HTC One V versus the Sony Ericsson Xperia neo V

Sony Xperia neo V

For nearly six (6) months Sony's Xperia neo V has on our list top mobile phones in the country.  Basically, it combined a decently large 3.7-inch screen screen with a high 480 x 854 pixel resolution, a 1 GHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, a 5 MP camera and a 1500 mAh battery. All in all, not bad for the price of about Php13K. How does it fair against the newer models? 

HTC One V

HTC recently launch its HTC One , which has a 3.7-inch WVGA (480 x 800) display, 1 GHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, a 5 MP camera and a 1500 mAh battery, all for the price of Php13,490. Sounds rather familiar. While both phones have similar specifications, there are areas where they differ.

Internal storage. The biggest issue when buying a budget Android phone is how much internal storage does the phone have. While most Android phones can expand their internal storage via a MicroSD card, not all Android apps can be moved to the SD card. Moving apps to the SD also means not being able to use the widget associated with the app in most cases. 

The Sony Ericsson Xperia neo V has 1 GB of internal storage, of which 320 MB is user available. A 2 GB MicroSD card is included in the package.

The HTC One V has 4 GB of internal storage with 1.1 GB being users available. For some reason or other, it appears HTC decided to divide storage for apps, pictures and video. You have 1 GB for apps and 95 MB for pictures and video. The One V does not come with a MicroSD card but comes with 25 GB of Dropbox storage. 

Front camera. The Sony Ericsson Xperia neo V has a front camera, while the HTC One V does not. This also means no Android 4.0 Facial recognition unlock on the One V. 

Case, size and weight. Both phones are similar in size. The One V is wider at 59.7 mm as against the narrower 57 mm of the neo V. On the other hand the One V is thinner and lighter at 9.2 mm and 115 g while the neo V is 13 mm thick and 126 g  in weight. Both phones are small enough that size should not be an issue. I suspect though that manny buyers will like the aluminum case of the One V more than the plastic one on the neo V. 

Operating system. The HTC One V is running Android 4.0 with HTC Sense. The Sony Ericsson Xperia neo V is running Android 2.3.4 with Sony's own user interface. A upgrade to Android 4.0 is available.

Price. We have found the HTC One V for as low as Php13,490 with an official HTC warranty. The same store where we got the price carries the Sony Ericsson Xperia neo V at Php12,000 with an official Sony warranty.

Which is a better choice? Using my own sense of priorities I would go with the One V. I am currently using 434 MB of internal storage on my Android phone, so 320 MB wont be enough for me and the apps I use. I also worry a bit, that the 320 MB of the Neo V might actually go down with the Android 4.0 update, but that is just speculation on my part.

I have a data plan and use cloud storage. I currently have 11 GB on Dropbox and 50 GB on Box, so I really do not need the additional free 25 GB for two years on Dropbox, still it would be great to have it. I have never really used the front cam on my phones, and my current Android phone does not have one and I do not miss not having one. I prefer the premium looking aluminum case on the One V.

For others, the front camera may be a deal breaker, and the Sony Ericsson Xperia neo V would be the better choice. The neo V is also Php1,490 cheaper, and cheaper is always a good thing.

A front camera would have made the One V a neo V killer. But absent the front camera, the One V makes a nice alternative to the neo V for those who will prioritize storage over the front camera.