfully enable or disable this behavior on a per-topic basis.
The third and final tab in the Xperia Assistant UI is titled Tools and serves as a convenient management hub for convenient Xperia features, like the extensive STAMINA mode battery-saving platform and the Battery Care feature.
We particularly like the latter, since modern batteries do actually benefit from proper care, or rather avoiding certain unfavorable scenarios, like keeping the device charged up all the way for prolonged periods of time. We wish more manufacturers extended such efforts to preserve the longevity of their sealed-in battery backs.
The assistant drops tip cards • Assistant settings • Xperia Assistant tools
Finally, in addition to the fingerprint unlock, you can set up Smart Lock. It gives you conditional security - trusted nearby devices, locations, faces, or voices can allow you to skip the security protocol that you may have set up on the phone.
Performance and benchmarks
The Sony Xperia XA2 Plus, just like the XA2 and XA2 Ultra, uses the Snapdragon 630 chip by Qualcomm. It is replacing the widespread and very efficient Snapdragon 625 that was the heart of a lot of smartphones throughout 2017.
We would have liked a to see the Plus model getting the even better 636 model, but it wasn't meant to be.
The Snapdragon 630 chip offers a classic octa-core Cortex-A53 processor now clocked at 2.2GHz. The GPU in charge of graphics is Adreno 508. The Sony Xperia XA2 Plus also comes with 4 or 6 gigs of RAM depending on the storage option.
GeekBench is where we go first, and the Xperia XA2 Plus scored the same as its XA2 series siblings. Unfortunately, that's already behind the curve - the Snapdragon 636 inside the Nokia 6.1 Plus has Kryo 260 cores and single-core operations and blazing-fast there. The Helio P60 in the vivo V11 and Oppo F9 has Cortex-A73 cores, also much better than the A53 cores inside the Xperia.
GeekBench 4.1 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Honor Play
1899 - Honor 10
1894 - Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
1890 - Nokia 7 plus
1634 - Oppo Realme 1
1511 - Oppo F9 (F9 Pro)
1497 - vivo V11
1457 - Nokia 6.1 Plus
1331 - Huawei P20 Lite
938 - Nokia 6 (2018)
882 - Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
866 - Sony Xperia XA2
865 - Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
839 - Oppo Realme 2
790
GeekBench 4.1 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Honor Play
6696 - Honor 10
6591 - Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
5908 - Nokia 7 plus
5893 - Oppo Realme 1
5741 - Oppo F9 (F9 Pro)
5673 - vivo V11
5535 - Nokia 6.1 Plus
4929 - Nokia 6 (2018)
4225 - Sony Xperia XA2
4215 - Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
4198 - Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
4144 - Oppo Realme 2
3881 - Huawei P20 Lite
3756
Looking at some GFXBench onscreen graphic scores, the Adreno 508 inside the XA2 Plus is on par with the Adreno 509 GPU inside the Snapdragon 636, so no big difference between those two at least.
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Honor 10
37 - Honor Play
36 - Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
22 - Nokia 7 plus
14 - Oppo Realme 1
12 - Oppo Realme 2
12 - vivo V11
12 - Oppo F9 (F9 Pro)
11 - Nokia 6 (2018)
10 - Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
10 - Sony Xperia XA2
10 - Nokia 6.1 Plus
9.6 - Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
9.1 - Huawei P20 Lite
4.9
The performance is still behind the curve but adequate for the mid-range market. Obviously the Snapdragon 660 (Nokia 7 Plus) and the Helio P60 (Oppo, vivo) offer better graphics performance but not by a large margin.
GFX 3.1 Car scene (onscreen)
Higher is better
- Honor 10
21 - Honor Play
21 - Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
12 - Nokia 7 plus
8.6 - Oppo Realme 1
7.5 - vivo V11
7.4 - Oppo F9 (F9 Pro)
6.5 - Oppo Realme 2
6.3 - Nokia 6 (2018)
6 - Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
6 - Sony Xperia XA2
6 - Nokia 6.1 Plus
5.9 - Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
5.1 - Huawei P20 Lite
2.8
Finally, we ran AnTuTu - the most popular compound benchmark - and we got another underwhelming score. Once again - it's quite alright for the mid-range segment, but the competition is already making big jumps in performance and Sony should be following suit.
AnTuTu 7
Higher is better
- Honor Play
204876 - Honor 10
200440 - Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
170218 - Nokia 7 plus
140820 - Oppo Realme 1
138524 - Nokia 6.1 Plus
115571 - Nokia 6 (2018)
90918 - Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
89110 - Huawei P20 Lite
87431 - Sony Xperia XA2 Plus
86374 - Oppo Realme 2
75434
The Sony Xperia XA2 Plus delivers acceptable performance for its class but the competition has faster phones to offer. On a positive note the XA2 Plus has balanced performance across the board, and we didn't experience any major hiccups with the most popular games, social and office apps. We didn't notice any throttling or overheating either. But the test scores are far from impressive and sustainable performance is mostly out of the question.
A familiar 23MP camera
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus, just like the Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra, as well as the entire XA1 series, comes equipped with a 23MP camera on its back. This is the in-house 25MP IMX300, which sits behind a familiar a 24mm-equiv. f/2.0 aperture lens.
Depending on whether you shoot in 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio, different portions of the sensor are used; you get either 22.8MP or 20.1MP images, respectively, and never the full 25MP. Hence the official 23MP designation. Among the benefits of having such a multi-aspect sensor are the similar field of view in both modes (measured diagonally), and higher-res 16:9 shots than what you'd get by cropping from a regular 23MP sensor which has a 4:3 aspect ratio.
Sony's camera app has been polished over the years, and the Xperia XA2 Plus has the latest version of the camera app, where the 4K video is now part of the camcorder instead of being a standalone shooting mode. Finally!
Superior Auto is the default mode and it will try to adjust image parameters to better match the scene by recognizing among some two dozen different scenarios. It can also engage HDR for you (Backlit scene it's called), which isn't available as a toggle in this mode - it's only found in Manual mode.
Other than HDR override, in Manual mode you get access to full range shutter speed selection (1/4000s - 1s), exposure compensation, ISO, white balance, and a manual focus slider.
Camera app
There is a Bokeh mode available. Since the phone only has one camera, it operates the old-fashioned way - by taking a pair of photos and then allowing the user to adjust the focus, blurring the rest, as best it can. Sometimes it works well if you line up your shot correctly, and sometimes it just doesn't. Also, you have to be really close to the subject, 1 meter or less.
Image quality
The Xperia XA2 Plus captures some very detailed photos in bright light. There is some visible noise in areas of uniform color, but not as much to impact the otherwise excellent quality. And the dynamic range is mostly impressive.
Quite expectedly, there's a hint of corner softness, but it's inevitable with such a wide-angle lens and it's in the extreme corners, so there is nothing to worry about.
Superior Auto does a great job of recognizing the scene and dials up the saturation in landscape scenarios to achieve pleasingly vivid output. It does the same for HDR (backlight) scenes, too.
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus 23MP camera samples
Just like with many previous Xperia devices, the HDR mode can only be enabled manually in, um, Manual mode. The Superior Auto has you covered with Backlit scene mode, though, as it recognizes that it's a difficult high-contrast scene and will do HDR automatically. And you should rely on the Auto mode, as the Manual HDR produces super-saturated over-the-top images with blown highlights.
HDR off • HDR on • HDR off • HDR on
The Xperia XA2 Plus camera handles low-light scenes very well. While the 23MP images are nothing to really phone home about, there is enough detail in spite of the fact that lots of it gets smudged in post processing by the noise reduction algorithm. But the images do look contrasty and lively.
While the 23MP photos are not impressive, downscale those to 10MP and you may get Huawei P20-like night shots and that's a reason to phone home about, isn't it?
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus 23MP low-light samples
If you set the phone up on a tripod, the shutter speed in Superior Auto can go as low as 0.5s, at least in theory. You can slow it even further - to 1s - if you switch to Manual. We wish Sony allowed for longer shutter speeds (say, 30s) but long exposure shooting is a niche application for a phone camera anyway.
Xperia XA2 Plus 23MP sample shot at manual mode (ISO 100, 1s.)
You can put the Xperia XA2 Plusagainst other phones in our Picture Compare Tool. We've selected the Xperia XA2 Ultra and the XA2, but you can change those any time.
Sony Xperia XA2 Plusvs. XA2 Ultra vs. XA2 in our photo compare tool
Bokeh
Sony's Bokeh app is part of the Xperia suite. As we mentioned, it does things the old-fashioned way - by taking a pair of photos and then allowing the user to adjust the focus, blurring the rest, as best it can. Sometimes it works well if you line up your shot correctly, and sometimes it just doesn't. Also, you have to be really close to the subject, 1 meter or less.
You can choose between three types of blur - directional - horizontal and vertical, and natural (Bokeh). But shooting with the Bokeh mode is total hit and miss.
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus 8MP Bokeh samples
Selfies
The Sony Xperia XA2 Plus borrows the 8MP, 1/4" snapper introduced first with the original XA2. It has an impressively wide field of view - 120-degree - or a 11mm equivalent should be enough even for the most ambitious group shots. And in case that is a bit too broad to accommodate your regular selfie needs, there is also a toggle to bring it down to 80-degree (22mm equivalent).
The selfie quality is subpar - there is below average detail, the photos are soft overall and the images look out of focus. There is no autofocus and this omission takes its toll. Sometimes the soft skin effect (triggered by the Superior Auto) smears fine detail to an extent where it makes the face look weird, so we'd generally suggest turning this option off.
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus 8MP selfies
On a positive note, the wide shots are quite impressive because of how much they fit in the frame. These are also more detailed than the regular 8MP shots. We are sure quite a few selfie fans will appreciate this lens.
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus 8MP group selfies
There is a new Portrait selfie mode on the Xperia XA2 Plus. In addition to the level of blur, it offers various face adjustments - face and eye size, face brightness and skin tone. The 8MP portrait samples are dismal though, so we'd never really resort to this mode no matter the occasion.
Sony Xperia XA2 Plus 8MP portrait selfies
Video recording
The Xperia XA2 Ultra's shooting modes include 4K/30fps, 1080p/30fps, and high-speed 1080p/60fps options. There is also a 120fps recording in 720p.
Shooting in 1080p at 30fps allows you to use the 3-axis Standard SteadyShot electronic stabilization. The feature reduces the field of view but does a good job stabilizing the image. While it's not the best we've seen, it's more than enough for the class. Here is a playlist for the EIS test:
The 4K clips are soft with average detail, but with great contrast, accurate colors, and decent dynamic range. The audio is captured at 96kbps and unfortunately, appears to be low in quality.
1080p videos are a bit sharper, with enough detail, good contrast and decent dynamic range as well. The framerate is smooth no matter if you opt for 30 or 60fps.
You can download short untouched samples as well - 4K (10s, 55MB), 1080p at 30fps (11s, 28MB), and 1080p at 60fps (11s, 41MB).
Below you have the Xperia XA2 Plus in our video compare tool.
2160p: Sony Xperia XA2 Plus vs. Xperia XA2 Ultra vs. Xperia XA2 in our 4K video compare tool
The competition
The Sony Xperia XA2 Plus is a great all-round smartphone with ruggedly handsome design, a large and tall screen, and flagship-like camera experience. But the XA2 Plus is a hard sell because the competition offers more for less cash.
It's just not enough to be a Sony anymore, a phone has to be a powerful and competitively priced Sony - and this is where the XA2 Plus fails at.
There are a lot of mid-range smartphones to match or beat the Xperia XA2 Plus. And even though some of the brands sell in just few markets, many users are already free of the prejudices against the Chinese makers and use third-party retailers to import their phones.
Pocophone F1 • Honor Play • Xiaomi Mi A2 (Mi 6X) • Xiaomi Mi 8 SE • Nokia 7 plus • Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
Take the Pocophone F1 by Xiaomi for example. It is better at everything - screen, performance, camera, battery. The device is currently available in India, but Xiaomi will be expanding its availability very soon and the XA2 Plus stands no chance against it.
The all-metal Honor Play has an even larger but botched 6.3" screen and employs the blazing-fast Kirin 970 chipset. While the Honor Play won't impress with camera, it sure does with gaming performance and screen. Oh, and it's cheaper than the XA2 Plus.
Xiaomi Mi A2 is one very tempting Android One handset available everywhere. It's made of metal, has a very similar 6" tall screen, utilizes a powerful Snapdragon 660 chipset, and has impressive camera suites on both ends. The Mi A2 is almost half the price of the Sony, so there is that.
Xiaomi has a better phone priced close to the XA2 Plus, but its availability is limited - the Mi 8 SE. It has a large Super AMOLED screen, much better Snapdragon 710 chipset, more advanced face unlock, and very capable main and selfie snappers.
The Nokia 7 Plus is a great alternative to the XA2 Plus and costs just a few euros less. It has a similar 6" screen, prettier build, and more powerful Snapdragon 660 chipset. The 7 Plus does excel in the camera department, too, as it offers a 12MP main snapper with large pixels and bright lens, and there is even a secondary 13MP telephoto snapper next to it. The Nokia is part of Android One, which often turns out to be a decision maker as well.
Finally, the XA2 Ultra is pretty much the same phone sans the extra screen pixels, but it has one of the most impressive selfie rigs the market has to offers (16MP OIS + 8MP, flash) even though the photos and videos didn't turn out to be class-leading. And today the Ultra is a bit cheaper than the Plus.
The verdict
Indeed, the Sony XA2 Plus is a bit of a tough sell. And that's not because the XA2 Plus isn't a worthy smartphone, on the contrary, it's just that the price at launch is rather uncompetitive, unreasonable if you will.
We used to think the market will eventually regulate itself, but then we look at Apple's iPhones and know that's not the case anymore. But here is hoping the upcoming holiday season will make Sony reconsider its offers.
We could see the Sony Xperia XA2 Plus doing well among the loyal Sony fans, as usual, but it won't convert anybody else, not with that hardware package or price. And no matter how hard we tried to find reasons why it might be better to wait for a price cut and get the XA2 Plus instead of any of the smartphones we mentioned, we just couldn't.
Pros
- Stylish design and sturdy build
- Large display with excellent contrast
- Great all-round camera experience
- Long-lasting battery
Cons
- No water-proofing
- Mediocre performance
- Expensive
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