SONY XPERIA M5
$648

With the Xperia M5, Sony has built a phone that snaps at the heels of flagships without breaking the bank.

While many Sony smartphones had Qualcomm processors in the past, the M5 is powered by the MediaTek Helio X10.

This chip gives about 30 per cent faster CPU speed than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 that is found in many other mid-range devices.

With a 5-inch screen, the water- and dust-resistant M5 is one of the more compact phones on the market, and has a relatively high pixel density of 441 ppi.

The M5's camera is also one of the most impressive in the line-up here, with a 21.5MP rear camera that uses a Sony Exmor RS sensor.

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