Sony Xperia M4 Aqua
Price: $499
Tested on: Spark network
Rating (mid-range phone): Four stars (out of five)
As the name suggests, the mid-range Android Sony phone can be dunked into water without an issue.
And as it rained most of the time the phone was being tested, there were no concerns about taking it out on weekend walks and using the various applications, including an easy-to-use camera to log the wet weather.
Apparently, the phone can handle being underwater at depths up to a metre but Signal decided not to test the limits - driving rain seemed adequate.
The Xperia M4 Aqua will look familiar to anyone who has recently seen or used a Sony smartphone.
It features the ''omnibalance'' design around which Sony has built its Xperia range.
This seriously counts in the phone's favour because it looks similar to the flagship Xperia Z3 plus, which wowed this reviewer with its long-lasting battery.
The phone was used on the Spark network and performed well wherever it was taken.
Social media was a breeze, including Snapchat.
The phone retails at a recommended $499 on the Spark network and can be bought on a plan over 24 months.
If you do not want to pay the top price for the sophisticated Z range, this is the phone for you.
Although it is seen as a resolutely mid-range phone, the Aqua shares a lot of design language and features with the flagship Z range, giving a premium look and feel to an affordable handset.
From a distance, it is hard to identify the M4 from the more expensive range but on closer inspection, the M4's body is made from polycarbonate material, rather than metal of the Z3.
However, that does not make the phone look cheap, by any measure.
Overseas reviewers are saying the Aqua is giving some of the Samsung mid-range phones a real run in the market because of the price and aesthetics.
One of the downsides for this large-handed reviewer was the tendency for the phone to feel a bit slippery when wet.
A couple of near drops made for a slightly nervous experience.
Strangely, the phone is said to be a bit more difficult to use for people with smaller hands.
But overall, the phone is highly recommended.
We reviewed the white version but it also comes in black and pink.
