The Sony Xperia E5 is Sony’s most affordable Xperia smartphone yet, but how does it compare to the Xperia XA, another cut-price Sony mobile launched in 2016, and which is best for you? Here’s our Xperia E5 vs Xperia XA comparison review.
Sony Xperia E5 vs Xperia XA: At a glance
| Phone | Sony Xperia E5 | Sony Xperia XA |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 5-inches | 5-inches |
| Screen resolution | 1280×720 | 1280×720 |
| Water resistant? | No | No |
| Fingerprint sensor? | No | No |
| Processor | Mediatek MT6735 | Mediatek MT6755 |
| Memory | 1.5GB | 2GB |
| microSD support? | Yes | Yes |
| Rear camera | 13MP | 13MP |
| Front camera | 5MP | 8MP |
| Price | £99 | £239 |
Sony Xperia XA vs Sony Xperia E5: Design and features
Both phones look pretty similar on paper, with very little between them in terms of sheer specs. However, the Xperia XA boasts a more beautiful design, with an edge-to-edge screen that really stands out against other budget blowers. The Xperia E5 by contrast sports a more straight-laced look and feel, although it’s still reassuringly hardy and clearly a Sony phone.
In terms of the software, both the Xperia XA and Xperia E5 run Sony’s latest jazzed-up version of Android Marshmallow, complete with funky new icons and Sony’s ‘unified design’ layout. Both the Xperia E5 and Xperia XA also come packing a 5-inch IPS screen with a 720p resolution, but the Xperia E5’s colour palette is warmer and you don’t get the Xperia XA’s Super Vivid mode to boost colour vibrancy.
Sony Xperia XA vs Sony Xperia E5: Performance and battery life
As for performance, the Xperia E5 makes do with an entry-level 4G chipset, the Mediatek MT6735, while the Xperia XA’s MT6755 processor is more of a mainstream 4G chipset. However, the Xperia E5 actually produces the better performance, with less stuttering and lag than the Xperia XA during everyday use.
The Xperia E5 is also the winner when it comes to battery life, offering a full day of regular use between charges. By contrast, the Xperia XA struggles to make it late into the evening, unless you really restrain yourself.
Sony Xperia XA vs Sony Xperia E5: Cameras
Camera-wise, you get a 13-megapixel snapper on the back of both handsets which can shoot Full HD video. Howoever, the Xperia E5 is significantly more budget, with a lens that struggles with Sony’s built-in object tracking feature and when lighting conditions aren’t just right. The Xperia XA is much more dependable and produces better-looking photos.
Here’s some Xperia XA sample shots:
And the same photos taken with the Xperia E5:
You’ll also get better video results with the Xperia XA, while the Xperia E5 struggles to deal with the lighting conditions and lacks any form of image stabilisation.
The XA boasts a better selfie camera too, rocking an 8-megapixel snapper compared with the Xperia E5’s 5-megapixel shooter, although there isn’t a massive difference in the final results.
Read next: Sony Xperia XA vs Xperia X vs Xperia X Performance vs Xperia XA Ultra
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