Sony Xperia X: Falls short on performance

Though a flagship, the phone doesn't match up to its price tag of Rs 48,990

When I first got my hands on the Sony Xperia X, I was filled with a sense of deja vu - the reason being the uncanny similarity the phone shares with the Xperia Z series.

The phone has a metallic back with a 2.5D curved glass front. The corners are more rounded which makes it comfortable to hold. The power button is located in the middle on the right side, just above the volume rocker. The power button doubles up as a fingerprint sensor and setting the sensor up was easy. The sensor is pretty responsive and for people who favour one-handed usage, the sensor placement comes in handy.

Specifications

• Price: Rs 48,990
• Display: 5-inch Full HD
• OS: Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 650
• Memory: 3GB of RAM
• Camera: 23 MP primary, 13 MP secondary
• Battery: 2,620 mAh

The Xperia X comes with a 5-inch Full HD display. The colours are vivid and sharp and with the correct brightness level, using it in sunlight isn't a problem either.

The phone runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and is devoid of excessive pre-installed apps. The app drawer is akin to that of a stock Android.

Though the Xperia X falls in the premium segment, the hardware doesn't quite match up. Under the hood it houses a hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 processor with 3GB of RAM. I would have expected such a processor in mid-range smartphones. With a price tag of Rs 48,990, Sony could have easily gone for an upgrade.

Nevertheless, I wanted to test its performance. All was well as long as I was playing Asphalt Nitro but the moment I switched to Order and Chaos, I noticed the phone heating up a bit. The same happens if you're recording a video for too long. This reinstated my argument that Sony could have used a better processor.

Even the battery backup was a bit disappointing. It comes with a 2,620-mAh battery and claims that it would last two days. But that is only possible if you don't use your phone at all. After three hours of gaming, browsing the internet and checking emails, I realised that the phone wouldn't make it through the day.

However, there's always a silver lining. And for the Sony Xperia X, it is its camera. It comes with a 23-megapixel (MP) primary and a 13MP secondary camera. They're both fitted with Sony Exmor RS Sensors. The primary camera does a decent job and delivers sharp pictures even in low-light conditions. The pictures have less noise, though sometimes you might find over-saturation in the pictures. The secondary camera is great for clicking selfies. I've always liked the image quality that the Sony phones come with and this one didn't let me down either. That said, the phone lacks Optical Image Stabilisation, something you'd expect a flagship phone to have.

All in all, the phone falls short because of one aspect - its price. This could have been a great phone, had it been in the mid-range segment but for a flagship phone, the Xperia X requires a lot of upgrades.