The Sony Xperia E3 comes bundled with Android KitKat 4.4.2 and the launcher is almost the same as that on other Xperia smartphones running KitKat.
The lock screen supports widgets (one widget allowed per pane), direct camera access, default widgets, while more can be downloaded, and the unlock method is also standard, the Face, Password, Pattern or PIN unlock.
The Homescreen is standard with five default panes expandable up to seven, while the normal options like adding apps and widgets are allowed – the pane sequence or default setting cannot be changed however. Wallpapers both static and live are present, as are widgets, shortcuts and themes.
Notification area gets a slight rework as the notifications and toggles get moved to separate tabs, with an easy access option to toggles by swiping down from top using two-fingers, instead of the standard one finger pull-down gesture for Notifications area. The App Drawer is managed in a paged manner, with multiple sorting options provided for ease. Additional settings are present in a menu, and can be accessed by sliding in from the left edge of the screen.
The generic Android task manager is on board with standard features. The “small apps†which were introduced in the Sony Xperia T and since seen on different Xperia releases are present, and similar to the Mini Apps on Samsung, can pop up like tiny applications on the home screen, and moved around like widgets without the need to be opened. One instance per small app can be run, but multiple different smart apps can be open at a time. Different small apps can be downloaded from the Play Store, while alternately, apps can be converted to Small Apps.
Google Now is present with the Sony Xperia E3, accessible by an upward swipe from the bottom of the screen while on the homescreen. Another addition that we recently saw with the Xperia Z2 also is the very classy What’s New app, and this displays the latest apps and multimedia, along with content from Sony PlayStation. Google Now has its own standard set of features available. The Xperia E3 comes with a reduced memory size of only 4GB, though microSD option is present and where all the media and most of the apps can be moved.
Sony Xperia E3 brings forward the standard phonebook application, which can contain information of and sync with multiple accounts. The standard features are all present here, like sync with multiple accounts which include Exchange and Facebook. The messaging app is very solid, providing all standard features, including managing MMS. For text input the standard QWERTY keyboard in present, and swype is added on for further ease – in portrait mode, single hand use is an added advantage. The email clients, both the generic one and the Gmail one, are present on board, and the Gmail client can only works on Gmail, while the generic one can cater to other accounts in addition.
The Google Chrome is the default browser on offer with the Sony Xperia E3, and has all the standard strengths that we have been witnessing recently, like the browser sync feature, control over JavaScript, images, cookies etc, and the Reduce data usage as well as the standard Incognito mode.
Sony has introduced another custom app labeled Smart Connect, which allows the Sony Xperia E3 more functionality, like setting off an alarm, opening a default app etc. whenever a peripheral device is connected to the Xperia E3 – this however, does not unfortunately work with NFC tags. The Sony Select app is similar to the What’s New app, with a reduced set of functions and a different UI.
The Sony Xperia E3 comes with the Track ID TV, an app which when pointed to what is being watched on TV, will identify the show. The calendar, calculator, clock, Sketch and File Manager apps are all provided out of the box with standard features. The Notes app is missing from the mix though. Office Suite 8 is available by default, with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files view and edit features, while PDF file formats can viewed only.
Sony PlayStation app as seen last on the Xperia Z2 is present with the Xperia E3 and can display the PlayStation profile and related information, and allows connectivity with PlayStation and pull related content from there directly.
The Power Saver app from Sony is now a part of settings, and this option helps expand the battery time by managing toggles for different services and display settings being consumed by the smartphone. Once the threshold level is crossed, the modification in toggles settings become applicable.
The Backup and Restore app can utilize the memory card, the internal storage or attached USB devices to backup or restore data , and not only the apps, but the system and the app related data, all can be backed up and restored, including media.