Lately, there's been an uptick of mid-level handsets entering the market with all the flavor of a high-end device that you'd normally pay twice as much to harness. Samsung has been in that game for awhile with its A and C series, and LG has been running its famous G series concurrently with the admirable V series — both very impressive takes on the middle high-end market for smartphone-savvy consumers everywhere. However, Sony's relevance hasn't been lost in the mobile computing platform; it's merely learned to build a successful home for itself in the shade.

As expected, the Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra is an upgraded version of the standard Xperia XA2. The Ultra variant boasts a larger screen, double resolution on the selfie sensor, optical image stabilization (OIS), an extra gigabyte of RAM and a slightly larger battery. Retailing at roughly $450 and sliding in at a well-rounded 75,000 on AnTuTu, there's a considerable amount of bang that you're getting for your buck with Sony's little contender. In this article, we'll review what gives this phone its highs and lows to help you decide if it's the right choice for you.

Processing and Storage

The Xperia XA2 Ultra does wonderfully in the hardware department. Although the Snapdragon 630 isn't exactly high-end, it outstrips the competitors' 400-series chips without blinking. 4 GB RAM promises enough multitasking power to keep all of your favorite apps running concurrently, and while 24 GB of usable on-board storage is less than stellar, the microSD slot aims to make up for this. The Adreno 508 is a mid-tier graphics processor that surprisingly defies the golden standard for implementing bare-minimum rendering power as a way of offsetting a high price. You can easily run demanding games such as Rules of Survival and Dead Trigger 2 on playable settings with this setup.

SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 SDM630

CPU: 64-bit Octa-core ARM Cortex-A53 at 2.2 GHz, 14nm

RAM: 4 GB

GPU: Adreno 508

Inbuilt Storage: 32 GB, 24 GB usable

MicroSD Support: Yes, up to 2 TB

Camera

It's honestly a pleasant surprise to see a mid-level contender such as the Xperia XA2 Ultra achieve 4K recording and pack a whopping 23 MP shooter for crisp images while offering a dual-camera setup for epic selfie clarity. With OIS and HDR included, this is easily one of the device's strong suits. Keep in mind that with the excellent media capturing equipment on board, you'll want to take advantage of the microSD slot since the 24 GB built in probably won't be adequate.

Photo Resolution: 23 MP rear, dual 16 and 8 MP front

Video Resolution: 4K 30 FPS, 1080p 60 FPS

Aperture: F2.0

Sensor Size: 1/2.3"

Pixel Size: 1.12 μm

Rear Camera Features: OIS, HDR, digital zoom, ISO control, white balance control

Front Camera Features: OIS, wide-angle, dual-camera shooting

Display

Alas, the display is a solemn witness to the slashed price tag on the Xperia XA2 Ultra. LCD is a fading breed as LED and its many permutations continue to gain more of foothold on the market right now. Still, the lack of inky blacks and piercing colors isn't a deal-breaker, and there's one small upside to keep in mind here: 1080p. While it's arguably a bit low for a six-incher, just stick it next to an Xperia XA1 — you'll appreciate needing to squint in order to see the pixels.

Resolution: 1,080 x 1,920 (1080p)

Pixel Density: 367 ppi

Screen-to-Body Ratio: 76.07%

Display Technology: IPS LCD

Brightness: 500 nits

Battery

Let's start by saying this much: If being unable to hot-swap your juicer is a turn-off, you can discard that consideration with the Xperia XA2 Ultra. The battery life is absolutely stellar at an average expected charge life of 48 hours. That includes calling, browsing, music playback, videos — all of it. Also keep in mind that smartphone batteries today normally maintain roughly 90% of their charge capacity after two years, so lay those weary concerns to rest. This is another excellent selling point for Sony's handset that outstrips the likes of the Galaxy Note 8 and other top-tier battery performers.

Capacity: 3,580 mAh

Removable: No

Technology: Li-ion

Expected Charge Life: 48 hours

Design

There's no arguing the sleek aluminum chassis that Sony pulls off in their own unique way, but if there's a lesson to be taken from Samsung and HTC in recent years, a recycled design language can turn people away from a brand. However, an interesting point is the weight: all 221 g of it. This is quite a doozy for a handset, and it probably owes to the 0.8 inches that was added to the display real estate while maintaining the screen-to-body ratio from the standard Xperia XA2 model. On the plus side, this might be a glowing point for someone who's disgruntled with the disconcerting featherweight build that other models try so hard to capture. Another high mark here is the inclusion of Oreo out of the box, which ensures the latest Android features are available from the outset.

OS: Android 8.0 Oreo

Material: Aluminum

Dimensions: 6.42 x 3.15 x 0.37 inches (163 x 80 x 9.5 mm)

Weight: 7.80 oz (221 g)

Ruggedness: None

Colors: Gold, Blue, Silver, Black

Pricing

Sitting at a retail ballpark figure of $450, this handset offers aspects of an $800 handset at a fraction of the cost. The only true shortcoming is the screen, which sits at 1080p on a six-inch IPS panel. It's not the greatest, but it works within its means. That said, the camera punches well beyond its weight while the battery easily keeps the lights on throughout the day, and combined with the spacious RAM and eight-core 600-series CPU, this makes the Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra a well-rounded smartphone for its cost that will exceed expectations for power users and the common customer alike.