Hi there. This deal is now back in stock. It was available before xmas (http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/sony-xperia-xa-lime-gold-black-perfect-like-new-for-79-99-o2-2582025) and for a short time due to a glitch the price dropped in error to £49.99. Both colours are currently available and people previously posted the Graphite Black version came unlocked. It seems the Lime Gold maybe locked to O2.
If the phone arrives locked you have 14 days to return it to O2.
Can't see any codes available to knock the price down any further. Also no other offers seem to be available with the handset currently with O2.
As it is a like new phone it doesn't come in the original box. Instead all you will receive is the handset and data cable. Judging by what you should get in the box if you purchased it new you seem to be missing the headphones and plug. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUhW3TKPeVU)
Now back in stock as at 14:21 as at 10/1/17
Latest comments (255)
BulldogNo1
1 Feb 17#255
I got THIS one which is great, but it was £14.99 when I got it.
Askrulous
29 Jan 17#254
My last Sony was a k750(actually still in the loft)! In all those years I never knew Sony did a two year warranty, as I may have used it on the 750 when it started playing up!
And yes, it's odd that the Z3 has only a year, and my xa's more like 2, Sony must have varied confidence in their products. As for Samsung, I'm just glad I don't have one, as I might not be able to use it on a cruise in a couple of weeks!
louiselouise
28 Jan 17#253
Last Sony I had was a K750i !!! but it was 2 years warranty back then (Sony Ericsson).
Great warranty service from them, and HTC, whereas Samsung suck. (Not really relevant but can't resist having a dig).
Just gone into the support bit in settings and was surprised to see the warranty valid till August 2018. Probably not worth the screen its written on, so just curious as to whether it was originally a 2 year one, and what warranty periods others have left on their xperias.
louiselouise
28 Jan 17#251
Dammit, I would have got this for my sister. She's using an ageing Xperia T and is desperate for a new phone. Will bookmark it and keep an eye out, hopefully it'll drop again x
coldo
28 Jan 17#250
it's a shame it's such a lovely looking phone an a perfect size for me , but been using for a couple of weeks now and find the battery pretty poor . I know there seems to be a lot of conflicting stories with regards to the phone so I think it's a bit of pot luck if you get one with a good battery . may just sell on as getting fed up of the battery draining fast with very light usage . I thought this was the one too ...oh well I'm back on the market !!
stokerej
28 Jan 17#249
Thank you for your posting. I will have a look on the site now
Glutaman
28 Jan 171#248
Look for UHS-I speedwise. Amazon has branded 64GB ones (Samsung/Sandisk) for about 20-22 pounds.
stokerej
28 Jan 17#247
Can anyone recommend a Micro SD card for this phone please? I have never had a phone like this before so I'm learning as I go but I seem to recall someone posting about speeds etc., so don't want to get the wrong thing. I mainly want to store photos on the SD card..
Glutaman
27 Jan 17#246
This looks very good, the surface is very very smooth. Smooth to the point that it feels slippery in the beginning. The adhesive is all around the edges (you can see a little light distortion when looking at the phone very sideways). One small thing - the edges of the screen protector are not matching the phone's curves so you can feel them at times.
Cheapasnowt
25 Jan 171#245
I think it is difficult to find many tempered glass protector's out there which cover curved screens. Lots of protectors on ebay but decriptions are very vague in nature
vassy4u
25 Jan 17#244
Good luck. Let know your feedback. I have a tempered glass installed. But I'm not happy with the sides not being sticky. Guess it's cos the screen if the phone being curved at the edges. So ordered a thin film one on eBay. As I have a good case on the phone covering the screen well.
Glutaman
25 Jan 17#243
I've ordered this one http://amzn.to/2j60iaY but haven't arrived yet. Looks interesting.
vassy4u
25 Jan 17#242
Any luck with screen protectors guys?? Anyone?
Glutaman
23 Jan 17#241
got mine too, spotless condition and who cares about the original box and the charger :smiley:
Askrulous
23 Jan 17#240
Yeah, my steps app is going mental on my phone too. Doesn't match my moto 360 steps either. Don't know if there's a fix though
Askrulous
23 Jan 17#239
Lol, no it's not me keeping you in suspense.... HDUK deleted the rest and any subsequent editing attempts!
Anyway, finally got working code last Friday (in case anyone with a lot of patience wants the eBay link), so first proper use as phone.
Bluetooth was a bit of an issue connecting to car, with loads of reboots etc, but all good now.
Getting over a day out of battery so pretty happy with that.
Amazing phone for £80, so thanks again OP!
bnxc
23 Jan 17#238
Has anyone had issues with step tracking app? I use "moves" app but since I got this phone, it doesn't work properly, I've been looking up and the phone doesn't have a gyroscope, which other premium phones do have (first I've heard of it!!). My old sony Z1 had one, and the Moves app worked, but the new phone just thinks I'm travelling, but can't get it to register I'm walking!
Other than that i'm liking the phone for the money I spent on it!
Cheapasnowt
23 Jan 171#237
Driving licence?
First Date?
First Job?
Askrulous
22 Jan 17#236
Finally got my
BulldogNo1
22 Jan 17#235
Been running all day today and the battery is still showing 10 hrs remaining!
flintstone
19 Jan 17#234
I'm finding I'm getting roughly the same battery life, get roughly 1 1/2 days out of the SU6 and only used 50% battery in the last 24 hours, and still using the phone as per normal
Cheapasnowt
19 Jan 17#233
Obviously o2 cotoned on too perhaps too many orders at 79.99!
RebTheRebel
19 Jan 17#232
Definitely expired now. Whilst still available, they've put the price up to £129.99
Considering you can pick this up £140 new unopened, I can't see them shifting many of these now.
Can a mod unexpire this. Black one back in stock. Lime gold oos
mikefrom82
18 Jan 171#229
4 days
Ohmygiddyaunt
18 Jan 171#228
Back in stock, just ordered one. Hope it looks brand new!
Askrulous
18 Jan 171#227
I'd go for it, and return it if its doesn't impress you ( its a14 days cooling off period, although I wouldn't hang about).
As for looking like brand new, its a mixed bunch now. For instance, the first one I received was perfect with a screen protector on it, and looked brand new. The second one I received was ok (ordered when the 2nd lot of stock became available) but had no screen protector and I discovered it was returned late December (when o2 confusing my return with the earlier one), probably as it was locked.
RebTheRebel
18 Jan 17#226
Nice one!
So, is it true to its word and looking like its brand new? Im still on the fence. Mainly down to the battery performance. I get 6-7 hours screen time on my SU6, and with this being somewhere around half that, im undecided. Looks like a nice phone though.
Askrulous
18 Jan 17#225
well done. how many days did it take for yours. Ordered mine Friday and still waiting!
happyhiker
18 Jan 17#224
Still (Back) in stock now !
My Black version was locked, but less bloatware. Awaiting ebay code now.:smile:
should possibly expire this now as oos. However judging by previous experience it will be available again in a few days!
Glutaman
17 Jan 17#221
Goddammit it seems to be out of stock now :disappointed:
happyhiker
17 Jan 17#220
I hope I get a locked one now then, at least that can be fixed !!!!!
arora
16 Jan 171#219
i don't know about others but my xperia xa battery is very good
RebTheRebel
16 Jan 17#218
Cheers mate. Good to know and performance. Just with the SU6s battery being so good, I'm wondering if I can adjust to this.
vassy4u
16 Jan 17#217
Thanks very useful tip.
BulldogNo1
16 Jan 17#216
I've just changed over from an SU6 to this. Very impressed but not assessed the battery life yet.
bill888
16 Jan 17#215
I do recall uninstalling Amazon Music and o2 app from my locked lime gold.
Were you using the same sim card and other settings (eg. screen brightness, aeroplane mode on?) when testing your phones?
Only other suggestion is perhaps to disable AVG, com.facebook.appmanager, Facebook, kobo ebooks and Spotify on your unlocked phones, to see if it extends the battery life.
Or perhaps enable Developer Options and compare what apps are listed under Running Services between locked and unlocked phones.
fwiw, I streamed bbc iplayer for 30 minutes over wifi, screen brightness set to 75%, no other apps running, with sim card inserted. The battery level dropped from 80 to 70%. So an hour's streaming would equate to 20%.
dn852k4
16 Jan 171#214
Locked version has amazon music and o2 app space which the unlocked doesn't have.
The unlocked versions have AVG, com.facebook.appmanager, Facebook, kobo ebooks and Spotify - none of which are on the locked version.
I've performed antutu battery tests on them all.
Locked graphite black scored 12215 max screen on time 7h 25
Unlocked graphite black 8598 Max screen on time 5h 53
Unlocked graphite black 9387 Max screen on time 6h 22
Locked lime gold 4913 max screen on time 2h 51
oumk2001
16 Jan 17#213
Brilliant deal OP and thank you. I have received mine today, unlocked and perfect condition.
RebTheRebel
16 Jan 17#212
What's the average battery time please, screen time use? Many thanks.
RebTheRebel
16 Jan 17#211
For anyone who's had a Vodafone Smart Ultra 6, how's this stand up in comparison?
bill888
16 Jan 17#210
What differences in apps do you see between locked and unlocked units?
fwiw, my lime gold locked unit (F3111, version 33.2.A.3.105) does not have Facebook or AVG antivirus apps preinstalled as reported in various early reviews.
dn852k4
16 Jan 17#209
I've done a battery test on 4 of these phones. 1 lime gold running locked to o2, graphite black locked to o2 and 2 unlocked graphite black.
The graphite black locked to o2 has the superior battery performance. I've also noted it comes pre installed with different apps than the unlocked version; perhaps the pre installed apps have a baring on battery performance?
happyhiker
16 Jan 17#208
Great find, I've just ordered one for my Daughter. I have this phone ( from the carphone warehouse deal before xmas) and the battery lasts 2 days easily. The Sony support forum mentions a software update that fixes battery drain. Maybe some phones have faulty batteries ? Certainly I'm so happy with mine I've just bought this second one.
RebTheRebel
16 Jan 17#207
Hi, just a quick one. How are you finding this in comparison to your SU6? As I'm actually thinking of buying this to replace mine. How's it performance and battery wise?
Many thanks for any info.
coldo
16 Jan 171#206
been using my xa for 2 days now and yes it seems to drain very quick but I found something online that states turning off the wi-fi scanning from settings then go to location . tap the three vertical dots in upper right hand side ...then STOP Scanning , drag the slider beside WiFi scanning to the left (do all this with wi-fi off then turn WiFi back on after this is done ) hopefully it works until we get a new update . I'm testing it right now with a film on a constant loop and only dropped 15% in over an hour and half ...which is pretty good . so seems better already .good luck mate
buggzy
15 Jan 17#205
yes, for o2 website
jenadam88
15 Jan 17#204
i also just purchased a uch sony fast charger for £7.99 on ebay. should do the trick! i wish they had this phone in rose gold. id get one for myself this one is for my daughter.
Cheapasnowt
15 Jan 17#203
Really bizarre. The lime gold one which appears defiantly to be locked is out of stock. The black one which hit and miss is still in stock.
jenadam88
15 Jan 17#202
which checkout problem. for 02 website?
buggzy
15 Jan 17#201
anyone else having problems with checkout? after I enter payments details and confirm, it just goes back to payment page.
arora
15 Jan 17#200
Same here. I also ordered unlock code on Friday night and received this evening. That was quick! Not even one working day. Code worked perfectly well and it was quite cheap as compared to others. I swapped another network sim few times with o2 to make sure it is permanent unlock. I did not know much about unlocking so did this extra. My phone working on any network now. I recommend this seller
Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172404389298
bnxc
15 Jan 17#199
I was just going to say I got an unlock code sent through tonight, I ordered it on Friday, worked perfectly so I can use the phone now, from same seller mentioned above here is a link:
i bought black one and it arrived on friday but locked. i got it unlocked successfully from ebay 02 unlock phone shop for £5.45 it took 2 days for code to arrive. all done perfect! just type 02 unlock code in! seller is called unlock.zone
Cheapasnowt
15 Jan 17#197
Where did you get the quick charger from. Is it compatible with this handset?
mickgoodie
15 Jan 17#196
Seems to be hit and miss if the black phone is unlocked or not. Mine was not so just waiting for an unlock code to be provided before I switch my current Vodafone sim into it. The phone is In Mint condition and only this morning I purchased a Sony uch quick charger as well
Askrulous
14 Jan 17#195
Sorry, no luck here yet unfortunately, got refund on that seller as they didn't get code, now trying another....in no hurry myself, but if you are, you could try o2 themselves for £15.
bongobonce12
14 Jan 17#194
what seller did u buy your unlocking code from pls ??? I need one as my handset came locked too. Thankyou in advance :smiley:
bongobonce12
14 Jan 17#193
I need a cheap unlocking code pls....any advice where I can get one pls ???
I've not tried the screen protector yet, but I like that the case covers all the sides of the phone, as that's where I usually get damage.
Askrulous
14 Jan 171#191
I just received the one I bought off amazon referred to above, it's on the phone now and fits perfectly, although the included screen cover falls short of the edges(and smaller than the screen protector originally on the phone) it's fine for the moment(and at £1.95! perfectly fine).... Just checked it at Amazon and price has gone up by 50p! :smiley:
stokerej
14 Jan 17#190
I ordered a case for mine off Fleabay. Despite 3 promised delivery dates it has not arrived so now awaiting refund (I'm patient). Apart from the one posted by mrke @ £11.99, has anyone managed to purchase something cheaper that they are satisfied with please?
Hammer2006
13 Jan 17#189
Thats probably why the lime gold was returned.To be honest i dont think o2 do much checking with returns even if some are actually faulty, they just throw them back in the system.
lil_bil
13 Jan 17#188
That's quite a massive difference! My Black one seems to be similar to your Black one.
dn852k4
13 Jan 17#187
I think some of these have dodgy batteries. I have tested a lime gold and graphite black both running the same software version with location, Bluetooth, WiFi scanning and the smart cleaner switched off.
Stats from gsam battery monitor:
Black used 47% in 1d 12h screen on 2h46
Lime gold 43% in 2h 29m screen on 37 Minutes!!
miffyl
13 Jan 17#186
Ditto
jac9815
13 Jan 17#185
Arrived today, graphite black, unlocked
bnxc
13 Jan 17#184
I received my nano sim from EE this morning, black phone is locked. Off to ebay i go! Anyone got a seller they can recommend?
rickyroma
13 Jan 17#183
I just got the xa. Totally unsuitable for heavy use due to the battery drain problem. I would class myself as a light user but even I'm struggling a bit. I have made lots of changes in the settings to stretch out the battery use but you can only do so much. I will stick with it until the next great deal comes along but all the scare stories about battery usage are true I'm afraid.
Lord vader
13 Jan 17#182
I googled it and there's a few unlock companies. Unfortunately they couldn't find a code (being refunded) so awaiting one from an eBay seller. Both were £5 .
Lord vader
13 Jan 17#181
Works fine on WiFi only
hadleigh59
13 Jan 171#180
Just received my black one. It is unlocked! Bargain at 80 quid. Thanks for posting. Also using o2 sim for o2 priority
bill888
13 Jan 17#179
I received a Lime Gold model. It is locked to o2. Apart from a couple of very slight blemishes on the back of the phone on very close inspection, it is otherwise unmarked.
My GiffGaff sim works fine in the phone with 4G.
Other thing to note is the phone started upgrading the firmware to '33.2.A.3.105' shortly after connecting it to my wifi. According to the following link, the firmware is about 2 months old from o2, and Three mobile Xperia XA phones look like they will be the first to get '33.2.A.3.123' : Xpericheck.com
Also, a number of reviews I previously read said the XA is bloated with preinstalled apps like Facebook and AVG antivirus, but I don't seem to see them on my phone. However, about 8.5GB out of 16GB is used on the XA, which I guess suggests it is still bloated when Marshmallow runs on phones with as little as 8GB of storage.
Cheapasnowt
12 Jan 17#178
Well this article suggests Tesco and Giffgaff should work as they piggyback on o2
yes, thanks for highlighting how people happily trawl through threads to find fault (in this case over something that wasn't intended to be offensive), yet are less inclined to check to see if somethings been commented on before. :smirk:
jhw
12 Jan 17#175
No point in explicitly pointing out you'd mentioned it earlier :smiley:
Mattla
12 Jan 17#174
Sorry to hear that. I put a Tesco sim in an O2 locked phone before and it worked. Perhaps it depends on the phone model.
mrke
12 Jan 17#173
If you are looking for a good quality flip case for your Xperia XA I can recommend the 'Roxfit Urban Book Case', mine arrived today and I think it’s great.
Roxfit only produce cases for Sony Xperia products
THIS one, although out of stock, shows exactly what is required to cover the edges of the screen.
So, its called an Stouch 3D Full Coverage, rather than the 2.5D Half Cover, as below:
Askrulous
12 Jan 17#165
No prob, there's no harm repeating good advise!
BulldogNo1
12 Jan 17#164
Sorry, I missed your comment in post #52, I thought you were asking about settings.
Askrulous
12 Jan 17#163
yes, as I said earlier in the thread
BulldogNo1
12 Jan 17#162
Just turn off 'Adaptive brightness' in Settings/Display.
Askrulous
12 Jan 17#161
' permanently dim screen'
lol, thought I was the only one that noticed! Adaptive brightness, its a bit like having a speed restricter on a sports car to save fuel. I'd rather sacrifice my battery and have a proper screen brightness.
Hammer2006
12 Jan 17#160
I noticed quite a few o2 phones are already unlocked, probably down to refresh deals and people unlocking immediately and then returning.Great deal if you get a ex o2 refresh phone thats been unlocked, saves the leg work.
Got black one yesterday and it's unlocked. Thanks.
BulldogNo1
12 Jan 17#156
Where did you get the unlock code from for £4.79 please, and does it work?
mikefrom82
12 Jan 17#155
it's not working with tesco mobile, I tried
madhunter82
12 Jan 17#154
Where can I unlock it for £5-£6?? The cheapest on ebay is about £10
rickyroma
12 Jan 17#153
Got this yesterday. I read about the battery issue but didn't realise it was so bad! Just read a bit on Internet for last 10 mins and it has dropped by almost ten percent!
Bought it to replace my old Samsung j5 2015 model as it was only 8gb ram and the car doesn't seem as good. Early days so I'll persevere but any tips on extending battery life without having a permanently dim screen or having to turn off Bluetooth etc all the time?
nonooney
12 Jan 17#152
got mine 2day. phone locked to O2, looks like new but sim tray shows signs of use. Display a bit grainy when playing pokemon go. Compared to my xperia xa ultra, speed is a bit slow , display is not as sharp, but screen mirroring to tv is surprisingly smoother, no mosaic at least while playing, size is very slim just like iphone6s, looks like no edge, very cool. If processor and display upgraded, it could be a flagship phone
bongobonce12
12 Jan 17#151
this isn't a refresh phone it's just a pay as you go
Cheapasnowt
11 Jan 171#150
The top up isn't charged to you.The sim card O2 provide has no credit. You have the choice whether to do this or not.
tc_Joness
11 Jan 17#149
Where are you getting the unlock code from ? :-)
Jameseh
11 Jan 17#148
Never bought through Refresh before, I selected the £10 top up that didn't go onto the bill, is there anything I still have to cancel to avoid that tenner? (Bought the handset for a family member).
Lord vader
11 Jan 17#147
i got my black one today and it's locked to O2. Awaiting a code from an unlock site - £4.79.
Lord vader
11 Jan 17#146
its smaller than the usual 5.5 inch smartphone s and is longer rather than wide. I find it quite smaller than my Moto G4 but the almost full side to side screen is so nice
dn852k4
11 Jan 17#145
received a black one. it is locked to o2.
Cheapasnowt
11 Jan 17#144
I agree- until someone purchases one and can comment on it we wont know
vassy4u
11 Jan 17#143
Thanks but i doubt what it meant by curved is diff. The pics do show the flat area being protected but not the curves :disappointed: The one that im using covers the flat part leaving edge too :disappointed:
Cheapasnowt
11 Jan 17#142
Well as i said he ordered the lime gold which it appears are all locked.
Cheapasnowt
11 Jan 171#141
not sure but this one talks about the cover being curved and going edge to edge.
Got this last week when it first came back in stock (commented in the other post about it). Working out good so far considering my old phone was old and basically crashed a lot. It's huge compared to that too, will take some getting used to. For £80, it's a good deal regardless.
rickyroma
11 Jan 171#138
Back up phone? . What? One in each hand?
Askrulous
11 Jan 17#137
Judging by the condition of your friends I'm guessing the very latest ones being sent out are recent returns, simply sent back to o2 because they were locked, so I'd be surprised if any available now will be unlocked.
Cheapasnowt
11 Jan 17#136
Friend of mine ordered one- he did the lime gold one and said that there wasn't a screen protector on it and it had a scratch on it. Didn't sound perfect to him.
mikefrom82
11 Jan 17#135
do you have a link?
mikefrom82
11 Jan 17#134
Just got mine and it's locked :disappointed:
vassy4u
11 Jan 171#133
Its a lovely phone. Very smooth and good screen. Bargain at this price..
bongobonce12
11 Jan 17#132
ordered the black one....looking forward to delivery. Bought as a backup phone as currently using a S7
bnxc
11 Jan 17#131
I ordered my phone at 8pm last night, it arrived by 9am today!! Pretty good delivery service. I got the black, it looks new. But I have to wait for a new nano sim before I can see if it will work for my EE account! Setting it up now, and having a play. For £80 it seems really good so far
DealJourno
11 Jan 17#130
I paid £204 for my Z3 from O2 in August 2015. And Sony have lost their way 'in my opinion'. So I'll be spending my money elsewhere.
dn852k4
11 Jan 17#129
What's the "alternative" version of Spotify you speak of?
vassy4u
11 Jan 17#128
I opened the box. Black in mint condition and unlocked :smiley:
Applied tempered glass. But it doesnt cover completely.. due to the edge to edge display..
Cheapasnowt
10 Jan 17#127
For anyone thinking of buying a tempered glass cover for the screen- the XA has a curved edge- Therefore please try to look for a tempered glass which covers the edges. The dimensions of the phone are: 143.6 x 66.8 x 7.9 mm (5.65 x 2.63 x 0.31 in)
lil_bil
10 Jan 171#126
Mine had Spotify, Facebook, Kobo Books and AVG installed. Can not be uninstalled only disabled!
You could root it to uninstall them but I believe you 'loose' DRM keys and TA Parition which hold some of the Sony special features like it image pre-processing making photos from the camera worse and Bravia Engine which make screen "washed".
I too prefer to use older spotify app and totally hate facebook the battery hog
Oh okay, good to know
Cheapasnowt
10 Jan 17#125
Whilst every one is entitled to their opinion on a brand i dont think you can compare a Sony Z3 with this handset. There is a few hundred pounds of difference there for a start.
As most people have said the phone might not be the best but when factoring in the cost it makes it attractive.
DealJourno
10 Jan 17#124
Agree. Looking forward to dumping my Z3 and avoiding Sony. They have lost their way.
Don't forget Topcashback at 2% for PAYG/Prepay handset sales- mine has tracked at £1.60.
vassy4u
10 Jan 17#121
Lucky you :smiley:
Darkraiser
10 Jan 17#120
Bad thing about Xperia phones are that the performance degrades fast. This is coming from personal experience and YouTube reviews.
daydotz
10 Jan 17#119
I play with beta & use older versions of apps its growing tread to preinstall Facebook with hidden updater apps which allow it to auto update bypassing the app store
Sadly if it's anything like the X/X compact XZ they will be ruined with bloat
gari189
10 Jan 171#118
Hopefully so - I'm with giffgaff so even if its locked to O2 it should still work
vassy4u
10 Jan 17#117
I bought the phone as a gift to mrs. Yet to open the box. Got the black version. Hope its unlocked :innocent:
vassy4u
10 Jan 17#116
:disappointed: hope he is not reading this thread :neutral_face:
gari189
10 Jan 17#115
Looks like he put his prices up £2.99 now...
gari189
10 Jan 171#114
Thank you - ordered.
mro2011
10 Jan 17#113
Tempted by this but don't want it for main phone only to use on WiFi without a sim (can you do this). I only want it for my business for instagram and Snapchat (are these available on this).
MarioMan
10 Jan 17#112
what colour was it?
rickyroma
10 Jan 17#111
aaaahh...you are hoping ( like me ) to put on an " alternative" version of Spotify?
iDealYou
10 Jan 17#110
That's not true.
I had tried it with a Three sim first but it asked for the unlock code.
I bought my friend a large coffee & he got the code from O2 for me ... :smiley:
Rauss
10 Jan 171#109
Thanks! Think I'll continue to hold out for a great deal on the G5
little_green
10 Jan 17#108
would say this is worse tbh but i'm not a super tech geek.
know the g3 has a better battery and larger screen
i believe the g3 can be upgraded to marshmallow
Cheapasnowt
10 Jan 171#107
To recap for those looking to buy this handset now.
The black ones may be unlocked. Most seem to have received an unlocked handset altgough sime say theres were locked to o2.
No one appears to have received an unlocked lime gold version.
Unlocked codes via ebay appear to be around £10
You only.get the phone and data cable. Judging by what is supplied with a new one you are simply.missing the start up booklet and plug. (I don't think this phone came with headphones).
Vassy4u has posted a tempered glass protector off ebay for £2. Similarly there are lots of s line cases on ebay for around £2..
Hope this helps.
Rauss
10 Jan 171#106
How does this phone compare to the LG G3 lets say? Seem more of a sideways step than a step forwards. But a good price non the less!
madhunter82
10 Jan 17#105
How does it compare to moto g 4th gen?
madhunter82
10 Jan 17#104
No
bnxc
10 Jan 17#103
I'm thinking of buying one, I have a sony Z1 which I've loved, but just cracked the screen! At the moment I'm on EE pay monthly sim only for £8 ish a month, so this could be ideal. My only issue, I live the camera on my Z1, but this one is less mega pixels, those who are using them, what is the photo quality like? I like touse my phone instead of a camera on holiday, so want goods pics! The Z1 was great at indoor shots with the flash off (better off than on, for say nights out). Any feedback apprciated
miffyl
10 Jan 17#102
Do you need to buy a top up as well?
kbalamail
10 Jan 171#101
got mine last week. excellent phone and came unlocked.. camera is awesome.. battery could have been little better but not a major issue... for the price its a no brainer....
imiy
10 Jan 17#100
Got mine on Saturday and is definitely locked to O2.
But unlocking code can be found on Ebay for £5.95.
daydotz
10 Jan 17#99
is Spotify pre installed can it be uninstalled or just disabled
SHIRALI
10 Jan 17#98
Thanks OP. I collected my black one yesterday and it is locked. I ordered an unlock code for 10.25.
cocoiffy
10 Jan 17#97
Didnt need it but i have ordered just incase i end up needing it?!?!?! :confused:
Gollywood
10 Jan 17#96
Weak battery is the biggest issue on this phone
PhilK
10 Jan 17#95
Good deal, but I'm not having another restrictive 16gb !
Hot regardless
lil_bil
10 Jan 17#94
Hi, guys. Thanks OP for letting us know it was available again, ordered and received a black one last week. It was unlocked and I am using it on 3.
Someone I spoke who said it maybe locking to the first sim entered, so if you put the o2 sim in before using your own it may lock it to o2. Don't know if that is true or not.
vassy4u
10 Jan 17#93
Reported :smiley: should be live soon
vassy4u
10 Jan 17#92
Bought a tempered glass and clear case for £1.99 in ebay. Excellent product. If anyone interested - Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222305959598
jez000
10 Jan 17#91
Mine came via UK Mail, no issues with delivery.
rickyroma
10 Jan 17#90
What courier do they use for delivery?
Cheapasnowt
10 Jan 171#89
Can a mod please unexpired this as the deal is now back on and available in both colours
rickyroma
10 Jan 17#88
Yes... Got the black!
little_green
10 Jan 17#87
Frick tempted
mickgoodie
10 Jan 17#86
just ordered mine after being totally hacked off with my vodaphone ultra 6 after 6 months!
GSM arena said the phone was gonna get the planned update to 7.0 (Nougat) which sounds promising as my utlra is still stuck on 5.0....
tc_Joness
10 Jan 172#85
Black and Lime gold both in stock at the moment - go go go :smiley:
davemhaynes
10 Jan 17#84
I bought a black one but it's network locked to o2, but unlockable... Has anyone who bought the unlock code for £5.95 on eBay had success? Is it safe to do that (financially)?
iani
9 Jan 17#83
Collected mine today, black grade a mint & unlocked. Cheers!
Mattla
9 Jan 17#82
I've used these guys on ebay before to unlock my sony xperia s. It took about three days for the code to come through. Make sure you follow the instructions and enter the correct info £10.95 eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/112034146027
Askrulous
9 Jan 17#81
Hi, I'm still waiting for a response, so I wouldn't advise using them at this stage, any change I'll let you know.
LazybeatX
9 Jan 17#80
Just received mine today, black and unlocked, thanks op.
sarahmm
9 Jan 17#79
do you have a link of the unlock code you purchased thanks
Where are you getting your unlock code from? The seller on eBay I had found increased the price to £20 :/
Askrulous
8 Jan 17#76
Yes, mine certainly looks brand new.
Talking of what is and isn't new, I'm just wondering if the unlocked ones have previously been used (and owner unlocked) and the locked ones are brand new.
Cheapasnowt
7 Jan 17#75
its possible. I think sometimes companies will just brand them as "used" to get rid of stock when there is nothing wrong with them and in fact they are brand spanking new.
rickyroma
7 Jan 171#74
although the spec of the phone is great for £80 .. makes me wonder if it is on o2`s site so often because they get a lot of returns on this model?
flintstone
7 Jan 171#73
Well my SU6 is giving issues, suspect a hardware fault where screen flickers and random apps open etc... so needing this as a temp phone while I get the SU6 sent back to Vodafone to be fixed.
little_green
7 Jan 17#72
is this phone really better than the su6 though.....
flintstone
7 Jan 17#71
mine is black and LOCKED :disappointed: though I use a Tesco SIM, so all good in the end, though will probably get it unlocked
BTW anyone having any issues with bluetooth....
My old phone (Smart Ultra 6) had no issue with transferring music/audio when the phone was in my pocket to my BlueTooth headset.
When I take it out of my pocket and hold it up above my waist then sound is transferred fine
apart from that, it appears a nice solid feeling phone
Askrulous
7 Jan 17#70
You're not alone, just discovered mines locked. Paid a fiver for an unlock code & should have it in within 24 hrs, so no big deal.
coldo
7 Jan 171#69
my one was a charcoal grey colour but seems the only one that is locked lol , never mind hopefully the unlock code from eBay will do the job !
stokerej
7 Jan 17#68
Thank you. I have managed to find that (this bit I managed!) but I think its something like 125 pages and until I get the hang of it, I'll just look at the net as and when required but thanks for your advice.
Cheapasnowt
7 Jan 17#67
I am sure you can probably.download the manual from the Internet. .will have a look later for it.
stokerej
7 Jan 171#66
I have also received mine but didn't have the right sized sim card. However, the new one has arrived and I can confirm that the phone delivered to me in black is unlocked.
I also missed out on this first time around but it was definitely less than a week before it returned to 'in stock' status. I was looking every day at some point but it was by chance that I saw it posted back on hotukdeals. I do wish they would still send the manual with these items for those of us who have very little technology!!!!!! Thank you to the OP (again)
gari189
7 Jan 17#65
I suspect it could be a while. I reckon they wait until the stock has reached a certain level then release them for sale....but I could be completely wrong :smile:
rickyroma
7 Jan 171#64
Added to basket .. paid ...money was taken from my account but I dont have an order !
o2 cant find any details but say the money should be back in my account soon. So I missed out this time. :disappointed:
Its still on the o2 site so I`m guessing this deal comes and goes. Does anyone have any idea how often it comes back into stock?
mrke
7 Jan 17#63
I odered a gold and a black:
Black = unlocked
Gold = locked
coldo
6 Jan 17#62
Received my phone today , absolutely stunning phone , mint condition but it is locked so I will get a cheap unlock code to use 3 network SIM .
bongobonce12
6 Jan 17#61
OOS
Toutanc
6 Jan 17#60
Got the gold one today, it's locked and branded with O2 stuff (apps and homepage). I'll let the Mrs use it on GiffGaff for a few days before buying and unlock code to change provider.
MrMonkey
6 Jan 17#59
Received up a black handset today, unlocked.
Mattla
6 Jan 17#58
If your phone is locked to a specific network (in this case it'll probably be O2) you will only be able to use a sim card from that network or any other network that piggy backs on the initial one. For example, if your phone is locked to O2 you could use an O2 sim or a Tesco sim.
If you want to unlock your phone to enable the use of any sim card you can buy an unlock code from ebay between £5 and £15 depending on the phone/network.
Mattla
6 Jan 17#57
If you unlock the bootloader you can then install custom roms which will improve the performance of your device. It's not something I'd recommend doing unless you're confident as you can end up 'bricking' your phone if you get it wrong. I think unlocking your bootloader invalidates your warranty too but I'm not 100% sure.
Sony tend to stop offering the latest android updates (ie marshmallow) to their phones which are more than a couple of years old... So if you have an unlockable bootloader you can install the latest android update via an external rom, even if sony aren't offering an official update.
hotukdeal4me
6 Jan 17#56
Could you please explain... Mine is locked.. Black one
Cheapasnowt
6 Jan 17#55
What does the bootloader unlock code allow you to do?
iDealYou
6 Jan 17#54
I bought the gold one ... the colour is quite good in contrast to my black ZUK Z2.
1. sim locked to o2
2. the bootloader unlock code is free from Sony
So far, the look and feel of the phone is very good. The build feels premium.
I'm happy with the software, quite nappy ... as I had the Z1 & Z3 compacts before.
pals007
6 Jan 171#53
Looks like both are out of stock now..
Askrulous
6 Jan 17#52
Picked mine up in store yesterday and also waiting for a nano sim to see if its unlocked. Great phone for the money, and its in prefect condition, so cheers OP.
Also, just in case anyone else like me (and hasn't updated their mobile in a couple of years )has found the screen too dim at full brightness, brightness levels can be adjusted up further by turning off adaptive brightness - in settings/display/adaptive brightness.
stokerej
6 Jan 17#51
I hope when my nano sim card arrives, I can report the same good news. Thanks for letting us know. Another positive.
Cheapasnowt
6 Jan 171#50
No worries- nice to put a deal out there which benefits people.
jez000
6 Jan 171#49
Mine arrived this morning, Black version and it's unlocked, happy days ! thanks OP
tuna89
5 Jan 171#48
If it helps I've heard the battery isn't great in it - I'm waiting for a nice midrange phone myself too lol ^^
little_green
5 Jan 171#47
Still trying to resist lol
LazybeatX
5 Jan 171#46
Thanks op, finally bit the dust on this. Sold my galaxy s7 and pocketed some cash and bought this. The s7 was just to much for my needs, web browsing and watching YouTube. Hoping it's unlocked although a tenner on eBay won't kill me for the price I've paid.
Cheapasnowt
5 Jan 171#45
No worries vassy4u. Makes up for some of the stonking deals you've posted recently!
Cheapasnowt
5 Jan 17#44
Seems to be a bit of pot luck out there re whether it is locked or not. However has anyone who may have ordered the lime gold received an unlocked one? If not we can perhaps say if you want an unlocked one try black and avoid lime gold?
little_green
5 Jan 17#43
You have my luck lol
stokerej
5 Jan 17#42
interesting to say the least!
danieledwin
5 Jan 17#41
FYI please..The graphite black is locked for me ..
vassy4u
5 Jan 17#40
Received my order today. Yet to open. Saving it as a gift for Mrs. Thanks op. Hoping its in good condition.. Ordered the black so hoping its unlocked :smiley:
blimpo
5 Jan 17#39
Just started my graphite model up and can confirm it's unlocked (Used my Life SIM and partners Three SIM). Thanks again OP as this was a steal at this price :smiley:
Admast79
5 Jan 171#38
I can't order, stupid website can't process a payment because of some billing issue even when I use correct one. :disappointed:
jez000
5 Jan 17#37
Thanks ! and to OP too, ordered for delivery tomorrow.
plewis00
4 Jan 17#13
Even at £150ish it was quite a good looking phone and well built. Not compared to all the Chinese phones but it certainly wasn't bad. At £80 it is a steal, that edge-to-edge display and compact frame make it feel really nice. Display is a bit washed out but only if you have another phone next to it to compare to.
npinn001 to plewis00
5 Jan 17#36
Bootloader is probably locked, but it's not network locked.
Cheapasnowt
4 Jan 17#6
O2 will unlock it for £15 after 12 months on PAYG. However I read if you have an existing contract with O2 they will waive the fee and perhaps the time limit.
ontheqt to Cheapasnowt
4 Jan 172#8
I used to love Sony now meh
stokerej to Cheapasnowt
5 Jan 171#35
Thank you very much. Looks like we are in business, although with my luck, I could prove to be the exception but we will see.
npinn001
5 Jan 17#34
Yes, unlocked
stokerej
5 Jan 171#33
Hi,
Well my phone has just been delivered and looks like a smart bit of kit. However, the phone that I am swapping from is using a different sim card so I am unable to find out if it is indeed unlocked. Anyhow, I've ordered a nano sim from my provider, so hopefully it will be here quickly. So, I too would like to hear from anyone who has received theirs today and has the correct sim card and can report they are either locked to o2 or unlocked. Hopefully it will be the latter.
stokerej
4 Jan 17#20
I have ordered one of these earlier this afternoon which hopefully will arrive tomorrow. A very nice lady on the web chat told me that it will be locked so we shall see. I have a talktalk sim card at present so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that its unlocked. If its not, my husband has a PAYG with o2 so they will unlock it for free and because he has been with them for more than 12 months they will do it immediately. Someone has mentioned they've found someone on ebay who will do it for £5 but details are sketchy.
jez000 to stokerej
5 Jan 17#32
Has anyone with the Black version confirmed it comes unlocked from 02 ? very tempted by this but am on EE currently.
tonymk
4 Jan 17#15
Got this before Christmas and happy. Haven't had any issues with the battery life and I'm a moderate user. With power banks so cheap now, I don't see why somebody couldn't buy one if they found this battery to be horrendous - which I really don't think it is. The edge of the screen is rounded, which feels premium. (I think it may be on a high end Samsung). Overall a bargain at £80.
I would recommend getting a micro SD card though as the storage isn't huge.
iDealYou to tonymk
5 Jan 17#31
Is the bootloader unlock allowed = Yes?
Thanks.
npinn001
5 Jan 171#30
For those on the fence, I bought this phone around 14 days ago and it has been excellent for the money. Battery lasts me a full day, its nice and compact with no lag that I have noticed in performance. NFC is great, and I find it registers on terminals much quicker than other phones I have had.
Software experience is good, mainly stock with a few tweaks but not a hinderance really.
Camera is average, decent enough in good light, poor in low light. Speaker volume is low, so video calls arent great.
On the whole, cant be beaten for me for £80.
Askrulous
5 Jan 171#27
2gb
Admast79 to Askrulous
5 Jan 17#29
You have 14 days to return it.
jamesjim
5 Jan 17#28
is it possible to ruturn this item if i dont like it? i havent seen one in the flesh and it might be too big.
Thanks
Picard123
5 Jan 17#26
Doesn't this come with only 1GB of ram? or 2GB?
chegwin
4 Jan 17#23
how do you order without any credit or is it compulsory
little_green to chegwin
4 Jan 172#25
Very tempted but other half will kill me
stokerej
4 Jan 171#24
Just below the £79.99 on the right hand side, you will see 'view all tariffs' Click on that. I clicked on the first bundle which is for £10. You can than add phone to basket. Along with the phone you will have a sim delivered. There will be absolutely no credit on it simply because you haven't paid for any. The total cost is £79.99 for the phone and the sim. Assuming you've ordered the black one and assuming its un-locked (fingers crossed I'm in the same boat) you add the sim you are using in your present mobile phone. If of course, you are a new user and want to use the o2 network, then simply add £10 credit to the sim card and you will get the 200 minutes, 5000 texts or whatever sim card you chose when ordering. Hope this helps
DealJourno
4 Jan 171#22
Sony phones will go the same way as that E.T. video game. Will be in a landfill soon enough. The company has lost it's way. Need to dump my Z3 for something well designed.
emmaboz
4 Jan 17#21
ordered these B4 Xmas, came next day. Kids live them. the gold is locked to O2 but it will apparently cost £15.99 to unlock after having the handset for 12 mths or if u have a contract with them they will do it for free, my neighbour did my daughters gold one today. for the price they are a steal. as for battery life tbh it's not all that bad. Kids had 2 hours of pokemon go on them which really drains ur battery.
qonqrd
4 Jan 17#19
Three hours have passed and still no order. Tried five times on the web and twice on the phone, even tried my mums card. Ended up ringing my bank (smile) looks like o2 having problems
DonkeyKonk
4 Jan 172#18
I had this phone for a couple of months, probably one of the most stylish and nicest to hold phones about, but had a slow processor and bad battery drain.
I recently picked up the p9 lite which the Xa is priced at around the same price usually (£129-£199), and the p9 lite is miles ahead as a usable phone
Good for the price though, and has the usual very good sony FM radio, which is a plus for me
little_green
4 Jan 17#17
sorry just read op which had answers.
also why would the black be unlocked but the other color be locked
vassy4u
4 Jan 17#16
You don't buy top up :smiley:
Cheapasnowt
4 Jan 17#10
Vassy4u go for the black one!
bma1445 to Cheapasnowt
4 Jan 171#14
Any way to buy it without the mandatory £10 topup?
Cheapasnowt
4 Jan 17#11
Don't think you can expect the build quality of a premium phone for this cost.
vassy4u to Cheapasnowt
4 Jan 17#12
Went for the black one :smiley: Hope to get it tmrw :smiley:
maj2509
4 Jan 171#9
Phone looks lovely but has a terrible battery and gold color started coming off quickly :disappointed:
Not impressed as £ 80 is a lot of money.
vassy4u
4 Jan 17#7
Thanks OP. Ordered :smiley:
Toutanc
4 Jan 17#5
I just bought the lime gold one. I hope I can get it unlocked somehow.. I found unlock code for £5 on ebay...
vassy4u
4 Jan 17#4
Any idea on the unlock code please?
jamhole
4 Jan 17#3
I ordered a sony Z4 tablet from O2 like this. best purchase I have made this year.
no sign of any use, in perfect condition and a couple of hundred quid cheaper than buying the same on eBay!
Cheapasnowt
4 Jan 17#2
No problem- for £80 i think this is a decent deal.
eternalflame
4 Jan 17#1
Thanks OP. Finally Ordered. I've been watching and waiting for this phone for weeks.
![Fresh Breakfast Meat Box (Using code) @ Campbells Meat [Haggis / Lorne Sausage / Bacon / Black Pudding & More]](/images/topics/208684_1.jpg)
![[Xbox One] Q. u. b. e: Director's Cut on Deals with Gold](/images/topics/208716_1.jpg)
Opening post
If the phone arrives locked you have 14 days to return it to O2.
Can't see any codes available to knock the price down any further. Also no other offers seem to be available with the handset currently with O2.
As it is a like new phone it doesn't come in the original box. Instead all you will receive is the handset and data cable. Judging by what you should get in the box if you purchased it new you seem to be missing the headphones and plug. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUhW3TKPeVU)
Now back in stock as at 14:21 as at 10/1/17
Latest comments (255)
My last Sony was a k750(actually still in the loft)! In all those years I never knew Sony did a two year warranty, as I may have used it on the 750 when it started playing up!
And yes, it's odd that the Z3 has only a year, and my xa's more like 2, Sony must have varied confidence in their products. As for Samsung, I'm just glad I don't have one, as I might not be able to use it on a cruise in a couple of weeks!
Great warranty service from them, and HTC, whereas Samsung suck. (Not really relevant but can't resist having a dig).
Though this thread says 1 year? https://theinformr.co.uk/answers/how-long-is-the-sony-xperia-z3-warranty-period/
"Sony backs up the Sony Xperia Z3 with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty."
Anyway, finally got working code last Friday (in case anyone with a lot of patience wants the eBay link), so first proper use as phone.
Bluetooth was a bit of an issue connecting to car, with loads of reboots etc, but all good now.
Getting over a day out of battery so pretty happy with that.
Amazing phone for £80, so thanks again OP!
Other than that i'm liking the phone for the money I spent on it!
First Date?
First Job?
Considering you can pick this up £140 new unopened, I can't see them shifting many of these now.
https://www.doctorsim.com/gb-en/unlock-phone/sony/
As for looking like brand new, its a mixed bunch now. For instance, the first one I received was perfect with a screen protector on it, and looked brand new. The second one I received was ok (ordered when the 2nd lot of stock became available) but had no screen protector and I discovered it was returned late December (when o2 confusing my return with the earlier one), probably as it was locked.
So, is it true to its word and looking like its brand new? Im still on the fence. Mainly down to the battery performance. I get 6-7 hours screen time on my SU6, and with this being somewhere around half that, im undecided. Looks like a nice phone though.
My Black version was locked, but less bloatware. Awaiting ebay code now.:smile:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111560195375?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Were you using the same sim card and other settings (eg. screen brightness, aeroplane mode on?) when testing your phones?
Only other suggestion is perhaps to disable AVG, com.facebook.appmanager, Facebook, kobo ebooks and Spotify on your unlocked phones, to see if it extends the battery life.
Or perhaps enable Developer Options and compare what apps are listed under Running Services between locked and unlocked phones.
fwiw, I streamed bbc iplayer for 30 minutes over wifi, screen brightness set to 75%, no other apps running, with sim card inserted. The battery level dropped from 80 to 70%. So an hour's streaming would equate to 20%.
The unlocked versions have AVG, com.facebook.appmanager, Facebook, kobo ebooks and Spotify - none of which are on the locked version.
I've performed antutu battery tests on them all.
Locked graphite black scored 12215 max screen on time 7h 25
Unlocked graphite black 8598 Max screen on time 5h 53
Unlocked graphite black 9387 Max screen on time 6h 22
Locked lime gold 4913 max screen on time 2h 51
fwiw, my lime gold locked unit (F3111, version 33.2.A.3.105) does not have Facebook or AVG antivirus apps preinstalled as reported in various early reviews.
The graphite black locked to o2 has the superior battery performance. I've also noted it comes pre installed with different apps than the unlocked version; perhaps the pre installed apps have a baring on battery performance?
Many thanks for any info.
Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172404389298
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SONY-XPERIA-XZ-XA-XA-ULTRA-X-COMPACT-Z5-PREMIUM-Z3-M5-M4-E4-E2-UK-O2-UNLOCK-CODE-/172485390908?hash=item2828ee323c:g:KBYAAOSwcLxYJGQ~
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172379306066?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
I've not tried the screen protector yet, but I like that the case covers all the sides of the phone, as that's where I usually get damage.
Stats from gsam battery monitor:
Black used 47% in 1d 12h screen on 2h46
Lime gold 43% in 2h 29m screen on 37 Minutes!!
My GiffGaff sim works fine in the phone with 4G.
Other thing to note is the phone started upgrading the firmware to '33.2.A.3.105' shortly after connecting it to my wifi. According to the following link, the firmware is about 2 months old from o2, and Three mobile Xperia XA phones look like they will be the first to get '33.2.A.3.123' :
Xpericheck.com
Also, a number of reviews I previously read said the XA is bloated with preinstalled apps like Facebook and AVG antivirus, but I don't seem to see them on my phone. However, about 8.5GB out of 16GB is used on the XA, which I guess suggests it is still bloated when Marshmallow runs on phones with as little as 8GB of storage.
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/piggybacking
Roxfit only produce cases for Sony Xperia products
Normally £20. Got mine for £11.99 delivered from: https://www.uk-mobilestore.co.uk/roxfit-sony-xperia-xa-urban-black-book-case-black.html
So, its called an Stouch 3D Full Coverage, rather than the 2.5D Half Cover, as below:
lol, thought I was the only one that noticed! Adaptive brightness, its a bit like having a speed restricter on a sports car to save fuel. I'd rather sacrifice my battery and have a proper screen brightness.
Bought it to replace my old Samsung j5 2015 model as it was only 8gb ram and the car doesn't seem as good. Early days so I'll persevere but any tips on extending battery life without having a permanently dim screen or having to turn off Bluetooth etc all the time?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172471329579?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Applied tempered glass. But it doesnt cover completely.. due to the edge to edge display..
You could root it to uninstall them but I believe you 'loose' DRM keys and TA Parition which hold some of the Sony special features like it image pre-processing making photos from the camera worse and Bravia Engine which make screen "washed".
I too prefer to use older spotify app and totally hate facebook the battery hog
Oh okay, good to know
As most people have said the phone might not be the best but when factoring in the cost it makes it attractive.
Sadly if it's anything like the X/X compact XZ they will be ruined with bloat
I had tried it with a Three sim first but it asked for the unlock code.
I bought my friend a large coffee & he got the code from O2 for me ...
:smiley:
know the g3 has a better battery and larger screen
i believe the g3 can be upgraded to marshmallow
The black ones may be unlocked. Most seem to have received an unlocked handset altgough sime say theres were locked to o2.
No one appears to have received an unlocked lime gold version.
Unlocked codes via ebay appear to be around £10
You only.get the phone and data cable. Judging by what is supplied with a new one you are simply.missing the start up booklet and plug. (I don't think this phone came with headphones).
Vassy4u has posted a tempered glass protector off ebay for £2. Similarly there are lots of s line cases on ebay for around £2..
Hope this helps.
But unlocking code can be found on Ebay for £5.95.
Hot regardless
Someone I spoke who said it maybe locking to the first sim entered, so if you put the o2 sim in before using your own it may lock it to o2. Don't know if that is true or not.
GSM arena said the phone was gonna get the planned update to 7.0 (Nougat) which sounds promising as my utlra is still stuck on 5.0....
Talking of what is and isn't new, I'm just wondering if the unlocked ones have previously been used (and owner unlocked) and the locked ones are brand new.
BTW anyone having any issues with bluetooth....
My old phone (Smart Ultra 6) had no issue with transferring music/audio when the phone was in my pocket to my BlueTooth headset.
When I take it out of my pocket and hold it up above my waist then sound is transferred fine
apart from that, it appears a nice solid feeling phone
I also missed out on this first time around but it was definitely less than a week before it returned to 'in stock' status. I was looking every day at some point but it was by chance that I saw it posted back on hotukdeals. I do wish they would still send the manual with these items for those of us who have very little technology!!!!!! Thank you to the OP (again)
o2 cant find any details but say the money should be back in my account soon. So I missed out this time. :disappointed:
Its still on the o2 site so I`m guessing this deal comes and goes. Does anyone have any idea how often it comes back into stock?
Black = unlocked
Gold = locked
If you want to unlock your phone to enable the use of any sim card you can buy an unlock code from ebay between £5 and £15 depending on the phone/network.
Sony tend to stop offering the latest android updates (ie marshmallow) to their phones which are more than a couple of years old... So if you have an unlockable bootloader you can install the latest android update via an external rom, even if sony aren't offering an official update.
1. sim locked to o2
2. the bootloader unlock code is free from Sony
So far, the look and feel of the phone is very good. The build feels premium.
I'm happy with the software, quite nappy ... as I had the Z1 & Z3 compacts before.
Also, just in case anyone else like me (and hasn't updated their mobile in a couple of years )has found the screen too dim at full brightness, brightness levels can be adjusted up further by turning off adaptive brightness - in settings/display/adaptive brightness.
Well my phone has just been delivered and looks like a smart bit of kit. However, the phone that I am swapping from is using a different sim card so I am unable to find out if it is indeed unlocked. Anyhow, I've ordered a nano sim from my provider, so hopefully it will be here quickly. So, I too would like to hear from anyone who has received theirs today and has the correct sim card and can report they are either locked to o2 or unlocked. Hopefully it will be the latter.
I would recommend getting a micro SD card though as the storage isn't huge.
Thanks.
Software experience is good, mainly stock with a few tweaks but not a hinderance really.
Camera is average, decent enough in good light, poor in low light. Speaker volume is low, so video calls arent great.
On the whole, cant be beaten for me for £80.
Thanks
I recently picked up the p9 lite which the Xa is priced at around the same price usually (£129-£199), and the p9 lite is miles ahead as a usable phone
Good for the price though, and has the usual very good sony FM radio, which is a plus for me
also why would the black be unlocked but the other color be locked
Not impressed as £ 80 is a lot of money.
no sign of any use, in perfect condition and a couple of hundred quid cheaper than buying the same on eBay!