One of the great classics of large phablets, especially in the mid-range field, has been renewed this morning at CES, and without further delay it is time to face its most direct rivals, starting with a comparative with another recent release and also with a large screen: Xperia XA2 Ultra vs Galaxy A8 + 2018.
Integrated
The novelties in design of the Xperia XA2 Ultra have been in the end smaller than expected, in stark contrast to the new Galaxy A8 +, which has come with a very renewed aesthetic and reducing the front frames much more notably. Both arrive with premium materials (metal for the phablet of Sony and glass and metal for the de Samsung) and with a fingerprint reader, but the second still has one more extra, which is water resistance.
Dimensions
From the data we have at the moment, it seems that the Sony phablet is somewhat more compact than its predecessor, but not too much, so that the Samsung phablet still has a clear advantage (16,3x8 inch against 15,99x7,57 inch). It seems that the Xperia XA2 Ultra has gained a bit, moreover, and would also be heavier (221 grams against 191 grams), And thick (9,5 mm against 8,4 mm) that he Galaxy A8 +.
Screen
With either of the two we will be able to enjoy one of the largest screens in the mid-range, reaching the 6 inches. The resolution is also basically the same (1920 X 1080 vs 2020 x 1080), although the pixel count does not fully match due to the Galaxy A8 + not using the classic 16: 9 aspect ratio, as the Xperia XA2 Ultras, but has adopted a more elongated, in line with the trend in the high range. It should also be noted that the Samsung phablet uses Super AMOLED panels.
Performance
Fairly equal also in the performance section, with different processors but with similar characteristics (Snapdragon 630 eight cores to 2,2 GHz against Exynos 7885 eight core to 2,2 GHz) accompanied in both cases by 4 GB. One piece of information that may help us tip the balance is that the Xperia XA2 Ultra yes it comes already with Android Oreo, while with the Galaxy A8 + we will have to wait for the update.
Storage capacity
The tie is absolute in the storage capacity section, where the two conform to what seems to be the standard in the mid-range right now, with 32 GB of internal memory that we can expand externally through micro-SD card.
Cameras
In the camera section, it is clear that the star in both cases is the selfie camera, by the way with very similar characteristics, since both are dual and dual. 16 MP. Regarding the main camera, however, the victory goes to Sony's phablet in terms of the number of megapixels (23 MP against 16 MP), but that of Samsung has in its favor offering us a larger aperture (f / 2.0 versus f / 1.7).
Autonomy
From the data we have right now it seems that, despite having gained a bit, the battery of the Xperia XA2 Ultra would be the same as its predecessor, which would make it start with a slight advantage over the Galaxy A8 + (3580 mAh against 3600 mAh). You already know, in any case, that the real autonomy also depends on the consumption and that this is more difficult to estimate only from technical specifications, although from what we have seen of both, there are not too many reasons for them to differ significantly.
Xperia XA2 Ultra vs Galaxy A8 + 2018: final balance of the comparison and price
As we have seen, we find two phablets that, in technical specifications, are very similar, although there is some data that can help us tilt the balance from one side or the other, such as the differences that we have commented that there are between both in its main cameras or the fact that the phablet of Samsung arrive with Super AMOLED panels. Apart from this, the key differentiating factor is probably the design, according to our preferences.
We will have to wait to see also what is the price with which the Xperia XA2 Ultra, which for the moment has not been revealed, although presumably it will not differ too much from its predecessor, which would put it in the orbit of 400 euros and would give it a certain advantage over the Galaxy A8 + advertised for 500 euros.
Here you can consult the complete technical sheet of the Xperia XA2 Ultra and the Galaxy A8+ yourselves.