# Sony Xperia E review



## braindead (Apr 26, 2013)

See Specs here Sony Xperia E
paid 9800 in total. 
*Packaging*
Comes in a small box just big enough to fit the microusb charger ,earphones and printed materials. Had to read one of the materials to open the back panel, which was very simple after i read it. No screen guard is provided but the screen did not get any scratches even after running around a few days in my pocket with coins and lip balm. But i don’t want to live my life on the edge so now there is a shiny new screenguard which wasn’t easy to find.
Got headphones for free in a big white box (says worth Rs 1450 on the box). White in color and looks good. Dekho pics(phone camera)


Spoiler



*i.imgur.com/yUA2Uky.jpg





Spoiler



*i.imgur.com/3KnVz9q.jpg



*Build*
Good built quality. Unlike the front side the back panel is rubberised with a matte finish, so less fingerprints and doesnt slip out of my hand easily. At 115 gms it is light and very comfortable to hold. No creaking or anything like that in spite of my feeble twisting attempts. Doesnt look or feel  like a budget phone.
There's a 3.2 mp camera(without flash) and at the back and loudspeaker(which isnt very loud ) grill at the bottom. xperia written at the back which you can show off while talking on the phone.


Spoiler



*i.imgur.com/F0jNLrb.jpg



*Buttons and stuff*

Micro usb at top left side which serves for both charging and connecting the phone to pc. Buttons for volume control at the top right. 
A protruding metal button? just below the volume control which functions both as power off/on and lock screen. This cannot be described in my limited vocabulary and i have included pictures to show you all. 



Spoiler



*i.imgur.com/aU6mWUX.jpg



And you can see that the power thing looks good. A dedicated camera button is placed lower which doesn’t even launch the camera at all, it is just for taking pictures in camera mode. The usual option for 3.5mm audio jack is at the top. 
The front side gets smudged very fast. Bought a new soft scarf just for polishing the front (also helpful since I sneeze a lot…hmmm guess my phone is full of germs). 
Below the screen are back, home and menu keys which are very responsive to touch. I immediately disabled the vibrate feedback on touch thing. 
There is a notification led near the front speaker (which isn’t very bright like the usual Blackberry's led), it can be customized to blink different colors for missed call, whatsapp etc and has won my heart. 


Spoiler



*i.imgur.com/1PE1tGh.jpg



There is also another notification glow light just below the home key which glows according to the theme when you unlock the phone. Very nice.



Spoiler



*i.imgur.com/6NwBeEe.jpg




*Display* 
3.5 inch HVGA TFT display. Even though I wasn’t expecting much it’s a bit of disappointment comparing with other phones side by side in the same range (micromax, karbonn etc). For good visbisibilty under sunlight brightness settings had to be above 60%. Viewing angles are not really good either. I console myself by knowing that other people’s peeping efforts at my phone screen are in vain. Naughty texting while travelling in buses will be much easier now. 

*Features and such*
This lovely phone runs Jellybean (4.1.1) and is very refreshing to use. We all know the goodness of Jellybean so amen to that. 
Sony has also added some additional widgets which are useful(will write all about usability of messaging,phonebook,gallery etc next time together).
Comes preloaded with youtube,facebook,chrome,office suite etc. Some apps about about Salman khan ,Shahrukh etc were there which i removed immediately. Life is too short for such. Unfortunately there are still some sony apps which cannot be uninstalled. sony tv, sony music??(will do,after rooting).
Facebook inside xperia can be used to sync photos and also show music likes on your news feed. I really like when the contact image fills more than half of the screen for incoming and outgoing calls. No need of third party apps for this.
The xperia keyboard with swiping to text is really good. No more tip tap to type. I prefer this over the similar but paid swiftkey app. 

*Performance*
Performance isnt that great. But there is no lag when using the phone normally. Apps take some time to load but runs smoothly. Subway surfers is making me poop longer than usual. Run more than a few apps at once and then I can experience games in slow motion. Blame it on the 512 mb ram and the processor. Most “normal” games can be played without any hindrance though.

*Connectivity*
3g,wifi,bluetooth. Connected devices app is already preinstalled which can supposedly allow me to browse such other devices connected to same wifi. Yet to try that though. Wifi tethering allows me to write this like a boss. Signal reception is more than good .Can now make calls in kitchen too where my older nokia failed(or maybe docomo improved its network?)

*Camera*
 Nothing much here(3.2 mp) (Box pics above were taken with the camera under low light).Just to click “tympass click” for facebook is okay i guess. Might be better in outdoor shots. Those interested in camera might have to look elsewhere. A camera isn’t really on my list while buying a phone and so i forgive you Sony. Videos werent that bad as i thought i would be. Lack of flashlight means no torchlight and made me wonder about those frequent power cuts at home. I will miss my nokia torch which always prevented my mind from going to the bhoot dimensions.


Spoiler



*i.imgur.com/4nFUSIU.jpg





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*i.imgur.com/JTCFcsw.jpg


*Audio*
Like most phones the loudspeaker is located at the back but it isnt that good and should be totally avoided (Also for the sake of public convenience). Using headphones gives a much better experience. The free headphones are good enough for me. I always feel like with the ears covered, my body temperature increases by a few degrees. But I like the audio quality so much that even in this hot and humid weather I don’t mind. 
The default player is Walkman and works well. Equaliser options too(5 band). Sadly I didn’t like the lack of customisation, organising files etc , so no longer using that for music playback. 



Spoiler



No audio expert




*Battery *
1530 mah. Few hours of Facebook and whatsapp. A bit of browsing using the default browser, google play etc. Some games and some hours of music. Good enough for me. Charging once a day.Device heats up a little bit up to an at an acceptable level when used continuously for a long time.(will do some more extensive battery testing soon)

*Memory*
 2GB user accessible (4GB total). 512 ram. Expandable storage upto 32 gb. 
Memory card can be inserted/removed easily without removing the battery. The back panel needs to be opened for this though. pics coming.



Conclusion: A not so bad looking phone with good built quality and functionality from a well-known brand at a good price. Good enough for me 

This isnt much of a review but my thoughts and opinions based on the experience of using this device. Im sure lots of things have been left out, your advice will help me here.
Feedback is greatly appreciated as this is my first attempt at such.


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## sujoyp (Apr 26, 2013)

Nice review...I think the phone is good enough for its price


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## sumit05 (Apr 26, 2013)

Why didn't you consider Samsung Galaxy Young.


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## quagmire (Apr 26, 2013)

Expandable storage upto 32 mb.  <-- typo OP..

Nice review.. Some camera pics would make it complete..


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## Flash (Apr 26, 2013)

Nicely done..
Does it have "Stamina mode" or it is exclusive to Z?


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## Shah (Apr 26, 2013)

Let us also know what made you to go for Xperia E instead of L520 and others.


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## braindead (Apr 26, 2013)

Thank you for all for you feedbacks.

Could not bring myself to buy samsung young. Maybe because of the all similar looking samsungs? Battery on paper(1300mah?) didnt look so appealing. Felt umm small too kya kare...maan mein laddo nahi phuta.

*sumit05*

No stamina mode but there is "Extended Standby mode". This disable the data connections when the screen is turned off. Simple.
*Gearbox*

L520 my brother. ghar mein. Other phone options were either too big(Above 4 inch is too much for me) ,didnt cathc my eye or not available. Had to buy there and then condition.
Maybe I was just destined to buy this instead 
*Shah*


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## braindead (May 11, 2013)

*Rooting xperia e 1504*
Im adding these steps here as its only a few lines.
This is the simplest way to root xperia e
1.Download srsroot from here srsroot(dot)com and install.
2. Enable usb debugging mode form settings>Developer options
2.After installing, run the software and connect your phone.
3.Select root device(smart root option)
4.Select gandalf(worked for me) when prompted on the phone.
5. Done!

Took a few minutes for me. good luck.


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## mohit9206 (May 24, 2013)

So is this phone worth buying over the Galaxy Young ? The Young is cheaper , has more sharper screen due to smaller display , has more RAM . So please help me out here .


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## braindead (May 30, 2013)

as ive only played with the young for a few hours there isnt much to what i can say.
if RAM and the slight screen advantage(not much in my opinion) is important to you then go for it. 
Looks,built quality and the battery seems better for this though.
(discount in memory card and free headphones swayed my choice too)


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## mohit9206 (Jul 13, 2013)

braindead said:


> as ive only played with the young for a few hours there isnt much to what i can say.
> if RAM and the slight screen advantage(not much in my opinion) is important to you then go for it.
> Looks,built quality and the battery seems better for this though.
> (discount in memory card and free headphones swayed my choice too)



Hey dude how has your experience been with this phone so far ? I cant decide between this,galaxy young and xolo q700.


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## Minion (Jul 22, 2013)

^Get Q700 much better than galaxy young or Xperia E.


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## Nanducob (Jul 22, 2013)

Good review.


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## srkmish (Jul 23, 2013)

Poor resolution, small screen , poor battery. Its hard to recommend this over budget xolo phones at this price.


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## Nanducob (Jul 23, 2013)

srkmish said:


> Poor resolution, small screen , poor battery. Its hard to recommend this over budget xolo phones at this price.



well,maybe for the money its worth it provided that sony is a reputable company.


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## rdx_halo (Jul 27, 2013)

good impartial review.


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## mohit9206 (Aug 2, 2013)

Galaxy S Duos is better than this phone now due to recent price drop.Bigger 4 inch higher res display, better camera and dual sim all for under 10k.Ofcourse those who are ok with offbrand device Qolo Q700 is still the best option but remember service is very bad.


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## Nerevarine (Aug 2, 2013)

^ Galaxy S duos is a terrible performer,for 1 k more, you can get S advance


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## mohit9206 (Aug 2, 2013)

Nerevarine said:


> ^ Galaxy S duos is a terrible performer,for 1 k more, you can get S advance


For 1k more ? S Duos is 9.5k and S advance is 13-14k.


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## Nerevarine (Aug 3, 2013)

A friend bought S advance for 11.3k with manufacturer's warranty out of ebay.. 
you gotta use the coupon though but they are plentily available
They were also available in HS18 superdeals for 11k

Right now it's available for 11.6k at HS18..

BTW OP, you didnt review the bundled headphones.. how are they ?


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## mohit9206 (Aug 9, 2013)

Nerevarine said:


> A friend bought S advance for 11.3k with manufacturer's warranty out of ebay..
> you gotta use the coupon though but they are plentily available
> They were also available in HS18 superdeals for 11k
> 
> ...


I have heard complaints after jellybean update s Advance giving lots of problems ?


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## braindead (Aug 13, 2013)

mohit9206 said:


> Hey dude how has your experience been with this phone so far ? I cant decide between this,galaxy young and xolo q700.


Amazing experience so far.
My uses are basic as mentioned above.

Price wise I admit it's on the higher side, you get similar or better specs at this range but I guess it's the brand value (?). Current price less than 9k though. Also there's the dual SIM model for those interested. 

The bundled headphones are very good. It's the same 'gift' Xperia Z users get. same to same bhai.

Also CyanogenMod 10 is awesome.


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## Akintex (Oct 23, 2013)

How is batter backup ?


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