Sony launches Xperia XZ1, XZ1 Compact and XA1 Plus at IFA 2017

All the three smartphones comes with Sony’s proprietary Triluminous display technology.

Atom Tech Shorts

Sony has used the occasion of the IFA 2017 event to announce a range of smartphones in the Xperia series. These devices include the Sony Xperia XZ1, XZ1 Compact and the XA1 Plus.

The Sony Xperia XZ1 is a 5.2-inch phone with full HD display offering a screen resolution of 1080x1920p and the screen receives protection from a Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

The display is also bolstered by the proprietary Triluminous display technology of Sony as well as the X-Reality technology adopted for mobiles.

The processor fitted on the Sony Xperia XZ1 is the top end 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and the GPU is the Adreno 540. There is 4GB of RAM and 64GB internal storage. The storage can be expanded to 256GB through a microSD card. The Sony Xperia XZ1 ships with the Android 8.0 Oreo OS.

It is however in the optics department that one would expect a lot from Sony and the Xperia XZ1 won’t disappoint you in this score. The main rear camera is a 19MP Exmor RS sensor that possesses 3D capabilities. A slow-motion recording feature at 960fps is also available besides the 4K recording facility. In the front, the selfie camera of 13MP has a wide-angle f/2.0 aperture lens with the Exmor RS image sensor technology here also.

The battery fitted on the Sony Xperia XZ1 is 2700mAh, accompanied by the Quick Charge 3.0 feature and the connectivity options are complete. The water and dust resistant IP 68 certification is also available and the audio section is strengthened by Hi-Res Audio and other special technologies, unique to Sony.

The Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact has many components and features matching that of the XZ1, except that the display is 4.6-inches in size, with a 720x1280p Sony Triluminous display. The other major difference is in the camera specs. While the rear camera has been retained the same as the Xperia XZ1, the front sensor is an 8MP camera. This Compact version also has the same Android Oreo version 8.0 as the OS.

The third device being discussed in this lot is the middle-range Sony Xperia XA1 Plus. This phone has specifications that are much toned down as compared to the phones discussed above. The display is 5.5-inch full HD (Screen resolution: 1080x1920p) and the MediaTek Helio P20 SoC is the processor. It is an octa-core, 64-bit chipset and clocking speeds have been measures at 2.3GHz for 4 cores and 1.6GHz for the other 4.

The RAM is 4GB and ROM 32GB. The microSD slot required to expand storage to 256GB is also provided on this Sony Xperia XA1 Plus.

The camera front has a large 23MP sensor with Sony’s Exmor RS technology and an 8MP front camera for selfies that can capture images even in low light conditions.

The battery is highest rated among the three phones featured here with 3420mAh; Quick Charger 2.0 is supported.

Now coming to the pricing, the Sony Xperia XZ1 will be retailing at $699.99 (approx. Rs. 45, 000) and the Xperia XZ1 Compact @599.99 (approx. Rs. 38, 500).

These two phones have been released in the US market and their availability in India and the pricing details are yet to be known. The Sony Xperia XA1 Plus will be launched later and its price is also not disclosed yet.