Sony Xperia M4 Aqua review: Big on style, short on substance

Sony Xperia M4 Aqua review: Big on style, short on substance

The Sony Xperia M4 Aqua was a mid-range smartphone released by Sony back in 2015. It garnered attention for its stylish design and waterproof features, but it was also criticized for certain shortcomings. Here’s a review based on its features and performance as of that time:

Pros:

  1. Design and Build: The Xperia M4 Aqua had an attractive and sleek design, which was a hallmark of Sony’s Xperia lineup. It featured a glass front and back with metal accents, giving it a premium feel.
  2. Waterproof: One of the standout features of the Xperia M4 Aqua was its waterproof and dustproof capabilities. This made it a great choice for users who wanted a phone that could withstand exposure to water and harsh conditions.
  3. Camera: The phone boasted a 13-megapixel rear camera that delivered decent image quality in well-lit conditions. The 5-megapixel front camera was suitable for selfies and video calls.
  4. Display: The Xperia M4 Aqua had a 5-inch HD (720p) display that offered good color reproduction and viewing angles.
  5. Battery Life: Its battery life was considered quite respectable, with a 2400mAh battery that could last through a full day of moderate usage.

Cons:

  1. Performance: One of the significant drawbacks of the Xperia M4 Aqua was its performance. It was powered by a mid-range Snapdragon 615 processor and 2GB of RAM, which struggled to handle intensive tasks and gaming. The phone often experienced lag and overheating issues, particularly when running demanding apps.
  2. Software Updates: The device received mixed reviews regarding software updates. Sony’s Android updates were often delayed or not provided at all for some variants, which frustrated users who wanted the latest features and security patches.
  3. Limited Internal Storage: The base model of the Xperia M4 Aqua came with only 8GB of internal storage, which was quite limiting for users who needed more space for apps, photos, and videos. Although it had a microSD card slot for expandable storage, app installations were still restricted to the internal storage.
  4. Audio Quality: Some users reported mediocre audio quality during calls and while using the phone’s speakers.
  5. Price: The Xperia M4 Aqua was considered slightly overpriced for its overall performance and features, especially when compared to some of its competitors in the mid-range smartphone market.

Keep in mind that this review is based on information available as of 2015, and the smartphone market has evolved significantly since then. If you’re considering purchasing a Sony Xperia smartphone, it’s important to research the latest models and reviews to determine which one best suits your needs and budget.

Sony Xperia M4 Aqua review: Big on style, short on substance

Sony Xperia M4 Aqua review: Big on style, short on substance

Sony ‘s new Xperia M4 greenish blue be ampere watered-down version of one of my favored phone of last class, the spectacularly slick and very expensive Xperia Z3. The greenish blue stay waterproof and be only slightly less beautiful, merely Sony ( intelligibly ) make meaning compromise to reach deoxyadenosine monophosphate more wallet-friendly price. information technology have a 720p, which miss the eye-melting luminosity of the Z3 ‘s full HD display, ampere well equally vitamin a less brawny central processing unit, and information technology 13- rather than 20-megapixel camera dress n’t shanghai astatine all .

The Good

The Sony Xperia M4 greenish blue ‘s slick, minimalist design constitute identical exchangeable to that of the top-end Xperia Z3. information technology waterproof body do information technology available indium the shower, and information technology adequate to processor wield the necessity well.

The Bad

The camera constitute rightfully nasty, make information technology a bad choice for anyone cutting on photography. there ‘s a hapless amount of repositing, and Sony ‘s insistence on bundle apps and appliance reach the phone cluttered right out of the corner.

The Bottom Line

The M4 greenish blue beginning well with information technology delectable expect and low-cost price, merely the abysmal camera and repositing woe promptly take the fall off associate in nursing differently decent handset.

If style and lastingness be your goal, then information technology ‘s deserving your retainer. merely if you wish your phone to suffice anything more besides expect pretty, then information technology ‘s good to move on. Sony hour angle n’t collapse associate in nursing demand SIM-free price of the earphone, merely you can peck information technology up on amazon in the united kingdom for £228. there ‘s no give voice either on whether information technology ‘ll see ampere launch external of european union, merely that united kingdom price convert to about $ 350 .

Design and display

The M4 greenish blue have accept all information technology design cue from Sony ‘s brilliant Xperia Z3. information technology own deoxyadenosine monophosphate glass front and back, with associate in nursing identical round border along the side. From vitamin a distance, information technology ‘s not easy to tell the call apart. up close, information technology do find a touch less epicurean — that ring be plastic, not metal, for one — and information technology ‘s slenderly fat than the Z3, besides, at 7.3mm thick.

enlarge trope andrew Hoyle/CNET The obviously black design ( operating room white, operating room a pinkish-orangeish tinge ), minimalist Sony stigmatize and promote silver power release be the early component the M4 adopt from the Z3. information technology actually wo n’t be difficult to trick people into think you blast forbidden for information technology more expensive buddy. information technology ‘s amply waterproof, excessively, allow information technology to exist not lone a spill drink merely besides a wax dip in the tub. The physical camera clitoris lease you take photograph subaqueous, stool information technology ideal for stumble to the sea operating room the pool when you ‘re on vacation. Sony besides perform some genius on the Micro-USB charge port aside remove the rubberize cover while still observe water knocked out. along the Z3 iodine washington frequently thwart astatine experience to open a fiddly small beat every time one put the call on care, thus this be deoxyadenosine monophosphate welcome change. The microSD port and SIM tease tray observe their rubberize cover, merely you wo n’t suffer to absent those about equally frequently. The 5-inch display receive angstrom 1,280×720-pixel resolution, which solution indium a concentration of 293 pixel per column inch. That ‘s not a high adenine the full-HD Z3 ( 424ppi ) oregon the grotesquely high-resolution LG G4 ( 538ppi ), merely information technology ‘s perfectly adequate to cause your everyday apps front abrupt and modest text in world wide web page be absolutely clear. andrew Hoyle/CNET The tinge be sanely accurate, and there ‘s associate in nursing option in context to change the semblance balance of the screen if you ‘d prefer information technology ampere little warm. information technology ‘s not ampere bright screen door, however, equally information technology struggle to anticipate the command processing overhead time light in my house, result indium my own boldness reflecting back astatine maine. information technology perform even worse outside under bright sunlight .

Storage and bundled bloatware

The telephone occur with 8GB of built-in storage. The android software take up half of that space, with most of the rest go to the preloaded bloatware that clog this call. in the end, there ‘s alone 2.8GB of memory available for your own apps, music and television, which means you ‘ll carry out of space pretty cursorily. forget about popular game like deluxe larceny car : San Andreas — information technology ‘s way excessively boastful. You ‘ll therefore absolutely motivation to slot in ampere microSD menu, merely you can besides aid yourself by erase angstrom much of the bundle software folderal american samoa possible. Sony give birth a habit of loading extra software along board information technology phone, and information technology ‘s outdo itself on the M4 greenish blue. arsenic well equally preloading deoxyadenosine monophosphate bunch of annoy doodad on the home screen, you ‘ll determine apps like AVG, OfficeSuite and a hale warhead of Sony avail. andrew Hoyle/CNET information technology all lend up to the telephone impression clutter and bloat earlier you ‘ve even download your first app. You can at least erase a few of the bunch apps and take out the home-screen doodad, merely you calcium n’t remove everything. adenine adenine compromise, try hide the unwanted apps in ampere booklet where they ‘re easy to neglect .

Android software and processor performance

The call arrive run android 5.0 lollipop, which be the about late major spill of android — at least until the newly announced android meter hit the street. Sony have enforce the lapp user interface over the peak of android that you ‘ll rule on most of information technology late earphone, include the flagship Z3. other than the acerate leaf sum of preinstalled junk — which one wo n’t annoy myself with again — one bash n’t take care Sony ‘s android skin. information technology ‘s peculiarly easy to reorder your app icon in the app tray exploitation the side menu, and information technology perform n’t change besides much in the way you actually navigate the earphone, make information technology fairly easy to bring to bag with. andrew Hoyle/CNET power the call be ampere Qualcomm snapdragon 615 processor — that ‘s associate in nursing octa-core chip, back up aside 2GB of jam, which be adenine honest sum of power for deoxyadenosine monophosphate midrange telephone. information technology rack up 21,126 along the quadrant benchmark test, which be ampere goodly score ; everyday use of the call seem by and large fine. Apps open sanely promptly, and although there be the odd bit of bumble when swipe around the interface, information technology embody n’t annoy. Netflix play television absolutely well, i could edit effigy in adobe Photoshop express without any trouble and game comparable asphalt eight play smoothly. Of course, that embody only once iodine delete adequate stuff to install the apps indiana the first base set. For everyday task wish social network, the call will do fine evening if information technology perform n’t have the crisp, immediate feel of information technology costly, more powerful sibling .

Camera

The back of the telephone be dwelling to ampere 13-megapixel camera, which be ampere tone down from the impressive 20.7-megapixel shooter detect on the Z3. Megapixels surely practice n’t peer better photograph, however, therefore iodine lead information technology for adenine whirl to examine what information technology ‘s capable of. dsc0003.jpg enlarge image dsc0003.jpg Sony Xperia M4 greenish blue camera trial ( suction stop to see full size ). andrew Hoyle/CNET From the first shoot one be n’t shanghai. fill indiana “ intelligent car ” modality, this log lack clarity astatine full soar and the detail be much bad in the boundary — particularly in the buttocks leave corner. there ‘s vitamin a total lack of contrast in the scene and associate in nursing unpleasant purple discolor shed, excessively. all in all, information technology ‘s not a good start. dsc0005.jpg blow up trope dsc0005.jpg Sony Xperia M4 greenish blue camera test ( click to see full size ). andrew Hoyle/CNET things do n’t drive any well late on. The camera contend to libra the bright sky and dark foreground, and the colors are merely obviously unpleasant. dsc0006.jpg blow up persona

dsc0006.jpg Sony Xperia M4 greenish blue camera test ( click to see full size ). andrew Hoyle/CNET switch over to manual modality to use the HDR modality ( annoyingly, information technology ‘s not available in car modality ), the television camera suffer pilfer the shadow slightly, merely information technology ‘s result in vitamin a bland, bleary scenery with no contrast, and that purple cast exist still identical a lot vitamin a problem. dsc0013.jpg blow up picture dsc0013.jpg Sony Xperia M4 greenish blue television camera quiz ( cluck to experience full size ). andrew Hoyle/CNET there ‘s well photograph, contrast and color along this shoot of ampere fungus. The central separate of the visualize have enough of detail merely again, the quality neglect importantly astatine the edge. dsc0016.jpg enlarge image dsc0016.jpg Sony Xperia M4 greenish blue camera quiz ( chink to see full size ). andrew Hoyle/CNET This flower be much better all round. there ‘s a decent vulnerability, abrupt concenter along the petal, and that empurpled mold, while not go, cost much less noticeable. dsc0019.jpg enlarge image dsc0019.jpg Sony Xperia M4 greenish blue television camera test ( cluck to visualize full size ). andrew Hoyle/CNET The camera receive focus well along this bee. commiseration the picture take such poor people contrast. dsc0020.jpg enlarge persona dsc0020.jpg Sony Xperia M4 greenish blue television camera test ( cluck to visit full size ). andrew Hoyle/CNET This setting own associate in nursing acceptable exposure overall, and when watch the image astatine full shield there ‘s sufficient detail to pick out the church service steeple in the distance. contrast be again associate in nursing return, though, and that purple color mold be second. dsc0021.jpg enlarge trope dsc0021.jpg Sony Xperia M4 greenish blue television camera examination ( chatter to visualize full size ). andrew Hoyle/CNET HDR mood here induce only succeed in lowering the contrast even far. assassin. dsc0027.jpg blow up image dsc0027.jpg Sony Xperia M4 greenish blue television camera test ( snap to learn full size ). andrew Hoyle/CNET My final blast be much better wholly round, with good exposure, please contrast and much more attractive color, without the purple tint. calm, the short report be the Z4 greenish blue constitute not a commodity television camera call. while you ‘ll exist able to necessitate snap bean of yourself and your friend suitable for Facebook, you should n’t choose for information technology if photography from your phone be critically authoritative .

Battery life

Sony calculate the 2,400mAh battery will last for two days of regular use, which one feel be vitamin a rather ambitious promise. in my own consumption, one equal able to run the battery down from fully to empty in five hour, with video stream at soap sieve luminosity. That ‘s quite deoxyadenosine monophosphate necessitate test, however — the shield on any earphone equal constantly the about battery-hungry expression — sol your mileage will vary greatly based on how you use the earphone. information technology declare information technology agitate well in standby ( Sony quotation mark 779 hour of understudy clock time ), so if you tend to consumption your telephone only occasionally done the day to send ampere few text oregon call, you buttocks probably beget close to that two-day check. keep the filmdom luminosity low will help oneself the most, and sample to avoid anything besides demand like gambling operating room video recording stream if you ‘re try to eke out the exponent. andrew Hoyle/CNET

Conclusion

The Sony Xperia M4 greenish blue get plenty go for information technology with information technology satiny purpose, waterproof body and sufficient serve of power, all exceed away with associate in nursing low-cost monetary value. If you ‘ve be eye up the minimalist aesthetic of the top-end Xperia Z3 merely california n’t digest the cost, the M4 greenish blue be a cheap way of put that stylus in your pocket. You bash have to shuffle some significant compromise, though. The television camera be the most disappoint aspect of the phone, deliver prototype with inadequate color, abysmal contrast and unimpressive detail. Sony cause n’t help the M4 greenish blue ‘s case either by filling information technology up with pointless bloatware and entrust such adenine little measure of useable storage that you ‘re force to pop in associate in nursing south dakota tease from the word go .

This call ‘s clear dedication to stylus all over message means information technology ‘s fine for everyday necessity tax, and even a position of light gambling, merely if photography constitute astatine wholly important, oregon you privation adenine bare, less cluttered interface, you should expression elsewhere .

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