Flashy performer
Sony Xperia C4 Dual review: Flashy performer
Phonebook
The phonebook on the Xperia C4 is called Contacts. It uses a tabbed interface, consisting of Contacts, Favorites and Groups. It's not bundled with the phone app, but you can still quickly jump to it from the dialer. The contact list has a dedicated search filed plus it offers a very nicely animated alphabetical scroll bar.
Phonebook
Single contact view opens in full screen, rather than the pop-up view of previous Xperias. You get plenty of options for adding contact details with practically unlimited number of fields.
Viewing and editing a contact
Telephony
The Xperia C4 had no problem with reception and we didn't experience dropped calls or other issues. The volume range is rather wide and you wouldn't want to pump it all the way up in all but the loudest surroundings. Even at maximum volume the output remains clear.
The dialer is its own dedicated app and supports smart dialing. It doesn't have a built-in recorder, if you're into that sort of thing.
Standalone dialer with smart dial • in-call screen
The loudspeaker of the Xperia C4 behaves quite differently with ClearAudio+ disabled and with the feature turned on. While the off setting makes for an only Average score, switching it on results in a substantial boost in volume across the board, meeting our criteria for a Very Good rating. It does introduce a bit of noise at maximum volume, so you'll need to weigh the pros and cons.
| Speakerphone test | Voice, dB | Ringing | Overall score | |
| 60.2 | 57.2 | 64.5 | Below Average | |
| 62.9 | 61.7 | 67.7 | Below Average | |
| 67.5 | 60.7 | 69 | Below Average | |
| 63.7 | 65.7 | 68 | Below Average | |
| 66.5 | 66.2 | 66.3 | Below Average | |
| 66.2 | 61.1 | 75.3 | Average | |
| 64.8 | 66.3 | 73.5 | Average | |
| 65.7 | 65.3 | 74.2 | Average | |
| 68.3 | 65.8 | 71.6 | Average | |
| 65 | 65.8 | 75.7 | Average | |
| 66.2 | 66.2 | 74.1 | Average | |
| 66.7 | 64.6 | 75.7 | Average | |
| 68.4 | 64.4 | 75.8 | Good | |
| 68.2 | 65.8 | 75.7 | Good | |
| 73.7 | 67.7 | 74.7 | Good | |
| 70.2 | 66.6 | 80.2 | Good | |
| 70.8 | 70.9 | 77.4 | Very Good | |
| 73.7 | 67.7 | 78.7 | Very Good | |
| 71.1 | 70.5 | 79.9 | Very Good | |
| 76.7 | 69.7 | 77.2 | Very Good | |
| 75.9 | 68.9 | 83.3 | Excellent | |
| 74.8 | 73.5 | 80.2 | Excellent | |
| 74.7 | 73.5 | 81.6 | Excellent | |
| 81.3 | 75.8 | 83.6 | Excellent |
Messaging, email and text input
The Sony messaging app has the regular functionality with threaded view and automatic transition to MMS when attaching media. Google Hangouts is also on board.
Messaging app
Naturally, the Gmail client and the default Email apps are on board. Either one can sync with multiple accounts, both Google and POP3/IMAP.
Generic Mail app
The Xperia keyboard has every feature you may need. It has symbols on long press, smiley key, and Swype-like gesture input. There's also a one-handed mode which squishes the entire keyboard to one side for easier access. A selection of three differently colored skins is also available.
Xperia keyboard with secondary symbols • smileys • one-handed keyboard • gesture input • skins
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