Sony Xperia C5 Ultra Review

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.

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