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Sony Xperia E5 Smartphone Review

Solid entry into the smartphone world. In our test, Sony's Xperia E5 entry model presents itself as a solid smartphone in the lower price range. You can find out in our review whether a purchase is worthwhile in light of the strong competition.

For the original German review, see here.

With the fifth generation of the E series, the Japanese electronics manufacturer extends its product portfolio by another entry model. For a current street price of about 130 Euros (~$145, in the US it is available for example from Wal-Mart for $179), the Sony Xperia E5 offers a MediaTek quad-core processor which is supported by 1.5 GB of RAM, an NFC chip, and a 13-MP main camera. The smartphone has 16 GB of internal storage. 

The 5-inch single-SIM device is available in black or white color. There are many competitors in this price range, and imported smartphones in particular offer technical specs that are considerably better in some parts. Among them are the UMI Max and the Vernee Mars. But there are also entry models in the local market, such as the Acer Liquid Zest Plus, Coolpad Modena 2, Gigaset GS160, LG K8 2017, and ZTE Blade V7 Lite, that are competing models. 

Sony Xperia E5 (Xperia Series)
Processor
Mediatek MT6735 4 x 1.5 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
1536 MB 
Display
5.00 inch 16:9, 1280 x 720 pixel 294 PPI, capacitive, LCD, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
16 GB eMMC Flash, 16 GB 
, 10.6 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm jack, Card Reader: 200 GB storage via microSD card, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: proximity sensor, accelerometer, gyro, hall Sensor, compass, Mircacast
Networking
802.11a/b/g/n (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.1, GSM: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz, 3G / UMTS: 850 / 900 / 1900 / 1700 / 2100 MHz, 4G/LTE: 700 / 800 / 850 / 1900 / 2600 / 2100 MHz , LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 8 x 144 x 69 ( = 0.31 x 5.67 x 2.72 in)
Battery
2300 mAh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Camera
Primary Camera: 13 MPix AF, HDR
Secondary Camera: 5 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: mono, Keyboard: onscreen, Keyboard Light: yes, modular power supply, USB cable, Sony UI, 24 Months Warranty, SAR value: 0,461 W/kg (body), fanless
Weight
147 g ( = 5.19 oz / 0.32 pounds), Power Supply: 37 g ( = 1.31 oz / 0.08 pounds)
Price
200 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

With a size of 144 x 69 millimeters (~5.7 x 2.71 inches), the Xperia E5 is a compact device for current standards that lies in the hand comfortably. As is typical for Sony, the display bezels at the top and bottom are relatively large, which is reflected in a display to surface ratio of only 69%.

The workmanship and selection of materials are on a satisfactory level for an entry device. The back cover does not feel cheap by any means, but it does not advertise the quality of the UHANS S1 or Vernee Mars, which are made from glass and metal respectively. The key for volume adjustment and the on/off key on the right side of the device are made from plastic as well and offer a slightly spongy pressure point, although they are positioned well and can be reached easily.

Size Comparison

154.3 mm / 6.07 inch 77.4 mm / 3.05 inch 9.8 mm / 0.3858 inch 175 g0.3858 lbs154.5 mm / 6.08 inch 76.5 mm / 3.01 inch 7.85 mm / 0.3091 inch 143 g0.3153 lbs150.8 mm / 5.94 inch 75 mm / 2.95 inch 8.5 mm / 0.3346 inch 199 g0.4387 lbs151 mm / 5.94 inch 73 mm / 2.87 inch 7.6 mm / 0.2992 inch 162 g0.3571 lbs144 mm / 5.67 inch 72.3 mm / 2.85 inch 9.5 mm / 0.374 inch 139 g0.3064 lbs144.8 mm / 5.7 inch 72.1 mm / 2.84 inch 8.1 mm / 0.3189 inch 142 g0.3131 lbs143.8 mm / 5.66 inch 70.2 mm / 2.76 inch 8.3 mm / 0.3268 inch 135 g0.2976 lbs144 mm / 5.67 inch 69 mm / 2.72 inch 8 mm / 0.315 inch 147 g0.3241 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Features

The 16 GB internal eMMC storage is appropriate for an entry device. After subtracting the operation system storage, about 10.6 GB remains available for the user. In addition, the storage can be extended by up to 200 GB via a microSD card, which can also be incorporated into the internal storage.

A micro USB 2.0 connector at the bottom of the device serves to charge the Xperia E5. Connecting external data storage via USB OTG does not work. Further features of the Sony smartphone include a status LED for notifications and an NFC chip and Miracast for wireless media-streaming. In our test with a Sony Android TV, transferring the display content to an external monitor works without problems.

Software

For the operating system, Sony bets on Google's Android version 6.0 and overlays it with its own manufacturer user interface. Since its appearance in summer of 2016, there was no update to the current Android 7 version until now. Seeing that the current security patch is on the level of September 2016, an update seems rather unlikely. 

Even though compared to Google's stock Android, the system interface reworked by Sony shows some visual adjustments in particular in the settings menu and notification bar, it seems to closely follow vanilla Android. It is also positive that there are only few preinstalled apps and there is hardly any bloatware.

Communication and GPS

As we can also see in other devices in this price range, the integrated WLAN module of the Xperia E5 only masters the IEEE-802.11 a/b/g/n standards. At almost -40 dBm in close proximity to the router (Telekom Speedport, W921V), the damping is comparatively low for an entry device. The Wi-Fi transfer rates between the Xperia E5 and our Linksys EA 8500 reference router are in a typical range for entry level smartphones. 

Thanks to LTE Cat. 4, the single-SIM smartphone accesses the Internet at up to 150 Mbit/s for downloads. All the LTE frequencies relevant in Germany as well as quad-band GSM and the UMTS frequencies of 850, 900, 1900, 1700, and 2100 MHz are supported. In addition, the Sony smartphone has version 4.1 of Bluetooth and an NFC chip for near field communication between mobile devices. 

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus
Mali-G71 MP20, Exynos 8895, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
656 MBit/s +734%
UMI Max
Mali-T860 MP2, Helio P10 MT6755, 16 GB eMMC Flash
98.8 MBit/s +26%
Sony Xperia E5
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6735, 16 GB eMMC Flash
78.7 MBit/s
LG K8 2017
Adreno 308, 425, 16 GB eMMC Flash
49.2 MBit/s -37%
Coolpad Modena 2
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6735, 16 GB eMMC Flash
48.4 MBit/s -39%
Gigaset GS160
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6737, 16 GB eMMC Flash
48.2 MBit/s -39%
iperf3 receive AX12
Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus
Mali-G71 MP20, Exynos 8895, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
368 MBit/s +361%
UMI Max
Mali-T860 MP2, Helio P10 MT6755, 16 GB eMMC Flash
103 MBit/s +29%
Sony Xperia E5
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6735, 16 GB eMMC Flash
79.9 MBit/s
LG K8 2017
Adreno 308, 425, 16 GB eMMC Flash
54.1 MBit/s -32%
Coolpad Modena 2
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6735, 16 GB eMMC Flash
44.5 MBit/s -44%
Gigaset GS160
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6737, 16 GB eMMC Flash
33.5 MBit/s -58%
iperf Server (receive) TCP 1 m
Vernee Mars
Mali-T860 MP2, Helio P10 MT6755, 32 GB eMMC Flash
81.1 MBit/s
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6735, 16 GB eMMC Flash
47.6 MBit/s
iperf Client (transmit) TCP 1 m
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6735, 16 GB eMMC Flash
50 MBit/s
Vernee Mars
Mali-T860 MP2, Helio P10 MT6755, 32 GB eMMC Flash
38.9 MBit/s
GPS test indoors
GPS test indoors
GPS test outdoors
GPS test outdoors

An integrated GPS receiver enables the Sony smartphone to locate its position. Outdoors, the position is located with an accuracy of four meters. Indoors, the satellite signal was insufficient to locate the position. 

In our practically relevant test where we record the route distance with the GPS module of the Xperia E5 and the Garmin Edge 500 bicycle computer in parallel, on the almost 12-km (~7.5 miles) route, the Sony smartphone shows a discrepancy of about 100 meters to the professional GPS reference device. The achieved accuracy is very good for an affordable device like the Xperia E5.

GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Sony Xperia E5
GPS Sony Xperia E5
GPS Sony Xperia E5

Telephone and Call Quality

Telephone app
Telephone app
Dialing field
Dialing field

In the test, we liked the call quality of the Xperia E5 very much. The caller is easily understandable and we were also understood clearly. The telephone app corresponds to a large extent to the standard Google telephone app. The user interface is simple and comprehensible. 

Cameras

13 MP main camera
13 MP main camera
5 MP front camera
5 MP front camera

The camera module on the back of the Xperia E5 has a 13 MP resolution. In optimal light conditions, the pictures offer a good color reproduction rich in contrast. However, the white balance and richness of detail in the photos cannot convince. The sharpness achieved by the auto-focus is also not optimal. As soon as the light conditions worsen, the image starts to become noisy, and in sunny surroundings the camera shows problems with overexposure. 

On the front of the device is a built-in 5-MP camera, the quality of which is satisfactory for selfies and video-calling. Overall, the pictures taken with the camera module turn out too dark. Videos can be recorded with the main camera as well as the front camera in 1080p quality at 30 images per second.  

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images

Accessories and Warranty

Besides the test device, the carton contains some short instructions, a modular power supply rated at 4.25 watts (5 V, 0.85 A), and a USB charging cable. Earphones are not included with the Xperia E5. 

Sony offers a 24-month warranty for its entry-level smartphone. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices and Operation

Navigation of the device occurs through the usual Android onscreen keys for "Back," "Multitasking," and "Home." The capacitive multi-touchscreen reacts reliably to input with up to five fingers, which is implemented quickly and without long delays. 

As input options, both the SoftKey and Google's stock Android keyboard are preinstalled.

Keyboard, portrait
Keyboard, portrait
Keyboard, portrait
Keyboard, portrait
Keyboard, landscape
Keyboard, landscape

Display

Subpixel grid
Subpixel grid

The LCD display of the Xperia E5 measures 12.7 cm (5-inches) in the diagonal and has a high-definition resolution (1280x720 pixels). With this, the IPS panel achieves a pixel density of 294 ppi, which should ensure a sufficiently sharp reproduction of the display content in everyday life. However, from a normal viewing distance, pixel structures are quite visible.

Displaying a pure white area, the liquid crystal display achieves an average brightness of 534 cd/m² and so is illuminated brighter than the competition. The minimum display brightness of the display is quite high at 50.2 cd/m². In addition, our test evaluates the brightness with an even distribution of bright and dark areas (APL-50). Here we could only measure a brightness of 451 cd/m².

539
cd/m²
542
cd/m²
543
cd/m²
521
cd/m²
538
cd/m²
539
cd/m²
531
cd/m²
526
cd/m²
523
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LCD tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 543 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 533.6 cd/m² Minimum: 50.23 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 96 %
Center on Battery: 538 cd/m²
Contrast: 1630:1 (Black: 0.33 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.7 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.51
Sony Xperia E5
IPS, 1280x720, 5.00
LG K8 2017
IPS, 1280x720, 5.00
Gigaset GS160
IPS, 1280x720, 5.00
Vernee Mars
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.50
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
IPS, 1280x720, 5.00
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
IPS, 1280x720, 5.50
UMI Max
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.50
LG G6
IPS LCD, 2880x1440, 5.70
Screen
-34%
-37%
-9%
-26%
-30%
-10%
18%
Brightness middle
538
358
-33%
489
-9%
345
-36%
312
-42%
414
-23%
522
-3%
646
20%
Brightness
534
351
-34%
479
-10%
339
-37%
302
-43%
420
-21%
498
-7%
611
14%
Brightness Distribution
96
93
-3%
95
-1%
85
-11%
79
-18%
94
-2%
86
-10%
89
-7%
Black Level *
0.33
0.49
-48%
0.55
-67%
0.14
58%
0.15
55%
0.33
-0%
0.23
30%
0.23
30%
Contrast
1630
731
-55%
889
-45%
2464
51%
2080
28%
1255
-23%
2270
39%
2809
72%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.7
7.1
-25%
8.3
-46%
7.1
-25%
8.2
-44%
8.1
-42%
6.9
-21%
4.5
21%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
11
14.9
-35%
14.4
-31%
13.9
-26%
16.5
-50%
13.8
-25%
12.3
-12%
8.3
25%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.7
6.5
-38%
8.7
-85%
6.7
-43%
9.2
-96%
9.6
-104%
9.2
-96%
6
-28%
Gamma
2.51 88%
2.12 104%
2.08 106%
2.47 89%
2.29 96%
2 110%
2.38 92%
2.27 97%
CCT
7264 89%
8166 80%
9034 72%
7711 84%
9017 72%
7754 84%
8687 75%
7996 81%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
67.74
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
99.05

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

For an IPS panel, the contrast ratio (1630:1) as well as the black value (0.33 cd/m²) are merely a good average, falling into the middle of the field of competitors. In our practically relevant APL50 test, the black value of the panel slightly improved to 0.31 cd/m² at a contrast of 1455:1. The deviations in the color reproduction measured with the photo spectrometer and the CalMAN analysis software are relatively low, considering the cost of the device. In the bright areas, the grayscale also shows a barely visible blue tint, causing the image to appear slightly cool. The sRGB color-space coverage is very good.  

CalMAN color accuracy (sRGB target color space)
CalMAN color accuracy (sRGB target color space)
CalMAN color space (sRGB target color space)
CalMAN color space (sRGB target color space)
CalMAN saturation (sRGB target color space)
CalMAN saturation (sRGB target color space)
CalMAN grayscale (sRGB target color space)
CalMAN grayscale (sRGB target color space)

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
38.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 23.6 ms rise
↘ 15.2 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 96 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
42.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 19.2 ms rise
↘ 23.6 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 66 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Outdoors, the liquid crystal display is easily readable. On sunny days, the brightness and the contrast of the display are slightly too low to reliably allow easy reading of the content in direct sunlight. Thanks to IPS technology, the viewing-angle stability is very good. From very steep viewing angles, the image appears slightly darker and depending on the tilt of the display, a slight yellow or blue color inversion becomes visible.   

Outdoors, in the shade
Outdoors, in the shade
Outdoors, in the sun
Outdoors, in the sun
Reflections
Reflections
Viewing angle and...
Viewing angle and...
...slight color changes
...slight color changes
 

Performance

The MediaTek MT6735 built into the Sony Xperia is an ARM SoC (System-on-a-Chip) with a clock speed of 1.3 GHz. The mid-range processor is manufactured in the 28-nm process and has four CPU cores based on the 64-bit capable Cortex A53 architecture. The CPU is supported by an ARM Mali T720 (MP1) graphics processor and 1.5 GB DDR3 RAM. 

In everyday life, the performance ensures a smoothly running system and is very good for the MediaTek MT6735. There are hardly any stutters or hanging, and if there is, it is only during multitasking - Sony did a really good job here. Our subjective performance impression is confirmed by the benchmarks and browser performance. Compared to the MT6735 competition, the results of the Xperia E5 are very good. However, our Chinese Vernee Mars and UMi Max competitors offer the clearly better MediaTek SoC with the Helio P10 MT6755 and therefore also have correspondingly higher benchmark results. 

The performance of the internal 16 GB eMMC storage while reading and writing data is in the higher range of the comparison values. The performance capabilities of the integrated microSD-card slot are above average for the price class as well. We checked its speed with our Toshiba Exceria Pro M401 reference storage card (max. read: 95 MB/s, write: 80 MB/s) and at 65 MB/s (read) and 46 MB/s (write), the access rates are above the competing devices. Only the LG K8 2017 offers even faster read and write rates.

AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
32477 Points
LG K8 2017
30924 Points -5%
Gigaset GS160
28459 Points -12%
Vernee Mars
51008 Points +57%
Coolpad Modena 2
24875 Points -23%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
23822 Points -27%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
30676 Points -6%
UMI Max
49057 Points +51%
AndroBench 3-5
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
45.56 MB/s
LG K8 2017
52.2 MB/s +15%
Gigaset GS160
19.19 MB/s -58%
Vernee Mars
24 MB/s -47%
Coolpad Modena 2
18.25 MB/s -60%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
12.62 MB/s -72%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
16.17 MB/s -65%
UMI Max
18.07 MB/s -60%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
65 MB/s
LG K8 2017
78.6 MB/s +21%
Gigaset GS160
30.71 MB/s -53%
Vernee Mars
44.5 MB/s -32%
Coolpad Modena 2
35.59 MB/s -45%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
22.77 MB/s -65%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
27.68 MB/s -57%
UMI Max
36.64 MB/s -44%
Random Write 4KB (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
9.84 MB/s
LG K8 2017
12.5 MB/s +27%
Gigaset GS160
6.8 MB/s -31%
Vernee Mars
15.77 MB/s +60%
Coolpad Modena 2
6.79 MB/s -31%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
8.26 MB/s -16%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
7.95 MB/s -19%
UMI Max
10.91 MB/s +11%
Random Read 4KB (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
26.04 MB/s
LG K8 2017
41.6 MB/s +60%
Gigaset GS160
18.5 MB/s -29%
Vernee Mars
21.66 MB/s -17%
Coolpad Modena 2
23.03 MB/s -12%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
18.24 MB/s -30%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
20.25 MB/s -22%
UMI Max
26.66 MB/s +2%
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
83.1 MB/s
LG K8 2017
84.6 MB/s +2%
Gigaset GS160
46.6 MB/s -44%
Vernee Mars
71.6 MB/s -14%
Coolpad Modena 2
42.56 MB/s -49%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
70.3 MB/s -15%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
39.51 MB/s -52%
UMI Max
69.5 MB/s -16%
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
209.7 MB/s
LG K8 2017
270.8 MB/s +29%
Gigaset GS160
200.5 MB/s -4%
Vernee Mars
255.9 MB/s +22%
Coolpad Modena 2
147 MB/s -30%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
187.3 MB/s -11%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
178.6 MB/s -15%
UMI Max
257.9 MB/s +23%
Geekbench 4.0
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Gigaset GS160
518 Points
Vernee Mars
729 Points
Coolpad Modena 2
459 Points
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
572 Points
UMI Max
734 Points
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Gigaset GS160
1453 Points
Vernee Mars
2903 Points
Coolpad Modena 2
1274 Points
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
1588 Points
UMI Max
2701 Points
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
1527 Points
LG K8 2017
1737 Points +14%
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
556 Points
LG K8 2017
642 Points +15%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
5200 Points
LG K8 2017
2951 Points -43%
Gigaset GS160
3780 Points -27%
Vernee Mars
10702 Points +106%
Coolpad Modena 2
3222 Points -38%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
3070 Points -41%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
4944 Points -5%
UMI Max
10942 Points +110%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
4615 Points
LG K8 2017
2546 Points -45%
Gigaset GS160
3291 Points -29%
Vernee Mars
10685 Points +132%
Coolpad Modena 2
2789 Points -40%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
2645 Points -43%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
4333 Points -6%
UMI Max
10612 Points +130%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
9349 Points
LG K8 2017
6656 Points -29%
Gigaset GS160
7881 Points -16%
Vernee Mars
10762 Points +15%
Coolpad Modena 2
7061 Points -24%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
7026 Points -25%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
9768 Points +4%
UMI Max
12239 Points +31%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
212 Points
LG K8 2017
39 Points -82%
Vernee Mars
602 Points +184%
Coolpad Modena 2
130 Points -39%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
124 Points -42%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
209 Points -1%
UMI Max
598 Points +182%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
175 Points
LG K8 2017
31 Points -82%
Vernee Mars
523 Points +199%
Coolpad Modena 2
106 Points -39%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
101 Points -42%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
172 Points -2%
UMI Max
521 Points +198%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
817 Points
LG K8 2017
622 Points -24%
Vernee Mars
1100 Points +35%
Coolpad Modena 2
621 Points -24%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
618 Points -24%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
831 Points +2%
UMI Max
1239 Points +52%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
124 Points
LG K8 2017
Points -100%
Vernee Mars
425 Points +243%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
81 Points -35%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
127 Points +2%
UMI Max
421 Points +240%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
100 Points
LG K8 2017
Points -100%
Vernee Mars
356 Points +256%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
65 Points -35%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
102 Points +2%
UMI Max
354 Points +254%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
835 Points
LG K8 2017
Points -100%
Vernee Mars
1338 Points +60%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
609 Points -27%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
882 Points +6%
UMI Max
1247 Points +49%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
15 fps
LG K8 2017
6.4 fps -57%
Gigaset GS160
11 fps -27%
Vernee Mars
18 fps +20%
Coolpad Modena 2
8.9 fps -41%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
8.2 fps -45%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
8.4 fps -44%
UMI Max
17 fps +13%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
8.4 fps
LG K8 2017
3.4 fps -60%
Gigaset GS160
6 fps -29%
Vernee Mars
17 fps +102%
Coolpad Modena 2
5 fps -40%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
4.9 fps -42%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
14 fps +67%
UMI Max
17 fps +102%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
6 fps
LG K8 2017
3.7 fps -38%
Gigaset GS160
4.7 fps -22%
Vernee Mars
7.6 fps +27%
Coolpad Modena 2
4 fps -33%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
1.8 fps -70%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
3 fps -50%
UMI Max
7.1 fps +18%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
3 fps
LG K8 2017
1.3 fps -57%
Gigaset GS160
2.1 fps -30%
Vernee Mars
7.1 fps +137%
Coolpad Modena 2
1.8 fps -40%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
3.4 fps +13%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
6 fps +100%
UMI Max
7.1 fps +137%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
3.4 fps
LG K8 2017
fps -100%
Gigaset GS160
3.4 fps 0%
Vernee Mars
5.1 fps +50%
Coolpad Modena 2
1.2 fps -65%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
1.2 fps -65%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
1.9 fps -44%
UMI Max
4.7 fps +38%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
1.9 fps
LG K8 2017
fps -100%
Gigaset GS160
1.4 fps -26%
Vernee Mars
4.8 fps +153%
Coolpad Modena 2
2.9 fps +53%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
2.5 fps +32%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
4.4 fps +132%
UMI Max
4.7 fps +147%
PCMark for Android - Work performance score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
3817 Points
LG K8 2017
4673 Points +22%
Gigaset GS160
2563 Points -33%
Vernee Mars
4554 Points +19%
Coolpad Modena 2
3119 Points -18%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
3813 Points 0%
UMI Max
4485 Points +18%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
567 Points
LG K8 2017
371 Points -35%
Gigaset GS160
178 Points -69%
Vernee Mars
348 Points -39%
Coolpad Modena 2
483 Points -15%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
448 Points -21%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
192 Points -66%
UMI Max
341 Points -40%
System (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
1091 Points
LG K8 2017
1191 Points +9%
Gigaset GS160
1029 Points -6%
Vernee Mars
2291 Points +110%
Coolpad Modena 2
909 Points -17%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
801 Points -27%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
1090 Points 0%
UMI Max
2123 Points +95%
Memory (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
552 Points
LG K8 2017
634 Points +15%
Gigaset GS160
497 Points -10%
Vernee Mars
1005 Points +82%
Coolpad Modena 2
598 Points +8%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
487 Points -12%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
450 Points -18%
UMI Max
998 Points +81%
Graphics (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
280 Points
LG K8 2017
436 Points +56%
Gigaset GS160
208 Points -26%
Vernee Mars
665 Points +138%
Coolpad Modena 2
178 Points -36%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
174 Points -38%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
286 Points +2%
UMI Max
666 Points +138%
Web (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
639 Points
LG K8 2017
616 Points -4%
Gigaset GS160
9 Points -99%
Vernee Mars
10 Points -98%
Coolpad Modena 2
565 Points -12%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
592 Points -7%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
10 Points -98%
UMI Max
10 Points -98%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
17.89 Points
LG K8 2017
17.12 Points -4%
Gigaset GS160
14.43 Points -19%
Vernee Mars
27.1 Points +51%
Coolpad Modena 2
13.15 Points -26%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
12.73 Points -29%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
18.03 Points +1%
UMI Max
25.5 Points +43%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
2910 Points
LG K8 2017
3052 Points +5%
Gigaset GS160
2493 Points -14%
Vernee Mars
4073 Points +40%
Coolpad Modena 2
1975 Points -32%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
1910 Points -34%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
2697 Points -7%
UMI Max
4231 Points +45%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
Sony Xperia E5
13232 ms *
LG K8 2017
10742 ms * +19%
Gigaset GS160
13907 ms * -5%
Vernee Mars
9376 ms * +29%
Coolpad Modena 2
19647 ms * -48%
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
19234 ms * -45%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
12910 ms * +2%
UMI Max
9796 ms * +26%

Legend

 
Sony Xperia E5 Mediatek MT6735, ARM Mali-T720 MP2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
LG K8 2017 Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 (MSM8917), Qualcomm Adreno 308, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Gigaset GS160 Mediatek MT6737, ARM Mali-T720 MP2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Vernee Mars Mediatek Helio P10 MT6755, ARM Mali-T860 MP2, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Coolpad Modena 2 Mediatek MT6735, ARM Mali-T720 MP2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
ZTE Blade V7 Lite Mediatek MT6735, ARM Mali-T720, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Acer Liquid Zest Plus Mediatek MT6735, ARM Mali-T720 MP2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
UMI Max Mediatek Helio P10 MT6755, ARM Mali-T860 MP2, 16 GB eMMC Flash

* ... smaller is better

Games

Besides OpenGL ES 3.1, the Mali-T720 graphics unit also masters OpenCL 1.1 and DirectX 11. However, the MP1 variant inside the Xperia E5 is only scaled by a single cluster which clocks at 600 MHz. 3D games from the Android Play Store that are more extravagant cannot be played smoothly. During the Modern Combat 5 and Real Racing 3 game titles we tested, there was repeated stuttering and long loading times were the rule. The touchscreen and position sensor worked well in the test.    

Modern Combat 5
Real Racing 3

Emissions

Temperature

During load, the back and the front of the Xperia E5 warm up unevenly. While in the test we measure a maximum of 44 °C (111 °F) in the front, the back has a slightly higher maximum surface temperature of 45.6 °C (114 °F). The temperatures that develop under load can be clearly felt in everyday operation, in particular in the bottom third of the case. 

Max. Load
 44 °C
111 F
41.1 °C
106 F
35.3 °C
96 F
 
 42.6 °C
109 F
43.3 °C
110 F
36.9 °C
98 F
 
 41.8 °C
107 F
43 °C
109 F
35.5 °C
96 F
 
Maximum: 44 °C = 111 F
Average: 40.4 °C = 105 F
35.9 °C
97 F
38.7 °C
102 F
45.6 °C
114 F
34.4 °C
94 F
41 °C
106 F
45.6 °C
114 F
34 °C
93 F
39.2 °C
103 F
44.2 °C
112 F
Maximum: 45.6 °C = 114 F
Average: 39.8 °C = 104 F
Power Supply (max.)  30.8 °C = 87 F | Room Temperature 21.5 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 40.4 °C / 105 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 44 °C / 111 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 45.6 °C / 114 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31.6 °C / 89 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speaker

Speaker test: pink noise
Speaker test: pink noise

The speaker on the bottom of the case only achieves a maximum volume of 77 dB(A) in our test. With that, the mono speaker is not really the most powerful in the smartphone segment, although the volume is sufficient for everyday life. 

The Xperia E5 cannot really score with sound quality in the test: at higher volumes the sound becomes tinny and distorted. As expected, the sound image is not very linear and overemphasizes the highs. The pink-noise diagram shows that lower frequencies are barely audible. 

For a reproduction with more bass, you can use the 3.5 mm connector. Earphones are not included with the phone. 

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.635.72525.433.33125.332.14032.926.45033.626.26331.633.38028.430.51002734.312520.832.61602231.520021.336.625020.841.731521.244.640019.449.750019.554.863017.761.480017.966.1100017.865.9125017.366.9160017.463.6200016.758.6250017.263.3315018.265.9400017.969.1500017.669.2630017.764.7800017.858.51000017.952.91250018.140.21600018.229.5SPL3076.5N1.337.3median 17.9median 58.5Delta1.412.931.633.725.428.625.332.732.930.233.643.231.633.628.425.62722.920.822.52226.321.325.520.831.921.241.119.448.519.559.317.76517.96917.875.517.375.617.474.216.775.817.273.918.272.517.972.317.675.917.775.817.876.217.976.618.16618.249.23086.11.363.5median 17.9median 691.415.631.644.425.43425.335.932.931.733.630.931.637.828.424.92726.320.827.42225.421.325.620.826.521.229.619.437.119.545.217.754.417.965.517.876.617.378.917.477.716.774.417.273.418.272.417.97017.668.517.768.517.871.917.969.518.163.818.255.93085.61.355median 17.9median 65.51.416.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseSony Xperia E5Coolpad Modena 2LG K8 2017
Sony Xperia E5 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (76.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (9.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (30.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 75% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 22% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 86% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 11% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Coolpad Modena 2 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 40.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 7.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.8% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (2.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (30.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 75% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 21% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 87% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 10% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

LG K8 2017 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 38.8% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 13.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (14.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.1% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (34.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 82% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 17% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 92% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 7% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency diagram in comparison (checkboxes above can be checked/unchecked!)

Battery Life

Power Consumption

In our measurement of the power consumption, the Xperia E5 is relatively inefficient. Compared to the UMi Max, the power consumption is clearly higher despite the smaller display and weaker processor. 

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.01 / 0.34 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 1.03 / 2.06 / 2.12 Watt
Load midlight 5.01 / 5.04 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Sony Xperia E5
2300 mAh
LG K8 2017
2500 mAh
Gigaset GS160
2500 mAh
Vernee Mars
3000 mAh
Coolpad Modena 2
2500 mAh
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
2500 mAh
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
5000 mAh
UMI Max
4000 mAh
Power Consumption
28%
19%
2%
8%
34%
12%
27%
Idle Minimum *
1.03
0.65
37%
0.56
46%
1.02
1%
0.64
38%
0.63
39%
0.83
19%
1.02
1%
Idle Average *
2.06
1.6
22%
1.7
17%
1.69
18%
1.96
5%
1.37
33%
2.06
-0%
1.53
26%
Idle Maximum *
2.12
1.62
24%
1.75
17%
1.82
14%
1.98
7%
1.71
19%
2.08
2%
1.62
24%
Load Average *
5.01
2.97
41%
4.17
17%
4.39
12%
4.99
-0%
2.82
44%
3.53
30%
2.91
42%
Load Maximum *
5.04
4.34
14%
5.07
-1%
6.79
-35%
5.48
-9%
3.36
33%
4.49
11%
2.93
42%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

At 7 hours and 2 minutes in our WLAN test with an adjusted display brightness of 150 cd/m², the inefficient power consumption of the Sony smartphone prevents a very good result. Considering the nominal capacity of 2300 mAh of the lithium-polymer battery, the Xperia E5 should last considerably longer compared to the runtime of the LG K8 (2017) in light of the built-in hardware. 

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
7h 02min
Sony Xperia E5
2300 mAh
LG K8 2017
2500 mAh
Gigaset GS160
2500 mAh
Vernee Mars
3000 mAh
Coolpad Modena 2
2500 mAh
ZTE Blade V7 Lite
2500 mAh
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
5000 mAh
UMI Max
4000 mAh
Battery Runtime
WiFi v1.3
422
594
41%
615
46%
427
1%
518
23%
517
23%
815
93%
588
39%

Pros

+ bright IPS panel
+ exact GPS module
+ performance (considering the SoC)
+ NFC
+ design and workmanship
+ fast SD-card slot

Cons

- slow SoC
- high heat development in parts
- speaker
- battery life (compared to the competition)
- camera

Verdict

In the test: Sony Xperia E5. Test unit provided by notebooksbilliger.de
In the test: Sony Xperia E5. Test unit provided by notebooksbilliger.de

In our test, the Sony entry model scores with a high-contrast IPS HD panel and handiness. The Xperia E5 is well-built but only offers a plastic case that appears thin, although it feels okay. The competition that is made from glass (UHANS S1) or metal (Vernee Mars) has a clearly higher-quality appearance. 

The interaction between the low-performance MediaTek quad-core SoC and 1.5 GB RAM ensures a (surprisingly) fluid system performance in everyday life, and thanks to the relatively fast 16 GB eMMC storage, the apps open without too long load times. In addition, the GPS module of the Xperia E5 is very exact for its price class.

We comment negatively that due to the comparatively high power consumption and waste heat development, the runtimes of the Sony smartphone are below average compared to the competition. Moreover, the quality of the camera module and speaker are not very compelling. 

The Xperia E5 is a solid everyday companion of the lower price segment. However, the fancy glass design of higher-priced Xperia smartphones typical for Sony would have benefited the entry device as a unique feature.

Sony Xperia E5 - 06/06/2017 v6(old)
Marcus Herbrich

Chassis
80%
Keyboard
60 / 75 → 79%
Pointing Device
84%
Connectivity
41 / 60 → 68%
Weight
93%
Battery
89%
Display
83%
Games Performance
8 / 63 → 13%
Application Performance
34 / 70 → 49%
Temperature
86%
Noise
100%
Audio
48 / 91 → 52%
Camera
48%
Average
66%
77%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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Marcus Herbrich, 2017-06- 9 (Update: 2020-05-19)