Xperia M is the latest mid-range Android handset from Sony which brings dual-core processor, Adreno 305 GPU and NFC to the sub Rs. 13000 segment. We have benchmarked the Sony Xperia M on a variety of available tools, including Quadrant, AnTuTu, Vellamo as well as NenaMark 2. The benchmarking video is embedded below and then we have the detailed scores of the various benchmark tests done on the Xperia M alongwith comparison with the Micromax Canvas 2 Plus, Canvas HD, Samsung Galaxy Core and Sony Xperia L.
Hardware Overview
The Sony Xperia M features a 1GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8227 processor, with Adreno 305 GPU and 1GB RAM. The phones runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which we expect to be updated soon. The phone has a 4-inch FWVGA (854 x 480 pixels) display although some of It taken by the onscreen buttons.
The Xperia M has a 5-megapixels primary camera with single-LED flash along with a front-facing VGA camera. The phone also has some sensors, namely:
- Proximity Sensor – As the name suggests, it checks how close objects are. The proximity sensor is calibrated in such a way that while you are in a call the screen goes off as the sensor detects that your face is close to the device.
- Light Sensor – Used to detect change in ambient light, helps to automatically adjust brightness.
- Acceleration Sensor – Detect movement of device, can come in handy while driving.
- Orientation Sensor – As the name suggests, just detects the orientation of the device, so that the UI can be rotated accordingly.
- Magnetic Field Sensor – It detects the magnetic field around the device and can be used by Compass apps.
Benchmarks
Quadrant
Quadrant is a CPU, I/O and 3D benchmark app for Android, which provides total as well as separate scores of the tests it conducts. Based on the total score, a graph is generated to show where the phone lies wrt to other devices.
The Sony Xperia M got a total Quadrant score of 4217, which lands it above the Asus Transformer Prime TF201. If we move into the bifurcation of scores, the Xperia M got a CPU score of 6771, Memory 6661, I/O 4617 and 3D score of 2064. The Samsung Galaxy Core on the other hand got a score of 3116 on Quadrant, which is way inferior to the Xperia M although both have dual-core processors, and cost about the same.
AnTuTu 3.3.1
AnTuTu is a comprehensive benchmarking tool, which tests the complete hardware of the device including the CPU, GPU, RAM as well the storage attached to the device. Its an additive benchmark which adds component test scores rather than taking their average as Quadrant does.
The Sony Xperia M scored 10,135 on the full AnTuTu benchmark, some categorized scores are given below:
- CPU 2775
- GPU 4981
- RAM 1537
- I/O 842
These scores are not only respectable but are great for a mid-range device like the Sony Xperia M and rivals the likes of the Galaxy S II which too was powered by a dual-core processor. Therefore, the Adreno 305 GPU coupled with the 1GHZ dual-core Snapdragon processor with 1GB RAM makes the Xperia M a solid performer throughout.
NenaMark2
NemaMark is primarily a graphics benchmark which uses real rendered screens to check the performance of the GPU of the device.
We got a Nenamark2 score of 64.4 FPS on the Xperia M, which is astonishing to say the least. This is the best score we have seen in a lower mid-range device. Therefore, high-end games would most certainly be playable on the Xperia M.
Vellamo
Vellamo has several chapters, we tested the HTML5 chapter which checks mobile browser performance, which includes SunSpider JavaScript and V8 benchmark. The Metal chapter measures CPU performance.
The Sony Xperia M scored 1787 on the Vellamo HTML5 test which put it at the top of the pyramid, even higher than the quad-core HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S3. It scored 434 on the Metal benchmark putting it between the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note, which is admirable for a device available for Rs. 12990.
Multitouch Test
We tested the multitouch capabilities of the display on the Sony Xperia M, and found that the display supports five points of touch.
Therefore it is able to detect 5 individual touch inputs at once, which again goes to show that for the price you get a much better performing device and is definitely a good buy for someone looking for a branded mid-range device on budget.
Benchmark comparison of the Sony Xperia M with Micromax Canvas 2 Plus A110Q, the Canvas HD A116, Samsung Galaxy Core and Sony Xperia L.
As you can see in the benchmarks below, the Xperia M stands its own ground in benchmark scores.
Conclusion
The Sony Xperia M can prove to be the best mid-range Android smartphone given the price point at which it is available especially with Sony’s brand value attached to it. It proved its graphics prowess with the NenaMark2 score as well as great general performance with the Vellamo scores. The phone has good build quality, a sharp display and a loud speakerphone, given just these features alongwith the price and NFC, Sony might just win the battle of the dueling mid-rangers. We’ll be back with the gaming review, camera samples as well as the Full Review soon. Stay tuned!
