A few weeks ago we received a Sony Xperia E3 to use and abuse for a couple of weeks. It wasn’t the most interesting phone on the planet, but it was one of Sony‘s important aimed at the masses, rather than the trendsetters. Roll on 2015, and the company has launched its fourth-generation update — the Sony Xperia E4.
Read more: Sony Xperia E4 is coming to South Africa Q2 2015
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And judging by the aesthetics alone, we’re already a little more interested.
There’s now a rather wide 5.0-inch 540×960 screen, a quad-core Mediatek MT6582 SoC under the hood, 8GB of internal storage and 1GB of RAM. To round off the offering, Sony has placed a 2MP selfie sensor up front and a 5MP sensor with LED flash at the rear.
Thankfully, there’s also a rather large (for a budget phone) 2300mAh battery, which does push the weight up to 144g and girth to 10.5mm — slightly heavier and fatter than most in the mid-to-budget category.
The Sony Xperia E4 might not seem interesting at first glance, but it’s a damn important device to continue Sony’s strong South African sales streak. So, give it a proper look over in our arrival gallery below and stay tuned to Gearburn for the full review in the coming weeks.
Sony Xperia E4
Sony Xperia E4
It's certainly one of the widest Sony devices we've seen in a while.
Sony Xperia E4
There's a 5.0-inch screen up front with a 2MP selfie camera.
Sony Xperia E4
Resolution is a bit lower than most phones in its range, but you wouldn't notice at first glance.
Sony Xperia E4
The bezels are also ridiculously narrow on this thing, which gives it a lovely "all screen" appearance.
Sony Xperia E4
The rear is sheathed by a rough plastic finish, but do expect scratches on its back.
Sony Xperia E4
The customary circular Sony power button also features, but protrudes a little more from the body than most Sonys.
Sony Xperia E4
It's not the sleekest device in the world, but it would feel a bit strange considering its rather large screen.
Sony Xperia E4
The front is layered with scratchproof glass, according to Sony.
Sony Xperia E4
The 5MP rear snapper and LED flash sit beneath the phone's body, protecting them from untoward scratches.
Sony Xperia E4
It's a rather large mid-range device that doesn't feel cheap at all.
Sony Xperia E4
It's extremely comfortable to hold as well, thanks to a rather curious ridge between the screen and the device's rear plate.
Sony Xperia E4
Rather classic rear, don't you agree?
Sony Xperia E4
One seriously curious addition to the Sony Xperia E4 box was this tiny charging cable.
