Sony Xperia SP review: SPlendid

Introduction

It took some time but Sony had the big comeback many have been waiting for. The Xperia Z is selling well and we suspect it's been the driver for turning the company's fortunes around in the first quarter of the year. It's now time to carry that momentum over to the midrange and the Xperia SP looks like the right phone for the job.A nicely spec'd screen and an adequately powered chipset come together in a beautiful and well-built package, giving the Sony Xperia SP the right tools to survive in the cutthroat battle in this price bracket. The transparent LED strip, which now has even richer functionality, will definitely add character too to help it fight the last generation of flagships, fresh from relegation to the midrange.

Key features

Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
3G with 42Mbps HSDPA and 5.8 Mbps HSUPA; 100Mbps LTE
4.6" 16M-color 720p TFT capacitive touchscreen with Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 and Corning Gorilla Glass protection
Android OS v4.1.2 Jelly Bean
Dual-core 1.7 GHz Krait CPU, 1 GB RAM, Adreno 320 GPU; Qualcomm S4 Pro MSM8960T chipset
8 MP autofocus camera with LED flash
1080p video recording @ 30fps with HDR mode, continuous autofocus and stereo sound
VGA front-facing camera
Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct and DLNA; Wireless TV out
GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS
8GB of built-in storage
MHL-enabled microUSB port
Bluetooth v4.0
NFC
Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
Accelerometer and proximity sensor
Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
Solid build quality
Ample 2370 mAh battery
Dedicated camera key

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Sony Xperia ZL review: Off the bench

Introduction

Having finally scored a homerun, and a desperately needed one at that, Sony is keen to bring another hitter off the bench. And they sure hope it's the Cadillac-driving kind. The Japanese mean business - and the Xperia Z did its best to get that point across. The Xperia ZL now has plenty of momentum to build on but a certain weight of expectations too.
The double-backup is something Samsung has been doing for a couple of years now with a Galaxy S flagship in the spring followed by a Note phablet at the end of summer. Sony's going for what looks more like a one-two punch with the glass-clad, water-proof Xperia Z and the more compact, less extravagant, but just as premium Xperia ZL. The timeframe for their arrival to market has been shortened too - pretty much a must, considering that chipset is only getting older.

Key features

Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support; 3G with HSPA; LTE
5" 16M-color 1080p capacitive touchscreen of 441ppi, Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2
Android OS v4.1.1 Jelly Bean with custom UI
Quad-core 1.5 GHz Krait CPU, 2 GB of RAM, Adreno 320 GPU; Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset
13 MP autofocus camera with LED flash and geotagging, HDR
1080p video recording @ 30fps with HDR mode, continuous autofocus and stereo sound
2 MP front camera, 1080p video recording
Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct and DLNA; Wireless TV out
GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS
16GB of built-in storage; microSD card slot
MHL-enabled microUSB port
Bluetooth v4.0
NFC
Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
Accelerometer and proximity sensor
Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
Shorter footprint than most 5” smartphones

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HTC One S

Introduction

As the LTE networks rapidly increase their reach globally, support for them is no longer exclusively reserved for high-end devices. The HTC One SV is a clear example of this trend. The Android smartphone is far from the Taiwanese company's top shelf offerings. Instead, the handset aims to offer affordable LTE goodness, packed in a well put together, fairly affordable package.

HTC One SV official photos

Key features

LTE network support

Quad-band GSM/tri-band HSDPA support

4.3" 16M-color Super LCD2 capacitive touchscreen of WVGA resolution (800 x 480 pixels); Corning Gorilla Glass 2

Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC Sense 4.1

1.2 GHz dual-core Krait CPU, Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8960 chipset; Adreno 305 GPU

1 GB of RAM and 8GB of built-in storage

microSD card slot

5 MP autofocus camera with LED flash; face detection and geotagging

1080p and 720p video recording @ 30fps with stereo sound

1.6 MP 720p front-facing camera for video-chat

Wi-Fi b/g/n and DLNA

GPS with A-GPS

NFC connectivity

Accelerometer, proximity sensor, built-in compass

Standard 3.5 mm audio jack

microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth

MHL TV-out (requires MHL-to-HDMI adapter)

Smart dialing, voice dialing

DivX/XviD video support

FM radio

HTC Portable Hotspot

Beats Audio sound enhancement

Superb build quality and ergonomics

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SAMSUNG GALAXY EXPRESS

Introduction

The Samsung Galaxy Express represents an interesting mix of features. The latest Jelly Bean flavor, the impressively fast processor, the LTE connectivity, the spectacular 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen, and the Galaxy S III looks are all attention-grabbers.
Yet, the Galaxy Express only offers a 5MP camera with 720p video and the screen is only of WVGA resolution. As usual, unless you go for the flagship, it's always a question of compromises in the midrange and the Galaxy Express is yet another mix of gives and takes, which would hopefully satisfy a good part of the consumers.
Ever since Qualcomm's dual-core Krait made its debut on the HTC One S, it has been making the headlines with its top-notch performance at a decidedly more affordable price point. While other chipsets have since narrowed the performance margin, the Krait architecture continues to be one of the most successful chipsets around, particularly in the dual-core arena.

Samsung Galaxy Express photos

Key features

Quad-band GSM, 3G, and LTE support

21.1 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA support

4.5" 16M-color Super AMOLED Plus capacitive touchscreen of WVGA (480 x 800 pixel) resolution

Android OS 4.1.2 Jelly Bean with Nature UX

1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8930 Krait CPU, Adreno 305 GPU, 1GB of RAM

5MP autofocus camera with LED flash, face and smile detection, image stabilization

1.3MP secondary camera

720p HD video recording at 30fps with stereo sound

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n support; DLNA and Wi-Fi hotspot

GPS with A-GPS connectivity and GLONASS; digital compass

8GB of inbuilt storage, microSD slot

Accelerometer, gyroscope and proximity sensor

Standard 3.5 mm audio jack

microUSB v2.0 port with MHL

Stereo Bluetooth v4.0

FM radio with RDS

Great benchmark performance for its class

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LG Optimus G Pro

Introduction

LG's first 1080p droid is also the company's first smartphone to cross the 5" mark, but a massive screen isn't the only thing that warrants the Pro tag. The LG Optimus G Pro boasts a new chipset too, and a significant software update over the Optimus G.

LG Optimus G Pro official photo

Key features

Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support

3G with HSPA; LTE

5.5" 16M-color 1080p True HD IPS Plus FullHD capacitive touchscreen; works with gloves

Android OS v4.1.2 Jelly Bean; LG Optimus UI

Quad-core 1.5 GHz Krait 300 CPU, 2 GB RAM, Adreno 320 GPU, Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 chipset

13 MP autofocus camera with LED flash, geotagging, Intelligent Auto, image stabilization, Time catch shot, smart shutter and VR panoramas

1080p video recording @ 30fps with continuous autofocus and stereo sound; HDR mode, Dual recording

2.1 MP front-facing camera, 1080p video recording

32GB of built-in storage; microSD card slot

MHL-enabled microUSB port, USB host support

Independent content output over MHL (Dual Screen Dual Play), Miracast

Bluetooth v4.0

NFC

Wi-Fi a/ac/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct and DLNA

GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS

Standard 3.5 mm audio jack

Stereo FM radio with RDS

Voice dialing

Multi-tasking with mini-apps and optional transparency (QSlide)

Accelerometer and proximity sensor

Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic

User-replaceable 3,140mAh Li-Po battery

Wireless charging support (Qi)

IR emitter for remote control of home appliances

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Samsung Galaxy Grand I9082

Introduction

This is by no means intended as a moment of relief from the building tension, but our timing isn't without a sense of humor. Assuming that all eyes are set on Samsung to, again, deliver the godfather of Android smartphones, the one we're about to review is more like the...grandfather.
It may seem quite unfortunate for the Galaxy Grand that a week from now it'll be yesterday's news. But on a second thought, it has a better insurance policy against irrelevance than most of last season's Samsung phones that tried too hard to emulate the Galaxy S III.

Samsung Galaxy Grand official photos

Key features

Quad-band GSM (SIM 1 & SIM 2) and 3G (SIM 1 only) support
Dual SIM stand-by
21.1 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA support (SIM 1 only)
5.0" 16M-color TFT capacitive touchscreen of WVGA (480 x 800 pixel) resolution
Android OS 4.1.2 Jelly Bean with Nature UX
1.2 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU, Broadcom VideoCore IV GPU, 1GB of RAM
8MP autofocus camera with LED flash, face and smile detection, image stabilization
2MP secondary camera
1080p HD video recording at 30fps with stereo sound
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n support; DLNA and Wi-Fi hotspot
GPS with A-GPS connectivity and GLONASS; digital compass
8GB of inbuilt storage, microSD slot
Accelerometer, gyroscope and proximity sensor
Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
microUSB v2.0 port with MHL
Stereo Bluetooth v4.0
FM radio with RDS

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HTC One

Introduction

HTC One official photos
The HTC One is like a supercar - it's the best that current technology has to offer and while not everything is completely practical, it looks and handles great and is ready to wow its owner. And much like a car dealership, HTC is ready to offer you money if you trade in your old HTC phone - it's $100 or the value of the old phone, whichever is greater.
The biggest bullet point in the features list is the camera - a 4MP "ultra-pixel" camera. Yes, the resolution sounds too low, but this camera marks a first in the mobile phone imaging world, which puts it next to the Nokia 808 PureView and Lumia 920.
Speaking of a feature list, here it is. The One (camera aside) is basically a Butterfly with bumped up specs and a cool aluminum unibody.

Key features

General: Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, quad-band UMTS/HSPA, optional LTE Cat 3 (100Mbps downlink, 50Mbps uplink)
Form factor: Aluminum unibody touchscreen bar phone
Dimensions: 137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3 mm, 143 g
Display: 4.7" 16M-color 1080p (1080 x 1920 pixels) Super LCD 3 capacitive touchscreen, 469ppi pixel density; Corning Gorilla Glass 2
Chipset: Qualcomm APQ8064T Snapdragon 600
CPU: Quad-core 1.7 GHz Krait 300
GPU: Adreno 320
RAM: 2GB
OS: Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean with Sense 5
Memory: 32GB/64GB storage
Camera: 4 megapixel auto-focus camera with ultra-pixels and Optical Image Stabilization; LED flash
Video camera: Full HD (1080p) video recording at 30fps with HDR; 720p @ 60fps
Front camera: 2.1MP front-facing camera, 88°; 1080p@30fps video with HDR
Connectivity: Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0, standard microUSB port with MHL and USB host, GPS receiver with A-GPS and GLONASS, 3.5mm audio jack, NFC, IR port
Battery: 2,300mAh Li-Po
Misc: Beats Audio, BoomSound stereo speakers on the front, HDR microphone, HTC Zoe photo gallery

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