Sony adds a new handset to its midrange lineup with the Xperia M4 Aqua which the company just revealed at the MWC 2015. The M4 Aqua echoes the OmniBalance design in plastic that is found in the Z3 and seemed to have done it well. Tipping the scale at 136g, the new handset is arguably lighter albeit with features that don't compromise its performance.
Similar with its waterproof siblings, the M4 Aqua remains protected even when immersed under water by up to 5 ft. within a period of 30 minutes. It has an earned rating of IP68 and is also dust-resistant. One thing that's new about the handset is an all-new microUSB port which is designed to be independent of a plug-in. This adds more convenience and some peace of mind knowing that the phone is protected from the first day of usage even if the unboxing part is done underwater.
The M4 Aqua sports a 5.2-inch 720p IPS display and runs on the new Snapdragon 615 chipset with an octa-core Cortex-A53 processor of 64 bits. It's also packed with Adreno 405 graphics and a RAM of 2GB. The processor delivers a quartet of Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.5GHz and another quartet that ticks at 1.0GHz.
Selfie and groupie geeks can take advantage of the handset's rear 13MP camera that comes with a LED flash and the front 5MP snapper. It comes with the Superior Auto Mode that's also found on the Xperia Z lineup. The Superior Auto Mode, otherwise known as "point and shoot," allows the user to take impressive images without having to worry about the phone's manual controls. It's even equipped to handle images in low-lit conditions with its fast, f/2.0 lens that comes with maximum ISO sensitivity which is 3200 boosted.
Other notable specs include an expandable storage of up to 16GB, 4G LTE connectivity and Android 5.0 Lollipop. It successfully kept the spirit of the new Material Design found in most Android devices by stressing a "distinctive minimalist approach to user interface, interactions and native apps."
Sony touts the M4 Aqua as a powerful device that can last up to two full days of normal usage. Powered by a 2400mAh battery, Sony has equipped the handset with the STAMINA Mode 5.0 battery saving software for a stretched out power supply which can work well in power-draining situations.
The Xperia M4 Aqua is scheduled to hit the store shelves in spring and will come in four colors: white, black, coral and silver. The price tag is speculated to reach around $330.
