Sony Xperia M2 review: Hands-on

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If you're looking for an affordable version of the Sony Xperia Z2, Sony has you covered. Check out our Sony Xperia M2 hands-on review

The Sony Xperia M2 joins the Sony Xperia Z2 as the smartphone line-up for Sony at MWC 2014. It comes with a smaller screen than it's bigger brother at 4.8-inch but manages to beat screen estate on the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact coming in at 4.3-inch. What else does the Xperia M2 offer? T3 went hands-on to find out more. Article continues after the video.

Sony Xperia M2: Size and Build

From the off, you'd be forgiven for mistaking the Xperia M2 for the Xperia Z2 as they look almost identical. Both feature the signature Sony design of a glass back and aluminium sides and the iconic Sony on/off button. Physical buttons are kept to a minimum with only a volume rocker and a shutter button on the sides.

Vital stats are 139.6 x 71.1 x 8.6mm and according to Sony, those make it the slimmest 4G smartphone to date.

Compared to the likes of the HTC One Mini and the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, the design of the Xperia M2 is premium, there's no plastic and it feels solid and reassuringly weighty.

Sony Xperia M2: Features

Nestled inside the M2 is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor with 1.2GHz quad core CPU making it a breeze to whizz through menus or apps thanks to the

So,what makes the M2 mid-range? It's the camera. At 8MP it's a much smaller sensor than the Z2 at 20.7MP. There's no 4K and there are less features within the camera. Slo-mo and background de-focus are a no-go. Having said that, it's a decent enough camera and can certainly compete with it's mid-range competitors.

As with the Galaxy S4 Mini the OS of choice is Android 4.3 Jellybean so don't expect any KitKat action any time soon.

Sony Xperia M2: Screen

At 4.8-inches the screen on the Xperia M2 isn't small but don't expect the same tech as on the Z2. At 540 x 960 pixel resolution it's not the sharpest of screens and side-by-side with it's high-end brother the difference is certainly noticeable.

Sony Xperia M2: Battery

On to the battery and it's quoted at up to 14 hours talk time and 8 hours video playback thanks to the 2300mAh unit inside. Of course, we'll check this with the full review but on paper it looks pretty impressive and one of the stand-out features on the Xperia M2.

Sony Xperia M2: Verdict

First impressions of the Sony Xperia M2 are positive. Sony has managed to create a mid-range phone that maintains a premium feel. It's old Android and the camera has a low pixel count but you still get a quad core processor and a great battery. On paper it looks good but the killer blow will come when Sony announce a price. Once that's out we'll have a full verdict and decide if the Xperia M2 can truly compete with the likes of the HTC One Mini and the Samsung Galaxy S4

Sony Xperia M2 release date: April 2014

Sony Xperia M2 price: TBC