After rolling out Android Oreo for its premium segment devices, Sony has now finally started seeding Android Oreo update to its mid-range phones. The company has started rolling out Android 8.0 Oreo update for its XA-series of smartphones which consists of Sony Xperia XA1, Xperia XA1 Plus, and Xperia XA1 Ultra.

While the Xperia XA1 and Xperia XA1 Ultra were launched in Mobile World Congress last year, the Xperia XA1 Plus was launched in August last year during IFA in Berlin. All three devices run Andriod Nougat operating system out-of-the-box.

This new Android Oreo update for the Xperia XA1-series brings build number 48.1.A.0.116 and is about 884MB in size. The update also comes with the February security patch, which is disappointing given that March security patch is already available.

While the changelog for this new update is not available, we expect the update to have standard Android Oreo features, including notification channels, picture-in-picture mode, smart text selection, notification dots along with faster boot times and more. However, Sony had previously stated that the Android Oreo update will remove the Night Light feature for the Xperia XA1 series.

The Xperia XA1 has a 5-inch HD display whereas the Xperia XA1 Ultra has a 6-inch full HD edge-to-edge screen. Both smartphones are powered by MediaTek Helio P20 chipset. The XA1 has 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage whereas the Ultra variant has 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. On the other hand, the Xperia XA1 Plus comes with a 5.5-inch Full-HD display and this one too is powered by Helio P20 processor having 3GB/4GB RAM and 32GB/64GB storage.

All three models feature a 23MP Exmor RS rear camera. The Xperia XA1 and Plus variant packs an 8MP front-facing camera while the Ultra variant packs a 16MP front camera with OIS. The Xperia XA1 comes with 2,300mAh battery whereas XA1 Ultra includes 2,700mAh battery. The Xperia XA1 Plus ships with a 3,430mAh battery that supports Quick Charge 3.0 and MediaTek Pump Express Plus 2.0.

Read More: Sony Is Reportedly Working On A Bezel-Less Smartphone With 4K Display

Sony recently rolled out Android Oreo update for its Xperia R1 and R1 Plus smartphones in India. Recently, at this year’s MWC, the Japan-based company launched the successor of the XA1-series which includes Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra.

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Earlier this year, Sony had unveiled the Sony Xperia XA1 and Xperia XA Ultra smartphones that respectively features 5-inch and 6-inch displays. A Russian publication has revealed that Sony may unleash a new smartphone called Xperia XA1 Plus at the upcoming Sony IFA 2017 launch event on Aug. 31. The leaked renders of the smartphone have also appeared.

Since the rumored Xperia XA1 Plus is expected to arrive with a 5.5-inch display, this new handset will slot itself between Xperia XA1 and Xperia XA1 Ultra phones. The Xperia XA1 Plus is rumored to carry support for full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. The MediaTek MT6757 chipset that is also known as Helio P20 along with 4 GB of RAM is speculated to power the Xperia XA1 Plus.

It will be arriving with a native storage of 32 GB and it is rumored to include a 3,430mAh battery. It is interesting to note that this battery would be one of the biggest that Sony has used in its smartphones. The 6-inch Xperia XA1 Ultra has a battery of 2,700mAh capacity and the 5.5-inch Xperia XZ Premium smartphone features a 3,230mAh battery.

The Xperia XA1 Plus may feature a 23-megapixel rear camera and a front-facing snapper of 8-megapixel. It may arrive preloaded with Android 7.0 Nougat OS and will be upgradeable to Android 8.0 Oreo. As of this writing, there is no information available on its pricing. Renders indicate that it would be coming in four colors like black, pink, gold and blue

Reports have revealed that Sony may announce at least 3 smartphones through its IFA 2017 event. Previous reports have revealed that the Japanese company would be launching flagship phones like Sony Xperia XZ1 and Xperia XZ1 Compact at IFA 2017. However, there is no accurate information available on the third device.

The Xperia X1 with mid-range specs like 5-inch FHD display, Snapdragon 660 chipset, 4 GB of RAM and 2,800mAh battery could be the third Sony phone that may get unveiled at Sony IFA 2017. Yesterday, we had reported that Sony could be working on a new phablet called Sony Xperia XZ1 Ultra. The rumor mill has also revealed some information on other unreleased Sony phones like a bezel-less flagship, the Snapdragon 810 powered Xperia ZG Compact, a 6.2-inch Sony flagship and a Xperia X Ultra phablet with 6.4-inch display. The Japanese company is also rumored to introduce its in-house chipset at the IFA 2017.

(source)

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Sony has been selling smartphones like Xperia X and Xperia X Compact that come with nearly flagship specifications along with reasonable pricing. Since these smartphones are not true flagships, such phones have met with lackluster sales. Hence, the Japanese company is going to kill affordable flagship phones. Instead, it will focus more on launching true flagship and mid-range smartphones.

In Japan, the affordable flagships could meet 85 percent of the revenue target set by the company. Outside Japan, this number declined to 31 percent. Sony could meet only 43 percent of its global targets in this segment.  During the 2017 Investor Day, the company confirmed that it will be concentrating on releasing premium smartphones like Sony Xperia XZ Premium and Xperia XZs and mid-range phones like Xperia XA1 and Xperia XA1 Ultra. Here are some of the things that were discussed in 2017 Investor Day:

Read More: Sony Xperia XZ1, XZ1 Compact &X1 with SD 835 & SD660 Specs Leaked

Sony smartphones will be coming with certain features that only it can offer.  Sony has introduced the Motion Eye camera system that shoot super slow motion videos at 960 fps. The Xperia XZ Premium is the first smartphone to come with support 4K HDR. This will allow the Japanese company to distinguish its smartphones from other brands.

In the past years, Sony’s market share has fallen significantly. However, in 2017, it aims to increase its market share by featuring its smartphones with such technologies that can be delivered by Sony. Since Sony can leverage the brand strength in markets like Japans, East Asia, APAC, Middle East and Europe, it will be concentrating more smartphones in these regions. The company also wants to make it big in India where the market is flooded with plenty of low-range smartphones that earn low profits.

The Japanese company also wants to improve the popularity of its smartphones in the U.S. This is only possible if the company invests a lot of money in advertising. it aims to sell its smartphones in the U.S. by building a strong partnership with the U.S.-based carries. Since Sony smartphones are not available through leading carriers in the U.S., it handsets have met with poor sales.

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium will be launching next month, but the U.S. consumers are unaware of it because of poor advertising strategy in the country. If Sony follows its new plans, it can achieve popularity in the U.S.

(source)

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As the rumor mill had hinted, today Sony has unveiled four smartphones at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017 such as Xperia XZ Premium, Xperia XZs, Xperia XA1 and Xperia XA1 Ultra. Here are all the official images and information their pricing and release dates.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium Official Images, Specs, Pricing, Release Date

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium comes with fitted with a 5.5-inch 4K Tirluminos display coupled with Gorilla Glass 5. It is powered by Snapdragon 835 chipset and 4 GB of RAM. Its native storage is 64 GB along with external storage. Its 19-megapixel rear snapper can shoot 960 fps slow motion videos of 720 pixels. It has a 13-megapixel wide-angle selfie camera. It is packed with a 3,230 mAh battery. It runs on Android 7.1 Nougat OS and features a IP68 certified chassis.

The Xperia XZ Premium is expected to cost around $799. Since it is running on Snapdragon 835, it is pegged to launch in April or May. It will be available in two colors like Black and Silver.

Sony Xperia XZs Official Images, Specs, Pricing, Release Date

The Xperia XZs has a 5.2-inch full HD display and its powered by Snapdragon 820 chipset and 4 GB of RAM. Its internal storage is 64 GB and a microSD card slot. It features the same 19-megapixel snapper present on Xperia XZ Premium. It also features 13-megapixel wide-angle selfie shooter. It has a battery of 2,900 mAh capacity. It also comes preloaded with Android 7.0 Nougat.

The Sony Xperia XZs will be available for purchase in April with a pricing of $699. It also features a IP68 rated body and comes in color choices of Black, Silver and Blue.

Related:Sony Announces World’s First 3-Layer Smartphone Camera Sensor

Sony Xperia XA1 and Xperia XA1 Ultra Official Images, Specs, Pricing, Release Date

The Xperia XA1 has a 5-inch HD display whereas the Xperia XA1 Ultra has a 6-inch full HD edge-to-edge screen. Both smartphones are powered by MediaTek Helio P20 chipset. The XA1 has 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage whereas its Ultra variant has 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. Both smartphones feature microSD card slots.

The XA1 and XA1 Ultra feature 23-megapixel rear cameras. The front-facing camera on XA1 is of 8-megapixel whereas an OIS enabled 16-megapixel selfie camera is present on Xperia XA1 Ultra. Both phones run on Android 7.0 Nougat OS. The Xperia XA1 comes with a 2,300 mAh battery whereas its larger sibling includes a 2,700 mAh battery.

The Sony Xperia XA1 will go on sale from April 26 with a price tag of $299. The pricing of Xperia XA1 Ultra was not announced at the launch event. It is pegged to be available for purchase by summer.

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