The HTC desire 816 vs the Sony Xperia T2 ultra!

So, as you all know the much awaited HTC desire 816 was launched in India and the most tough competitor that it is going to have if we avoid the size would be the Moto X which I talked about in my recent article!

But when it comes to size, the biggest competitor in the android arena would be the Sony Xperia T2 ultra which sports 0.5 inches bigger screen than the HTC desire 816 and I am going to tell which android phablet is the best in the mid budget category!





DESIGN AND BUILD!

Now when we talk about the built, both the devices are gorgeous and feel great in the hand! 

The HTC design 816 brings a unibody design that is extremely eye catchy if you go for different colours, the back is entirely made out of glossy plastic which does feel a little slippery as i said before and the sides are matte that makes them a dirty sometimes! The build of this particular device does brings class on the phablet table and feels extremely premium when you hold it!

On the other hand, we have the same old Sony design which i complaint in my previous article too and mentioned that the glass design of Sony phones is getting a little boring and this phone is no exception!
The phone if you ignore that looks very attractive and is considerably more premium than the desire 816 when you compare them side by side!

Xperia T2 Ultra is a little heavier though because of the bigger size but it is really thin and you won't notice it after a while!

In this category, i think the HTC desire 816 gets a edge with its unique design however if you like Sony's design, it is not bad too! None of them feels bad or cheap, so i guess i have to say both are winners here!


DISPLAY.

Next up is display and it should be really great when we talk about phablets! 
These both phones surprisingly come with the same resolution that is 720p but there are some differences!

HTC ON THE LEFT!

The HTC desire 816 comes with 5.5 inches Super LCD 2 720p display with a pixel density of 267ppi!
The display looks awesome, viewing angles are great and outdoor visibility is no problem too!
You will have no trouble in watching movies or playing high definition games!

While on the Sony booth, the T2 Ultra comes with a 6 inches IPS LCD 720p display with a pixel density of 245ppi that is slightly lesser than the HTC desire 816 because of the bigger display! The display is not bad here either but you will feel the bigger screen when watching HD movie or anything else where this phone will basically lack, other things are just in place including outdoor visibility and viewing angles!

The Winner is definitely the HTC desire 816 with its smaller and sharper display! I think 5.5 inches is more than enough for a phone but if you still want bigger, go for the Sony but don't expect a sharp or crisp display! Colours are more vibrant on the Sony but it pains the eye some times!


HARDWARE.

On the hardware department, both phones are almost similar and both include NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 and Mircro SD card and 8GB of internal storage!

However when we talk about micro SD, the HTC desire 816 gets the edge as you can expand the memory on it up to 128GB, while on the Sony T2 ultra, it is expandable only up to 32GB!

Another aspect where the desire 816 is a complete winner is the speakers! How are you going to enjoy a big phone without great speakers? This is where HTC comes in and blows the tiny speakers of T2 Ultra!

The places where Sony T2 ultra wins is that it consists  WiFi direct and gyroscope and unfortunately the desire 816 just doesn't have this!

Another place where the Sony T2 ultra takes a little edge is the battery life which is slightly better on the Sony T2 Ultra! It comes with a 3000mAh non removable battery in comparison with the 2600mAH non removable battery of the desire 816!


So, in this aspect I am going to go with the desire 816 with more storage and better speakers!
Battery life is almost similar and both of them are capable of giving you an entire day on heavy usage!

SOFTWARE.

Software is the place where both phones differ a lot and it is up to you which one to choose!

The HTC desire 816 comes with the latest Android KitKat 4.4.2 and on top of that Sense 5.5 which will be soon upgraded to Sense 6! The UI is simplistic and useful, and most importantly not a fancy land with too much functions that you don't even use!

Same goes to the T2 Ultra in the UI category with the TimeScape UI which is getting a little boring but is great and stable which is more important! The phone however comes with the older Android Jellybean 4.3 which according to Sony will be soon updated to KitKat!

Both phones as i said differ a lot and you can go for either because both of them are great!

PERFORMANCE.

Performance is one of the major concerns when buying an android phone but not to worry because these both are just fine and don't differ a lot!

The HTC desire 816 comes with the Snapdragon 400 1.6ghz Quad core processor with Adreno 305 assisted with 1.5 GB of RAM which is perfectly capable of running your phone smoothly and also high end games or heavy multi tasking!

On the other side, the Sony Xperia T2 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 400 Quad core clocked at 1.4ghz which is little lesser than the HTC! It consists of the Adreno 305 assisted with again lesser 1GB RAM! This phone also runs smooth but you will a clutter while playing high end games!

As you would already expect, performance is better on the HTC desire 816 with much higher specs while the Sony T2 ultra is not bad too if you are not into games a lot!

CAMERA.

Camera is another area where these phones are similar with both having 13MP shooters with a single LED flash capable of recording videos at 1080p! 

Both phones take great images but the HTC desire 816 is slightly better especially in low light photography!
Another area where HTC desire 816 wins is the secondary camera with the desire 816 having 5MP camera while the Sony having a 1.1MP shooter! So if you are a selfie lover, the desire 816 is a better choice!

TO SUM UP..

The bottom line is that the HTC desire 816 gives you a much better phablet or a phone experience with better specs! Sony xperia T2 ultra however lacks in some areas which we talked about and deserves a price drop!

Thank you for reading but if you wanna keep reading my new articles, I have a new address now that is phonesoldier.com! Meet you there. :)


Read also: Nokia lumia 1320 vs Sony Xperia T2 ultra!



ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU FOR READING, IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE SUGGESTIONS ON THIS ARTICLE , COMMENTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOMED OR YOU CONNECT ME ON TWITTER@phonesoldier or Facebook!
 DO MAKE SURE TO HIT THAT SHARE BUTTON IF YOU LIKED READING IT! 

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Why you should not buy the Sony Xperia M2!

So, another much awaited budget friendly ( was supposed to ) smartphone, the Sony Xperia M2 was launched in India 2 days back with the price tag of 22k INR! The predecessor of this phone, xperia m was really popular, especially for its price tag but the newly launched xperia m2 is nowhere near it!
Sony xperia M was only successful until Moto G with its incredible specs at the most reasonable price you could imagine came in! This created a impression in customer's mind that what was it like to use a budget device!



Sony Xperia M2 was first expected to launch with a price tag of around 17k because the only thing different in it from the Moto G was the camera which is not that great but just better than the Moto G!

So, we are here to going to take a much deeper look at the mistakes that Sony did which can affect it's second position in India!


DESIGN, SAME OLD SONY!

The design of the new Sony Xperia M2 is no exception of what you see in other Sony phones but when you compare with it's predecessor, it is a nice upgrade from the plastic built! But we already saw this design in most of the Sony's phones and i think it's time to change!

The phone has the same button layout and flaps BUT THE SURPRISING THING TO FOCUS ON HERE IS THAT THIS PHONE IS NOT WATERPROOF ( I am shocked too) ! It is a nice looking phone overall but i think that design is getting pretty boring!


SCREEN IS NO GOOD!


Resolution is the most serious issue. It's a 960 x 540 pixel screen that is 4.8-inches across. This gives a relatively low pixel density of 229ppi, and you can tell. Text looks less sharp than it would on a Z2 or – more importantly – a Motorola Moto G. I don't know what is wrong with Sony, but whatever they are doing, i hope they have a plan!


This is a shame, and it's the one part of the phone I find genuinely disappointing. Sony boasts about having the largest-in-class qHD screen in its release materials, but that's actually a bad thing. 

The screen is dull, viewing angles are decent, outdoor visibility is not up to the mark and what not!

CAMERA IS LITTLE BETTER BUT NOT THAT MUCH!

We have already seen two aspects where Xperia M2 is perfectly crushed by the Moto G or any other phone in that range but i think camera is the area where Xperia M2 can shine!

The M2 rocks a 8MP shooter with a single LED that is capable of taking decent photos in sufficient lighting and as expected it is almost useless in low light!

The camera is capable of recording full HD videos if you were curious! Effects like HDR are also present if you wanna mess around with the settings!


PERFORMANCE IS NO SURPRISE TOO!

The phone comes with 1.2ghz quad core cortex-A7 processor with the Adreno 305 assisted with 1GB RAM!
The specs are really behind time and match exactly with the Moto G! This phone is capable of giving you a near smooth experience and you can play high end games on low graphics!

SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE.

When we talk about the software, this phone again shockingly comes with the older android jellybean 4.3 which as said by Sony will be updated to android kitkat and we hope it does given the specs!
On the top of that, we have the timescape UI which is always great and can be dealt with!

On the hardware department, the phone offers a lot of options including NFC, USB OTG, Bluetooth 4.0, and Wifi Direct!

The phone also alike all Sony phones offers the ability to expand the storage via micro-SD card and the memory can be expanded up to 32GB! The internal storage is 8GB!

Phone comes with a NON-REMOVABLE 2300 mAh battery which is capable of giving you a full day on moderate usage!

Reception is never a concern in Sony phones and this particular device is no exception!


TO SUM UP...

The Xperia M2 is a great device if you neglect the price which we obviously can't! So until the price of the xperia M2 drops hopefully up to 16k-17k, you should avoid it! 
If you want a phone in that range, you can opt for the HTC desire 816 or the Moto X! If you don't want a better camera, then go for the Moto G and save almost 10k! 

Thank you for reading but if you wanna keep reading my new articles, I have a new address now that is phonesoldier.com! Meet you there. :)



READ ALSO- THE HTC DESIRE 816 VS THE MOTO X!


ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU FOR READING, IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE SUGGESTIONS ON Xperia M2 , COMMENTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOMED OR YOU CONNECT ME ON TWITTER@phonesoldier or Facebook!  DO MAKE SURE TO HIT THAT SHARE BUTTON IF YOU LIKED READING IT! 

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Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Sony Xperia Z2!

Now by reading the title, you might have understood that this article was not easy to write at all only beacuse these phones give a real competition to each other!Whether it is camera, performance, they were fighting edge to edge!

Previously i wrote article on HTC one M8 vs Samsung Galaxy S5, do make sure to check that out if you still haven't!

So let us begin, This is Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Sony Xperia Z2!



Sony and Samsung both in their latest flagships bring a evolution but nothing trendy that could be exciting, we do get the specification bumps but that's not enough, not enough for a new flagship! But still they do bring some changes and i am sure you are curious about how they stack up against each other!


DESIGN.



When it comes to design, nothing has changed overall on either phones and both of them continue their tradition in a way their predecessor did it!

The Samsung Galaxy S5 as i explained in my previous article features some rounded edges, same plastic built, same button layout! here are a couple of major changes when it comes to these buttons though — the menu key of old was replaced by a recent apps capacitive key, and the home button now feature an integrated fingerprint scanner. These changes might be exciting for some and for some it is just a washed out design including me!

On the Sony booth, the case is not different at all when it comes to changes in design! The new Xperia Z2 follows the same design tradition of its predecessor with some minor changes!

The aluminium frame and the tempered glass material of the Sony does brings some class to you when it comes to look and feel while on the galaxy s5, the company has moved on from glossy plastic, in favour of a soft touch finish resembling the finish of the Nexus 7 (2012). This change received some mixed reviews all over and most of them didn't like it at all because let's face it, you don't want some cheap plastic when you are buying a flagship!

The Sony Xperia Z2 however is slightly larger than the Samsung galaxy S5 with 0.1inches more and because of more bezels that now include some better speakers requires some hand gymnastic while using it! Samsung galaxy S5 like its predecessor is still very comfortable to use!

Overall, both the phones consists of different designs with one going for some premium feel and look and the other for better in hand experience!
I would personally go for the Sony Xperia Z2, because while using it, you do get the feeling of a flagship while on the Samsung galaxy S5, it just fades away!


DISPLAY.


Display as I always say is not really a problem when it comes to flagships but people do have some negative thoughts on Sony's displays which will be now i think will wash away!

  

The Samsung Galaxy S5 features a 5.1 inch 1080p display (432 ppi) and gives you everything that you expect from a flagship that includes accurate colour contrasts, crispness, fantastic viewing angles and really great outdoor visibility! The display truly looks gorgeous on the phone with touchwiz shining all over the place! Colours do feel like they are coming out of the phone and you will have no problem in watching movies or playing highly graphical games!

The Sony Xperia Z2 also features a 1080p display, at a slightly larger 5.2-inch size, resulting in a pixel density of 424 ppi. There were quite a few issues with the display of the Xperia Z1, and in order to fix that, Sony introduced Live Colour LED technology alongside the Triluminos and X-Reality engine!
Basically what it means is that the problems that customers were facing in the previous Sony phones including bad viewing angles are now completely fixed and you will get the best experience on this phone too!

To sum up here, both phones rock a gorgeous and vibrant display and are truly winners! You won't have problem in either phones in any display aspect!


HARDWARE.


When it comes to hardware, the Samsung Galaxy S5 packs every hardware feature you can think of ranging from microSD card slot, NFC support, and IR blaster, to a few new additions that include the finger scanner up front, and the heart rate monitor on the back.

Sony is no loser too except if you want the fingerprint and heartrate scanner!
Like the S5, Sony’s phone packs a microSD slot and NFC support. Both devices feature support for the recently-released 128 GB microSD cards, so you shouldn’t have any trouble with memory.

When it comes to speakers on both the phones, Sony has changed things up with the Xperia Z2 now consist of front facing speakers which aren't as great as the HTC's but they still are better than the pale and weak rear speakers of the Samsung Galaxy S5!

You get a larger 3,200 mAh battery with the Sony Xperia Z2, compared to the 2,800 mAh unit found in the Galaxy S5. You will have no trouble getting a full day on heavy usage on either device and the superb battery saving features on the both the phones help the most when you want more than that!
While the battery on the xperia Z2 is bigger, the edge has to be given to the galaxy S5 that comes with a removable battery!

   

Another good feature that comes with both the phones is that you can jump in the swimming pool with them as they both are IP67 certified that allows them to be water and dust proof!

The edge in hardware has to be given to the Samsung galaxy S5 as it comes with more hardware features like the two scanners or a removable battery!


SOFTWARE.


When it comes to software, these both pack some really different looking UIs, they both however come with the latest android software that is KitKat!

Sony likes to keep things simple and clean and that clearly can be seen in the UI they put in that is most of the times is considered as the near stock android experience! Sony with the Xperia Z2 didn't change their timescape UI at all and you get the same software, you get in the xperia Z1!

While on the other side, when we talk about Samsung, its a whole different story and vision of the company!
Samsung always tries to make android their own by changing each and every element of the stock android that always results in some stupid and messed up UI and the galaxy S5 is no exception with the ofcourse different icons and the my magazine!

On the software side, if you want a simple and a elegant looking UI, you should go for the Sony! But if you want more out of your android like multi-window and other add ons, you should go with the galaxy S5!


PERFORMANCE.


When it comes to performance, both of these phones are a beast with the latest specs!

Both devices feature the best processing package currently available. The quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor is clocked at 2.5 GHz in the case of the Samsung Galaxy S5, compared to the 2.3 GHz of the Xperia Z2, with the Adreno 330 GPU ably supporting both. You do get 3 GB of RAM with the Xperia Z2 though, while the Galaxy S5 packs 2 gigs of RAM, but both will handle all your multi-tasking requirements very easily.

On the Sony Xperia Z2, the performance is handled on a much lighter android skin so when we talk about smooth experience, you might wanna go for the sony xperia Z2! Touchwiz is also now optimized for better performance but it still lags at times especially while using the My Magazine!

As I always mentioned, if you are from a region where Exynos processor comes in Samsung phones, go for the Sony Xperia Z2!


CAMERA.


On the camera side, i find it the most difficult comparison ever as these both phones are a great performers and capture really clear photos!

On of the biggest addition on the galaxy S5 is the new 16MP ISOCELL lens  which features a new technology that isolates each pixel from neighbouring ones for higher quality photos. The camera app like always contains too many features to play with but this time you do get some useful ones, like the Live HDR and the selective focus! The selective focus doesn't always results in perfect effects but it is still fun and brings some style to your photos!

Photos have good detail, and they do retain their sharpness even after zooming in, though this is not true in every case. Nonetheless, the colour reproduction is great, and even in low light, if you have the stabilizer on, you do get some good captures.

The Sony Xperia Z2 features the same 20.7 MP camera of the Z1, with some improvements across the board. When it comes to the app, it includes a few more features this time around, with Timeshift video, 4K video, augmented reality apps, and its own selective focus mode, along with Superior Auto, which does a really good job of selecting the right settings for each scene.

The picture quality on this phone has been improved a lot from its predecessor in each and every field especially in dark areas! There is a lot of grain in photos especially in the 20.7MP shots but it does brings some nice colour reproduction too!

Sample shot from the galaxy s5!

sample shot from the xperia z2!

These two camera are right now the best you can get in a flagship and not just for posting on social media but also for the photographers in you as you get a lot of settings and effects to play with on both the devices and no matter what which one you choose, you will get an awesome camera giving you crisp and vibrant photos! However in low light, i wish it to be better!


TO SUM UP...


To sum up, both phones are great performers whether it is gaming, camera, battery life or giving you the best display quality! We can't really decide the winner but if i were to choose one, it will the sony xperia Z2 with a better built and UI!



IF YOU WANT TO CHECK OUT THE INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES I WROTE ON BOTH THE DEVICES, CLICK

FOR SAMSUNG GALAXY S5 ARTICLE!

FOR SONY XPERIA Z2 ARTICLE!

-SO I GUESS THAT'S IT FOR THIS TIME! 

HOPE YOU LIKED IT!

DO SHARE YOUR VIEWS TOO THIS 

ARTICLE  IN THE

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Sony Xperia Z2, did the best of Sony just got better?

Recently a lot of new flagships were launched and one of them was the Sony Xperia Z2, Sony's latest flagship released to combat with the HTC m8 , Samsung galaxy s5 and many more which are not launched yet! In a lot of ways, the new xperia z2 outruns the old xperia z1 but there are also some aspects where xperia z2 disappoints and we are going to look into whether Sony's latest flagship is worth it or not!

We are just going to look some pros and few cons to find out this and whether you should upgrade from xperia z1 to xperia z2 or not!

     

THE XPERIA Z2 HAS A BETTER DISPLAY!

The Xperia Z2 has taken its display up a notch over the Xperia Z1. Not only is it 0.2-inches bigger at 5.2-inches compared to the 5-inch screen on the Xperia Z1, but Sony has also introduced Live Colour LED to the Trimluminos and X-Reality tech of the Xperia Z1.

While the resolution stays the same at 1920 x 1080 pixels, the Live Colour LED technology is said to widen the colour gamut, allowing you to boost colours without oversaturation.

Side by side, the Xperia Z2 clearly shows an improved display with punchier colours and better viewing angles over the Xperia Z1.

The Xperia Z2 has a pixel density of 423ppi compared to the Xperia Z1's 440ppi, meaning a slightly sharper image on the Xperia Z1 due to its smaller display.

So basically it can be said that the display of xperia z2 is not that great compared to the last year's flagship!

SAME OLD DESIGN!

Sony almost never experiments with the design of their phones whether it is low end or high end, the design of sony phones are always the same and xperia z2 is no exception!

Sony hasn't altered the Xperia Z2's design too much from the Xperia Z1, although it is slimmer in terms of width, as well as lighter than its predecessor. You will get a slight increase in height with the Xperia Z2 due to the larger display, but it's fractional.

Both devices come with the same solid aluminium frame, neat chamfered edges and tempered glass front and rear panel. Additionally, both devices come in the black, white and purple options.

 THE XPERIA Z2 SOUNDS BETTER! (A LOT BETTER)

The speaker of the latest flagship has been moved from the end of the phone and around to the front, introducing S Force Surround Sound. This should make for a better experience when watching movies or playing games through the speakers.

The Sony Xperia Z2 also incorporates digital noise cancellation. This works through the bundled headphones in the box. They have mics on them to detect ambient noise, which is passed to the handset to produce anti-noise to cancel it out. The Xperia Z2 should be a popular phone for commuters, as you'll be able to better cut out the outside world.

The sound of the latest flagship has been improved a lot when you put them side by side, it is not great as HTC boomsound but it is better especially while using the headphones!

BETTER CAMERA!

The camera on the xperia z2 is not changed with its comes to the sensor, it brings the same 20.7-megapixel Exmor R for Mobile sensor that the Xperia Z1 proudly launched with in September, but there are a few enhancements with the new flagship!

        

The camera on the xperia z2 adds 4K video recording, adds video effects like AR and Vine, as well as SteadyShot image stabilisation.

In addition, the Xperia Z2 brings 120fps slow motion as well as a new background defocus mode for stills so it's fair to say the Xperia Z2 certainly takes the camera capabilities up a notch over the Xperia Z1.

XPERIA Z2 IS FASTER!

As you would expect with an upgraded handset, the Xperia Z2 brings with it a faster processor compared to the Xperia Z1.

The Xperia Z2 features the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor under the hood with 2.3GHz quad-core Krait CPUs, compared to the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor in the Xperia Z1.

There is also an increase in RAM with the Xperia Z2, offering 3GB compared to the 2GB found in the Xperia Z1. Both models have 16GB of internal storage with microSD support for further storage expansion up to 64GB.

This doesn't really create that difference but is still a big and significant upgrade,and makes the xperia z2 much more faster!

BATTERY LIFE GETS SIGNIFICANT UPGRADE!

There has also been an improvement in battery with the Xperia Z2 over the Xperia Z1. The Xperia Z2 has a 3200mAh battery while the Xperia Z1 comes with a 3000mAh battery that promised up to 14 hours talk time and 880 hours standby time so you should get a bit more juice out of the new model. 

Battery life is always a must when it comes to flagships and xperia z2 doesn't disappoints too!

TO SUM UP...

To sum up, the new xperia z2 is faster, smarter, and much better than the previous flagship, the xperia z1 but what we were looking for was something that would make this phone stand apart from the crowd and that is missing from this flagship! If you are using the last year's flagship, then there's no need to upgrade, but if you are using the xperia z, then you should!

I ALSO WROTE ARTICLES ON THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S5 AND NEW HTC ONE M8 IF YOU WANNA CHECK THAT OUT!

READ:

SAMSUNG GALAXY S5 ARITCLE!

HTC ONE M8 ARTICLE!

-SO I GUESS THAT'S IT FOR THIS TIME! 

HOPE YOU LIKED IT!

DO SHARE YOUR VIEWS TOO THIS 

ARTICLE IN THE

COMMENTS SECTION OR CONNECT TO 

ME ON 

TWITTER @phonesoldier and facebook 

at www.facebook.com/phonesoldier!

SHARE THIS ARTICLE OR ANY OTHER IF YOU THINK IT  IS WORTH IT!

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