Sony Xperia X Performance

Xperia X Performance arrives with much-needed changes that can bring this premium brand back into the fierce competition of the smartphone market. Coming at a price of Rs. 49,990, Sony Xperia X Performance combines capable hardware with minimalist looks – two odd choices for any person looking for a phone with a twist.

Xperia X Performance finally delivers on the processor, battery and camera – three critical features desired in a phone. While it is not the best in the market, it packs enough features to be a worthy consideration for the average user.

Xperia X Performance has subtle design touches that will satisfy minimalists. It has a brushed metal back, and edges are slightly curved around the front panel. The power and dedicated camera button are located at convenient positions, but the volume rocker button is located at the bottom right of the trim making it a difficult reach. One of the surprising additions to the phone is the waterproofing of IP68, meaning it can be plunged underwater for about a meter up to half an hour without facing any damage. On the whole, waterproofing is a great addition, but Xperia X Performance looks similar to the previous Sony models.

Sony Xperia X Performance has a 5-inch LCD panel with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, same as in the Xperia X. It’s a “Triluminos Display for Mobile” paired with features like “X-Reality engine” and “Dynamic Contrast Enhancement” to enhance the resolution and make it appear higher than the actual offering. It is a decent display and one of the brightest with great sunlight legibility. The black colours are deep, provides great contrast and the viewing angles are excellent too. There is no notable discolouration on tilting the phone, like in HTC 10. However, due to the high levels of brightness, auto-brightness does not work, which while acceptable, is irritating for people who are used to it.

Xperia X Performance arrives equipped with Snapdragon 820, partnered with the Adreno 530 graphics processor. It is a popular chipset and can be found in Samsung Galaxy S7 and Moto Z. Handling apps and basic tasks of the phone is a smooth experience, and multitasking does not create any noticeable strain. Even games like Pokemon Go which uses the processor, RAM, internet and camera worked well. Benchmark scores put the multi-core performance at an average of 5,476 points which puts it above flagship rivals like HTC 10, OnePlus 3 and Moto Z; however, Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge have a comfortable victory over it. The 3GB RAM partnered with the processor works well and can handle multiple apps, but since buying a phone is a significant investment, it is doubtful whether this RAM would be adequate for the future.

Sony Xperia X Performance has a 23MP rear camera with a reasonably wide aperture of f/2.0, featuring HDR support, 5x digital zoom, and an ISO of up to 12,800 for photos and 3,200 for FullHD video recording. There is no 4K video recording or optical image stabilisation present. Snapping normal images can be a great experience as you get plenty of details in your shots and accurate colours. Auto Mode can get good quality images that are almost as good as Samsung S7, but it falls flat in crispness. Low-light photography suffers a lot, losing on both details and sharpness, making the photos almost indecipherable. In Manual mode, Sony’s sensors work quite well and capture truly brilliant shots.  You won’t find optical image stabilisation or 4K recording here. The front-facing 12MP selfie camera has an f/2.0 aperture, and a decent ISO 6,400. The selfies are decent and can make you look good. They capture plenty of details for your social media display pictures.

Xperia X Performance carries a non-removable 2,700mAh battery. A combination of light and moderate use found it chugging on with 20% left at the end of the day. With Stamina Mode activated, the phone can run for a long time proving it to be a reliable battery saving feature. A 90-minute HD video test running in full bright and top volume show that the battery dropped to 27% which is a sizable amount so, heavy use without the charger nearby is not recommended. However, the saving grace is that the phone comes with QuickCharge 2.0-enabled micro USB port, which can take just 20 minutes to get the phone from dead to 33%, enough for 5.5 hours of use. It takes an hour to get to 70% but slows down significantly after that, taking 2 hours to get the entire juice-pack back to full power.

A great camera and minimalist design, Sony Xperia X Performance can leave you conflicted. It has decent performance but it is not a future-guaranteed processor. The battery is not great but becomes better with Battery Saving and fast charging. For Xperia loyalists and people who are into minimalist designs, Sony Xperia X Performance is a great phone, though, in the competition, it lags in many aspects. It is not recommended for an average user who could consider a much better-balanced phone like the Samsung Galaxy S7.