Sony Xperia M4 Aqua Hands on First Look: A Mid Ranger waterproof smartphone with Incredible Looks

It's been known for a while that Sony's smartphone division is in real trouble. The Xperia Z3 didn't sell as well as expected, and competition from Samsung and Apple has had an impact on sales. It's rather surprising to see that Sony made no such announcements about its next-generation flagship device at this year's Mobile World Congress.

Instead the firm showcased the Xperia M4 Aqua: a mid-end Android phone with charismatic design. Sony has realized that not all consumers are ready to invest in a device like the Xperia Z3: they all want a functional handset without compromising on the looks.

Japanese handset maker, Sony has launched the water-proof smartphone in the Indian market. Dubbed as Xperia M4 Aqua Dual, it was announced back in the MWC 2015 and comes with IP65 waterproof rating, IP68 dustproof rating.

Coming in White, Black and Coral colors, Sony Xperia M4 Aqua Dual carries a price tag of Rs. 24,990 and it will be available on sale starting from today.

We had a chance to experience the Sony Xperia M4 Aqua in India. Here are our first impressions.

PROS

• Charismatic Design
• Waterproof
• Crisp, colorful Display
• Battery Life
• 4G LTE Connectivity

CONS

• Missing Remote Play Feature
• Average Camera

Sony Xperia M4 Aqua First Look: Form Factor, Design, Display and Operating System

When we first saw the Xperia M4 Aqua, we almost thought it was the Xperia Z3. But one we looked closer, we realized that the device is entirely made out of plastic. Measuring just 145.5 x 72.6 x 7.3mm, the Xperia M4 Aqua is a rather slim, and it weighs in at 136g. The device looks and feels solid.

For most parts, the ports are arranged in the same location on Sony's other models. The iconic circular power button rests on the right-hand side of the handset. The volume button sits below the power button on the right-hand side.

A MicroSD card slot is placed on the left-hand side and the dedicated camera button lies below the volume rocker. The SIM card slot can be found the right-hand side, while the USB Port is placed lies above a MicroSD card slot. The camera, which features an LED flash, is on the back center of the device.

The handset is water resistant, meaning the Xperia M4 Aqua is going to last 30 minutes in 1.5 meters of submersion, thanks to that IP 65/68 rating.

The newly launched handset has a 5-inch IPS display, with a 720p resolution, so images look fairly bright and crisp. Unless you're obsessed with pixels, you won't even notice that it's not a Full HD panel.

The Xperia M4 Aqua runs Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box. The company has tried to keep the software as pure as possible, with only few alterations. We haven't had a chance to fully test the capabilities of the M4 Aqua's software yet, but early signs are promising.

Sony Xperia M4 Aqua First Look: Processor, RAM and Connectivity

Under the hood is a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm MSM8939 (Snapdragon 615) processor alongside 2GB of RAM. Meanwhile, the phone's internal storage is limited to 8GB, however, there's a microSD card slot for expanding the storage.

The Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor isn't the fastest chip, but it is still an advance chipset. We haven't experienced any delays while launching apps or loading websites in our testing. In addition to a great processor and good amount of RAM, the Xperia M4 Aqua offers 4G LTE connectivity.

On the downside, there's no Remote Play feature - Sony's best feature available on the Xperia range of devices. Basically it will allow you to connect to your PS4 and as long as your internet connection is strong enough, you can take control your PS4 and view the content on the phone itself.

Sony Xperia M4 Aqua First Look: Camera and Video

There's a 13-megapixel camera on the rear back with a f/2.0 aperture. The camera is fully capable to record FHD video as well. In bright lighting conditions, it tends to overexpose light colours. The 5-megapixel front-facing camera works well for selfies. Overall, we're not too impressed with the main camera.

Sony Xperia M4 Aqua First Look: Battery and Early Verdict

There's a 2400mAh battery fitted inside. Sony claims that the phone's battery will last up to two days on a single charge. It's too early to reserve judgment now, though.

Has Sony done enough with the Xperia M4 Aqua? That's the big question in our mind. It may not have the top-notch hardware internals, but it seemed to be a pleasant device, barring its mediocre camera. Well, this is a good-looking phone for those who still admire Sony's way of looking at a mid-end handset.

With inputs from Akansha Srivastava