Smartphone Sony Xperia E is usually considered a budget category. In the Dual modification, it supports 2 SIM cards. The smartphone is positioned as the optimal solution for people looking for a compromise between functionality and affordable price.
There is a version that Sony Xperia E is a technological continuation of several platforms that have gained fame in recent years (when classic phones were still popular). In particular, we can talk about the Walkman brand, which has gained very great popularity among music lovers from around the world. Some experts believe that some of the solutions specific to this media platform were somehow transferred to Sony’s mobile devices. Is this so, we will try to understand today.
Does the Sony Xperia E smartphone in the classic version differ from the phone in the Dual version by anything else than the number of supported SIM cards? Virtually nothing. The only thing that may not coincide is the colors of the cases supplied to the markets of different countries of the world. Functionally and from a technological point of view, these devices, apart from the aspect with SIM-cards, are identical.
In our review today, we will consider both devices as one phone model. There is another popular modification of the smartphone - Sony Xperia E Dual Champagne. This device differs from its counterparts in a special case color called “champagne” in the French manner (as a rule, it means soft yellow-orange tones). Similarly, there is a device in a black case (in which case it will be called Sony Xperia E Black).
Equipment
In the box supplied by dealers, the user will find the smartphone itself, a unit for charging the battery, a wire for connecting to a computer, a headset, as well as an instruction manual for the device.
Appearance
Specialists who tested the device, note its high-class design. At the edges of the case there is an elegant border in the form of a frame of silver shades. The device’s power button gives a special highlight to the design: it is made of metal, and it looks very stylish. The edges of the body are slightly rounded.
The device’s screen is relatively small (3.5 inches), the voice speaker is covered with a neat thin grid. At the bottom is a microphone, and next to it are three standard touch keys - "Menu", "Return", "Home". The LED indicator signals incoming messages or calls.
On the right side of the case is a button that controls the sound level, next to it is a device power button. Here is a switch for quick loading of a standard camera. On the left side of the case is a microUSB connector. In the upper part there is a slot for audio devices.
The back of the case is made of soft and very pleasant to the touch polymer material. The main camera of the device is mounted in it, as well as the main speaker. The latter sounds, as experts say, very high quality. Ringtones can be heard even in a noisy environment.
Under the back cover, which, incidentally, is very easy to remove, there are SIM card slots (in the Dual modification for two), as well as connectors where you can connect microSD flash memory modules.
The build quality of the case is estimated by experts as very high. There are no backlashes, creaks, or gaps. All parts are locked in place securely.
Color to taste
As we already said, the device can be delivered in different color modifications. Often, by the way, it happens that the impressions of the quality of the work of devices add up, based on the color of the case. Smartphone color "champagne" is to the liking of youth (this is evidenced by numerous reviews). Sony Xperia E Black may seem likeable entrepreneurs and those people who appreciate the rigor and conservative style. How many colors, so many opinions.
Dimensions
Experts who tested the Sony Xperia E speak of it as an ergonomic, comfortable in the hand, medium-sized product. The device is 113.5 mm long, 61.8 mm wide, and 11 mm thick. These dimensions are comparable with the similar parameters of many other devices of this class - for example, Samsung Galaxy ACE, which has such dimensions: 112.6 x 61.5 x 11.5 mm.
Display
The display, whose diagonal is 3.5 inches, has a resolution of 480 by 320 pixels. Matrix manufacturing technology - TN. The screen is covered with a durable layer of plastic. The multitouch function is designed for one or two touches. Some experts believe that the screen resolution is too small, and therefore the pixelation of the screen will be noticeable. In addition, supporters of this thesis believe that a TN-type matrix cannot provide large viewing angles. This is also said by some users of Sony Xperia E, whose reviews are found on the Internet.
Screen technology: classic or modern?
There are those who are ready to provide counterarguments to critics. They believe that due to the relatively outdated (but at the same time bearing the honorable status of traditional) display manufacturing technologies, a very high level of energy saving is achieved. In addition, they believe, the small dimensions of the smartphone, and, as a result, the relatively small screen size, do not allow viewing images in detail. Therefore, it makes no sense to equip the device screen with a more modern matrix. There is no unequivocal opinion regarding the display. For each feature that emphasizes the downsides of the Sony Xperia E screen (a review of the device is presented in the article), there is a selection of balanced and compelling arguments that reflect the positive aspects of this component of the device.
Software
The smartphone is running Android OS version 4.0.4. It installed proprietary firmware from the manufacturer, as well as a fairly large number of pre-installed applications. Among the most useful are an address book, a virtual keyboard (supporting, in particular, entering letters by the “stroke” method on the screen), as well as widgets (showing weather, time, allowing you to make phone calls, quickly finding the contact you need). There is a convenient browser, multimedia player.
Performance
The Sony Xperia E smartphone has an MSM7227A processor with a single core and a clock speed of 1 GHz. The amount of RAM is 512 MB. Pre-installed flash memory - 4 GB (2 actually available). There is support for external microSD cards up to 32 GB. Experts who tested the smartphone, note that in general, the device is fast. Hangs and brakes at least.
The rather modest capabilities of the processor and not the largest amount of RAM allow you to run on your smartphone only simple games (such as, for example, Fruit Ninja). At the same time, experts believe, on that screen that the device has, playing “shooters” and “quests” would be even uncomfortable. Therefore, limited performance, they believe, cannot be a significant minus in terms of the functionality of the device.
Battery
The battery capacity in the smartphone is 1.5 thousand mAh. It is enough for about a day with an average intensity of use (about half an hour of conversations, 120 minutes of using the Internet and the same amount of listening to music). As with the other hardware components that Sony Xperia E is equipped with, there are two main points regarding battery life. The first one says that the battery is very weak. The second is that a device of this class with such a modest size and should not have large battery resources.
In dual SIM mode
As we said above, there is a modification of the smartphone that supports two SIM cards at once. Experts speak of this function as working very stably. The simultaneous use of two SIM cards can be easily configured, in addition, it is very simple to switch between different operators.
Camera
The Sony Xperia E is equipped with a camera with a resolution of 3.2 megapixels. There is no autofocus, but there is another useful function - a separate key for releasing the shutter. Using the camera, you can shoot videos with a resolution of 640 to 480 pixels. Estimates of the quality of multimedia files created using a smartphone vary widely in the expert environment. Some experts, compiling a review about the Sony Xperia E, preferred to focus on the fact that the camera on the phone is average. In their opinion, the quality of pictures taken with the device cannot be comparable to that which is shown, in particular, by ordinary amateur cameras. Not to mention specialized cameras.
But with respect to those who criticize the device’s capabilities in terms of creating pictures and videos, opponents find a weighty counterargument: a smartphone (especially in the budget price category) is, first of all, a device for working with data, and not a manufacturer of professional photo and video content. In addition, the “lawyers” of the camera believe that if you don’t really find fault with the color balance and brightness, then the quality of the pictures is generally good.
Summary: what the experts say
In general, the mood among specialists who tested the device is such that the device meets its budget level. The manufacturer did not begin to lay many hardware and software resources in it to achieve excessively high performance, based on the specifics of the market segment in which the device is sold.
The most important plus of the device, which is noted by experts, is the security of the case. The materials used in the manufacture of the smartphone are very high quality. Therefore, the phone has good resistance to aggressive elements of the external environment - dust, humidity, temperature extremes.
Most experts agree that the characteristics laid down by the Sony Xperia E developers, functionality, and performance resources in general correspond to the requests of users of the budget segment. Experts believe that the device could well become one of the most popular in its class.
The device has not so many direct competitors. It is objectively inferior to some, but in the case of Sony, the brand may be of decisive importance for the buyer. There is a version that fans of the manufacturer should be satisfied with the device. In this regard, Sony has equipped the device with all the necessary options: corporate design, branded and easy-to-use software.
User opinions
Consider the opinions of owners of Sony Xperia E, whose reviews are found on online portals. Most smartphone owners talk about it as a device that met expectations. Many note the high quality of body materials, ergonomics, and the beauty of the design of the device. By the way, in the user environment there are small reports on attempts to launch games on smartphones a little more complicated than Friut Ninja - those that use complex animated 3D-graphics. According to the recognition of many phone owners, the device, despite the modest characteristics of the processor and RAM, did an excellent job with gaming tasks.
Users note the high build quality, which is characterized by the smartphone Sony Xperia E. Owner reviews in this vein are very positive. The specified criterion, apparently, is one of the most undeniable in terms of studying the capabilities of the device. Almost all experts also noted the fact that the device was assembled very soundly.
Many users note the convenience and comfort of using multimedia programs, which is not surprising: Sony has paid great attention to the development of technologies designed to increase comfort while listening to music since the release of the legendary Walkman brand devices.