Single-core droids will only be getting cheaper and there's plenty to choose from. But if you want to get the best out of a tight budget, making the right choice can prove to be a challenge. We're looking at two phones that launched at the same time and have very similar specs and price points. The Samsung Galaxy W and the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo V are middle of the Android pack. There're many above them in the ranks but few are as easy to afford.
The Galaxy W currently costs slightly more, so we'll try and answer whether you get extra value or whether the Xperia Neo V is a real steal instead.
Before we put both phones through our battery of tests, we let them throw a few warm-up punches:
Samsung Galaxy W I8150 over Xperia Neo V
- Thinner (11.5mm vs. 13mm) and 11g lighter
- Faster processor: 1.4GHz over 1GHz
- DNSe sound enhancement technology
- Document editor over doc viewer
Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo V over Samsung Galaxy W
- Promised update to Android 4 Ice Cream Sandwich
- microHDMI port over no TV-Out
- Slightly higher-res screen: FWVGA (480x854) vs. WVGA (480x800)
- Scratch-resistant glass
- Currently cheaper
It seems the Xperia Neo V has a couple of advantages that catch the eye, the ICS update and HDMI port being most notable. That's a great start for the cheaper phone.
However, the Galaxy W hasn't given up trying to justify the extra cost. It's got a faster processor packed in a thinner body and dedicated sound-enhancing technology to boot.
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