Sony Xperia E review

Using the word budget can often sound negative as it sound like from the outset the phone will be basic but the Xperia E is fairly basic. However like many of the basic things in life they fulfil a purpose.

The Xperia E does just this. It doesn’t scream look at me nor does it offer anything that any other smartphone doesn’t but it works well and for around £130 you get pretty good value out of this handset.

Please feel free to read my review below, but if you prefer to sit back and watch then this unboxing will give you an overview of the review.

Design/Build/Size/Hardware

Lets start with a quick look at some of the specs of the handset:

• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS
• 3.5″ 320 x 480 screen
• 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
• 512 MB RAM
• 3.2 MP camera with autofocus and flash
• WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR & DLNA
• HD Voice and noise cancellation
• 4GB internal storage
• Up to 32 GB micro SD
• Walkman application, xLOUD filter technology & Music Unlimited

There is nothing new with the Xperia E, Sony or I make no qualms about that, it is purely a functional smartphone.

From a physical hardware point of view, the Xperia E is small, pocket-able and discreet.  It harks back to older dumb phones that fitted comfortably in your pocket and could be taken out and held to your ear without looking like a house brick; I like this.

It feels and looks the part too. Yes it is plastic and not lovingly crafted aluminium, but plastic is fantastic as they say.  It is cost effective and durable.  It feels comfortable in hand and the silver band that runs around the side of the device gives it a premium look.

The 3.5” screen may be ok for the more dainty hands but if you are a big burly bloke with proper man hands then the E might be a bit of a struggle.

With a 1GHz processor the E does not meet the capabilities of it’s bigger brothers like the SP and Z but calls, texts and light web and email usage are all possible here.

General performance for all tasks was ok.  There was lag at times especially when trying to multi-task.

With 4GB of internal storage and a microSD slot there is space for your apps and media. However do be considerate to the fact that 4GB is before the OS which is around 2GB so you are left with 2GB of storage internally which isn’t much to be honest.  Then again, you might not be too bothered about apps.

If you are considering this phone as maybe a first smartphone for your child, you might want to think twice as my guess is the games they may add the phone will soon use that memory.

Photos, video and music can all be stored on a microSD memory card up to 32GB in capacity (not included). Apps can not be installed on the memory card.

I have a slight dislike for the position of the microUSB port. It is on the top left side and it is not ideal for desktop or vehicle docks. Works fine for everything in landscape mode but its annoying for vehicle docks as it just makes everything a bit more fiddly. This positioning on the side is consistent on all Sony devices, I just find the bottom more logical.

Another benefit is that the Xperia E has a user removable battery should it fail in a worst case scenario, you need to only pull the back cover off and remove or replace it. No returning it to the manufacturer for them to do.

Display

At 3.5” the Sony Xperia E’s display is on the smaller side of what we are used to. 

Whilst perfectly functional if you are a media junkie, the 3.5” 320×480 display is unlikely to immerse you.

Playing back YouTube videos and images are all fine, they are just no where near as crisp as the displays on other devices. Those other devices do however usually have £100-150 greater price tag. If you are stepping up from a basic phone then you will be quite happy.

This is of course a touchscreen so you will need to enter all text, make calls and complete activities from this.  Text messaging can be a little more difficult in portrait mode so orientating the phone into landscape is often preferable for messaging, especially for the men. Ladies, portrait mode might be quite acceptable to you.

Audio

I didn’t have too great expectations with the E on audio quality.  This is often one of the main sacrifices on the cheaper handsets, but I was pleasantly surprised.

It will not win any awards for volume or clarity but as speakers on a smartphone go, this was pretty respectable. You could quite happily listen to a video or music back through the speaker for a shorter period of time.

Using a Bluetooth connection to a portable speaker or audio system is advised for longer listening periods or of course using the 3.5mm connection for headphones or wired speakers.

The E does have an FM radio on it and you are required to connect a set of headphones to be able to obtain an FM signal.

Sony do install as standard their Music Unlimited application which is their music streaming service.  Use your phones WiFi or 3g to stream music from the cloud to the phone. I have been using it for some months now on a variety of platforms and I have to say it works well and should get more credit than it does for the £9.99 unlimited usage per month. There is too offline mode so you do not have to be constantly connected to the internet.

Connectivity

With the Xperia E you will not be running some illegal movie theatre from it.  In terms of connectivity it is fairly limited, but functional at this price point.

Your normal phone and 3G internet connection are present as if WiFi, Bluetooth and even DLNA.

You do too benefit form HD Voice (subject to your network) which means clearer crisper calls.

There is no USB on the go or MHL/HDTV out functionality for this phone, nor is there NFC.

Charge the phone via microUSB as well as sharing content between it and a computer though this connection too.

Camera

I will not be recommending the Xperia E as the tool of choice for taking snaps of family events but the odd few shots here and there will be just fine.

The results are not poor but they are by no means great.  A dedicated camera for about £50 will give much greater results and versatility. Especially at the E does not have a flash on it.

Having said that, if the lighting conditions are right then you can get a pretty good shot.  Out of all of our test images shown HERE, this one was the best.

It is a real shame as cameras are becoming a more integral part of phones.  I think the camera is on par with that of a BlackBerry from about 2 years ago. Ok but it will be a bit hit and miss on the final results.

Battery

A removable 1500mAh battery is included with the Sony Xperia E.

The amount of time it will last will depend on each individual users usage but most should get 2 days out of it because with a a screen of this size and resolution, it is fairly light on the battery.

More intensive tasks like GPS navigation and web browsing will have a negative impact on the battery and will likely call for a top up charge if used for a couple of hours.

Software

Thankfully the Xperia E isn’t behind in terms of software, ok it is not the very latest version of Android, but very few are! Running Android 4.1 your going to get up to date Google services and access to the likes of Gmail, maps, navigation, Google+ and more.

Sony have made their own customisations to give the Xpeira that familiar Sony feel, but they do not go down to the same depth as Samsung which I think is a positive in this case. You can easily have too many options, there is a nice balance on the Xperia E.

You can of course customise anything from the background image to the ringtone through the settings.

Conclusion

The Xperia E is a well rounded budget smartphone. There are some negatives, but you need to take these into consideration when making your purchasing decision.

If you want something that is more capable than a feature phone, something that will bring you more up to date and more connected with the world around you, then the Xperia E will do this for you.

If you want to run your office from your mobile then you should look for something a little more powerful.

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