Key Difference: Nokia has recently announced a new phone to its line-up; the Lumia 928. The phone comes with a 4.5-inch AMOLED capacitive screen with broad back bezel. The phone is quite bulky and heavy, compared to other newer smartphones that are focusing on getting thinner and lighter. Xperia SP is a 4.6-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen phone that has been encased in an all-aluminum body. It is less then 10mm thick and weights approximately 155 grams. The screen offers HD reality display and is supported by the Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2. The SP works on 2G, 3G and LTE network (depending on market availability and sports a 1.7 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Dual Core processor.

Nokia has recently announced a new phone to its line-up; the Lumia 928. This phone is considered as the flagship phone for Verizon (a US telecommunications company) but it is also available in an unlocked version. In terms of hardware, the phone is very similar to Nokia’s flagship 920 but has added on extra features and tweaks that can go either way. Although, the phone has been modified, there are no revisions to the Windows Phone 8.

The Nokia Lumia 928 does not share the physical characteristics of the 920. It is in a bar from that has a slight bulge on the back that makes the phone comfortable to hold. Another small curve can be found on the bottom on which speaker grille is strategically placed that keeps volume from getting muffled when placed flat on the back. The phone comes with a 4.5-inch AMOLED capacitive screen with broad back bezel. The phone is quite bulky and heavy, compared to other newer smartphones that are focusing on getting thinner and lighter.

The Nokia phones are known for the bright interactive colors, which are no longer an option in this model. The phone is available only in two options: matte black and glossy white. This is believed to be because it is a Verizon exclusive phone. The phone comes with the basic structure of the Nokia phones with the volume rocker, power button and a dedicated camera key on the right edge. The power button is very similar to volume rocker only slightly smaller, making it difficult to find it without looking. The volume rocker is also a little to access and hit during mid-call. The left side of the device is bare, while the top hosts a center-mounted Micro USB port, a pull-out SIM tray and a 3.5mm jack. The back stands out with a bigger Xenon flash and the camera with Carl Zeiss lens.

The phone comes with a 4.5-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen with ~334 ppi pixel density and boasts excellent sunlight readability. The AMOLED screen is better for side viewing angles and sunlight visibility. The phone does have excellent resolution and the images are sharp, crisp and clear. The screen can also be configured for ‘high touch sensitivity’ known as ‘glove mode’. The phone also has amazing speakers but almost all reviewers said that when talking on the phone, the voice on the other end sounded hollow and unrealistic. The loud speaker also lacks bass and depth. However, the noise cancellation on the phone works exceptionally.

The phone is powered by 1.5 GHz Krait Dual-core Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon processor, making it fast. The phone does not lag or even slow down. As it is a windows phone obviously it is powered by the Windows Phone 8 OS. The Android vs. Windows Phone debate is always the same. Though, the OS is great, Android does have more apps to offer and is also more customizable. The phones offers 1 GB RAM and has 32 GB internal memory. For users looking to add more than 32GB of data will run out of luck, as it does not offer adding extra memory.

The device houses an 8.7 MP PureView rear camera and a 1.2 MP front camera. The rear camera comes with the Carl Zeiss optics for sharper images. It also comes with the typical autofocus, image stabilization, flash etc. However, Nokia does proud itself for its low-light image technology and rightfully so. The low-light images are quite sharp and does not blur. In addition to that, the company also offers xenon flash that is bright and powerful. The xenon flash can only be used as flash and cannot be left lit, so the company has also added a secondary flash for videos and flashlight purposes. The camera does have slow shutter speed, which requires people to hold the camera still for long periods of time to avoid motion blur.

The device houses a non-removable Li-Ion 2000 mAh battery (BV 4-NW) that boasts good power. The Verge could run the battery for approximately 27 hours, while Tech Hive got only 6.5 hours out of it. The power of the battery depends on running applications, usage and many other different factors. In all, the phone is okay but does not come close to its 920 cousin.

Sony announced the launch of its most anticipated smart phone the Xperia Z in January. In March, it also announced its revamped cell phone line up. In addition to the high and mighty Z, the company has also announced the launch of the mid-range cell phone Xperia SP. The SP model combines features from the Sony’s 2012 models S and P as well retains some features from flagship.

The Xperia SP is a 4.6-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen phone that has been encased in an all-aluminum body. It is less then 10mm thick and weights approximately 155 grams. The screen offers HD reality display and is supported by the Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2. The SP works on 2G, 3G and LTE network (depending on market availability and sports a 1.7 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon Dual Core processor. The phone is available with Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) with no word on if it is upgradeable to the 4.2 version. The phone has 8 GB worth of internal space, of which only 5.8 GB is available to the users; however, fret not Sony also offers a SD card slot that is expandable up to 32 GB.

For all the camera shutterbugs, the SP houses the 8MP Exmor RS camera that gives brilliant and sharp images in low-lighting, back-lighting and snaps shots with low noise. The camera also has features such as Superior Auto that uses Scene Recognition to automatically adjust the photo setting. Additionally, it also offers 16x digital zoom, autofocus and pulsed LED flash. One of the old features that have been revamped is the notification light from the Xperia P. The notification light has been added as a see through strip on the bottom of the handset. The notification light is customizable and the user can add different lights to different callers. The lights also changes pulse rate during songs. The notification light is visible on the both sides of the phone, making it easier to determine the caller through the light when the phone is placed faced down. The phone also offers aluminum power button the right panel and has also brought back the physical camera button. However, the phone isn’t able to record HDR video. Sony has not yet announced the prices and the launch dates for the phone.

The information for the detailed table about the two phones has been taken from the Nokia website, theverge.com, Sony Mobile website and GSMArena.com.

Image Courtesy: nokia.com, sonymobile.com