Sony Launches Three Xperia X-Series Smartphones Including X Performance With Snapdragon 820

by Brandon Hill — Tuesday, February 23, 2016, 10:14 AM EDT

Given all the hoopla surrounding the announcement of the modular LG G5 and the revised Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, it’s easy to forget that there’s another big name player in the smartphone game that doesn’t perhaps get the attention it deserves in the sector: Sony. Sony has always produced high-quality smartphones, but the company’s decision not to shack up with U.S. wireless carriers has left the company struggling for market share.

But that isn’t stopping Sony from announcing three new smartphones that are featured in its new Xperia X Series, including the Xperia X, XA and X Performance. All three Android 6.0 Marshmallow-powered smartphones feature the same basic design and share the same 5-inch screen size, but differ where it matters most: performance and screen resolution.

The runt of the litter is the Xperia XA, which features a 720p display, octa-core MediaTek MT6755 SoC, 2GB RAM, 16GB of internal storage, microSD slot, 13MP Exmor RX rear camera, 8MP selfie camera, and a 2300mAh battery. The Xperia X is the wild middle child with its 1080p display, Snapdragon 650 processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, microSD slot, 23MP rear camera with Predictive Hybrid AF, 13MP front-facing camera ad a 2700mAh battery.

The over-achieving star of the show, however, is the X Performance which drops the hammer with Qualcomm’s potent Snapdragon 820 processor paired with 3GB of RAM. With the exception of the processor, the rest of the Xperia X Performance’s specs are shared with the Xperia X.

“Sony Mobile will continue to create increasingly personalized and intelligent products and services that empower you to do more, and live more creatively than ever. Our products and services will connect you to each other and become essential and beloved parts of your lives.” said Hiroki Totoki, President and CEO of Sony Mobile Communications.

The Xperia X Series of smartphones will be available this summer in White, Graphite Black, Lime Gold and Rose Gold.

In addition to new Xperia X Series, Sony also announced the Xperia Ear, which is a next generation wireless earpiece that connects with your smartphone via Bluetooth or NFC. The miniature device is able to broadcast weather and news updates to your ear along with events on your calendar. It also responds to voice commands and can handle Internet searches or even message dictation.

The Xperia Ear, which is only available in Graphite Black, features IPX2 water protection, all-day battery life and will also ship this summer.

Tags: Sony, snapdragon 820, xperia x, xperia xa, xperia x performance

Brandon Hill

Brandon received his first PC, an IBM Aptiva 310, in 1994 and hasn’t looked back since. He cut his teeth on computer building/repair working at a mom and pop computer shop as a plucky teen in the mid 90s and went on to join AnandTech as the Senior News Editor in 1999. Brandon would later help to form DailyTech where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008 until 2014. Brandon is a tech geek at heart, and family members always know where to turn when they need free tech support. When he isn’t writing about the tech hardware or studying up on the latest in mobile gadgets, you’ll find him browsing forums that cater to his long-running passion: automobiles.

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