The C series of the Xperia line has always been focused on large displays and front camera for selfies. Jumping to its 4th version, Sony Xperia C5 Ultra is ready to battle the world of phablets, 6 inches to be exact. If you’re looking for something like this smartphone, read our review to see if it will fit you and your palm.
Design and Construction
The Japanese phone maker has been loyal to its design language for most of its devices. While the C5 Ultra doesn’t have the OmniBalance design that the Z series has, its ridiculously thin side bezels are a beauty of its own.
Upon seeing the device, we noticed how the large display dominates the front. The display measures 6 inches diagonally and has virtually no bezels, at least on the side. Above it is where the 13-megapixel selfie camera and LED flash sits along with the earpiece and multiple sensors while the loudspeaker is below the display.
Going to the right, we have the two-stage shutter key, volume rocker, and power button. The left side has the slot for the microSD card and nano-SIM card, both are covered by a protective flap. There’s a reset pinhole hidden there as well.
The 3.5mm jack is placed on top of the device, and the micro-USB port for charging and data transfer is at the bottom with the primary microphone.
Lastly, the back of the device is the home of another 13-megapixel shooter and LED flash, noise-cancelling microphone, and NFC chip (marked by a stylized N).
Holding the 6-incher feels outright good thanks to its aluminum frame. Additionally, the thin bezel contributes to better handling despite having a large panel. Most of us thought than the C5 Ultra has a removable battery but, to our disappointment, its glossy back panel gives no access.
Display
The 6-inch display is an IPS LCD panel with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. While the full high definition glory is stretched to 6 inches, the 367ppi density is still sharp and crisp. Like any other IPS panels, the display is viewable from any angle, thus making the phablet ideal for content sharing which could be the main reason why Sony released a big smartphone. Outdoor visibility is also great unless you’re under direct sunlight.
Sony’s Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 is onboard to improve overall quality when viewing photos and videos on the device. Aside from the BRAVIA Engine, under the display settings panel is a Super-vivid mode that punches the saturation level to the top. We suggest the Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 for most cases, although we encountered an issue in a YouTube video playback causing the skin and lips to soften like those Camera 360 beauty selfies. You can turn down any screen optimization in the settings anytime. Keep in mind, BRAVIA Engine and Super-vivid mode only applies during media playback.
You can also adjust the white balance according to your liking and there’s a glove mode for increased touch sensitivity. A smart backlight control is available too. It automatically detects if you’re holding the smartphone to keep the screen on until you place it down.
Mobile processors in phones this year have surpassed the computing powers of a lot of computers from a decade ago. Here are the top 5 fastest smartphone processors available in the market for 2014.
Huawei Kirin 925. The Kirin 925 is the latest and fastest chip developed by the Chinese company. It uses a 28nm HPM process and runs a pair of quad-core chips — 4x Cortex-A15 + 4 x Cortex-A7 big.LITTLE.
The GPU is powered by a Mali-T628 MP4 running at 600MHz.
What is most interesting with the Kirin 925 is that it is capable of supporting dual-SIM functionality with both dual-LTE radios.
Mediatek MT6795. Not to be outdone, MediaTek finally released its octa-core chip with LTE connectivity. The MT6795 is clocked at 2.2GHz, all 8 cores of them based on ARM Cortex-A53.
Graphics is powered by a PowerVR G6200 @ 700 MHz that can handle up to 2560×1600-pixel display.
We have not yet seen any recognizable phone brands that uses the MT6795 but we’ve seen some leads from Chinese online stores of close phones (Galaxy Note 4) running the chip.
NVidia Tegra K1. Released around the 2nd quarter of 2014, the Tegra K1 uses a 28nm HPM process and runs on ARM Cortex-A15 MPCore R3 plus a low power companion core. Each of the 4 cores clocks up to 2.3GHz.
The GPU uses GK20A Kepler micro-architecture with capacity of 364.79 GFLOPS (with core configuration of 192:8:4). That is a lot of cores!
However, very few devices are using it — including the NVidia Shield Tablet and the XiaoMi MiPad.
Samsung Exynos 5 Octa 5433. This chip uses a 20 nm HKMG process running a quad-core Cortex-A57+ quad-core Cortex-A53 (big.LITTLE with GTS) implementation. The GPU is powered by a Mali-T760 MP6 @ 700 MHz with 206 GFLOPS (FP16).
The chip is developed by Samsung and being used in the Galaxy Note 4. However, it’s possible that might offer the same to other friendly brands.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 805. Perhaps the most popular among the mobile chipsets right now is the Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm. It is being used by the most number of phone brands.
The Snapdragon 805 is based on 28nm HPm process and runs on a quad-core processor with each core running at 2.7GHz. Graphics is powered by an Adreno 420 GPU.
Mobile processors in phones this year have surpassed the computing powers of a lot of computers from a decade ago. Here are the top 5 fastest smartphone processors available in the market for 2014.
Huawei Kirin 925. The Kirin 925 is the latest and fastest chip developed by the Chinese company. It uses a 28nm HPM process and runs a pair of quad-core chips — 4x Cortex-A15 + 4 x Cortex-A7 big.LITTLE.
The GPU is powered by a Mali-T628 MP4 running at 600MHz.
What is most interesting with the Kirin 925 is that it is capable of supporting dual-SIM functionality with both dual-LTE radios.
Mediatek MT6795. Not to be outdone, MediaTek finally released its octa-core chip with LTE connectivity. The MT6795 is clocked at 2.2GHz, all 8 cores of them based on ARM Cortex-A53.
Graphics is powered by a PowerVR G6200 @ 700 MHz that can handle up to 2560×1600-pixel display.
We have not yet seen any recognizable phone brands that uses the MT6795 but we’ve seen some leads from Chinese online stores of close phones (Galaxy Note 4) running the chip.
NVidia Tegra K1. Released around the 2nd quarter of 2014, the Tegra K1 uses a 28nm HPM process and runs on ARM Cortex-A15 MPCore R3 plus a low power companion core. Each of the 4 cores clocks up to 2.3GHz.
The GPU uses GK20A Kepler micro-architecture with capacity of 364.79 GFLOPS (with core configuration of 192:8:4). That is a lot of cores!
However, very few devices are using it — including the NVidia Shield Tablet and the XiaoMi MiPad.
Samsung Exynos 5 Octa 5433. This chip uses a 20 nm HKMG process running a quad-core Cortex-A57+ quad-core Cortex-A53 (big.LITTLE with GTS) implementation. The GPU is powered by a Mali-T760 MP6 @ 700 MHz with 206 GFLOPS (FP16).
The chip is developed by Samsung and being used in the Galaxy Note 4. However, it’s possible that might offer the same to other friendly brands.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 805. Perhaps the most popular among the mobile chipsets right now is the Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm. It is being used by the most number of phone brands.
The Snapdragon 805 is based on 28nm HPm process and runs on a quad-core processor with each core running at 2.7GHz. Graphics is powered by an Adreno 420 GPU.
We were quite excited to see what kind of numbers we’ll get from this engine because this is the first smartphone powered by the “world’s first true Octa-Core SoC” from MediaTek we get to test. So without further ado here are the results we got during our test:
On AnTuTu Benchmark, the Cosmos Z2 scored 22,911 which is miles away from the score we got from the LG G2 (34,056) and NVidia Shield (38,746).
The MT6592 fared better in Quadrant Standard Edition. Although the score (16,169) is still lower compared to the results we saw from the Snapdragon 800 and Tegra 4 processors, the margin isn’t that high compared to the previous test.
Surprisingly, unlike other GPUs found on high-end SOCs, the Mali-450MP didn’t reach the NenaMark2’s ceiling of 60fps during our test. The highest score we got from the Cosmos Z2 was only 56.9fps.
Lastly we have the Vellamo Mobile Benchmark results which are a bit underwhelming to say the least. The Cosmos Z2 only managed to get 1,901 on HTML5 test and 630 on Metal. In retrospect, the NVidia Shield got a score of 2,830 and 1,186 on respective tests while the Snapdragon 800 scored 2,732 and 965.
Here’s the summary of the benchmark results we got from the MediaTek MT6582, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 and NVidia Tegra 4;
Despite running on all 8 cores, the NVidia Tegra 4 and Qualcomm MSM8974A have proven to be a bit too much for the MT6592 to handle. In all four benchmark tests, MediaTek’s “True Octa-Core” processor was outscored by two of the most powerful System-On-Chips to date.
But we’re not stopping here folks. Join us again next time to see an Octa-Core slugfest between the MediaTek MT6592 and Samsung Exynos 5410 to prove once and for all which chipmaker has the best eight-core SoC.
Cherry Mobile is no slouch in bringing multiple variants of Android devices to the Philippine market. We’ve seen a lot of CM Androids around and the device that you are about to read might be something worth noticing, not because it’s expensive or glamorous, but because it is big. This is the Cherry Mobile Omega XL, a 6-inch midrange phablet.
What’s In The Box
Cherry Mobile Omega XL comes in a pull-out box with an in-ear headset, USB cable and charger head included. As well as a manual that guides you through the basic functions of the phablet and a screen protector but we weren’t able to apply it properly. The audio quality of the headset is disappointing so you might want to opt for a better one.
Design and Contruction
Initially, you’ll be greeted how big this device is. The whole front is dominated by the 6-inch display with three capacitive buttons beneath it, and a microphone near the chin.
Above the display is the earpiece, proximity and ambient-light sensors, and the 8MP front-facing camera with flash. It is something unique but more about that later.
On the right side is the power/lock button, and on the left side is the volume rocker and a dedicated shutter key but mind you, it is not a two stage shutter key that we are accustomed with.
On top, we have the micro-USB port for charging and connectivity and the 3.5mm headset jack while the bottom of the device is relatively clean. Moving to the back is the 13MP BSI primary camera that slightly protrudes which make its prone to scratches, with the single LED flash and the speaker at the bottom.
Overall, the Omega XL feels solid on hand with a minor setback, it’s made with glossy polycarbonate. It’s slippery and prone to smudges. The glass on top of the display is a Dragontrail glass but it does not help with oil smudges and overall smoothness.
Display
The Omega XL has a 6-inch IPS OGS display with a qHD (540 x 960) resolution. It results to a disappointing pixel density of 184ppi. Text do appear clear and legible enough for skimming but it feels really jagged due to the norm of having a denser screen.
Nevertheless, the panel is bright enough outdoor, except during noon when the glass is too reflective. Indoors, it fares well. The big screen justifies media consumption and casual gaming. Viewing angles are great but the colors are not as vivid as we wish it to be and the OGS (One-Glass-Solution) trait doesn’t seem to be present.
OS, UI and Apps
Software wise, the Omega XL runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, a common version for local smartphones. Cherry Mobile did not further tweak the skin, leaving Android untouched and bare.
On the brighter side, this means that nothing should slow down your usage like unnecessary animations and transitions. What Cherry Mobile did put into the device are home-baked applications like Cherry Fun Club, Cherry Play, and eWarranty, as well as custom wallpapers. KakaoTalk and Opera also comes pre-installed.
There is nothing particular in the UI that utilizes the bigger screen real-estate, the homescreen and app drawer just feels stretched and blown-up. Good thing Android can be customized with skins and theme that are available through the Play Store.
Performance and Benchmarks
The phablet is equipped with a 1.3Ghz quad-core MediaTek MT6582 CPU with a Mali-400 GPU along with 1GB of RAM. Sad to say, even with a gigabyte of RAM and a quad-core processor, there are some hiccups and lags when navigating but perhaps we’re just nitpicking.
Overall performance is average and everyday usage should be a breeze. Pinch-to-zoom within the gallery and the browser is responsive as well. Heavy tasks will cause the device to slow down so make sure to properly allocate your memory usage. Having a qHD screen is also a contributing factor to the performance of the device.
Of course, 6-inch is a sweet spot for portable gaming. We’ve tried Dead Trigger 2 and were able to play smoothly as long as the graphic settings are set to low. Casual gaming like Angry Birds Go! runs great too. So anything casual we’ll be fine but graphic intensive games will need some adjustments.
Here are the benchmark scores for those who live by these numbers: Antutu Benchmark 4 – 17,244 Vellamo HTML 5 – 1958 Nenamark 2 – 61 FPS Epic Citadel – 55.2 FPS GFXBench 2.5 Egypt Onscreen – 22 FPS GFXBench 2.7 T-Rex Onscreen – 8.5 FPS
Multimedia and Camera
A phablet is great for viewing videos and the Omega XL works fine and gets the job done. High-definition videos are crisp and clear. An advantage that the Omega XL has is lower-resolution of its display, this means you can put a 720p video rather than a 1080p and details will be at par. It will save you some storage space and less internet bandwidth.
To be honest, we were surprised with the camera performance of the Omega XL. The 13MP sensor on the back delivers above-average quality in good-lighting. Focus is spot-on and colors are vivid enough. Although when zooming, massive presence of noise is visible when used in dark environments. By default, the camera is set to take at 8MP instead of 13MP. There is no visible difference between the two except on paper.
As for the 8MP front-facing camera, the output was not thing spectacular. It also has auto-focus and an LED flash which lights up your faces. No more dim-lighted selfies.
Video-wise, you can shoot up to 1080p but the actual output doesn’t seem to be Full HD in detail. You might not want to use this for capturing memorable moments. The microphone is also too sensitive for loud noises. Here is a sample video:
Call Quality and Battery Life
As for the basic function, calling, we wish the earpiece to be louder. It can get soft when in a noisy environment but the microphone picks up our voice just fine. With our battery test in airplane mode, Full HD video in loop with 50% brightness and no volume, it managed to perform well. It lasted around 14 hours.
Conclusion
We could simply say that Cherry Mobile Omega XL is a great phablet for Php7,999. It’s worth every penny and it’s a good starting point before venturing to a high-end phablet, if you find the need to.
Cherry Mobile Omega XL specifications:
Dual-SIM with Dual-standby
6-inch IPS OGS qHD display (960×540 pixels), 184ppi
DragonTrail Scratch Resistant Glass
1.3GHz quad-core Mediatek MT6582
Mali-400 GPU
1GB RAM
4GB internal storage, expandable via microSD
13MP rear-facing camera with single LED flash
8MP front-facing camera with flash
WiFi b/g/n
3G/HSPA+
Bluetooth 3.0
GPS with aGPS
2,450mAh battery
Android 4.2.2 Jellybean
Dimension: 165mm x 84.2mm x 10.4mm
What we liked about it:
- Good build-quality
- Above-average camera
- Decent battery life
- Front facing flash for your “selfies”
What we don’t like:
- Glossy back cover
- Soft earpiece volume
- Questionable camcorder performance
- Reflective screen
