CES 2018: Sony unveils three new mid-range smartphones: Xperia XA2, XA2 Ultra, and L2
Yes, Sony still makes smartphones and these mid-range models are coming at a time when more people are looking to the low and mid-range for reasonably priced smartphones.
The past couple of years have seen Sony Xperia devices launch in the US through direct sales with a non-functional side power button fingerprint scanner. On these new models, Sony moved the fingerprint scanner to the center back like we have seen from Huawei, Google, LG, and others. This is a great move and will make the device more appealing to enterprise customers.
Sony is known for launching new devices with the latest operating system -- and that is no different here with the Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra launching with Android 8.0 Oreo. The XA2 will be available in silver, black, blue, and pink while the XA2 Ultra will be available in silver, black, blue, and gold. These two devices are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor and have high-end cameras with an edge-to-edge 2.5D curved glass display.
The Sony Xperia L2 will be coming at a more affordable price, not yet revealed, with Android 7.1.1 and slightly lower specs than the two XA devices. It will be available in the US in black, gold, and pink. See below for a spec breakdown of all three:
| Spec | Xperia XA2 | Xperia XA2 Ultra | Xperia L2 |
| Processor | Snapdragon 630 | Snapdragon 630 | Quad-core 1.5 GHz |
| Display | 5.2-inch 1080p | 6.0-inch 1080p | 5.5-inch 720p |
| Rear camera | 23MP | 23MP | 13MP |
| Front camera(s) | 8MP | 16MP and 8MP | 8MP |
| RAM & storage | 3GB/32GB/microSD | 4GB/32 or 64GB/microSD | 3GB/32GB/microSD |
| Battery capacity | 3,300mAh | 3,580mAh | 3300mAh |
| Dimensions (mm) | 142 x 70 x 9.7 | 163 x 80 x 9.5 | 150 x 78 x 9.8 |
| Weight (g) | 171 | 210 | 178 |
It's been a few years since I've had a Sony smartphone, but if the price is right, I may try the Xperia XA2 Ultra as I start looking away from spending $1,000 on each phone.
These three phones will start rolling out in early February. Pricing has not yet been announced, but I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more details and hope to test at least one of them in 2018.