Sony Xperia XA2 Plus Review of What's New!

So Sony only gone and done it. It's another Xperia XA2 variant. 1st things 1st, what's new with this version if the Sony Xperia XA2 Plus. Well it's got different screen from the other two. The Xperia XA+ brings a new 18:9 aspect ratio, and what's more is it is full HD + which is also good. That question is...is what is full HD+ ? It's quite simple really it's 1080 x 2160 pixels, 18:9 ratio & 402 pixels per inch density.

This Sony mid-ranger should have more screen on time thanks to a larger 3,580mAh battery.... I don't know about you but I'm waiting for Sony to roll out a 4000mah battery.

Now call me crazy but I kinda get the feeling Sony want to try and dominate the middle tier smartphone market with this one. With a focus on the entertainment side of things.

Consider this if you're thinking about buying the Xperia XA2 plus 64GB version has 6gb of ram, and that's the same as my Samsung Galaxy Note 8. However Sony have not gone for the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 silicon. Instead they've gone with the Snapdragon 630. Which is a popular choice for phones in the mid-range category. For example the Nokia 6, the Asus Zenfone 4 and the LG G6 all use this same Qualcomm silicon.

Don't get me wrong here, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 just might be one of the most impressive chips in the mid range smartphone category.

So let's talk about the shooters. On the back the Xperia XA2 plus has a classic single lens 23mp f2.0 shooter which supports 4K video at 30fps. That's good. The selfie shooter is also different from the XA and XA2 ultra. The Sony Xperia XA2+ has a

8 MP (f/2.4, 1/4") camera. With a wide angled 120 degree lens. So that means even more embarrassing selfies. So good cameras on the XA2 Plus.

Now let's talk about something else. LDAC...not a Klingon swear word. It's actually Hi Res audio streaming over Bluetooth. This is especially useful if you have other Sony products that also support LDAC. The Sony MDR1000X headphones for example. Another feature on the audio side of things is Sony's DSEE-HX upscaling audio tech. It will basically try to upscale your regular MP3's closer to Hi-Res audio. I also hear the speakers on this thing should be good. We'll have to keep our ears to the street for the launch to really find out how good.

Then last but not least let's talk about the design. The Sony XA2 Plus has these nice diamond cut edges, Similar to that seen on the old Xperia XZ1 Premium. The XA2 Plus also had fingerprint reader on the back nicely placed below the camera. Sony have made a smart move here by lowering the sensor so you won't accidentally put your finger on the lens.

On the front of the device is Corning Gorilla glass 5, and it looks like the XA2+ will thinner bezels. It's not uncommon to see plastic mid-rangers. However this one is not. The XA2 plus has a full aluminium metal body, which hopefully means it can take a few knocks.

So my first impressions. If the Sony Xperia XA2 Plus comes in at under £400 with all things considered...you know what... It's a bargain! It will definitely a contender in the smartphone mid-range weight class.

So let me know what you guys think about this new phone. Is it a sound investment?