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Sony Xperia XA2 Smartphone Review

New mid-range. Sony is refreshing its smartphone product lineup, beginning with the 5.2-inch Xperia XA2 mid-range smartphone, which aims to please with qualities such as having the fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 SoC, a Full HD display, and a 23-MP camera. Our test shows whether the Sony Android phone succeeds.

Sony is rejuvenating its smartphone lineup, starting with the mid-range. We saw two new phones which were introduced at CES 2018: the new Xperia XA2 Ultra mid-range flagship with a 6-inch display and its smaller sibling, the Xperia XA2, which we also took to our test lab.

Apart from the form factor, there are no major differences between the two smartphones. Both offer a Full HD resolution, use the fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 mid-range SoC. and up to 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. The Xperia XA2 is slightly less ambitious with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. This also goes for the camera: While the Xperia XA2 Ultra has two selfie cameras, the Xperia XA2 limits itself to one 8-MP camera. However, it uses the same 23-MP main camera as its larger sibling. Sony charges about 300 Euros (~$370; around $350 in the US) for our test candidate, and the Xperia XA2 Ultra costs about 100 Euros (~$123) more.

In the highly competitive mid-range, the Sony Xperia competes against many other devices that are similarly equipped and priced. Our comparison includes the Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL, the BQ Aquaris X Pro, the Honor 9, the HTC U11 Life, the Motorola Moto X4, and the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017). In order to make it easier for you to decide, we also compare the performance of the Xperia XA2 directly against that of the Xperia XA2 Ultra.

Sony Xperia XA2 (Xperia Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 8 x 2.2 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
3 GB 
Display
5.20 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 424 PPI, IPS, Corning Gorilla Glass 4, glossy: yes
Storage
32 GB eMMC Flash, 32 GB 
, 17.51 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm headphone jack, Card Reader: microSD cards up to 256 GB, 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: acceleration sensor, proximity sensor, compass, Miracast, Google Cast, aptX HD, UTB-OTG, Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0, GSM, UMTS, LTE Cat.12/13, downloads up to 600 MBit/s, uploads up to 150 MBit/s, Nano-SIM, Dual-SIM, head SAR 1.07 W/kg, body SAR 1.43 W/kg, Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 9.7 x 142 x 70 ( = 0.38 x 5.59 x 2.76 in)
Battery
3300 mAh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Android 8.0 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 23 MPix 1/2,3” Exmor RS, F2.0, 84° wide-angle lens, hybrid autofocus, ISO 12800, 4K videos at 30 fps, Full HD videos up to 60 fps, slow motion at 120 fps (720p)
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix 1/4” Exmor R, F2.4, 120° super wide angle lens, ISO 3200
Additional features
Speakers: one speaker at the bottom, Keyboard: virtual, modular power supply, USB cable (Type C to Type A), earphones, quick start instructions, warranty information, Google apps, Amazon apps, Sony Xperia Lounge, Sony PlayStation, Movie Creator, AR Effect, AVG protection, 24 Months Warranty, fanless
Weight
171 g ( = 6.03 oz / 0.38 pounds), Power Supply: 30 g ( = 1.06 oz / 0.07 pounds)
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case - fashionable, robust, and almost without bezels on the long edges

Instead of using a unibody case, Sony has opted to tread its own path in the design of the Sony XA2. The 5.2-inch mid-range smartphone combines a convex-shaped plastic case with a very narrow metal frame whose sides are also rounded. This causes the Full HD display, which is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4, to appear almost bezel-less, at least in portrait format.

While the bezels are significantly thicker at the top and bottom, the smartphone still does not appear chunky, even if it is not very slim at 9.7 mm (~0.38 in). The two short sides do not really fit with the smooth haptic of the front and back, since they are surrounded by a relatively sharp edge. Although this does not hurt the fingers, the transition in particular at the corners feels quite abrupt.

Sony offers the Xperia XA2 in black, silver, blue, and pink case colors. The mid-range smartphone is not waterproof.

Size Comparison

163 mm / 6.42 inch 80 mm / 3.15 inch 9.5 mm / 0.374 inch 221 g0.4872 lbs155.4 mm / 6.12 inch 75.2 mm / 2.96 inch 7.5 mm / 0.2953 inch 165 g0.3638 lbs148.4 mm / 5.84 inch 73.4 mm / 2.89 inch 9.5 mm / 0.374 inch 163 g0.3594 lbs149.1 mm / 5.87 inch 72.9 mm / 2.87 inch 8.1 mm / 0.3189 inch 142 g0.3131 lbs147 mm / 5.79 inch 71 mm / 2.8 inch 7.5 mm / 0.2953 inch 155 g0.3417 lbs146.5 mm / 5.77 inch 72.7 mm / 2.86 inch 7.8 mm / 0.3071 inch 158 g0.3483 lbs146.1 mm / 5.75 inch 71.4 mm / 2.81 inch 7.9 mm / 0.311 inch 159 g0.3505 lbs142 mm / 5.59 inch 70 mm / 2.76 inch 9.7 mm / 0.3819 inch 171 g0.377 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Features - USB-C port, Quick Charge 3.0, Dual-SIM

Sony has equipped the Xperia XA2 with the fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 mid-range SoC, which is accompanied by the similarly fast Adreno 508 graphics chip. The base hardware is complemented by 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal eMMC storage. The storage can be expanded by up to 256 GB using the microSD slot on the left side, which can alternatively also hold a second Nano-SIM card. In the test, we were unable to move any apps, but only pictures, videos, and application data onto the microSD card.

The USB Type-C connection of the Sony Ericsson Xperia only supports USB-2.0 speeds, but also fast charging via Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0. A fingerprint sensor on the back and a 3.5 mm headphone jack are additional features of the Sony mobile.

Left: Nano-SIM/microSD slot
Left: Nano-SIM/microSD slot
Right: shutter release, power button, volume rocker
Right: shutter release, power button, volume rocker
Top: headphone jack, microphone
Top: headphone jack, microphone
Bottom: microphone, USB-C connection, speaker
Bottom: microphone, USB-C connection, speaker

Software - Android 8.0, too many added software

Sony delivers the Xperia XA2 with Android 8.0 and has added only few functions to the Google-OS, such as the Xperia Action Service (see also the section on navigation) and a manufacturer help function. Added are the Android security patches, which are quite current at the level of January 1, 2018.

Included are also the classical Sony software additions, such as Xperia Lounge, PlayStation, and Movie Creator, but also various third-party apps, none of which can be uninstalled, but only deactivated. This includes some useful tools such as the AVG Protection virus protection, but also some bloatware such as Amazon Shopping or the Video & TV SideView remote app. This shrinks the available storage space from the nominal 32 GB down to barely 20 GB.

Communication and GPS - fast data transfer, precise locating

With WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, the Xperia XA2 supports all the current WLAN standards and is able to connect to the 2.4-GHz as well as the 5-GHznetworks. In our test using our Linksys EA8500 reference router, sending is possible at up to 289 MBit/s, and receiving even at up to 309 MBit/s. Even though this puts the Xperia XA2 only into the middle of our comparison field, it is not much slower than the fastest devices. The smartphone can also communicate over shorter distances via Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC.

With a Nano-SIM card and the corresponding data plan, you can surf at LTE speeds. While Sony have not announced in their specifications which frequency bands are supported (we will add the information on the frequency bands as soon as we find out from the manufacturer), the maximum data throughput is specified at 600 MBit/s while downloading and 150 MBit/s while uploading. In the test, we always had a good reception in the rural Vodafone network.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Motorola Moto X4
Adreno 508, SD 630, 32 GB eMMC Flash
336 MBit/s +16%
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
Adreno 508, SD 630, 64 GB eMMC Flash
329 MBit/s +14%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
Adreno 508, SD 630, 32 GB eMMC Flash
305 MBit/s +6%
Sony Xperia XA2
Adreno 508, SD 630, 32 GB eMMC Flash
289 MBit/s
HTC U11 Life
Adreno 508, SD 630, 32 GB eMMC Flash
274 MBit/s -5%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
Mali-T830 MP3, Exynos 7880, 32 GB eMMC Flash
167 MBit/s -42%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
Adreno 506, 626, 64 GB eMMC Flash
148 MBit/s -49%
Honor 9
Mali-G71 MP8, Kirin 960, 64 GB eMMC Flash
140 MBit/s -52%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s +22%
Motorola Moto X4
Adreno 508, SD 630, 32 GB eMMC Flash
337 MBit/s +9%
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
Adreno 508, SD 630, 64 GB eMMC Flash
334 MBit/s +8%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
Adreno 508, SD 630, 32 GB eMMC Flash
334 MBit/s +8%
Sony Xperia XA2
Adreno 508, SD 630, 32 GB eMMC Flash
309 MBit/s
Honor 9
Mali-G71 MP8, Kirin 960, 64 GB eMMC Flash
283 MBit/s -8%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
Adreno 506, 626, 64 GB eMMC Flash
242 MBit/s -22%
HTC U11 Life
Adreno 508, SD 630, 32 GB eMMC Flash
224 MBit/s -28%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
Mali-T830 MP3, Exynos 7880, 32 GB eMMC Flash
214 MBit/s -31%
GPS reception: outdoors
GPS reception: outdoors
GPS reception: indoors
GPS reception: indoors

With its GPS module, the Sony X2 locates us outdoors at an accuracy of up to 4 meters (~13 ft). Indoors, the accuracy is still decent at 9 meters (~29 ft).

We get a similarly good result in the practical test, where we take the Sony Smartphone together with the Garmin Edge 500 professional navigation device on a longer bike tour. In terms of the measured results, the Xperia X2 turns out hardly worse than the navigation specialist and almost measures the same overall distance. Subjectively, you cannot notice any difference between the devices, which is a strike for the Sony smartphone in terms of everyday usability.

Sony Xperia XA2: overall route
Sony Xperia XA2: overall route
Sony Xperia XA2: lake
Sony Xperia XA2: lake
Sony Xperia XA2: turning point
Sony Xperia XA2: turning point
Garmin Edge 500: overall route
Garmin Edge 500: overall route
Garmin Edge 500: lake
Garmin Edge 500: lake
Garmin Edge 500: turning point
Garmin Edge 500: turning point

Telephone Functions and Call Quality

The Xperia mobile leaves a good impression while calling. The voice quality was always flawless in our test, whether we were calling a landline or mobile number. In quiet surroundings, the hands-free function could also be used sensibly.

Cameras - The Sony mobile has a good 23-MP camera

Picture taken with the main camera
Picture taken with the main camera
Picture taken with the webcam
Picture taken with the webcam

Sony has equipped the Xperia XA2 with a 23-MP camera, which uses the in-house Sony-Exmor-RS sensor, an aperture of F/2.0, and an 84-degree wide-angle lens. The 1/2.3-inch sensor takes pictures in the 4:3 format at up to 4144x5520 pixels and in the 16:9 format at a maximum of 3376x5984 pixels (20 MP). The camera records 4K videos at up to 30 FPS, Full HD videos at up to 60 FPS, and in 720p slow motion mode, it is even 120 FPS. The 8-MP webcam has a 120-degree super wide-angle lens, so you can even shoot group selfies.

In daylight (scenes 1 and 3), the 23-MP camera of the Sony mobile takes good pictures with high accuracy of the details. However, the Exmor-RS sensor does not strike such a good figure in poorly lit surroundings (scene 2), where the image details appear washed out and blurry. The camera also has some difficulties with the exact color reproduction.

The 8-MP selfie camera cannot even quite convince in optimal light conditions. Even though you can manually adjust some of the recording parameters as in the main camera, the pictures are always quite noisy.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images

Finally, we are analyzing the camera under controlled lighting conditions. We are evaluating the color reproduction using the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport and the image sharpness using our test chart.

In the color reproduction, the Xperia Dual SIM always appears slightly off the ideal line. Colors are displayed slightly too saturated, and in contrast the Grayscales turn out too pale in parts. However, the smartphone has no problems at all to produce a sharp reproduction of the test chart and cannot be deterred by some difficult to reproduce elements such as color gradients or gray wedges.

ColorChecker: The original color is displayed in the bottom half of each field.
ColorChecker: The original color is displayed in the bottom half of each field.
Reference card detail
Reference card detail
Picture of reference card
Picture of reference card

Accessories and Warranty

Sony includes a modular power supply (Sony UCH20, 5 V, 1.5 A), a USB cable (Type C to Type A), earphones, and a quick start manual with the mobile. There are quite a few accessories to choose from on the website, such as a Bluetooth headset (40 Euros/~$49), a cover with an integrated stand (40 Euros/~$49), a USB charger for the car (35 Euros/~$43), and with the Sony UCH12W (50 Euros/ ~$62), a charger that also supports Quick Charge 3.0 in contrast to the included charger.

Sony offers a 24-month warranty for the Xperia XA2. Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices and Navigation

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 SoC and 3 GB of RAM ensure that the navigation of the Xperia XA2 runs mostly smoothly. Only right after the startup, it can take a few moments until all the GUI elements have loaded. But after that, everything runs without any trouble. The Full HD touchscreen reacts to input quickly and precisely. The same goes for the fingerprint sensor, which sits in a little nook below the main camera and can be felt easily. The physical keys (power button, volume rocker, shutter release) have a clear pressure point, are not too easy to press, and convince with good haptics. The versatile SwiftKey keyboard is used as the default keyboard.

Keyboard, portrait orientation
Keyboard, portrait orientation
Keyboard, landscape orientation
Keyboard, landscape orientation

Display - bright, high-contrast, but not without flickering

Subpixel grid
Subpixel grid

The IPS display of the Sony Xperia XA2 has a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and joins some good company, since at this point a Full HD display is the standard that can be expected. Things also continue as expected: although at an average of 506.2 cd/m², the display is not quite as bright as in some of the competitors, this does not matter much in everyday operation. With its brightness (93%), black value (0.42 cd/m²) and contrast ratio (1221:1), the Xperia XA2 also achieves some good values. The smartphone does deserve some criticism for its PWM flickering. However, this only occurs at a display brightness of 7% or lower, so it should not be relevant in practice either. 

503
cd/m²
524
cd/m²
514
cd/m²
508
cd/m²
513
cd/m²
512
cd/m²
487
cd/m²
496
cd/m²
499
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 524 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 506.2 cd/m² Minimum: 4.12 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 93 %
Center on Battery: 513 cd/m²
Contrast: 1221:1 (Black: 0.42 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 7.8 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.2
Sony Xperia XA2
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.20
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.50
BQ Aquaris X Pro
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.20
Honor 9
IPS/LTPS, 1920x1080, 5.15
HTC U11 Life
SLCD, 1920x1080, 5.20
Motorola Moto X4
LTPS IPS, 1920x1080, 5.20
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
Super AMOLED, 1920x1080, 5.20
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
IPS, 1920x1080, 6.00
Screen
19%
-22%
21%
9%
1%
40%
21%
Brightness middle
513
656
28%
458
-11%
550
7%
545
6%
469
-9%
539
5%
659
28%
Brightness
506
634
25%
473
-7%
535
6%
526
4%
479
-5%
542
7%
680
34%
Brightness Distribution
93
93
0%
88
-5%
92
-1%
87
-6%
86
-8%
93
0%
88
-5%
Black Level *
0.42
0.4
5%
0.51
-21%
0.42
-0%
0.42
-0%
0.37
12%
0.56
-33%
Contrast
1221
1640
34%
898
-26%
1310
7%
1298
6%
1268
4%
1177
-4%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5
5.3
-6%
7.1
-42%
3.3
34%
4.9
2%
5.5
-10%
1.6
68%
2.8
44%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
11.4
7.8
32%
14.5
-27%
4.5
61%
8.5
25%
10.7
6%
2.6
77%
6.5
43%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
7.8
5.2
33%
10.5
-35%
3.6
54%
5.4
31%
6.7
14%
1.5
81%
3
62%
Gamma
2.2 100%
2.22 99%
2.28 96%
2.38 92%
2.31 95%
2.1 105%
2.28 96%
2.18 101%
CCT
7964 82%
7905 82%
8951 73%
7226 90%
7610 85%
8064 81%
6422 101%
6938 94%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 1157 Hz ≤ 7 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 1157 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 7 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 1157 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
20.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 6 ms rise
↘ 14.8 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 40 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
57.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 25.2 ms rise
↘ 32.4 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 93 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).
Optimized settings with image improvement turned off
Optimized settings with image improvement turned off

The Xperia XA2 allows its users to tune the color display to improve the image. The display settings have a menu item called "color scale and contrast," which offers three different modes. By default, the image improvement is turned "Off," a "Standard mode" promises a better image quality for pictures and videos, and a "Super vibrant mode" is supposed to miraculously bring surreal and super vibrant images to the display.

As our measurements using the Colorimeter and the CalMAN software show, the color accuracy is best when the image improvement is turned off. However, all the values are still far from optimal, and the display appears too cool due to the color temperature being much too high. But at least by adjusting the parameters for white balance (see settings in the screen shot), you can tune this display mode towards a fairly accurate color reproduction, even though there is still a lot of room for improvement. In the Standard and the Super Vibrant modes, the color deviations are far from the ideal balance - as was announced in the description. However, they ensure very bright and saturated colors, which subjectively look much better than the slightly pale "Off" mode.

Color accuracy (image improvement off, sRGB target color space)
Color accuracy (image improvement off, sRGB target color space)
Color accuracy (image improvement off & optimized, sRGB target color space)
Color accuracy (image improvement off & optimized, sRGB target color space)
Grayscales (image improvement off, sRGB target color space)
Grayscales (image improvement off, sRGB target color space)
Grayscales (image improvement off & optimized, sRGB target color space)
Grayscales (image improvement off & optimized, sRGB target color space)
Color space (image improvement off, sRGB target color space)
Color space (image improvement off, sRGB target color space)
Saturation (image improvement off, sRGB target color space)
Saturation (image improvement off, sRGB target color space)
Color accuracy (Standard mode, P3 target color space)
Color accuracy (Standard mode, P3 target color space)
Color space (Standard mode, P3 target color space)
Color space (Standard mode, P3 target color space)
Grayscales (Standard mode, P3 target color space)
Grayscales (Standard mode, P3 target color space)
Saturation (Standard mode, P3 target color space)
Saturation (Standard mode, P3 target color space)
Color accuracy (Super Vibrant mode, P3 target color space)
Color accuracy (Super Vibrant mode, P3 target color space)
Color space (Super Vibrant mode, P3 target color space)
Color space (Super Vibrant mode, P3 target color space)
Grayscales (Super Vibrant mode, P3 target color space)
Grayscales (Super Vibrant mode, P3 target color space)
Saturation (Super Vibrant mode, P3 target color space)
Saturation (Super Vibrant mode, P3 target color space)

Due to its high brightness reserves and its viewing angle stable IPS panel, the Sony Xperia XA2 is well suited for outdoor use. If you avoid direct sunlight, you can still see the contents on the reflective display, even when the display is tilted to the side. The display only darkens slightly from very steep viewing angles, but this has not much of an impact.

Outdoor use
Outdoor use
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance - A solid mid-range performance

With the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, the Xperia XA2 uses a fast mid-range SoC, which can also be found in the Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL, the HTC U11 Life, the Motorola Moto X4, and the Xperia XA2 Ultra. Equipped with the Snapdragon 626, the BQ Aquaris X Pro is almost at the same level as these five, just like the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) which is driven by the Exynos 7880. Only the Honor 9, whose HiSilicon-SoC Kirin 960 brings clearly more performance, stands out in the benchmarks.

AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
71552 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
68282 Points -5%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
66226 Points -7%
Honor 9
150276 Points +110%
HTC U11 Life
73617 Points +3%
Motorola Moto X4
70445 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
60603 Points -15%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
70141 Points -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (44128 - 73617, n=12)
68642 Points -4%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
5844 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
6264 Points +7%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
5886 Points +1%
Honor 9
7034 Points +20%
HTC U11 Life
5818 Points 0%
Motorola Moto X4
5919 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
5035 Points -14%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
5083 Points -13%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (4948 - 6264, n=13)
5632 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +158%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
5006 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
5085 Points +2%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
4915 Points -2%
Honor 9
6113 Points +22%
HTC U11 Life
4835 Points -3%
Motorola Moto X4
4887 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
4060 Points -19%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
5051 Points +1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (4636 - 5987, n=12)
4968 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +117%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
1563 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
1513 Points -3%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
1314 Points -16%
Honor 9
2779 Points +78%
HTC U11 Life
1368 Points -12%
Motorola Moto X4
1536 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
1408 Points -10%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
1560 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (1152 - 1570, n=13)
1479 Points -5%
Average of class Smartphone (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +265%
System (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
3256 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
3319 Points +2%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
3492 Points +7%
Honor 9
4154 Points +28%
HTC U11 Life
3215 Points -1%
Motorola Moto X4
3279 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
2593 Points -20%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
3287 Points +1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (1763 - 3319, n=13)
3147 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points +195%
Memory (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
1328 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
1380 Points +4%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
1046 Points -21%
Honor 9
3258 Points +145%
HTC U11 Life
838 Points -37%
Motorola Moto X4
1405 Points +6%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
1508 Points +14%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
1325 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (838 - 1405, n=13)
1199 Points -10%
Average of class Smartphone (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +369%
Graphics (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
1500 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
1496 Points 0%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
1012 Points -33%
Honor 9
4126 Points +175%
HTC U11 Life
1515 Points +1%
Motorola Moto X4
1519 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
1528 Points +2%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
1492 Points -1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (1409 - 1523, n=13)
1494 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +827%
Web (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
921 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
766 Points -17%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
806 Points -12%
Honor 9
1069 Points +16%
HTC U11 Life
858 Points -7%
Motorola Moto X4
795 Points -14%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
659 Points -28%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
912 Points -1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (666 - 936, n=13)
859 Points -7%
Average of class Smartphone (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points +61%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
865 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
865 Points 0%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
928 Points +7%
Honor 9
1869 Points +116%
HTC U11 Life
877 Points +1%
Motorola Moto X4
870 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
773 Points -11%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
865 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (710 - 885, n=13)
853 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (800 - 9574, n=90, last 2 years)
5063 Points +485%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
4170 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
4172 Points 0%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
4369 Points +5%
Honor 9
6527 Points +57%
HTC U11 Life
4193 Points +1%
Motorola Moto X4
4115 Points -1%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
4104 Points -2%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
4234 Points +2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (2246 - 4234, n=13)
4009 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone (2630 - 26990, n=90, last 2 years)
13549 Points +225%
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
3942 Points
Honor 9
Points
HTC U11 Life
3956 Points
Motorola Moto X4
3894 Points
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
3002 Points
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
3738 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (2910 - 3956, n=12)
3718 Points
Average of class Smartphone (2053 - 18432, n=70, last 2 years)
10590 Points
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
16974 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
16841 Points -1%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
13963 Points -18%
Honor 9
28883 Points +70%
HTC U11 Life
16859 Points -1%
Motorola Moto X4
16767 Points -1%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
13256 Points -22%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
16949 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (15466 - 17032, n=13)
16750 Points -1%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
18534 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
18386 Points -1%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
13277 Points -28%
Honor 9
38979 Points +110%
HTC U11 Life
18469 Points 0%
Motorola Moto X4
18355 Points -1%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
13314 Points -28%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
18528 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (16508 - 18635, n=13)
18279 Points -1%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
13112 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
13014 Points -1%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
17044 Points +30%
Honor 9
15150 Points +16%
HTC U11 Life
12919 Points -1%
Motorola Moto X4
12870 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
13057 Points 0%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
13054 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (12437 - 13217, n=13)
12963 Points -1%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
1334 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
1374 Points +3%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
849 Points -36%
Honor 9
2611 Points +96%
HTC U11 Life
1336 Points 0%
Motorola Moto X4
1351 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
1155 Points -13%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
1333 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (1315 - 1374, n=13)
1341 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3495 Points +162%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
1251 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
1289 Points +3%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
725 Points -42%
Honor 9
2990 Points +139%
HTC U11 Life
1257 Points 0%
Motorola Moto X4
1259 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
1053 Points -16%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
1256 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (1234 - 1289, n=13)
1258 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3845 Points +207%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
1737 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
1785 Points +3%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
2127 Points +22%
Honor 9
1809 Points +4%
HTC U11 Life
1711 Points -1%
Motorola Moto X4
1816 Points +5%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
1752 Points +1%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
1698 Points -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (1687 - 1816, n=13)
1746 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
2989 Points +72%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
811 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
835 Points +3%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
464 Points -43%
Honor 9
2666 Points +229%
HTC U11 Life
839 Points +3%
Motorola Moto X4
835 Points +3%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
816 Points +1%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
833 Points +3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (809 - 839, n=13)
825 Points +2%
Average of class Smartphone (286 - 7890, n=102, last 2 years)
2665 Points +229%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
709 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
726 Points +2%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
379 Points -47%
Honor 9
2798 Points +295%
HTC U11 Life
729 Points +3%
Motorola Moto X4
724 Points +2%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
710 Points 0%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
727 Points +3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (704 - 729, n=13)
718 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone (240 - 9814, n=102, last 2 years)
2655 Points +274%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
1631 Points
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
1751 Points +7%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
2132 Points +31%
Honor 9
2287 Points +40%
HTC U11 Life
1779 Points +9%
Motorola Moto X4
1811 Points +11%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
1713 Points +5%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
1706 Points +5%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (1631 - 1822, n=13)
1734 Points +6%
Average of class Smartphone (858 - 4679, n=102, last 2 years)
3119 Points +91%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
31 fps
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
29 fps -6%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
22 fps -29%
Honor 9
55 fps +77%
HTC U11 Life
29 fps -6%
Motorola Moto X4
31 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
33 fps +6%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
31 fps 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (25 - 31, n=13)
29.2 fps -6%
Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
83 fps +168%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
30 fps
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
30 fps 0%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
23 fps -23%
Honor 9
60 fps +100%
HTC U11 Life
30 fps 0%
Motorola Moto X4
30 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
34 fps +13%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
29 fps -3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (29 - 30, n=13)
29.7 fps -1%
Average of class Smartphone (19 - 791, n=178, last 2 years)
244 fps +713%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
15 fps
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
14 fps -7%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
9.6 fps -36%
Honor 9
28 fps +87%
HTC U11 Life
14 fps -7%
Motorola Moto X4
15 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
15 fps 0%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
15 fps 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (11 - 15, n=13)
13.8 fps -8%
Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 165, n=179, last 2 years)
71 fps +373%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
14 fps
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
14 fps 0%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
9.8 fps -30%
Honor 9
30 fps +114%
HTC U11 Life
14 fps 0%
Motorola Moto X4
14 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
15 fps +7%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
14 fps 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (13 - 14, n=13)
13.8 fps -1%
Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 363, n=179, last 2 years)
138 fps +886%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
10 fps
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
9.5 fps -5%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
6.3 fps -37%
Honor 9
22 fps +120%
HTC U11 Life
9.8 fps -2%
Motorola Moto X4
11 fps +10%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
9 fps -10%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
11 fps +10%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (5.3 - 11, n=13)
9.36 fps -6%
Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 158, n=179, last 2 years)
59.9 fps +499%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
9.7 fps
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
9.7 fps 0%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
6.4 fps -34%
Honor 9
22 fps +127%
HTC U11 Life
9.7 fps 0%
Motorola Moto X4
9.6 fps -1%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
9.1 fps -6%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
5.2 fps -46%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (5.2 - 10, n=13)
9.38 fps -3%
Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 279, n=179, last 2 years)
96.7 fps +897%
GFXBench - on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Sony Xperia XA2
6 fps
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
5.3 fps -12%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
3.5 fps -42%
Honor 9
16 fps +167%
HTC U11 Life
5.4 fps -10%
Motorola Moto X4
5.7 fps -5%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
5.2 fps -13%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
6 fps 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (4.3 - 6, n=13)
5.48 fps -9%
Average of class Smartphone (5 - 117, n=179, last 2 years)
42.9 fps +615%

Legend

 
Sony Xperia XA2 Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Qualcomm Adreno 508, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Qualcomm Adreno 508, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
BQ Aquaris X Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 626, Qualcomm Adreno 506, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Honor 9 HiSilicon Kirin 960, ARM Mali-G71 MP8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
HTC U11 Life Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Qualcomm Adreno 508, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Motorola Moto X4 Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Qualcomm Adreno 508, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 Samsung Exynos 7880, ARM Mali-T830 MP3, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Qualcomm Adreno 508, 32 GB eMMC Flash

The order of performance that we observed in the synthetic benchmarks remains the same in the browser benchmarks: The Honor 9 comes in first, and again after a clear distance, the Xperia XA2 and the other phones follow. Demanding websites load relatively fast and run smoothly, with only a slight stutter sneaking in here and there.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 414, n=3, last 2 years)
194.9 Points +612%
Honor 9 (Chrome 59)
58.6 Points +114%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 (Samsung Browser (Chrome 44))
32.22 Points +18%
Motorola Moto X4 (Chrome 63)
30.81 Points +13%
HTC U11 Life (Chrome 63)
28.99 Points +6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (27.4 - 30.8, n=12)
28.3 Points +3%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra (Chrome 65)
28.11 Points +3%
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL (Chrome 62)
28.09 Points +3%
Sony Xperia XA2 (Chrome 65.0.3325.109)
27.37 Points
BQ Aquaris X Pro (Chrome 59.0.3071.125)
26.84 Points -2%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33525 Points +603%
Honor 9 (Chrome 59)
10208 Points +114%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 (Samsung Browser (Chrome 44))
5256 Points +10%
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra (Chrome 65)
5052 Points +6%
Motorola Moto X4 (Chrome 63)
5050 Points +6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (4398 - 5202, n=13)
4963 Points +4%
HTC U11 Life (Chrome 63)
4893 Points +3%
Sony Xperia XA2 (Chrome 65.0.3325.109)
4771 Points
BQ Aquaris X Pro (Chrome 59.0.3071.125)
4424 Points -7%
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL (Chrome 62)
4398 Points -8%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Sony Xperia XA2 (Chrome 65.0.3325.109)
10236 ms *
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra (Chrome 65)
9823 ms * +4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (8396 - 10257, n=13)
9702 ms * +5%
HTC U11 Life (Chrome 63)
9493 ms * +7%
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL (Chrome 62)
9425 ms * +8%
BQ Aquaris X Pro (Chrome 59.0.3071.125)
8742 ms * +15%
Motorola Moto X4 (Chrome 63)
8396 ms * +18%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 (Samsung Browser (Chrome 44))
6442 ms * +37%
Honor 9 (Chrome 59)
3149 ms * +69%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1653 ms * +84%
WebXPRT 2015 - Overall
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra (Chrome 65)
110 Points +4%
Honor 9 (Chrome 59)
107 Points +1%
Sony Xperia XA2 (Chrome 65.0.3325.109)
106 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (86 - 117, n=10)
105.9 Points 0%
HTC U11 Life (Chrome 63)
100 Points -6%
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL (Chrome 62)
95 Points -10%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 (Samsung Browser (Chrome 44))
89 Points -16%
BQ Aquaris X Pro (Chrome 59.0.3071.125)
86 Points -19%
Motorola Moto X4 (Chrome 63)
86 Points -19%

* ... smaller is better

The Xperia XA2 can access our Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 reference storage card quite fast (reading at up to 270 MB/s, writing at up to 150 MB/s), achieving about the same speeds as the competition. When reading and writing to the internal storage, the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) always remains far behind. The differences between the smartphones are particularly high in the 4KB writes, which are between 7.59 and 55.3 MByte/s, depending on the device. At 13.82 MByte/s, the Xperia XA2 is not one of the fastest devices at all here, but it keeps some good company.

Sony Xperia XA2Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KLBQ Aquaris X ProHonor 9HTC U11 LifeMotorola Moto X4Samsung Galaxy A5 2017Sony Xperia XA2 UltraAverage 32 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
14%
-8%
28%
39%
49%
-27%
10%
-1%
866%
Sequential Read 256KB
271.5
287.4
6%
270.5
0%
293
8%
268
-1%
281.6
4%
182
-33%
273.7
1%
242 ?(25.8 - 452, n=247)
-11%
1467 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
440%
Sequential Write 256KB
127.4
205.3
61%
139.6
10%
204
60%
120
-6%
120.5
-5%
77.1
-39%
138.8
9%
100.5 ?(14.8 - 196, n=247)
-21%
1077 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
745%
Random Read 4KB
43.07
68.6
59%
37.97
-12%
55.7
29%
39.3
-9%
45.4
5%
22.41
-48%
76
76%
43.2 ?(3.59 - 117.2, n=247)
0%
241 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
460%
Random Write 4KB
13.82
7.59
-45%
12.07
-13%
32.7
137%
50.2
263%
55.3
300%
12.13
-12%
10.1
-27%
22.4 ?(0.75 - 91, n=247)
62%
265 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
1818%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
86 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
86.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
1%
78.7 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-8%
68 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-21%
82.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-4%
83.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-2%
73.7 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-14%
85.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
0%
71.8 ?(8.2 - 96.5, n=178)
-17%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
64.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
66.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
3%
49.77 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-23%
34.64 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-47%
59.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-8%
60 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-7%
56 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-14%
63.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-2%
52.9 ?(3.4 - 87.1, n=178)
-18%

Games - Even graphically demanding games run smoothly

The Sony Xperia XA2 displays the current games smoothly. Our two reference games, "Dead Trigger 2" and "Asphalt 8: Airborne," both of which are quite demanding on the GPU, each run at the highest possible frame rates of 60 and 30 FPS respectively, even in full details. The navigation via touchscreen always worked flawlessly, and so did the position and acceleration sensors. 

Dead Trigger 2
Dead Trigger 2
Asphalt 8: Airborne
Asphalt 8: Airborne
Asphalt 8: Airborne
 SettingsValue
 high30 fps
 very low30 fps
  Your browser does not support the canvas element!
Dead Trigger 2
 SettingsValue
 high60 fps
  Your browser does not support the canvas element!

Emissions - Hardly any heating, weak speaker

Temperature

GFXBench battery test (Manhattan)
GFXBench battery test (Manhattan)

The subject of temperature can be dealt with quickly, since the Xperia XA2 acts pleasantly unremarkable here. At a maximum of 38.2 °C (~101 °F) even under full load, it does not warm up to more than body temperature. As the battery test of GFXBench shows, there is no throttling. Even during the more demanding Manhattan GFXBench scenario where a game scene is rendered 30 times in a row as in the less demanding T-Rex test, the frame rate remains constantly high and only fluctuates within the measurement tolerance range. During regular usage or during idle operation, temperatures of less than 30 °C (86 °F) will be more the rule rather than the exception. 

Max. Load
 37.9 °C
100 F
37 °C
99 F
37.9 °C
100 F
 
 38.2 °C
101 F
36.2 °C
97 F
37.8 °C
100 F
 
 38 °C
100 F
35.5 °C
96 F
36.6 °C
98 F
 
Maximum: 38.2 °C = 101 F
Average: 37.2 °C = 99 F
33.3 °C
92 F
36.9 °C
98 F
37.2 °C
99 F
33.8 °C
93 F
37.3 °C
99 F
37.2 °C
99 F
33.8 °C
93 F
37.2 °C
99 F
36.9 °C
98 F
Maximum: 37.3 °C = 99 F
Average: 36 °C = 97 F
Power Supply (max.)  32.4 °C = 90 F | Room Temperature 21 °C = 70 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 37.2 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 38.2 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 37.3 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31.1 °C / 88 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speaker

Speaker characteristics
Speaker characteristics

The mono speaker of the Xperia XA2, which is positioned next to the USB-C connection, reproduces voice as well as mids and highs in general in a balanced way and is suitable for providing an acoustic background of songs and YouTube-Videos. Since the bass is quite underrepresented in the sound spectrum, the small speaker membrane sounds quite tinny particularly at a high volume. But at least the sound does not get distorted even at maximum volume. 

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2028.627.22524.929.63124.624.84026.428.85030.828.66323.6208020.222.210019.920.712517.625.116019.142.320019.142.925017.449.731516.95340016.857.250015.159.263016.560.680015.664.410001567.6125015.568.7160015.373.2200015.775.7250015.575.3315015.575.5400015.477500015.875.663001674.4800015.873.51000016.1711250016.1671600017.357.4SPL27.985.6N159.9median 16median 67Delta0.711.528.628.524.925.324.623.926.426.230.833.423.619.320.22519.922.117.628.619.142.319.145.617.453.416.95616.857.815.161.816.562.915.668.71571.415.572.215.374.615.776.715.577.315.578.615.479.215.877.91674.215.874.916.172.916.17117.361.827.987.7167.9median 16median 710.79.631.641.125.44025.336.732.93633.635.631.630.628.432.92733.820.841.72244.421.348.420.850.521.256.619.462.519.566.217.766.117.974.217.877.317.374.317.473.816.771.817.269.318.269.517.966.517.661.417.755.817.854.517.959.918.152.218.249.530831.350.1median 17.9median 61.41.410.5hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseSony Xperia XA2Sony Xperia XA2 UltraSamsung Galaxy A5 2017
Sony Xperia XA2 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.5% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.6% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (2.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 47% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 45% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 66% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 27% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (87.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 29.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.5% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.4% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (2.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 32% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 60% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 52% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 40% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 9.4% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 47% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 45% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 66% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 27% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency comparison (checkboxes selectable!)

Battery Life - very long runtimes, quickly recharged

Power Consumption

Even though all the competitors gathered here are not power hungry by any means, they still have hardly any chance against the extremely energy efficient Xperia XA2. The Honor 9, the Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL, as well as the Xperia XA2 Ultra sibling model, which use between 48 and 78% more power, are struggling the most. Only the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) is similarly energy efficient as our test unit.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0 / 0.14 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.39 / 1.61 / 1.62 Watt
Load midlight 3.12 / 4.92 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Sony Xperia XA2
3300 mAh
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
3300 mAh
BQ Aquaris X Pro
3100 mAh
Honor 9
3200 mAh
HTC U11 Life
2600 mAh
Motorola Moto X4
3000 mAh
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
3000 mAh
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
3580 mAh
Power Consumption
-57%
-32%
-78%
-26%
-19%
2%
-48%
Idle Minimum *
0.39
0.84
-115%
0.67
-72%
1.13
-190%
0.63
-62%
0.65
-67%
0.64
-64%
0.77
-97%
Idle Average *
1.61
2.31
-43%
1.7
-6%
2.25
-40%
2.1
-30%
1.51
6%
1.36
16%
2.12
-32%
Idle Maximum *
1.62
2.33
-44%
1.78
-10%
2.3
-42%
2.15
-33%
1.57
3%
1.4
14%
2.17
-34%
Load Average *
3.12
4.76
-53%
4.42
-42%
4.89
-57%
3.34
-7%
3.88
-24%
2.53
19%
4.3
-38%
Load Maximum *
4.92
6.39
-30%
6.3
-28%
7.99
-62%
4.83
2%
5.47
-11%
3.63
26%
6.73
-37%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Its very low power consumption makes the Xperia XA2 an endurance champion, which the competition almost through the bank has a tough time to follow. Only the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)  is even better here, despite its smaller battery and almost identical power consumption. But this does not change anything about the outstanding times achieved by the Xperia XA2: In the practically relevant WLAN test, which calls up a website via script every 30 seconds, the smartphone is only running out of steam after almost 15 hours. The runtime while playing videos is exactly two hours shorter, but at 12:46 hours still very good.

The charging also succeeds quite fast in the Xperia XA2. It took about two and a half hours (exactly: 2:37 hours) in our test, until the empty battery was again recharged to 100%. It would even go faster with the 16.2-watt UCH12W power supply, which is optionally offered for about 50 Euros (~$62), since the included UCH20 power supply only has a power rating of 7.5 watts.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
41h 43min
WiFi Websurfing
14h 46min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
12h 46min
Load (maximum brightness)
4h 58min
Sony Xperia XA2
3300 mAh
Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL
3300 mAh
BQ Aquaris X Pro
3100 mAh
Honor 9
3200 mAh
HTC U11 Life
2600 mAh
Motorola Moto X4
3000 mAh
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
3000 mAh
Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra
3580 mAh
Battery Runtime
-21%
-19%
-30%
-10%
-18%
19%
-10%
Reader / Idle
2503
1665
-33%
1840
-26%
1399
-44%
1820
-27%
1652
-34%
2418
-3%
1788
-29%
H.264
766
698
-9%
644
-16%
564
-26%
798
4%
688
-10%
984
28%
876
14%
WiFi v1.3
886
562
-37%
730
-18%
516
-42%
725
-18%
659
-26%
843
-5%
849
-4%
Load
298
286
-4%
254
-15%
278
-7%
303
2%
289
-3%
467
57%
238
-20%

Pros

+ stable, fashionable case
+ Full HD resolution
+ bright IPS display
+ precise GPS module
+ good 23-MP camera
+ USB-C connection
+ fast during everyday use
+ no throttling
+ long battery life
+ Quick-charge funktion

Cons

- hybrid Dual-SIM only
- a lot of bloatware
- not waterproof
- USB-2.0 speed only
- mediocre selfie camera

Verdict - A solid smartphone without any real highlights

We are testing the Sony Xperia XA2. Test unit provided by notebooksbilliger.de
We are testing the Sony Xperia XA2. Test unit provided by notebooksbilliger.de

The Sony Xperia XA2 is a very solid mid-range smartphone. However, it does not bring a real "killer feature" to distinguish it from the competition.

With the Xperia XA2, Sony has a good mid-range device in its lineup, which makes everyday life with the smartphone easy. The fashionable 5.2-incher fits into the hands well, possesses a bright Full HD display with stable viewing angles, and thanks to decent performance reserves, also runs graphically demanding games smoothly. Additional positive points are the 23-MP camera which takes good photos in daylight, the long battery life, and the pleasantly short recharging times due to Quick Charge 3.0. With Android 8.0 at the time of our testing, the Xperia XA2 also runs a very current version of the Google OS.

While the Xperia XA2 does not commit any real blunders, it could have done better in some respects: The selfie camera only produces a mediocre image quality, and the nominally 32 GB of storage is reduced to 20 GB by the many preinstalled apps that cannot be uninstalled. Although a waterproof case is not a rarity in the mid-range anymore, Sony has done without it in the Xperia XA2.

At the time of testing, the Xperia XA2 costs 300 Euros (~$370, around $350 in the US), which is practically as much as the similarly equipped and speedy smartphones such as the BQ Aquaris X Pro, the HTC U11 Life, or the Motorola Moto X4

Sony Xperia XA2 - 03/29/2018 v6(old)
Manuel Masiero

Chassis
84%
Keyboard
70 / 75 → 93%
Pointing Device
87%
Connectivity
50 / 60 → 83%
Weight
91%
Battery
96%
Display
84%
Games Performance
41 / 63 → 65%
Application Performance
52 / 70 → 75%
Temperature
90%
Noise
100%
Audio
68 / 91 → 75%
Camera
73%
Average
76%
85%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Manuel Masiero, 2018-04- 1 (Update: 2020-05-19)