Review of the Sony Xperia X smartphone: the spotlight is shining, the fanfare is thundering. Sony Xperia X review and comparison with Sony Xperia Z3 Display, hardware and software specifications

Metal body, Good camera, stereo sound, fingerprint sensor and much more.

Cons

A USB type C cable is included, and the phone connector is micro USB. Under heavy load it gets hot.

Review

I bought this car a couple of months ago. I was going to buy another model, but at the last moment I was disappointed after talking with the owners and reading reviews. The treasured money was in hand. I arrived at the store and saw HIM. The first sensation from tactile contact immediately created a quarter of positive impressions. Metal body, pleasant to the touch (fingers do not stick to the glass, as on Z-models). Rounded corners, as well as the glass itself, no backlash, inconsistencies or sharp edges. Then, already at home, I moved on to inspecting the functional part. For me, one of the most important aspects of a phone is the camera. So: after wandering through the nooks and crannies of the menu, I discovered that a very significant number of settings are provided (not a DSLR, of course, but no one talked about it). Shooting video in FULL HD at 60 FPS does not slow down AT ALL! The color rendition is amazing. Next about the sound. From such a flat machine you don’t expect any special sensations in this vein, but I was pleasantly surprised: for such dimensions the sound is very clear, loud and deep. In addition, stereo, because The speakers are located below and above. When you turn it 90 degrees, it feels like you're wearing headphones. By the way, if you place the metal lid on a wooden surface, the sound becomes even more voluminous. Well, perhaps about the most important thing: hardware. Everything here is brief and to the point, because those who know will understand immediately, but those who don’t know don’t really need it. Six cores at 1.8 GHz coupled with 3 GB RAM doing their job. Not a single software has slowed down yet. When I launched GTA3 on Sonic, I shed tears. The picture is better and it works faster than it used to on my PC. True, when shooting at 60 FPS it heats up, but again - six cores. And the aluminum wall gives off heat very quickly. Well, in conclusion, I can add that with these parameters, my smart phone can work all day long, with data transfer turned on and periodic use. Overall, the device is excellent. I have never regretted giving away the money. He's worth it. Do I recommend taking it? Definitely!

Sony Xperia Z, Z1, Z2, Z3, Z5 - how not to get confused when listing modifications of smartphones released over the past 3 years? And this is not counting versions like Compact, Ultra or Premium, which also exist in the line of the Japanese brand.

To make life more interesting and fun, Sony came up with the X series, which is also not simple and consists of several smartphones: XA - a simpler option, X - middle class, X Performance - the top, and XA Ultra - king-size for lovers of everything big .

Xperia X or Xperia Z3?

Recently a friend wrote to me and asked, why buy an Xperia X if you can buy an Xperia Z3 or Z3+? The idea of ​​taking last year’s flagships instead of new “mid-rangers” is not new. Therefore, I decided to compare both smartphones to understand what the new Xperia X will do compared to the old model. The price difference between them is about 10-12 thousand rubles, a weighty argument.

Xperia X on the left and Xperia Z3 on the right. Find 10 differences

Attack of the Clones

I like the design of Sony smartphones, but the Japanese haven't changed it for many years, so it's easy to get confused about the phones. Look at the photos, Xperia X is very similar to Xperia Z3+. They have almost identical dimensions, but the Xperia X is slightly smaller and noticeably lighter. I explain this by the fact that the screen size here is more modest: 5 inches versus 5.2.

The design of the Xperia X will please Sony fans, but if you are not a fan of the Japanese brand, you will get confused among a bunch of similar phones.

The sides in both cases are made of aluminum, but the Xperia X does not have plastic inserts at the corners, which, in theory, take the impact when dropped. But I doubt that this saves in cases where the glass body flies onto the asphalt.

After all, the back surface of the Xperia X is made of aluminum, while the Z3+ has glass. Which is better? I like the matte finish better; it doesn’t get dirty at all compared to a stained glass plane. But the glass has a beautiful glare, which the Xperia X cannot boast of. Practicality vs beauty, these are the eternal torment of choice.

The volume button on the Xperia X has moved down, you confuse it with the power button and often press it in the wrong place out of habit. I think that the Z3+ had a more convenient key layout, but apparently due to the addition of a scanner, the entire design was redesigned.

The Xperia Z3+ does not have a fingerprint scanner; it appeared in the Z5; the Xperia X also inherited this useful feature. True, we had to sacrifice the signature round shape - the power key became flat. Sony is the only company that integrates a scanner on the side. Basically it is added to the central button under the screen (Apple, Samsung, HTC, Moto) or on the back surface (Huawei and thousands Chinese stamps). It’s more intuitive for me to press the button under the screen, but after a week I got used to the Xperia X’s button layout.

The scanner works well, but there were cases when it did not work the first time. I had to enter a password to get to my data. But there were very few such cases, so I will not suffer on this score.

For the scanner to work, you must press a physical button, otherwise it will not work. But if the screen backlight is on, then a light touch is enough; you don’t need to press the button until it clicks. It's a shame that this feature doesn't work when the screen is locked.

Juicy, bright, Full HD

The new Xperia X has curved screen glass at the edges, 2.5D looks and feels nicer than simple flat glass. It is enough to move your finger over it to feel all this difference for yourself. The screen has a good oleophobic coating in all cases, the finger glides as it should.

In my opinion, the picture quality is comparable to previous Xperia models; if you don’t like the default settings, you can set the colors manually.

It's a pity, but Sony didn't give the Xperia X a frameless design, the frames are the same as the Z3. But there is protection against moisture, but the Xperia X does not have it; swimming in the sink is fatal for it. Due to the fact that the screen size is not very large, the phone is convenient to operate with one hand. The Xperia X is comparable to the Galaxy S6, but due to its angular shape, the Japanese phone looks more massive than the Korean one.

Two days without an outlet

I didn't expect anything special from the Xperia X with a 2620 mAh battery. It turned out that I was wrong and the phone pleasantly surprised me by working longer than I expected. On average, I got 2 days of work with 4.5-5 hours of active screen. When idle, the phone practically does not explode.

But I noticed that as soon as I turn on LTE, the device sits down faster. Perhaps this is due to the non-final Sony firmware, because... I have not noticed a similar situation with other devices. Z3 works less, it took me about one day. A triumph of technology.

I’ll also note that Sony has a convenient Stamina function, which is responsible for energy saving and turns off “unnecessary” processes to save battery.

Don't jerk when you don't ask

The compartment for the nano-SIM and memory card of the Xperia X is located on the side under a flap. Moreover, if you lift it even a little, the phone goes into reboot, believing that they invariably want to pull out one of the cards from it. Xperia X will appear in a version with a single SIM card, but there will also be a dual-SIM version, where you can install a microSD instead of a second card.

I have no complaints about the speaker, I can hear people well, but I would like the ringer to be more powerful. Here it is quiet and calls are easy to miss.

Naturally, LTE is present, everything is in order. NFC helps you pay for purchases from your phone, I tried the service together with a Tinkoff card, everything works. At the same time, I was surprised that the seemingly progressive Alfa Bank does not know how to perform such an operation.

Fast smartphone

There is a sign with the test results for everyone. For comparison with the Xperia X, I took the Xperia Z3, last year's Samsung Galaxy S6, which fits within this budget. AND new Alcatel Idol 4s with filling like Xperia X.

The Xperia X has a mid-range processor; the Qualcomm 650 is comparable in power to last year's top-end chips, but inferior to them in graphics. The sensations are exactly the same as after getting acquainted with Alcatel: the test performance is adequate. But the software is still somewhat damp: sometimes the gallery slows down, sometimes the browser suddenly gets stuck.

Xperia X received 32 GB of internal memory, 20 GB of which remains for personal needs; if this is not enough, then a microSD slot will help increase the space. The smartphone has received an updated shell, it is seriously different from the one found in the Xperia Z3, although they have the same Android version. Both are on version 6. I think it would be fair to devote a separate article to the shell, there is a lot to talk about there.

I liked the phone for its sound quality, but the headphone headroom is not very large; for the metro you need to choose headphones with good noise insulation.

Reactive camera, but crude software

In theory, the Xperia X is the new star of the mobile photography world. I received the phone new system autofocus, when we point the camera at an object, and it “guides” it until we press the shutter button. In the language of photographers, this is “shooting with wiring.” I tried it in cars on a cloudy day, the camera blurs the background well, leaving the object sharp. But how often do we film vehicles? I - no, much more often than children. But the problem with them is that it can be difficult to photograph a nimble child indoors. The camera also does not always focus on objects nearby.

I was impressed by the quick shooting function, which we enable in the settings. Then from the moment you press the shutter button until the photo is taken, it takes half a second. A dedicated shooting key is a separate plus for Sony; few people add this button to smartphones. But the Japanese thought everything through and this key is there for a reason, it helps you take pictures very quickly, without wasting time on unlocking.

The examples show how the camera “washes” along the left edge, I’ll attribute this to pre-production software or a defective module, unfortunately this happens. In general, I liked the camera, the phone takes pictures very well during the day, but in the evening the quality drops, and the lag behind flagships like the LG G4 or Samsung Galaxy S6 is noticeable. But they can be bought for the same money that they ask for the Xperia X.

Compared to the Xperia Z3, the new Xperia X has become more accurate in rendering colors, and the white balance works better. But there is noticeably more noise in the pictures. I think these are software flaws. I was also surprised that HDR is practically not noticeable in operation; when you turn on this option, when not, there is almost no difference.

Here we have a comparison with the Xperia Z3, the difference with the wide-angle optics of the Xperia X is clearly visible. In the example below, problems with the left side of the image are noticeable. I also think that Sony followed the path of Samsung and went into high-sharpness images. And at the same time they added a portion of noise to the pictures.

A bunch of pictures in different conditions for your reference.

Z3 Vs Xperia X

Pros of Z3:

• water protection
• more convenient ergonomics
• update to Android 6.0
• lower price
• 4K video recording
• strap holder

Pros Xperia X

• fingerprint scanner
• new shell and Android 6.0
• The camera focuses faster
• works longer
• higher LTE speed
• aluminum finish is more practical than glass

Opinion

For comparison with the Xperia X, you could take other Sony smartphones: not only the Z3, but also the Z3+, Z5 can become an alternative to this model. At least they cost less, take photos at a comparable level, and the difference in performance is not very big.

I think that 39,990 rubles for Sony Xperia X is a lot. Sony wants to compete on equal terms with Samsung, but last year's Galaxy S6 can be bought for the same money as the Xperia X, it will be better in all respects. Or consider the Galaxy A5, which costs about 25 thousand rubles, as an option.

Sony Xperia X is more expensive than its classmates with other comparable qualities, so the brand name alone will not impress. So my friend looked at the Xperia X, touched the Xperia Z3 and ordered an iPhone 6.

Characteristics

Mid-price smartphones are not always able to evoke a feeling of admiration, but Sony Xperia X it was a success! Stylish design, powerful camera and impressive specs...

Sony Xperia X release date

Sony has not yet announced the exact release date of the Sony Xperia X, but it is expected to happen in the summer of 2016.

Three in one

On at the moment It is known that the new Sony Xperia X will be available in three versions. Again, the exact release date has not yet been confirmed, but pre-orders are already being accepted in Europe. To make the wait easier, the company created a video clip, watch below.

Sony Xperia X price

The pre-order price in Europe is around €599. That's a bit pricey for a mid-range device, even with impressive specs like the Xperia X. Final prices may be a bit lower.

Specifications

The new Sony Xperia X has quite impressive specifications. Let's start with the design since this is the first thing most people notice. The smartphone has a metal frame and glass back cover like Sony flagship Xperia Z5, but its edges are a little more rounded. The dimensions of the new product are 142.7 x 69.4 x 7.9 mm, weight - 153 grams.

The Xperia X boasts a 5.0-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels with a density of 441 pixels, 3 GB of RAM and a six-core Snapdragon 650 processor. Two cores at 1.8 GHz and four at 1.4 GHz. It's a mid-range chip, but it's new and should be very fast.

Sony Xperia X is equipped with a 23MP main camera and a 13MP front camera. Other flagships have similar specifications.

The 2620 mAh battery provides up to two days of active use. The device also has 32 or 64 GB of internal memory and a slot for MicroSD memory cards with support for cards up to 200 GB. The device is equipped with a fingerprint scanner and works under Android control Marshmallow.

Dimensions (mm): 142.7 x 69.4 x 7.9
Weight (g): 153
Battery capacity (mAh): 2620
Colors: white, black graphite, lime gold, rose gold
Screen Size (inches): 5.0
Resolution: 1080×1920 pixels
Pixels per inch (PPI): 441
Processor: six core
Processor brand: Snapdragon 650
RAM: 3GB
Internal memory: 32 / 64GB
Expandable up to (GB): 200GB
Camera: 23-megapixel and 13-megapixel
Operating system: Android 6.0

In this top-end smartphone, the main emphasis is on a powerful processor, as well as protection of the body from water and dust. At the same time, the main features of a premium device, including design and ease of use, are not forgotten. Vesti.Hi-tech sorted out all the features of the Sony Xperia X Performance.

We have already tested two models of smartphones under the updated Xperia brand - “frameless” and “family-forming”, reviews of which can be found here. Now it’s the turn of the flagship device - the Xperia X Performance, made of glass and metal, which, following the traditions of its predecessors from the Xperia Z family, has also received a certificate for dust and moisture resistance. According to the manufacturer, in the new line it is the premium model Xperia X Performance that has become the true embodiment of high technology and style. By the way, even the main accessories are designed to emphasize the holistic image of this new product, including: the Style Cover Touch SCR56 and Style Cover Flip SCR58 cases, as well as the SBC30 and SBC28 stand cases. Note that, like smartphones, versions of the Xperia X Performance with a single subscriber identification module (F8131) are equipped with 32 GB of internal memory, and with support for two SIM cards (F8132) - 64 GB.

Specifications

• Model: F8132
• OS: Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) with Xperia proprietary shell
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Quad-Core 64-bit (MSM8996), ARMv8 architecture, 2 Kryo cores (2.15 GHz) + 2 Kryo cores (1.59 GHz), Hexagon 680 DSP co-processor (1 GHz)
• Graphics subsystem: Adreno 530 (624 MHz)
• RAM: 4-channel 16-bit LPDDR4 (1866 MHz), 3 GB
• Storage memory: 64 GB, supports microSD/HC/XC memory cards (up to 200 GB)
• Screen: 5 inches, IPS Triluminos, 1080p (1920x1080 pixels), X-Reality, Dynamic Contrast Enhancement, pixel density per inch 441 ppi, 2.5D protective glass
• Main camera: 23 MP, Sony Exmor RS, (1/2.3-inch optical size), wide-angle G Lens, 24 mm EGF, f/2.0 aperture, 5x Clear Image zoom, predictive hybrid autofocus, LED flash, video Full HD 1080p@30/60fps
• Front camera 13 MP, Sony Exmor RS, (optical size 1/3 inch), wide-angle lens, EGF 22 mm, f/2.0 aperture, Full HD 1080p@30fps
• Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE, UMTS HSPA+, LTE Cat.9 (up to 450/50 Mbit/s)
• Ranges LTE frequencies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 19, 20, 26, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41
• Interfaces: Bluetooth 4.2 (LE, aptX, LDAC), Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/b/g/n (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz), Miracast, DLNA, NFC, USB-OTG
• SIM card format: nanoSIM (4FF)
• Slot configuration: nanoSIM + nanoSIM (Dual SIM Dual Stand-by), or nanoSIM + microSD/HD/XC
• Sound: LDAC, DSEE HX, High-Resolution Audio, Clear Audio+, S-Force Front Surround
• Navigation: GPS/GLONASS, A-GPS
• Radio: FM tuner
• Sensors: accelerometer, light and proximity sensors, gyroscope, compass (Hall sensor), barometer, fingerprint scanner
• Battery: non-removable, lithium polymer, 2,700 mAh, support fast charging
• Features: dustproof and waterproof (IP65/IP68)
• Dimensions: 143.7x70.5x8.6 mm
• Weight: 165 grams
• Color: Graphite Black, White, Gold Lime, Rose Gold

Design, ergonomics

Sony, it seems, didn’t bother much with the design of the new flagship, taking the “family-forming” device as a model. In fact, it is quite difficult to distinguish the Xperia X Performance from the first glance (as well as from the second and subsequent ones). The fact is that in appearance this is the same “correct” candy bar with a 5-inch screen, where the corners are smoothly rounded and the edges are slightly convex, and everything is strict and without frills. There are no plastic inserts on the metal back panel, and its surface is matte and barely rough to the touch. Just like , other places were found for antennas. For example, the NFC area moved under the glass of the front panel, and Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS antennas occupied part of the upper end and left edge (rear view). The variety of colors of X-smartphones does not spoil either. For the flagship, we again limited ourselves to graphite black, white, gold lime and rose gold. As already noted, the plan dimensions of the Xperia X Performance are almost identical (with an error of a millimeter) - 143.7x70.5 mm versus 142.7x69.4 mm. The difference in thickness is no more noticeable - 8.6 mm versus 7.7 mm. In terms of weight, the difference is more significant - 165 g versus 153. By the way, such a “replenishment” of the flagship can only be justified by a slight increase in battery capacity and protection of the device from water and dust.

The Xperia X Performance body is indeed IP65/IP68 certified, which guarantees complete dust resistance (IP6x), protection against low pressure water jets (IPx5) and even submersible operation (IPx8). Thanks to this, the device should not be afraid of either heavy rain or washing under the tap. The manufacturer, however, emphasizes that the smartphone is prohibited from coming into contact not only with sea or chlorinated water, but also with alcoholic beverages. So swimming in champagne with the Xperia X Performance may void your warranty.

Tempered glass with a 2.5D effect covers the entire front panel. The cutouts for the speaker grilles are not adjacent to the ends of the body, but are somewhat removed from them. Under the top grille ("conversational" speaker) on the right there is also an LED charging/notification indicator, the operation of which is determined in the settings. Just below this decorative grille is the Sony logo, to the left of which is the front camera lens, and to the right are the proximity and light sensors.

Traditionally remained on screen touch buttons control panels ("Back", "Home" and "Recent Applications"), which are accompanied by proprietary icons ("triangle", "house" and "square"). The holes for the second microphone (noise reduction) and the 3.5 mm connector for an audio headset took their place on the top end. The “conversational” microphone accompanied the microUSB connector for charging/synchronization at the bottom end of the case.

The combined slot, closed with a plug, was placed on the left edge. At the same time, either two subscriber identification modules (both nanoSIM formats), or a nanoSIM card and a microSD memory card are placed on the tray at the same time. The slot plug, which is now flexibly attached directly to the tray, can be pryed off with a fingernail.

The volume rocker, a dedicated camera control key, and an oblong power/lock button are gathered together on the right edge. The entire surface of the power/lock button is occupied by an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. On the back panel, where the Xperia logo was engraved, there was a place for the main camera lens and LED flash.

The Xperia X Performance fits quite comfortably in the palm of your hand, thanks to compact size However, the smooth contours of the body, as well as the “curving” glass with a 2.5D effect, also contribute. At the same time, the back panel is not only pleasant to the touch, but also almost always neat, since it does not collect fingerprints well. The volume rocker, like in , is so low that it is inconvenient to use in the portrait position of the device.

Screen, camera, sound

As already noted, the compactness of the flagship of the new family largely determines its 5-inch screen. Moreover, the resolution of the IPS matrix remains at the Full HD level - 1920x1080 pixels, and the pixel density per inch is 441 ppi. So the premium 4K Ultra HD screen (3840x2160 pixels) from the flagship somehow didn’t catch on with the new line. From the traditional set of proprietary technologies, Xperia X Performance includes, in particular, Triluminos, X-Realty for mobile and Dynamic Contrast Enhancement. The image on the display is quite rich and contrasty. The width of the viewing angles seems to be close to maximum. The anti-glare filter ensures completely comfortable work even in bright sunlight.

A good reserve of brightness allows you to easily select the desired backlight level manually, although nothing prevents you from relying on automatic setup(option "Adaptive adjustment"). It is also easy to change the color temperature of the screen to your taste (the “White Balance” option), making the colors warmer or, conversely, cooler. By the way, purely subjectively, the Xperia X Performance screen seems a little cold.

As usual, in the settings there is an opportunity to save battery power, for example, by reducing the time interval for the screen to go into sleep mode ("timeout"), as well as enabling the function intelligent control backlight (“Backlight Control”), which detects when the device is in the hand. To double tap to wake up your smartphone from sleep mode, and also control the device without taking off your gloves, you need to activate the appropriate options in the “Display” section.

AnTuTu Tester and MultiTouch Tester programs were able to recognize up to ten simultaneous touches. It is suggested to improve the quality of photos and videos by ensuring high-quality color reproduction during playback by either enabling the X-Reality for mobile option (by default) or the “Ultimate Brightness Mode”. A high-quality oleophobic coating allows you to quickly remove fingerprints and small stains on tempered glass with a 2.5D effect.

The cameras for the flagship smartphone were left the same as those installed in the “family-forming” one. Thus, the main photo module is equipped with a 23-megapixel Exmor RS sensor with an optical size of 1/2.3 inches. The Sony G Lens wide-angle lens with an equivalent focal length (EFL) of 24 mm has an f/2.0 aperture. The algorithmic low-light ISO limit is 12,800. There's also an LED flash and digital image stabilization (SteadyShot). The maximum image resolution for classic (4:3) and widescreen (16:9) aspect ratios is 5520x4140 pixels (23 MP) and 5984x3366 pixels (20 MP), respectively.

Let us recall that the main feature of the main photo module is the predictive hybrid autofocus function, which automatically tracks the movement of the selected object. According to the manufacturer, this autofocus, combining phase and contrast methods, achieves sharpness in just 0.03 seconds. At the same time, the transition from standby mode to shooting mode occurs in 0.6 seconds. Examples of photos can be viewed.

Selfie lovers will also not be disappointed - the front camera still has the same 13-megapixel Exmor RS sensor with an optical size of 1/3 inch. In addition, the 22mm EGF wide-angle lens boasts an f/2.0 aperture. At the same time, the peak ISO sensitivity is limited to 6,400. The maximum image resolution for the classic (4:3) and widescreen (16:9) aspect ratios here are 4160x3120 pixels (13 MP) and 4192x2358 pixels (9 MP), respectively.

Both cameras can shoot videos in Full HD quality, while the main photo module provides frame rates of 30 fps and 60 fps. For the Timeshift video application, the frame rate reaches 120 fps, so playback of an HD image (1280x720 pixels) can easily be slowed down by 4 times. Content is saved in MP4 container files (codecs: AVC - video, AAC - audio).

Of course, the interface of the Camera application remains unchanged. At the top of the viewfinder screen there are icons for quickly switching: to special applications for the camera, as well as to the “Video”, “Manual” (M) or “Super Auto” shooting modes (transitions between them are performed by taps or horizontal swipes). The automatic mode, in particular, quickly selects the appropriate shooting scenario. But in “Manual” you will have to take care of such an activity (“Landscape”, “Soft skin”, “Night scene”, etc.) yourself, and only for 8 MP resolution. In addition, here you have the opportunity to decide on your own ISO values, exposure compensation levels and white balance presets.

The volume rocker is easy to adjust to zoom in or start shooting. Note that the photo module provides 8x digital zoom, while Clear Image technology allows you to enlarge the image up to 5 times (allegedly, with virtually no loss of quality).

Long-pressing the dedicated button to control the camera activates the application of the same name (“Camera”). After which, when you press it lightly, the focusing process begins, and when pressed fully, the shutter is released. You can go to the same application (subject to settings) by double-clicking the power/lock button. Moreover, you can not limit yourself to this, but also choose to automatically start shooting photos or videos.

It's not hard to guess that the premium model from Sony, by default, received flagship sound options. Thus, Hi-Res Audio technology provides support for formats without loss of quality, and it will be possible to restore cut frequencies of MP3 files with low bitrate useful function DSEE HX. To broadcast Hi-Res tracks via Bluetooth, the LDAC codec is useful. Moreover, the aforementioned smartphone interface also supports the Qualcomm aptX codec. The ClearAudio+ function will be able to automatically optimize sound parameters, while manual mode it is proposed to replace it with a 5-band equalizer with presets. Activating the dynamic normalizer will help equalize the volume of different audio tracks or video recordings. It is also worth noting that surround sound support is provided for both VPT (Virtual Phone Technology) headphones and speakers (S Force Front Surround).

By the way, in general, there are no special complaints about the built-in speakers that support stereo mode. They sound, perhaps, not as loud as we would like, but quite richly. But the existing FM tuner can be “revitalized” only with a wired headset connected, which it needs as a shortwave antenna. For the Xperia X Performance, they recommend, in particular, the MDR-NC750 in-ear headphones with Hi-Res support and noise reduction functions, but, alas, they will have to be purchased separately.

Filling, performance

Top mobile platform MSM8996 is made using the 14nm FinFET process technology, which uses transistors with a 3D structure. Of the four 64-bit Kryo cores, one duo (for demanding tasks) is clocked at up to 2.15 GHz, and the other (for less demanding processes) is clocked at up to 1.59 GHz. They are complemented by an Adreno 530 (624 MHz) graphics controller with support for OpenGL ES 3.1+AEP (Android Extension Pack), Renderscript, OpenCL 2.0 and Vulcan API, as well as a Spectra ISP processor, a Hexagon 680 DSP digital signal processor and an X12 LTE Cat modem. 12/13. At the same time, the graphics accelerator provides a performance increase of up to 40% and increases energy efficiency by about the same amount compared to Adreno 430 (Snapdragon 810). In addition, the Snapdragon 820 features Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging technology. On board, the Xperia X Performance carries 3 GB of 4-channel 16-bit (64 bits in total) LPDDR4 RAM (1866 MHz).

In tests, the new smartphone does not set any stunning records, but its power is quite enough so that the most “heavy” applications not only do not slow down, but seem to simply fly.

On synthetic tests AnTuTu Benchmark,

And also on the Vellamo and Geekbench 3 benchmarks, the premium flagship quite clearly indicated its place in the group of leaders.

On the Epic Citadel visual test with variable settings of High Performance, High Quality and Ultra High Quality, the average frame rate changed slightly - 60.1 fps, 59.9 fps and 57.3 fps, respectively, which is largely due to the powerful processor and relatively low screen resolution.

On the universal gaming benchmark 3DMark in the recommended Sling Shot (ES 3.1) tests, the new flagship showed a result of 2,169.

The total number of points earned by the Xperia X Performance in the cross-platform benchmark Base Mark OS II was 1,724.

When the device was turned on for the first time, 15.72 GB of the 64 GB of internal memory were occupied. To expand the storage, the F8132 model has a combined slot, where one place in the tray is reserved only for a nanoSIM card, but the second is claimed by another subscriber identification module (in the same nanoSIM format) and a microSD/HC/XC memory card with a capacity of up to 200 GB. True, you can also expand the built-in memory thanks to support for USB-OTG technology by connecting external storage(regular flash drive) via a special cable, but this, generally speaking, is not always convenient.

When installing two subscriber identity modules, they still use one radio module, operating in Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS) mode. At the same time, the functions voice communication, messaging and mobile internet, with support fast networks 4G - LTE Advanced, can be shared between SIM cards. New smartphone supports a large number of 4G frequency bands, including LTE-FDD - b3 (1800 MHz), b7 (2600 MHz) and b20 (800 MHz), as well as LTE-TDD - b38 (2600 MHz) and b40 (2300 MHz ).

In addition, the set of wireless communications includes Wi-Fi 802.11 ac/b/g/n/ (2.4 and 5 GHz), Miracast, DLNA, Bluetooth 4.2 and NFC.

At the same time, thanks to the existing NFC interface and the Moscow Transport Cards application, it was possible to find out the balances of the Moscow Troika card and the Moscow region Strelka card.

Can be used for location and navigation satellite systems GPS, GLONASS and BDS. A-GPS mode (coordination over Wi-Fi and cellular networks) is also available.

The capacity of the non-removable lithium-polymer battery in the Xperia X Performance has increased slightly compared to , from 2,620 mAh to 2,700 mAh. It is clear that an additional supply of energy will not hurt, especially with increased processor power. The flagship also supports Qnovo's adaptive charging technology, which allows you to preserve battery life when recharging, which almost doubles the battery life. Using the UCH10 fast charger, which seems to be included with the smartphone, 10 minutes of charging the battery, according to the manufacturer, should be enough for 5.5 hours of operation. However, it was not possible to verify this, since we received the smartphone for testing without a power adapter at all.

The AnTuTu Tester program, having dealt with the smartphone’s battery, estimated the result achieved on the test at 7,502 points. A test set of videos in MP4 format (hardware decoding) and Full HD quality at full brightness played continuously for just over 5.5 hours. Expect something different from the Xperia X Performance, given the rather powerful processor, in general, it’s not necessary.

But to extend the autonomy of this smartphone, you should use energy saving modes. Thus, Stamina reduces performance, disables GPS and background processes during inactivity, and, in addition, limits the number of applications in standby mode. Stamina is turned on permanently or at a certain battery level. Ultra mode Stamina extends autonomy even more significantly by prohibiting wireless networks and significantly reducing the list of available applications.

Software Features

The Xperia X Performance smartphone runs under operating system Android systems 6.0.1, the interface of which is covered by the proprietary Xperia shell. You can see our impressions of this launcher, for example, .

It is proposed to associate up to five fingerprints with the fingerprint scanner. The procedure for registering them is quite simple and does not cause difficulties. After which it is easy to organize additional identification when unlocking the smartphone.

Purchase, conclusions

Evaluating the Xperia X Performance as the flagship of the new line, it is worth noting its strict, premium design, powerful processor, high-quality cameras, interesting sound options, a fast fingerprint scanner, as well as protection from water and dust.

Alas, the head of the family was unable to avoid “family ills.” In particular, with him, as with, you have to get used to not only n inconvenient location of the volume rocker, but also to the mandatory choice between a second SIM card and memory expansion (valid for F5122 and F8132). At the same time, both of the above-mentioned devices received essentially the same design, and the significant differences between them lie in the performance of the processors, as well as the certification of the cases for dust and moisture resistance.

If we talk about the difference in price, it is quite significant between the devices. In large retail chains, at the time of testing, this amount was about 10 thousand rubles. At the same time, they asked for about 50 thousand rubles for the flagship, which, of course, is not cheap, although Sony fans seem to have become accustomed to such price tags.

In general, when good results benchmarks are not so significant, then the choice between Xperia X Performance and in favor of the latter seems more preferable. After all, having a similar filling and, most importantly, the same flagship appearance, it will easily mislead those around you, who are unlikely to insist on dipping it into the water.

Review results Sony smartphone Xperia X Performance

Pros:

• Premium Design
• Performance processor
• Quality cameras
• Sound options
• Fast fingerprint scanner
• Water and dust protection

Cons:

• High price
• Mandatory choice between a second SIM card and memory expansion
• Inconvenient location of the volume rocker

Sony Mobile is a loss-making division of Sony. It has been this way for a long time and continues to remain so, but there can be no talk of its dissolution yet. Nevertheless, the reformatting of the line suggested itself: Sony will slowly get rid of the M, E, C and Z series, offering instead a single Xperia X family, currently consisting of the X model itself (which we will talk about now), the top-end modification X Performance, simplified XA and the XA Ultra phablet announced last week. This does not mean that smartphones of the mentioned series will automatically cease to be produced - no, they will still be on the market for some time. But new versions are unlikely to be released.

The Xperia X cannot be called a replacement for the Xperia Z5 - it is a device with simpler characteristics, albeit with more modern hardware. Instead of Qualcomm's flagship solution (last year it was Snapdragon 810), there is a mid-range Snapdragon 650 platform, there is no moisture protection, and the display is slightly smaller. But the price has also decreased - at the start they ask for 40,000 rubles for the Xperia X, that is, 10-15 thousand less than for the flagships of competitors: Samsung Galaxy S7, Huawei P9, Apple iPhone 6s. Or even semi-flagships - LG G5 se. They will be competed with by the X Performance, released a little later, which will receive both the top Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 system-on-chip and moisture protection.

Nevertheless, all of Sony’s developments, which allowed the company to win the laurels of the manufacturer of “smartphones for aesthetes”, a kind of “Apple on Android”, were transferred to the Xperia X. Let's talk about the new face Japanese smartphones more details.

Specifications

⇡ Appearance, ergonomics and software

The overall style of the smartphone has hardly changed compared to the Xperia Z5 - the same recognizable rectangle with rounded corners and slightly convex edges. But the back surface is now covered not with glass, but with matte metal - just as non-marking, but much more practical. Water resistance is good, but the rear surface of the Xperia Z has never been shock-resistant.

Sony Xperia X, front panel: in addition to the screen, there are two speakers (spoken and main), front camera and light sensor

On the front panel, the areas around the screen are painted the same color as the rest of the body - and this, to be honest, looks much nicer. Another difference: a different shape and location of the speakers - both conversational and general. They were “unstuck” from the top and bottom edges and reduced in width.

It's a neat-looking, thoroughbred smartphone - but not as charming as , for example, the younger version of XA with its almost complete absence frames around the display and thinness: in the Xperia X, the frames were left because otherwise it was not possible to place a fingerprint scanner in the body, which Sony traditionally places on the power button located on the right side edge. And unfortunately, the wonderful dark green color remains on the Z5. Xperia X is available in white and graphite black, as well as rose gold and gold lime. We tested the latter - and yes, I must admit, it is also a very pleasant, fresh shade.

Despite the lack of moisture protection, the case suddenly became thicker than on the Xperia Z5 - 7.9 versus 7.3 mm. I have no explanation for this, but the difference is not critical. The weight remained almost the same - 153 versus 154 grams for last year’s flagship. The edges are made of plastic - only the Xperia X Performance can boast of full metal casing.

The Xperia X is pleasant to use - for my taste, it is not too thin and not too thick, the five-inch display may seem very small to some, but it is easier to operate with one hand. And here’s another small point - not only the edges are rounded here, but also the transition to them from the back and front panels (this is often called “2.5D glass”). I wouldn’t say that before Xperia was particularly boring into your hand, but now it’s definitely better - at least after X you don’t really want to pick up Z anymore.

Fans of Sony smartphones will not have to relearn - all the controls are in place: the slightly recessed side button to turn on the device, and the volume control and camera activation keys located below it. It may seem that the memory card and SIM card are still hidden behind an opening flap, but no - it is now a sliding tray. True, you don’t need any paper clips to open it. The audio jack again did not move from the top edge to the bottom. In my opinion, this is in vain: while listening to music from a smartphone, you still automatically take it out of your pocket “upside down.”

The branded Lifelog physical activity tracking service and STAMINA battery saving modes are in place. In general, the engineers promised hundreds of interface changes - this is probably true, but they are very cosmetic. The most important impression is that the shell is very beautiful, does not abandon a separate application menu and works smoothly. It feels even smoother than on the more powerful Xperia Z5.