Some companies have suffered a lot by joining this race, but Sony has a stubborn attitude about the specification and price of its product. In such a situation, do not expect any flagship product from this company of Japan in the price segment half -priced. For this reason, Sony’s Xperia M4 Aqua Dual smartphone at first glance seems to be completely lagging behind with a lower price handset. So we have tried to know how Sony can remain intact in this race and we reached a very shocking result.
Look and design
Xperia M4 is a phone with flat back and curved sides made of Aqua dual plastic and glass. White and coral pink versions look good but the black version, which we got for review, looked a little heavy. The silver brand logo across the body, a ring around the rear camera lens and the power button on the side looks a bit different. If the screen is off then it looks like a shining black slab.
The phone is slightly curve and the design is a matte finish, but it is not a little comfortable to hold it due to the flat back. This handset is completely sealed, so all ports and slots can be accessed external. The microSD card slot is in the top side, while the Nano SIM slots are in the right side and both are behind rubber-long flaps.
This is because Xperia M4 is the biggest feature of Aqua that it is waterproof. IP65 and IP68 ratings means that if this handset is left in 1.5 meters deep water for 30 minutes, it will not happen. Apart from this, it is also dust resistant. Interestingly, Sony has shown this wonderful, without covering the 3.5mm audio port and the top on the left on the left, without covering it with a flap. The absence of flap in the micro-USB port is even better, as removing and putting the flap to charge repeatedly can be very disturbing.
The power button is very small and it is given a place in the center on the right side, this position is very strange. There are volume buttons below it. And at the bottom is the shortcut button of the camera. The camera gives a good feeling in touching the button and its position is also given right for the use of the camera. Sony is now the only company that makes such buttons and we like it.
Specification and software
This phone uses Snapdragon 615 SoC processor, which is common for more smartphones nowadays and their price is also less than this phone, but it is not enough. This SoC with four 1.5GHz core and four 1GHz core can deal with a difficult task and also save batteries if needed. The phone has 2 GB of RAM and its internal storage is 16 GB, which can be increased to 32 GB via microSD card.
The 5 -inch screen resolution is 720x1280p. It is less sharp than the full HD screens of the rest of the phone found in this price range, but there is no harmful harm. All things are still sharp and this screen is much better in the case of color reproduction and viewing angle.
The handset has features like Wi-Fi B/G/N, Bluetooth 4.1, A-GPS, FM Radio and NFC. The 2300mHz band being used in India’s 4G network can be accessed by using SIM cards in both slots. Interestingly, support of USB-TG storage is not available in the handset. The battery capacity is 2,400mAh, which is very good for the device of slim.
This phone is based on Android 5.0 operating system, on top of which Sony has used its UI which we liked. Many themes exist, although the designs of more of these are like Sony branded movies or music tie-ins. The company has already been doing so when it has overloaded its software to advertise its media products. You will get the icon of Sony Liv on homescreen, with Sony’s music, albums, movies and playstation apps. Another new app is a big widget of What’s New, whose aim is advertisement. Some preloaded apps such as Line, Movie Creator, File Commander, Sketch, Mobisystems Officesuite, AVG Protection and Trackid are useful, while Xperia Lounge and News from Socialife are somewhat spams. Very few of these can be uninstall.
TV SideView is a work app. This will serve as a local TV guide for you and if it is on the same network, then this app gives you the option to use compatible Sony TV. DLNA can browse shares for media through network, and can also enjoy content on Sony’s app on compatiated TV, Bluetooth and speakers.
Sony’s camera app allows you to have a third-party integration, so default superior can download auto, manual, AR effect, creative effect and sweep Panorama modes, besides time laps mode or any other filter app. Apart from this, many famous apps such as Vine, Camscanner Phone PDF and Evernote can also be run.
Performance
Using Sony Xperia M4 Aqua Dual was quite fun and there are no complaints about its speed or response. In addition to the strange placement of the button, there was no problem in holding and using the handset in one hand. The quality of the call was excellent and LTE also worked properly. We saw a problem, after a few minutes of common use, the upper part of the rear side of the phone began to heat up.
The benchmark scores were also good, but this price segment did not have the best results. We got a score of 33,097 in AnTuTu Test and 16,108 in Quadrant Test. GFXBench Test scores a good 22FPS, while 3DMark Ice Storm Extreme got 4,345 points. Video playback was also good and we had no problem in running a 1080p heavy clip. The voice was quite clear and well balanced, but was also quite soft at the maximum volume level.
Especially the battery life was very good, it lasted for 9 hours 58 minutes on the video loop test. Sony claims that after fully charging the handset, you can use it for two days. This is possible, but you will not have to emphasize much than games and web browsing. In the midst of all this, even after heavy use, it will run very easily one day, so you will not have to bother to keep the power bank and charger.
The camera emerged as the biggest feature of the phone. In the complex exposure, the photo drawn from the camera also came with details. We were happy to see that compression and noys were under artifacts control. Even in low light, the camera took pictures with details, which is not normally seen. Finally we had to check the claims of the Sony of the Xperia M4 Aqua being waterproof, so we left this phone for 10 minutes in a tap water -filled basin. Even while in the water, this phone continued, after taking out, there was no problem in using it even after wiping it with a towel. Touchscreen under water does not work but you can use the camera due to the physical button. Waterproofing is an excellent feature in this price range, and you will not worry about the fall of any substance on the handset in the rain or by mistake.
Our decision
On the basis of specifications, this phone does not compete with OnePlus One and other handsets like it, but Sony has given many new features Xperia M4 Aqua Dual and has made it useable, which makes the phone price appropriate. It is also a reality that you are not getting the fastest processor and great screen, but this handset is far ahead in terms of polish products. You are getting features like a good camera, best battery life and waterproofing.
If the price was slightly low, the phone’s market would not have been damaged. By the way, the phone is already available at a short price than its launch price. So keep an eye on the offer. Sony has proved that it can introduce a solid smartphone in the market without being part of the price war.