Sony Xperia XA Ultra Android Phablet Delivers 16MP Of Image-Stabilized Selfie Love

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Once considered a throwaway feature for smartphones that few people used, there’s been an increasing emphasis in recent years by manufacturers on front-facing or “selfie” cameras. We’ve seen smartphones with 5MP and even 8MP selfie cameras become the norm. But Sony, which has seen its smartphone business crumble around it, is looking to advance the field with a 16MP selfie camera on its brand new Xperia XA Ultra Android smartphone.

Some flagship smartphones don’t even come with a 16MP rear camera, so it’s definitely attention grabbing to see such a camera grace the front of a smartphone. Sony says that the camera has a wide-angle 88-degree lens, excellent low-light shooting capabilities and an accompanying “smart selfie flash” to illuminate your face and the background during night shots.

The selfie camera even includes optical image stabilization (OIS) to help counteract the effects of shaky hands (that’s probably a good thing after a few late night drinks when out on the town). Another interesting feature is the included “gesture control” that allows you to wave your hand in front of the lens to initiate a shutter timer.

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As for the main camera on the back of the Xperia XA Ultra, you’ll find Sony’s highly respected 21.5MP Exmor RS sensor complete with hybrid autofocus, quick launch and quick capture capabilities.

When it comes to the Xperia XA Ultra’s other specs, things are decidedly mid-range in nature. You won’t find waterproofing (a common Xperia staple) or a USB-C port, but the smartphone does feature a rather uncommon 6-inch display with a resolution of 1920x1080. Processing duties are handled by an octa-core MediaTek MT6755 processor that’s paired with 3GB of RAM. You can only configure the Xperia XA Ultra with 16GB of internal storage, but you can expand storage (up to 200GB) with a microSD card. A non-removable 2700 mAh battery provides up to two days of battery life according to Sony.

The Xperia XA Ultra, which comes in black, white and lime gold, has yet to receive an official MSRP or a global rollout schedule.