Even though it was known that Sony was holding a press conference during MWC 2016, the announcement of three new phones was quite surprising. There were a few leaked images of the phones that were introduced during the conference, and while the new phones don't integrate the greatest specs, they are quite good. The names of the new phones were also unexpected since they all integrate a new series of smartphones called Xperia X. The design of the phones looks familiar, but there are some distinctive elements as well, such as the slightly curved glass covering their screen and the new metallic back.

The Xperia X, Xperia X Performance and the Xperia XA integrate a 5-inch screen, but while the one in the first two devices feature a 1080p resolution, the resolution on the latter remains at 720p, although the bezels on the side of the screen on this phone are virtually nonexistent, so it might appeal to some users despite the lower resolution. Actually, most of the specs of the Xperia XA are inferior to the ones included in the other two phones, but it is still a solid mid-range offering. The Xperia X and the Xperia X Performance share many specs, but just as the name suggests, the latter is better spec'd thanks to a more powerful processor.


While Sony didn't mention many details regarding the availability of the new phones, they mentioned that they would be available in the Summer. Some regions where these phones will be sold remain a mystery, but Sony Mobile has communicated that the Xperia X will be available in the U.S., but since they used their official Twitter account to mention it, no additional details were given. For example, we still don't know if the three models will be sold in this region, it is also unknown if they would be sold unlocked or if some carriers will sell them. Since only the Xperia X and Xperia X Performance can be found on Sony Mobile's website, it seems that those could be the ones to make it to the U.S., and this is still big news, because Sony doesn't have much presence in this particular market. An example would be that the Xperia Z5 lineup was launched in October and the company started selling those phones in the U.S. just a few weeks ago and lacking the fingerprint scanner. Also, the company would benefit from carrier support as the new phones would gain more visibility, but let's not forget that advertising is also quite important.