Sony Xperia E5 review: Nice ’n easy

Introduction

The Sony Xperia E5 is the company's cheapest smartphone in the updated 2016 lineup, but you wouldn't tell going by just how it looks. The clean and classy design in fact reminds us of Sony's outgoing flagship, the Z5.

While the main focus has been on the X-series lately, often for the wrong reasons, the reshuffle at the top didn't obviously send ripples all the way down. It's business as usual in the E-series and the Xperia E5 clocks in at about the right time of the year to prove that the stuff that works needs no changes.

It's not to say though that the Xperia E5 didn't get any special attention. The upmarket design has one checkbox ticked but the specs are more than decent too for the phone's weight class and price bracket. Building on the previous generations, the Xperia E5 has all the traits of a well-rounded overall package.

Key features

• 5.0" 1280 x 720px IPS LCD display of 294ppi
• Android OS v6.0 Marshmallow
• MediaTek MT6735 chipset: Quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A53; Mali-T720 GPU; 1.5GB RAM; 16 GB of built-in storage
• 13 MP camera with 1080p@30fps video recording and tracking autofocus; 5 MP front-facing camera with 1080p@30fps video
• LTE Cat.4 (150/50 Mbps); dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n; GPS/GLONASS/Beidou, Bluetooth v4.0
• Active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic
• 2,700mAh non-removable battery

Main disadvantages

• Sealed battery
• No quick charging

Granted, there's no metal here - a feat only mid-rangers from China are clearly capable of pulling off. For Sony, it seems like a missed opportunity, considering that the battery isn't removable with the current plastic build anyway.

The battery size is adequate though and with Android 6.0 Marshmallow's optimizations should be able to do well enough.

Another interesting thing to see in action is the 13MP/5MP camera set-up front and rear - both are the highest res sensors to ever grace an E-series phone. Well, camera resolution is perhaps a cheap enough upgrade but Sony did well to keep the Xperia E5 on par with the competition.

Sony Xperia E5 official photos

But it's rare to see people driven by a specific feature or two in this price range; they want the full package. The Xperia E5 looks smart and professional and seems quite up to it overall. Time to look at it up close and have in-depth look of its performance.