If you want all the goodness of Sony’s Xperia Z3 flagships in a more affordable package, then the new Xperia M4 Aqua might be worth waiting for.
Freshly unveiled at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Sony’s using the show to strengthen its mid-range portfolio with a device that pulls camera tech, battery prowess and the company’s reputation for waterproof phones into its mid-range category.
Some of you will remember last year’s M2 Aqua, but its successor is a far beefier device, boasting a 5-inch 720p HD IPS display, Qualcomm’s 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 615 chipset, 2GB of RAM and Android Lollipop to boot. It’s still a svelte and attractive thing to look at, with a plastic frame that, on first impressions, apes the metal of the full-fat Xperia Z3 with aplomb too (but you can read more about that in our hands-on).
Whilst there’s a microSD slot concealed by a flap both the headphone jack and the microUSB port on the M4 Aqua are now cap-less, despite its IP65 and IP68 dust and waterproofing certification. It’s a nice touch of convenience and ups the cool factor considerably on phone that won’t break a sweat should it take a tumble in a sink or a puddle.
Camera-wise you’re treated to a super wide angle 5-megapixel front-facing snapper and a respectable 13-megapixel Exmor RS-laden sensor on the back with a large F2.0 aperture for enhanced low-light performance. Sony’s Intelligent Auto Mode should also help produce the best results without needing to fiddle with settings, something Sony made a concerted effort to avoid when creating the Aqua.
Battery life is the third pillar of the M4 Aqua’s appeal and Sony says this 4G LTE device will give you two days of use between charges, not to mention STAMINA mode for extended usage in response to throttled functionality and performance.
We’re still waiting on a final launch date, but Sony’s billing the Xperia M4 Aqua, along with its MWC launch partner: the Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet as landing sometime in spring. Initial pricing is suggested to be around €299 (£220) and it’ll be on offer in black, white, coral and in some markets, silver too.
Now read this: Sony Xperia M4 Aqua hands-on review | MWC 2015
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