Sony Xperia XA1

The XA1 brings back the “ol’ reliable” feel reminiscent of its Walkman phones of old, with a solid build, a better-than-most camera and great audio.

- Robby Vaflor

DESIGN

And when I say reminiscent, I really mean it. The XA1 possesses modern-day smartphone sleekness and unites that with decades of Sony phone heritage, creating a great-looking, standout that looks like it could take a beating if it had to. It’s mostly made of semi-glossy plastic with metal accents including a round power button. And in a world dominated by long, elliptical or rectangular buttons, a metal circle breaking the monotony of flatness is just so refreshing. Before I get too carried away over a button, the phone is available in white, black, gold, and pink: all equally pretty, but I prefer the white.

The phone is 8 mm thin and 145 mm tall. Sony’s legendary design is evident in this phone with the seals between separate parts smartly placed to add definition, and the beveled screen put in the center of two strips of white. Considering what you have to pay for the phone and other phones in its class, the XA1 certainly looks more youthful, and more clearly thought out than a lot of its competitors.

HARDWARE