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 a beautifully-styled phone, with an "Infinity Glass" design giving it high-end looks at an affordable price. It's fast too, thank to its 8-core processor, and dual-core GPU. But the screen's resolution is on the low side, and battery life is challenged.

Good looks alone aren't enough to make this the new champion of the cheap Android phones

Looks a million bucks; and feels premium too; Plays nice with microSD cards; Decent screen for your cash

Moto G4 offers more for less; Underpowered performance; Battery life woes

I would recommend this phone. It is easy to get used to. It is smaller and easier to carry in a pocket. All around good phone.

Display - Edge-to-Edge Unlike the other members of the Xperia X range, the Sony Xperia XA has a full width display that has almost no trim surrounding it at all. This gives maximum screen size without bulking out the size of the phone.

Looks a million bucks, and feels premium too; Plays nice with microSD cards; Decent screen for your cash;

Moto G4 offers more for less; Underpowered performance; Battery life woes;

We quite liked our time with the Sony Xperia XA, and it represents much better value for money than the flagship Xperia X, which is overpriced. We recommend the XA if you want a sleek, smart, mid-range phone that does everything acceptably well.

After Sony upgraded to Android 7.0, the camera and battery life became noticeably better.

With ultra-thin bezels, good build quality and decent camera, the Sony Xperia XA sure doesn't look like a mid-range phone. It's let down by disappointing battery life and a sluggish feel in everyday use, but at $499 or on contract from $43 per month, the XA is reasonable value.

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