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MagyarSony Xperia M4 Aqua Smartphone Review
For the original German review, see here.
The Japanese media giant Sony introduced an alternative to the Sony Xperia M2 last year. The Xperia Aqua M2 was certified according to the standards IP65/68, and the design of the updated midrange smartphone Xperia Aqua M4, which is once again protected against dust and water, is very similar to the Xperia Z3.
The technical specs are very good with Android 5.0 Lollipop, a 5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 MSM8939 octa-core SoC with 2 GB RAM as well as 8 GB internal storage (expendable via microSD). The same applies for the camera specs with a 13 MP sensor at the back and a 5 MP wide-angle sensor at the front. LTE Cat. 4 and dual-band Wi-Fi are available as well.
Direct rivals besides other waterproof and dust-resistant smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini and Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 are the ZTE Blade S6 or the ruggedized smartphone Kyocera Torque if you can spend a little bit more money.
Case
The chassis of the Xperia M4 Aqua follows Sony‘s typical OmniBalance design and is completely made of plastic. Besides our white review unit, it is also available in silver and coral (red). At 136 grams (~4.8 oz), it is even lighter than the predecessor Xperia M2 Aqua. Only the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini and the ZTE Blade S6 are slightly lighter. The Xperia M4 Aqua is just 7.3 mm (~0.3 in) thin and therefore thinner than the competition, even though they have dimensions that are more compact.
It is not possible to remove the rear cover of the Xperia M4 Aqua, and the battery is integrated as well. Still, the smartphone is not as sturdy as expected and there is loud creaking when we try to twist it. While this should not be a huge deal in practice, another issue might be because of the high-gloss back, the smartphone is susceptible to scratches and dirt – not really the best solution for a “ruggedized smartphone”.
The circled power button and the volume rocker as well as a dedicated camera trigger are located at the right side of the case. The pressure points are okay and are only slightly spongy. The encapsulated Micro-USB 2.0 port and the microSD port are at the left side, the latter port is behind a protective cover. The slot for the Nano-SIM is at the right side and also has a special cover. The encapsulated 3.5 mm stereo jack is at the top of the Xperia M4 Aqua and therefore easy to reach when you have the smartphone in your pocket. The mono speaker is once again at the bottom of the case.
If you already planned a diving trip to the Caribbean, be warned: The smartphone can only be submerged in fresh water with a depth of up to 1.5 meters (~5 feet) for up to 30 minutes, and you should immediately clean the smartphone after you use it in a chlorinated pool.
Connectivity
While the design of the review unit does not really differ from the Sony Xperia Z3, there are some special features. The Xperia M4 Aqua is equipped with a 64-bit capable octa-core SoC from Qualcomm, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 MSM8939 with 2 GB RAM. This ensures the current Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system operates smoothly without stutters. The internal storage is very small at just 8 GB (net just 3.02 GB), but can be expanded via microSD by up to 128 GB, and it is possible to transfer apps to the SD card via App2SD. Miracast and DLNA are supported as well, but MHL and USB OTG are not.
Software
The operating system of the M4 Aqua is Google Android 5.0 Lollipop. The design is, similar to the Xperia M2 Aqua, defined by the Xperia UI, which offers an intuitive system. It is unfortunate that the manufacturer not only preloads its own apps, but also a lot of bloatware from third-party companies. This includes useful things like the usual Google package, Facebook, Twitter, OfficeSuite or the ingenious PlayStation app just like unnecessary stuff. Not all the apps can be deleted or transferred to the SD card; examples would be the Google apps or Sony’s own apps.
Communication & GPS
The Sony Xperia M4 Aqua uses a dual-band Wi-Fi module with support for the standards 802.11 a/b/g/n, which works in 2.4 as well as 5 GHz networks. The range is good and we still had a stable connection with a fast web experience at a distance of around 10 meters (~33 feet) to the router and with several walls in-between.
Mobile Internet connections can be established via HSPA+ (up to 42 Mbps) or LTE Cat. 4 (up to 150 Mbps). GSM and UMTS quad-band as well as LTE hepta-band also ensure a working connection almost everywhere in the world. Local connections are possible via Bluetooth 4.1 and NFC. It is also possible to use fitness gadgets like heart rate or blood pressure monitors or other fitness/health gadgets with the ANT+ protocol.
Determining location with the app GPS Test is pretty quick indoors as well as outdoors via GPS and GLONASS satellites, but the accuracy is not very convincing.
A direct comparison to the outdoor navigation device Garmin GPSMAP64s shows a deviation of around 180 meters (~197 yards) for the review unit. Difficult passages like a bridge or the curvy track in particular show that the Xperia M4 Aqua tends to use shortcuts. All in all, still a decent result.
Telephone & Voice Quality
The Sony Xperia M4 Aqua offers good voice quality, which is also confirmed by a test call. The caller noticed a somewhat tinny sound, but our voice was still easy to understand. The provided headset sounds a bit dull, but works well overall. The phone app was not changed compared to the predecessor Xperia M2 Aqua and offers all the important functions like mailbox, favorites, and groups. The speaker does not manage the highest volume for noisy environments and sounds rather scratchy.
Cameras & Multimedia
Sony updated the front camera and equips the Xperia M4 Aqua with a 5 MP sensor with a 22 mm wide-angle lens and 88 degrees viewing angle, which is perfect for selfies and groupies. Motion recognition software is integrated as well. Videos can be recorded in 720p. The settings for the front camera are slightly hidden in the settings. The pictures are pretty decent in general, but the sensor has problems with bad lighting conditions and there is also a clearly visible purple hue.
The main camera at the back has a high resolution of 13 MP and comes with autofocus, LED flash and supports video recordings in 1080p at 30 fps. The “Exmor RS for mobile” picture sensor and HDR are also supposed to ensure the best results for pictures and videos under all lighting condition, according to Sony. The quality of the pictures is actually pretty good and they are sharp under good lighting conditions, only the colors could be a bit more accurate, for nature shots in particular. The low-light performance is very good for a sensor in this price range, even though dark areas are a bit blurry and the details lack sharpness. You will also notice significant picture noise when you zoom in. The main sensor also shows a distinct purple hue.
We really like the dedicated trigger, which means you can quickly activate the camera even when the Xperia M4 Aqua is in standby. The volume rocker operates the digital zoom, but you should avoid it due to the strong picture noise and the bad interpolation of the device. The most important features are easily accessible via screen.
Sure, the Xperia M4 Aqua cannot compete with high-end smartphones, but we still think that the performance is fine.
Accessories
Sony ships the smartphone with a data cable, a modular USB power adaptor as well as a stereo headset. There are also several generic accessories in the web store, but there are no dedicated accessories for the review unit yet.
Warranty
Sony grants a 24-month warranty for the Xperia M4 Aqua, but the battery and the accessories are only covered for 6 months.
Input Devices & Handling
The capacitive multi-touchscreen of the Sony Xperia M4 recognizes up to 10 fingers simultaneously and executes inputs with precision. The gliding capabilities of the surface are good.
The keyboard layout was not changed compared to the Sony Xperia M2 Aqua and is very simple. It is also possible to configure the keyboard in multiple ways and you get word predictions, optional auto corrects and a swype function. The Android system buttons are unfortunately integrated into the display and therefore occupy a part of the screen, but many apps fade them out automatically.
Display
Sony once again uses an IPS panel for the Xperia M4 Aqua, but the size and the resolution were increased to 5 inches as well as 1280 x 720 pixels, which means the HD display manages a pixel density of 295 PPI. The luminance was clearly improved as well and we can measure an average value of 535.3 cd/m² with a maximum luminance of 555 cd/m². The brightness distribution is very even at 92 percent and easily surpasses all the rivals in this comparison.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 92 %
Center on Battery: 547 cd/m²
Contrast: 675:1 (Black: 0.81 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.77 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.2
ΔE Greyscale 5.87 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
96.5753% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
72.0875% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
Gamma: 2.14
| Sony Xperia M4 Aqua Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 8 GB eMMC Flash | ZTE Blade S6 Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash | Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 GC7000UL, Armada PXA1908, 8 GB eMMC Flash | Samsung Galaxy S5 mini Mali-400 MP4, 3470 Quad, 16 GB eMMC Flash | Sony Xperia M2 Aqua Adreno 305, 400 MSM8926, 8 GB eMMC Flash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -3% | 6% | -20% | -0% | |
| Brightness middle | 547 | 386 -29% | 452 -17% | 288 -47% | 458 -16% |
| Brightness | 535 | 377 -30% | 436 -19% | 289 -46% | 474 -11% |
| Brightness Distribution | 92 | 90 -2% | 91 -1% | 88 -4% | 92 0% |
| Black Level * | 0.81 | 0.44 46% | 0.53 35% | 0.53 35% | |
| Contrast | 675 | 877 30% | 853 26% | 864 28% | |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.77 | 7.12 -23% | 5.71 1% | 6.18 -7% | 7.63 -32% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 5.87 | 6.7 -14% | 5.02 14% | 5.52 6% | 6.22 -6% |
| Gamma | 2.14 103% | 1.98 111% | 2.15 102% | 2.23 99% | 2.38 92% |
| CCT | 7784 84% | 7784 84% | 7441 87% | 7256 90% | 10939 59% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 72.0875 | ||||
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 96.5753 |
* ... smaller is better
A black value of 0.81 cd/m² is too high, but the average contrast of 675:1 too low. All the rivals easily beat the Xperia M4 Aqua in this respect and manage much better results, even the predecessor Xperia M2 Aqua was better.
The analysis with the software CalMAN shows a clear deviation towards green-blue in the ColorChecker. You can also notice a color cast in the grayscale from the middle area up. This is also supported by the slightly increased color temperature. The gamma on the other hand is close to the ideal value. An sRGB color space coverage of 97 percent is very good. Subjectively, the deviations will only be visible for the trained eye, and the colors of the Xperia M4 Aqua will be vivid in practice.
The smartphone benefits from the high luminance outdoors. Still, you get the usual glossy display surface, which means you cannot see anything from the display content under direct sunlight.
Thanks to the IPS technology, the Sony Xperia M4 Aqua provides a very good viewing angle stability. You can only notice some slight brightness reductions from extreme angles, but color distortions are no problem.
Performance
The Xperia M4 Aqua is powered by a 64-bit capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 MSM8939 octa-core SoC with 2 GB RAM, which ensures good system performance.
The synthetic benchmarks determine a high performance for the smartphone. Our review unit is ahead of the rivals in many benchmarks and is usually only beaten by the ZTE Blade S6, which is also powered by the Qualcomm SoC. It only falls behind in Smartbench 2012, which shows that the heat cannot be dissipated sufficiently.
| Geekbench 3 | |
| 32 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M4 Aqua | |
| Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 mini | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| 32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M4 Aqua | |
| Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 mini | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| 3DMark | |
| 1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Physics (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M4 Aqua | |
| ZTE Blade S6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| 1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Graphics (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M4 Aqua | |
| ZTE Blade S6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| 1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M4 Aqua | |
| ZTE Blade S6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| 1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Physics (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M4 Aqua | |
| ZTE Blade S6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 mini | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| 1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Graphics (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M4 Aqua | |
| ZTE Blade S6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 mini | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| 1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M4 Aqua | |
| ZTE Blade S6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 mini | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| AnTuTu v5 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M4 Aqua | |
| ZTE Blade S6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
| T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M4 Aqua | |
| ZTE Blade S6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 mini | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M4 Aqua | |
| ZTE Blade S6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 mini | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M4 Aqua | |
| ZTE Blade S6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M4 Aqua | |
| ZTE Blade S6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| Smartbench 2012 - Productivity Index (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M4 Aqua | |
| ZTE Blade S6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 mini | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| BaseMark OS II - Overall (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M4 Aqua | |
| ZTE Blade S6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 mini | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| PCMark for Android - Work performance score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M4 Aqua | |
| ZTE Blade S6 | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
Our review unit also manages good results in the browser tests and beats the rivals in almost every benchmark. It is only surpassed by the ZTE Blade S6 in Google Octane V2. Subjectively, websites are loaded very quickly.
| Google V8 Ver. 7 - Google V8 Ver. 7 Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M4 Aqua | |
| ZTE Blade S6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M4 Aqua | |
| ZTE Blade S6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 mini | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M4 Aqua | |
| ZTE Blade S6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 mini | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia M4 Aqua | |
| ZTE Blade S6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 mini | |
| Sony Xperia M2 Aqua | |
* ... smaller is better
The internal flash storage has a capacity of 8 GB, but only 3 GB can be used for your own files, which will not be sufficient for a long time, not even for less demanding users. It is, however, possible to expand the storage by up to 128 GB via microSD card and the majority of apps can be transferred to the card.
A direct comparison shows that the storage is pretty fast in comparison with the rivals. We never had problems with significant waiting times during our review period.
Games
The integrated graphics chip Qualcomm Adreno 405 runs at up to 550 MHz (Boost) and is powerful enough for the majority of current games from the Play Store in HD. Even more complex titles like Call of Duty: Heroes and Modern Combat 5 ran smoothly in our test. It is sometimes necessary to reduce the quality settings, but in return, you can enjoy smooth gameplay. Both the touchscreen and the position sensor worked well and precisely.
Emissions
Temperature
This section probably reveals the biggest issue of the Xperia M4 Aqua, because it is a real hothead. While the temperatures at the bottom are still okay at 32.6 °C (~91 °F) while idling, the smartphone warms up to 44.8 °C (~112 °F on average) under maximum load, and the area around the SoC even reaches 51.7 °C (~125 °F). These temperatures are much higher compared to the rivals, only the ZTE Blade S6 reaches similar values.
This high temperature development is also the reason for the throttling of the performance over time. We check that with the GFXBench battery test, which runs the T-Rex benchmark thirty times in a row and logs the performance. The result: The performance is clearly reduced in the last quarter of the test. In practice however, the throttling was only noticeable after long periods of maximum load.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 47.6 °C / 118 F, compared to the average of 34.9 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 52.9 °C for the class Smartphone.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 51.7 °C / 125 F, compared to the average of 33.7 °C / 93 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 34.4 °C / 94 F, compared to the device average of 32.6 °C / 91 F.
Speakers
The mono speaker at the bottom of the smartphone creates a sound that puts emphasis on the high tones, but lacks bass and medium tones. This is still okay for the price range, and the sound only tends to distort at high volumes. The provided stereo headset sounds decent and can compensate the deficits of the internal speaker.
Battery Runtime
The battery of the Sony Xperia M4 Aqua has a capacity of 2,400 mAh and is integrated into the chassis because of the waterproof design. The runtimes are decent. We simulate the minimum runtime under maximum load with the app Stability Test, which determined 3:41 hours – the review unit is only beaten by the predecessor Sony Xperia M2 Aqua. However, while it has a similar battery capacity (2,330 mAh), it uses a weaker SoC and a smaller as well as darker display.
Our tests with an adjusted brightness at 150 cd/m² (60%) are more practical and determine decent results for the Xperia M4 Aqua – even though most of the rivals have more stamina. Our Wi-Fi test runs for 7 hours, which is on par with the ZTE Blade S6 (2,400 mAh). The Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 (2,200 mAh) on the other hand runs about 30 percent longer. Full HD video playback is possible for more than 8:38 hours, but most of the rivals once again last longer, and the highlight is the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini (2,100 mAh) with an advantage of 45 percent. All in all, the runtimes of the Sony Xperia M4 Aqua are good. The only real drawback is the provided power adaptor needs more than 3.5 hours to charge the battery when the device is turned on, and it will take about twice as long when you prefer to charge the smartphone at a USB port.
| Sony Xperia M4 Aqua Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 8 GB eMMC Flash | ZTE Blade S6 Adreno 405, 615 MSM8939, 16 GB eMMC Flash | Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 GC7000UL, Armada PXA1908, 8 GB eMMC Flash | Samsung Galaxy S5 mini Mali-400 MP4, 3470 Quad, 16 GB eMMC Flash | Sony Xperia M2 Aqua Adreno 305, 400 MSM8926, 8 GB eMMC Flash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -11% | 9% | 16% | 18% | |
| H.264 | 518 | 497 -4% | 678 31% | 753 45% | 607 17% |
| WiFi v1.3 | 420 | 432 3% | 503 20% | ||
| Load | 221 | 149 -33% | 166 -25% | 193 -13% | 264 19% |
| WiFi | 849 | 582 |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
The Sony Xperia M4 Aqua is a compact mainstream smartphone with many good features. We liked the bright IPS display with the HD resolution as well as the color presentation and the good system performance. Other positive aspects are the voice quality and the decent camera modules, at least under good lighting conditions. The well-built chassis has a nice design, but is susceptible to scratches and dirt on the plastic back, but it is at least easy to remove dirt thanks to the IP65/68 certification (waterproof and dust-resistant). The features with LTE Cat. 4, dual-band Wi-Fi with a good range and Android Lollipop 5.0 are good. The internal storage is too small at just 3 GB, but can be expanded up to 128 GB via microSD card and the majority of apps can be transferred to it. Thanks to the decent battery runtimes, the device easily manages a whole day without a socket, but the charging time of the integrated battery is unfortunately painfully long. You might accept that Sony installs quiet a lot of bloatware and that the display could be better in respect of the contrast and black value, but the temperature development under maximum load can be pretty uncomfortable.
So if you are looking for an inexpensive mainstream smartphone with IP certification and can live with the mentioned issues, then you should consider the Sony Xperia M4 Aqua.
If you cannot live with the problems, you should have a closer look at the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini, which is available for less than 300 Euros (~$325).
Sony Xperia M4 Aqua
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07/16/2015 v4(old)
Michael Moser
Pricecompare
