Sony announces US price and release dates for the new Xperia X and XA lines!
| Model | Release date | Price |
| Xperia X | June 26 | $549.99 |
| Xperia XA | July 17 | $279.99 |
| Xperia X Performance | July 17 | $699.99 |
| Xperia XA Ultra | July 24 | $369.99 |
What can we expect from the new Xperias? Well, a slightly retouched, all-metal design is the most apparent change. Gone is the fingerprint-collecting glass from the back in favor of a cooler-feeling material. From the very few glimpses we've gotten of the device so far, we can also see that the user interface has gotten a facelift. Will it be a modern, user-friendly UX we've been waiting to see from Sony? Let's hope so!
The Xperia XA is the cheapest handset of the bunch, and, on the inside, it is your run-of-the-mill midranger. Powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 and 2 GB of RAM, with 16 GB of built-in storage, and a 13 MP / 8 MP camera combo. While corners were cut on the hardware side, the XA line definitely has a more interesting design than the regular Xperia X or even the currently-available Xperia Z family. The reason behind this is the XA's end-to-end screen, which gives the display a borderless, infinity pool-like effect on its sides. In terms of size and resolution, it's a 5-inch, 720x1280 screen. This $280 handset will definitely win some fans on looks alone.
Its bigger brother, the XA Ultra, earns its name with an inflated, 6-inch, 1080x1920 resolution display, a 21.5 MP main camera and a 16 MP selfie snapper with optical image stabilization. It does up the RAM to 3 GB, but still retains the Helio P10 at its core, and 16 GB of on-board storage.
The Xperia X is the handset that will be available soonest, and is the new line's "almost-flagship". It has a 5-inch, 1080x1920 resolution display, a 23 MP / 13 MP camera combo, and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 SoC with 3 GB of RAM. On-board storage also got a bump up to 32 GB, though only 20 GB of them would be available to the user out-of-the-box. The handset is also outfitted with Sony's distinct fingerprint scanner, located on the right frame of the device, just like in the Xperia Z5 line.
Last, but not least, we have the $700 top-tier representative of the line – the Xperia X Performance. Its design, display, cameras, storage, and RAM are the same as the specs of the Xperia X, but it does come with the quad-core, flagship-class Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC. Whether this alone is what warrants an extra $150 to its price and 3 months of extra wait time remains to be seen, but if you are skeptical – we'd see why.
Last, but not least, we have the $700 top-tier representative of the line – the Xperia X Performance. Its design, display, cameras, storage, and RAM are the same as the specs of the Xperia X, but it does come with the quad-core, flagship-class Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC. Whether this alone is what warrants an extra $150 to its price and 3 months of extra wait time remains to be seen, but if you are skeptical – we'd see why.
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