A new mobile phone is a big purchase for most people. A lot of money is being invested into your new device, so it’s important to ensure that you’re spending wisely. The last thing that you want to do is to waste several hundred pounds on a phone that doesn’t meet your needs, or is unreliable. But choosing that phone can be confusing. It’s tough to know exactly what you’re getting into. Phones all come with spec sheets that detail all their various features. But these sheets are generally full of technical language and numbers, making them next to indecipherable for the average phone user. And yet that phone is essential to most customers. Since many people are giving up home land line telephones, and many professions require the kind of constant contact offered by mobile devices, getting the right phone at the right price is key. And that’s why we’re here to help you. We’re looking at some of the best new phones on the market and matching them up in head to head competitions to see exactly how they compare. This should help you to make your decision more easily since it should be clear which phone is the better buy. Today we’re looking at the Sony Xperia SP and the iPhone 5 from Apple. Just keep reading to find out how these two differ and which is the better buy.
The Competitors…
Sony is a big name in electronics, but is maybe preferred for TVs rather than as a mobile manufacturer. But Sony makes some great mobile devices. Their Xperia series is a huge range of phones, going from serious budget models like the Xperia Tipo to high end devices like the Xperia Z. There really is something for everyone in this phone range. The Sony Xperia SP is one of the newest releases from Sony, and is a top end phone with some great features and a very affordable price tag. The iPhone 5 needs little introduction. It’s Apple’s flagship mobile device, a best seller since its launch late last year. The iPhone 5 has more power and a bigger screen than any other iPhone on the market. But it also has a pretty expensive price, so it will have to have some great features to make up for the cash…
The Pricing…
If you’re interested in iPhone deals on contracts with mobile operators you’re going to be paying somewhere between zero and eight hundred pounds. That price is going to depend on two factors, how big the contract is that you’re signing, and how much internal memory you want on your iPhone. If iPhone deals on contracts aren’t for you, a new SIM free model is going to run between five hundred and thirty and seven hundred pounds, depending on internal memory. The Sony Xperia SP will cost between zero and three hundred pounds on contract, and SIM free it goes for a very reasonable three hundred and thirty pounds.
The Similarities…
These are both fully touch screened smart phones. They’re also both 4G capable, meaning that as long as your mobile operator has a 4G network and data plan you can get superfast mobile internet speeds. Both models have the standard 8 MP camera, which should be suitable for most phone photographers. Finally, both models also have the newest Bluetooth version 4.0, so will have reliable and fast connections to other Bluetooth devices such as hands free sets.
About the Sony Xperia SP…
The Xperia gets some pretty serious advantage over the iPhone. It runs the faster processor, having a 1700 MHz device over the iPhone’s 1300 MHz model, making the Xperia more powerful and more responsive as well. The screen is larger on the Xperia, measuring in at 4.6 inches over the iPhone’s basic four inch screen. Not only that, but the screen is better. The Xperia has a TFT LCD display as opposed to the regular LCD display on the iPhone, so it’s brighter and has better colour reproduction. Plus, there’s thirty per cent higher screen resolution, so the display is sharper and crisper to look at. When it comes to battery life, the Xperia definitely has the edge. The Sony gets around three times more stand by time per battery charge cycle (twenty nine days versus just nine and a half days), as well as about thirty per cent more talk time (eleven hours versus just eight hours). So you’ll charge your phone a lot less frequently with the Xperia. Finally, the Xperia does have a built in FM radio, which isn’t a necessity, but some people like to have one so it’s worth mentioning.
About the iPhone 5…
But the iPhone 5 has a few advantages too. It has a lot more internal storage, for example. The Xperia is an 8 GB model, whilst the iPhone gets between 16 GB and 64 GB depending on how much you pay, which means a lot more space to store your data, photos and music. There are many more app and game options for the iPhone. Apple’s App Store contains around thirty per cent more apps to download than the Android App Market, which might be worth keeping in mind. The iPhone 5 is around forty per cent smaller than the Xperia SP, though it has a much smaller screen so that’s to be expected. However, it’s also around twenty per cent thinner and about thirty per cent lighter, weighing in at 112 grams versus the Xperia’s 155 grams.
The Decision…
These are both great phones. The extra internal storage on the iPhone 5 is pretty nice. However, the Sony Xperia SP has a faster processor, a better battery, and a bigger and better display. Combine those characteristics with the fact that the Xperia is cheaper than the iPhone 5, then the winner should be clear. Both are nice phones, but the features and economy of the Sony Xperia SP make it the better device, and the one that gets our seal of recommendation.
Sam Jones asked his friend about the latest iPhone deals. To his surprise his friend had not checked sites like uSwitch and had paid far too much for his latest contract.
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