When it comes to describing mobile devices, there are three basic categories that are often used: entry-level, mid-range, and high-end. Apparently Sony doesn’t think that any of them describes its two new Android phones, though, they came up with a new category: “super mid-range.”
The Sony Xperia C5 Ultra and Xperia M5 are two new “super mid-range” phones that each have a couple of special features to offer. Both phones have 13-megapixel front-facing cameras for high-res selfies, and the Xperia C5 Ultra takes its selfie game up one notch further by including a front-facing flash, too. The C5 Ultra’s other claim to fame is having super-thin side bezels on its 6-inch 1920x1080 display.
Also included with Sony’s “super mid-range” Xperia C5 Ultra is a 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek MTK6752 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage (10GB available to the user), a microSD card slot, a 13-megapixel rear camera with wide-angle lens and Sony Exmor RS image sensor, NFC, and a 2930Ah battery. Powering the Xperia C5 Ultra is Android 5.0 with a custom Sony user interface, which offers features like a one-handed mode to help you use the ginormous 6-inch display with just your left or right hand.
So what’s the Xperia M5’s other special feature? Like Sony’s flagship phones, its got a body that’s IP65 and IP68 rated to be waterproof and dust tight. The Xperia M5’s also got a beefy 21.5-megapixel rear camera, another feature that we often see on Sony flagships. Rounding out the Xperia M5’s feature set is a 2.0GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio X10 processor, 3GB of RAM, 16GB of storage (10GB available to the user), a microSD slot, NFC, and a 2600mAh battery. The Xperia M5 runs Android 5.0 on a 5-inch 1920x1080 display.
Both the Xperia C5 Ultra and Xperia M5 will be available in single and dual SIM models, and they’ll launch in “selected countries across emerging markets” starting in mid-August. The C5 will be sold in white, black, and light green colors, while the M5 will sport white, black, and gold duds.
While the Xperia C5 Ultra’s spec list isn’t going to set the world on fire, its got a respectable feature set, and its large display with skinny side bezels will surely help it to get attention in stores. The Xperia M5 appears to better fit the “super mid-range” category that Sony has invented for these phones, and while its design may not turn heads like the C5 Ultra’s thin bezels, the M5 could be worth a look for folks that want a phone that’s a bit smaller than the phablets that seem to be popular now.