Sony xperia m4 black. Preview of Sony Xperia M4 Aqua and Xperia Z4 Tablet

The Sony Xperia M4 Aqua smartphone is a middle-class gadget. The average user might not be immediately interested in this device, but there is one thing: outwardly it looks like an almost exact copy of the brand’s flagship, the Insperia Z3, and costs almost half as much. We can say that the Sony Aqua M4 phone is a dream come true for those who wanted to buy themselves an expensive and beautiful Z3 in many respects. The company is not actively promoting this model, so many fans of Sony products have to collect information literally bit by bit from different sources.

Let's try to figure out why the Sony M4 Aqua smartphone is interesting. Characteristics, description, capabilities, as well as expert opinions, along with reviews from ordinary users of the gadget, will be discussed in detail in the review. The article will focus on the latest version of the device for the territory of the Russian Federation, codenamed E2312.

Smartphone market

The Sony M4 Aqua device was announced at the beginning of 2015 at the international exhibition of mobile gadgets, and sales began in our territory in the 2nd quarter of the same year. This was a time when the cost of premium phones dropped significantly. Nevertheless, manufacturers asked 35-40 thousand rubles for their flagships.

The heroes of the mobile market are simplified versions of premium gadgets, but with the same sophisticated design. In addition to the Sony M4 Aqua, all kinds of S90 from Lenovo with an iPhone look, Lumia from the 830 series (analogous to the 930 model), Huawei P8 Light (a copy of the flagship P8), etc. have poured into stores. So the M4 model has not become something out of the ordinary, but, in fact, is an adaptation of the flagship for the middle class of consumers.

Appearance

As mentioned above, the bumper on the Sony M4 Aqua is practically no different from the flagship Z3. If you give an ordinary user these two phones, he probably won’t even guess which model is more expensive. In general, the Sony M4 Aqua LTE is one of the few gadgets in its segment that looks really expensive and cool.

But small distinctive details are still visible upon close examination. The back panel of the smartphone is made of high-quality plastic, while the flagship has a glass cover. It's the same with the side frame - plastic versus metal. Although the Sony M4 Aqua has retained the shock-absorbing corners, the characteristics of the body do not allow them to be used to their fullest. They act more as a decorative element than a practical one.

The company made an almost win-win move, because not every user will be able to distinguish high-quality transparent plastic from glass. Therefore, the model looks very attractive - buyers are happy, and ordinary competitors with ordinary plastic are jealous of the Sony M4 Aqua. Feedback from owners on this matter is mixed. Of course, many people like it when glass and metal feel pleasantly cool on the hand, but at the moment of a fall, a plastic model will clearly be more practical than a glass one. Still, whatever one may say, glass is more susceptible to cracks.

Protection

As the name "Aqua" suggests, the phone has some protective properties. The gadget meets international standards such as IP65/IP68, that is, there is maximum protection from moisture. To be specific, the Sony M4 Aqua LTE can take water procedures for half an hour together with the owner at a depth of up to one and a half meters (just right for a pool).

The company's only caveat regarding the protective characteristics is to avoid chlorinated and sea/salt water. Well, if this happens, it is highly recommended to rinse the gadget with clean water. You can swim in a fresh river for the entire allotted time without fear of oxidizing the body with salt.

Interfaces

The latest engineering update of the Sony M4 Aqua made it possible to use Capless class interfaces for micro-USB, that is, without any plugs. A similar move was made in the Z4 line of tablets. This connector is much more practical: there is no need to constantly fiddle with the plugs for network charging or for connecting to a personal computer. Moreover, for particularly lucky owners such plugs fell off on the first lines of Sony M4 Aqua.

User reviews clearly show that Capless class connectors are not only convenient, but also practical. In addition, the company did not give up a slot for a memory card, which also pleased many owners, as well as the ability to choose to work with one or two SIM cards (variable for DuoSim versions).

Screen

If the flagship has a diagonal of 5.2 inches, then the more modest Sony M4 Aqua has a 5-inch screen, with the same body dimensions. Visually, this is barely noticeable due to the wider frames of the M4. The Aqua’s IPS format matrix is ​​a little simpler than the flagship model, but it produces HD scanning as it should (versus Full HD in the Z3).

In its premium models, the company uses proven screen settings and a significantly expanded color gamut range (RGB > 130%), so the output picture is not very natural, that is, the colors are too pronounced (oversaturation) in the Sony M4 Aqua. Reviews on this matter are mixed, because all users are divided into two camps: those who are served only natural products, and those who are quite satisfied with such a juicy, bright and “anime” range.

The matrix has a completely modern and acceptable resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels with a dots per inch density of 294 ppi. This is quite enough so that even when examining the picture in detail, the image does not seem pixelated.

Bench screen tests

The maximum brightness level ranges from 515 cd/m2. Even iPhones of the sixth series will envy such a reserve. The contrast ratio is also at the appropriate level - about 1020:1. In fact, this is a typical result of this kind of matrices, even if not the best. In addition, the display is equipped with anti-reflective composites, which came in handy for the Sony M4 Aqua. The screen view has excellent angular layout. In general, the M4 model is significantly superior to its predecessors in this regard.

The temperature ranges around 7300K. The color scheme is slightly unbalanced: there is little red and too much blue. The average “Delta E” indicator shows an error on the scale of 5.62 points. It may not be the best result, but the almost perfect white balance more than compensates for this shortcoming.

The coverage of the entire gamut is very close to the sRGB standard, so the visual palette is adequate, and the colors are perceived to be of better quality than that of the majority of the top models. Although the gamma is shifted towards blue, there are no critical miscalculations observed in the Sony M4 Aqua. User reviews unanimously show that for its price category, the smartphone has an excellent and rich picture.

Using 24 templates of the ColorChecker utility (color rendition check), a result of 4.1 error points for the “Delta E” error was revealed. We can say that the distortions in the graph do not have critical points, so in this case the manufacturer is on the right track.

A simple adjustment of the Sony M4 Aqua in the white balance area will help you adjust the picture to suit you. There may not be as many possibilities as we would like, but with its help it was possible to remove the excess blue.

After manual manipulations on the stand, the “Delta E” error on the gray scale dropped to a value of 0.64, and the average value stopped at 2.04 points. The picture became close to ideal and almost completely got rid of the dark blue. If desired, you can achieve more acceptable results, but most users are more than satisfied with the basic settings of the gadget.

Generally speaking, based on the results of testing the screen, the smartphone left only positive emotions. There are many more strong points here than weak ones: excellent viewing angles, adequate brightness characteristics and acceptable color rendition without obvious “chemical” impurities.

If we talk about Sony mobile gadgets in general, the screen of the M4 model is perceived noticeably better and more interesting than the non-standard TRILUMINOS palette of other devices. The only drawback, which, in fact, cannot be called critical for this segment, is not the highest deployment. If, of course, you are spoiled by Quad and Full HD resolutions, then you are welcome to the shelf with a flagship with a corresponding price tag.

Performance

The Sony M4 Aqua hardware platform (memory/chipset) is a little simpler than the flagship Z3. The mid-range Snapdragon processor from the 615 series, running on eight cores, is responsible for performance. RAM was replaced with 2 GB of flagship memory instead of 3 GB. The same thing happened with the main camera - 13 megapixels versus 20. You can find other simplifications in the model, but all of them have little effect on the overall perception of the gadget: the device turned out to be a little simpler than the flagship, but not twice as simple.

The processor power is quite enough for the existing matrix, moreover, the phone does not heat up even during intensive work, unlike some premium models with a high-performance chipset.

Working with SIM cards

The company has established a very good tradition for itself, releasing two versions of gadgets onto the market - with one and two SIM cards. Moreover, it doesn’t matter how much the Sony M4 Aqua costs in this or that case, the main thing is that the device fully supports LTE protocols. The cards themselves are switched between each other programmatically, that is, for example, if you want to choose exactly the SIM card that will work at 4G speeds, then it is enough to make simple manipulations in the menu, and not physically change it in the slot.

In addition, the device, equipped with two SIM cards, received twice as much internal memory - 16 GB versus 8. The price tag for this model is slightly higher, but there are clearly more advantages.

Autonomous operation

On the official Sony website, marketers claim that the model can work at medium load without recharging for up to two days. Modern mobile gadgets running on the Android platform, as a rule, last no more than one day of daylight, a maximum of a day.

It’s not entirely clear where the company’s marketers came up with such numbers, because there seem to be no prerequisites for this, especially since the device has a 2400 mAh (3.8 V) battery standard for its class. Competitors also have “fattier” models, with 3000 mAh capacity, but they do not make such statements.

A field test showed that with intensive use of the device (player, navigator, surfing), the battery lasts at most during daylight hours and a little in the evening, after which the gadget begins to ask for a power outlet. Whatever the manufacturer promises us, the battery life can be called standard for devices of this class.

You can significantly extend the life of your smartphone using built-in energy-saving software called Stamina. After activating this mode, the processor power is functionally limited and the background data transfer prohibition mode is activated.

In addition, there is another useful energy-saving mode - “Low charge”, where, after activation, various power-hungry options are disabled and the level of the screen backlight is reduced along with the screen lock time. There is also an even more stringent saving mode - “Ultra Stamina”, which completely disables any “smart” functions of the gadget and turns the device into a very ordinary dialer with the ability to dial numbers, send SMS messages, and nothing more. Do not forget to perform a proper reset of the gadget after connecting all these modes (according to the instructions), if the battery is fully charged, otherwise the smartphone will remain a simple phone. Keep this point in mind before rebooting your Sony M4 Aqua.

If you load the device, as they say, to its fullest - active operation of Wi-Fi networks, continuous viewing of high-resolution videos and updating data in the background - then the battery will last just over seven hours, which is a very good result for devices in this segment. The only thing that will drain the battery in just a couple of hours is some powerful toy, but otherwise the battery life is quite acceptable.

Judging by the bare statistics of benchmarks, the same Antutu produces record results for the M4. First place with a good lead over the expensive S920 from Lenovo and Nexus 4 series.

Cameras

It’s worth noting right away that if you like to frequently take pictures of everything, then a plastic case for the Sony M4 Aqua that covers the peephole will be clearly superfluous; it’s better to get well-sewn leather or, as a last resort, high-quality leatherette. Although the camera is not distinguished by its ultra-high resolution (only 13 megapixels), it takes pictures very well.

In general, the Sony brand policy regarding photography is very interesting and user-friendly. The company focuses not just on high-quality photography, but on additional effects and other filming surroundings.

Take, for example, an interesting mode with the original name “Augmented Reality”. That is, the user has the opportunity to apply any effects directly during shooting. There are butterflies, dinosaurs, flowers, and what not. The owner can easily get a landscape in real time with a bouquet of flowers in a winter field or a snowman walking along the beach sand.

Among other modes, it is worth noting the work with self-portraits (selfies), where the functionality of the smartphone can easily smooth out some obvious facial imperfections. There is work with a panorama, the ability to add live sound to a photo (similar to the GIF extension) and a lot of already familiar effects like sepia or monochrome.

In addition to simplifying the layout of the camera, the model also received its own certain advantages. For example, the front camera was equipped with a resolution of 5 megapixels, but the view was significantly increased - 88 degrees. Moreover, the front camera can work with the functionality of the main camera, such as augmented reality and other effects.

Platform

The company is not particularly trying to rework the platform “stuffing” such as menu branches or appearance. Therefore, all any critical changes come down to a set of design themes and new features of desktop gadgets. In fact, Android on the M4 is very close to a “pure” platform, not burdened with various features that we are used to seeing on other devices.

Some people just don’t like operating systems that are stuffed with additional software. On the one hand, this seems to be for convenience, but on the other hand, so that the owner appears on the indicated resources more often and spends his hard-earned money. Therefore, in this regard, the manufacturer managed with minimal “intrusion” into the OS, for which we thank him (if we need anything, we’ll install it ourselves).

There is a choice of design themes, you can install the number of desktops you need, change the wallpaper, remove unnecessary ones if they bother you. The surroundings themselves look calm, without any inconsistency in style and in the absence of any flashy icons. This is probably why the speed of the interface is very impressive. Many owners in their reviews have repeatedly noted the fact that desktops and gadgets respond instantly, without friezes, sagging or other lags.

Following the old tradition, the company added widgets of the most popular applications to the smartphone. You can select them in two clicks through the background programs window. If you wish, you can add new gadgets to your device through the same Google Play. As for branded applications such as galleries, music libraries and other multimedia, everything here is done in the original style from Sony. There is a set of recommendation services on beautiful gadgets like Sony Select, which can be removed as unnecessary (thank you very much for that).

The music department is no longer called Walkman, but simply "Music". The design is very beautiful and, as they say, fits the theme. There is a function to clear sound tracks from noise, as well as a smart equalizer. Generally speaking, the model sounds quite decent for its class: the maximum volume does not hiss or fall into cacophony, and all frequencies are adjusted as needed.

Summarizing

“Sony Xperia M4 Aqua” is not just a beautiful gadget with a stylish appearance that repeats the features of the company’s flagship, but this is precisely the rare case when a device of this class has practically no critical flaws. In our case (Sony Xperia M4 Aqua Dual E2312), the buyer will have to pay a little more than 16 thousand rubles for the gadget. Surely many users will want to get both a cool design and a powerful smartphone from a famous brand for this money. The Sony company has provided this opportunity to its fans.

In addition to its attractive appearance, the device has good protection against water, and of a standardized type - IP65/68. Therefore, for those who like to take photos in the pool or splash around in the bath while listening to their favorite music, this is just what they need.

The manufacturer did not skimp on chipsets: a good processor, enough RAM, a well-designed platform. The screen also showed good performance, as did the capabilities of both cameras. As an additional bonus, the battery life is very good with such a thin body, albeit lower than stated by marketers.

In fact, there is nothing to complain about; the smartphone is perfectly balanced in terms of price and quality. If you look at the lineup of competitors, the same Lumia 830, S90 from Lenovo and Galaxy from the A5 series are more expensive, but the characteristics are almost identical. So purchasing a Sony Xperia M4 Aqua is an excellent investment. Moreover, for such a price you probably won’t be able to find an even more intelligent device.

Advantages of a smartphone:

• attractive design almost exactly repeating the beautiful flagship Z3;
• light and thin bumper;
• excellent screen/matrix characteristics;
• ideal price/quality ratio;
• IP65/68 moisture protection without additional plugs;
• well-developed Android platform running on two SIM cards;
• long battery life compared to competing analogues.

Flaws:

• mediocre photo and video quality;
• The frames on the case are too wide for such a screen diagonal;
• plastic bumper.

The estimated price on Yandex.Market is about 16,000 rubles (first quarter of 2017).

Sony has long been using sealing, dust and moisture protection in its smartphones. Even if you are not a daredevil and are not ready to jump into the pool with your clothes on without reason, washing the contents of your pockets with water, the Xperia smartphones can still offer you a high-quality and productive product that will last longer than the average competitor. The hero of our today's review is one of the new products - Sony Xperia M4 Aqua Dual, which represents the middle price segment. Let's take a closer look.

Design and ergonomics

Over the past couple of years, Sony hasn't really bothered with the appearance of its mobile division's devices. Each subsequent smartphone has minor external changes on the body, but serious improvements on the inside. On the one hand, this is good for loyal fans of the brand, because when buying a low-end phone, inexperienced work colleagues will not be able to distinguish it from a flagship. The same situation can be seen in the products of a little-known company from Cupertino. Agree, only experts will distinguish iPhone 5 from 5S owners in a crowd (the same with 6 and 6S), regardless of the color of the device. So it is here.

Our hero has very similar body features to his older brothers. This plays into its favor here, because the gadget is quite comfortable to hold in your hand and it looks great. The rounded edges provide better grip for those who don't have long enough fingers.

Now many iPhone fans seriously think that rounded edges are the know-how of only Apple and other manufacturers are simply plaintively copying their design. Guys, I'm going to upset you: Sony has been using edges like this in smartphone cases for a long time

So. On the front we see a large five-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. I’ll say right away that I didn’t really like the screen, but more on that later.

Unfortunately, it is not known for certain what kind of glass covers the front side of the screen. Personally, I have doubts that this is Gorilla Glass, because here the panel has a rather weak oleophobic coating and it is very weak in resisting dirt and fingerprints. But water flows off it like off a goose.

There are horizontal slits at the top and bottom of the screen. At first, you might think that they are for stereo speakers, like older models, but this is not the case. There is a conversational speaker on top and a microphone on the bottom. The speaker itself is located at the bottom end.

Also hidden on top is a light and proximity sensor, a front camera eye and a small LED indicator. The light sensor works as it should. No sudden jumps.

On the right side there are, hidden behind a flap, slots for 2 Nano SIM cards (after all, the word Dual appears in the name, that is, “two”). Just below is the power button, below it is the volume rocker and at the very bottom is a two-position camera call button. The latter is a great help when shooting with the built-in camera.

The power button has a short travel and is pressed with a strange response: it is not always clear whether you pressed it or not. A little flimsy, I think it won’t be very comfortable with gloves. Most likely, this is due to the water resistance of the smartphone. By the way, the same can be said about the rest of the keys on the case. But this is not bad at all. Fans of the company won't notice the difference, and if they do, it won't be too difficult to get used to such buttons.

At the bottom end we have a speaker slot and a hole for a conversational microphone on the other. By the way, if you close this slot with your finger while listening to music, the volume will decrease by 90 percent. This once again tells us about the internal tightness.

On the left side, under the flap, there is a slot for a Micro SD memory card and an unobstructed Micro USB input.

On the top edge there is an unclosed standard 3.5 mm audio input and a hole for a microphone.

Microphones on the top and bottom ends work in tandem: one functions during a conversation, and the second provides noise reduction at this time.

The side panels are made of plastic, although their coating imitates metal very well.

No backlash or gaps were noticed. The body is well assembled and strong.

On the back panel there is a camera eye with a flash. Just below the center there is an icon for the location of the NFC chip, for quick pairing with devices via Bluetooth. The entire back of the case is covered with transparent plastic glass, so be prepared for quick scratches from the wind or buy a protective case.

Summarizing the above, we can conclude that the body of the device was a great success. Excellent build quality combined with a comfortable grip and nice design. Many features are inherited from devices of the older line and this is the right move. If you want to switch from another Sony smartphone to our hero, then it will be very easy for you to do this.

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that with the evolution of the “M” line, the quality of the external finishing of the devices is increasing and this is pleasant. At one time, he came to us for a test. The smartphone had a design similar to the then flagship Z2, but in actual use there was a gap between these devices. Cheap plastic, just a little bit, but still the parts of the case that were not tightly adjacent to each other made themselves felt. Now the gap between the M4 and Z3+ has narrowed, or even significantly, and this can only be welcomed.

Screen

And now we’ll talk about perhaps the biggest drawback of this smartphone.

The device display measures 5 inches with a resolution of 1280×720 (294 ppi). The matrix is ​​made using IPS technology. Here the screen is not much different from the average one with the same matrix, but there is one nuance.

Either the developers didn’t get the maximum backlight right, or they decided to save money on the screen.

We have to admit that the screen is clearly lacking in brightness and color reproduction. White is not white enough, but rather a bright grey.

On a sunny day, screen readability will not be the best, so if you have vision problems, then think carefully before purchasing this device.

During use, you constantly expect that the auto-brightness will now turn everything up to maximum and bright, saturated colors will appear to us, but this does not happen. And not because the light sensor does not work well. No, on the contrary, it works perfectly, the problem is in the matrix itself.

It is unclear why the manufacturer skimped on a larger screen, since the processor and the rest of the hardware in the smartphone could handle a higher resolution. By the way, recognition of nine simultaneous presses is supported, although the official specifications only talk about four.

From all of the above, it is clear that the display here is the “Achilles heel” and completely blurs the good feeling of the smartphone.

Cameras

The device is equipped with a main camera of 13 megapixels and a front camera of 5 megapixels. Both friends have a proprietary Exmor RS sensor. Without delving into the intricacies of matrices and their color rendering, I can say that the camera shoots at the level of flagships 1.5-2 years ago. I can’t say that it’s just “wow”, but for an inexperienced user it will be just right.

Of course, the quality of the pictures, or rather their display, is affected by the screen, so what you see on our hero’s display may differ from what you see on a computer or other device.

What I didn't like the most was the camera app itself. Its interface, without any visible changes, was taken from older firmware versions. But even here there were several subtleties that personally left me perplexed.

Let me explain: between the moment of capturing the subject, pressing the camera button and the actual display of the finished photo on the screen, approximately 3-4 seconds pass. That is, at first, after pressing the shutter button and hearing the sound of capture, I calmly took the smartphone to the side to see what happened. What came out was a great photo of boots, trousers, the ground, and all this with a partial blurring effect.

Moreover, the application puts a lot of strain on the processor when processing photos. Already in the fifth or sixth photo you can feel this in the warm body. In our increasingly cold weather, this feature can be used to warm your hands.

Regardless of the above, the camera takes pictures quite well. Night shots come out better than some of their “classmates”. It’s immediately clear how the experience of previous smartphones has been applied here.

Examples of photos from the camera can be found at this link

Examples of night photography photos can be found.

Specifications Sony Xperia M4 Aqua Dual (model E2333)

• IPS display 5 inches IPS, 1280 x 720 pixels (pixel density 294 ppi)
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 MSM8939 processor (4 cores 1500 MHz + 4 others 1000 MHz, Cortex-A53, 64-bit)
• Adreno 405 graphics
• RAM 2 GB (free 1132 MB after reboot)
• 16 GB data storage (about 9.64 GB actually available)
• expansion via Micro SD cards up to 200 GB
• 13 MP main camera (autofocus, digital zoom, Full HD video recording)
• 5 MP front camera (face recognition, Full HD video recording)
• battery 2400 mAh
  • Talk time: 13.3 hours
  • Standby time: 779 h
• OS Android 5.0
• connectors: Micro USB 2.0 (OTG does not work)

Wireless capabilities:

• number of SIM cards: 2 pcs, alternating operating mode
• supported networks GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, LTE (Cat. 4, LTE bands: 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 40)

• Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n, Dual mode), Bluetooth 4.1, NFC
• GPS / GLONASS (Qualcomm GPSOneXtra chip)
• dimensions: 145.5 x 72.6 x 7.3 mm
• weight 135 g

A little about moisture protection. Despite the fact that moisture protection is declared according to IPX5 and IPX8 standards, the gadget cannot be completely immersed in water. The manufacturer states that there is no need to worry if the device is exposed to rain or gets dirty in wet mud, but it cannot be used under water.

We tried to completely submerge the M4 Aqua under river water and nothing bad happened to the gadget. However, this is an extreme case and it is still worth following the manufacturer’s recommendations, unless, of course, you want to void the warranty.

As you noticed, the Micro USB port is completely open here. There's nothing wrong with that since it's waterproof. However, before connecting the device to charging, it must be dry otherwise... well, you know.

Performance

The litmus test in this case will be the operation of the system interface. In general, there are no lags, but at times it is due to insufficiently good system optimization. The shell animation in M4 can sometimes be slow. Sometimes this is noticeable when switching between applications, and sometimes slight slowdowns appear when activating a function or going to a submenu. Not critical, but worth considering.

Test results in well-known benchmarks are below.

Modifications of Sony Xperia M4

In general, it is worth mentioning that the device has two revisions. The first series was released in March of this year, and the second began production only in July. All this is for information only, since there is no important information from an operational point of view here.

The most important thing you need to know about our smartphone is that there are two main types: Aqua Dual and simply Aqua. I think it’s clear how they differ from each other. Let's look at the first, dual-SIM options.

Sony Xperia M4 E2333

We tested this particular device. The configuration is equipped with 16 GB of internal memory and 2 GB of RAM. The latter quantity is common for all types of devices.

We have already mentioned support for cellular networks, but for clarity it is worth reflecting on it again. The test device is characterized by operation in the following networks:

By the way, this is the most expensive version of the smartphone. You will have to pay about 21,490 rubles for it.

Almost everything here is the same as in the main modification. There is 16 GB of internal memory, but there are differences in the supported 4G bands. Instead of 2nd and 20th, it is possible to work in networks of 28th and 40th bands. That's all.

This configuration is not officially sold in Russia, so it is not so interesting to us.

This model has only 8 GB of internal memory. This is extremely small, considering that in fact only about 3 GB is free. The rest of the space is occupied by the system, recovery partition and applications out of the box, which traditionally cannot be removed using improvised means.

As for cellular networks, everything is simpler here than with its other counterparts: there is no ability to connect to 4G. The rest of the frequencies are the same.

Remember that this model costs 19,990 rubles. Only one and a half thousand cheaper than the older version with 16 GB on board. Fair? You decide.

Now let's look at the devices from the series with one SIM card.

Sony Xperia M4 Aqua E2303

In fact, this variation is no different from the dual-SIM E2312. It costs the same money - 19,990 rubles. Officially available in Russia.

The network picture is as follows:

• UMTS HSPA+ 900, 850, 1900, 2100 MHz
• GSM GPRS/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
• LTE bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20

Now about the exotic. E2353

The modification is equipped, again, with only 8 GB of built-in storage and works in approximately the same networks: there is no support for band 2, and instead it claims to work at 28 and 40 frequencies. I have not heard anything about the official sale of this option.

This model has 16 GB of internal memory and operates in the following LTE bands: 2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 17, 28. Not found in nature in Russia.

In total, there are three colors available for sale: black (like ours), white and coral. The colors, as always, are universal and stylish.

Widget from SocialMart

Conclusion

Sony Xperia M4 does not aim to capture the market. After all, in its segment there are smartphones that in some ways are more thoughtful and better than it. However, in the main indicators: performance, build quality and autonomy, our hero leaves his competitors behind. The battery lasts for one and a half to two days with one SIM card and always connected Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and a little more than a daylight with two SIM cards and the above wireless interfaces.

The smartphone was announced in February this year, and buySonyXperiaM4AquaDual you can do it now. The price of a smartphone starts from RUB 21,490.

Our hero is suitable for everyone who cannot promise their safe tomorrow and is always and everywhere ready for any flood and earthquake.

Already on sale Price: from 21,490

We admit: the name alone of the new middle-end smartphone from Sony puts us in a bit of a stupor. Think about it: Xperia M4 Aqua - does anything bother you? For the author of this material, just the name of this gadget raises two questions. First: it’s not clear what the letter M in the name means - is it a class higher or lower than the Xperia T series smartphones? Second question: many Sony smartphones are protected from dust and moisture, but only the M4 has this feature reflected in its name - why is this done? Is this really the main trump card of the gadget, and it has nothing else to boast about? Yes, I remember that the word Aqua was also present in the name of the special modification of the Xperia M2, but it was necessary there - the original version did not have dust and moisture protection. M4, on the contrary, are all protected by default. Let's try to figure it out.

⇡ Technical specifications

* There is a version of the Sony Xperia M2 Aqua, the body of which is protected from dust and moisture according to IP65/68 standards; its average cost is 13 thousand rubles.

⇡ Appearance and ergonomics

Testing the M4 Aqua began with a curious incident. The smartphone arrived in our test laboratory at the same time as the flagship Xperia Z3+ and lay in a drawer next to it for some time. When it came time to test, without photos from the Internet we could not tell where the Z3+ was located and where the M4 Aqua was - when turned off, these smartphones are very similar to each other, it is very easy to confuse them.

The differences in size between the Z3+ and M4 Aqua are minimal - the latter's body is just a little smaller, eight grams lighter and 0.4 millimeters thicker. Subjectively speaking, using the Aqua with one hand is a little more convenient than using the Zetka. The fact is that its display diagonal is exactly five inches, and not five and a half, like the older model - it turns out that it is a little easier to reach with your finger to the edges.

There are no hardware keys on the front panel of the smartphone - the buttons here are virtual. Actually, there aren’t too many different elements here at all: in the upper part there is the lens of the front five-megapixel camera, a slot for the earpiece and a sensitive sensor area. At the bottom there is a mesh covering the microphone.

From an ergonomic point of view, the gadget is no different from other modern Sony smartphones - the arrangement of connectors and controls is completely standard for a device from this company. There is a round power button on the right side. Its stroke is somewhat soft - it may not be pressed the first time, but these are trifles and quibbles. Next to it are volume control buttons and a hardware photo key. The latter, it should be noted, is very useful when shooting underwater, when the device does not respond to touches on the display.

Sony Xperia M4 Aqua Dual - SIM card slot

At the same end there are slots for two Nano-SIM cards. They are hidden under a plastic plug. Of course, if you plan to immerse the device in water, the plug must be pressed tightly against the body.

The universal 3.5 mm audio output for connecting a wired headset is located on the top end, and the Micro-USB interface is on the left. It is noteworthy that the latter does not have any plug - the connector itself is waterproof. Sony calls this solution cap-less; it has been used since the Xperia Z3+. There is also a slot for installing a microSD memory card; it is hidden under a flap.

The back panel of the smartphone is covered with plastic, not tempered glass, as is done with Sony's flagship models. The plastic, it should be noted, is quite durable: during testing, the smartphone was often carried in the same pocket with the keys, and there was not a scratch on it. True, the surface of the back and front panels is easily soiled - it quickly becomes covered with “fingers” and other fine dirt, and getting rid of them is not so easy. On the back panel there is a main 13-megapixel camera lens and a single LED flash.

⇡ Protection from dust and moisture

Sony engineers have been protecting the cases of their smartphones from dust and moisture for several years now - this option in itself in the Xperia series device will not surprise us. It is noteworthy that Sony makes not only smartphones, but also tablets waterproof - that is, the company really has a lot of experience in this area, other “mass” mobile phone manufacturers can hardly boast of this. Another thing is that the company’s older, flagship devices usually receive housings protected from dust and moisture. There are, of course, exceptions like the Xperia M2 Aqua, but they are still quite rare. So the M4 Aqua is one of the few mass-produced mid-price smartphones with dust and moisture protection. In a sense, it can be considered unique - in general, it has no competitors.

The smartphone is protected from dust and moisture in accordance with IP65/68 standards, typical for Sony devices. This means that dust cannot get inside the Xperia M4 Aqua at all. Also, the smartphone can be immersed in fresh water to a depth of one meter and kept there for up to half an hour. The manufacturer comments on the security of the smartphone case as follows: “The Xperia M4 Aqua is protected from water and dust, so it is not afraid of heavy rain or washing under the tap (however, remember that all ports and covers must be securely closed). The device must not be completely submerged under water or exposed to sea water, salt water, chlorinated water or liquids such as alcoholic beverages. Incorrect or improper use of the device will void the warranty. The device is assigned protection class IP65/68. For more information, visit www.sonymobile.com/waterproof. Please note that your Xperia device has a USB charging port for connecting to other devices that does not have a cover. If your smartphone has been exposed to water, charge it only after the USB port is completely dry."

We admit that while testing the device, we swam with it in both chlorinated and sea water - the smartphone passed such tests without problems. It is noteworthy that we did not just immerse the gadget under water, we kept it there for a long time - once the device floated for as much as fifteen minutes. Absolutely all functions of the device worked normally after immersion in water. Let us note once again that the gadget, of course, does not react in any way to touching the screen under water.

One of the main features of the Xperia line is the Stamina mode, in which the smartphone demonstrates very impressive battery life results. The Xperia M4 Aqua can easily withstand a day of work with active use, and in economy mode the battery will easily last for two days. This is a very good result, not only in the middle class, but in the market as a whole.

conclusions

Xperia M4 Aqua appeared on the market at the right time. As practice shows, people who are accustomed to A-brands find it difficult to come to terms with the fact that their favorite products have become unaffordable, and they still don’t want to switch to smartphones from Chinese manufacturers. In this case, the Xperia M4 Aqua will be the best choice. It is very similar to the flagship model, many will not see any difference at all. Not only the design is similar, but the interface and pre-installed software are similar. Even the impressions of the work are very close. But the price varies almost twice. I am sure that many will even think that the flagship is not worth such an additional payment.

Manufacturer

operating system

A shell pre-installed on portable devices, including a set of tools for managing resources, functions and applications. At the moment, the most common operating systems for modern smartphones and tablets are Apple iOS (only on Apple devices) and Google Android (on devices from most manufacturers). The largest number of applications have been developed for them. The third most popular platform is Microsoft Windows, which, like Android, is not tied to the manufacturer. BlackBerry devices traditionally use their own OS, and other mobile platforms are extremely rare.

SIM card type

Modern mobile devices that support cellular communications use three types of SIM cards: a standard-sized mini-SIM module, a compact micro-SIM module, and the smallest nano-SIM. All three modules have the same pin arrangement and can be installed in any mobile device that has a SIM card slot. If the dimensions of the slot and SIM card do not match, an adapter is used or the plastic case is cut off. Currently, SIM cards are produced both in the form of a specific type of module and a universal one (Mini or Micro), from which, if necessary, a smaller module is “broken out” using special slots.

Number of SIM cards

OS version as of the start of sales

Android 5.0 Lollipop

GSM is a global standard for digital mobile cellular communications and belongs to second generation networks (1G - analogue cellular communications, 3G - broadband digital cellular communications). Telecom operators around the world use one of 4 frequency bands for GSM: in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia - 900, 1800 or 1900 MHz, and in America and Canada - 850, 1800 or 1900 MHz. A phone that supports only one of the GSM frequency standards will not function in networks of other standards. Currently, the vast majority of manufactured devices are three- and four-band, thanks to which they operate without problems all over the world.

850, 900, 1800, 1900

CPU

CPU

Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 MSM8939

CPU frequency

The processor clock speed shows the maximum number of simple operations that the processor can perform in one second. The higher the frequency, the higher the speed of the device, but such a comparison is only appropriate for processors of the same line, since, in addition to frequency, there are other parameters that affect performance (its architecture, cache size, etc.).

Number of Cores

Modern processor manufacturing technologies make it possible to place more than one core in one package. The more cores, the higher the performance, however, there are other parameters that affect the power of the processor.

Camera

Main camera

The vast majority of modern smartphones and tablets are equipped with cameras for taking photos and videos. This tool is always at hand, so you can capture important information or capture an interesting moment. The quality of the footage can be roughly determined based on the number of megapixels of the built-in camera matrix. However, due to the impossibility of installing full-fledged optics (lens), which plays one of the key roles for obtaining high-quality images, built-in devices are significantly inferior in characteristics to independent digital cameras.

Autofocus

Automatic focusing of the lens when shooting. On a mobile device with autofocus, you can get better photos: sharper, more detailed.

Front-camera

The number of light-sensitive elements (in millions of pixels - megapixels) that are used to form an image on the camera sensor. The higher the number of megapixels of the matrix, the higher the detail of the image. The front camera is more often used as an addition to the main one; its direct purpose is video communication, which does not require high resolution. For photo and video shooting, the rear camera has a higher resolution.

Mobile devices use technology to digitally enlarge the central part of the picture to the size of the entire frame, creating the effect of a camera “zooming in.” The resolution of the resulting image is reduced, which causes a deterioration in the quality of the photograph.

This function is not important, because, even if it is absent, you can enlarge or reduce the required portion of the image using a graphic editor.

Multimedia

3GPP, AAC, MP3, OGG, WAV, M4A, MID, OTA

WMV, MKV, M4V, AVI, 3GP, 3GPP

Connectors

Micro-USB is a compact version of the most common data transfer interface, designed for portable devices. Used in most modern smartphones, tablets, e-readers, cameras and other portable devices. In 2011, it was approved as a unified standard for charging smartphones, tablets, players and other portable equipment, which allows you to charge the entire fleet of electronics using one cable.

Headphone jack

Nutrition

Battery capacity

Nominal battery capacity- this is the amount of electrical energy that the battery must have when charged. It is measured in milliampere hours (mA*h). The larger the capacity, the longer the device can work without being connected to the mains.

Talk time

Standby time

Screen

Screen diagonal

Traditionally, for all modern devices it is indicated in inches. 1 inch is equal to 2.54 cm. The larger the screen, the more convenient it is to use the device, however, at the same time, the dimensions of the case and power consumption increase.

Horizontal screen resolution

Vertical screen resolution

Touch screen

Screen type

Today, screens for mobile devices are created using LCD technologies, where liquid crystals are used to backlight the matrix, and AMOLED - an active matrix based on organic light-emitting diodes. The design of both matrices uses TFT thin-film transistors.

LCD screens can be divided into two groups: TN and IPS.

TN is the oldest manufacturing technology for TFT matrices. Advantages: low price, short pixel response time. Disadvantages: small viewing angles, inability to get perfect black color, as a result, low contrast, problems with correct color rendering. Not used in modern devices.

IPS is characterized by wide viewing angles (178 degrees), the ability to correctly display black color, which has a positive effect on brightness, contrast and color reproduction. LCD displays tend to overcompensate for red tones with muted greens, so the images they produce have a natural color rendition similar to the standard color gamut profile used in photos and videos.

Separately, it is worth noting the Retina screen, developed by Apple based on an IPS matrix. It has such a high pixel density that the human eye is unable to notice that the image consists of them.

“Younger” AMOLED technology has both advantages and disadvantages compared to LCD. Among the undoubted advantages are shorter response times, thinner screens and full viewing angles (180 degrees). Each subpixel of such a matrix has its own backlight, which allows you to achieve a wide color gamut, high clarity and contrast of the picture. However, AMOLED's ability to display a wider color gamut often results in oversaturated images and unnatural colors, since the most powerful colors in the subpixels are blue and green. The energy consumption of AMOLED screens directly depends on the brightness of the image: to display black colors, the LEDs do not emit light, and when actively working in bright colors, they gradually “burn out” and power consumption increases significantly. The screen structure consists of several layers (matrix, LEDs, transistors), which makes it possible to produce rounded screens.

Touch screen type

Resistive screens are inexpensive to produce and respond to pressure (not touch) with any object: finger, stylus, credit card. When pressed, the conductive layers are mechanically closed (bending of the top layer) and the coordinates of the pressing point are calculated. Disadvantages: light transmission is no more than 85%, they do not support multiple simultaneous touch points, and they are not able to recognize pressure. They are used in budget models of portable devices, often in e-books.

Capacitive touchscreens are the most expensive to produce due to complex electronics for signal processing. Advantages: recognition of multiple touch points (multi-touch), transparency up to 90%. Such screens are more durable, since the top layer is made of glass. Not susceptible to touch with regular gloves (special gloves for capacitive screens are now produced) or hard objects. They are used in most portable devices - smartphones, tablet computers, laptop touchpads.

Inductive screens respond only to a special stylus and are usually used in graphics tablets (art tablets, children's tablets).

Infrared screens work on the following principle: the grid formed by infrared rays is interrupted when the screen is touched by any object. The controller determines the location where the beam was interrupted. They are used more often in e-books.

capacitive

Multi-touch

A technology that allows touch screens to recognize multiple touch points simultaneously. It is especially relevant for providing navigation functions, scaling (moving or spreading fingers), and rotating objects on the screen.

Memory

Built-in memory capacity

Modern portable devices are equipped with drives for storing files and installing applications, implemented in the form of Flash chips. The size of the built-in memory is key when choosing a portable device, especially if it does not have a slot for installing memory cards.

RAM capacity

Used for temporary storage of data. A large amount of RAM allows you to increase the overall system performance and makes it possible to comfortably work in multitasking mode and with resource-intensive applications.

Maximum memory card capacity