FollowBoth the Sony Xperia Z and the Nexus 4 are state of the art smart phones that come stock with loads of useful apps. They both use up to date android operating systems and have identical GPUs. One large difference is the price, with the Xperia Z costing more than twice that of the Nexus 4.
This review will examine the differences between these two phones to determine if this difference in price is well deserved.
Sony Xperia Z:
This phone has a sleek and elegant design, and comes with lots of useful apps and editors. It also has a breathtaking image display. The Xperia Z is still not available in American stores, and has a release date set for March of 2013. One of the most groundbreaking features of the Xperia Z is the fact that it is waterproof at depths up to 1 meter and time lengths of no more than 30 mins. The projected cost of the Xperia Z is $850.00.
Google Nexus 4:
The Google Nexus 4 has a quad core central processing unit and very fluid apps and editing programs. It comes with protective gorilla glass to ensure the longevity of your new device, and is very easy to use. It has many of the same features and systems as the Xperia, as well as having a reduced price. The Google Nexus 4 sells for $299.00, when you can find it. The Nexus 4 has been sold out in retail stores since its release in November of 2012.
Now that we have a general idea of our contestants, lets take a closer look at them.
Design
The Xperia Z comes in a variety of colors and weighs in at a sleek and study 146 grams. The Nexus 4 is somewhat lighter, weighing 139 grams, and only comes in black. The Xperia also comes with a radio, which is not a feature on the Nexus, not to mention its toleration for water. More color options and bells and whistles give the Xperia Z the edge in this department.
Display
The Xperia Z has a TFT capacitive touchscreen that will allow up to 10 points of multitouch. It has a resolution of 1080×1920 pixels, which is phenomenal, especially when displayed on its 5″ screen. The screen is also scratch and shatter proof. The Nexus 4 has a True HD capacitive touchscreen that also accommodates some multitouch, and has a resolution of 768×1280. The 4.7″ screen comes with a protective gorilla glass seal.
CPUs and GPUs
Both the Xperia Z and the Nexus 4 run on quad core 1.5 GHz CPUs. Similarly, their GPUs are both Adreno 320s. This makes them quite comparable phones as far as their processing capabilities. Both phones also have 2 GB of RAM, so they work at roughly the same speed as well.
Operating System
The Xperia Z is projected to be released with an android OS. The version that comes stock is v4.1.2, although Sony has said they plan to upgrade this to v4.2 before its American release. The Nexus 4 comes with the same android system, v4.2, as well as having an optional upgrade to v4.2.1.
Disk Space
The Xperia has 16 GB of memory, as well as having a slot for a micro SD card. This card can add up to 32 GB to your phone. The Nexus 4 comes in 8 GB or 16 GB models, and does not have a slot for an additional memory card.
Camera
The Nexus has 8 MP on its main camera, as well as limited functions. The secondary camera has 1.3 MP. The Xperia Z has 13.1 MP on the main camera with more developed functions like sweep pan and continuous autofocus. The secondary camera on the Xperia Z has 2.2 MP.
Battery
The Xperia Z and the Nexus 4 both have non-removable lithium ion batteries. The Xperia Z is said to have over 500 hours of stand by battery life, but only 11 hours of talk time. The Nexus 4 has a talk time of up to 15 hours, but a stand by battery life of 390 hours. The Xperia is better at saving energy than its competitor, but when it is on it uses energy fairly quickly.
Price
The price of the Xperia Z is projected at $850.00. This number is converted from prices in Britain and Germany, where the Xperia Z has already been released. The Nexus 4 can be purchased for $299.00, or for $349.00 without a contract. This is a difference of about $500.00. While the Xperia Z does offer quite a few more features than the Nexus 4, its CPUs and GPUs are essentially the same.
Summary
There is no doubt that the Xperia Z is a slightly more advanced phone. It has a much better camera and image display, as well as capabilities to hold much more data. Most of the other attributes of the Xperia are identical to the much less expensive Nexus 4. However, the price at which the Xperia Z will be released in the U.S. remains to be seen, and well just have to wait and see what the price difference between these two phones will be.
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