The cheapest device in the Sony Mobile family

Sony Xperia E devices are known to belong to the most modest line of mobile products of the Japanese company, which has always included the cheapest Sony smartphones. At the moment, two models of this family are presented in retail at the same time - Xperia E3 and E4. Since the new Xperia E4 is just beginning its journey to the market, the price of the updated model is naturally set higher than its predecessor. Accordingly, at the moment Xperia E3 can be called the cheapest smartphone from the current lineup Sony. Let's see what Sony has prepared for users who prefer to use entry-level mobile devices, and what the level of the simplest modern smartphone of this famous brand really is.

Main characteristics of Sony Xperia E3 (model D2203)

	Sony Xperia E3	Philips S398	Fly tornado one	LG L Bello	Acer liquid jade
Screen	4.5 ″, IPS	5 ″, IPS	5 ″, IPS	5 ″, IPS	5 ″, IPS
Resolution	854 × 480, 218 ppi	1280 × 720, 294 ppi	1280 × 720, 294 ppi	854 × 480, 196 ppi	1280 × 720, 294 ppi
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (4x ARM Cortex-A7 @ 1.2GHz)		MediaTek MT6592m (8 cores ARM Cortex-A7 @ 1.4GHz)	MediaTek MT6582 (4x ARM Cortex-A7 @ 1.3GHz)	MediaTek MT6582 (4x ARM Cortex-A7 @ 1.3GHz)
GPU	Adreno 305	Mali 400MP	Mali 450MP	Mali 400 MP	Mali 400 MP
RAM	1 GB	1 GB	1 GB	1 GB	1 GB
Flash memory	4 GB	8 GB	8 GB	8 GB	8 GB
Memory card support	microSD	microSD	microSD	microSD	microSD
Operating system	Google android 4.4	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 4.4
Battery	non-removable, 2330 mAh	removable, 2040 mAh	non-removable, 1920 mAh	removable, 2540 mAh	non-removable, 2100 mAh
Cameras	rear (5 MP; 1080p video), front (0.3 MP)	rear (8 MP; 1080p video), front (2 MP)		rear (8 MP; 1080p video), front (1.3 MP)	rear (13 MP; 1080p video), front (2 MP)
Dimensions and weight	137 x 69 x 8.5 mm, 147 g	144 x 71 x 9.65mm, 170g	140 x 70 x 7.9 mm, 151 g	138 x 71 x 10.7 mm, 137 g	140 x 69 x 7.5mm, 110g
average price	T-11028556	T-11744036	T-11057176	T-11036010	T-11168663
Sony Xperia E3 offers	L-11028556-10

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (MSM8926), 1.2 GHz, 4 ARM Cortex-A7 cores
• GPU Adreno 305
• Operating system Android 4.4.2
• Touch display IPS, 4.5 ″, 854 × 480, 218 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 1 GB, internal memory 4 GB
• Micro-SIM support (1 pc.)
• Support for microSD memory cards up to 32 GB
• 2G communication: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• 3G connection: WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz
• Data transmission FDD LTE Cat4 (Bands 1, 3, 7, 8, 28)
• Wi-Fi 802.11b / g / n (2.4 GHz), point Wi-Fi access, Wi-Fi Direct
• Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
• GPS (A-GPS), Glonass, BDS
• Camera 5 MP, autofocus, LED flash
• Camera 0.3 MP (front)
• Proximity sensor, lighting, accelerometer, electronic compass
• Non-removable battery 2330 mAh
• Dimensions 137 x 69 x 8.5 mm
• Weight 147 g

Equipment

The Sony Xperia E3 smartphone comes on sale in a box made of thin unvarnished cardboard with only one compartment inside, typical for the entire line of budget devices, simple in quality and design. The packaging, like its contents, does not claim to be premium, everything is simpler and more economical here.

The accessory kit consists of a compact charger(5 V, 850 mA), connecting cable Micro-USB, as well as a small stack of paper documents. The headset was not included in the kit this time, but maybe this is for the best - after all, it is unlikely that any high-quality headphones will be given to the budget model, so in any case, you would have to buy something decent.

Appearance and usability

The design of the Sony Xperia E3 is perhaps one of the strongest points of the Japanese budget model. The device looks modern, is designed in a bright youth style, and at the same time, it retains the features of the proprietary concept of Omni, in which all Sony mobile devices, without exception, have been sustained over the past few years.

The smartphone has the same unchanged shiny side frame that runs along the entire perimeter of the case, only here it is not made of real metal, but of plastic, painted with silver paint like metal. The back surface of the case, in contrast to the higher-ranked models, is not made of glass, but of matte, slightly rough, but hard to the touch plastic.

The corners along the side perimeter, according to a new trend adopted by Sony, are separated from the general frame - now they are independent inserts made of a more elastic material designed to absorb the impact energy when the device falls.

The familiar round aluminum power button has not disappeared, either - a signature touch given to all, without exception, mobile devices of the latest generations of Sony. Another key responsible for adjusting the volume is made of plastic and is located nearby. The volume button, in contrast to the round lock, practically does not protrude beyond the body, so finding it blindly is quite problematic. The key travel is very short, it is hardly felt under the fingers, so you will have to get used to it - in this regard, the Sony Xperia E3 is not perfect.

In terms of size, the smartphone turned out to be quite medium-sized, especially against the background of most modern mobile devices. It can be comfortably placed in a pocket, the device also fits comfortably in the hand, although the matte-looking surfaces of the sidewalls and back walls turned out to be somehow too slippery to the touch - the smartphone often strives to slip out of the fingers. The mass of the device also turned out to be unexpectedly large for such a medium-sized device, in the hand the smartphone feels like a kind of weighty bar.

The case is completely covered from the front protective glass similar in performance to Corning's Gorilla Glass. There are two symmetrical slots at the top and bottom of the glass, but their purpose is different. Unlike the older models, there are no two stereo speakers here - the lower grill serves only to accommodate the spoken microphone. There are no buttons under the screen either, the system and applications are controlled using virtual on-screen buttons, so the empty space at the bottom under the screen looks redundant and unreasonable.

In the upper part above the screen, in addition to the eye of the front camera and sensors, there is also such a useful element as an LED notification indicator - a dot glowing in different colors notifies about the charging status and various incoming events. In the settings, you can disable this functionality, and then the indicator will only display the battery charging status.

The back wall is absolutely flat, there are no bends on it. The grill of the main speaker is brought out to the back side, there are no protrusions near the hole, so the sound is significantly muffled when the smartphone is lying on a hard surface with the screen facing up.

At the top of the back wall is the main camera module next to a single-section LED flash that can work as a flashlight using a pre-installed program.

As for the slots for cards, in this case there are two - one for a SIM-card of the Micro-SIM format, and the second for a microSD memory card. Both slots are located under the removable back cover, but you cannot find the battery under the cover - it is tightly hidden inside the case and is inaccessible to the user. In nature, there is another modification of the Xperia E3 smartphone that supports dual SIM.

From the body of the Xperia E3 disappeared and such an unchanged element, in the past was present on all Sony Mobile products without exception, as a strap mount. Where now the Japanese schoolgirls will hook their keychains is unclear. Perhaps this functionality was not in great demand, since it was decided to remove it in the new season - and these fasteners disappeared from the products of other families, up to the highest, the flagship line of Xperia Z. Perhaps this decision was dictated by the fact that, due to polycarbonate corners inserted at all four side corners of the case, there was simply no place for fastening.

The universal Micro-USB connector, located on the left side edge, supports connecting additional devices and flash drives in OTG mode. The connectors are not covered with covers, since the device is not protected from water and dust. Support wireless charging also no.

As for the color scheme of smartphones, in this regard, Sony continues to delight: the new device is presented in four color options, from traditional white and black to bright lemon and copper shades. In this case, we can say with confidence that the white version of the Sony Xperia E3 turned out to be the most ordinary-looking, all the colored bodies look much brighter and more expressive, even the black one. In addition, the white coating turns out to be the most easily soiled and less practical. However, if we get away from direct comparison, then separately taken white Sony Xperia E3 also looks quite attractive.

Screen

The Sony Xperia E3 smartphone is equipped with a touchscreen IPS-matrix with a small diagonal size by modern standards. The dimensions of the screen are 56 × 99 mm, the diagonal is 4.5 inches, but the resolution is only 854 × 480 pixels. This, of course, is not enough, the pixel density is low here: it is only 218 dpi.

The frame around the screen is very wide (as much as 7 mm from the sides), in this regard the smartphone looks the least attractive. The display does not occupy the maximum possible area of ​​the front panel, it even seems that the device got the screen from another, more miniature model. The width of the frame at the top and bottom of the screen is also very large - 19 mm.

To adjust the brightness level, you can use automatic tuning based on the operation of the ambient light sensor. The multitouch technology here allows you to process 5 simultaneous touches. The smartphone also has a proximity sensor that locks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. Activation of the screen by double tapping on the glass, control with gloves or wet fingers - none of this budget Sony model from the developers got it.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" sections Alexey Kudryavtsev... Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the test sample.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the turned off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - Sony Xperia E3, then they can be distinguished by their size):

The screen of the Sony Xperia E3 is slightly darker (the brightness in the photos is 79 versus 85 for the Nexus 7). The doubling of reflected objects in the Sony Xperia E3 screen is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen (more specifically, between the outer glass and the surface of the LCD matrix) (OGS type screen - One Glass Solution). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (such as glass / air) with greatly different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked outer glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be changed. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (noticeably lower in efficiency than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are easier to remove, and appear at a slightly slower speed than in the case of ordinary glass.

With manual brightness control and with the display of the white field on the whole screen, the maximum brightness value was about 530 cd / m², the minimum - 24 cd / m². The maximum brightness is very high and, given the excellent anti-glare properties, readability even on a sunny day outdoors will be good. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable value. In the presence of automatic brightness control by the light sensor (it is located to the right of the logo on the front panel). IN automatic mode when the ambient light conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. In complete darkness, the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 24 cd / m2 (normal), in an office illuminated with artificial light (about 400 lux) it sets to 280 cd / m2 (it could have been less), in a very bright environment (corresponds to lighting on a clear day outside rooms, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) increases to 530 cd / m² (to the maximum - this is what you need). It turns out that the automatic adjustment function works more or less adequately. At any brightness level, there is practically no backlight modulation, so there is no screen flickering either.

This smartphone uses an IPS-type matrix. The micrographs show the typical IPS subpixel structure:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of photomicrographs of screens used in mobile technology.

The screen has good viewing angles without a significant color shift even with large gaze deviations from the perpendicular to the screen and without inverting (except for the darkest shades when the gaze is deviated along one diagonal). For comparison, we present photographs in which the same images are displayed on the screens of Sony Xperia E3 and Nexus 7, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to about 200 cd / m2 (along the white field in the entire screen), and the color balance on the camera was forced to 6500 K . White field perpendicular to the screens:

Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And the test picture:

Color reproduction is good and colors are saturated on both screens. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors did not change very much on both screens, but the contrast in the Sony Xperia E3 decreased to a greater extent due to the more highlighting of blacks and a significant decrease in brightness. And white box:

The brightness at an angle at the screens has decreased (at least 5 times, based on the difference in exposure), but in the case of the Sony Xperia E3, the drop in brightness is noticeably greater. The black field, when deviated along the diagonal, lightens strongly and acquires a violet or red-violet tint. The photos below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is about the same!):

And from a different angle:

With a perpendicular view, the uniformity of the black field is average, since at the edge in several places the black is slightly lightened, and the translucent front frame does not look very favorable:

Contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is normal - about 800: 1. The response time for the transition black-white-black is 29 ms (14.5 ms on + 14.5 ms off). The transition between gray tones of 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes 45 ms in total. The gamma curve, plotted using 32 points at equal intervals in terms of the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal a blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.48, which is higher than the standard value of 2.2, so the image is slightly darkened. In this case, the real gamma curve deviates little from the power-law dependence:

The color gamut is very close to sRGB:

The spectra show that the matrix filters moderately mix the components together:

As a result, the colors visually have a natural saturation. The balance of shades on the gray scale is acceptable, since the color temperature is slightly higher than the standard 6500 K, although the deviation from the spectrum of an absolute black body (ΔE) is greater than 10, which is considered not a very good indicator even for a consumer device. However, in this case, the color temperature and ΔE do not change much from hue to hue - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of the color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since the color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

This smartphone has the ability to correct the color balance by adjusting the intensities of the three primary colors. Which is what we tried to do, the result is data signed as Corr. in the graphs above.

As a result, we significantly reduced ΔE on white and brought the white point a little closer to 6500 K. However, this increased the scatter of parameters, which is bad (apparently, the correction is performed using a software "digital" method), and the image brightness also decreased significantly. The result is shown in the photo below:

Let's summarize. The screen has a high maximum brightness and has good anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors without problems even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable level. It is also permissible to use the mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works quite adequately. The advantages of the screen include the absence of flickering and air gap in the layers of the screen, as well as a color gamut close to sRGB and an acceptable color balance. As a significant disadvantage, we attribute the low stability of black to the deviation of the gaze from the perpendicular to the plane of the screen. Nevertheless, given the importance of characteristics for this particular class of devices, the screen quality can be considered high.

Sound

In sound terms, the Xperia E3 smartphone is simple: there is only one speaker, the sound is not loud enough, - you can't hear low frequencies, there is no richness of shades either, the smartphone sounds cheap. In the conversational dynamics, the voice of the interlocutor, the intonation and timbre of the familiar voice remain recognizable, the voices sound natural and natural.

To play music, the device uses its own proprietary player, traditionally called the Walkman, but the sound quality of the Xperia E3 is far from being a musical solution. By default, you can use Clear Phase, xLoud or virtual surround sound enhancement technologies in the settings. Most of the settings are available when the complex ClearAudio + function is disabled, otherwise the sound is automatically controlled.

An FM radio is traditionally available as standard, but again, a dictaphone was not provided. The radio does not know how to record programs and will not work without headphones connected as an external antenna. Write with staff resources the smartphone cannot make phone calls from the line either.

Camera

Sony Xperia E3 is equipped with two digital camera modules with a resolution of 5 and 0.3 megapixels. The front module is here just for show - the images obtained with its help can only transmit the details of the image in distant lines, the quality is very low.

The main rear camera is equipped with a 5-megapixel module with an aperture of f / 2.4 with Sony's proprietary function of automatic recognition of shooting conditions and HDR mode for photos. The automatic scene detection function detects up to 36 types of conditions and automatically adjusts the settings. This mode is set by default for the camera and it enables or disables the HDR function depending on the conditions.

By default, the camera is standard for all Sony smartphones shoots in automatic mode, in which all settings are left to the mercy of the machine. To achieve the maximum resolution, as well as to be able to manually influence the settings yourself, you need to set the camera to manual mode. True, our research experience shows that it is best to shoot with Sony mobile devices in automatic mode.

In addition to automatic and manual, the Sony Xperia E3 camera software has a few more familiar ones from previous ones. Sony models shooting modes such as Timeshift burst or an augmented reality mode called AR effect, which makes it possible to combine pictures with animation. There is a Social live function that allows you to upload footage directly to social networks... With the help of a special online service, you can download and add other modes.

The camera can shoot video at a maximum resolution of 1920 × 1080, but it does not do it very well, the video quality is quite modest.

• Movie # 1 (38 MB, 1920 × 1080, 30 fps)
• Movie # 2 (24 MB, 1920 × 1080, 30 fps)

	The camera can cope with macro photography, but you need to control the distance to the object.
	Trees almost immediately merge into a mush, seasoned with noise.
	With a slight deterioration in lighting, the problems of noise reduction and optics come out.
	Some of the details don't look so bad on their own, but overall the image is unpleasant.
	Sometimes one gets the impression that the lens is fogged up - the optics are so soapy. Although large signs are distinguishable.
	Looking at the wires, we can conclude that the problem is more in optics than in noise and noise reduction. However, this is not so important when everything is bad.

It's a little embarrassing to talk about this camera - first of all, it's a shame for Sony. The camera is clearly trying very hard to get at least average quality images, but for this it lacks the funds that the manufacturer did not provide it with. As a result, it is doomed to drag out its existence with poor optics and a weak sensor. However, with very good lighting, it may be possible to shoot large text on it, since it gives some hope. However, soapy optics, a noisy sensor and a harsh noise reduction will hardly allow her to shoot at least well even in not very good lighting, which is demonstrated by test shots. On a sunny day, the camera can handle large subjects.

Telephone part and communications

The smartphone works as standard in modern 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks, and there is also support for the fourth generation networks used in Russia (LTE Cat 4 with a theoretical speed of up to 150 Mbit / s). With the SIM-card of the domestic operator Megafon, the smartphone in practice confidently finds and works with the LTE network. It should be noted that another modification, which works with two SIM-cards, does not support LTE, its wireless data transmission capabilities are limited by the 3G mode.

Of the additional network capabilities, there is support for NFC technology, but the device does not support the second Wi-Fi band (5 GHz). But the connection mode is implemented external devices to the USB port (USB Host, USB OTG). The operation of the navigation module does not cause any particular complaints, both GPS and the domestic Glonass system are supported, and even satellites of the Chinese Beidou (BDS) system are registered.

There were no spontaneous reboots / shutdowns during testing, the interface works clearly and quickly, there are no delays or sluggishness. The phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, when dialing a phone number, a search is immediately carried out by contacts. There is also the ability to enter text by continuous writing (Swype). Opportunities to reduce virtual keys in size were not provided here for obvious reasons.

OS and software

The operating system is an outdated version of the Google Android 4.4.2 KitKat software platform, on top of which Sony's proprietary graphical user interface is traditionally installed. The interface is standard, well known from the previous models of the manufacturer, practically nothing has changed here, in this regard, Sony does not have such a big gap between top and budget models, as, for example, Samsung. All the familiar branded services and applications are in their places, only a funny function of launching the application by shaking the smartphone was added. By default, if you hold down the power button and shake the device, the camera will turn on, but this function can be reassigned to any other program.

Performance

The hardware platform of the Sony Xperia E3 is based on the entry-level Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (MSM8926) mobile platform. The single-chip system installed in the smartphone has 4 ARM Cortex-A7 cores operating at 1.2 GHz. The graphics processing is far from the most powerful Adreno 305 video accelerator. random access memory is 1 GB. Supports microSD memory cards up to 32 GB, as well as connecting external devices to the USB port in OTG mode.

Less than 1 GB (out of 4) is initially available for the user's needs in the device, and this is perhaps one of the saddest moments in the description of this model. Space for installing additional programs is sorely lacking, not to mention games - there is simply nowhere to install them. It got to the point that after carrying out one test, it was necessary to delete it from memory in order to be able to install the next benchmark. This is completely unacceptable, obviously, the developers from Sony have forgotten that the Android OS used in a smartphone does not support installing programs on a memory card. This annoying detail very much limits the scope of the Sony Xperia E3 - a smartphone without applications, this is not a smartphone.

According to the test results, the platform showed results as expectedly modest, below the average value (~ 18K in AnTuTu), approximately at the level of another budget platform from MediaTek (MT6582) and much lower than even mid-range platforms (for example, MediaTek MT6592), not to mention the flagship level ... The Adreno 305 video subsystem, however, proved to be even better than the same Mali-400MP installed in the competing MT6592. In terms of the performance level of the hardware platform, the Sony Xperia E3 smartphone cannot be attributed to the average level, this level is rather initial by today's standards. The capabilities of the device are enough to perform basic tasks, but this is not a multimedia solution.

Testing in latest versions complex tests AnTuTu and GeekBench 3:

All the results obtained by us when testing the smartphone in the most recent versions of popular benchmarks, we have summarized for convenience in tables. Several other devices from different segments are usually added to the table, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry numbers). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison, it is impossible to present the results from different versions benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain "behind the scenes" - due to the fact that they once passed the "obstacle course" on previous versions test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in 3DMark gaming tests,GFXBenchmark, and Bonsai Benchmark:

When testing in 3DMark for the most productive smartphones, it is now possible to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

	Sony Xperia E3 (Snapdragon 400 / Adreno 305)	Philips S398	Fly tornado one (Mediatek MT6592m / Mali 450MP)	LG L Bello (Mediatek MT6582 / Mali 400MP)	Acer liquid jade (Mediatek MT6582 / Mali 400MP)
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme (more is better)	2887	2073	4385	2127	2050
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited (more is better)	4912	2872	6204	2881	2817
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Onscreen)	17 fps	7.1 fps	14.3 fps	9.8 fps	7.2 fps
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Offscreen)	6 fps	4.1 fps	10.9 fps	4.2 fps	4.1 fps
Bonsai benchmark	2468 (35 fps)	1250 (18 fps)	12096 (30 fps)	2112 (30 fps)	1290 (18 fps)

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for evaluating the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowances for the fact that the results in them significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so that the comparison can be truly correct only on the same OS and browsers, and this possibility is available when testing not always. In the case of Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

Video playback

For testing "omnivorous" video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features subtitles) We used the most common formats that make up the bulk of the content available on the Web. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is often impossible to process modern options at the expense of processor cores alone. Also, do not expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a single table.

According to the test results, the subject was not equipped with all the necessary decoders that are needed to fully play most of the most common multimedia files on the network. To play them successfully, you will have to resort to using a third-party player - for example, MX Player. True, it is also necessary to change the settings and install additional custom codecs in it, because now this player does not officially support the AC3 audio format.

Format	Container, video, sound	MX Video Player	Native video player
DVDRip	AVI, XviD 720 × 400 2200 Kbps, MP3 + AC3	reproduced normally	reproduced normally
Web-DL SD	AVI, XviD 720 × 400 1400 Kbps, MP3 + AC3	reproduced normally	reproduced normally
Web-DL HD	MKV, H.264 1280 × 720 3000Kbps, AC3		video plays fine, no sound¹
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280 × 720 4000 Kbps, AC3	video plays fine, no sound¹	video plays fine, no sound¹
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920 × 1080 8000Kbps, AC3	video plays fine, no sound¹	video plays fine, no sound¹

¹ the sound in MX Video Player was played only after installing an alternative custom audio codec; the standard player does not have such a setting

Further video playback testing was done by Alexey Kudryavtsev.

We did not find the MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort, in this smartphone, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see "Methodology for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices).) Red marks indicate possible problems related to the playback of the respective files.

According to the criterion for outputting frames, the quality of video files playback on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can (but are not required) to be displayed with even intervals and without frame drops. The exception is Full HD 60fps files, in which case several frames are dropped. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 (1080p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly on the edge of the screen. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - in the shadows and in the highlights, all gradations of shades are displayed - which is required for correct playback of typical video files.

Battery life

Non-removable accumulator battery installed in the Sony Xperia E3 has a capacity of 2330 mAh, which is quite standard for a budget level. The hardware platform in the smartphone is modest, the screen is small and has a low resolution - they are not too demanding in terms of energy resources. Accordingly, the duration autonomous work the device has demonstrated a very decent one. But here it should be remembered that the hardware capabilities of this smartphone are not enough to adequately work out demanding multimedia tasks. It is worth noting that the device has a proprietary Stamina power saving mode, in which the smartphone can last even longer.

	Battery capacity	Reading mode	Video mode	3D Game Mode
Sony Xperia Е3	2330 mAh	16h 30m	11h 00m	6h 00m
Philips S398	2040 mAh	12h 00m	7h 00m	3h 30m
Micromax Nitro	2500 mAh	16h 30m	9h 30m	4h 00m
Acer Liquid E700	3500 mAh	15h 30m	11h 00m	5h 00m
Fly tornado one	1920 mAh	13h 00m	7h 30m	3h 30m
Fly tornado slim	2050 mAh	10h 30m	7h 00m	3h 10m
LG L Bello	2540 mAh	14h 00m	10h 20m	4h 50m
Acer liquid jade	2100 mAh	13h 20m	8h 40m	4h 30m

Continuous reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light theme) at the minimum comfortable brightness level (the brightness was set to 100 cd / m2) lasted about 16.5 hours until the battery was fully discharged, and with continuous viewing of YouTube videos (360p), the same brightness level through the home Wi-Fi network the device lasted 11 hours. In 3D games mode, the smartphone worked for more than 6 hours. A full charge takes 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Outcome

Sony approached the issue of creating a budget smartphone with all straightforwardness. Having provided their youth device with bright colors and attractive design, the developers left the hardware characteristics of the model at the level of the year before last, at best. The camera here shoots frankly poorly, internal memory sorely lacking, and it's unforgivable. Screen, sound, networking - all at the entry level, but nothing more. The device can only boast of an attractive design with a level of production and assembly befitting a leader, as well as a high level of autonomy, but this is, rather, a "merit" of a low-power platform and a small screen of poor quality. At the same time, a smartphone costs about 10 thousand rubles in official retail, and one could even put up with this, if he did not have such an outright failure with a lack of memory. In any case, for that kind of money, less well-known brands are even now ready to provide products, albeit not much, but still of the best level of technical equipment.

Accelerometer(or G-sensor) - sensor of the device's position in space. As a primary function, the accelerometer is used to automatically change the orientation of the display image (vertical or horizontal). Also, the G-sensor is used as a pedometer, it can be controlled by various functions of the device by turning or shaking.
Gyroscope- a sensor that measures the angles of rotation relative to a fixed coordinate system. Able to measure angles of rotation in several planes at the same time. The gyroscope together with the accelerometer allows you to accurately determine the position of the device in space. Devices using only accelerometers have lower measurement accuracy, especially when moving quickly. Also, the capabilities of the gyroscope can be used in modern games for mobile devices.
Light sensor- a sensor, thanks to which the optimal values ​​of brightness and contrast are established for a given illumination level. The presence of the sensor allows to increase the operating time of the device from the rechargeable battery.
Proximity sensor- a sensor that detects when the device is close to the face during a call, turns off the backlight and locks the screen, preventing accidental presses. The presence of the sensor allows to increase the operating time of the device from the rechargeable battery.
Geomagnetic sensor- a sensor for determining the side of the world to which the device is directed. Tracks the orientation of the device in space relative to the earth's magnetic poles. The information received from the sensor is used in cartographic programs for orientation on the ground.
Atmospheric pressure sensor- sensor for accurate measurement of atmospheric pressure. It is part of the GPS system that allows you to determine the height above sea level and speed up the location.
Touch ID- fingerprint identification sensor.

Accelerometer / Geomagnetic / Illumination / Approximation

Satellite navigation:

Gps(Global Positioning System - Global Positioning System) - a satellite navigation system that measures distance, time, speed and determines the location of objects anywhere on Earth. The system is designed, implemented and operated by the US Department of Defense. The main principle of using the system is to determine the location by measuring the distance to the object from points with known coordinates - satellites. The distance is calculated from the signal propagation delay time from its sending by the satellite to being received by the GPS receiver antenna.
GLONASS(Global Navigation Satellite System) - Soviet and Russian satellite navigation system, developed by order of the USSR Ministry of Defense. The measuring principle is similar to the American GPS navigation system. GLONASS is intended for operational navigation and time support of land, sea, air and space-based users. The main difference from the GPS system is that the GLONASS satellites in their orbital motion do not have resonance (synchronization) with the Earth's rotation, which provides them with greater stability.

A budget device from Sony - I really liked the yellow E3, it looks great. There is a version with LTE and two SIM cards, an IPS display, good performance, a regular SIM card. Hey Sony, everyone is interested to know the prices for new items! ..

To begin with, I recommend watching the video, I will immediately remind you that we have filmed detailed and long video reviews for all Sony new products, you can watch them at the beginning of each article - if you do not have enough information in the text version, be sure to watch the videos.

Design

The dimensions of the smartphone are 137.1 x 59.4 x 3.5 mm, weight ... However, I obviously did not start with that. What do you think when someone says "budget Android smartphone"? Obviously you don't think anything good. Sony decided to change this situation and make a fun budget smartphone for Android base! And you know what, it was quite successful! If I need something just for making calls, some kind of workhorse for one or two working SIM cards, then I would gladly buy a yellow Sony Xperia E3. You can't even imagine what a nice plastic here, it is rough, imperceptible traces, it looks very cool in any light, and you can’t say at all that this is an inexpensive piece. In addition to yellow, there are also traditional colors, although orange is more similar to brown - the company considers it to be orange. It reminds me of brown. I don’t know why. White is cool, black is simple, but yellow, yellow is just a hit.

All connectors are open, there is no water protection here. Everything is clear with the controls, with the connectors too, here the usual 3.5 mm (not five-pin), microUSB, under the removable battery cover - the usual slot for a SIM card, microUSB memory card. Although it's a budget, you can put a memory card.

Display

The diagonal of the IPS-display is 4.5 inches, the resolution is 854 x 480 pixels, as before, I will say that I would like to look at the serial samples of this device. In prototypes, the screen is not bad.

Performance

There will be two versions, with one SIM card and LTE support (yes, the cheapest Sony smartphone with LTE), with two SIM cards and 3G support, quad-core processor, frequency - 1.2 GHz, Adreno 305, fast, you can try to run heavy games, but not much to wait. It uses 1 GB of RAM, 4 GB of built-in memory, Wi-Fi, NFC and Bluetooth are there, everything is clear with this.

Food

A 2300 mAh battery is used, you can count on working during the day, nothing more. Any microSD cable can be used for charging.

Camera

The camera is 5 MP, the front camera is 0.3 MP, there is a function of recording video what is happening on the display.

conclusions

I didn't like the compact version as much as I liked the yellow E3 - I repeat my thought once again, among budget smartphones the Android-based version is really a great find, especially the dual SIM version. Bright design, IPS-display, good performance, there is a version with LTE, now we are waiting for the price. The device will appear on sale this quarter.

- The boat itself is nothing,
strength in the paddle.

Recently, compact smartphones have been of two types: the first, the most common, is budget and rather boring gadgets. The second option, unfortunately, is much less popular - these are devices with "adult" technical stuffing, which cost a lot. One such gadget, for example, is the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact. Our subject today is something in between. It is not too boring: a more or less modern system-on-a-chip is installed in it, there is support for LTE, and the device costs, with all this, quite reasonable money - about ten thousand rubles. And this is at the current rate!

⇡ Appearance and ergonomics

The smartphone is made in the new style of Sony: it looks like its older brother - Xperia Z3. The E3 has similar body proportions, key placement, and a similar corner radius. Perhaps the most noticeable external difference between the E3 and the Z3 is that the former is significantly smaller. It is really convenient for them to operate with one hand - the thumb easily reaches all four corners of the screen. The device does not weigh very much - 144 grams. The thickness of the case is also average - eight and a half millimeters.

As is usual with Sony, the E3 does not have any keys on the front panel. All buttons are touch-sensitive, they are located directly on the display. At the top of the panel is the front 0.3MP camera lens.

On the corners of the Xperia E3, there are polycarbonate plastic covers - almost the same as those of the older sister Z3. The only difference is that there they are must absorb shock when the device falls, and here the corners do not extinguish anything and play a purely decorative role. Power and volume keys are on the right side. The travel of the buttons is short and distinct.

Sony Xperia E3 - left and top ends

A contrasting plastic insert “like aluminum” is put on all ends, which adds charm to the device - and again, it resembles the Xperia Z3. Unless there is real aluminum, and here it is toy. A universal 3.5 mm audio jack is placed on the top end, and the Micro-USB interface is placed on the left side. The bottom end is empty.

The "back" of the device is made of matte plastic. Its surface is non-marking and rough - not like that of the Z3, but the device does not slip out of hands during operation. The lens of the main 5-megapixel camera along with a diode flash is placed in the upper part of the panel. At the bottom of the panel is the external speaker cutout.

The back cover, by the way, is removable. Under it are connectors for installing microSD memory cards and a SIM card in Micro-SIM format. At the same time, users do not have access to the battery. If it is necessary to replace the battery, the device will have to be carried in service center- well, or take up a screwdriver.

On the whole, the device looks stern and quite nice. We have no comments on the assembly: for a week of testing, we did not find any suspicious backlashes, the twisting and kink test was passed without any excesses, as well as without a single attempt to squeak plastic from the smartphone. The Sony Xperia E3 is available in white, black, lemon and brown.

⇡ Specifications

Information about the brand, model and alternative names of a specific device, if any.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Used materials, offered colors, certificates.

Sony Xperia E3 (D2203)
Display	4.5 inches, 480 × 854 dots, IPS 218 dpi
Touch screen	Capacitive, up to five simultaneous touches
Air gap	Not
Oleophobic coating	there is
Polarizing filter	there is
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8926: Quad cores ARM Cortex-A7 (ARMv7, 32 bit), frequency 1.2 GHz, process technology 28 nm
Graphics controller	Qualcomm Adreno 305, 450 MHz
RAM	1 GB
Flash memory	4 GB (~ 1.7 GB available to the user) MicroSD card slot (up to 32 GB)
Connectors	1 × Micro-USB 2.0 1 × 3.5mm headset jack 1 × Micro-SIM 1 × MicroSD
cellular	2G / 3G / 4G One SIM card format Micro-SIM (There is a version with two SIM cards - Sony Xperia E3 Dual D2212, no LTE support)
Cellular 2G	GSM / GPRS / EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
Cellular 3G	DC-HSPA + (42.2 / 5.76 Mbps) 850/900/2100 MHz
Cellular 4G	LTE Cat. 4 (150/50 Mbps) 800/850/900/1800/2100/2600 (Bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20)
Wi-Fi	802.11b / g / n, 2.4GHz
Bluetooth	4.0 + A2DP
NFC	there is
Infrared port	Not
Navigation	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
Sensors	Light sensor, proximity sensor, accelerometer / gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), pedometer
Main camera	5 MP (2560 × 1920), autofocus, single-LED flash
Front-camera	0.3 MP (640 × 480)
Food	Removable battery 8.85 Wh (2330 mAh, 3.8 V)
The size	137 × 69.5 mm Case thickness: 8.5mm
Weight	144 g
Water and dust resistant	Not
Operating system	Google Android 4.4.2 (KitKat) Sony's own skin
Warranty period	12 months

Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	69.4 mm (millimeters) 6.94 cm (centimeters) 0.23 ft (feet) 2.73 in (inches)
Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	137.1 mm (millimeters) 13.71 cm (centimeters) 0.45 ft (feet) 5.4 in (inches)
Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units measurements.	8.5 mm (millimeters) 0.85 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (feet) 0.33 in (inches)
Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement.	143 g (grams) 0.32 lbs (pounds) 5.07 oz (ounces)
Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with a rectangular parallelepiped shape.	80.88 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 4.91 in³ (cubic inches)
Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale.	The black White Yellow

SIM card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

Mobile technology and data rates

Communication between devices in mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

An operating system is the system software that controls and coordinates the operation of the hardware components on a device.

SoC (System on a Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) integrates all the major hardware components of a mobile device into a single chip.

SoC (System on a Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software required for their operation.	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8226
Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. The value in nanometers is half the distance between the elements in the processor.	28 nm (nanometers)
Processor (CPU) The main function of the processor (CPU) of a mobile device is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications.	ARM Cortex-A7
Processor size The bit size of the processor is determined by the size (in bits) of registers, address buses and data buses. 64-bit processors offer better performance than 32-bit processors, which in turn are more powerful than 16-bit processors.	32 bit
Instruction set architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets / controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute.	ARMv7
Level 1 cache (L1) The cache memory is used by the processor to reduce the time it takes to access more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (Level 1) cache is small and is much faster than both system memory and other levels of cache. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2.	16 KB + 16 KB (kilobytes)
L2 cache L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1, but instead has a larger capacity to cache more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for them in L3 cache memory (if available) or in RAM memory.	1024 KB (kilobytes) 1 MB (megabytes)
Number of processor cores The processor core executes program instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to execute in parallel.	4
CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	1200 MHz (megahertz)
Graphics processing unit (GPU) A graphics processing unit (GPU) handles computation for a variety of 2D / 3D graphics applications. In mobile devices, it is most commonly used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, and more.	Qualcomm Adreno 305
Number of GPU cores Like a processor, a GPU is made up of several working parts called cores. They handle the graphical computation of various applications.	1
GPU clock speed Speed ​​is the clock speed of the GPU and is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	450 MHz (megahertz)
The amount of random access memory (RAM) Random access memory (RAM) used operating system and all installed applications. The data that is saved in the RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted.	1 GB (gigabytes)

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) fixed memory.

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage space for data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Type / technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the image quality of information directly depends.	IPS
Diagonal On mobile devices, screen size is expressed in terms of the length of its diagonal, measured in inches.	4.5 in (inches) 114.3 mm (millimeters) 11.43 cm (centimeters)
Width Approximate screen width	2.2 in (inches) 56 mm (millimeters) 5.6 cm (centimeters)
Height Approximate screen height	3.92 in (inches) 99.64 mm (millimeters) 9.96 cm (centimeters)
Aspect ratio The aspect ratio of the long side of the screen to its short side	1.779:1
Resolution Screen resolution shows the number of pixels horizontally and vertically on the screen. Higher resolution means sharper image detail.	480 x 854 pixels
Pixel density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be shown on the screen in clearer detail.	218 ppi (pixels per inch) 85 ppcm (pixels per centimeter)
Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display.	24 bit 16777216 flowers
Screen footprint The approximate percentage of the display area on the front of the device.	58.84% (percent)
Other characteristics Information about other functions and features of the screen.	Capacitive Multitouch Scratch resistant

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical metrics into signals that can be recognized by the mobile device.

Rear camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on its rear panel and can be combined with one or more additional cameras.

Flash type The rear (rear) cameras of mobile devices mainly use LED flashes. They can be configured with one, two or more light sources and vary in shape.	LED
Image Resolution Resolution is one of the main characteristics of cameras. It represents the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in the image. For convenience, smartphone manufacturers often quote resolutions in megapixels, indicating the approximate number of pixels in millions.	2592 x 1944 pixels 5.04 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution Information about the maximum video resolution that the camera can record.	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)
Video recording rate (frame rate) Information about the maximum recording rate (frames per second, fps) supported by the camera at maximum resolution. Some of the most basic video recording speeds are 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, 60 fps.	30 frames / sec (frames per second)
Characteristics Information about additional software and hardware features of the rear (rear) camera.	Autofocus Digital zoom Digital image stabilization Geographic tags Panoramic shooting HDR shooting Touch focus Face recognition Self-timer

Front-camera

Smartphones have one or more front cameras of different designs - pop-up camera, PTZ camera, notch or hole in the display, camera under the display.

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technology supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Locating

Information about the navigation and positioning technologies supported by the device.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is a technology that enables wireless communication for transferring data over short distances between various devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless transfer of data between different types of devices over short distances.

Version There are several Bluetooth versions, while each subsequent one improves the speed of communication, coverage, contributes to easier detection and connection of devices. Information about the Bluetooth version of the device.

4.0

Characteristics Bluetooth uses different profiles and protocols to provide more fast exchange data, energy savings, better device discovery, and more. Some of these profiles and protocols that the device supports are shown here.

A2DP ( Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) AVCTP (Audio / Video Control Transport Protocol) AVDTP (Audio / Video Distribution Transport Protocol) AVRCP (Audio / Visual Remote Control Profile) DUN (Dial-Up Networking Profile) FTP (File Transfer Profile) HFP (Hands-Free Profile) HSP (Headset Profile) MAP (Message Access Profile) OPP (Object Push Profile) PAN (Personal Area Networking Profile) PBAP / PAB (Phone Book Access Profile) SAP / SIM / rSAP (SIM Access Profile)

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, which is also called an audio connector. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by the device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Video file formats / codecs

Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode / decode digital video data.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge required for their function.

Capacity Battery capacity indicates the maximum charge it can store, measured in milliampere-hours.	2330 mAh (milliampere-hours)
A type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, by the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries most commonly used in mobile devices.	Li-Ion (Lithium-ion)
Talk time 2G Talk time in 2G is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 2G network.	12 hours 20 minutes 12.3 h (hours) 739.8 min (minutes) 0.5 days
Standby time 2G Standby time in 2G is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 2G network.	706 h (hours) 42360 min (minutes) 29.4 days
Talk time 3G Talk time in 3G is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network.	8 hours 41 minutes 8.7 h (hours) 520.8 min (minutes) 0.4 days
3G standby time Standby time in 3G is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 3G network.	661 h (hours) 39660 mins (minutes) 27.5 days
Characteristics Information about some additional characteristics of the device's battery.	Non-removable

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

SAR level refers to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body when using a mobile device.

Head SAR (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that the human body is exposed to when holding a mobile device near the ear in a talking position. In Europe, the maximum SAR value for mobile devices is limited to 2 W / kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard was established by the CENELEC committee in accordance with the IEC standards, following the ICNIRP guidelines of 1998.	0.833 W / kg (Watts per kilogram)
Body SAR (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed if the mobile device is held at hip level. The highest SAR value for mobile devices in Europe is 2 W / kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard has been established by the CENELEC committee in accordance with the 1998 ICNIRP guidelines and IEC standards.	0.742 W / kg (Watts per kilogram)
Head SAR (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation that a person's body is exposed to if you hold a mobile device near your ear. The maximum value used in the United States is 1.6 W / kg per gram of human tissue. US mobile devices are controlled by CTIA and the FCC conducts tests and sets their SAR values.	0.89 W / kg (Watts per kilogram)
Body SAR (US) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed if the mobile device is held at hip level. The highest SAR value in the United States is 1.6 W / kg per gram of human tissue. This value is set by the FCC and CTIA monitors mobile devices for compliance with this standard.	1.34 W / kg (Watts per kilogram)