There are thousands of mobile models on the market these days, which can make choosing the right phone for you a bit of a nightmare. The average shopper buys a new mobile around once every two years, and that means that you’re going to live with the outcome of your decision for a long time, so you don’t want any regrets.
When it comes to finances, a top of the line new model is going to cost you close to six hundred pounds nowadays, but you can get solid, budget smart phones for under a hundred and fifty pounds. Whichever way you look at it, you’re going to be making a large investment, and that means that you’ll want to know that you’re getting good value for money.
With so many of us dependent on a mobile phone, whether for work or personal reasons, performance has to be an important issue when you’re shopping. Whilst top of the range phones do have great performance, they’ll also probably have a lot of features that you don’t need. On the other hand, budget smart phone might be lacking in features, and therefore not be able to perform as well as you’d like. This means that mid-range phones are probably going to be your best choice.
There are still plenty of mid-range phones to choose from though. Doing a mobile phone comparison is the best way to see which model offers the best value for money. However, a mobile phone comparison isn’t as easy as it sounds, since most mobile descriptions contain lots of technical data and jargon. That’s why we’re here to help.
We’ve looked at some great mid-range phones and put models in head to head comparisons so that you can easily and quickly see which model is best. If you want a great phone but you’re not sure which model, then read on to find out more about today’s two phones…
Introducing the Two Phones…
Motorola used to be one of the best mobile brands on the market however they do tend to be often overlooked these days. The company does still release some great phones though. Their mid-range RAZR i model is one of the most powerful middle market phones around, and it’s got some great performance specs. It is going up against some stiff competition today though…
Sony’s Xperia phones are all sleek, sexy and beautifully designed. The Xperia SP is a solid middle of the range device, and again, it’s got some great features. Sony has a tendency to put pretty high end features into their mid-range phones, meaning that they’re generally great value. Which of these two phones is going to come out on top?
What You’ll be Paying…
If you don’t want your phone to be locked to a mobile operator then you’re going to need to buy a SIM free hand set. In this case the Motorola RAZR i is going to cost you around three hundred and twenty pounds. The Sony Xperia SP is a little more expensive at around three hundred and thirty pounds.
You can also get your phone by signing an incentive contract with a mobile operator, which will mean that you don’t have to pay full retail price up front. The best deal on both of these models is with Orange, and they’re identical. You’ll get either the Motorola or the Sony for no money down on a £20.50 a month calling plan contract.
The Similarities…
These are both Android touch screen phones. They both have the standard 8 MP camera, which is what we’d expect to see in this price range. Both models also have the same 8 GB internal memory for storing your photos, music and other data.
The Motorola RAZR i…
If you decide to go for the Motorola RAZR i over the Sony Xperia SP you will get some advantages. The RAZR has a much better processor. It runs a massive 2000 MHz processor rather than the 1700 MHz model on the Xperia, making the Motorola faster, more powerful and more responsive, and this is a pretty noticeable difference.
The RAZR has a Super AMOLED screen, as opposed to the older TFT LCD style display on the Xperia, so you’ll get better and more vivid colour reproduction. You’ll also get better battery life. The Motorola gets around ninety per cent more talk time per battery charge cycle than the Sony, averaging around twenty hours of active use versus just eleven hours. This means that you’ll need to charge your phone a lot less often.
Finally, the RAZR is the more portable phone. It’s around thirty per cent smaller than the Xperia, and around twenty per cent thinner as well. It’s also lighter, weighing in at 126 grams versus the 155 gram Sony. All this means that the Motorola is easier and more comfortable to carry around with you.
The Sony Xperia SP…
The Sony Xperia SP has some great advantages of its own though. It has the larger screen, measuring in at 4.6 inches as opposed to the 4.3 inch screen on the Motorola, so you get a better viewing experience and typing on screen is easier too. Then the combination of eighty per cent higher screen resolution and twenty per cent more PPI (pixels per inch) means that the display on the Xperia is brighter, clearer and better defined.
The Sony is a 4G phone, so you can get faster mobile internet speeds if you have a 4G data plan from your mobile operator. It also runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean rather than the older 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich seen on the Motorola. In general a newer operating system version gives you a little more speed and a lot more stability with less chance of your phone crashing or freezing.
Which is Better?
It’s a difficult choice, and both of these are great phones. If we can choose only one though, we’ll take the Sony Xperia SP, since it has the larger screen, a newer operating system and it’s 4G capable, all of which make it a better investment.
Phil Turner showed his parents how to use mobile phone comparison sites to choose their new phone.
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