The new smartphone Sony Xperia C5 Ultra equipped with a huge 6-inch screen with a very narrow side frames, as well as two 13-megapixel (the front and rear) cameras.
Portfolio of Sony in the mid-price segment joins smartphone Sony Xperia C5 Ultra, the announcement of which took place just three months after the announcement of his predecessor – Xperia C4. In this line of relatively inexpensive devices the company continues to demonstrate their achievements in the field of photo-technologies, positioning these products, taking into account the popularity of the self. In addition, Ultra word in the title is now pointing to a very large screen size. Recall that the previous giant phone also marked as Ultra, in a family of middle-class devices become Xperia T2 Ultra. We went for a test model Sony Xperia C5 Ultra with the possibility of two SIM-cards (E5533). In addition, the devices are available, designed for only one subscriber identity module (E5553).
Design and Ergonomics: Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
It is not surprising that the new product from Sony has kept the main features of the corporate design of the smartphone Xperia.
However, even in comparison with the flagship Xperia Z3 + it looks very impressive. While the Sony Xperia C5 Ultra inherited the basic “hardware” of its predecessor (Xperia C4), its stylish appearance is more like another giant phone – Xperia T2 Ultra.
The elegance of the new device emphasize the narrow confines of the sides of the big screen, the width of which is only 0.8 mm. It seems that the display occupies almost the entire front surface of the phone (in the figures is about 76%).
The back cover case is made of glossy plastic, which can be black, white or mint (light green). On the perimeter passes aluminum rim with plastic corners designed to absorb the impact during a fall. The width of the device with a large screen is only 79.6 mm. For comparison, the value of this parameter at the other 6-inch smartphones: Xperia T2 Ultra – 83,8 mm, Huawei Ascend Mate 7 – 81.0 mm. However, in this case, “bird” giant has been very well-fed – (8.2 mm, 187 g) versus (7.6 mm, 172 g) versus (7.9 mm, 185 g). By the way, protection against water and dust from the Sony Xperia C5 Ultra is not provided.
Although the entire front surface of the device is covered by glass, scratch-resistant, hardly visible ledges projecting above the display, preventing its contact with the surface, when the smartphone is the screen down.
At the top of the front panel Sony Xperia C5 Ultra, next to the logo of Sony, place objects front camera with flash, the charging / events lattice cutout “conversational” dynamics, as well as proximity sensors and lighting.
Cutout for grille “multimedia” speaker placed symmetrically “conversational”, but at the bottom of the panel. In turn, three touch keys – “Back,” “Home” and “Recent Apps” – took place on the screen.
The left side was taken by the slots with a total cap microSD card tray and two subscriber identity module format nanoSIM. There are no clips to remove the tray from the SIM-cards are not required, because it is easy to make even a fingernail. By the way, under the same flap hides the OFF button for forced off the machine.
On the right edge are located on / lock in the corporate style “metal rivets”, volume rocker, and a separate key for the camera.
At the top end Sony Xperia C5 Ultra, like the Xperia C4 preserved 3.5-mm jack for audio garniture, and at the bottom there was a place for the microUSB connector and “conversational” microphone.
The main functional elements of the rear panel decorated with logos and Sony Xperia, located in the upper part.
This main camera lens, “eye” flash, a second microphone and antenna area NFC, marked with the logo.
The glossy back cover successfully collects fat prints that are particularly clearly visible on black plastic. For this reason, “rear view” at the stylish smartphone is almost always some untidy. Monolithic design of the device due to the non-removable battery.
As for ergonomics, in addition to reducing the width of the housing, the developers have taken care of special measures (plug-in settings), simplifying communication with this giant phone.
Screen, camera, sound: Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
Compared with its predecessor, Xperia C4, equipped with a 5.5-inch screen diagonal from Sony Xperia C5 Ultra review has increased by 0.5 inches. Thus, the new product has been used for 6-inch IPS-matrix, but with the same Full HD-resolution, so the pixel density per inch decreased and amounted to 367 ppi. However, with the naked eye indistinguishable individual points, and brightness and richness of colors is not lost even at high angles. As in other Xperia smartphones to improve image quality applied technology Mobile Bravia Engine 2. It is, in particular, is designed to optimize the contrast, to achieve a more subtle gradations of dark shades.
The brightness level of the backlight Sony Xperia C5 Ultra is proposed to adjust manually, or use an automatic configuration for that according to the built-in light sensor (“Adaptive adjustment”). At its discretion easy to change the color temperature of the screen (“White Balance”) – make colors warmer or vice versa, cold. In addition, the settings allow you to save battery power by using, for example, the minimum interval for the screen transition to sleep mode, and the function of intelligent backlight control, which determines that the device is in your hand.
Touch capacitive screen clearly responds to pressing and detects up to ten simultaneous touches. Such multi-confirm the results of the programs and AnTuTu Tester MultiTouch Tester. If the option “Mode gloves” to control the smartphone and can be dressed hands.
Improve the quality of photos and video when playing any proposed inclusion of an option X-Reality for mobile, or “regime of limiting the brightness.” Tempered glass with oleophobic coating not only protects the screen from scratches but also allows you to quickly clean it from grease.
The new smartphone in the first place will delight those of a variety of possible scenes prefers self-portrait. The fact that the main and the front camera Sony Xperia C5 Ultra received a 13-megapixel sensor and wide-angle lenses with equivalent focal lengths (EGF) 25 mm and 22 mm have the angles 80 and 88 degrees, respectively. In other words, the front camera optics of a wide-angle, allowing for shooting Groove easily capture the shot even greater company. Both cameras available autofocus and flash, while, at the disposal of amateurs is the so-called Selfie Flash, which is a short distance from the subject provides a soft and uniform lighting. In addition to the 4x digital zoom is provided as video stabilization SteadyShot. Shoot at a maximum resolution (4096h3072 point 13 MP 4: 3) can only be in the “Manual” and “Super Auto” the default, provides a lower resolution 3920h2208 points (9 megapixel, 16: 9). The manufacturer emphasizes the presence of HDR mode for both cameras, both for photos and video. For the shutter, in addition to a dedicated hardware key is an icon in the viewfinder and the volume rocker (defined in settings).
Both cameras Sony Xperia C5 Ultra are able to record video clips as Full HD (1920×1080 pixels) at a frame rate of 30 fps. Content is stored in the container file MP4 (AVC – Video, AAC – sound). Also supports 3GPP.
As usual, in addition to the already installed applications for the cameras, and you can download additional programs. So, with the help of “On the face of the image”, when running both chambers, it is easy to combine your own portrait with the main subjects. By the way, from the Xperia C4 with a 5-megapixel front camera inherited novelty inherited, such regimes as “portrait style” and “AR Mask”.
In the first case, the image is easy to add one of the existing or created their own styles with fun effects.
Mode “AR Mask” when creating the self-allows, for example, to impose a muzzle of an animal or another person on the face of its own.
Although symmetrically arranged on the front panel Sony Xperia C5 Ultra dynamics look like a stereo for multimedia (video, music) is used, only one of them. However, the manufacturer claims that he alone is capable of producing sound volume up to 95 dB (check that no appropriate equipment is not possible). Subjectively, this speaker sounds really loud, but the quality, of course, mean.
The proposed settings automatically optimize sound Sony Xperia C5 Ultra, relying on the function ClearAudio +. Manually this can be done using the built-in equalizer. In addition, the headphone option is available for surround sound (concert hall, club, studio). But to align the volume of different songs or videos provided by the inclusion of dynamic normalizer. By the way, support is provided by regular means lossless-format, in particular, FLAC. As for the built-in FM-tuner with RDS, as it works only when the headset is connected (as the short-wave antenna).
Filling performance: Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
The base hardware platform is virtually unchanged inherited Sony Xperia C5 Ultra on a Xperia C4. Here again we turned to the production of the company MediaTek, stay on the same 8-core processor, MT6752.
Recall that this chip made in compliance with design rules of 28 nm Architecture ARMv8-A, in addition to the 64-bit processor cores ARM Cortex-A53 (1,7 GHz) and multimode 4G-modem, and integrated: accelerator ARM Mali-T760 MP2 (700 MHz) with two execution units (with support for API Open GL ES 3.0 and Open CL 1.2), Wi-Fi modules, and Bluetooth, a single-channel memory controller, etc. The performance MT6752 is usually compared with less powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 615. Like the Xperia C4 aboard Sony Xperia C5 Ultra has 2 GB of RAM LPDDR3 (800 MHz).
From the results of synthetic benchmarks AnTuTu Benchmark 5.7.1, it follows that the number of “virtual parrots” smartphone Sony Xperia C5 Ultra ahead of last year’s flagship HTC One M8.
On Vellamo benchmark success accompanied these smartphones – on multi-core test (Multicore) Sony Xperia C5 Ultra proved to be ahead of the HTC One M8s, but the measurement of “horsepower” on the processor tests (Metal) is a little lost to him.
With variable settings High Performance and High Quality (performance at the expense of quality and vice versa) on the visual test Epic Citadel average frame rate resolution 1800h1080 points remained virtually unchanged – 60,7 and 60,3 fps, respectively. But when you change the settings on Ultra High Quality this parameter has decreased by almost half, to 36,5 fps.
Good result Sony Xperia C5 Ultra pointed to a universal benchmark 3DMark (recommended tests Sling Shot c ES 3.1). Although new and not a gaming monster power available filling is enough to run, including “heavy” applications.
The total number of points earned Sony Xperia C5 Ultra on cross-platform benchmark Base Mark OS II, was 850.
Of the 16 GB of internal memory available is about 11 GB and free, of course, even less. To expand the storage has a slot designed for memory cards microSD / HC / XC volume as specified by the manufacturer, up to 200 GB (for the Xperia C4 limited to 128 GB). With support for USB-OTG technology to the unit is easy to connect an ordinary stick.
To ensure the functions of voice and mobile Internet are two subscriber identity module format nanoSIM (4FF), with support for most network 4G Cat.4. As for the other wireless communications, then, along with 2-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n (2,4 and 5 GHz), it’s interface NFC and Bluetooth 4.1. There is also support for DLNA and Miracast.
For positioning and navigation satellites, the receiver uses a mute group of GPS and GLONASS, which is confirmed by the results of the program AndroiTS GPS Test. Also provided native support for technology A-GPS.
The capacity of the non-removable lithium-ion battery from the Sony Xperia C5 Ultra was at 330 mAh more than its predecessor Xperia C4 (2930 mAh vs. 2600 mAh). At the same time, the availability of fast charge here would be very helpful since the maximum current standard power adapter is only 850 mA.
In the battery test AnTuTu Tester Smartphone earned 5428 points. According to the manufacturer, the available battery capacity allows constantly be in touch within 14 hours 24 minutes, the time of standby time will be up to 728 hours. In turn, the maximum time music – more than 60 hours, and video playback – 7 hours 47 minutes. The test set of videos to MP4 format and Full HD-quality at full brightness spun continuously for just over 6 hours.
Provided for power-saving modes are designed to maximize battery life. So, Stamina can limit performance, disable background processes during periods of inactivity, as well as to define a list of applications that are allowed to access the network. More significantly extends the autonomy Ultra Stamina, however, leaving the included only basic features of the phone (voice and SMS). The so-called “low battery mode” is activated when a predetermined filling level of the battery. In this case, power consumption is reduced, for example, by turning off the wireless module (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS), decreasing the timeout of the screen, lowering its illumination, etc.
Software: Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
Smartphone Sony Xperia C5 Ultra running an operating system Google Android 5.0 (Lollipop), wrapped up in its original wrapper Xperia, the interface is a little different from the classic “lollipop”.
In particular, we added several branded themes, widgets and applications.
To simplify the management giant phone settings provided “Step one hand.” For example, if the option “Changing the size of the screen to” make swipe diagonally (right-left or up-up), the size of the working part of the display is reduced. Next, swipe from the top corner of the active area of the screen is easy to bring up to 4 inches. But check “Optimized applications”, you can simplify dialing, unlock the screen, access to notifications, etc.
Buying and conclusions: Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
The technology, which is the Internet offered at an average price of 380 US Dollar, is clearly aimed at those who use the smartphone not only for communication. You can buy Sony Xperia C5 Ultra for 380 US. First of all do not be disappointed lovers of self – because the gadget is equipped with two 13-megapixel cameras and extended bursts.
The strengths of Sony Xperia C5 Ultra is attributed “frameless” screen, advanced front-facing camera and support for 4G networks and the availability of the interface NFC. Along with the ability to play FLAC-Files smartphone offers good battery life. But it was not without flaws. So, unkempt appearance of the device is obliged to back cover of glossy plastic (especially black). In addition, the housing news, deprived of protection against dust and water, may seem too bulky. However, the most frustrating lack of support for fast charging apparatus.
Generally speaking, the smartphone Sony Xperia C5 Ultra was in a niche that direct competitors had, in fact, not. As already noted, his predecessor Sony Xperia C4 (330 US Dollar), it exceeds the size of the “frameless” 6-inch screen and more advanced front camera. Although HTC Desire Eye (415 US Dollar) also received two 13-megapixel cameras, but the diagonal of its screen only 5.2 inches, in addition, the processor is not 8, but only 4-core. But among the 6-inch giants may be noted, for example, almost all metal Huawei Ascend Mate 7 (430 US Dollar), which is comparable with the stuffing was, unfortunately, only a 5-megapixel front camera.
Results of the review of the smartphone Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
Pros Sony Xperia C5 Ultra:
- Big “frameless” screen
- Advanced front camera
- The ability to play FLAC-files
- Support 4G and NFC
- Good battery life
Cons Sony Xperia C5 Ultra:
- The case may seem cumbersome
- The back cover of glossy plastic
- No fast charge
- Lack of protection against water and dust
Source: Sonymobile, Damngeeky