There are a lot of products launched every week – we won’t highlight them all, but they all make it into The Verge database. In this weekly series of spec sheets, we survey the latest product entries to keep track of the latest technology.
Sony just launched an exciting new Xperia smartphone last week, but that doesn’t seem to be enough. This week, it’s back with two new devices, the Xperia E1 and Xperia T2 Ultra, two stylish smartphones aimed at emerging markets. But Sony isn’t ‘t ‘t the only manufacturer to launch low-cost phones recently. Both Lenovo and Archos have launched a range of devices that are sold around the world at very low prices. We’re taking a look at this latest group of phones to see which manufacturer offers the best in each size. LTE has become a decisive factor in low-cost mobile phonesSony and Lenovo have both released larger phones with 6-inch displays – the Sony Xperia T2 Ultra and the Lenovo S930. The devices are fairly comparable on paper, both sporting 1GB of RAM, 720p displays, and quad-core processors running at 1.4 and 1.3GHz respectively. These processors put them a little further apart than the numbers suggest, though. Sony uses Snapdragon 400 series processors, an older line but known for good performance, while Lenovo uses processors from MediaTek, which are usually only found in lower- end phones.
There’s another big difference between the two phones because of those processors: the Xperia T2 Ultra supports LTE, while the S930 only supports 3G. Most importantly, this gives Sony’s phone a clear advantage here – although since Sony hasn’t revealed exact pricing yet, it’s hard to say how clear-cut any decision between the two will be. However, Sony’s phone is likely to be more expensive. Sony suggests pricing the T2 Ultra at mid-range rather than low-end, with the Lenovo S930 priced at a more affordable $319.
While Sony skipped the 5-inch size in this week’s announcement, Lenovo and Archos have both addressed the issue recently. Unfortunately for Lenovo, it fell into the same trap. The Archos 50 Helium uses the same Qualcomm processor as the Sony Xperia T2 Ultra, so it’s capable of LTE and costs just $249.99. That puts Lenovo’s 5-inch A859 in the same spot as Sony’s big phone: comparable specs, a slightly lower price, but a far cry from the lack of LTE.
The final pair of devices is Archos’ 4.5-inch 45 Helium versus Sony’s 4-inch Xperia E1. Unfortunately, Sony doesn’t pack the small phone with the same power as other devices released this week, leaving the Xperia E1 with an as- yet-unspecified 1.2GHz processor and no LTE support. It also has half the memory of the 45 Helium, although their nearly identical screen resolutions give Sony’s phone a slight edge in pixel density. Otherwise, the 45 Helium may have more to offer. It includes LTE and will cost $199.99, with Sony once again planning to price its phone in the midrange.
Even if these phones aren’t the pinnacle of the field, they’re far from made up of years of duds. Clearly, as the cost of LTE continues to drop, low-cost phones are becoming more attractive, and this year, the technology may find its way into even more phones.
Manufacturers seem to have paused their efforts to release new products after CES, but we’ve still added a few new and old products to our database this week: If you’d like to find out more about any of the products mentioned above, all our information can be found via Find them in the database box below the article. For more information on phones, e-readers, and just about everything else, you can check out the full Verge database here.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Sony Xperia T2 Ultra Smartphone Battery
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Lenovo S930 Smartphone Battery
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Smartphone Battery for Archos