Sony has today announced a new addition to its Xperia smartphone series with the entry level Xperia E4.
The device follows on from last year’s Sony Xperia E3, a budget 4G blower that proffered a low mark-up but suffered due to its poor display and low-detail camera.
The new E4 touts a 5-inch 960 x 540 IPS display, up from the 4.5-inch screen of its predecessor.
Sony’s new device comes ahead of MWC 2015, and lands as the firm’s first smartphone launching this year.
The handset uses a 2300mAh battery, which Sony reckons will offer up to two days of battery life.
Sony’s low-spec blower runs off a 1.3GHz MediaTek MT6582 quad-core processor, which comes paired with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of built-in storage – there’s a microSD slot to boot.
The rear camera sensors clocks in at a 5-megapixel resolution, and features HDR plus a host of Sony’s own camera apps – AR fun, Live on YouTube, and Timeshift burst, to name a few.
There’s also a 2-megapixel front-facing camera which, while not spectactular, will offer a budget provider of selfie goodness.
The handset runs Android 4.4.4 KitKat, and Sony’s made no mention of an upgrade to Android 5.0 Lollipop thus far.
The phone is designed around Sony’s OmniBalance aesthetic, boasting a textured rear surface and a slim, curved profile.
Despite being an entry-level device, it maintains some of the premium design flairs seen on Sony’s flagship handsets, including the diamond-cut aluminium power button and the stainless steel camera ring.
Related: Best Cheap Mobile Phones
Tony McNulty, Sony’s VP for Value Category Businnes Management at the Mobile Comms division, said: “With Xperia E4, we wanted to offer people some of the premium Sony features they have come to expect – with unparalleled ease of use – at a highly competitive price point.”
“With a simple set-up, great screen, and unrivalled 2 day battery life, we’ve created an on-the-go entertainment device that will keep on going, wherever you are.”
It’s worth noting that this handset is likely a response to Motorola’s new entry-level Moto E, which reportedly entered US shops today.
The handset will be available in black and white, and is set to go on sale in mid-February 2015.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
