Sony launches dual-front-camera Xperia, 2 other selfie phones

Remember the Sony Xperia XA2, Xperia XA2 Ultra, and Xperia L2 smartphones whose details got leaked out a few days ago? Sony has finally announced the three at CES 2018. And the Japanese company is positioning them as selfie phones, with one of the devices even sporting two cameras on the front.

Here, we get to know each of them.

Headlining the launch is the XA2 Ultra, which Sony calls the ultimate dual-selfie-camera smartphone. One of the two front-facing sensors has a megapixel count of 16 while the other has 8 megapixels and features a 120-degree, wide-angle lens, so you can fit more of your friends into the frame.

This is exactly the same setup as the OPPO F3 Plus, except that Sony has one-upped the Chinese by adding optical image stabilization to the main front sensor and flash to both.

The Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra has the same dual-selfie-camera system as the OPPO F3 Plus, except that Sony has one-upped the Chinese by adding optical image stabilization to the main front sensor and flash to both.

The Xperia XA2 Ultra’s rear boasts a 23-megapixel camera with 1/2.3-inch Exmor RSTM for mobile sensor that’s capable of ISO 12800 sensitivity for better low-light photography. It can also record 4K, 120fps slo-mo videos.

The 1080 display still has the same 6-inch size as that of the device’s predecessor, but the battery with support for fast charging got a huge bump — from 2,700mAh to 3,580mAh. MediaTek has been ditched in favor of Qualcomm Snapdragon; a 630 system-on-a-chip powers the Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra. Another addition? A fingerprint sensor — one that’s mounted on the back.

Don’t keep your hopes up for a new design, because no matter what Sony says — you know, like the handset has a “borderless design” — it still looks like other Xperia phones.

The XA2 Ultra will be available in either single- or dual-SIM variant, depending on the market, in four colors: silver, black, blue, and gold. You can choose between a 4GB/32GB or 4GB/64GB variant. Expect it to be shipped with Android 8.0 Oreo in tow starting February 2018.

Click on this for the Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra’s complete specs.

The 5.2-inch XA2 may not have a dual-selfie-camera setup, but it retains its bigger sibling’s 8-megapixel front shooter with 120-degree wide-angle lens. The two share the same rear camera, the same processor, the same supposed-to-be borderless design (but what Sony really shaved off are just the left and right bezels, not the top and bottom)… the same everything.

Besides the size and selfie cam, the differences lie in the battery (3,300mAh for the Sony Xperia XA2), models available (just one variant for this: 3GB/32GB), and colors offered (pink instead of gold).

Expect this midrange phone to start shipping from February 2018.

Click on this for the Sony Xperia XA2’s full specs.

Sony Xperia L2

Just because it’s the lowest-end of the three doesn’t mean the Sony Xperia L2 has been left out of the “8-megapixel front shooter with 120-degree wide-angle lens” club. It does have that feature. What it lacks is the 23-megapixel main camera of the Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra. Instead, Sony placed a 13-megapixel rear shooter there.

You won’t see any upgrades in the display and chipset departments. The L2 still keeps the 5.5-inch 720p screen and the Mediatek MT6737T processor of its predecessor. And it’s still based on Android Nougat, though the version is now 7.1.1 instead of 7.0.

However, RAM and internal storage have gone from 2GB and 16GB to 3GB and 32GB. A 3,300mAh battery instead of 2,620mAh is fitted into the unit as well.

As with the Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra, pricing has not been announced yet, but the wait shouldn’t be long; the Sony Xperia L2 will be available in three colors — black, gold, and pink — starting end-January.

Click on this for the Sony Xperia L2’s complete specs.

Learn About This Author

Alora Uy Guerrero

Editor-in-chief: Alora Uy Guerrero has 22 years of experience as an editor for print and digital publications such as Yahoo. She took time off journalism to manage OPPO’s digital-marketing campaigns. When not busy with her babies, she’s working on Revü, a passion project — or probably traveling or obsessing over her favorite bands, movies, TV shows, and basketball teams.