Sony Xperia E1 (R1 799)
Sony has been on a comeback mission with its Xperia smartphone range and the Xperia E1 is one of the finest examples of just how well the Japanese electronics giant can assemble a complete package. Both hardware and software wise the Xperia E1 is in a class of its own in this field with the best processor of the bunch as well as, something few flagship phones from 18 months can say, a planned upgrade to the latest version Android.
Battery life is excellent with Sony’s power management software doing a fantastic job of stretching out the battery over a full day. Even the, seemingly lacklustre, 3 megapixel camera produces better-than-expected pictures. The only real disappointment is the design of the phone which looks rather dated and uninspired compared to the brilliance that lies beneath.
[symple_column size=”one_half”] [symple_box] “An exceptional XPERIAnce” [/symple_box] [/symple_column][symple_box] Rating: 4 Stars [/symple_box]
Vodafone Smart 4 Mini (R799)
It’s the follow up to Vodacom’s first effort at a self-branded budget smartphone last year and the improvement is rather drastic. For nearly a third of the price of some of our other competitors you get a 4 inch display with the same 480×800 resolution as the Xperia E1, the Galaxy Trend and the Lumia 520 although the latter definitely wins the display bragging rights of the four.
While it may not be the latest version of Android the Smart 4 Mini does come with a respectable enough version of Jelly Bean which seems to run rather smoothly on the modest set of hardware offered. The only real [points to nit-pick on is below par camera performance and a sluggish processor that can at times be infuriatingly slow. However considering the fact that the price is only three digits long, these are easily forgiven.
[symple_column size=”one_half”] [symple_box] “A mini smartphone for smart people” [/symple_box] [/symple_column][symple_box] Rating: 4 Stars [/symple_box]
