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MagyarSony Xperia M2 Aqua Smartphone Review
For the original German review, see here.
Sony's Xperia M2 Aqua costs approximately 10 Euros (~$12) less than its M2 sister model at market launch with an RRP of 249 Euros (~$302). However, the roughly six-month older model's price has been reduced and now only costs 199 Euros (~$241) in the manufacturer's shop.
Sony has not modified the configuration much and uses the tried equipment of the M2. Only the IP certification is new and confirms the device's dust and water resistance. Furthermore, the casing is now purple. In addition to white and black, a genuine-looking copper color is also available.
The contenders do not have any IP certifications. Nevertheless, the Motorola Moto G, Nokia Lumia 735, Asus Zenfone 5, iOcean X7S, Huawei Ascend G700 and Acer Liquid E700 Trio are exciting alternatives.
Case
The casing of Sony's Xperia M2 Aqua is completely made of plastic. The glass back has, however, now been replaced with matte plastic that does not look very high-quality but which has a pleasant feel. The handheld's weight has also been slightly reduced to 147 grams.
Even if the design is quite favorable and features Sony's typical form factor, the M2 Aqua is not as rigid as we would have expected. It is not exceptionally stiff and creaked very audibly when warping attempts were made. Wave formations also became visible on the screen very quickly, and a touch on the screen could be triggered when enough pressure was applied to the display frame's upper edge. However, these shortcomings will hardly be noticed in normal use.
The notification LED is also again available, but it can only be enabled and disabled in the settings. Unlike in the former models, a personal configuration is no longer possible. The battery is non-removable.
The IP certification is a good thing and verifies the smartphone's dust and water resistance. However, this only applies to fresh water and a depth of 1.5 meters for a maximum of 30 minutes. That should be long enough for the swimming pool, beach, shower or bathtub. It is only too bad that the manufacturer has not integrated charging contacts for a docking station or cable-less charging. Thus, the USB port's flap has to be opened for recharging the phone every time.
Connectivity
The list of interfaces of Sony's Xperia M2 Aqua is identical with that of the Xperia M2. The USB port can be used for transmitting data from the smartphone to a computer and for recharging the handheld. OTG is supported, but MHL is not. However, wireless media streaming is possible via Miracast and DLNA.
The micro-SD card slot can only expand the storage by 32 GB. Unlike the Xperia M2, it supports App2SD owing to the newer Android version. Thus, applications can be stored on the memory card and opened from there.
Software
Google's Android 4.4.2 KitKat is preloaded on Sony's Xperia M2 Aqua. Though that is not the newest bug-fix version, it is quite up-to-date. The looks have not been modified much. Like in the Xperia M2, Sony's UI dominates on the screen.
The manufacturer not only preloads proprietary apps but also third-party apps. For example, apps from Garmin (30-day trial), eBay, Amazon and the OfficeSuite app were already preloaded on the review sample. It is annoying that not all can be uninstalled.
Communication & GPS
Sony's Xperia M2 Aqua has a Wi-Fi module that supports the IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n standards, which enables transmitting in both the 2.4 and 5.0 GHz frequency bands. Its range was really good; the signal strength was still high even 20 meters away from the router (Fritz!Box 6360, 2.4 GHz), and browsing on the Internet functioned without noticeable delays.
The handheld accesses the Internet via HSPA+ (max. 42 Mbps downstream) or LTE Cat. 4 (max. 150 Mbps) on the go. The frequency coverage is large enough to easily cover the providers in Europe.
In addition to NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 is also available. Streaming music and video soundtracks functioned well, but it was accompanied by a permanent, quiet background noise.
The Aqua M2 can find satellites either via GPS or Glonass. That functioned quite quickly and accurately even indoors.
We compared the accuracy with the Garmin Edge 500 bike nav-system. Though the review sample did not present the same accuracy as the Xperia M2, it still achieved good results. Deviations were primarily noticed in difficult situations. The discrepancies over the entire route were approximately 5%, which is still a decent outcome.
Telephony and Voice Quality
The voice quality of Sony's Xperia M2 Aqua seems identical with that of its sister model. We could understand our contact quite well when the phone was held to the cheek. However, we sounded a bit tinny. That looks similar when using the speaker, and minor speech interruptions were occasionally noticed. The included headset is good, though a bit muffled. The phone app has not been modified but now features voicemail.
Cameras
Sony has not upgraded the front-facing camera. The quality is still unsatisfactory in low light. It is sometimes very difficult to recognize anything on the picture in twilight. However, not much more can be expected from just 0.3 MP (640x480 pixels).
The primary camera makes a considerably better impression. It has a maximum resolution of 8 MP (3264x2448 pixels; 4:3) that is only possible in manual mode. Automatic mode only allows 5 MP (3104x1746 pixels; 16:9). The resolution is reduced by one megapixel when HDR is enabled in maximum resolution.
The pictures are good but cannot compete with cameras in high-end smartphones. The snapshots are simply too blurry for that. The M2 Aqua also struggles with a very visible overexposure in daylight, and details are absorbed in close-ups. Details blur to muddy globs of pixels even in ambient shoots (scene 3).
Videos are recorded in Full HD and look quite good in daylight. However, permanent refocusing still causes a well-visible push effect.
Accessories
Sony's Xperia M2 Aqua is shipped with a data cable, modular power supply, and stereo headset. The manufacturer does not offer any smartphone-specific accessories. However, Sony offers universal accessories such as better headphones or Bluetooth headsets.
Warranty
Sony includes a 24-month warranty on the Xperia M2 Aqua. The battery and accessories are covered for six months.
Input Devices and Controls
The capacitive touchscreen in Sony's Xperia M2 Aqua is the primary input device. It detects up to ten fingers at the same time. Its accuracy is good, and inputs only have to be reentered occasionally because they were likely not recognized. The surface's gliding properties are decent.
The keyboard layout is the same as in the Xperia M2. It is very clearly arranged and has an additional bar with word suggestions. Auto-correction can be customized or even disabled in the setting should it get annoying. Android's on-screen keys take up additional room on the screen so that only little of the content remains visible particularly in landscape mode. The handheld's vibration when inputs are made provides a good tactile feedback.
Display
Sony has modified a technical detail in the screen of its Xperia M2 Aqua. In contrast to the TN screen in the Xperia M2, the review sample features an IPS model. The other specs are identical. The screen has a size of 4.8-inches and a resolution of 960x540 pixels. That corresponds to an aspect ratio of 16:9 and pixel density of 230 ppi. A 720 p screen like in the Ascend G700 would certainly be more appropriate, but the available resolution is sufficient. Smaller fonts look a bit angular and pixels can become visible.
The brightness has been slightly improved and now achieves up to 491 cd/m² with a still very homogeneous illumination of a high 92%. We did not ascertain halos in our sample.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 92 %
Center on Battery: 458 cd/m²
Contrast: 864:1 (Black: 0.53 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 7.63 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 6.22 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.38
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua Adreno 305, 400 MSM8926, 8 GB eMMC Flash | Sony Xperia M2 Adreno 305, 400 MSM8926, 8 GB SSD | Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068 Adreno 305, 400 MSM8226, 8 GB SSD | Asus Zenfone 5 Adreno 305, 400 MSM8926, 8 GB eMMC Flash | Huawei Ascend G700 SGX544, MT6589, 8 GB SSD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -14% | 8% | 3% | 5% | |
| Brightness middle | 458 | 483 5% | 349 -24% | 389 -15% | 562 23% |
| Brightness | 474 | 467 -1% | 348 -27% | 375 -21% | 543 15% |
| Brightness Distribution | 92 | 93 1% | 96 4% | 88 -4% | 92 0% |
| Black Level * | 0.53 | 0.93 -75% | 0.4 25% | 0.58 -9% | 0.7 -32% |
| Contrast | 864 | 519 -40% | 873 1% | 671 -22% | 803 -7% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 7.63 | 5.74 25% | 3.74 51% | 4.22 45% | 4.56 40% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 6.22 | 6.83 -10% | 4.52 27% | 3.08 50% | 6.48 -4% |
| Gamma | 2.38 92% | 2.2 100% | 2.63 84% | 2.57 86% | 2.83 78% |
| CCT | 10939 59% | 9470 69% | 7336 89% | 6840 95% | 6388 102% |
* ... smaller is better
The Xperia M2 Aqua's black level has clearly improved and now reaches a decent 0.53 cd/m², which is only undercut by the Moto G (0.4 cd/m²; 873:1). That is nevertheless a good rate which results in an equally good contrast of 864:1.
The review sample does a good job in color accuracy, but shifts are visible for the trained eye. That applies to both the grayscale, which exhibits an obvious greenish cast, as well as the mixed colors. Particularly the orange hues clearly step out of line in the latter and present shifts beyond a DeltaE of 10. That will, however, only bother the fewest users in practice.
Sony's Xperia M2 Aqua benefits from its high brightness and strong contrast outdoors. Content remains well-legible on the screen even in bright ambient light. Only the reflections might sometimes prove annoying. It will become more difficult in direct sunlight, but the review sample also fares quite well here.
The IPS screen's viewing-angle stability is good as expected, although no apparent improvements have been made compared with the Xperia M2. We did not ascertain any color deviations even in extremely flat viewing angles. The brightness decreases only slightly starting at an angle of approximately 30 degrees.
Performance
Sony's Xperia M2 Aqua is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 400 MSM8926. It is a quad-core processor that can clock each of its cores with up to 1.2 GHz. The system is supported by 1 GB of working memory, which ensures a decent system performance. Short delays are only noticed when opening apps or fading in the keyboard. The Adreno 305 graphics unit provides the needed video and graphics acceleration.
The benchmarks confirm the identical hardware configuration of the Xperia M2 sister model. Both handhelds are very close in most benchmarks. The Aqua is a bit faster in some cases. For example, the Geekbench 3 score is averagely 7% higher than that of the identically built M2. This variance could be due to the different operating system versions or the Aqua copes better with the waste heat produced by the SoC.
The review sample makes a good impression in the browser benchmarks. The results are also compelling. The Xperia M2 Aqua often outperforms its contenders and is particularly convincing in Kraken 1.1. However, it exhibits unexpected weaknesses in SunSpider and comes in last. Websites are opened quite fast subjectively.
The storage has a capacity of 8 GB, but only 4 GB is available. It can, however, be extended by up to 32 GB via a micro-SD. The Xperia M2 Aqua also supports App2SD and thus applications can be moved to the memory card. The Xperia M2 did not support this feature, but it was added with the update to Android 4.4. The storage speed is comparatively high and also presents good scores in the benchmarks.
| Geekbench 3 | |
| 32 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| Sony Xperia M2 | |
| Asus Zenfone 5 | |
| Wiko Stairway | |
| Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068 | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| 32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| Sony Xperia M2 | |
| Asus Zenfone 5 | |
| Wiko Stairway | |
| Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068 | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| AnTuTu v5 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| Asus Zenfone 5 | |
| Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068 | |
| 3DMark | |
| 1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| Sony Xperia M2 | |
| Asus Zenfone 5 | |
| Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068 | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| 1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| Sony Xperia M2 | |
| Asus Zenfone 5 | |
| Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068 | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| 1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| Sony Xperia M2 | |
| Asus Zenfone 5 | |
| Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068 | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
| T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| Sony Xperia M2 | |
| Nokia Lumia 830 | |
| Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068 | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| Sony Xperia M2 | |
| Nokia Lumia 830 | |
| Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068 | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| Sony Xperia M2 | |
| Nokia Lumia 830 | |
| Asus Zenfone 5 | |
| Wiko Stairway | |
| Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068 | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| Sony Xperia M2 | |
| Nokia Lumia 830 | |
| Asus Zenfone 5 | |
| Wiko Stairway | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| Sony Xperia M2 | |
| Nokia Lumia 830 | |
| Wiko Stairway | |
| Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068 | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| AndroBench 3-5 | |
| Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| Sony Xperia M2 | |
| Asus Zenfone 5 | |
| Wiko Stairway | |
| Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068 | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| Sony Xperia M2 | |
| Asus Zenfone 5 | |
| Wiko Stairway | |
| Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068 | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| Random Read 4KB (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| Sony Xperia M2 | |
| Asus Zenfone 5 | |
| Wiko Stairway | |
| Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068 | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
| Random Write 4KB (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| Sony Xperia M2 | |
| Asus Zenfone 5 | |
| Wiko Stairway | |
| Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068 | |
| Huawei Ascend G700 | |
* ... smaller is better
Games
The Adreno 305 is no longer brand new and was positioned in the mid-range at its market launch late 2012. Today it certainly belongs in the entry level and hardly has reserves for future games. Nevertheless, most games from the Play Store run well. Occasional lags will only be noticed when high requirements are placed on the hardware. Otherwise, the games will lower their details. The slightly lower resolution is positive in this case because it unloads the GPU, which consequently leads to higher frame rates. Classics like Candy Crush or Angry Birds are no problem, though.
Emissions
Temperature
Sony's Xperia M2 Aqua reached a maximum surface temperature of 32.4 °C when idling. The rates climbed up to 41.7 °C during load, which is still absolutely uncritical but comparatively high. Most other contenders do not exceed 40 degrees; the Moto G (max. 35.4 °C) is just lukewarm even during full load.
We performed a stress test on the Xperia M2 Aqua's components using the battery test of GFXBench 3.0. The T-Rex test is run thirty times in succession for this purpose. The app records both the battery state and the frame rates. There is no reason for complaint here. The review sample could always fully use its performance reserves.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41.7 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 40 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.5 °C / 82 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Speakers
The speaker installed in Sony's Xperia M2 Aqua is identical with the one in its sister model. It has not been positioned ideally since a hand could quickly cover it. Bass and mids are audible but very thin. The trebles are slightly muffled. Overall, a useful sound is rendered. Intense distortions only occur when the volume is increased to over 80%.
The included headset is good. It provides a comparatively decent sound with strong bass and clean trebles. The sound remains free of distortions even in maximum volume.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
The power consumption of Sony's Xperia M2 Aqua has been reduced slightly compared with the Xperia M2. It now consumes between 0.5 and 1.4 watts when idling. Its maximum consumption, which we simulate with the Stability Test app, is 2.6 watts. The M2 still needed 3.2 watts in the same scenario.
Thus, the review sample presents itself as very frugal in the comparison field. Both the Moto G (max. 3.5 W) and the Liquid E700 (max. 3.6 W) consume more power.
| Off / Standby |   0 / 0.1 Watt |
| Idle |  0.5 / 1.2 / 1.4 Watt |
| Load |
2.1 / 2.6 Watt |
    
| |
Battery Runtime
The battery in Sony's Xperia M2 Aqua has an output of 2330 mAh, which enables a good battery life. Both the minimum and maximum runtimes are within a very good range. The tests allow better comparison with an adapted screen brightness of 150 cd/m².
All consumers except for the Wi-Fi module are disabled in the Wi-Fi browsing test. A script that opens a new website every 40 seconds is run in the browser. The Aqua lasted for almost ten hours in this scenario. In particular, the Moto G proves more enduring here, but the Xperia M2 also runs longer which surprised us a bit in view of its consumption rates.
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua Adreno 305, 400 MSM8926, 8 GB eMMC Flash | Sony Xperia M2 Adreno 305, 400 MSM8926, 8 GB SSD | Motorola Moto G 2. Gen XT1068 Adreno 305, 400 MSM8226, 8 GB SSD | LG L Bello Mali-400 MP, MT6582, 8 GB SSD | Asus Zenfone 5 Adreno 305, 400 MSM8926, 8 GB eMMC Flash | Acer Liquid E700 Trio Mali-400 MP2, MT6582, 16 GB eMMC Flash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -3% | 20% | -3% | -12% | 6% | |
| Reader / Idle | 1370 | 1538 12% | 1195 -13% | 1131 -17% | ||
| H.264 | 607 | 294 -52% | 941 55% | |||
| WiFi | 582 | 686 18% | 904 55% | 522 -10% | 545 -6% | 510 -12% |
| Load | 264 | 293 11% | 221 -16% | 276 5% | 229 -13% | 327 24% |
Verdict
Owners of an Xperia M2 certainly do not have to buy an Aqua because the technical specs of both devices are virtually identical. The screen size, resolution, and performance hardly differ, and the battery life of both devices is also very good.
The review sample also excels with an excellent Wi-Fi range, good voice quality and decent GPS reception. The icing on the cake is its dust and water resistance, which is also the most noteworthy difference to its sister model. However, Sony does not use glass. The casing's stiffness is generally not as good as that of the cheaper model. Besides that, we found the bloatware annoying.
Buyers currently looking for a mid-range smartphone with an IP certification will find it difficult getting around Sony's Xperia M2 Aqua. There are plenty of alternatives, such as the Moto G, should this extra not be needed.
