Great features inside a sexy handset that also happens to be waterproof – there’s plenty to love about the Sony Xperia M4 Aqua.

1. Good looks

It may be a mid-range handset, but the M4 Aqua feels premium. It has a tempered glass display, with a svelte 136g body that’s still waterproof – long a key selling point of many of Sony’s smartphones. Now, it has been improved with cap-less microUSB charging.*

2. Cool camera

You’ll soon be snapping away with this phone, which has some fun features. The front selfie camera is a very respectable 5MP, and has a super wide-angle lens that lets you fit more peeps in your selfie. There are also some super selfie editing features to play with, including Portrait Retouch.

The 13MP main camera is also pretty impressive, with ISO 3200 sensitivity that means it takes better photos in low light. Superior Auto Mode can automatically sense up to 52 different scenarios – such as strong backlight – making it much easier to get a perfect photo every time.

Sound Photo allows you to add short clips to your photos and Movie Creator converts your holiday pictures and videos into 30-second clips that are easily shared on social media.

3. Fast performance

First, the jargon: this is Sony’s first octa-core smartphone featuring the Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, running Android 5.0 Lollipop. What this translates to is a phone that is fast and running a far newer version of Android than many phones in its price range. (The Samsung Galaxy A5 is a quad-core phone that runs Android 4.4.4 KitKat, for instance.) It is also enabled for LTE.

4. Reasonable price tag

Although exact pricing for this phone is not yet available, Sony promises it will fall squarely in the mid-range market, and it should be in the same price bracket as the Samsung Galaxy A5 or the Huawei Ascend G7. 

The Sony Xperia M4 Aqua will be available from Vodacom soon. Watch this space.

* The Xperia M4 Aqua is waterproof and protected against dust, so don’t worry if you get caught in the rain or want to wash off dirt under a tap, but remember: all ports and attached covers should be firmly closed. You should not: put the device completely underwater; or expose it to seawater, salt water, chlorinated water or liquids such as drinks. Abuse and improper use of device will invalidate warranty. The device has Ingress Protection rating IP68. For more info see www.sonymobile.com/waterproof. The Xperia M4 Aqua has a capless USB port to connect and charge. The USB port needs to be completely dry before charging.