SONY XPERIA M REVIEW
The Xperia M is Sony’s answer to the mid-range gap in the Smartphone market. With 4GB of internal storage, a variety of different colours, and a sleek design as standard, it fits right in. And being in the £100-£200 price bracket it makes it very affordable for anyone. However does the reduce cost mean a skimp on quality?
First impressions of the handset are very good. It fits nicely in your hand due to the curved edges. And the Matt finish on the rear panel means that it won’t slip out of your palm. Even if your hands are sweaty or damp. The 4inch screen means that you can access everything comfortably with your thumb, without having to introduce the use of your other hand. The buttons on the side are not only placed perfectly, but they also feel very good. This means you’re confident of what you’re doing without having to pay attention too much. Handy if you want to change the volume while listening to music, and the handset is in your pocket. The Xperia M also follows the trend of on screen buttons. (Home button, back button etc) At first it’s a noticeable change, particularly if you aren’t used to them. And because of the standard screen size, the onscreen content is reduced a considerable amount. However after some good use it becomes very natural, and the niggles become unnoticeable.
In terms of specs the Xperia M holds up very nicely, the 4GB internal memory is promising. Especially for a cheaper handset, and despite the fact that 2GB is used for the operating system, there is still a good 2GB left for apps, photos and music. And with the option of an external memory card (capacity up to 16GB) there is no worry about ever running out of space. It comes with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS as standard, as well as the new NFC software. This allows you to share files with other NFC users by holding the two devices close to each other.
First impressions of the handset are very good. It fits nicely in your hand due to the curved edges. And the Matt finish on the rear panel means that it won’t slip out of your palm. Even if your hands are sweaty or damp. The 4inch screen means that you can access everything comfortably with your thumb, without having to introduce the use of your other hand. The buttons on the side are not only placed perfectly, but they also feel very good. This means you’re confident of what you’re doing without having to pay attention too much. Handy if you want to change the volume while listening to music, and the handset is in your pocket. The Xperia M also follows the trend of on screen buttons. (Home button, back button etc) At first it’s a noticeable change, particularly if you aren’t used to them. And because of the standard screen size, the onscreen content is reduced a considerable amount. However after some good use it becomes very natural, and the niggles become unnoticeable.
In terms of specs the Xperia M holds up very nicely, the 4GB internal memory is promising. Especially for a cheaper handset, and despite the fact that 2GB is used for the operating system, there is still a good 2GB left for apps, photos and music. And with the option of an external memory card (capacity up to 16GB) there is no worry about ever running out of space. It comes with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS as standard, as well as the new NFC software. This allows you to share files with other NFC users by holding the two devices close to each other.
The camera, although only 5MP, is actually very good, as would be expected from a Sony product. It adapts well to most lighting conditions and is able to produce some stunning shot with the many filters and modes built in. Video is fairly good also, with the ability to shoot in 720p it could easily be used for YouTube or Facebook videos to share with your friends. The Xperia M also features a 1MP front face camera, which is handy with apps such as Snapchat. The 4inch display is the perfect size in terms of usability, and the non-scratch glass also means there are no worries about it being in the same pocket as your keys or wallet. The viewing angles of the screen can be limited depending on the lighting conditions. However by turning on Sony’s adaptive backlighting system ensure that wherever you are, you can see what’s on the screen.
|
The Xperia M runs on the Android operating system with Sony’s custom skin over the top. The feel is very good. All animations are very smooth, even after installing apps and using it for a few days. The performance of the device is good elsewhere. Multi-tasking can be done with ease without affecting the overall speed of the handset. For a small device, gaming is actually quite a pleasant experience. It’ll run smaller games such as Angry Birds with no problems at all. And, as long as you aren’t running anything else, can handle more demanding games like DIRT and Asphalt. The 4 finger touch capability also means the device is very responsive, and always interprets movement how you want it too!
Being a Sony product the Xperia M comes loaded with features. As well as the Google apps store, there are a handful of different apps pre-loaded onto the device, such as Movies and Walkman. There are also plenty of customization options, such as the theme, the way apps are laid out, and the tones that are made for different notifications. The Xperia M also features a light bar at the bottom of the screen. For the majority of the time it’s invisible, however it’ll flash (different colours if you choose for different apps) if you have a notification. It can also flash if you’re low on battery. And when on charge will change from red to orange, to green depending on the status. The speaker at the rear of the device also comes with options. Sony allow you to choose between volume or clarity. Both make a noticeable difference and for a mono-phone speaker. It is very impressive, it could play background music at a BBQ with no problems at all.
In conclusion the Xperia M is a nifty little device with lots of different features and options that should suit the smartphone novice, right up to the everyday user. It would’ve been nice to have seen a bigger internal memory, and a slightly better camera with higher video capabilities. However for a budget smartphone, it’s very impressive. If you’re looking for a new phone quickly or want to step up from keys I recommend snapping this up immediately! If you’re looking for something a little more impressive it might be worth spending the money and having a look into the Xperia Z range. Overall 7/10. Very impressive and pleasantly surprising.
Being a Sony product the Xperia M comes loaded with features. As well as the Google apps store, there are a handful of different apps pre-loaded onto the device, such as Movies and Walkman. There are also plenty of customization options, such as the theme, the way apps are laid out, and the tones that are made for different notifications. The Xperia M also features a light bar at the bottom of the screen. For the majority of the time it’s invisible, however it’ll flash (different colours if you choose for different apps) if you have a notification. It can also flash if you’re low on battery. And when on charge will change from red to orange, to green depending on the status. The speaker at the rear of the device also comes with options. Sony allow you to choose between volume or clarity. Both make a noticeable difference and for a mono-phone speaker. It is very impressive, it could play background music at a BBQ with no problems at all.
In conclusion the Xperia M is a nifty little device with lots of different features and options that should suit the smartphone novice, right up to the everyday user. It would’ve been nice to have seen a bigger internal memory, and a slightly better camera with higher video capabilities. However for a budget smartphone, it’s very impressive. If you’re looking for a new phone quickly or want to step up from keys I recommend snapping this up immediately! If you’re looking for something a little more impressive it might be worth spending the money and having a look into the Xperia Z range. Overall 7/10. Very impressive and pleasantly surprising.