Sony isn’t a stranger to premium devices, the Xperia Z5 may have been fundamentally flawed but it was always a premium device.
The Xperia X series is the company’s newest line, though there seems to be confusion as to whether it’s a direct replacement to the older Z series or something new entirely. On the design front, there’s certainly a lot of crossover. Take a quick glance and its easy to get them mixed up, as Sony seems to have gone for identical aesthetics. You’ve got a metal body encased in glass front and back, with that same side orientated fingerprint sensor that was a pretty unique feature of the Z5 series.
Internally, things get a bit confusing, as Sony seems to be targeting these handsets at multiple price-points. The Xperia X which we received is the base model and, despite looking the same as more expensive variants, only comes equipped with a Snapdragon 650. RAM is a healthy 3GB, while the 23 megapixel Exmor RS shooter from the Z5 is also carried over. Perhaps the major selling point of this handset is the front camera, a ludicrous 1/3-inch 13 megapixel sensor with f/2.0 aperture. Such hardware is usually reserved for the rear and we’re keen to see just how impressive this selfie shooter can be.
Other highlights include the newest 6.0.1 version of Android Marshmallow, Scratch-resistant glass with oleophobic coating to protect that 1080p display and microSD expandibility up to 256GB. The absence of waterproofing is disappointing however, especially as the higher priced models come equipped with it. Prices for the Xperia X start at roughly £430 and run up to £460 in some retailers. For what is essentially a confused mid-range device, this is pretty expensive and it will be interesting to see if this works against it long-term.
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