Introduction
It takes 6 inches or more to warrant the Ultra moniker and Sony only makes one of these a year. Fair enough, not everyone can handle a phablet. But if you have a use for all that FullHD screen real estate, the Sony Xperia C5 Ultra tops it up with an LED-flash-assisted selfie camera, expandable memory and LTE.
A selfie-centric phablet, the Xperia C5 Ultra isn't exceptional in any way - it has obviously evolved but stays true to its T-series and C-series roots. Yet, there's one more thing besides the extra wide front facing camera that makes it special. The Sony Xperia C5 Ultra has super slim screen bezels for a near borderless effect.
It's almost like a pact between Sony's latest upper-midrange siblings. The phone (M5) got the superior chipset and the water-proofing while the phablet (C5 Ultra) had the slim screen bezel. And it looks even slimmer around that 6" 1080p IPS display. But even a screen this big can't overshadow the super wide 13MP front selfie camera with its own LED flash - you get the same combo on the back though not as wide.
The Xperia C5 Ultra is another Sony smartphone powered by a MediaTek chipset - not the high-end Helio X10 that the Xperia M5 got but a robust and dependable performer with an octa-core processor and 2GB of RAM. Software-wise, it's a familiar combination of Android Lollipop and the latest Xperia launcher.
Key features
- Also available with dual SIM support, GSM / HSPA / LTE either way
- 6" IPS LCD, 1080 x 1920 pixels, 367ppi, almost borderless left and right
- Android 5.0 Lollipop with Xperia UI
- Mediatek MT6752 chipset, octa-core 1.7GHz Cortex-A53 processor, Mali-T760MP2 GPU and 2GB of RAM
- 25mm, F/2.0 13MP rear camera, single LED flash, 1080p video recording, hardware shutter key
- 22mm, F/2.2 13MP front camera, single LED flash, 1080p video recording
- LTE Cat.4 (150Mbps); 2.4GHz & 5GHz Wi-Fi a/b/g/n; Bluetooth 4.1; GPS/GLONASS; FM radio with RDS; USB On-The-Go; NFC
- 16GB of built-in storage, expandable via a microSD card slot for up to 200GB
- Active noise cancellation with a secondary microphone
- 2,930mAh battery; power-saving STAMINA Mode
Main disadvantages
- Glossy finish on a plastic back isn't particularly subtle, especially at this size
- Wi-Fi lacks a/c support
- Non-removable battery
The Xperia C5 Ultra is all glossy, which isn't bad if you're to only admire it from a distance, but the grip suffers and the handset only gets more slippery and smudged with use. The battery is non-removable which we guess most people can live with - all the more so if the C5 Ultra does well in our test.
In the Sony family tree, the Xperia C5 Ultra follows directly from the Xperia C4 but the Xperia T2 Ultra can lay a claim to parenthood too. The MediaTek chipset is shared between the C5 Ultra and the C4, and so is the FullHD screen resolution. The 6" diagonal is the screen size of the T2 Ultra - released in 2014 but actually three generations old now with Sony's short release cycle.
In the end of the day though, it's the big-fat selfie camera that defines the C5 Ultra and perhaps the entire C-series. We'll get to it in due time but, as usual, we start with unboxing and the hardware checkup.
Sony Xperia C5 retail package
The Xperia C5 Ultra's retail package covers the basics: you get an A/C adapter, a microUSB cable and a headset.
The Xperia C5 retail package
Sony Xperia C5 360-degree spin
At 164.2 x 79.6 x 8.2mm, the Sony Xperia C5 Ultra has quite the footprint, but nothing out of the usual for a device built around a 6" display. In fact, Sony managed to shave a couple of millimeters off the 6" Xperia T2 Ultra in height and width.
The Xperia C5 Ultra is a little thicker though and gained some extra 15g of weight for a total of 187g.
Design and build quality
Sony has offered some fine-looking midrange smartphones through the past few years, and the Xperia C5 Ultra could've easily been at or near the top of that list. The big fella looks great from the front with the almost non-existent screen bezel, but the rear is rather disappointing.
Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
The matte frame ends on a high-gloss non-removable piece of plastic, which covers the back of the phone. No matter which paintjob you opt for, the glossy finish is very fingerprint-prone and things get ugly really fast.
After a short time, the entire handset is covered in smudges to the point of almost no grip. And you certainly don't want a 6" phone weighing close to 200g slipping off your hands like a piece of wet soap. A bumper case sounds like a must for this one.
Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
On a positive note, all the controls are placed within comfortable reach. The C5 Ultra uses the signature metal power button and has a hardware shutter button.
Handling the Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
Controls
Above the 6" screen, there's a small hidden status LED and a couple of discrete sensors that you may fail to notice but there's no way to miss the massive 13MP AF selfie camera with a big LED flash. The earpiece is etched along the very frame.
All the way across at the bottom, the single front-facing speaker mirrors the earpiece. There are no capacitive keys below the display, as usual Sony opts for on-screen controls.
Above and below the display
The top of the Xperia C5 Ultra has the audio jack only, while the bottom features the microUSB port and the primary microphone.
The top and bottom of the Xperia C5 Ultra
On the left there is a long plastic cap, which protects the single/dual SIM tray and the microSD slot.
The left side
The right is where the typical metallic power key and the volume rocker are. There is a small two-step camera shutter as well, which we really appreciate.
What's on the right
The glossy back has the other 13MP AF camera lens with a LED flash and the secondary mic. You can't pop the cover open and there are no user-replaceable parts under it anyway.
The 13MP rear camera on the glossy back
Massive 6-inch FullHD Display
Aside from the 13MP front camera with flash, the Xperia C5 Ultra is interesting in no small part because of its huge and almost bezel-free display. It has a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels and that's good for 367ppi. It's got nice colors, though a bit subdued at the default setting. You do get the option to tweak the white balance with RGB sliders but there are no presets.
Viewing angles are quite wide and the inevitable loss of contrast and color shift don't get in the way of sharing the content on that fine display.
There aren't many display options you can fiddle with but there is a dedicated glove mode.
Under the microscope, we observed the standard arrangement of red, green and blue pixels, equal in number and size.
The maximum display brightness of the Sony Xperia C5 Ultra is relatively good (422nits), though not outstanding. Interestingly, these levels are only achievable in manual brightness mode. The Auto mode can only deliver a brightness of up to 335nits. The display contrast ratio in both modes however is excellent (slightly lower in Auto mode).
Color rendering without image enhancements is quite accurate (Avg deltaE 3.8 for the primary colors plus black and white), with white being the worse (deltaE 9.1). It’s slightly on the cooler bluish side, but nothing major and certainly not noticeable without a reference.
As we’ve seen on other Xperia smartphones, color accuracy of course takes only a slight hit when you turn on the screen image enhancements such as the Mobile BRAVIA mode.
As usual, display colors are a matter of personal taste and perception so if you don't need calibrated color output, you will probably be quite happy with the default settings of the Xperia C5 Ultra display.
You can fine tune the display color rendering to an extent as Sony gives you fine grain sliders for adjusting the Red, Green and Blue channel, but the UI is far from user friendly and unlikely to produce any serious results without a reference point sitting side by side with the display. Even worse, as soon as you start fiddling with those sliders, the maximum brightness will take a hit.
| Display test | 50% brightness | 100% brightness | ||||
| Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | |||
| 0.18 | 219 | 1203 | 0.37 | 422 | 1144 | |
| 0.00 | 149 | ∞ | 0.00 | 372 | ∞ | |
| 0.00 | 117 | ∞ | 0 | 346.00 | ∞ | |
| - | 171 | ∞ | - | 351 | ∞ | |
| 0.00 | 169 | ∞ | 0.00 | 367 | ∞ | |
| 0.00 | 152 | ∞ | 0.00 | 398 | ∞ | |
| 0.23 | 196 | 846 | 0.64 | 562 | 876 | |
| - | - | - | 0.49 | 634 | 1287 | |
| - | - | - | 0.47 | 467 | 1001 | |
| 0.30 | 347 | 1174 | 0.53 | 635 | 1192 | |
Not one to excel at sunlight legibility, the LCD tech inside the C5 Ultra still managed a decent score in our test.
Sunlight contrast ratio
Battery life
The Sony Xperia C5 Ultra has a 2,930mAh battery, a little more than the Xperia C4's 2,600mAh unit, which scored an overall rating of 53 hours powering a smaller 5.5-inch display. The Xperia T2 Ultra in comparison had a 3000mAh battery but only a 720p screen to worry about.
With virtually the same hardware and Android version, the Xperia C5 Ultra was unfortunately closer to the C4 in terms of battery backup than the T2 Ultra. We found it struggling to deliver more than 7 hours of on-screen time.
Our web browsing test depleted the battery in about that much time, while the video playback stopped just shy of the 8-hour mark.
The 3G talk time is only average and, while the Xperia C5 Ultra redeemed itself at standby, the final endurance rating of 62 hours is far from the best performers in its class.
Overall, you can get two and a half days on a single charge out of the Xperia C5 Ultra if you do an hour each of 3G calls, web browsing and video playback each day.
With a second SIM card in and therefore lower standby times, the endurance rating dropped to 56 hours.
Our proprietary score also includes a standby battery draw test, which is not featured in our battery test scorecard but is calculated in the total endurance rating. Our battery testing procedure is described in detail in case you want to learn more about it.
Connectivity
The Sony Xperia C5 Ultra comes in single and dual SIM flavors. Both the versions offer quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE/HSDPA support. Cat.4 LTE support is also present, though only one of the SIM is graced with it in the C5 Ultra Dual model.
Local connectivity includes dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n with Wi-Fi Direct and hotspot. There is also support for Bluetooth 4.1 with A2DP. Satellite navigation comes with additional A-GPS and GLONASS support. The Xperia C5 Ultra also has an FM radio with RDS. It doesn't offer an IR port, but it does come with NFC.
There is a microUSB 2.0 port for charging and data connections. Media transfer mode is supported for accessing the phone's built-in memory and microSD card over the USB cable. USB OTG functionality is also present and it works fine should you decide to chain-link a mouse and a flash drive in a keyboard and connect the lot, if that's your thing.
The microUSB port doesn't have any TV-out functionality but if you own a compatible HDTV you can output your phone's screen wirelessly via the Miracast protocol or Sony's Xperia Connectivity Throw option.
The app also lets you share your media over DLNA by creating a media server, as well as connect to a PlayStation DUALSHOCK 3 (or 4) wireless controller.
User interface
One of the lighter Android overlays, Sony's Xperia UI keeps the looks close to the stock OS, only adding minor tweaks, where Sony deemed necessary. It's also remarkably consistent between different models and different Android versions, so current Sony users always feel right at home.
There's a single clock widget on the lockscreen which by default uses Sony's signature styling with a bold hour numeral, and less striking minute digits. If that's not your thing, you can opt for a simpler digital clock or an analog clock face, but that's it.
The clock is followed by the lockscreen notifications, which Google introduced with Lollipop, and in Sony's case a double tap on one will unlock the phone and take you straight to the respective app.
Unlocking works only by an upward swipe, other directions won't cut it. You do get shortcuts to the camera and dialer, though. A double-tap-to-wake feature could be found on the Xperia Z3+, but on the C5 Ultra the power button is the only way to go.
Lockscreen features a clock widget, notifications and shortcuts to camera and dialer
Beyond that, there's the usual set of homescreens, of which you can have up to seven. You can choose any one of them as Home, but you can't rearrange them, nor do they cycle to the first one once you reach the end. A dock of four app shortcuts plus app drawer icon sit on the bottom. Naturally, folders are supported on the dock, as well as the homescreens.
Homescreens with app shortcuts, widgets and folder support
There's an extensive theming engine and although the preinstalled themes offer mostly the same Xperia look in different colors, a whole bunch of other custom themes is available online. However, most options are paid.
There are simple preloaded themes as well as a multitude of downloadable ones
The app drawer displays a 4x5 grid of apps and you can't change that, though the large 6-inch screen could have easily accommodated a 5x6 grid. The apps can be arranged alphabetically, by most used, or in a custom user-selected order. There's a search feature, which comes in really handy if you have a lot of apps installed. To change the arrangement or uninstall an app, you need to evoke the side drawer, a feature of the XperiaUI used throughout Sony's proprietary apps.
App drawer • search feature • side drawer for settings
The notification area is the stock Lollipop flavor. That means a two stage design, with notifications displayed on the first swipe, and the settings toggles available upon expanding it. A less obvious gesture, a careful two finger pull down, will get you straight to the toggles.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are not mere switches, tapping on the text below will take you to the settings of the two. Editing the selection of toggles is available with a shortcut straight from the notification shade.
Stock two-stage Lollipop notification shade without auto brightness toggle
Like the rest of Sony's Lollipop builds, the Xperia C5 Ultra uses standard Android app switcher with the added benefit of a kill-all button. The more noticeable Sony touch comes in the form of Small apps.
They pop up tiny widget-like applications on your screen, which you can move around and use without having to open the full-fledged app. The set of available apps is: Active Clip, Chrome Bookmarks, Browser, Calculator, Calendar, Gmail, and Timer. You can launch only one instance of a Small App, but you can open multiple Small Apps simultaneously, though it can quickly become a mess.
You can download more Small Apps off the Play Store or use the option to turn your favorite widgets into Small Apps. Just hit the Plus key at the top of the list and choose a widget.
Lollipop rolodex task switcher with a Small app twist
The Xperia C5 Ultra has a couple of one-handed operation features which aim to help with ease of use on the large screen. Those range from the familiar scaling down and moving to the side of the dialer and unlock pattern dots, to the more novel Home double-tap for access to the notification area.
One handed operation puts parts of the interface to one side for easier access
Performance
The Sony Xperia C5 Ultra is powered by the Mediatek MT6752 SoC - the same one ticking inside the Xperia C4. It pack eight Cortex-A53 CPU cores clocked at 1.7GHz and capable of working simultaneously.
The octa-core processor is coupled with a Mali-T760MP2 GPU and 2GB of RAM, and since those handle 1080p apps, the C5 Ultra should offer the same synthetic performance as the previous C4 model.
The battery of tests starts as usual with Geekbench 3.0, which measures RAW CPU performance. Mediatek's True octa-core concept is a real beast and C5 Ultra posts a beastly score - the same as its C4 predecessor, but unmatched among its rivals in the midrange.
GeekBench 3
Higher is better
The popular Antutu benchmark has become an industry standard for overall performance, and it evaluates CPU, graphics, memory and storage, the lot. Another great performance here, the Xperia C5 Ultra smokes the S615-powered Oppo R7 Plus and is on par with the S810-equipped LG G Flex2. Its GPU isn't shining, but it compensates with its powerful processor.
AnTuTu 5
Higher is better
The Xperia C5 Ultra fails to impress in Basemark OS II 2.0, but does as much as a Snapdragon 615 device would do (Galaxy A8, Oppo R7 Plus).
Basemark OS 2.0
Higher is better
Single core-performance is led by the Snapdragon 801s, though they rely on an entirely different quad-core architecture and thus obviously pack more punch per core.
Basemark OS 2.0 (single-core)
Higher is better
Unsurprisingly, the Xperia C5 Ultra and its C4 sibling lead the way in the multi-core test, with S615 Oppo R7 Plus a mile behind, and noticeably faster than the top-dog Snapdragon 810.
Basemark OS 2.0 (multi-core)
Higher is better
Graphics performance is less exciting but mostly adequate for the mid-range class. The results are not what they initially appear though, as the top spots are occupied mostly by the 2014/2015 flagships, which benefit from their superior GPUs.
GFX 2.7 T-Rex (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
GFX 3.0 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
GFX 2.7 T-Rex (onscreen)
Higher is better
GFX 3.0 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
Basemark X
Higher is better
Moving on to browser benchmarks, things don't look all that well for the Xperia C5 Ultra. Even though it's running nothing but Chrome, thus supposedly avoiding blunders by the manufacturer's software engineers, the C5 Ultra is consistently trailing, both in the JavaScript-focused Kraken 1.1 and the broader BrowserMark 2.1.
Kraken 1.1
Lower is better
BrowserMark 2.1
Higher is better
All in all, the Sony Xperia C5 Ultra proves to be a capable performer, with strong results in processor benchmarks and average graphics for its class. It does have its weak spot, and that's browser performance, though.
Phonebook
The phonebook on the Xperia C5 Ultra is called Contacts. It uses a tabbed interface, consisting of Contacts, Favorites and Groups. It's not bundled with the phone app, but you can still quickly jump to it from the dialer. The contact list has a dedicated search filed plus it offers a very nicely animated alphabetical scroll bar.
Phonebook • Editing a contact
Single contact view opens in full screen, rather than the pop-up view of previous Xperias. You get plenty of options for adding contact details with practically unlimited number of fields.
Dual SIM telephony
The Xperia C5 Ultra had no problem with reception and we didn't experience dropped calls or other issues. The volume range is rather wide and you wouldn't want to pump it all the way up in all but the loudest surroundings. Even at maximum volume the output remains clear.
The dialer is its own dedicated app and supports smart dialing. It doesn't have a built-in recorder, if you're into that sort of thing.
Using the dual-SIM enabled Xperia C5 Ultra is hassle-free - the dialer offer virtual keys for both SIMs, as is the messaging apps. Dialing a number from the Contacts app will invoke a small pop-up to choose on which SIM card you want to make the call.
Standalone dialer with smart dial • in-call screen
The loudspeaker of the Xperia C5 Ultra behaves almost the same with ClearAudio+ disabled and with the feature turned on - both times meeting our criteria for a Very Good rating. You'll get a richer and deeper sound with ClearAutio+ turned off though.
| Speakerphone test | Voice, dB | Ringing | Overall score | |
| 64.0 | 65.1 | 61.7 | Below Average | |
| 66.5 | 66.2 | 66.3 | Below Average | |
| 66.5 | 65.8 | 70.5 | Average | |
| 65.0 | 65.8 | 75.7 | Average | |
| 66.7 | 66.6 | 75.7 | Good | |
| 74.0 | 66.6 | 75.7 | Good | |
| 69.8 | 66.6 | 82.7 | Very Good | |
| 71.1 | 70.5 | 79.9 | Very Good | |
| 72.7 | 66.6 | 82.7 | Very Good | |
| 73.7 | 72.8 | 79.9 | Very Good | |
| 75.7 | 73.5 | 79.5 | Excellent |
Messaging, email and text input
The Sony messaging app has the regular functionality with threaded view and automatic transition to MMS when attaching media. Google Hangouts is also on board.
Naturally, the Gmail client and the default Email apps are on board. Either one can sync with multiple accounts, both Google and POP3/IMAP.
Messaging app • Email • Gmail
The Xperia keyboard has every feature you may need. It has symbols on long press, smiley key, and Swype-like gesture input. There's also a one-handed mode which squishes the entire keyboard to one side for easier access. A selection of three differently colored skins is also available.
Xperia keyboard
The Album image gallery is lovely
The Sony Xperia C5 Ultra comes with the custom Sony gallery, called Album. Images are organized into groups of thumbnails and sorted by date. You can resize the image thumbnails with a pinch gesture all the way from a grid of tiny, tiny thumbnails to a single image view.
Gallery views with different thumbnail size • Places
The gallery can pull images from your Facebook, Picasa or Flickr accounts for easy viewing in one spot. Alternatively, you can turn the C5 Ultra into a DLNA server and view photos from the device on a computer or compatible TV.
Also there are some special albums - Places, for one, which uses the geotagging info to sort photos by where they were taken, and Faces is another, which groups photos by the faces of the people in them.
Images can be cropped or rotated directly in the gallery. Quick sharing via Picasa, Email apps, Facebook, Bluetooth or MMS is also enabled. A simple slideshow mode with no transition settings is present as well.
There's also an image editor, which provides basic tools for enhancing your photos like cropping and color effects, but also a bit more advanced features like curves adjustment.
Viewing and editing an image
We like the Movies app, lacks AC3 audio though
The video playing app is dubbed Movies and it has a simple interface, but is strong on codec support and subtitle handling. It's connected to Gracenote, which helps you find additional information about the movies and TV shows you have on the tablet.
The Xperia C5 Ultra plays just about everything - AVI (DivX, XviD), MP4, WMV and even MKV and MOV. AC3 audio is not supported but you can still view the video, if it's necessary. The video player does support fully-customizable subtitles.
Video player
Music app is great, as usual
The music player app is named simply Music, the Walkman badge has gone into oblivion. That said, the app offers largely the same interface and core functionality as before. The interface is based on tiles that sort your music collection by Artist, Albums, Playlists, all songs and even the songs your friends are listening to (but you need to link your Facebook account).
When there's music playing, the album art serves as background for the lockscreen, with controls appearing right there. The notification area also offers the now playing screen with music controls and the option to jump into the Walkman player.
The Now Playing screen shows a carousel with the tracks in the current playlist and the usual music controls below that. You can swipe left and right to move between tracks. The Infinite button will help you find the music video on YouTube, look up info about the artist on Wikipedia and search for lyrics on Google.
Music player looks good and works even better
Gracenote is used here too and it can automatically download information about your tracks and album art or you can edit it manually.
Sony has improved the Walkman player's settings. There's the familiar ClearAudio+ option, which determines the best audio quality settings depending on the song you're listening to. Dynamic normalizer evens out the volume differences between tracks, which is great if you've mixed multiple albums from multiple sources.
The Sound enhancements offer even more settings. There's an equalizer with presets and manual settings (including tweaking Clear Bass). There's Surround sound mode too, which imitates the Studio, Club or Concert Hall experience. Dynamic normalizer minimizes the difference in volume between songs (great if you're playing a shuffled mix).
A multitude of sound-enhancing features
FM radio with RDS and TrackID
The Sony Xperia C5 Ultra features an FM Radio aboard, complete with RDS support. The app has multiple skins and integrates with TrackID to recognize the currently playing song. You can even directly make an "I'm listening to..." post on Facebook.
The FM Radio • recognizing a song with TrackID
Audio output starts off great, loses brilliance with headphones
The Sony Xperia C5 Ultra did splendidly when connected to an active external amplifier. The scores it got were great top to bottom and it matched them with excellently high volume and no weak spots whatsoever.
Plugging in a pair of headphones did harm the stereo crosstalk and frequency response, while also adding some intermodulation distortion. None of the readings are too bad, but we are used to seeing less degradation in this case. Volume levels dropped to below average too, which left us with less than impressive performance on this occasion.
And here go the results so you can see for yourselves.
| Test | Frequency response | Noise level | Dynamic range | THD | IMD + Noise | Stereo crosstalk |
| +0.17, -0.02 | -92.1 | 93.5 | 0.0088 | 0.013 | -88.7 | |
| +0.80, -0.03 | -92.3 | 93.2 | 0.010 | 0.416 | -60.8 | |
| +0.06, -0.06 | -94.1 | 93.9 | 0.0086 | 0.013 | -93.4 | |
| +0.53, -0.30 | -93.5 | 93.4 | 0.033 | 0.506 | -54.1 | |
| +0.02, -0.08 | -85.2 | 85.2 | 0.013 | 0.022 | -85.3 | |
| +0.10, -0.01 | -85.4 | 85.4 | 0.020 | 0.045 | -45.1 | |
| +0.06, -0.02 | -94.0 | 93.9 | 0.0012 | 0.0065 | -73.4 | |
| +0.11, -0.06 | -93.8 | 93.8 | 0.0022 | 0.099 | -65.1 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Alpha | +0.01, -0.04 | -96.6 | 92.8 | 0.0058 | 0.0091 | -97.1 |
| Samsung Galaxy Alpha (headphones attached) | +0.04, -0.01 | -95.7 | 92.7 | 0.013 | 0.033 | -65.6 |
Sony Xperia C5 Ultra frequency response
You can learn more about the tested parameters and the whole testing process here.
Dual 13MP cameras, both with LED flash
The Sony Xperia C5 Ultra offers two AF 13MP cameras, both featuring Exmor RS sensors. The rear camera is equipped with a 25mm wide 13MP Exmor RS sensor. It shoots images in a native ratio of 4:3 up to a maximum resolution of 4,096 x 3,072 pixels (so, it's actually 12.6MP effective resolution). The imager is placed behind a fast f/2.0 lens. A single-LED flash is on board to assist with low-light shooting.
The front camera is another 13MP Exmor RS sensor, this time around it's behind a 22mm wide f/2.2 lens. If it's not obvious, 22mm means a ridiculously wide field of view. This camera comes accompanied by a single-LED flash on the front as well for some flashier selfies.
The Xperia C5 Ultra also has a two stage hardware shutter key that you can set up to unlock the phone and start the camera. It can also snap a photo or start capturing video immediately.
The camera interface is laid across two panes and is shared with the camcorder - you can snap a photo or shoot a video without changing modes most of the time. Depending on the shooting mode selected, the video shutter key may be replaced by a still/video mode toggle.
Camera interface
There's a multitude of modes already bundled with the app, but most of them are a one-time fun affair like the three augmented reality modes which superimpose moving images on top of the actual scene for an amusing, if not really useful result. You're not limited to the preinstalled modes, and there's a whole bunch of others to download.
Preinstalled modes • downloadable modes
As is typical for Sony smartphone cameras, the Xperia C5 Ultra shoots in Superior auto mode by default, which in this case can shoot at full 13MP resolution, though you can select a lower one, as well as a 16:9 aspect. In theory, the C5 Ultra should recognize among a total of 52 different scene types and adjust settings accordingly - including enabling HDR mode if needed. You're left with little control over the process other than a flash mode selector and a choice of the aforementioned aspect ratio.
No matter if you choose Manual or Superior Auto, the auto exposure is dependable and together with the decent dynamic range results in well exposed photos. The images are on the soft side though, and perceived detail suffers, though most of it is there and can be pulled with a touch of sharpening in post processing. There's a fair amount of noise in areas of uniform color (like the sky), but it's of the preferable luminance type, so it's not overly distracting.
Sometimes the Superior Auto makes the color punchier, which is OK if you like this kind of images, while the Manual keeps the color rendition as close to the real life as possible.
Sony Xperia C4 camera samples shot in Superior Auto mode
Naturally, there's an HDR mode, which is accessible only in Manual mode, though the documentation says Superior Auto can activate it as well. Anyway, we shot a few comparison shots in Manual with HDR off, then on, and the results are below.
While admittedly there's some detail pulled out of the shadows, it's at the expense of an overall brighter image, as if the camera merely dialed up the exposure value, not exactly what the mode is supposed to do.
Sony Xperia C5 Ultra HDR off/on • off/on
We get to the Sweep panorama mode, which is traditionally a subpar on Sony's phone cameras, and the Xperia C5 Ultra does well to stay within that description. And it's not like Sony needs to invent something, there are a number of prime examples how a proper panorama mode should work like, but the Japanese just can't be bothered.
In their implementation you need to manually select which way you're sweeping, as if there's no orientation sensor or accelerometer. It's then picky in terms of sweeping speed, and you can go too slow, apparently. And if you only want to capture a small sector in your shot, the software covers the rest with a dark gray color, posing the question why it doesn't crop it out, since it obviously realizes there's no data there.
You might be willing to close your eyes on most of those issues, if the camera produced quality panoramas, but it doesn't. They are low in resolution and detail, have wavy stitching artifacts and are overall unusable.
C'mon Sony, the panorama mode update is way overdue already!
Sony Xperia C5 Ultra panorama sample
Our photo compare tool is at your disposal to check for yourself how the Xperia C5 Ultra weighs up to the competition.
Sony Xperia C5 in our photo compare tool
Front-facing flash can save the day... at night
The headline front camera creates images up to 4,096 x 3,072 pixels for a total of 12.6MP. Its output is pretty much the same as the rear camera, but has a noticeably wider field of view and thus you may enjoy some great group photos.
The 13MP front snapper on the Xperia C5 Ultra is among the best selfie-dedicated hardware we've seen to date and we'd recommend to all selfie photographers to check this phone out.
Sony Xperia C5 Ultra 13MP front camera samples
Video recording
The Sony Xperia C5 Ultra shoots videos up to 1080p/30fps, nothing out of the ordinary. It can shoot HDR videos at full resolution as well, but it doesn't offer fancier modes like slow motion or timelapse or 1080p/60fps, for that matter.
The resulting FullHD videos come out with a bitrate of 17Mbps and audio is recorded in stereo at 128kbps.
In terms of quality, the videos are far from spectacular. Detail levels are average, and so is dynamic range. The focusing mechanism and the exposure don't hunt unnecessarily, but we'd still prefer if those kept trying at a lower pace.
We don't recommend using the software video stabilization, as it mostly ruins the video quality rather and the cost isn't worth the barely improved picture.
Then there's the HDR mode, and much like stills shooting, it mostly overexposes, rather than produce a truly high dynamic range.
You can download the untouched samples from the links below.
1080p video sample at 30fps - 14s, 30MB
1080p HDR video sample at 30fps - 15s, 31MB
Chrome is the only browser on board
The Sony Xperia C5 Ultra comes with Google Chrome only, which has seamless transition between all your devices through your Google account as well as the Data Saver feature, which compresses pages in an attempt to cut down on cellular transfer charges.
Google Chrome
Other apps
The Calendar app handles your planning needs. Entering a new event is quick and easy, and you can also set an alarm to act as a reminder. The Calendar also pulls info on upcoming events from your Facebook account and can also display the national holidays for a long list of countries and your contacts' birthdays too.
Calendar
The Alarm & clock app supports multiple alarms, each with its own sound and repeat pattern. You can also set whether the side buttons would snooze the alarm, dismiss it or do nothing. There's also a desk clock option and a world clock (which shows the weather forecast for each city, not just the time). There's a nice calculator app with a side drawer for advanced functions in portrait, which are always visible in landscape.
Clock • Calculator
The Sony Xperia C5 Ultra comes with the OfficeSuite 8 document editor, which handles viewing, creating and editing of Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents. It can also view PDFs. The interface is clutter-free but there are still plenty of features (font formatting, formulas, you name it).
OfficeSuite 8 can handle document editing on the go
The File Commander app is a capable file manager that features batch operations, ZIP file support and cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, SugarSync, OneDrive).
File Commander handles all the popular cloud storage services
The Power Saver helps you extend your battery life by toggling things like Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth screen brightness, auto sync and background data on and off automatically when the battery charge falls below a certain user-defined threshold. You can also turn off the Wi-Fi if there is no saved Wi-Fi network in range or turn off mobile data when the screen is off, and more.
Stamina modes provide extensive options for power management
Sony's Smart Connect app comes pre-installed. It allows you to set your device to do a variety of things - like launch an app or set an alarm - whenever you connect an accessory like a headset or a charger. You can also set events to occur during a time interval (e.g. mute alarms at night).
Smart Connect
There's a Backup & Restore feature on the Xperia C5, but it's limited to contacts, conversations, calendar entries, call log and bookmarks. The app can't backup multimedia content or documents, so you'll need to look elsewhere for archiving your photos, for example.
Backup and restore
The Socialife app comes pre-installed too. It is a service similar to Samsung's My Magazine and HTC One's Blinkfeed. The interface is clean and simple yet beautiful, and there are lots of preloaded feeds. You can add your own RSS links too.
News from Socialife
Sketch is pretty simple to use - you can select the color of the note/sketch and just start typing or doodling. You can customize a wide variety of drawing modes, backgrounds, and stencils.
Feel free to doodle with Sketch
What's New app has very beautiful UI and will show you the hottest apps and multimedia today, but it isn't limited to the Play Store only. It'll display content from Sony's PlayStation store too.
What's New app
One nifty feature Sony has had in its Android overlay is the capability to record a video of what's happening on the screen, not just your regular standard-issue screenshot. It comes in handy if you want to capture a gameplay video, for example, or walk someone through completing a task within the phone's interface.
You can launch Record screen from the menu, which pops up when you press and hold the power button. You get controls for the video quality and orientation, and you can also enable a resizable windowed live feed from your front camera, for a more personal interaction.
Record screen lets you capture gameplay or interface videos
Final words
Sony's Ultra lineup rarely catches the spotlight. The company has been busy updating its upper-midrange fleet but phablets don't obviously have the mass appeal of their regular phone siblings. Now, if a six-or-so-inch screens are an already small niche and LED-assisted high-resolution wide-angle selfie cameras are arguably even smaller, what about the intersection of these two?
OK, the question didn't obviously bother Sony to whom the secondary cam was no secondary feature. They just went on and gave it their best shot. The 6-inch screen got the same treatment. It's the closest Sony ever got to a bezel-less display, better than even the latest Z-series.
The Xperia C5 Ultra is certainly big but it's just 6mm taller and 2mm wider than the latest 5.5" iPhone 6s Plus. And for those few extra mm you're getting half an inch of extra screen. The hardware in the Xperia C5 Ultra as is capable as most other midrange rival priced around the €400 mark and does better than most Snapdragon-615-powered alternatives. The impressive selfie sensor is quite a bonus if you have a use for it. The big display with ultra slim bezels makes this one different than most Xperia phones, in a good way.
It's the glossy rear though that almost ruins a great impression and while this is purely a matter of taste, the poor grip is a tangible disadvantage. Let's put it this way, you'll be doing yourself a favor by getting a bumper case. It'll improve both the handling and the looks.
Sony Xperia C5 Ultra key test findings
- All-plastic build, materials feel pleasant to the touch but are fingerprint-prone and have poor grip
- Impressively-thin bezels, but overall not an easy device to handle
- Very good 6-inch FullHD display - sharp, bright, with high contrast and good viewing angles
- Connectivity package easily covers the basics and beyond: Cat.4 LTE, dual-SIM capability, dual-band Wi-Fi with plenty of options for screen sharing, NFC
- Average battery life, poor web browser longevity, but excellent single SIM standby endurance without any power-saving enhancements
- Familiar Xperia UI stays close to stock Lollipop, looks simple and functional
- Solid benchmark performance for its class, consistently ahead of Snapdragon 615 competition
- Sony's multimedia package is feature-rich: gallery has plenty of options for viewing and editing, video player has extensive codec and subtitle support, music player is stylish and has a host of sound enhancements
- Audio quality is mostly good
- Primary 13MP camera produces images with a good level of detail, but could use more detail; luminance noise is present, but not so much as to be a problem;
- 22mm 13MP front-facer with LED flash is one of the best selfie combos you can get
- Video quality is okay, but not spectacular, detail is low for a 1080p feed
So, we're looking at Sony's fifth generation now and the shorter release cycle means the fourth generation of the C-series and the M-series are not past their shelf life yet. It's the kind of extra depth and flexibility in the midrange that will help Sony compete on more than one front.
The 13MP front facer in the Xperia C5 Ultra is the highest resolution selfie cam in a phone but you can bet Sony doesn't care much about being the shared record-holder. In fact, we don't think the C5 Ultra's primary targets are the likes of the Asus Zenfone Selfie or the Lenovo Vibe X2 Pro. Or the HTC Desire Eye that popped right out of the blue last year.
Asus Zenfone Selfie ZD551KL • Lenovo Vibe X2 Pro • HTC Desire Eye
The latest Xperia M5 and C5 Ultra, along with the M4 Aqua and the Xperia C4 are probably Sony's response to the rising influence of the Samsung A-series. The original Xperia C4 is basically the same device, just has a smaller display. While it uses the same rear camera and the front flash, the C4's front facer keeps the resolution down at 5MP.
Sony Xperia C4 • Sony Xperia M5
The 5.7" Samsung Galaxy A8 at the top of the A-series is a gorgeous phablet with some metal on a super slim body. Its 5.7" Super AMOLED screen is really impressive. The Snapdragon 615 isn't the best choice for the device, but its 16MP main camera produces flagship-grade photos. The 5MP selfies aren't that impressive though and the A8 is pricier.
Samsung Galaxy A8
If you're looking for more affordable options, the curved LG G Flex2 has a smaller display, but a higher level of equipment outside the selfie photography. It has an AMOLED screen, an OIS 13MP rear camera, powerful Snapdragon 810 chip and some unique features such as the curved body and screen, plus the self-healing rear coating. Its price has dropped so much, it's an offer you can hardly resist.
LG G Flex2
The Meizu MX5 is built around a 5.5" AMOLED display and is powered by a superior Helio X10 chip by MediaTek. Its main camera turned out quite impressive, the metal body is a very nice touch, while the AMOLED screen is great for reading and outdoor use. The 5MP front facer works for selfies too, but isn't as good as the Xperia C5 Ultra's.
Meizu MX5
Another Helio X10-powered option, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 has a 5.5" LCD and a price no one can possibly beat. The Oppo R7 Plus can match the 6" display, and makes it an AMOLED too. Its Snapdragon 615 is slightly behind the MT6752 chip inside the C5, but the phone sure looks great with bezels as slim as the Xperia C5's. The R7 Plus' main camera is better with high-end optics, laser autofocus and 60fps video capturing, but its front camera is only 8MP and has no flash.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 • Oppo R7 Plus
As usual of late, the competition is a mix of established and emerging brands. It seems the latter are more interested in high-res selfie cameras while Sony is perhaps more focused on the traditional rivals. The Sony Xperia C5 Ultra does many things right but that's probably true for most of the alternatives above. The amazing thing is Sony was walking a thin line with this one and managed to stay on the right side. To most people, a selfie-centric phablet is pretty much a useless combination but the Sony Xperia C5 Ultra goes about it in a way that many will appreciate.
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