Sony's recent phones, such as the Xperia X , have been too blocky to be called truly stylish. Not so with the Xperia XA. This 5-inch phone has an edge-to-edge display with only the merest sliver of a bezel. It gives the XA a lusciously premium look that belies its affordable price tag.

With a super-skinny bezel; the Sony Xperia XA is a great-looking phone that's comfortable to use in one hand

Its low screen resolution, short-lived battery and meagre amount of built-in storage are major setbacks; Sony has loaded the phone with a horrible mess of bloatware

Sony has put the Xperia Z lineup of smartphones to bed for the time being and has decided to concentrate their efforts where today's battles in smartphone sales make the most impact, the mid-ranged segment.

Bought this to replace an Xperia Z3 Compact on contract that the screen kept breaking on. Everything works as it should, it holds the charge really well, decent camera, cannot complain at all.

Sony's new Xperia XA mid-range smartphone reaps in some plus points with its good configuration: The 16 GB internal storage is easily expandable with a micro-SD card, the micro-USB port is OTG compatible, and NFC is also on board.

slim casing; dedicated camera button; micro-SD slot with App2SD; Micacast ; USB OTG and DLNA support; 5 GHz WiFi; decent front-facing camera with autofocus; bright screen; decent total performance; Android 6.0 Marshmallow; good call quality via earpiece; Quick Charge support

short battery life; no fingerprint scanner; touchscreen issues in review sample; poor hands-free performance; primary camera's focus issues in videos; non-removable battery; No Pump Express+ 2.0 charger included

The Sony Xperia XA is the latest from Sony's line up of the Xperia X series. The XA is the mid range fairly inexpensive version of them all which consist of the X, XA Ultra and X Performance. The XA is the phone I found most intriguing since the others are beefed up with higher end specs.

For $280, the Sony Xperia XA just doesn't bring enough to the table to justify its price. Despite a high-quality it suffers from sluggish performance, mediocre battery life, and a relatively low-resolution display.

Attractive bezel-less design; Solid camera performance; Expandable storage; NFC and dual-band Wi-Fi

Relatively pricey; Sluggish performance; Lackluster display; Mediocre battery life

The Xperia XA ($279.99) is the third phone in Sony's Xperia X series to see a US launch. Like the Xperia X and the Xperia X Performance, the Xperia XA is a 5-inch unlocked Android phone. The only physical difference between the XA and its siblings is that it has no bezel on the left or right, giving it an edge-to-edge display. Otherwise, the XA is an average unlocked phone with hardware and performance that don't quite live up to its price tag. The Motorola Moto G4 is a much better value for the price. Design, Display, and FeaturesLike most Sony phones, the Xperia XA is compact. Measuring in at 5.65 by 2.63 by 0.31 inches (HWD) and 4.83 ounces, it's notably smaller than the chunky G4 (6.02 by 3.02 by 0.39 inches, 5.47 ounces), although the G4 has a larger 5.5-inch display. The 5-inch Blu R1 HD (5.63 by 2.78 by 0.33 inches, 5.01 ounces) is a closer match, though the XA is especially comfortable to use one-handed due to its rounded metal sides. The front the phone is covered in a ...

The Sony Xperia XA is a good-looking unlocked Android phone, but it's too expensive for what you get.

Attractive bezel-less design; Solid camera performance; Expandable storage; NFC and dual-band Wi-Fi

Relatively pricey; Sluggish performance; Lackluster display; Mediocre battery life

The Xperia Z series is dead and from its ashes comes the brand new Xperia X lineup. The new devices have a new name, new look (relatively), new specs and a new direction. But are they any good? Well, not really. Not if we're going off this Xperia XA smartphone I have on review.

that Sony might finally have come off the tracks with the Xperia X. Can the cheaper Xperia XA right the wrongs, or is it on a collision course with disappointment once more? , when we put it under scrutiny earlier this month.

We feared that Sony might finally have come off the tracks with the Xperia X. Can the cheaper Xperia XA right the wrongs, or is it on a collision course with disappointment once more?

Desirable design; great price; NFC

Dim display; bloatware; performance hiccups; battery won't last a day