Sony Xperia C5 Ultra review: Crowd selfie

Sony Xperia C5 retail package

The Xperia C5 Ultra's retail package covers the basics: you get an A/C adapter, a microUSB cable and a headset.

The Xperia C5 retail package

Sony Xperia C5 360-degree spin

At 164.2 x 79.6 x 8.2mm, the Sony Xperia C5 Ultra has quite the footprint, but nothing out of the usual for a device built around a 6" display. In fact, Sony managed to shave a couple of millimeters off the 6" Xperia T2 Ultra in height and width.

The Xperia C5 Ultra is a little thicker though and gained some extra 15g of weight for a total of 187g.

Design and build quality

Sony has offered some fine-looking midrange smartphones through the past few years, and the Xperia C5 Ultra could've easily been at or near the top of that list. The big fella looks great from the front with the almost non-existent screen bezel, but the rear is rather disappointing.

Sony Xperia C5 Ultra

The matte frame ends on a high-gloss non-removable piece of plastic, which covers the back of the phone. No matter which paintjob you opt for, the glossy finish is very fingerprint-prone and things get ugly really fast.

After a short time, the entire handset is covered in smudges to the point of almost no grip. And you certainly don't want a 6" phone weighing close to 200g slipping off your hands like a piece of wet soap. A bumper case sounds like a must for this one.

Sony Xperia C5 Ultra

On a positive note, all the controls are placed within comfortable reach. The C5 Ultra uses the signature metal power button and has a hardware shutter button.

Handling the Sony Xperia C5 Ultra

Controls

Above the 6" screen, there's a small hidden status LED and a couple of discrete sensors that you may fail to notice but there's no way to miss the massive 13MP AF selfie camera with a big LED flash. The earpiece is etched along the very frame.

All the way across at the bottom, the single front-facing speaker mirrors the earpiece. There are no capacitive keys below the display, as usual Sony opts for on-screen controls.

Above and below the display

The top of the Xperia C5 Ultra has the audio jack only, while the bottom features the microUSB port and the primary microphone.

The top and bottom of the Xperia C5 Ultra

On the left there is a long plastic cap, which protects the single/dual SIM tray and the microSD slot.

The left side

The right is where the typical metallic power key and the volume rocker are. There is a small two-step camera shutter as well, which we really appreciate.

What's on the right

The glossy back has the other 13MP AF camera lens with a LED flash and the secondary mic. You can't pop the cover open and there are no user-replaceable parts under it anyway.

The 13MP rear camera on the glossy back